The names of the menu items, the beers—Mother of All Cluckers, the Cobbfather, and Whoop Ass—and of the business itself add to the edgy and irreverent vibe at Jackass Brewing Company. The restaurant, which has locations in Lewisburg and Williamsport, offers creative food and a variety of beers, and keeping things lighthearted and fun is part of the M.O. Owners Larry Winans and Skip Kratzer have learned not to take anything too seriously.

“We want people to come here and have fun,” Larry says. He and Skip are firm believers in the adage posted on their business homepage (jackassbrewingcompany.com): “You don’t stop having fun because you get old, you get old because you stop having fun.”

“We’re actually kind of boring, honestly,” Skip says. “I’m a former schoolteacher, and he was a dentist.” The pivot to beer brewing began more than seven years ago during a weekly outing with friends.

“We used to go out for beers, usually Friday afternoons,” Larry recalls. “Then Skip came up with the idea one day to brew our own beers.”

Skip had already dabbled with home brewing. Larry, who majored in chemistry in college, began brewing on weekends with his pal. The results at first were not always favorable. “We learned a very important lesson while doing it, that one should not drink bourbon while brewing bourbon porter,” Larry says with a laugh.

The two spent the next few years dedicating themselves to the art of beer brewing. By March of 2020, they were ready to take the plunge and open their own brewery in Lewisburg. They chose the name “Jackass” partly because they wanted to keep things light but also because the jackass has a strong work ethic.

“The characteristics of a donkey are stubborn, strong-willed, determined, hardworking, loyal, and faithful. That’s us,” Larry says.

But, talk about a kick in the, well, you know, the brewery’s opening was just five days before the covid pandemic shut everything down.

“When we started the brewery in Lewisburg, we were about sharables,” Skip says. “We wanted to have sharable foods and have people together at tables. Covid changed that for a bit.”

The Lewisburg location has large pull-open garage doors, though, which helped to keep Jackass Brewing Company afloat during the pandemic restrictions. Word got out that a new brewery had opened in the area, and customers started coming to the open garage doors for takeout beers. It seemed Larry and Skip’s mission to bring people together was fulfilled after all.

“People were able to see their friends and neighbors in the parking lot as they waited for their beers,” Skip says.

Eventually, restrictions eased, and the Jackass team got to work developing a food menu consisting of offerings with a creative twist. The Mother of All Cluckers chicken sliders is one of the most popular, Larry says. The sandwich recipe takes fried chicken and adds unusual ingredients, including cheesy mashed potatoes, waffles, and whiskey maple syrup. “That was a take on central Pennsylvania chicken and waffles,” Larry explains. “We have some creative chefs who take a twist on the menu items and say we ‘jackass’d it up.’” Other menu items, such as This Little Piggy Went to Wilpo, take traditional pulled pork and dresses it up with pineapple salsa, chipotle BBQ, and cotija cheese.

Of course, a meal at Jackass wouldn’t be complete without one of the twelve beers currently offered on tap. Skip and Larry come up with the recipes to brew a variety of beers, including darks and lights, IPAs, sours, and the recent addition of a farmhouse saison.

The names of the beers the Jackass crew brews are just as creative as the food names. Beers such as Dumbass Porter, Foggy Doo (a New England style IPA), and Wonkey Donkey (a Belgian Tripel) are staples on the roster.

“We like to say we have a beer for everyone,” Larry says.

“We just brewed our first ever pumpkin beer, Jacktoberfest,” Skip adds. “We took an Oktoberfest and Jackass’d it up.”

One of the most recent business ventures for Jackass has been hosting events at the Lofts at 301 West 3rd, the third floor of their Williamsport location. The 28,000-square-foot building has four floors, two of which are dedicated to hosting events such as weddings, corporate parties, baby showers, bridal showers, and the like. Last November, the Lofts hosted a holiday market. This fall, the Lofts will host a bridal expo in October and a second annual holiday market in November.

Although the Williamsport location has been around for only a year, it already has a following. Larry and Skip like the Williamsport area, and thought it would be a good second location, with the advantage of being close to their Lewisburg home base.

“There’s a real sense of pride in the community and that’s what we’re about,” says Larry. “And that’s one of the reasons we picked Williamsport.”

The two say they have built a good team at both locations. The Williamsport crew was put to the test recently during the Little League World Series in August. More than sixty players and families of the Las Vegas Little League team came in one night. “Our entire team stepped up to the challenge that night,” Larry notes. The Jackass staff made people smile, and that makes the owners happy.

“Smiles—that’s always been a big part of what we are about,” says Skip.

Enjoy a brew and a meal at the Jackass Brewery Lewisburg location, 2268 Old Turnpike Road, or in Williamsport at 301 West 3rd Street. For menus, reservations, and booking events at the Lofts, call (570) 980-1083 or go to jackassbrewingcompany.com. And watch for the rooftop bar coming in the summer of 2026.