Philly Beer Week 2015 Cheat Sheet

‘Beer Enthusiasts – Start Your Engines’

It’s that time of year again when Philadelphians get excited about Philly Beer Week. Not only those from the city or the surrounding area, but those who specifically come to this week long event for a specific reason from far away.

Did you know that Philly Beer Week is the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States. All of this would make perfect sense since Philadelphia has been recognized as one of the World’s Best Cities for Beer.

With so many activities in 10 days, we wanted to give you specific details and a breakdown about the upcoming events, festivals, tours, beer tastings , dinners, and much more.

Philly Beer Week is from May 29 – June 7 : Events, activities, and more

May 29, Friday

• The Hammer of Glory Relay ~ Starts at 6:45 am & ends around 6:58 pm ~  The Hammer of Glory Relay is an annual event to where the Hammer itself is transported various ways from bar to bar throughout the city. The Hammer symbolizes the spirit and fun of Philadelphia being an unique beer-centric community. The Hammer of Glory, aka the HOG, will start at CBS 3 at 1600 Spring Garden St at 6:45 am, as it travels to many different bars and making some non-bar stops. The Hammer will make its first bar stop at Red Owl at 433 Chestnut St around 8:18 am am, hit another 16 bars and ends up in the hands of a special guest, where it will be used to tap the ceremonial first keg of Philly Beer Week at 7 pm at the 23rd Street Armory (22 S. 23rd St). To follow the Hammer of Glory Relay, Click Here. Info from Philly Beer Week, Click Here. If you follow this event, take your pictures and post them through Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #HOG (Hammer of Glory) & #PBW2015.

• Kick Off Lunch – Meet the brewer, Chris Wilson of Weyerbacher  ~ 11:30 am – 3:00 pm ~ Held at Joe Pistola’s, Chris is a wealth of beer knowledge. He also has a degree in Physics. Come ask him why beer molecules taste better than every other molecule and other such stuff.

• 6th Annual HOG Relay with Southern Tier ~ 3:00 pm – 2:00 am ~ At the Institute Bar located in the Fairmount/Spring Garden neighborhood. In helping with transporting the Hammer of Glory to its destination, their 6th Annual participation in the H.O.G Relay they will be doing a Southern Tier Tap Take-Over 16 brews on tap and a firkin of their new choklate with orange to be tapped with the hammer when it arrives. Later that night they will have their house bluegrass band playing on the 2nd floor as they always do on that first night of beer week. 

• Opening Ceremony ~ 7 pm ~ Held at the 23rd Street Armory – 22 S. 23rd St. Opening ceremony with a special guest and the Hammer of Glory, The 5th Annual Philadelphia Inquirer Brew-vitational awards PLUS live music. ~ Opening Ceremony ~

• Opening Tap ~ 7 pm – 10 pm ~ At the 23rd Street Armory (22 S. 23rd St) – $45 per person. Giving you ample samples from the region’s top breweries, 40 of which have been confirmed. Micros/brewpubs – they’ll  be pouring the finest ales and lagers, including seasonal beers. Live music will be performed by The York Street Hustle, a 10-piece 1960s-style soul ensemble band, food (additional price), surprises with keepsake sampling cup. Want to start early, get a VIP ticket. One-hour limited audience tasting session, featuring a selection of special beers paired with complimentary beer-friendly food. All VIPs receive a souvenir drinking glass plus gift bag and this allows you to stay the rest of the evening. ~ Opening Ceremony ~

May 30, Saturday

• 5th Annual Pints & Pinups Block Party & BBQ ~ Noon – 11:00 pm ~ At Varga Bar! Great refreshing craft beers on draft and in cans from all over the country. Plus, they will be grilling up some tasty food outside all day and night! Photobooth, dunk tank, wing eating contest, games, prizes, and much much more. Hey Ladies! Come dressed in your favorite pin up outfit and get photos taken and be on your way to being one of their Varga Calendar Girls for 2016!

• Maryland Crab & Beer Fest ~ Noon – 10pm ~ Held at Old Eagle Tavern in Manayunk will be celebrating the Chesapeake Bay State with Maryland Blue Crabs, Old Bay and great Maryland Craft Beer. Enjoy Steamed Crabs along with other Maryland inspired food specials & $1 off all Maryland Beers. Menu – Steamed Crabs, Crab Cakes & More. Draft List –Beers from Stillwater, Heavy Seas, Flying Dog, Brewer’s Art & DuClaw.

• International Great Beer Expo:  Philly VIP Session ~ 12:30 pm – 5 pm ~ $46 general admission at 1:30 pm & $75 VIP with 12:o0 pm arrival. – Takes place at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. 75+ Breweries / 200+ Beers – This international beer tasting event will feature an incredible variety of beers from some of the finest U.S. and international breweries while raising money for the Committee To Benefit The Children. Get tickets here!

• Pig Roast & Shangy’s Tap Takeover ~ 3:00 pm – 2:00 am ~ Held at Tap Room on 19th, they’ll be cooking up a whole pig (or maybe two!) right here at the Taproom, plus their friends at Shangy’s will be supplying them with some crazy good tap action.

• 5th Annual Chicken Run ~ 5 pm – 2 am ~ Held at the American Sardine Bar in Newbold/Point Breeze of South Philly. Join the Fishtown Beer Runners for a 5 mile-ish run from Philly Brewing Company to the American Sardine Bar. Tickets for the run will include a T-Shirt, 3 PBC beers, and…FRIED CHICKEN. Price is $35 per person and tickets are on sale now. Visit their website or call the bar at (215) 334-2337. Designated Driver and under 21 tickets are available for $25 per person. Minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian. ~ Facebook Info Sign Up ~

May 31st, Sunday

• Molly Malloy’s Kegs & Eggs Brunch with Penn Brewery ~ 9 am – Noon ~ Held at Molly Malloy’s in the Reading Terminal Market, will have Sunday morning brunch hosted by Chris of Penn Brewery. Pair beers with pancakes, French toast, Banana Steel Cut Oatmeal, Molly’s Farmer’s Platter, the Spicy Potato Bacon Hash & more.

• East Passyunk Craft Beer Day ~ 11 am – midnight ~ Enjoy 13 hour day of tastings, food pairings, and more. Craft Beer Day includes multiple brew-centric events at 12 award-winning East Passyunk Avenue bars and restaurants such as P.O.P.E, Stogie Joe’s, Noir, Le Virtu, Garage & others.

• Throwdown in Franklintown ~ 2 pm – 6 pm ~ At Kite & Key in the Fairmount & Spring Garden section. What do you get when you mix Yard, Dogfish, Allagash and Kite & Key?  GREAT BEER AND TOTAL MEYHEM!!! The 6th year in this Epic battle between Tom Kehoe (Yards) vs Jim Kirk (Kite & Key) and other guests. This year team dodgeball takes the stage as each team battles for supremacy on Callowhill. The street will be shut down for pure chaos and tons of brews! Come down for an afternoon of total entertainment, great beer and perhaps the greatest event during Beer Week.

• Iron Hill 5th Annual Big Ass Beer Dinner ~ 6 pm – 9 pm ~ Held at Good Dog Bar, for $50, celebrate craft beer and great food and enjoy 5 Beers & 5 Courses! 5 amazing pairings brought to you by Executive Chef Jessica O’Donnell

June 1st, Monday

• Deschutes Infusion Brunch ~ 12 pm – 4 pm ~ Held at The Industry in South Philly, each table will be provided with a French press and will be invited to “Infuse their own beer” from a variety of different ingredients, led by brewery rep Jeremey Kieffer. Deschutes is only doing one other event in Philadelphia for all of beer week, so enjoy some great and rare beer that almost never makes it to the east coast. Pay-As-You-Go.

• All Day Oysters & Seafood Event ~ 4 pm – 1 am ~ Held at Varga Bar, Chef Evan will be doing oyster pairings for the happy hour event… and seafood specials all night! Beer Events: DuClaw, Flying Dog and Evolution 4 pm-7 pm; Ninkasi 7p m-10 pm; Smuttynose and Fegley’s Brew Works 10 pm-2 am

• Devilish Beer Dinner ~ 5 pm – 11 pm ~ $35 a person. Come to Devil’s Alley and enjoy a three course meal designed by Chef Brian Fidiam. Each meal will be composed of three courses, each prepared and paired with a different beer.

• Yards / Dad’s Hat Happy Hour ~ 5 pm – 8 pm, Held at The Dandelion, Yard’s Brewing and Dad’s Hat Rye will team up to offer a barrel aged beer, some special whiskey and beer pairings and a beer cocktail made with Dad’s Hat Rye Whiskey. Guests from the brewery and distillery will be in attendance to help you get a cab afterwards.

June 2nd, Tuesday

• Beer Garden at The Shambles at Headhouse Square ~ 5 pm – 9 pm, held at The Shambles at 2nd & Pine St, enjoy beer from Jack’s Cider, Sly Fox, Springhouse, Weyerbacher & Forgotten Boardwalk. Pay-As-You-Go

• Beer Garden at the Future Sensations Exhibition ~ 5 pm – 10 pm, held at the Oval at 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the beer garden will offer a seasonal selection from Yards Brewing Company, ciders from Frecon Farms and wine from Blair Vineyards. PLUS, more than 35 food trucks will be on site throughout the course of the exhibit.

• King Pin! ~ 6 pm – 8 pm ~ Come to Standard Tap in Fishtown to where ten of your favorite local breweries compete to see whose pin will be the first to kick.  The winner will be crowned KINGPIN! ps. A Pin is 5.4 gallons of fresh brew.

• Forest & Main on Taco Tuesday ~ 7 pm – 1 am ~ Held at Tap Room on 19th, Forest & Main will be bringing some of their amazing selections to the Taproom, and the Taproom will be pairing it up with awesome tacos from Los Gallos!

June 3rd, Wednesday

• Goose Island Migration and Tap Take Over ~ 4 pm – 2 am ~ Held at The Cambridge. One of their draft list staples, and great friends, Goose Island is bringing some serious muscle to your table. Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Vanilla Rye,Bourbon County Bourbon Barleywine, Halia (peach sour), Gillian (strawberry & white pepper sour), Lolita (raspberry sour), the Illinois Imperial IPA, to name only a few! Get there early! Last years event was one of the best events in ALL of Philadelphia!  ps – They have a secret up their sleeve! It’s a mystery so far but be ready for a treat! – Pay-As-You-Go

• Tour Eastern State Penitentiary with Willie Sutton & Stoudts ~ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm ~ Meet at ESP 2027 Fairmount Ave. – Take a guided tour of the haunted Eastern State Penitentiary, the place where Willie Sutton ‘stayed’ & tried to escape.  Stoudts has been making the house beer named for this moniker for 24 years!  Of course you will be drinking Willie Sutton lager while touring and then drinking more Stoudts Beer with some food back at London Grill. $40 all inclusive.

• Danya Henniger presents coffee in the Beer Garden of Good & Evil ~ 4 pm – 6 pm ~ Held at Fergie’s Pub ~ If you love beer and you love coffee, you’re not alone! Stop outside at Fergie’s Beach (aka beer garden), as Danya roasts some coffee by hand and discusses the similarities and the differences between America’s two favorite beverages. $12 gets you a flight of 5 coffee-infused beers, some ultra-fresh coffee and all the caffeine/malt-fueled stimulation you can handle. Taste Snorri’s Awakening (Yards/La Colombe/Einstok Brewing collaboration), Round Guys Uncle Ebenezer, Free Will Coffee Oatmeal Brown and more.

June 4th, Thursday

• 6th Annual Get Yer Fil of Pils ~ 12 pm – 12 am ~ Held at the Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philadelphia. Food plus great pilsners. All 10 lines will be pouring pilsners and of course it will be heavy on the locals. Various breweries will be on hand for a hour each with give-aways and more. This year they will be adding pierogies to the mix. Get your fill of both pilsners and pierogies.

• Schnitzel Bock ~ 6 pm – 10 pm ~ Held at Bierstube, enjoy German Style Food Specials paired with beers from Spoetzl Brewery’s Shiner Beers – featuring Shiner Bock, White Wing and GABF Gold Medal Winning Dark Lager – Shiner’s German Style Schwarzbier.
  Prizes for the winners of Giant Jenga on the Market Street Sidewalk.

• Murder in London & Paris (an improv murder mystery beer dinner) ~ 6 pm – 10 pm ~ Held at the London Grill in Fairmount. $70 per person/ $80 at the door. Reception 6:15 pm & show starts at 7 pm. Price includes reception beer cocktail, multi course dinner with beer pairings and the show. excludes tax and gratuity.

• Indoor Bocce with Dogfish Head ~ 7 pm -11 pm ~ Stop in at the Field House next to the Philadelphia Convention Center and play indoor Bocce with The Philadelphia Union, Sons of Ben, Major League Bocce and Dogfish Head! They will have awesome prizes, like Philadelphia Union Tickets and Swag bags! Sign up at majorleaguebocce.com to register your team!

June 5th, Friday

• Eis Eis Baby – All Day ABV Summit Event ~ 11 am – 11 pm ~ Pay-As-You-Go held at Bierstube. You drink intelligently and efficiently. Why have two watery beers and pay $10 when you can drink one outstanding beer for around $8 and have the same amount of alcohol to relax you? These masterpieces are all twice alcohol of an average beer; they’re over 10% ABV (alcohol by volume). You won’t be drinking any of these fast or in large quantities but just one special beer will take the edge off your day. Bierstube will also have a couple of the German classics known as Eisbock beers, a tradition where the top of the beer was frozen away leaving only the higher alcohol remaining beer at the bottom. Eis Eis Baby as they like to say. Prost!  List of beers you’ll be able to enjoy:Bink Grand Cru – Belgian Strong Dark Ale – 13.00 ABV  |  Hel & Verdoemenis – Russian Imperial Stout – 10.20 ABV  |  K-O Blond Beer – Belgian Strong Pale Ale – 10.00 ABV  |  Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock- Eisbock -10.00 ABV  |  Pannepøt Old Monk’s Ale – Quadrupel (Quad) – 10.00 ABV  |  Samichlaus Classic Bier – Doppelbock – 14.00 ABV bottle  |  Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock – Eisbock – 12.00 ABV  |  Weyerbacher Tiny – American Double / Imperial Stout – 11.80 ABV

• Getting Sauced with Founders & Port Brewing Pig Roast ~ 3 pm – 9 pm ~ Held at The Industry in South Philly, they are roasting another 300 lb spent-grain fed pig from Heritage Valley Farms, but this year they wanted to make it a contest. They are putting Dave Goldstein from Founders and Matt Pushinsky from Port Brewing to the test. The objective, to make a BBQ sauce based from one of their beers. They’ll have a bottle of each on each table and will take a vote on the best. The winner will become The Industry’s house BBQ sauce. Both breweries are bringing some great beer, and there will even be the fabled Kentucky Breakfast Stout from Founders!

• 2nd Sly Fox & Troegs Canwood Derby ~ 5 pm – 12 am ~ Held at Good Dog Bar, they’ll have a custom built derby track that runs the length of the bar. Registration starts at 5 pm and races start at 7 pm. Car Kits are on sale now at Good Dog Bar so build your car BEFORE the race. Full rules and regulations are posted at slyfoxbeer.com. Good Dog will be pouring Sly Fox Penny Maibock, Grisette, Rauch Bier, Deer Creek Saison, Sky High Pale Ale, and Troegs Scratch #179 Biere De Grouch, Scratch #183 Session IPA, #186 Sour Wheat Ale, #187 Kolsch, Perpetual IPA, and a whole bunch of cans from both breweries. It’s on!

• First Friday Beer & Ice Cream at Little Baby’s ~ 6 pm – 9 pm ~ Held at 2311 Frankford Ave, Little Baby’s and Saint Benjamin Brewery are teaming up for First Friday in Fishtown. They have created a Pepper Lavender Ice Cream inspired by and to be paired with their Liason Saison. They will have samples of beer on hand while supplies last. Pay-As-You-Go

June 6th, Saturday

• Fishtown FestivALE ~ 12 pm – 8 pm ~ The 4th Annual Fishtown FestivALE.  In honor of Philly Beer Week, your favorite beer destinations on the bustling Frankford Ave coridoor in Fishtown are teaming up to bring you an outdoor summer beer party! There will be plenty of cold beer, tasty food, fun & music to help you wile away the summer hours.Look out for beer gardens from Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford Hall and Fette Sau, Frankford Hall, Kensington Quarters, La Colombe, Fishtown Tavern, and Bottle Bar East. Frankford Avenue between Girard Ave and Master St.

• Fourth Annual Memphis Tap Room Hot Dog & Homebrew Extravaganza ~ 12 pm – 4 pm ~ Held at the Memphis Tap Room, this is one of the best days of the year out in the Beer Garden – don’t miss it!  Tickets are $35 and include all you can eat hot dogs and unlimited homebrew! Tickets available in advance at memphistaproom.com and at the gate. 

• Growler Graffiti ~ 8 pm – 10 pm ~ Held at Founding Fathers on South Street, enjoy this 1st “Label Art” show featuring a team assembled by Prism with some of the most talented tattoo artists in the Philadelphia area drawing inspiration from the brews and using growlers as their canvas. Come check out the ORIGINAL artwork from your local artists & enjoy Prism’s 10% Felony DIPA, 6.7% Bitto Honey IPA on NITRO, 5.5% ParTea Pale Ale & our 4.5% Shady Blonde brewed with fresh blood orange juice.

June 7th, Sunday

• Goose Island Block Party & Pig Roast with Paul Kahan, Publican ~ 2 pm – 8 pm ~ Pay-As-You-Go – Held at Alla Spina, say goodbye to Philly Beer Week 2015 by taking to the streets for this “Closing Block Party BBQ” with Goose Island and James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef 2014 Chef Paul Kahan from Chicago. Paul will be flying in to cook up a BBQ feast of local whole roasted pigs, house made sausages, ribs, and featured dishes from his restaurants in Chi-town! Goose Island will be taking over the taps for the day with a line-up of their core brands as well as some rare brews. Bourbon County Vanilla Stout will be available to the first 90 people so come early to reserve your glass! Also, enjoy live music from local rock band Estimated Profit, games, prizes, and more!

• 7th Annual Dock Street Music Fest & Scavenger Run  ~ 4 pm – 8 pm ~ FREE. Held at Dock Street Brewery in University City. There will be live local music, Dock Street wood fired pizza, outdoor games like ring toss, ladder toss and of course, beer! Music starts at 4 pm. Scavenger Run participation costs $25 and gets you a beer ticket, a t-shirt with Dock Street’s next-generation artwork and the chance to win beer prizes for the hunters with the fastest times. Stick around for music and more beer with a sense of accomplishment. Run starts at 4 PM. Get more details at Dock Street’s website.

• The 8th annual T.T.U.D. ~ 7 pm – 11:30 pm ~ Calling all survivors of Philly Beer Week. Stop by at Fergie’s Pub located on Locust Street in Center City. T.T.U.D. stands for ‘That totally unnecessary drink.’ It is karaoke in front of a live band – go on be a rock star. PBW 2015 is over, your work is done. Time to relax. Watch Fergie make a fool of himself but then what’s new.

 

All Week Long : May 29 – June 7 (same event every day unless specified)

• PHS Pop Up Garden South Street ~ May 30 & May 31 (noon – 10 pm), June 1 & June 2 (5 pm – 10 pm), June 4 (5 pm – 10 pm), June 5 ( 5 pm – 12 am) & June 6 & 7 (12 pm – 5 pm) ~ Enjoy beer at the outdoor beer garden at 1438-46 South Street. For list of beers during the week, click here.

• Beer Garden at the Future Sensations Exhibition ~ May 30 (noon – 10 pm), May 31 (noon – 7 pm), June 2 – 5 (5 pm – 10 pm), & June 6 (noon – 10 pm) ~ Enjoy beer at the outdoor beer garden at The Oval. For more info, click here.

• Philly Beer Week Garden ~ June 2 – 5 from 5 pm – 9 pm ~ Held at The Shambles at Headhouse Square. Visitors get taken back to the age of grand old colonial ales by featuring a separate local brewery’s finest craft beer each weekday evening of beer week. Sit outdoors with good beer and live music in the city’s South Street Headhouse District. For more details, click here.

 

These are just some of the events that we wanted to highlight for Philly Beer Week. There are just way too many to list, but you can get that list directly below. If you are a bar who wants an event listed, please contact us at MyPhillyAlive@MyPhillyAlive.com 

For a complete list to Philly Beer Week list of events & bars : Click here – If we missed any good events, please let us know in a comment below. You can follow Beer Week on Twitter and the hashtag #PBW2015 and like it on Facebook for updates throughout the week.

Certainly have fun, enjoy all that Philadelphia has to offer both in beer and in history, and most of all; drink safely.

Want daily updates of what beer is where? PhillyTapFinder is going to post the tap lists for the current day and following day ~ PhillyTapFinder ~

Info on Philly Beer Week from MyPhillyAlive – Philly Beer Week

Location

Locations vary throughout City of Philadelphia  |  Check web site for daily events – Click here

Dates

May 30 – June 8, 2014

Web Site

• Philly Beer Week

Opening Tap Tickets  |  Click Here

Facebook Fan Page – Philly Beer Week