Philly

Questions that will need to be answered before anyone can throw any recommendations at you.
Where are you staying?
What days will be there?
Will you have a car or be using public transportation/Uber?

There are numerous threads about what to do in Philly, check some of them out in the meantime.
Also, have a look at phillytapfinder.com

 

Because it's close to Tired Hands I'll suggest a trip of less than 12 miles west along Lancaster Avenue/Rt. 30...
• The Beer Shoppe is about a block away for bottles.
• 2 Miles west is Tin Lizard Brewing Co. I've never been there, but I thought I'd suggest it as it's so close.
• You'll pass The Beer Yard for bottles on the way...
• and another 7 miles takes you to La Cabra, which I love, and I'd suggest you eat there as the food is really good.
• Another 2.5 miles takes you to TJ's Restaurant & Drinkery for an excellent selection of taps.

If you wanted to extend the trip you could hit the Flying Pig Saloon, McKenzie Brew House, Wegman's Market (bottles), and World of Beer (bottles) in Malvern.

 

Using the listings here on BA there are plenty of breweries in Philly to hit up

Breweries:

• Earth Bread + Brewery - 7136 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia
• Yards Brewing Co. - 901 N. Delaware Avenue, Philadelphia
• Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - 8400 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
• Nodding Head Brewery - 1516 Sansom St., Philadelphia
• Crime & Punishment Brewing Company - 2711 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia
• Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant - 701 S 50th St, Philadelphia
• Bar Hygge / Brewery Techne - 1720 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia
• Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant - 4120 Main Street, Philadelphia
• Evil Genius Beer Company - 1727 N Front St, Philadelphia
• Saint Benjamin Brewing Company - 1710 N 5th St, Philadelphia
• 2nd Story Brewing Co. - 117 Chestnut St, Philadelphia
• Philadelphia Brewing Company - 2439 Amber St., Philadelphia
• Second District Brewing Co. - 1939 S Bancroft St, Philadelphia
• Do Good Brewing Company - 3245 Amber St, Philadelphia

 

Much of this trip can be done via the Paoli/Thorndale Septa train as well.

 

I was there about a month after they opened. I thought the food was OUTSTANDING but the beers were hit or miss. Have you been there more recently? If so, what are your thoughts on the beer situation?

Cheers!

 

I went a few weeks ago, place is really nice, food was good and I enjoyed the beer. IPA was decent, saison was meh, the dry hop sour was very good. I went in with low expectations, but left impressed

 

Maybe that is the proper strategy for this place?

I went in with high expectations since I read numerous posts about the brewing prowess of Dan Popernack (brewer at La Cabra).

Cheers!

 

I visited La Cabra on April 1st, the only time I've been there.

After the food arrived I realized I'd made a mistake in bringing my wife because she would always want to go there for dinner! The food really is that good! Fortunately, that's not such a bad thing as I'll still get beer ~ and it's expensive in a way, but it's so much more "worth it" than spending money at other brewpubs where the food is not as good and they offer a handful of regulars and just one or two, maybe even three, seasonal beers. I'll gladly pay more for quality (although that seems to go against the current American valuation of "cheaper is better").

I thought that the beers, in comparison to similar places, were quite good, and maybe I just caught them on a good day, but the options were interesting and everything that I had was better than I could get at a similar venue. Are they perfect? No, but I see something there. A diamond in the rough, but a diamond nonetheless. I think that we'll eventually be seeing masterful beers coming out of there, it's just a matter of time.

 

I love how every thread asking for Philly recommendations turns into Philly suburb discussion.

 

Ha ha! phillyale called it right, and I blame Tired Hands entirely for that!

 

In actual Philly, I'm fond of Bar Hygge, especially in regard to their food. I've been there twice and the food is exceptional, especially if you like sharing small tastes of stuff via their boards. The beers have been B+/A- max for me but, combined with the food, it's more than worth it.

My buddy lives right by Crime & Punishment and they do good work. I wish they'd dial back on the number of fruited offerings they have on at any time and for a place with a Central/Eastern European literary theme, you'd think they'd eventually brew a lager, but it's enjoyable stuff on the whole.

 

If it were me, knowing what I know about the city and the places, just within the city I'd go to:
• Bar Hygge (and I'll throw in a possible stop at Crime & Punishment as they're 'close')
• Alla Spina
• Brauhaus Schmitz (I'm a big German beer fan; also see O'Neals below)
• Johnny Brenda's (absolutely if there was a good show that night, and stop at Frankford Hall)
• Standard Tap (can't go to Johnny Brenda's without stopping at the original!)
• Fountain Porter (followed by the P.O.P.E. on my way to...)
• Second District Brewing Co.
• Hawthorne's
• McGillin's and then BRÜ (because it's an easy 2, and McGillins has charm)
• O'Neals Pub (casual place on South Street, and I'd have to stop at Tattooed Mom's as well)
Noticeably absent: Monks. I'd go if it was a slow time.

 

Did you pick up diacetyl in any of the beers? From memory, three of the beers I drank suffered from diacetyl.

Cheers!

 

No diacetyl whatsoever. Aggressive fermentation on the Babe, however, but for a Russian Imperial Stout it wasn't bad. I also felt the German Pils was a bit aggressive, but still very good (I've had worse in Germany, unfortunately, what I like to refer to as 'train station beers'), and the same issue arose with their Clipper Kölsch which is heavily hopped and seemed more like a German Pils to me. But again, within these beers I see that there is a little bit of that magic, that "je ne sais quoi" of putting things together. Give him some more time, I don't know the guy, but I think he'll start putting out some solid stuff.

p.s. ~ BTW, no diacetyl in your home brews Jack! And perhaps you caught them at a time "a month after they opened" when they were forced to push beers through.

 

it used to be that when someone asked what was the best bar to go to in Philly the answer was always Capone's.

 

Jim, that is entirely possible.

It could also be a 'learning curve' issue for Dan; he had (has) to learn to brew on a much bigger system then his previous system (homebrew).

Cheers!

 

Hmm, I thought the 'universal' response was Monks!?!

Cheers!

 

Saying Capone's is in Philly is like saying the San Francisco 49ers play in San Francisco.

 

Do Good has shut down and is for sale ......