| Stable 12 Brewing Company 368 Bridge Street | Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 715-2665 www.stable12.com |
Stable 12 Brewing Company in Phoenixville, PA opened its doors on Friday, May 1, 2015. Founded by three beer-loving high school best friends, the brewery is located in a 100-year old building on Bridge Street, which was formerly an auto parts store.
Rick Wolf, CEO of Stable 12, grew up on his family farm, Saddlebrook Equestrian Center in Skippack, PA. While attending Penn State, Rick was a part of the Equestrian Team. Rick opened Stable 12 with his longtime friends Tyler and Chris.
Tyler Fontaine, COO and now full time Brewmaster brings restaurant and sales experience, as well as a love for chemistry. Chris Carbutt, CFO and assistant brewer, holds a degree in civil engineering from Penn State. Like Rick, Chris still works his full time job in addition to running Stable 12.
Stable 12 goes back 4 or 5 years ago when Rick began homebrewing after graduating college. He brewed at home for a while, then began brewing in a vacant barn with a kitchen at the family horse barn.
The barn was called the “12 Stall Barn,” and it was here that Stable 12 Brewing Company was born. The trio brewed on weekends and nights, and as more family and friends requested beer, they made the collective decision to turn their hobby into a business.
There are currently four beers on tap at Stable 12. Three of the beers are perfected homebrew recipes. The 5.8% ABV, 60 IBU IPA is brewed with 6 different hop varieties, boasting citrus and pine notes. The 4.5% ABV unfiltered Wheat offers subtle notes of orange and coriander. The 5.5% ABV Stout has flavors of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee.
The fourth beer on tap is the 5.4% ABV Amber Ale. The slightly hoppy brew offers hints of citrus and pine with a pleasant malt backbone. John Stemler from Free Will Brewing Company, who has acted as a consultant for Stable 12, helped during the brewing of this beer.
Visitors can purchase flights of the four current beers for $7. Pints are available for $5, and growlers can be filled to go.
Stable 12 plans to have an official grand opening party at the end of May or beginning of June, and Rick hopes to have 10 different beers on tap for that event. In addition to the four listed above, expect to see an imperial stout, imperial IPA, rye ale, pale ale, blonde, and session IPA.
The market will determine which of the 10 different beers will remain on tap year round. There will be 4 to 6 core beers, leaving space for seasonals and one-off batches.
The dry storage area for grain, kegs, and bottles is located in the old auto parts store. The 15-barrel brewhouse is in a spacious area that used to be an outdoor gas station. The guys worked hard to rid the space of the 1970s light green and pink by power washing and hand grinding the walls.
The hot liquor tank, mash kettle, and brew kettle are repurposed juice tanks, while the fermenters and brite tank are new. They also have a bottle line that is ready to go. Packaging is already designed for 12-ounce bottles, and the bottling line can be adjusted to fill bomber bottles.
The brewery currently offers “bar bites” including Pretzel with Cheese Sauce, Homemade Fridge Pickle Jar, and an impressive Charcuterie Board that feeds four people. While there are no immediate plans to expand right now, there is room upstairs for a restaurant space.
An outdoor beer garden is expected to open next summer in the lot next door. In the meantime, outdoor seating will be added out front soon.
Currently Stable 12 beers are only available at the brewery, but distributors are already expressing interest. Rick emphasizes the importance of having enough beer and taking care of the clients at the brewery first.
I look forward to my next visit to Stable 12. The space is welcoming, the crew is friendly, and the beers are delicious. Next time you find yourself in the Phoenixville area, be sure to swing by.
By the way… Stable 12 was also represented at the 2015 Sly Fox Bock Festival and Goat Race. While their goats Speedy and Annabelle did not win, Speedy did make it to the semi-finals.
