Philly Gets 8 New Breweries

Philadelphia; a great beer town already, is set to get 8 new breweries in the near future. Philadelphia—home to Victory,Yards, Nodding Head, Dock Street and a slew of other craft brewers—is set to welcome a whopping eight new breweries this winter. And we thought D.C. was on a roll. The octet of launches comes amid a wave of brewery openings set to continue through early 2012; Philly’s new crew is a healthy balance of rookies and vets, and brewpubs and production houses. Here’s the roster:

McKenzie Brew House – The brewpub mini-chain expands with a third location (in Berwyn) set to open by November.

Forest & Main Brewing – Set in a Victorian-era house, this British-style brewpub, debuting in November, will crank Old World-style beers—think English-style session beers, farmhouse ales, and barrel-aged beers.

Round Guys Brewing – This production brewery from two homebrewing buddies (a biologist and an engineer) will launch in November or December with six regulars plus rotating seasonals, plus a taproom selling pints, growlers and cases plus a locally sourced food menu.

Neshaminy Creek Brewing – A former River Horse brewer will open Bucks County’s first production brewery/tasting room in December. Watch for Trauger German Pilsner and County Line American IPA to hit taps and shelves soon.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – East Coast brewing powerhouse Iron Hill opens its newest location in Philly’s Chestnut Hill ’hood in December. Expect brewery classics and new creations from head brewer Paul Rutherford.

The Farmers’ Cabinet – The nanobrewery within this locavore restaurant is set to pour before the year’s up. Look for head brewer Terry Hawbaker’s farmhouse ales alongside other East Coast craft greats.

Boxcar Brewing – The two husband-and-wife teams behind Boxcar have been brewing in temporary locations for two years; now, they’ve settled permanently into a glorified garage, where they brew their session beers. A tasting room and gift shop will open before 2012.

Tired Hands Brewing – This beery café (set to debut in January or February) focuses on farmhouse ales and augments its lineup with house-made bread fermented with ale yeast, house-brined and pickled fare, and locally sourced cheeses, charcuterie and produce.