There is a bold new brewery taking Delco by storm, and their home base is in a business park right off of I-95.
2SP Brewing Company is led by Founder Michael “The Stigz” Stiglitz, Head Brewer Bob Barrar and Assistant Brewer/Head Cellarman Andrew “Ruby” Rubenstein. Stigz has founded several successful craft beer-focused restaurants in Delaware, most notably Pig + Fish, The Pickled Pig Pub and Two Stones Pub. Head Brewer Bob Barrar has more than a decade of experience in brewing, and is well known for the 15-time award-winning Russian Imperial Stout that he brewed during his time with Iron Hill. Ruby similarly spent time at a few Iron Hill locations, and developed an affinity for barrel-aged brews in the process.
We met up with Ruby and Stigz at the Delco tasting room, which opened August 4 and sits in the corner of their impressive warehouse brewery. As I took a seat next to Ruby at the bar, their friendly staff informed me that Solera Nectar had just been tapped. The complex brew is absurdly smooth and crisp, a feat achieved by aging a calculated blend of their Old Ale, Baby Bob Stout and ASAP IPA in a giant Barolo wine cask. Ruby also enjoyed a pint of their newest concoction as we sat at the shiny, scratched-up metallic bar. Looking around, there are brightly colored walls, a 15-beer draft list and a glass pane through which you can appreciate their 20-barrel system.
Ruby explained that barrel-aged beer is an obsession of his for a few reasons, largely because “with a lot of barrel-aged beer, especially sour beer, it’s really difficult to mimic over and over again.” He continued, “You can do the same thing, but you’re in different places, and you really get a sense of what’s coming out of that place.” That aging is already creating a notable depth in their rare beers, as the Solera Nectar is still young and already showing signs of greatness.
We also sampled some of 2SP’s regularly brewed offerings. The Baby Bob Stout delivered rich notes of chocolate and coffee, the Delco Lager was good easy drinking and the Bellcracker double IPA was a bitter, hoppy standout. Another crafty IPA was their Dual Hop Drop, the first installment in a series that will limit itself to the use of two hops. The inaugural batch utilized a New Zealand hop, waimea and an American hop, nugget, to create a pineapple citrus explosion.
With all the experimentation going on, I was interested to know whether Ruby thought of brewing as an art or a science. He said, “Both, it’s fifty-fifty. Science can only go so far, and you can explain why something is happening, but the artistry comes when the brewer steps in and says I need this beer to go in this direction rather than this direction, and actually knows how to do that, and has the foresight for one of these beers to actually mold the flavor into an end product.” Ruby seemed excited about focusing in on his love for barrel aging while working with Bob, but he also showed genuine modesty. “It’s really just managing your ingredients and knowing what they’re going to do. There’s a famous saying: brewers don’t make beer, yeast makes beer, and all brewers do is make food for yeast.”
Stigz says the outlook for 2SP is that “it’s more of a destination place for beer than anything else.” He also said, “We want to support the local economy with our beer,” and mentioned that customers often bring take-out from local restaurants into their low-key environment. For now, patrons can fill growlers or seek out bars with 2SP on draft, but Stigz says expansion is in the near future. “The plan is to start canning in the first quarter, and release a new can for four quarters next year, being our four core beers.” Those will be the Delco Lager, then the ASAP IPA, Bellcracker double IPA, and the Coldcock English IPA. To match their diverse draft list, 2SP also plans to offer limited bottle releases, as Stigz said, “fingers crossed, we’re going to have 750-mL bottles for sale in December.” In a casual exchange, Ruby chimed in, “Yeah, I think we’re starting with The Russian.” Stigz confidently replied, “For the big bottles? That’s up to you guys.”
The guys at 2SP have varied experience and equal gusto, which is helping to establish a brewery with informed beers and a relaxed, charismatic attitude. Those tremendous traits, and increased distribution, are sure to put them on the map in a big way in the near future. Until you can get cases and bottles to go, visit their Delco tasting room to sip barrel-aged wonders or pound low-ABV lagers.
Find 2SP Brewing Company’s Tasting Room at 120 Concord Rd #101-103 in Aston; phone: (484) 483-7860. Get updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Photos: Jay Breslin
