Press release… Philly Beer Week (PBW) will celebrate their 11th year on Friday, June 1 with Opening Tap, their signature kick-off party featuring more than 60 breweries and cideries, at The Fillmore Philadelphia.Opening Tap will be followed by 10 days of lively beer-soaked events in America’s Best Beer-Drinking City™. Hosted by 501(c)(6) non-profit Philly Loves Beer (PLB), PBW2018 is the culmination of 11 years and nearly 11,000 events, and remains the 10 most important days on Philadelphia’s beer calendar.
PBW stands alone as the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States. The 10-day festival (seven days weren’t enough for America’s Best Beer-Drinking City™, a name trademarked in 2012) features hundreds of dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights, and highlights the region’s top-notch breweries, neighborhood taverns, trendsetting restaurants and masterful home brewers. PBW is the “Founding Father” of Beer Weeks, and continues to evolve and grow amid a crowded field of friendly imitators, with 77 Beer Weeks held annually in the United States, and almost 100 worldwide.
“Looking back at 10 years, I have to admit Philly Beer Week has exploded beyond my wildest expectations,” says Tom Peters, PBW Co-Founder and Proprietor of Monk’s Cafe. “The first year I remember saying I’d be really happy if we had 20 participants and 30 events. Now, there are Beer Weeks all over the world and we are proud Philadelphia once again was leading the charge. It’s been a remarkable ride and stunning achievement!”
Opening Tap
Opening Tap is PBW’s signature event, bringing the entire craft beer community together for a ritualistic “first tapping” of the festival – followed by a raucous party with endless samples. A highly-anticipated night, Opening Tap features rare and limited pours from 50+ breweries and cideries and live entertainment.
In addition, guests will have the opportunity to sample the country’s best ciders and chat with cider makers. Hard ciders have been gaining popularity in recent years, thanks to new fermenting methods, including the use of big, bold hops and dry hopping.
Opening Tap will take place on Friday night, June 1,from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30p.m. (click for tickets) General Admission: $46 includes a souvenir glass and complimentary beers from 50+ local and national breweries in 4-oz. tastings, including the debut of Saison de Pale,a collaboration saison brewed with Pilsner, blended with 15% Petrus Aged Pale, and balanced with Saaz Hops created by Dogfish Head Breweryin Milton DE, and Brouwerij De Brabanderein Belgium.
VIP Admission: $66 includes a specialty souvenir glass, and an additional hour of access, beginning at 6:30p.m featuring rare pours from brewery members.
Leading Up to Opening Tap: The Hammer of Glory and HOG Relay
The official mascot of PBW, the Hammer of Glory (HOG) is a custom, hand-forged keg hammer that travels throughout the region and across the United States as an ambassador for Philadelphia beer throughout the year. Starting in the wee hours of the morning on June 1, the HOG will be passed Olympic torch-style from venue to venue along the HOG Relay, a day-long, beer-fueled carnival that visits 40 bars, breweries and restaurants across the city. Conveyances have included a festive mix of the weirdly absurd (ziplining from atop Standard Tap,for example, or escorting the HOG to Yards Brewing in a DeLorean) and insanely practical (ascending 51 floors to take in the majestic views from SkyGarten, then leading a cavalcade of motorcycles at TIME). This year’s HOG Relay schedule and means of transport will be announced at a later date. The HOG Relay will conclude with the HOG’s arrival at Opening Tap for the ceremonial first tap of PBW2018: the newly nickel-plated keg mallet will strike a firkin of Brotherly Suds, a collaboration beer from local breweries Tröegs, Victory, Yards, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s,Iron Hilland Flying Fish.This year’s collaboration will feature a Hoppy Saison.
PBW: The History
What started as casual conversation between friends Tom Peters and Bruce Nichols in the comfortable back bar at Monk’s Café grew into PBW, a 10-day celebration of beer culture in Philadelphia. Peters was quickly earning a national reputation as the “Godfather of Belgian Beer” for introducing interesting beers and new brewers to a novice U.S. audience; and Nichols (affectionately known as the “Great Gatekeeper of Philadelphia Beer”) was already establishing the city as a craft beer destination by hosting beer dinners and tasting events with famed British beer writer Michael Jackson.Eleven years later, their pioneering efforts have accounted for thousands of beer-savvy consumers flocking to Philadelphia every June to seek out rare collaborations and one-of-a-kind events.
Executive Director Christina Dowd,PLB Board President Casey Parker and Co-Founder and Counsel Tom Peters will lead the festivities in 2018. Their energy and passion maintains the tremendous pace set by former Executive Director and Co-Founder Don Russell, a noted author and beer columnist (“Joe Sixpack”). The annual festival has grown from a local gathering to a national powerhouse run by Philly Loves Beer (PLB), a group of dedicated beer insiders, tavern owners, world-class brewers, wholesalers and distributors, and top hospitality professionals. PLB’s capable Board of Directors includes: Casey Parker of The Pistolas Group, Alex Bokulich of BRU Craft & Wurst/Uptown Beer Garden/Cinder: Copper & Lace/U-Bahn/Tradesman, , Erin Wallace Devil’s Den/Old Eagle, and Trevor Hayward of Evil Genius Beer Company.
PBW2018: MUST DO
Art on Beer
Are these labels making you thirsty? Be honest, have you bought a beer just because the label caught your eye? Explore with us on Wednesday, June 6 at U-Bahn why the artists and the breweries make the decisions they do – be it an entire redesign, flavor series, or one-off, for the second installment of our Art on Beer moderated panel discussion. Not only does this ticket get you in on a super cool art & beer panel discussion, it includes $5 beers from all breweries represented on the panel, as well as, a specifically designed menu for the event!
Don’t F*#k Up The Beer – A Industry Panel Discussion about Quality Control
Philly Loves Beer is proud to present the Industry Education Panel on Quality Control taking place at Urban Village on Thursday, June 7th from 2-4PM.Explore the best quality control practices, common lab errors, overlooked QC practices and the best route to achieve happy, healthy fermentation. A panel of experts will share their unique perspectives to create an interactive experience for anyone who wants to brew better beer. After the panel discussion, mix and mingle with other top brewing industry folks before hitting your evening events!
Philly Loves Beer Garden
Sip on your favorite local brews every night (except Wednesday; including weekends) of PBW2018! Uptown Beer Garden (1735 Market Street) will host the official Philly Loves Beer Garden, with special attention devoted to breweries located within 100 miles of downtown Philadelphia.
PBW2018: Greatest Hits
In addition, PBW will also celebrate the return of long-established and much-anticipated favorites:
- It’s A Firkin’ Riot (Johnny Brenda’s)
- Fishtown FestivALE (various bars in Northern Liberties)
- Pin-Up Block Party (Varga Bar)
- 11thAnnual Extreme HomeBrew Challenge (Jose Pistola’s)
- Secret Lair Burlesque (Evil Genius)
- The Wild Brunch (Cinder)
- Wayne Music Festival (Teresa’s Next Door)
- Canwood Derby (Good Dog Bar)
- Pils & Pierogies (Grey Lodge Pub)
- Tailgate Olympics (Devil’s Den)
- Pennsylvania Brewer’s Battle Royale (TIME)
- Beer and Boats on the Schuylkill River (Bartram’s Garden)
About Philly Loves Beer (PLB)
Formerly Philly Beer Week, PLB was established in 2017 and is a non-profit 501 (c)(6) organization overseen by a community of like-minded beer professionals whose aim is to “grow the pie” and promote the entire Philadelphia region’s top-notch beer-drinking culture. Through a membership network, PLB works to promote and educate consumers about beer 365 days a year, celebrating Philly’s proud brewing culture by highlighting local brewers and progressive national trends.
