Swan song for the Northeast Taproom

Jan. 16—Reading's Northeast Taproom has long been known for two things, David Hohl said.

"It was always famous for its beer," he said, "and, secondly, for its people. The people were so much fun, and beer and fun go together."

A longtime patron, Hohl lives close enough to walk to the neighborhood watering hole.

For decades, the corner bar at 1101 N. 12th St. was the go-to place for a wide selection of craft and specialty brews.

On any given night an eclectic mix of neighborhood locals, artists, musicians, bikers and others gathered for companionship and conversation. It was a place where everybody knew everybody else, but strangers were always welcome.

That's all over now.

After a 40-year run, the iconic bar permanently closed its doors Sunday.

"You were always guaranteed to have a unique experience because there were always different people here," said one loyal patron who turned up Saturday for a celebratory sendoff organized by owner Dennis Haddock, musician Ted Gaul and friends.

The event drew hundreds of recent and onetime habitues who squeezed into the jammed barroom to drink a beer or two or more and say their farewells between 3 p.m. and closing time.

Long-time regular Julie Schuck was a Reading newcomer when a friend introduced her to the Taproom.

"I walked in and there was a puppy biting my ankles and I fell in love," she said.

Schuck said she also fell in love with the funky decor and friendly folks who frequented the dog-friendly pub.

"I've been a loyal patron," she said, adding with a laugh "maybe too loyal."

Schuck later moved to a house next door, where she has lived close to 23 years and offers private lessons in piano, dance and art.

"I built my business from meeting people in here and getting to know them," she said, from a corner beside the beer fridge, temporarily vacated when Gaul took a break from playing guitar and singing.

Moments earlier, he led the assembly in a rousing rendition of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," made famous by the Band.

Through the afternoon and evening, patrons sang, talked and quaffed beers. Some cried.

Sue Heffner, who grew up two houses up the street, grew teary eyed remembering all the good times.

For years, she was a fixture in the Taproom. Perched on a barstool, she spent hours nursing a beer while drawing with an Etch A Sketch.

The intricate designs Heffner made with the mechanical drawing toy amazed those who watched her at work and earned her a spot on a national radio show.

"I met a lot of nice people here," she said, "and made a lot of good friends. Lifetime friends. There was always a friendly face and someone to talk to here. It was a great place to go."

Heffner of Temple and others lingered Saturday, eating cake and pizza, sipping beers, reminiscing and getting a last look at the tavern's eclectic decor — a mix of breweriana, local artifacts, collectibles, framed newspaper clippings and photos of local personalities and pop icons.

For owner Haddock, the occasion was bittersweet.

"When I would come up here in the '90s, I dreamed of owning this place," said Haddock, who bought the establishment with a partner in 2007 and became sole owner the following year.

But after 15 years, Haddock said, he is burned out and looking for a change.

Business isn't the way it was when the Taproom opened as the first place in Reading to offer craft beers, he said.

"You couldn't get craft beer in Reading anywhere but here back then," Haddock said. "Now you can get it everywhere."

Liquor laws have changed, too, making it easier to buy small quantities of beer to take home, he said.

There is other competition, too, with supermarkets and convenience stores now selling beer and wine.

People have changed as well, Haddock said, especially since the isolation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A lot of people got used to drinking at home," he said. "We were still doing pretty well until COVID put a damper on things."

The Taproom's loyal clientele, now in their 50s and 60s, are not going out as often, he said, and the younger generations tend to do their drinking with friends at home.

Parking, too, is a problem, Haddock said. Always at a premium, it is even more so due to the city's burgeoning population.

When they can't find a space, even some longtime patrons now head to West Reading, where the bar and club scene is thriving, or go home, he said.

The packed barroom at Saturday's farewell party was reminiscent of the Taproom's heyday in the early years of Haddock's ownership and those of his predecessors, including founder Pete Cammarano.

Cammarano bought what was then called Rita's in 1983. The 53-year-old northeast Reading institution came with a license to sell beer only. So Cammarano, then 25, knew he needed to do something to distinguish it from the many other bars in the city.

A fan of different and rare beers, he renamed the place and set about finding unusual and imported beers, sometimes driving to distributors in neighboring counties and stocking his station wagon with his finds.

The plan worked, and the Taproom drew a following.

Wanting to try something different, Camarano, who now owns Mike's Tavern on Exeter Street, sold the Taproom a few years before Haddock bought it from another owner.

Now after 33 years in the bar business —15 as owner of the Taproom — Haddock, too, is ready for something different.

He isn't sure what yet, but he plans to stay in the people business, he said.

The Taproom was always about the people, Haddock said.

"I want the customers to know how appreciated they are," he said, "because they truly are."