Southeastern PA - news, releases, updates, etc. (2019)

Discussion in 'New England' started by jmdrpi, Jan 1, 2019.

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  1. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,245) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Searching the PLCB database, Conshocken only has addresses registered at their Conshohocken and Bridgeport locations.

    And the only two Brewery licenses that show up under a "King of Prussia" address are Workhouse, and the expired license for Rock Bottom.

    **EDIT**
    But Joe Sixpack's website (Philly Beer World), does have a mapped location of 3100 Horizon Drive, which is in an industrial/office park
    https://www.phillybeerworld.com/listing/conshohocken-brewery-king-of-prussia/

    With the note: "New 30-barrel production brewery with tap room expected to open Feb. 1, 2019"
     
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  2. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    One thing to note, at least for my area, is that Don no longer lists Roxborough Brewing Company as opening although he does still have Twisted Gingers.

    That bites as Roxborough would have been walking distance for me (and not too far uphill!). Also, I find it odd as the civic group had told me that the residents were against Twisted Gingers opening but they're still there.
     
  3. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Yes, that is indeed an industrial park area and 'ironically' it is less than 1/2 mile from the recently opended Workhorse Brewing Co.

    In my opinion it is pretty weird to have two large(er) brewing companies open so close to each other with the same dynamic:
    • Very large brewhouses (30 barrels)
    • Located in non-retail locations (middle of industrial parks)
    Maybe the business plan for Conshohocken is to mostly use this as a production facility for providing beers to their non-brewery businesses (e.g., The Rec Room in Phoenixville, Town Tap in Havertown)? And perhaps they have more satellite locations in planning for future openings and they need more production capacity?

    Cheers!
     
  4. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,245) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Do you know if currently any of their draft beer is being contract brewed, or just the canned stuff? All the distributed cans I've seen read "Pottstown, PA" on the label, which could only be Sly Fox's facility.

    I would assume if you're doing things correctly, having your own brewery results in higher profits in the long term. But building-out large capacity in the current environment seems like a gamble. Seems that as long as the contract brewing was going well, it gives them more flexibility and offloads some of the risk.
     
  5. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    No, I do not.
    I am not a Finance major but I have interacted with enough of them to know that there is no easy answer here with lots of variables like:

    · The cost of borrowing money to purchase the equipment needed

    · Lease costs (Industrial Park rents are cheaper than prime retail space)

    · Cost of labor (e.g., the brewing team) including benefits

    · Insurance costs

    · Etc.

    Did you read this recent thread (and linked article): https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...ng-staff-installs-new-leadership-team.601891/

    I posted in that thread:

    It appears that some of the strategies of Hangar 24 are:

    · Saving money by reducing staff: “Speaking to Brewbound, Cook said the decision to lay off six of the company’s 13 brewery employees was aimed at “right-sizing”...”

    · Having their largest selling beers be produced by another brewery: “For his part, Cook said that shifting production of Hangar 24’s higher volume brands — Orange Wheat, Betty IPA, Aventura Mexican-style lager, and Peak Blonde — to Gordon Biersch will create “economies of scale”...”

    It seems to me that the owner of Hanger 24 Brewery (Ben Cook) thinks it is ‘better’ (cheaper?) to have their high volume beers contract brewed (Gordon Biersch) vs. brewing it themselves with their own brewery staff.

    Cheers!
     
  6. Chroma914

    Chroma914 Zealot (599) Oct 13, 2006 Pennsylvania

    I think it's pretty weird that Consh has 4 locations (5 with the new production brewery) when their beer is just the definition of average. Gotta keep those shelves warm somehow, I suppose.
     
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  7. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,245) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Perhaps they move more beer at their taproom locations than through distribution? Or maybe Glenn Macnow has more marketing power than you'd think.
     
  8. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Every time I visit a Conshohocken Brewing location I order Type A IPA and I am always happy with that beer; it is very good in my opinion.

    I am not well experienced with their other brands.

    Cheers!
     
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  9. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,245) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Type A is pretty good, their other IPAs that I've had have been up and down. A Day Without Dawn (Imperial Black Ale) is probably the best I've had from them but it's a seasonal. It's cool they have an ESB as one of their year round beers, but it doesn't stand up to Yards ESA (although now that's draft only).
     
  10. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Agreed.

    Cheers!
     
  11. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I was actually thinking the same thing. I've always liked their beers but I've never had anything that blew me away. On my scale of 1 to 5 for breweries with 5 being best-in-world class (Cantillon, etc.), 4 the upper-echelon (Sierra Nevada, etc.), and 3 fitting most of the rest I'm putting Conshohocken at a 3 but towards the mid or lower end of that 3. I don't see a lot of demand for their beers on the shelves (although maybe I'm wrong), and I'd guess this is a really tough time to be trying to maintain that shelf space. Whatever works though.
     
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  12. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Jim, I do not know what your local Retail Beer Distributors look like but at mine there is an insane amount of beer brands to choose from (and the list is growing). Just yesterday I noticed in the beer refrigerators they had beers from the Bronx (Gun Hill Brewing and The Bronx Brewery). I just thought to myself: Holy cow! They are even bringing in beer from the Bronx!?!

    I don't understand how any brewery "maintains" shelf space in today's beer scene.

    I have no purview into the business plan of Conshohocken Brewing Co. but I just gotta believe that they are presently (and planning in the future) selling the vast majority of their beer on premise.

    Cheers!
     
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  13. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Exactly Jack, I've noticed a clear shifting between what's on the shelves. It's changing, and there's very little holding ground. Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, Tröegs, Victory, Yards, Dogfish Head, and Goose Island/Lagunitas/Devil's Backbone (A-B brands) are some off the top of my mind that seem to be holding their ground. Other players like Abita, Southern Tier, Deschutes, Left Hand, Avery, Stoudt's, DuClaw, Philadelphia Brewing Co., Magic Hat, Otter Creek and even Shock Top and Yuengling have lost shelf space! Important to note here is that I'm only noting domestic brands - imports have been really hurt!

    So I agree with you, they're probably planning on selling on-premise. As long as their new production brewery has a tasting room they can self distribute to their other locations, covering all of their base beers, and allowing the smaller locations to brew new and interesting things.

    But that makes sense, and I'm pretty sure under current laws that still works. But will it work with consumers? In my experience it will. People don't seem to mind if some of the beers come from elsewhere as long as some of them are brewed on premise. Perfect example, Goose Island Brewhouse in Philadelphia.

    What that doesn't change is that their beers on my scale are still just a 3 out of 5, but I'll give that over to the experience/atmosphere of a brewery, and the convenience of being close to a brewery. If I lived next to a brewery I'd go there all of the time even if their beers only hit a 2.75 on my scale, as long as the atmosphere was good. That might not be the case for this brewery given its location.

    Only time will tell.
     
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  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Jim, have you visited the Conshohocken Brewing Co. facility in Phoenxiville yet? I have been there 2-3 times to meet friends and every time I was there the place was jammed packed.

    There is no brewing capacity that that place; all of the beer is trucked in.

    Just yesterday I posted about this place:

    Plenty of the new small. local breweries are doing well because they serve their local markets well and that could be for reasons other than the quality of the beer they are serving. Some examples of why customers might visit the tap room besides seeking high quality beer:
    • Live music on the weekend
    • Plenty of way to entertain themselves: pool, darts, etc.
    • Trying to meet people (e.g., of the opposite sex)
    • Food they enjoy eating
    • etc.
    As an anecdotal example: a local craft brewery opened a separate tap room in another town and they market this places as the Rec Room:

    "The Rec Room by Conshohocken Brewing Company offers great beer, great food and a great time on the ping pong tables! 4 shuffleboard tables, 5 ping pong tables, and a foosball table make this the ultimate hang out right on Bridge Street in Phoenixville."

    http://www.conshohockenbrewing.com/recroommain/

    The thread: https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...ft-beer-headed-now.601486/page-3#post-6341014

    Cheers!
     
  15. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Well there is certainly something to be said for the brewery experience, which is different than a bar - but one part of which, as you've noticed, is really not that different - that some people are there trying to meet people, which is always and everywhere, but not always as easy. I think the more open and less commonplace experience of a brewery allows people to be more open, especially if they know about beer and have something in common to discuss right off the bat.

    However, I disagree with your language to explain that as "opposite sex" - I'm not sure about men, but I am sure that lesbians love microbrew! Well, many of them.

    What exactly the difference is between bars and breweries I'm not sure, but I feel it, and I think it has do with a sense of not following the norms - it's not a bar. Maybe not??? But there's craft brew! I believe it's like many other things, and that people are using it as a tag or banner to show who they really are - kind of like a bumpersticker but better.

    In the end, if this works for Conshohocken Brewing Co. that's great, but I hope we're not headed back into a time of "tied-houses" like England had. I don't think that will happen, but I do think that some "free house" bars will be hurt by it.
     
    #35 NeroFiddled, Jan 12, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
  16. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have heard rumors that the new Conshohocken facility in Havertown (Town Tap) will have guest tap handles, it will be interesting to see if that ever happens.

    Cheers!

    P.S. If that works out well in Havertown maybe they will do the same in Phoenixville?
     
  17. makalarch

    makalarch Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2011 Pennsylvania

  18. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,245) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Interesting beer release from Free Will, I assume this means the wort was not boiled at all, not just that all hops were "post-boil":

    [​IMG] Free Will Brewing Company

    • 1.26.19 • CAN RELEASE •
    • Angel – New Age “No Boil” IPA w/Galaxy, Vic Secret, & Mosaic – 6.3% ABV
    Brewed with Local Malt from Deer Creek Malthouse
    16oz. Cans. 4-packs Available. Both Locations.

    …And with one sip, fluffy, pillowy, ethereal, droplets of hop-filled liquid so divine that one might say it was brewed by an angel, descend upon the palate and coat the mouth with heavenly beer… Angel was brewed with local malt from Deer Creek Malthouse and utilized a “New Age, No Boil” method in order to achieve the fluffiest, most feathery mouthfeel possible for an earthly beer. Combine the cherubic body with the luscious papaya, mango, banana custard, tropical fruit juice hop notes, and blissful Angel got its wings. Hopped with Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Mosaic.

    Angel was created specifically for BeerAdvocate Extreme Beer Fest (Boston 2019) on February 1st & 2nd, but we’ll have draft and cans available in BOTH of our Taprooms this Saturday, upon opening. We strongly suggest you snag yourself some of this delightfully delectable beer before it’s gone—Cheers!
     
  19. TomFoley

    TomFoley Pundit (933) Mar 19, 2005 Pennsylvania

    pass

    will be there Sunday
     
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  20. makalarch

    makalarch Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Kunda posted that they have hopslam, anyone else see some in the area?
    The Newtown Square Whole Foods finally opened this past weekend. Checked it out and like the Devon one seems to be focused a lot more on wine than beer. Nice bar with a tv and corner seating with a view though.
     
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