Rotgut.org Blog: #6625 - Mortals Key Brewing, South Shenango Township, PA

Friday, July 10, 2026

#6625 - Mortals Key Brewing, South Shenango Township, PA - 7/9/2026

Mortals Key Brewing, South Shenango, PA

I really like this place and have added it to my list of top favorites. In short, it looks and feels great, they have really good beers, and while I did not originally intend to eat there, the smell of the smoking brisket gave me no choice.

More than just a brewpub, it's like a little village, with old barn wood buildings crammed with interesting antiques, salvage, and artistic furnishings. I don't know exactly what the arts backgrounds of the owners are, but they are apparent everywhere you look, comprising a highly diverse set of source materials that somehow come together feeling as a thematic, welcoming whole. The brewery was opened June 24, 2016 just east of the Pymatuning Reservoir, which straddles the Pennsylvania-Ohio border and resulted in the largest lake in Pennsylvania. The address lists Jamestown but it is technically in South Shenango Township, PA. It was created and is run by Bruce and Jennifer Woyt, and Doug and Connie Shannon. Their web site describes the project this way:

Mortals Key Brewing, South Shenango, PA

"Mortals Key Brewing Company was born by a handful of artists who came together on a small farm overlooking old America with the sole purpose of creating a beer unlike any other. In the process we ended up also changing the course of our lives. We’re not saying we’ve found the secret to life, only the key to enjoying it. So join us for a pint and begin filling that bucket with a list of everything you want to do during your time here on this planet. And then get out there and have fun doing it." (mortalskey.com)

On my first visit I was able to meet owner Jennifer and head brewer Sean McIntyre, as well as chatting with bartender Craig. The main bar and kitchen are in an old tractor barn refurbished with repurposed building materials, architectural salvage, boat motors and half a 1950s Bristol Bus. The Egyptian ankh symbol, sometimes known as "the key of life," features prominently throughout (down to the beer tap handles), and adds to feeling of a welcoming, secret sanctuary.

Adjacent to the brewpub is the Gatehouse Winery, which I yet to explore, and up a slight hill is a handsome stone house that serves as the Estate at Gatehouse Bed & Breakfast, which seems like a great base from which to explore the reservoir, the Pymatuning State Park as well as Lake Conneaut area. In any case, I will definitely be watching for opportunities to return.