Brewery ARS

 

2018: Small brewery , in town. Shabby chic interior. Few taps, snacks available. Nothing special, but worth checking out if in the area. 2020 visit: interior is the same, but they're stepped up their brewing game.

Very small place in a not-so-pretty neighborhood in south philly. Maybe 5-6 tables inside and a few on the sidewalk outside, so it can be kind of cramped during busy times. No table service, you order at the counter. No food. It’s about as bare bones as you could get for a new brewpub, but they have a loyal following as it’s been busy every time I’ve gone. Within walking distance to Second District Brewing (although I would suggest only doing that during the day) and Taproom on 19th which has a nice selection for a corner bar.

I’ve only had three beers here, 2 pales and a “hoppy Pilsner”. They all kind of felt the same to me. Cloudy, heavy on the hops. Very NEIPA in the profiles, which I get is the rage now. Just not my thing. I would much rather have a beer you can drink several of. The NEIPA-ish beers are just too much, too heavy and bitter, to knock out more than 1 or 2. This is not uncommon with other newish brewpubs. I know ARS is short on space so I wouldn’t expect too many lagers to be offered, but maybe toss in a blonde or lighter amber (just my two cents)! Worth a try.

Small and cramped and wonderful. Feels like they just barely keep the taproom together, which leaves more time to focus on the beer. This is my favorite kind of taproom. No frills, just people enjoying beer. I was able to snag a table outside, in the evening. It was a nice way to cool down, after a hot Philly day, but not much in the way of scenery. Just enjoy the beer and save the sight seeing for later.

 

 

small brewery in South Philly with a small taproom. The taproom has some tables and chairs, but there isn't a bar. Just a small serving counter with cash register and the 6 beer taps. No other beverages available. When we were there, it was standing room only in the other side of the building with the brewery tanks.

Small and fairly new craft brewer with 8-9 beers on tap. No kitchen but snack foods (e.g., nuts) are available. Good variety for the limited number of brews. Small taproom with tables and a few bar stools.

One of the tiniest breweries I've been to, ARS is basically in a refurbished garage space (they even call themselves a "garage brewery"). There is no bar to sit at, but there are some tables and stools against the wall, as well as outdoor seating. Not that this section of Philly is very scenic, but well, you can still sit outside if you want to. So anyway, there are several beers to choose from, maybe 10 or so, and a good array of styles. Pour size options, as well as sampler flights and growlers. The staff is friendly and helpful. The beer itself is pretty good. The IPAs are IPAs, the saisons are saisons, and so forth. There's room for improvement, but they definitely are doing a good job so far. Most of the beers are humble, with seasonal ingredients, and ABVs typically in the 5-7% range. No kitchen, but they do get food trucks, and if that doesn't do it for you, there are several pizza places and a diner nearby, as well as Philip's Steaks.

So this is definitely a place worth checking out, and I plan on keeping an eye on them, as they're really close to where I work. Again, this area of South Philly is not the best, and not the easiest to get to from Center City, but in a way the latter is a good thing. You're away from the CC bustle, and believe it or not, there are other places to hop to rather nearby, including another small brewery--Second District--and a few good bars: SPTR, Brew, TapRoom on 19th, and if you want to hoof a little further, there's American Sardine Bar and of course the POPE.

 

 

Nice cozy place, had 4 beers on tap for our visit. No food, but a food truck was there. Crowd seemed happy and low key