The Resy Guide to Breweries and Brewpubs in Philadelphia

Founders Tess Hart, Bill Popwell, and brewer Kyle Carney opened their brewery in late 2019, named for its business model: a triple bottom line. The company focuses on profit, yes, but also social missions that support both the environment and the community — including the brewery’s workers and the neighborhood at large. From its airy space inside a former Reading Railroad building, or outside from a table on the patio, try flights of beer named for iconic Philly pop culture moments. (If you don’t know, ask someone who works there about the origins of HitchBOT or Lawn Chair Parking Spot.) A short but sweet menu is also available, with a local cheese board and hand pies from Stargazy’s Sam Jacobson. Don’t miss Training Montage, a bright and hazy IPA named for everyone’s favorite fictional boxer, Rocky Balboa.

Technically more restaurant than brewery, but last February, Tired Hands Brewing expanded out of Ardmore to open St. Oners, a 30-seat Fishtown space featuring a full menu of Chinese cuisine-inspired bites, plus coffee, cocktails, kombucha, and, of course, plenty of Tired Hands beer.

Of course, should you want to visit the original, Tired Hands attracts both locals and city dwelling-devotees who happily make the 30-minute trek to the suburbs for a taste of some of the region’s best beer. Also worth the trek: the brewery’s solid food program, with standouts like the chili artichoke pizza and smash burgers. Brewer Jean Broillet IV founded Tired Hands in 2011, and since then the brewery, along with collaborators Omnipollo, created a new style of beer called the Milkshake IPA. Made by adding lactose to a hazy IPA, bitterness from the hops is cut by the smooth, creamy addition of the milk sugar. No reservations for Tired Hands, but reserve at St. Oners below.

Newly launched in February 2020 by founders Jake Atkinson, Chris Roller, and Rachael Morris, who took over the now-shuttered Saint Benjamin Brewing in Kensington. The brewery is named for the two categories of beer they’re making — ”human” refers to the traditional European styles, and “robot” is the newer, more boundary-pushing styles, like hazy IPAs and cacao- and vanilla-infused imperial stouts. (Remarkably, they’re consistently nailing both categories.) COVID restrictions prompted the opening of a streetery outside the brewery, which was designed to look like a pirate ship, and the menu comes care of Poe’s, one of Philly’s best sandwich shops, situated next door. More info here.

This modern German beer garden has been slinging steins of lager, bock, and hefeweizen since 2011. Grab a seat in the outdoor courtyard and pair one of the dozen draught beers with hearty, German-inspired dishes like bratwurst, schnitzel sandwiches, and soft pretzels as big as your face. Open year-round, the sprawling space is outfitted with fire pits, twinkling lights, and ping-pong tables — plus a kid’s menu to keep the whole crew happy.

The latest excellent brewery to migrate from the suburbs to Philadelphia (in this case, Royersford in Montgomery County), Stickman recently opened its second city outpost. The beer garden in Northern Liberties expands their Philly footprint from a can shop and beer garden in South Philly, right off East Passyunk, which opened last October. Pick up cans inside at the new spot, and BYO food — or order from occasional local pop-ups from Liberty Kitchen and Babushka Boy. One of the best things about this growing brewery is that, in a world of intense beer geeks, they don’t take themselves too seriously. even if their Belgian, British, German, and American-style beers are seriously good. More info here.

Husband and wife team Kevin and Melissa Walter founded Love City in 2016, brewing what they call “approachable” beers, like Love City Lager and their Deep Cut pils. Occupying an expansive space inside a former rail parts factory in Callowhill, visitors can taste beers in a taproom just a stone’s throw from where they’re brewed. Or, enjoy beers outside in the tented beer garden. Order food to be delivered, or opt for barbecue like pulled pork, or fried-chicken sandwiches, from the Lucky Well, which posts up at the brewery from Wednesday to Sunday. More info here.

What could be more Philly than a brewery operating out of a garage on West Passyunk? Brewery ARS was founded by twin brothers Sean and Andy Arsenault (the latter is the brewer, previously working at Victory), and is as no frills as they come. But the sparse space just gives beers like Wayne’s pale ale and Heartstrings, a hazy, all-Citra IPA, that much more room to shine. Grab a seat at one of the sidewalk tables, and order food from one of the rotating pop-up operations, like the recent Polish specialties from Babushka Boy. More info here.

This Philly outpost of the Chambersburg, Pennsylvania craft brewery specializes in barrel-aged and sour beers. Alongside their lineup of house-made ales and inventive sours, find hard ciders, selzers, and nitro beers from other local brewers and makers, any of which you can pair with pizzas, burgers, and other elevated bar snacks.

Philly’s oldest continuously-operating brewery expanded its footprint in 2017, with the opening of its sprawling, 70,000-foot brewery and taproom. Come to taste their classics like Philadelphia Pale Ale and seasonal Summer Crush citrus wheat beer, plus a menu of salads and bar snacks for either indoor or outdoor tented drinking and dining. Though they’ve been suspended during the pandemic, daily 40-minute tours offer an up-close look at the company’s history and brewing process. More info here.

The Fishtown-based brewery has been making beers with names like Has Anyone Tried Turning 2020 Off and Back On Again, and other slightly outlandish, seemingly stream-of-conscious pop culture references since 2011. Beers range from the straightforward — a Citra IPA (Stacy’s Mom) and  a light lager (Ew, David) — to ones that push the creative boundaries, with key lime and cherry puree (Ermahgerd Skurtles) and an infusion of Lucky Charms (Magically Delicious). Beers and snacks are available indoors, or outside in the dog-friendly beer garden.

This modest West Kensington-based operation crafts some of the best, most interesting beers around. Opening times vary (hey, the spontaneity is part of the fun) and are announced on Instagram. On a sunny day, buy a bottle of Soft, grab a seat in the adjacent courtyard-slash-lot, peppered with barrel tables and shabby — er, rustic — chairs, and enjoy the Belgian wit with a tart, juicy tang, thanks to the infusion of Valencia orange juice and house yeast. More info here.

With 34 taps, plus a roughly 100-bottle list, this South Street mainstay has the largest selection of German beers in the city. While the beer hall first opened its doors in 2009, it just recently started welcoming guests on an airy roof deck, where you can sip hard-to-find brews from Munich, Frankfurt, Freising and beyond, paired with boards of house-made sausages and other German specialties.