Yards Brewing Company

Last updated
Yards Brewing Company
Yards Brewing Company logo.svg
Yards front.jpg
The former Yards Brewing Company facility on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia, 2017
Location500 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123, U.S.
Opened1994
Key peopleBill Barton, Nancy Barton, Jon Bovit, and Tom Kehoe
Annual production volume55,000 US beer barrels (65,000  hL) in 2015
Owned byTom Kehoe
Website yardsbrewing.com

Yards Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specializing in ales, particularly those in the English tradition. In 1994 friends Tom Kehoe and Jon Bovit established Yards after producing their own homebrews since 1988. Within the first few months, "the Yards Guys" were producing one six-keg batch at a time out of their 3.5-barrel brewhouse, and supplying ESA, Entire Porter, and several other cask-conditioned ales to bars. After several partnership changes, Kehoe has continued expanding the Yards brand by moving to larger locations and incrementally increasing the overall output capacity. In 2015, Yards was capable of brewing 55,000 barrels.

Contents

History

Yards ESA was first publicly poured at the Philadelphia Craft Beer Festival on April 29, 1995 in booth 406. Dawson Street Pub purchased one of the first ESA kegs from Yards, and offered hand-pumped pours to customers during a happy hour on Friday May 19, 1995. The remaining ESA kegs were self-delivered by Bovit and Kehoe to Khyber Pass, Cavanaugh's 39th Street, and Sugar Mom's. [1] [2]

Brewery locations

The first facility was a garage-sized brewery located at 219 Krams Avenue in Manayunk. By the end of 1996, Yards had grown to a production capability of 795 barrels. [3] In 1997 Yards moved to 5050 Umbria Street in the neighboring section of Roxborough. This larger facility allowed Yards to bottle its beer for the first time, and to contract brew for Manayunk Brewing Company, Dock Street Brewing Company, Barley Creek Brewing Company, and Gravity Brew Co., which has since closed. At the height of this location's production, Yards had brewed 2100 barrels. [4]

Yards Brewing Company moved in 2001 to the old Weisbrod & Hess Brewery in Kensington. Tom Kehoe partnered and signed the lease for this property with Bill and Nancy Barton. At this new location, Yards was capable of brewing 10,000 barrels. [4]

Yards - Northern Liberties Tasting Room Yards Brewing Company Tasting Room.jpg
Yards - Northern Liberties Tasting Room

This partnership was short lived, and in 2007 Kehoe and the Barton family split ways. This allowed Kehoe to sign a lease on the current location property located in Northern Liberties. Within the first year at this new location Yards had brewed 6,500 barrels. In 2011 this location became the first brewery in Pennsylvania to be powered entirely by wind through a supplier agreement. [5] It features a 100-person capacity pub-styled tasting room, featuring a 12-tap system, a century old billiards table, and a shuffleboard. That year it achieved status as a "Regional Craft Brewer" by the Brewer's Association and reintroduced the original 3.5 barrel system, "Yards One." [6] As of 2015, the Northern Liberties location reached a capacity of 55,000 barrels and had successfully brewed 41,500 barrels. [7] [6]

Despite the large output capacity, Kehoe desired an even larger facility. In 2016, Kehoe had stated that Yards was looking to move to a location on the 500 block of Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia. Out of the proposed location's 200,000 square feet, Yards' new facility would occupy 80,000 feet. [8] As of March 2017, M&T Bank granted Yards Brewing Company an $8.5 million loan to begin constructing their new 70,000 square foot facility located in the now vacant Destination Maternity headquarters. The estimated cost for the completion of the project is $19 million. The remaining financial backing is reported to be coming from local and state financing. Construction is estimated around $6 million, while equipment is estimated to cost $13 million. Tom Kehoe stated that this "labor of love" would bring "new life to this area of Spring Garden" when it opens. The tentative launch date was set sometime between October and December 2017. [8] [9] [10]

Ales of the Revolution

Yards Brewing Company associate the city of Philadelphia with the country's founding fathers, not only for history's sake, but also as some were brewers themselves. In 1999, Yards launched a collaborative effort with City Tavern, which specializes in recreating 18th century recipes, to lay the foundation of what would become the Ales of the Revolution series. [4] To create this series of history-inspired beers, Yards drew inspiration from brewing recipes originally belonging to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. [11] By 2004, Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale and General Washington’s Tavern Porter became available year-round. The following year, Yards began developing Poor Richards Tavern Spruce, in an effort to release an Ale of the Revolution for Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday in 2006. [7]

Distribution

Yards had been a self-distributing brewery, from Kehoe and Bovit's first keg deliveries of ESA to Dawson Street Pub, Khyber Pass, Cavanaugh's 39th St, and Sugar Mom's, until 2008. Yards then partnered with Muller, Inc to begin regional and interstate distribution. [12] Currently, Yards' products are distributed throughout the Mid-Atlantic region with 80% of its nearly 40,000 barrel production being distributed in the Philadelphia tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware). As of May 2015 Yards is the largest brewery operating in Philadelphia.

Ownership

Friends Jon Bovit and Tom Kehoe had a long-standing history of brewing beers for their friends while in college. After completing a brewery internship with British Brewing Company in Maryland, the duo partnered and signed a lease for the original Manayunk facility. [2] Despite the long-standing history between the two, and the brand gaining recognition, Bovit resigned from the company in 1999. While no longer a financial partner, Bovit is still reported to collaborate on certain brews with Kehoe. [4]

In 2001, Kehoe found new financial and business partners, Nancy and Bill Barton. [4] The trio moved on to open the Kensington location, in the restored Weisbrod and Hess brewery, which allowed Yards to construct a bottling line, and open a tasting room for the general public. [7] Although this partnership only lasted until 2007, the company had gained financial stability, increased brand recognition, and quadrupled the brewery's output capacity. After their formal resignation in July 2007, the Barton family leased the space to Kehoe until he could find a new location for Yards. They then went on to transform their facility into the headquarters of the Philadelphia Brewing Company. [13]

Products

Beer NameYear IntroducedStyleABVIBUsAvailabilityDescription
Brawler1998

Reintroduced 2008

English Mild4.2%11Year-round.

6/12/24 pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Malt-forward, delicately hopped.

Hints of caramel and toast. [14]

Cape of Good Hope2009West Coast Style

Double IPA

9.7%75Limited Release: August

4/12-pack

1/6 keg, 1/2 keg

Yearly changing recipe.

Notes of citrus, melon, and pine

from Ella, Azacca,

Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, Chinook,

Citra, and whole flower Cascade hops. [15]

Chocolate Love Stout2013Chocolate Stout6.9%25Limited release - December

4/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Brewed with 100% cacao Belgian dark chocolate.

Rich chocolate, dark roasted malts, hints

of vanilla and caramel. [16]

Extra Special Ale (ESA)1995English Ale6.0%47Year-round.

6/24-pack;

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Hoff-Stevens cask

British-inspired ale.

Subtle spiciness, floral, earthy, and smooth,

strong malt backbone.

Golden and Styrian hops. [17]

General Washington's Tavern Porter1999Porter7.0%40Year-round.

6/12 pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Brewed with molasses.

Dark, smooth, complex.

Hints of dried fruit. [18]

Golden Hop IPA2016IPA6.0%55Limited Release: January

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Belgian yeasts, dry hopped Amarillo,

Cascade, and Mosaic.

Melon and citrus taste/aroma. [19]

IBG Grapefruit Pale Ale2016Pale Ale6.1%N/AExclusive Release

Philadelphia Independence Beer Garden

Golden-colored pale ale.

Grapefruit zest, Azacca, Centennial,

and Cascade hops. [20]

IPA1998East Coast Style IPA7.0%62Year-round.

6/12/24-pack;

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Hoff-Stevens cask

Traditional-styled malty IPA,

Chinook and Amarillo hops.

Pine and Tangerine aroma. [21]

Love Stout1997Stout5.5%33Year-round

6/12/24-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg (Nitro only)

Dark roasted malts, notes of chocolate

and coffee. [22]

Philadelphia Pale Ale2000Pale Ale4.6%37Year-round

6/12/24-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Straw-colored pale ale.

Cascade, Centennial, Columbus

and Simcoe hops.

Crisp, hoppy, citrus. [23]

Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce2005Spiced Ale5.0%22Year-round

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Influenced by Benjamin Franklin's recipe.

Barley, Molasses, and locally sourced

spruce clippings. [24]

PYNK2001

Reintroduced 2013

Fruit Beer5.5%6Limited Release: July

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Light body, sweet and tart cherries and raspberries.

Portions of sales go to breast cancer

research and awareness. [25]

Rival IPA2016West Coast Style IPA6.2%55Limited Release: October

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Crystal and rye malts

Bravo and nugget bittering hops.

Whole-flowed Chinook hops

Centennial, Citra, Simcoe and Columbus hops. [26]

Saison1996Saison6.5%30Limited Release: April

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Summer-wheat ale.

Belgian yeasts and Styrian hops.

Hints of banana, clove, and spice. [27]

Sons of Ben2014Belgian Pale Ale5.0%37Limited Release: May

6-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Pale straw color.

Cascade and Amarillo hops. [28]

Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale1999Strong Golden Ale8.0%42Year-round

6/12-pack

1/2 keg, 1/6 keg

Based on Thomas Jefferson's recipe.

Brewed with oats, maize,

rye, wheat, and locally sourced honey. [29]

Washington's Reserve

Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter

2014Barrel Aged

Strong Porter

7.0%34Limited Release: By batchGeneral Washington's Tavern Porter,

aged for six months inside of bourbon barrels.

Crystal and chocolate malts, molasses.

Scent of vanilla. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brains Brewery</span> Brewery in Cardiff, Wales

Brains is a regional brewery based in Cardiff, Wales. It was founded in 1882 by Samuel Arthur Brain. At its peak, the company controlled more than 250 pubs in South Wales, Mid Wales and the West Country but the brewer sold most of its pub estate in 2022. The company took over Crown Buckley Brewery in Llanelli in 1997 and Hancock's Brewery in 1999. In 2000, Brains moved to the former Hancock's Brewery just south of Cardiff Central railway station. The Old Brewery, in Cardiff city centre, has been developed into a modern bar and restaurant complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Nevada Brewing Company</span> Brewery in the United States

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was established in 1979 by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi in Chico, California, United States. The brewery produced 786,000 US bbl (922,000 hl) in 2010, and as of 2016, Sierra Nevada Brewing is the seventh-largest brewing company in the United States and is the third largest privately owned brewery in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevens Point Brewery</span> Regional brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Stevens Point Brewery is a regional American brewery located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The brewery is the fifth-oldest continuously operating brewery and the third-oldest privately owned brewery in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Fish Brewing</span> Craft brewery in Somerdale, New Jersey

Flying Fish Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Somerdale, New Jersey. Founded in 1995 by Gene Muller in Cherry Hill, it moved to its Somerdale location in 2012. It is today the largest craft brewery in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in England</span>

Beer has been brewed in England for thousands of years. As a beer brewing country, it is known for top fermented cask beer which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery and is served with only natural carbonation.

Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, founded in 2007 in Dover, Delaware, is a brewery that produces a variety of craft beers and craft sodas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deschutes Brewery</span> Brewery based in Bend, Oregon, U.S.

Deschutes Brewery is a craft brewery in the northwest United States, located in Bend, Oregon. Founded in 1988 as a brew pub, it is known for such products as Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale. In 2008, the brewery opened a second pub in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon. Deschutes Brewery ships beer to 28 states, the District of Columbia, and around the world from its main brewing facility. The brewery is named after the Deschutes River, which runs through Oregon. As of 2016, Deschutes was the eighth-largest craft brewery and fifteenth-largest overall brewery in the U.S., producing 250,000 US beer barrels (290,000 hL) in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Brewing Co.</span> Brewery headquartered in Escondido, California, USA

Stone Brewing is a brewery headquartered in Escondido, California, USA. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, it is the largest brewery in Southern California. Based on 2020 sales volume it is the ninth largest craft brewery in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Coast Brewing Company</span> Craft brewery in Fort Bragg, California (USA)

The North Coast Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Fort Bragg, California. As of 2018, it is the 46th-largest craft brewer by annual sales volume in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian River Brewing Company</span> Brewery and brewpub in California

Russian River Brewing Company is a brewery and brewpub in downtown Santa Rosa, California, with a second location in Windsor. The company is known for strong India pale ales and sour beers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firestone Walker Brewing Company</span> American craft brewery

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a craft brewery with operations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice, California. The brewery was established in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker. The original brewery was located on a family vineyard in Los Olivos, California. Their first beer, Double Barrel Ale, was made in a patented variation of the Burton union system. The main brewing operations moved to Paso Robles in 2001. Firestone Walker is today known for bestselling beers such as 805 and Mind Haze. Firestone Walker celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and is now California's second largest craft brewery.

The International Brewing Awards, previously known as the Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA), is a biannual brewing competition with its origins dating to 1886. It is believed to be the oldest international brewing competition in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in the Caribbean</span> Beers from islands in the Caribbean

The beers of the Caribbean are unique to each island in the region, although many are variants of the same style. Each island generally brews its own unique pale lager, the occasional stout, and often a non-alcoholic malta beverage. Contract-brewing of international beers is also common, with Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout being the most popular. The beers vary between the islands to suit the taste and the brewing method used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell's Brewery</span> Brewing company in Comstock, Michigan, US

Bell's Brewery, Inc. is an American craft brewing company, with operations in Comstock and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Bell's brews acclaimed beers such as Hopslam Ale, Oberon Ale, and Two Hearted Ale. It operates a brewpub and a store selling merchandise and homebrewing supplies at its Kalamazoo location. Begun as a homebrewing store in 1983, and producing beer since 1985, it is the oldest existing craft brewery in Michigan and the oldest craft brewery east of Colorado. As of 2021, it was the 6th largest craft brewery in the United States, and was the largest independently owned brewery in Michigan when founder Larry Bell sold the company to the subsidiary of the Japanese Kirin beverage group, Lion - an Australian producer of alcoholic beverages, at the end of 2021. The company also owns Upper Hand Brewery, a separately operated division in Escanaba, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Brewing Company</span> Brewer

Philadelphia Brewing Company is a brewery founded in July 2007 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company</span> Brewery

Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company is a brewery founded in 2010 in the town of Croydon in lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is considered to be the first production brewery in the county, and borders the city of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dock Street Brewing Company</span> Philadelphia Brewery

Dock Street Brewing Company is an independent craft brewing company with a 10,500 square foot brewpub and production brewery in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, and a 1,000 square foot tasting room in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Established in 1985, it claims to be the first craft brewing company based in the Philadelphia area following Prohibition and one of the first in the country. The name Dock Street was chosen in honor of the seaport district of the same name in Philadelphia, which was the largest producer of beer in the then newly-formed United States in the late 1700s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newburyport Brewing Company</span>

Newburyport Brewing Company is a brewery in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No-Li Brewhouse</span>

No-Li Brewhouse is a brewery and restaurant in Spokane, Washington, United States, co-founded by brewmaster Mark Irvin and beer industry executive John Bryant, expanding on Irvin's Northern Lights Brewery. The brewery is known for its emphasis on local sourcing and local production; in 2013 it was designated a "Spokane Style Beer" producer. Formerly known as Northern Lights Brewing, the company markets such beers as Born & Raised IPA and Big Juicy IPA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Tier Brewing Company</span> American craft brewery based in Lakewood, NY

Southern Tier Brewing Company is a craft brewing company in Lakewood, NY, in the southwestern section of NY state known as the Southern Tier.

References

  1. "It's been 20 years since the first Yards pint ever tapped". Billy Penn. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  2. 1 2 "Yards Brewing Co. - Manayunk (1994-1996)". Yards Brewing Co. - Manayunk (1994-1996). Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  3. "Yards Brewing Co. - Manayunk (1994-1996)". Archived from the original on 2016-05-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yards Brewing Co. - Roxborough (1997-2002)". Archived from the original on 2016-05-28.
  5. Services, Yards Brewing Company; Washington Gas Energy. "Yards Brewing Co. "Goes Green" by Being the First Brewery in Pennsylvania to Use 100% Wind Power Electricity Supplied by WGES". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2017-05-09.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 "Yards Brewing Co. - Northern Liberties (2008-Present)". Yards Brewing Co. - Northern Liberties (2008-Present). Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  7. 1 2 3 "Yards Brewing Co. - Kensington (2002-2007)". Yards Brewing Co. - Kensington (2002-2007). Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  8. 1 2 "Yards Brewing Seeks New, Larger Home in Northern Liberties". Philadelphia Magazine. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  9. "Yards crosses the Delaware on trek to new brewery site". PhillyVoice. 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  10. "Yards Brewing on track to open new space this year after closing on loan". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  11. Galster, John (June 2009). "Ales of the Revolution". BeerScene.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  12. Bryson, Lew (2008-10-29). "Seen Through a Glass: Yards is thinking big". Seen Through a Glass. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  13. Co., Philadelphia Brewing. "New Philadelphia Brewing Company Created With the Split of Yards Brewing Partners". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  14. "Yards Brewing Co. - Brawler". Yards Brewing Co. - Brawler. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  15. "Yards Brewing Co. - Cape of Good Hope Double IPA". Yards Brewing Co. - Cape of Good Hope Double IPA. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  16. "Yards Brewing Co. - Chocolate Love Stout". Yards Brewing Co. - Chocolate Love Stout. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  17. "Yards Brewing Co. - Extra Special Ale". Yards Brewing Co. - Extra Special Ale. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  18. "Yards Brewing Co. - General Washington's Tavern Porter". Yards Brewing Co. - General Washington's Tavern Porter. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  19. "Yards Brewing Co. - Golden Hop IPA". Yards Brewing Co. - Golden Hop IPA. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  20. "Yards Brewing Co. - IBG Grapefruit Pale Ale". Yards Brewing Co. - IBG Grapefruit Pale Ale. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  21. "Yards Brewing Co. - IPA". Yards Brewing Co. - IPA. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  22. "Yards Brewing Co. - Love Stout". Yards Brewing Co. - Love Stout. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  23. "Yards Brewing Co. - Philadelphia Pale Ale". Yards Brewing Co. - Philadelphia Pale Ale. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  24. "Yards Brewing Co. - Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce". Yards Brewing Co. - Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  25. "Yards Brewing Co. - PYNK". Yards Brewing Co. - PYNK. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  26. "Yards Brewing Co. - Rival IPA". Yards Brewing Co. - Rival IPA. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  27. "Yards Brewing Co. - Saison". Yards Brewing Co. - Saison. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  28. "Yards Brewing Co. - Sons of Ben". Yards Brewing Co. - Sons of Ben. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  29. "Yards Brewing Co. - Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale". Yards Brewing Co. - Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  30. "Yards Brewing Co. - Washington's Reserve". Yards Brewing Co. - Washington's Reserve. Retrieved 2017-05-01.

39°57′46″N75°08′07″W / 39.9628°N 75.1354°W / 39.9628; -75.1354