The duo behind Our Town Brewery, the Lancaster craft brewer that opened during the pandemic, will soon have a taproom in Philadelphia.
Penn State University grads Rob Tarves and Rob Patz said the taproom will be opening late this summer in the ground floor of a new apartment building in Fairmount at 1519 Ridge Ave. The space will have seating for about 40 people indoors and room for another 30-40 people in a beer garden out back.
Our Town Brewery offers a mix of traditional beer styles and more experimental brews, with an overall approach of having “a beer for everyone,” the brewery’s website says. Tarves and Patz got into homebrewing while in college and later worked together at Otto’s Pub & Brewery in State College, among other breweries, before creating their own company.
In September 2020, Our Town Brewery opened a brewhouse and taproom inside a century-old car sales and service building in Lancaster, the former Chamber’s General Tire Company at 252 N. Prince St.
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Some of the brewery’s most popular beers are Press On, a New England IPA with 6% ABV, and Words of Wisdom, a Vienna lager with 4.8% ABV. The full beer list stands out for its variety. There are several pilsners and ales inspired by the styles of Italy, Germany and England.
Tarves told Breweries in PA that the Philly taproom will start with 10-12 taps, in addition to cider and cocktails. The location will not be used for brewing, but there will be cans available.
Unlike the Lancaster location, which has a food menu, the new taproom in Philly will encourage people to bring in food from other businesses.
Our Town Brewery’s entry into Philly will add to a beer scene that Tarves told the Philadelphia Business Journal is “impressive” and exciting for them to join. Among other new breweries in the works, Kensington’s Human Robot Brewing will open a third location in May along the banks of the Schuylkill River, occupying the former space of Workhorse Brewing at 2401 Walnut Ave. That project, which will be operated in partnership with Spread Bagelry, joins Human Robot’s Kensington and Jenkintown taprooms.