Pennsylvania witnessed openings of craft breweries in the late ‘80s. Craft breweries eventually grew in popularity as there are over 350 craft breweries in Pennsylvania. Many estimate that it’ll continue to grow.
Philadelphia is becoming a hotspot for the rising number of craft breweries in the state. The city has gained attention from locals and visitors. Plus, they even house some of the award-winning craft beers in the state.
So, in this article, we narrowed down 13 of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020.
Tröegs
Tröegs is one of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020. Here’s why.
You don’t have limited choices with the beers they have all year-round. They have Scratch Beers, where they develop beers each week and have it taste-tested by customers and staff alike. Tröegs will then continue to experiment on ingredients at the pick of the week. So far, they have over 400 scratch beers.
Plus, don’t miss out on the tour of the brewery. It’s a must for those who want to learn more about how Tröegs brews their beer. Right at the entrance, you’re greeted by humongous casks.
In the holidays, don’t forget to try out The Mad Elf. It’s available only annually, and you don’t want to miss out on the honey and chocolate malt of the ruby red beer.
Their bestseller beers are Perpetual IPA and Troegenator Double Bock. The Perpetual IPA uses Cascade and Citra hops. There’s a citrusy taste with hints of pine and grain. Meanwhile, the Troegenator Double Bock is a lager that has a caramel taste mixed with grains and dried stone fruits.
If you’re unable to visit their brewery, you can buy a 6-pack of their signature beers and pick it up curbside.
Dock Street Brewery
Dock Street Brewery is the self-proclaimed first microbrewery in the city. The founders established the brewery in 1985 and have been one of the most popular breweries in Philly.
Customers have two locations to drink their craft beers:
- Dock Street West
- Dock Street South
Pair the Rye IPA with their pizza as most of their customers did. The Rye IPA uses Columbus, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops. Many love the combination of the rye and hops, which makes it spicy. The ABV on the Rye IPA is 6.8%.
They have new craft beers brewing every week, so watch out for their selections before they change it up.
Crime and Punishment
The Crime and Punishment brewpub is one of the many breweries that’s part of Philadelphia’s Brewerytown. It’s a Russian-inspired brewery. Some of the food has Russian influences too, and it goes well with their craft beers.
Space Race is the most popular drink, and customers loved its taste. The Space Race has an ABV of 7.0%. According to Crime and Punishment, it smells of papaya, wheatgrass, and peach. It does have fruity flavors too, which delight the taste buds of many hopheads.
Evil Genius Beer
Luke Bowen and Trevor Heyward founded Evil Genius Beer in 2011.
They name their beers from pop culture references like “Ma! The Meatloaf” from Wedding Crashers or “I Love Lamp” from Anchorman. It’s an excellent approach to tap into the Millennial mindset too.
Their bestseller is the Purple Monkey Dishwasher porter because of its chocolate and peanut butter taste. Evil Genius Beer describes their popular beer as a candy bar in a bottle. Thanks to that sweet concoction that makes them one of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020.
Can’t get enough of their chocolate and peanut butter concoction? You may find them in a local bar or shop near you.
Love City Brewing
Husband and wife, Kevin and Melissa, started Love City Brewing. You can get a chance to see where they brew the beers with a guided tour. They also say you can watch your beer brew too so you can get the full experience while in there. That makes them one of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020.
Their signature Love City Lager is one of the most beloved beers in their selection. Its subtle orange taste gives the drink a clean finish for the drinker. The lightly malty beer has a 4.0% ABV.
If you can’t get enough of their ales and lagers, you can have it delivered to your home or picked up.
Philadelphia Brewing Company
The Weisbrod & Hess Oriental Brewing Company once operated on the building where the Philadelphia Brewing Company has acquired.
Many consider Kenzinger their favorite beer for this brewery. The beer has a mix of pilsner and hops that brings a refreshing taste. Kenzinger is vegan-friendly and doesn’t have any trace of GMOs. That’s what makes it one of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020.
According to Visit Philly, you can even taste a Kenzinger also if you’re not in the brewery. You can buy a can in any bar and get a taste of their signature beer.
Brewery ARS
Brothers Sean and Andy Arsenault founded the brewery located in an unusual place: a garage. Despite that, customers still flock to their garage brewery.
Wayne’s Pale Ale is one of their bestsellers among the bunch. Their hops make it bitter yet fruity and flowery. According to Brewery ARS, they named the beer after their father Wayne, who has Parkinson’s Disease. They donate a percentage of the money to Parkinson’s Disease research whenever they sell a pint.
Love their beers? Buy a 4-pack or a growler from their online store.
That’s a huge reason why they’re one of the best breweries in Philadelphia 2020.
A fan of Brewery ARS? Support them by buying their merch too.
Punch Buggy Brewing
Even if they’re new in the game, Punch Buggy Brewing is worth visiting. Patrick Coyne founded the brewery, and he got the name from the Volkswagen passed down to him. He also said that the brewery would have different selections for their customers.
You don’t have to say the name of their beloved beer three times to have it appear in front of you, and it’s called the Beetle Juice IPA. It’s a New England IPA with a 6.3% ABV.
You can order their IPAs in a growler if you’re thirsting for more Punch Buggy beers.
Tired Hands Brewing
Like many brewers, Jean (the founder) brewed beer in his parent’s garage before founding Tired Hands. Since then, he’s had many customers visiting Brew Cafe and Fermentaria.
Alien Church is the first choice for many of their customers who visit the Fermentaria branch. It’s a reptoid IPA with 7.0% ABV. It’s brewed from oats added with Columbus and Cascade hops. To give it a dry finish, it has Chinook, Citra, and Mosaic hops.
Another customer favorite is the HopHands available at both the Brew Cafe and Fermentaria locations. It’s made from oats added with Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial hops.
If you want to try out other beers but don’t have the time to visit the brewery, you can have beer delivered to your house and enjoy it there.
Neshaminy Creek Brewing
“The Place Where We Drink Twice” is the tagline for Neshaminy Creek Brewing. They’ve been in business since 2012, but they’ve already gotten acclaim for their great-tasting beers.
Don’t forget to try out The Shape of Hops to Come, available all-year-round so you have no excuse not to try it. It’s mixed with five hops:
- Apollo
- Newport
- Simcoe
- Topaz
- Citra
It also has a good mix of pine and citrus to balance out the bitterness.
What catches our attention too is the packaging design of their cans also. Collect their beer cans when you shop for their beers online.
2SP Brewing Company
Rob Barrar, Mike Contreras, and Michael Stiglitz founded 2SP Brewing. 2SP is short for Two Stones Pub. That’s where they first sold their craft beers, but they expanded to 2SP brewing. From there, they developed more craft beers in the process.
Fun Fact: The Brett Butler is the first beer they brewed in 2SP. Unfortunately, it’s no longer in production.
Up & Out is the drink of choice by many satisfied customers. It’s because of the mix of citrus, fruit, and bitterness that makes the golden drink enjoyable for many beer lovers. The drink contains 6% ABV.
Yards
Yards started brewing beer in Philly in 1994. But they started their venture in the late ‘80s when Tom Kehoe (with his buddy, Jon) brewed beers for college friends.
The Philadelphia Pale Ale is the drink of choice for many customers. It uses a mix of four hops: Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe. According to Yards, it goes great with their grilled chicken, crabs, and other seafood.
Support Yards by buying their merch, which you can shop online as well.
Conshohocken Brewing Company
Named after the borough, Conshohocken has been the go-to by many beer lovers in the area. But for those who love their brews can catch them in other areas in Pennsylvania:
- King of Prussia
- Phoenixville
- Havertown
Customers love their core, West Coast-influenced IPA, Type A. It includes Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops added with malts and pale. It’s where the beer gets its signature dry finish.
