New Trail Brewing Co: How a Broken Heel Became Pennsylvania's Fastest-Growing Brewery

Aug 25

On a recent trip to Williamsport to watch some Little League Baseball, we had to include a stop at a brewery who is seemingly everywhere!

Tucked into Williamsport, Pennsylvania, New Trail Brewing Co. has gone from a scrappy startup to one of the most talked-about names in craft beer — and the story behind it is as unlikely as its flagship beer's name.

The Roots of an Explorer: Mike LaRosa's Journey

New Trail's story starts with its Owner and Director of Brewing Operations, Mike LaRosa. His love of beer took root early, homebrewing with his father, who'd been part of the craft beer scene since its early days in the late 1980s.

While studying at Albright College, LaRosa talked his way into an internship at Rock Bottom in King of Prussia. That internship turned into a paid Assistant Brewer role — and along the way, he picked up his first GABF Gold Medal for a Baltic Style Porter.

From there, LaRosa's résumé reads like a tour of the region's most influential breweries. He helped build out the dark beer program at Kane Brewing Company as Head Brewer, then became the first brewer at Tired Hands Brewing Co.'s Fermentaria location. That stint put him at the center of the "renaissance" of experimental brewing — including the invention of the Milkshake IPA — and gave him a front-row seat to "line culture," the hours-long queues fans would form for fresh can releases.

Founding and the "Broken Heels" Origin Story

New Trail Brewing Co. opened its doors in January 2018 in Williamsport. It almost had a much more forgettable name: LaRosa pushed back on "Williamsport Brewing Company" in favor of New Trail, a name that better captured the outdoorsy identity he wanted the brand to have. The culture was built for "woodsy types" — hikers, bikers, paddlers, stargazers.

The flagship beer's name has an origin story that's part accident, part inside joke. Just weeks before the brewery opened, co-founder Charles Imbro took a bad fall down a flight of stairs and broke both of his heels. LaRosa named the beer "Broken Heels Hazy IPA" as a good-natured jab at his partner — but the name stuck, doubling as a fitting metaphor for the risks that come with adventure. It's now the brewery's top seller, with production running between 300 and 480 barrels a week.

A Strategy of Rapid Growth and Accessibility

Rather than lean into the exclusivity of city-style "line culture," New Trail built its business around high-volume wholesale distribution. In July 2022, the brewery added Crisp Lager to its lineup — an approachable, traditional American lager meant to offer craft quality at a lower price point.

The growth that followed has been hard to ignore:

2019: Wrapped its first full year with 32,000 cases produced

2021: Named the fastest-growing brewery in America by the Brewers Association

2024: Topped 46,000 barrels produced

2025:Named Brewbound's Craft Brewery of the Year

Crafted for Adventure: The Tasting Room and Philanthropy

The Williamsport tasting room spans 4,000 square feet and is both human- and dog-friendly, rounding out its beer lineup with local Pennsylvania wines, cocktails, and rotating food trucks.

But New Trail's mission extends past the taproom. The brewery is deeply invested in preserving Pennsylvania's natural spaces, most visibly through its State Park Series — beers named after specific state parks like Keystone, Worlds End, and Cherry Springs. A portion of the proceeds from every can sold goes to the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, funding conservation work like restoring historic buildings, planting trees, and maintaining trails.

Looking Ahead: The New Frontier

As New Trail marks another lap around the sun, the innovation hasn't slowed. Recent releases include the Trail Marker West Coast IPA and the 24/7 Session IPA, a 4.7% ABV easy-drinker built for long days outdoors. The brewery has also brought back its Expedition Pack, a 12-pack of collaborations with friends in the industry including Human Robot, Warwick Farm, Old Thunder, and Tonewood.

Whether it's a crisp pint of lager or a dollar donated to a local forest, New Trail's philosophy hasn't changed since day one: great beer makes life's adventures taste even better.

Sampled on our visit: