While the brunt of Philly Beer Week will be taking place in the city proper, you don’t have to worry yourself with hours of transportation and figuring out how to get there and back if you live in the burbs. There are plenty of great events happening in the far reaches of suburbia, so pick your favorite spot and don’t worry about waiting for trains and getting stuck with $60 cab fares. Here are a few of our hand-picked favorites to check out.
Joe’s Take Over for the Pros at The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille | June 2, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
All day long, the Drafting Room will be serving up six different homebrews for your enjoyment. Swing by for their famous buffet brunch and support the little guys during this annual event that is guaranteed to serve you some beer you’ve never had before, and may never have again.
Moa Brunch and Beer at Kildare’s | June 2, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
This will be a rare opportunity to get some beer from Moa, a brewery in New Zealand that doesn’t often make it to the United States. They will be bringing three different beers (Hoppit IPA, Breakfast Beer, and Pale Ale) that Kildare’s will happily pair with their brunch menu. Swing in and get some new beer, delicious food, and chat with the brewery’s reps who will be there to answer any questions you have.
Beer vs Wine Dinner at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Phoenixville | June 4, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. | $85
If you have a significant other that doesn’t much care for beer, this may be your best chance to get them out of the house during Beer Week. For $85 per person, you will get five courses, which will each be paired with five beers and five wines. Reservations are required (call 610-983-9333), but this will be a great way to get some non-beer drinkers involved, or to expand your horizons in the alcohol world.
Naked 69 Stache Bash at Garrett Hill Ale House | June 6, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
You can’t go wrong with an event that promotes the awesomeness of facial hair, so swing by Garrett Hill with your best mustache—whether you’re male or female. Prism will be in attendance with their Summer of 69 pineapple PilzAle and Naked Blonde ale to help party with ‘staches. And, of course, there will be prizes in three categories: Bushiest Stache, Sexiest Female Stache, and Best Overall Stache, so get growing or get drawing!
Ride the Rails at Boxcar Brewing | June 8, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. | $40
For the sixth installment of this fan-favorite event, you’ll be able to take a ride on the historic 1930s-style railroad cars down the West Chester Railroad to Glen Mills picnic park. When you arrive, you’ll be treated to a picnic spread, Boxcar beers, and live music. Boxcar will feature new and old beers, as well as a special Beer Week collaboration. The train will head back to civilization around 7p.m. after a relaxing day at the park. Be sure to get tickets in advance, because the June 1 edition of this event has already sold out.
BONUS
Want to choose a nightly hangout and stick to that throughout the week? We’ve got you covered with two great places to stake your claim on a barstool and return each day.
2-2-2 Happy Hour at Teresa’s Café | 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Every weekday throughout Beer Week (including Friday, May 31), Teresa’s will be offering a 2-2-2 Happy Hour, which means two hours of two select beers for just $2 a pop. The first night will be particularly hard to miss, as they’ll be offering Dogfish Head World Wide Stout and 120 Minute IPA both for $2 a glass (with a limit of one each due to the high alcohol content of both). Swing by every other weekday to get some more amazing happy hour deals.
Brewery Spotlights at Hulmeville Inn
From May 30 through June 8 (with a day off on May 31), the Hulmeville Inn will be offering brewery spotlights every day during beer week. Find which day your favorite brewery will be there and pull up a seat for multiple draft lines dedicated to that brewery, or use the opportunity to try a wider range of beers from a brewery you may not be familiar with. The breweries, in order, will be Founders, Neshaminy Creek, DuClaw, Lavery, Cigar City, Arcadia, Heavy Seas, Shiner, and Weyerbacher.
DOUBLE BONUS
Drinking in the Streets with Troegs and Tunes at Teresa’s Café | June 8, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
There’s so much going on in the burbs for beer week we can’t pick just five events! Be sure to close out the week with this outdoor fest at Teresa’s in conjunction with the Main Line Jazz and Food Festival. They will be serving up at least 10 Troegs taps and a Troegs firkin, as well as live music and great street food from their kitchens. This is a can’t-miss way to celebrate the end of Beer Week in the burbs.
Drafting Room, Iron Hill Brewery and black-and-white photo credits: Nina Lea Photography.
