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America’s Greatest Brewing City Reclaims Its Sudsy Heritage

Twice a year, the Neighborhood Tourism Network hosts tours of Philadelphia’s historic and reemerging brewing neighborhoods of Fishtown and Kensington. The tour, scheduled for October 1, 2005, includes a visit to Kensington’s Yards Brewing Company, the only production brewery within the city limits.

One hundred years ago, Philadelphia was known as the greatest brewing city in the Western Hemisphere. Today, Philadelphia-area microbreweries are reclaiming the region’s reputation by brewing some of the world’s best beer. Visitors can tour the facilities and sample the beer at most of these spots, and increasingly, local pubs are specializing in serving locally made brews.

In the mid-19th through the early 20th century, more than 90 breweries operated in Philadelphia proper, and another 100 more operated in the city’s environs. One northwestern region of Philly, located on the banks of the Schuylkill River, near Girard Avenue Bridge, became known as “Brewerytown.” As Brewerytown grew, area producers of German-style beers and American lagers expanded into the nearby Kensington and Fishtown neighborhoods, and beyond.

The brewery boom came to an end in 1920, when Prohibition brought on the decline — and near demise — of virtually all of Philadelphia’s beer producers, the majority of which remained shuttered beyond the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.

But 60 years later, the Philadelphia region began reestablishing itself as a force in beer making. Throughout the city — from Kensington to Manayunk — and beyond — from Lafayette Hill to Phoenixville — independently owned breweries and brew pubs were handcrafting flavorful ales, lagers, stouts and meads that had all but disappeared from America’s beerscape.

Today, the Philadelphia area is home to several microbreweries that bring home gold and silver medals from international beer festivals and competitions every year. Throughout the region, suds-centric bars are serving local drafts alongside ale-friendly haute cuisine.

Breweries:

• General Lafayette Inn & Brewery: Frequented by a certain young French general during the Revolutionary War, this centuries-old Montgomery County inn houses a popular brewery and restaurant that prides itself on using fresh, local ingredients. Brewmaster Christopher Leonard creates international-style brews such as Raspberry Mead-Ale and Pacific Pale Ale. 646 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, (610) 941-0600, (800) 251-0181, www.generallafayetteinn.com

• Independence Brew Pub: Across the street from the Reading Terminal Market, this popular restaubar conditions and pours its own Kolsh, Red Ale, Cask-conditioned Ale, Oatmeal Stout and Indian Pale Ale. 1150 Filbert Street, (215) 922-4292, www.independencebrewpub.com

• Iron Hill Brewery: Born in Newark, Delaware, this restaurant/brewery has expanded into three Pennsylvania locations, one in Chester, a second in Delaware county and the newest location in Montgomery County. But Iron Hill’s brewers haven’t let expansion get in the way of beer-making. Last year, team Iron Hill added two gold and three bronze medals to their already prodigious honors. The big winners: Bourbon Russian, a barrel-aged beer; Tripel, a Belgian-style abbey ale; Wee Heavy, a strong Scotch ale; and Framboise de Hill, a Belgian-style sour ale. 3 W. Gay Street, West Chester, (610) 738-9600; 30 E. State Street, Media, (610) 627-9000; 1460 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales, (267) 708-2000, www.ironhillbrewery.com

• Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant: This canal-side destination is a favorite for everything from burgers to ahi tuna washed down with refreshing summer lagers and ales made on site. 4120 Main Street, (215) 482-8220, www.manayunkbrewery.com

• McKenzie Brew House: This popular Chadds Ford brew pub serves up its very own Wicked Will’s Pale Ale, Black Lab Stout, Unicorn Amber and Shane’s Gold, made by brewer Scott Morrison, who specializes in Belgian beer. Route 202, Chadds Ford, (610) 361-9800, www.mckenziebrewhouse.com

• Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant: In the heart of Center City, this cozy upstairs hideaway has won more beer competition awards than it can hang on its walls. Beers here are brewed seasonally and in view of the patrons. Among Nodding Head’s dozens of styles: Grog, BoHo Pils, Golden Ale and Son of Swami, all of which compliment the kitchen’s burgers and Belgian-style mussels. 1516 Sansom Street, 2nd floor, (215) 569-9525, www.noddinghead.com

• Sly Fox Beer: Famed for its bock and ice bock brews, this Chester County brewer has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception in 1994. Sly Fox crafts and bottles its brews and runs two brew pubs in Phoenixville and Royersford. Head brewer Brian O’Reilly has won bronze medals at the Great American Beer Festival for his Helles Golden Lager, while the Pikeland Pils has earned gold. Pikeland Village Square, 519 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, (610) 935-4540; 312 N. Lewis Road, Royersford, (610) 948-8088, www.slyfoxbeer.com

• Victory Brewing Company: The German-trained brewers at this Chester County producer make 20 beer styles, according to season and demand. Victory’s Golden Monkey Tripel won a silver medal in the 2004 International Beer Competition in London. Their popular Hop Devil Ale earned the title of “Champion American Beer” in the Great British Beer Festival in 2002. Both Men’s Journal and the New York Times rated their Prima Pilsner the best pilsner style in the world. The brewery includes a full-service restaurant — and an exclusive selection of Victory brews on tap. The brewery offers free tours Fridays and Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. 420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, (610) 873-0881, www.victorybeer.com

• Yards Brewing Company: Established in 1994, this craft brewery occupies the 40,000 square-foot former bottling house of the old Weisbrod and Hess Oriental Brewing Company, which closed in 1939. Today, Yards produces five different beers year round, including Philadelphia Pale Ale, Extra Special, India Pale Ale, Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale and General Washington Tavern Porter. Seasonally Yards brews Saison Belgian-inspired Summer Ale and Yards Love Stout. Free tours on Saturdays, 12 noon-3:00 p.m. 2439 Amber Street, (215) 634-2600, www.yardsbrewing.com

Local Beer On Tap:

• Johnny Brenda’s: This revived watering hole in Fishtown is the northern outpost of the popular Standard Tap, a neighborhood spot made over to comply with a locals-only beer policy (see below). A chalkboard menu’s offerings include swordfish kebabs, sausage sandwiches, shoestring fries, grilled calamari and mushroom spring rolls. Frankford & Girard Avenues, (215) 739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com

• London Grill: This upscale neighborhood restaurant and bar in the city’s Fairmount section serves hand-pumped microbrews plus Stoudts-brewed Willie Sutton Ale, named after an infamous former resident of the neighboring Eastern State Penitentiary.  2301 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 978-4545, www.londongrill.com

• McGillin’s Old Ale House: In the shadow of City Hall, this 145-year-old tavern — Philadelphia’s longest operating “publick house” — gets its signature Genuine Lager and Real Ale from Stoudt’s Brewing Company in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. McGillin’s serves more Stoudt’s draft beers than any other tavern in Pennsylvania. 1310 Drury Street, between Chestnut & Sansom Streets and 13th & Juniper Streets, (215) 735-5562, www.mcgillins.com

• Standard Tap: The first pub to latch on hard to Philly’s craft brewing upswing, this Northern Liberties neighborhood spot has done nothing but grow since it opened its doors. The Tap’s menu — fried smelts, chicken pot pies, hangar steaks and fries — is written daily on hanging chalkboards and coordinates perfectly with its selection of exclusively local brews from Yards (Philadelphia), Victory (Downingtown, Pennsylvania), Flying Fish (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), Tröegs (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), Stoudt’s (Lancaster County), Sly Fox (Phoenixville and Royersford, Pennsylvania), Dogfish Head (Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, Delaware), Legacy Brewing (Reading, Pennsylvania), McKenzie Brewhouse (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania), Weyerbacher (Easton, Pennsylvania), Appalachian (Gettysburg and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), Heavyweight Brewing Co. (Ocean Township, New Jersey). 901 N. 2nd Street, (215) 238-0630, www.standardtap.com

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Edited by Erika Wright

Photos 1, 3, and 4 by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

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