5 Philly Breweries Among PA's Best: Food And Wine Magazine

PHILADELPHIA – It's no secret Philadelphia is home to some great craft breweries, and some of them are getting nice recognition from Food and Wine Magazine, as five were recently featured on its list of "The 30 Best Craft Breweries to Visit in Pennsylvania."

Yards Brewing Co., Saint Benjamin Brewing Co., Earth Bread + Brewery, Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, and Crime + Punishment were all featured on the magazine's list.

Let's take a look at what the magazine had to say about each craft brewery.

Yards:

Yet another classic Pennsylvania brewery, Yards, a Philly institution, dates back to 1994. Once apprentices at Maryland’s British Brewing Company, friends Tom Kehoe and Jon Bovit decided to open their own spot after finding success selling their homebrews at Grateful Dead shows. Early beers, like ESA and Entire Porter (a blend of English mild and stout), were inspired by their English brewing knowledge. By 2001 they were able to expand in capacity by purchasing further buildings in the Kensington neighborhood; by 2010 they finally had a tasting room.

Saint Benjamin:

Located in the carriage house and stables of the former Theo Finkenauer Brewery, the Saint Benjamin Brewing Co. puts modern spins on classic styles (all with Ben Franklin’s face staring back atcha’). Founder Tim Patton’s year-round beers include such creations as Inca, a so-called “India-style cream ale,” while seasonal offerings feature Bayside, a sea salted saison, and BNC Barleywine, a pale take on the traditional malty beer meant to act like beer's equivalent of white wine. The gorgeous taproom/restaurant next door offers traditional pub fare like a ploughman’s lunch, as well as more modern bites like pork pibil tacos.

Earth Bread + Brewery:

There’s a reason that “bread” is in the name of this “earth-friendly” brewery. Earth Bread + Brewery owners (and spouses) Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver’s frequently-changing beers include such offerings as Community, a hoppy pale ale, and Spelt Incorectly, a Belgian-style single made with that grain. They even brew their own kombucha. The food is flatbread heavy, with options like Black and Blue (made with a black cherry sauce and bleu cheese) and Vietnam Veggie, with a spicy peanut sauce covered with cellophane noodles. As as you'd expect from its name, Earth takes great pride in composting, recycling, sustainability and using strictly local ingredients.

Iron Hill:

While it might seem silly to include an aging chain brewpub (originally started in Jersey) on a list of top Pennsylvania breweries, Iron Hill should not be ignored. Nine of the chain’s thirteen locations are currently in Pennsylvania, with a crown jewel spot set to open in Philadelphia shortly. The brewpubs each have their own equipment and brewmasters who brew on-site—and they’ve won GABF medals for twenty straight years, the current record.

Crime + Punishment:

With a name intentionally meant to evoke, if not downright celebrate, the great Russian literature of the past, Crime + Punishment’s beers hew a little more modern American. Set in the neighborhood of Brewerytown—that’s seriously what it’s called, due to the many that were located here in the 1800s—they currently produce beers like the Citra and Mosaic-hopped pale ale Tremendous Upside Potential and Space Race, a juicy IPA. The two-year-old brewpub has food that might be more appealing to Dostoyevsky: pierogies, ajika (a Georgian vegetable dip), and, of course, kielbasa.

Other area breweries that were featured include Ambler's Forest and Main Brewing, Sly Fox in Pottstown and Phoenixville, and Tired Hands in Ardmore.

You can see the full list from Food and Wine online here.

What are some craft brewers in the area you think beer lovers should visit? Let us know in the comments to keep the beer-focused conversation going.

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