COOPERSBURG, Pa. - A seasoned hospitality professional, who’s worked at some of the Lehigh Valley’s most prominent dining establishments, is fulfilling a longtime dream of operating his own food and beverage business in Lehigh County.
Steven Zanders, a bar and restaurant veteran with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, last spring purchased Sage Alley Brewery & Grille, at 213 N. Main St. in Coopersburg.
Over the past several months, he’s tapped his extensive resume and industry knowledge to enhance the customer experience with new beers, eats, events and more.
The brewery’s team is driven by a commitment to quality, creativity and community engagement.
“With a passion for craft beer and a vision for elevated hospitality, we set out to build upon the solid foundation laid in 2018 and propel Sage Alley Brewery & Grille to new heights,” Zanders said. “Since acquiring the brewery, we have been hard at work implementing our vision for growth and innovation.”
Zanders, of Easton, took the reins from the brewery’s original owners, Russell Armstrong and Heather Lloyd, who debuted the venture in June 2018.
Prior to purchasing Sage Alley, Zanders held a variety of positions – including server, bartender and manager – at well-known restaurants such as Diner 248 in Lower Nazareth Township, Carrabba’s Italian Grill in South Whitehall Township and Hunan Springs in Lower Macungie Township.
He also had gigs at former popular spots such as J.P. O’Malley’s in Allentown, Jack Callaghan’s Ale House in Allentown and Mango’s Coastal Cuisine in South Whitehall.
“I’ve worked at so many great restaurants over the years, but I always had this longing to own my own business and work for myself,” Zanders said.
“I’ve held just about every position imaginable in the restaurant industry – from dishwasher to manager, and I’m genuinely passionate about the hospitality industry – the people, the food, the drinks, everything. I didn’t realize it at the time, but working at all of those restaurants over the years prepared me for what I’m doing now. It was kind of like informal research and development.”
Sage Alley, named after the alley behind the building, features a variety of indoor and outdoor space for guests to relax while enjoying drinks, food and friendly conversation.
The indoor taproom features seating for around 65 guests at a mix of bar stools, high- and low-top tables and upholstered lounge furniture nestled near a gas fireplace.
There’s a U-shaped bar, with an ambrosia maple top, along with cozy decor like faux greenery and string lights that hang from the ceiling.
A highlight of the brewery is its ample outdoor accommodations, featuring fire pits, Adirondack chairs and yard games such as corn hole.
An enclosed front porch can be heated or cooled depending on the season, while a rear patio features a variety of seating under umbrellas and a wooden pergola.
A food trailer that’s parked on the patio offers a variety of made-from-scratch dishes, including starters such as shrimp skewers, Buffalo chicken dip and roasted Brussels sprouts; and handhelds such as various tacos, chicken sandwiches (crispy breaded or grilled marinated) and Oxford grilled cheese (Texas toast layered with sharp white cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss and American cheeses and optional thick-cut Saylor’s bacon).
There’s also an array of 6- by 16-inch pizzas, including Sizzled (pepperoni, jalapenos, red sauce and mozzarella) and Jersey Boardwalk (Saylor’s ground sausage, red bell peppers, red sauce and mozzarella).
Popular food selections include garlic cheese curds and hand-cut fries (traditional or Old Bay).
Zanders enjoys collaborating with the chef on weekly food specials, and the brewery also offers holiday features such as a salmon entree for Mother’s Day, shepherd’s pie and corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day and oven-baked ham with honey-glazed carrots, grilled asparagus, baked potato and toasted roll for Easter.
“When it comes to the specials, the chef and I bounce a lot of ideas off of each other,” Zanders said. “Some of our top-selling items from the regular menu include our garlic cheese curds, pierogies, boneless and bone-in wings and fresh 8-ounce burgers, which are just incredible. Our slow-roasted pulled pork and pulled chicken tacos are also extremely popular.”
For Sage Alley’s beer, Zanders also works closely with new head brewer Matt King on a wide array of rotating selections.
A few Sage Alley staples, including a blueberry lager, carried over from the previous owners, but a majority of the brewery’s beers are fresh creations, Zanders said.
Popular selections include Denim (West Coast IPA), Paddle Shack (New England hazy IPA), Arrogantly Humble (amber ale), Mango Tree (tart ale) and Midnight Moo’light (milk stout).
Beers are available in 5-, 13- and 16-ounce pours along with flights (four 5-ounce pours).
The brewery features a seven-barrel brewing system, which is housed in a rear building adjacent to Sage Alley. The structure is adorned with a newly painted mural, showcasing vibrant green hops and other colorful designs.
Customers also can enjoy a variety of other specialty drinks, including local wines, made-on-site hard seltzer (available in flavors such as blackberry, lime, passion fruit and more) and classic and signature co*cktails, made with spirits from local distilleries such as County Seat Spirits, Eight Oaks Farm Distillery and Xplorer Spirits.
Classic co*cktails include selections such as a mimosa, mojito and Manhattan, while featured co*cktails include picks such as an Alley Apple Palmer, Honey-Kissed Bourbon Lemonade and Pickle ‘Rita.
“When it comes to the beer, I’ll often talk to Matt about flavor profiles that I’d like to be featured, and he brings them to life,” Zanders said.
“He’s definitely the scientist behind all of our delicious creations. We both like to try new recipes and want there to be diversity in our offerings. As much as IPAs sell a lot, we truly want to offer something for everyone, and that’s why you’ll see a mix of IPAs, stouts, porters, a tart or sour, pilsner, hefeweizen and so on. We rotate them frequently.”
Zanders also has a strong interest in craft spirits, and he was taking classes in Northampton Community College’s craft distillery program while pursuing the acquisition of Sage Alley last year.
The program covers the fundamentals of distillation operations, quality control, sensory analysis and more.
“I was actually looking to open a craft distillery before purchasing Sage Alley,” Zanders said.
“My girlfriend sent me an ad for the brewery, and I had never been here previously. So, I came to visit, and as soon as I walked through the door, I was struck by its beauty. I told my girlfriend that we need to come back to eat to see if it’s really a good match. So, we came back and had a meal, which was fantastic, and I knew at that point that I was going all in.”
In addition to adding new beers and food features, Zanders has enhanced the taproom experience with new TVs and aesthetic touches such as hand-crafted wooden tap markers.
The brewery continues to host live music acts throughout the year and also features bingo and trivia events.
A Pay-It-Forward Dog Tag program provides military veterans with their first beer free.
“We support our community because the community supports us,” Zanders said. “The love that people show us is tremendous, and everyone has been so welcoming of me this first year. I can’t wait to see the future progress of this brewery.”
Sage Alley Brewery & Grille is open 4-9 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays.
For the latest updates, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: sagealleybrewery.com.
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