Backgrounder

Wine, Beer And Select Spirits: Made In Philadelphia And The Countryside

PHILADELPHIA, October 30, 2006 - In the Philadelphia region, it’s easy enough to purchase wine and spirits at a state-controlled liquor store or buy beer from a distributor, but it’s more fun to bring a newly discovered bottle directly from the winery, brewery or distillery right to the cozy bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurant. Food and wine enthusiasts can spend an entire afternoon touring one of two vast wine-growing regions (Bucks County and Brandywine Valley) or the many breweries and brewpubs, where a new favorite is waiting just around every barrel, still or tank.

Yards Brewery Company

Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Beer:

• The man who uttered the oft-quoted phrase, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” would likely be happy himself to learn that his adopted city is still brewing beer using his own recipe. In late 2005, Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday provided the inspiration for Yards Brewing Company’s latest product: Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce, a medium brown drink that contains molasses and organic spruce tips. In addition, Yards continues to brew six beers year-round and several seasonals. Free tours of the facility, located in the former bottling house of the old Weisbrod and Hess Oriental Brewing Company, are offered on Saturdays, 12 noon-3:00 p.m.
• The German-trained brewers at Chester County’s Victory Brewing Company make 20 beers, according to season and demand. Beer lovers can expect to see more Victory on the shelves in upcoming years, as the owners have doubled production capacity by adding eight new fermentation tanks. In the meantime, awards keep piling up. For example, both Men’s Journal and The New York Times rated Victory’s Prima Pilsner the best pilsner-style beer in the world. The brewery includes a full-service restaurant—and an exclusive selection of Victory brews on tap. Free tours offered Fridays and Saturdays at 4:00 p.m.
• Iron Hill Brewery, the region’s largest local chain of brewpubs, is putting the finishing touches on its latest site, in Phoenixville, Chester County. Born in Newark, Delaware, in 1996, this restaurant/brewery has expanded to four Pennsylvania locations, including the one scheduled to open within a few months. But Iron Hill’s brewers haven’t let expansion get in the way of beer making. Gold, silver and bronze medals continue to come in for beers like Wee Heavy, a strong scotch ale; Bourbon Russian, a barrel-aged beer; and Framboise de Hill, a Belgian-style sour ale. Tours are available by appointment. Patrons can purchase beer for take-out in 64-ounce “growler” sizes, and some reserve seasonals are available in bottles.
• Independence Brew Pub is the downtown place to go to watch the game while chugging beers made on-premises. Every Saturday, college football fans pile into this restaubar to cheer their alma maters and taste beers like Kolsh, Independence Red Ale, Cask-conditioned Ale, Oatmeal Stout, India Pale Ale and Imperial IPA. Independence always has seasonal beers on tap and is conveniently located in Reading Terminal Market, adjacent to the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Tours are available with an advance reservation. Without a beer tasting, the 25-minute tour is free; with a tasting, it costs $5 per person. House beers can be taken to go in 64-ounce “growlers.”

Wine:

• Folly Hill Vineyards in Chester County is the first vineyard/winery in the region to open an on-site bed and breakfast for visitors. So far, owners are renting out a remote mid-19th-century stone carriage house and a converted 19th-century smokehouse. Another six rooms—to be constructed in the 150-year-old barn—are scheduled to open in time for the 2007 holiday season. In addition, Folly Hill, which is currently considered an annex of the Kreutz Creek Vineyards, is in the process of going independent in 2007. This means Folly Hill will process its own grapes on-premises, instead of sending them to Kreutz Creek for fermentation and bottling.
• As the largest winery in the state, Chester County’s Chaddsford Winery continues to win international awards for excellence, like the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition Gold Medal. Husband-and-wife owners Eric and Lee Miller oversee a large staff that churns out many acclaimed varietals – most notably the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and spiced apple wine. Nestled in the heart of the scenery that painter Andrew Wyeth made famous, the winery is host to dozens of superb annual events that always promise to draw a crowd: the free Brandywine River Blues Festival on Memorial Day and a Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend are just two examples. Chaddsford is open seven days a week for picnicking, tours and tastings.
• The small, family-run Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery is headquartered in a pre-Revolutionary farmhouse on the property where General Anthony Wayne’s troops are said to have spent the night in 1777. All grapes used in winemaking are grown on-premises by owner William Denny, a business school graduate who discovered a passion for wine while stationed by the Navy in France and Morocco. Visitors can sample and purchase the Chester County winery’s nine French varietals on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from April to December.
• Buckingham Valley Vineyards has just installed an all-new, temperature-controlled red wine fermenting system from Italy, designed to craft softer, more full-bodied reds by removing seeds during the fermentation process. The system works, in part, by pumping wine over the top of the machine to oxidize it more fully. Established in 1966, this Bucks County vineyard is one of Pennsylvania’s oldest winemaking facilities, and with more than 40,000 gallons sold a year, it’s also one of the biggest. Visiting and tasting at this self-described “laid-back” winery are free, tours are self-guided, and the doors are open every day except Monday.
• Another Bucks County hotspot, Crossing Vineyards and Winery, is located on a 200-year-old estate, less than a mile from the place where George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776. This winery prides itself on its modern and sophisticated equipment and strives to make wine in the most environmentally responsible way possible. In addition, Crossing offers extensive wine courses and events, along with a tasting room that’s open seven days a week.

Spirits:

• Philadelphia Distilling, the first craft distillery in the state of Pennsylvania since Prohibition, has introduced Bluecoat, American Dry Gin, its first product to enter the marketplace. One of only three craft gin distilleries in the nation, Philadelphia Distilling began operations in 2004, with the first batch of gin now ready for consumption. Bluecoat, so named to pay homage to the region’s history, is the brainchild of master distiller and native Pennsylvanian Robert Cassell and his two partners from across the Delaware River. Bluecoat is made using a copper still, triple-filtered water, hand-picked juniper berries and certified organic botanicals. The spirit is available in liquor stores and drinking establishments throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
• While a trip to Mexico would be required to visit the place where Siembra Azul tequila is harvested and distilled, a trip to Philadelphia will suffice to sample the spirit and meet the company’s founder. David Suro, owner of the 20-year-old Center City Mexican restaurant, Los Catrines Restaurant and Tequila’s Bar, has begun making luxury tequila in his native homeland and selling it in bars and liquor stores across Pennsylvania. The small-batch tequila is made with 100% blue agave in three traditional styles: Blanco, Reposado and Anejo. In place of distillery tours, Suro offers many tequila classes throughout the year at his restaurant.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676. 

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.

CONTACT:

Caroline Bean, GPTMC
(215) 599-7433,caroline@gptmc.com

Carrie Nork, Cashman & Associates
(215) 627-1060, carrie@cashmanandassociates.com

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