Guide to Philly Beer Week 2014


The behemoth that is Philly Beer Week is just about upon us. The ten-day week that includes more than 180 participants, more than a thousand events and countless bent elbows. So how do you figure out what to do?

Well we hope to provide you a guide on how to attack Philly Beer Week.

Drink a Collaborative Beer

A beer event as big as Philly Beer Week can’t just have one collaboration beer, in fact Philly Beer Week has eight. The official collaboration beer is Philly Tripel, a Belgian Abbey Tripel brewed by Dock Street’s Justin Low and Anne-Catherine Dilewyns of Brouwerij Dilewyns. The beer will debut at Opening Tap and will also be at the PBW Beer Garden as well at Dock Street Brewery. There is also Brotherly Suds V, which was brewed at Victory Brewing Company, with Flying Fish, Yards Brewing, Sly Fox, Iron Hill, Nodding Head and Earth Bread + Brewery participating in the brewing process. Other collaboration beers to keep an eye out for:

  • Free Will and Full Pint teamed up on Mango Habanero IPA
  • Free Will also worked with Philly Philms, the production company behind the movie “Beeradelphia,” to create Dry Irish Stout “William”
  • Nodding Head and Fat Head’s are working together on “something hoppy”
  • Standard Tap and Sly Fox combined forces on a German-style pilsner
  • City Tap House and Yards introduced Just Off Walnut, a Belgian Brown Ale
  • Monk’s Cafe and Dogfish Head Brewpub collaborated on Blood Moon, a pleasantly smoky, rye red ale

Try a New Beer

Luckily, the Philly Beer Week website has an entire section dedicated to product debuts. Unfortunately, there’s a ton of them. But here are some of the ones that have us excited:

New Belgium Brewing is officially coming to Pennsylvania and is hosting a big coming out party on May 30th at City Tap House. They also will have other events around town all week.

Tria Taproom is among the bars showcasing Hardywood Craft Brewery. The owners of the Virginia brewery will be in the house on Thursday, June 6th show off a couple of their beers.

Deschutes will be showing off some rarely seen outside of Oregon beers at Good Dog on Saturday, May 31st.

On Thursday, June 5th, Brauhaus Schmitz doubles the number of towns where you can drink Andorfer Weizendoppelbock. Get there early to try the wheat beer that is being poured for the first time in the United States.

Conshohocken Brewing has been open for a few months now but this might be your first shot to see them outside their brewery on the Schuylkill River banks. See where they’ll be all Beer Week.

Keep an eye out for a beer from Saint Benjamin Brewing. The Philly nan0-brewery will be hitting the scene for real this Beer Week. As for where, we’d suggest following them on Twitter.

It’s Not Foobooz Without the Foo(d)

Once again the Philly Beer Week website (and app) comes up big with a food and beer category. Once again, there’s a ton of stuff. Here are just some of the events that we highlighted:

The Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting is serving up Victory beer and bratwurst. This will definitely make your Friday night grocery shopping go better.

On Sunday, June 1, Pitruco’s pizza truck will be parked outside of East Passyunk’s Le Virtu for a preview of chef Joe Cicala’s upcoming Brigantessa.

Good Dog gets together with Iron Hill on Sunday, June 1st to throw a big beer dinner. Most exciting, beers from five different Iron Hill brewers in one location.

The annual Founders Dinner at SPTR is epic. Scott Schroeder prepares a feast and the Founders crew bring their best. Get your tickets now to the June 2nd dinner.

In the food or beer industry? Then Alla Spina’s Industry Night on Monday, June 2nd will be where you want to be. The late-night feast features free food from Alla Spina as well as from collaborators at the brewpubs of Victory and Tired Hands.

Di Bruno Bros. and Brauhaus Schmitz team up on Tuesday, June 3rd to pair five cheeses with some of Brauhaus’s rarest beers.

June Means Outdoor Drinking

The sun wouldn’t dare not shine during Philly Beer Week. Here are some of the outdoor events that tickled our fancy:

Varga Bar’s annual Pin Up Block Party is Saturday, May 31st. 10th Street is closed down for a barbecue, beer and bombshell party.

On Wednesday, June 4th, The Four Seasons brings back its beer garden. $25 admission gets you unlimited cans of beer and look for the food carts that will also be set up.

On Sunday, June 8th, Alla Spina is firing up the grill and offering lawn games with Tom Kehoe of Yards.  There will be $5 mortadella hot dogs and $3 pig’s head bruschetta.

Do Something Ridiculous

Philly Beer Week luckily doesn’t take itself very seriously and we really like that about PBW. Below are some events that will definitely come with laughs.

Join a couple legs of the Hammer of Glory Relay and celebrate the kickoff of Beer Week on Friday. Each bar or brewery on the path really goes all out in getting the HoG to the next location.

On Saturday, May 31st, City Tap House brings back its Day of Games hosted by Johnny Goodtimes. There are goofy games, drinking games and most importantly, water balloons.

The Throwdown in Franklintown returns on Sunday, June 1st as Kite and Key brings back its civil war. In the past there has been sumo wrestling, boxing and even chariot races. This year, we don’t know but we do know it will be one heck of a block party.

Frankford Hall hosts Dunkel Dare on June 4th and 5th. Marc Summers to host.

Mix in Something “Healthy”

After all that beer, mix in a run. Even if is just to justify the fried chicken at the finish line:

It’s a five mile run on Saturday, May 31st. The run goes from Philadelphia Brewing Co. to American Sardine Bar. But there will be fried chicken to make it all worthwhile.

Sweat some beer out at the ShawneeCraft 5K(egs) run on Sunday, June 1st. It all kicks off at Coco’s.

On Saturday, June 7th the Beermuda Triangle run takes you from Kite & Key, St Stephens Green and The Bishop’s Collar

We’ll be continuing to cover Philly Beer Week, picking out other great events and updating this post across the ten-day event.