Greater Philadelphia’s five-county region is home to 90-and-counting craft breweries with more than 110 locations — which means more than 1,000 craft beers are out there just waiting to be sipped.
A real beer drinker’s town since the very beginning — local taverns were arguably the true birthplace of the American Revolution — Philadelphia has always played a crucial role in American brewing.
Today, craft beer lovers can experience the vibrant scene themselves by exploring The Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia and visiting breweries in Philadelphia and the surrounding region — Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County and Montgomery County.
The region’s breweries offer up tons of different ways to enjoy craft beer — with family and friends, with awesome food, and with philanthropic good.
Since more than 90 breweries dot the region, you need only pick a direction and a day of beer-fueled fun is at the ready — chatting with brewers, tasting seasonal ales and pairing with diverse eats. Be sure your beer excursion includes more than just beer, too, by exploring charming regional towns, checking out local arts, or discovering the rich history of the brewing scene.
To plot out that exploration of the region’s diverse breweries and brewpubs, start right here with The Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia Video Series.
In this multi-episode series, discover top breweries, pours and locations in the five-county region and why these brewers choose Philadelphia as their headquarters. Spoiler: It’s because our region is home to the best beer-drinking community in the country.
To help navigate the scene, we tapped beer buffs Marisa Magnatta and Chill Moody as hosts of a beer-fueled journey through the five-county region.
In her role as a producer on WMMR’s The Preston and Steve Show, Marisa Magnatta lives on the go — often beer in hand, thanks to her connections with The Larimer Beer Company. A Philly girl born and raised, she’s a bona fide local expert whose enthusiasm for discovering what’s great about Philly is outweighed only by her love of sharing what puts the great in Greater Philadelphia.
A West Philly native, indie rapper Chill Moody always brings positivity to his gigs as a Philadelphia Music Ambassador, music industry entrepreneur and craft brew authority. He’s a collaborator of New Ridge Brewing Co. and Chill’s team-up with Dock Street Brewery gave us Nicethings IPA, a hazy American IPA brewed with pineapple as well as nicethingsCREAMALE, a blackberry infused cream ale.
Check out the videos below to find out where to go to and what to do to enjoy the region and support local breweries.
Cheers!
Monk’s Cafe brings a specific beer-history-steeped experience to Philly. Since owner Tom Peters first came back from Belgium in 1984, he’s been serving Belgian brews — and so much more — at the Rittenhouse Square bar. The way he sees it, Monk’s is part of the Philadelphia brewing community as one of the longest-running craft beer destinations in the city. And while Monk’s is temporarily closed during the pandemic (look out for sales of rare inventory), Peters can certainly recommend a good Philly pour. Among his favorites: Yards Brewing Company, Dock Street Brewery and Human Robot Brewery. Peters is also part of the team that put together Philly Loves Beer — the organizer of the annual Philly Beer Week celebration. Put simply: No other city does craft beer like Philadelphia. The five-county region’s 90+ craft breweries have more than 1,000 beers ready for visitors.
— Photo by New Pace Productions
Featured in this Episode
Bottle shops are an easy way to sample flavors from Greater Philadelphia’s 90+ craft breweries, discover pours from beer makers around the world and support local businesses — all at the same time. Follow along as rapper Chill Moody and radio producer Marisa Magnatta stop by The Foodery in Rittenhouse Square to learn how the shop organizes its impressive inventory and see what’s in the fridge so you can plan your own regional beer-tasting experience.
Philly’s beer scene is about more than great pours (though you’ll find more than 1,000 of those in the five-county region). In Greater Philadelphia, brewing is about community. That’s why Love City Brewing, Two Locals Brewing Company and Attic Brewing Company collaborated to brew Black is Beautiful — a beer first created by Weathered Souls, a Black-owned brewery in Texas. The Philly trio teamed up to brew their own imperial stout as part of a nationwide effort to support racial justice movements. Philly’s Black is Beautiful brew is selling out quickly, but is still available on tap at Root Down Brewing Company in Phoenixville and to go from Brothers Kershner Brewing Co. in Skippack.
Yards Brewing Company • Philadelphia Brewing Company • New Ridge Brewing Co.
Philadelphia once brewed more beer than any other place in the Western Hemisphere — by 1920, the city had more than 90 working breweries, with 100 more outside city limits. Today, Philly’s brew scene flourishes at those same heights with city breweries offering a cool, walkable brewery-touring experience. In this episode, we explore three of the breweries that make this the best beer city in the Northeast U.S.
— Photo by Visit Philadelphia
Featured in This Episode
Round Guys Brewing Company • Conshohocken Brewing Company • Workhorse Brewing Company
Montgomery County is home to more than 20 craft breweries and each brewery has its own sudsy story. In this episode, three of Montgomery County’s craft-brew-scene stars offer up a look at what makes their breweries work so very well and why the local beer community of Greater Philadelphia is truly remarkable. Join Marisa and Chill as they explore some of the best brews and things to do in Montco.
Victory Brewing Company • La Cabra Brewing • Levante Brewing
Chester County’s brewing community is as vast as it is diverse — in brewing style, history and taproom experience. Follow along as we visit three brilliant breweries in Chester County.
Free Will Brewing Co. • Great Barn Brewery • Broken Goblet Brewing
In Bucks County, breweries exude a small-town vibe while producing outstanding beer, fueling visitors on their beer journey. Join hosts Chill Moody and Marisa Magnatta on a behind-the-scenes tour of three of the best breweries in Bucks.
The Larimer Beer Company • 2SP Brewing Company • Sterling Pig Brewery
In Delaware County, breweries roll out a warm welcome for visitors traveling from near and far. With convenience to the region — the I-95 corridor is a great connector — breweries in DelCo are within easy reach for daytrippers from New Jersey, Delaware and throughout Pennsylvania, especially those headed to a Philadelphia Union game at Subaru Park in Chester.
See why the Philadelphia region is one of the best places for beer in the world...
Read More
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package for a rewarding getaway in one of 2021’s top destinations, per Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, Frommer’s, Esquire and more.
The exclusive deal — booked more than 175,000 times since 2001 — includes buy-one-get-one-free attraction tickets purchased at the Independence Visitor Center to 33 of Philly’s iconic museums and attractions and free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia).