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Experience Best of Times, Wurst of Times at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Phoenixville, PA
Foodies will pretty much follow anything that leads to food. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Achtung! Attention, that is and full disclosure: I’m apparently intolerant of craft brews, which I discovered at the wurst of times, namely Oktoberfest. This would ordinarily be of no concern; however and just prior to learning of my sensitivity to these more potent beers, I accepted an assignment at Phoenixville, PA‘s Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. Did I mention the event was a celebration of Oktoberfest (clearly not a big month for beer consumption)? To compound the irony, I reside in Phoenixville, where such boozy establishments saturate the Borough. Since I’d never encountered an issue…
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Vault Brewing Company Expands Bank Brewery to Yardley Warehouse
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Located in the suburbs of Philly, the Victorian town of Yardley in Bucks County houses Vault Brewing who does not consider themselves a bar, a pub or even a traditional brewery. Entering in the “faux vault entryway,” you’ll notice you may have entered an old school bank except that the entire brewery and wood-fired kitchen oven are completely open to view. The brewery that once sat directly behind the bar is now expanding down the street and up the hill. The décor is a combination of regal bank, stark industrial, old-world and modern. What is not modern is there are no TVs, pub traditional menu items and no pop or rock…
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Piazza Gains Solid Urban Village Brewery with Killer Fresh Food
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler It seems the Piazza at Schmidt’s in No Libs is undergoing some sort of resurgence. With that massive FREE dirt parking lot, it makes it that more accessible for hipsters and visitors alike. Where King’s Oak and a medley of other restaurants attempted a go at success, now stands Urban Village Brewery. But don’t worry all you foodies, winos and cocktail lovers, they’ve got you covered too. Boy do they ever! And if you need a clog-your-arteries burger, Wahlburgers is across the street or if you need tacos or the Chronic pulled pork/mac-n-cheese sandwich is on the other side at El Camino Real. A self proclaimed “neighborhood…
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Saint Benjamin Brewery Offers Craft Beer with a Side of History
Story, photos by Dana J. Prophet If you drive a bit past Temple University’s Main Campus, you’ll come to a brewery and tap room that’s within the Kensington section of the city. Saint Benjamin Brewery offers modern brewing techniques and also holds onto history that reaches back to the days of prohibition while presenting both distinctive and magical craft brews along with a menu of tantalizing food. The brewery is nestled within the middle of the street and it was also previously a historic carriage house and stables of the defunct Theo Finkenauer Brewery. Sadly, that brewery is now an empty lot. Fear not though because Saint Benjamin has all…
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Wine Loving Tria Taproom Adds Cocktails to the Boozy Menu
Story by Tiffany DuBois, photos by Eric Morales On a beautiful and warm afternoon, local Philly favorite Tria Taproom launched a new series of cocktails that will leave you feeling really good. The trio of Tria restaurants have always been known for their incredible selection of wine and craft beers but now they have thrown their hat into the cocktail ring with four new cocktails and all four were delicious. Your hardest decision will be which one to try first. I recommend you try them all but make sure you have a safe way to get home afterwards! Tria has always been in the forefront of being environmentally conscience. There…
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Fresh from Beantown: All Aboard the Philly Brew Tour to Eat, Drink and Revel in Booze
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler A true beer lover has always dreamed of a vehicle that would drive them around the city for hours while they drink and learn beer nerd facts along the way. Well, the time has finally come. From our Boston Beantown neighbors, let us introduce Philly Brew Tours, a complete day of non-stop beer education that includes guided craft brewery and distilleries tastings including food pairings with a hearty meal at a local brewery along the way to soak it all up. You drink, we drive is their motto and we like it – a lot. Founder and CEO Chad Brodsky decided to add Philly to his list of beer education and craft…
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There’s a Food Revolution Going On at Grub Burger Bar in Willow Grove
Story by Kelly Kusumoto, Photography by Robert Apodaca Across from the Willow Grove Park Mall, a food revolution is going on. It’s called Fast-Casual and the folks at Grub Burger Bar are behind the movement. There, they believe in Good people, Real food, a Unique vibe, and Big flavors (G.R.U.B.). For an afternoon, I joined the resistance to see what was cookin’. Market Partner Kevin Cross gave me a tour of the restaurant and let me sample some of their most popular fare, which features much more than just burgers and fries. He introduced me to Managing Partner Tom Stevens and some of the engaging staff who define the Good people…
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Home Brewed Events and Dashing Rogue Team Up for Terrific Beer Pairing at Home Dinner
Photo, story by Cassie Hepler Dashing Rogue and Home Brewed Events sure know how to host a holiday beer dinner! And give it the mom-and-pop feel even though they aren’t married. Dashing Rogue and the beer mistress provides fully customizable beer pairing dinner parties in the comfort of your own home, covering all the details including menu planning, prep work, food, beer, plates, glassware, napkins, serving and the dreaded dish-washing. With dinners starting at $79 per person, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your guests. Home Brewed Events husband and wife team are beer-based education event planners who would like to teach you how to brew your own…
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Brooklyn Brewery Invades Bing Bing Dim Sum for Philly Mash
Photos, story by Jae Rich The time has returned for the 4th Annual Brooklyn Brewery Mash Up and Philly beer lovers couldn’t be more excited. Through the end of August, The Brooklyn Brewery swept through the city of Philadelphia to celebrate its annual beer event that consisted of an entire weekend lineup of bites and booze. From South Philadelphia to the eclectic streets of Northern Liberties, beer connoisseurs were sure to get their fix of amazing exclusive and rarest crisp beers. For those unaware, the Brooklyn Brewery’s Philly Mash is a weekend-long cultural festival exploring vibrant communities in cities around the world through food, music, art and beer. The Mash is…
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Great Beer Expo was an Ocean of Philly’s Beloved IPAs for Beer Week
Photos, story by Clare Shepherd This is the most important thing this article has to say: go try Free Will Brewing’s Community Kolsch. Nearly every brewery at the 8th annual Great Beer Expo brought their most popular IPA. Philadelphia is, as one brewer put it, a crowded marketplace for this style: a representative from Double Nickel, one of the two newest companies at the event, said that if a company calls a distributor saying they have an IPA, or a pale ale, they won’t even get a call back. “It’s a crowded marketplace,” said one brewer. “When it comes to beer, if you can make it in Philadelphia, you can…