Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Path To Philly Beer Week 2008 - A Profile of Philadelphia Brewing Company



In the past ten years, we’ve gained a Philadelphia University, now our fine city has a Philadelphia Brewing Company. And what better location for it then the building that housed the Weisbrod and Hess Brewery over 100 years ago and more recently the Yards Brewing Company. History runs deep here and you can see it in the brewery and feel it in the beers.

After a split in the Yards Brewing Company ownership and management in 2007, Bill & Nancy Barton (with partner Jim McBride) retained the building and equipment to start up the new, and completely separate, Philadelphia Brewing Company in 2008. (Yards, and Tom Kehoe, has moved a couple of miles away toward the Delaware River.) Checking out brewer John Rehm’s blog shows that a heckuva lot of progress has been made in spiffing up the old brewery.

In the meantime, some test batches have been fine tuned and formulated at the Porterhouse Pub further up-river (the Delaware, that is) in Lahaska, PA. The latest news is that the brewing has finally begun on-site in Kensington. All looks promising to finding PBC on tap at your local pubs and distributors (that’s Pennsylvania-speak, by the way) by early spring.


As you ready yourself for Philly Beer Week 2008, study up on some background notes on Philadelphia Brewing and consider yourself lucky to be part of such a vibrant and rich beer region that PBW 2008 will celebrate.



Name: Philadelphia Brewing Company
Location: 2439 Amber St, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: 215-427-BREW

People
Bill & Nancy Barton and Jim McBride; Owners
Josh Ervine & John Rehm (Brewers); Dean Browne (Fermentation); Chris Morris (Sales)

Major Brands
Kenzinger (Golden Kölsch-style Session Ale; ~4.5% ABV); Newbold IPA (American IPA; ~6.5% ABV); Rowhouse Red ("Philadelphia Rowhouse" style Ale w/rye; ~5.0% ABV); Walt Wit (Belgian-style White; ~5.0% ABV)

Awards
John Rehm (while at John Harvard's in Wayne, PA)
Devon Altbier - Gold, GABF 2005

Distribution
12 ounce bottles expect to start rolling out of the brewery to be available at local beer distributors in late March/early April; will initially only serve the Philadelphia metropolitan market, moving into southern New Jersey in early summer

Production
Anticipated 10,000 bbls/year

History & Tidbits
  • History of the original brewhouse building goes back to 1891
  • The current brewery building was built in 1912
  • Originally built as and named the Weisbrod & Hess Bottling Department & Stables

  • Major Yearly Events
  • Weekly Saturday Tours and Tastings starting in mid-March
  • Occasional Rich Wagner presentations on the history of brewing in Philadelphia; first one on March 22nd - "History of Philadelphia Brewing Co.-Then and Now"
  • Buy Fresh, Buy Local Kickoff Party (July)
  • Annual Holiday Open House (December)


  • Where to Find PBC During Philly Beer Week
  • Rowhouse Red will be a featured favorite of Joe Sixpack's on the 7th
  • At the Brewer's Plate on the 9th, Rowhouse Red will be paired with Buckwheat Pretzels and Rowhouse Red-cured ham & pickled egg salad from Southwark
  • The standard 4 beers listed above to be available during Beer Quizzo at Khyber Pass on Monday the 10th
  • Pub on Passyunk East hosts PBC and their 4 new brews on the 11th
  • Meet & Greet with the brewers (Rehm & Ervine with Browne & Morris) at Standard Tap on the 13th; Aspen Street Tavern will also be pouring their beers



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