The Founding Fathers of Philly Beer

 THE BAR OWNER

In the early ’90s, William Reed was in his early 20s, and he viewed his restaurant jobs as temporary — a way to pay for a computer science degree from Drexel. “But I started to realize that computer work wasn’t all that interesting to me,” he says. Beer, though … now that was compelling. And not just in a ubiquitous 20-something-dude-who-likes-a-keg way, but, you know … as a craft.

Today, at 42, Reed is the co-owner of Standard Tap, which he established in 1999 with partner Paul Kimport. Back in his waitering days, Reed saw the first area brews appear, and began making some at home. “Paul and I got into the idea that we could do a microbrew pub,” he recalls. They socked away cash, with Kimport taking a job at Striped Bass while Reed headed for the old Sam Adams Brew House on Sansom (Nodding Head today) to learn.

“I saw the pride the Pacific Northwest took in their beer,” Reed recalls. “Their beers were good, but their pride was huge. Meanwhile, we had great beer in Philly, but a self-esteem problem: Bars would have maybe two taps dedicated to local brews — as if it was a concession — and the rest were imports.” It was then, Reed says, that he and Kimport realized what Philly needed more than another brewpub was a showcase for local beer. Only local beer. “We would brag about it: Philly has Flying Fish. Yards. Victory. These diverse, great beers.  Let’s start moving them.”

And so in 1996, the pair bought the desolate shell of the Bull’s Head Inn at 2nd and Poplar, “with limited funds and lots of sweat equity,” and began renovating the place in their free time. Three years later, Standard Tap opened and became a fast hit. And suddenly this cool new place for elevated pub fare (that’s Kimport’s influence) and good local brews was the cornerstone of budding Northern Liberties. Other  bars caught on, local brews and their fans gained momentum, and in 2004, Reed and Kimport embarked on Johnny Brenda’s — new concept, same commitment to local beers.

“Look, I know what other jobs are like,” Reed says. “I love this. Who else gets Victory and a cheese plate at meetings?”  — Christine Speer

THE BLOGGER

At a meeting of local women’s beer club In Pursuit of Ale, founder and leader Suzanne Woods, 31, hops from table to table, chatting with the 20 or so women who have assembled to talk suds. The agenda for this particular club gathering — at Center City’s Nodding Head — is to pair four dishes with four beers, ranging from a Scottish-style brew to a double IPA. But it’s nothing like a wine tasting. Though there’s discussion of body and finish, there’s no genteel swishing and spitting. The In Pursuit of Ale women, who by day work at options-trading or insurance sales, seem to believe the best way to learn about beer is to drink multiple glassfuls. (Occasionally this prompts discussion of thorny off-topic issues at the twice-monthly meetings, such as what to do when you’re not happy with your boyfriend’s new facial hair.) Woods, a sales rep for Sly Fox Brewing Company who dates a professional brewer, has found that Philly’s beer-drinking guys — especially those serious about the brewing, selling and sipping of craft beer — are happy to embrace this feminine subculture: “When we go to a bar, we are always very welcome.” But she occasionally confronts stereotypes. “I went to a restaurant recently, and the waiter mentioned beers to my boyfriend and gave me the wine list,” she laments.