Showcasing The Suburbs' Suds

Move over, Philly Beer Week. The suburbs' craft beer hot spots are done waiting for you to notice them.

The city's annual beer bacchanalia, which began in 2008, has helped earn Philadelphia a reputation as one of the nation's premier destinations for beer connoisseurs, but the week-long festival has tended to favor the breweries and watering holes of Center City over those on the outskirts of town.

Suburban Beer Week, which begins Monday evening at the Craft Ale House in Limerick, aims to remedy that oversight.

Gary Fry, who owns Craft Ale House with his wife, Melissa, said he came up with the idea "a couple of years ago" but that it's only now that the local beer scene has reached sufficient critical mass to support the event.

"It was the logistics," Fry said. "Everyone was too far away. Now we're all in the same zip code."

"We" in this context means Craft Ale House, the Railroad Bar & Grill in Linfield, the  on Lewis Road (which took over the space vacated when last year), and Royersford's . Each prides itself on offering a beer selection that goes beyond the big-name brews advertised on television and highway billboards.

These "craft beers," sometimes referred to as "microbrews" to distinguish them from their mass-produced cousins, are rarely referred to as merely "beers." They are lagers. They are ales. They are pilsners, stouts, and saisons. Some are sour. Some are sweet. Some are brewed with barley. Some are brewed with wheat.

Many are colorfully named. "Small Craft Warning," anyone? Made by Heavy Seas Beer of Baltimore, it's an "Über Pils" with 7.25 percent alcohol content. Oops, forgot to mention: many of these beers are quite a bit more potent than what you're likely to find on tap down at the bowling alley or the VFW hall.

For all their variety, though, microbrews are still a niche phenomenon. As of last year, the country's approximately 1,800 craft brewers comprised only about five percent of the domestic beer market. They are also, however, the fastest growing segment of the market.

"Craft beer in general is spreading. People are demanding it more and more," Fry said. "We opened up for a niche market and were pleasantly surprised. There's way more demand than I thought there was when we opened [at the end of 2008]. That's why you have four restaurants [succeeding] in a small area."

But... Suburban Beer Week? Will people trek out to Limerick and Royersford to check out a beer list? Fry says yes.

"I've had people flying in [to nearby Pottstown Limerick Airport] from New Jersey to check us out," Fry said. "Last week, some people drove all the way here from Elkins Park."

And? What did they think?

"We lived up to the hype," Fry said.

In its inaugural year, the Suburban Beer Week is limited to the Spring-Ford area, but Fry hopes to get craft beer bars from neighboring towns into the act next year.

Fry rejected the idea that "Suburban Beer Week" was meant to cater to "beer snobs," a term he dislikes.

"Wanting your beer to be better doesn't make you a snob. All I want people to do is to try something new," Fry said.

"Once they do, most people get hooked."

• Monday April 23 (5:00 p.m.) Dogfish Head “Tap Takeover” (Craft Ale House)
• Tuesday April 24 (6:00 p.m.) Clown Shoes Brewing Tasting (French Quarter Bistro)
• Wednesday April 25 (5:00 p.m.) Hosts Choice IPA Event paired with “Cajun Style Tapas” (All Parties Event)
• Thursday April 26 (6:00 p.m.) Fruit Beer/Chocolate Beer Tasting (French Quarter Bistro)
• Friday April 27 (4:00 p.m.) Troegs Tasting and Firkin Event (Lucky Lab Tavern)
• Saturday April 28 (2:00pm)- Spotlight on Colorado Breweries- Boulder, Avery, Left Hand, Breckenridge, Great Divide and More
• Sunday April 29 “Barrel Aged” Beer Pairing Dinner Event. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Dinner Served at 6:00 p.m. Reservations recommended. Proceeds benefit the Berks County Humane Society.