Pennsylvania has long been awash with great beer, with more than 400 craft breweries. And a lot of them are a short drive from Philly. Grab your stein and buckle up.
LessLa Cabra isn’t a far trip from Philly, but it is a good one. There’s plenty of options for IPA lovers, but if you’re looking for a great Belgian tripel (or quad), or a nice dry stout or cider, they’ve got you covered there, too. Hungry? Order up a plate of tacos (jerk chicken, pulled pork, or sweet potato) or some wings and chow down. Pro tip: Valley Forge National Historical Park is about a 10-minute drive away, so you can plan for a hike before or after your visit.
Head to this Royersford-based brewery (or its Chester Springs counterpart) to get your Stickman fix. Here, they’ve got plenty to offer on tap, like their Stack that Cake pastry stout, several IPAs, and some more experimental options, like a smoked brown ale made with soft pretzels. Food-wise, you can fill up on hearty sandwiches (think buffalo chicken and eggplant parm), or grab a pan pizza. Pro tip: Sweet-tooth? Suzy-Jo Donuts (a favorite of Inquirer food writer Michael Klein) is down the road.
This Chester County brewery has stellar beers and sangrias — plus house-made sodas and bags of locally roasted coffee from L’Assemblee Coffee, if you’re looking for something alcohol-free. And if you’re hungry, grab a bowl of their Kennett mushroom soup (hey, when in Rome...), or some wings (jerk, honey ginger, or red hot) and empanadas (beef and cheese or Caribbean fish). Pro tip: Anson B. Nixon Park is about a mile away from the brewery, with three miles of trails, a dog park and disc golf.
If you’re not into traveling, Free Will is shipping their brews to all of Pennsylvania. But their Perkasie spot is worth the trip thanks to its large outdoor seating area, massive tap list (with tons of barrel-aged options, and tons of cans and bottles to boot), and visits from their rotating list of food truck partners. Pro tip: Should you want to work up a pre-beer sweat, Nockamixon State Park is about a 20-minute drive away.
If you’re not into traveling, Free Will is shipping their brews to all of Pennsylvania. But their Perkasie spot is worth the trip thanks to its large outdoor seating area, massive tap list (with tons of barrel-aged options, and tons of cans and bottles to boot), and visits from their rotating list of food truck partners.
Blonde Ales, Belgian wits, nitro stouts, sours, and hazy IPAs are all available from this Bucks-based brewery, which is now doing takeout and on-site dining. For the peckish, there’s also a ton of bar food staples, like pretzels, wings, burgers, and nachos — plus a kids menu, so feel free to bring the little ones if you’re comfortable. Pro tip: The Quakertown Farmers Market and Flea Market is a five-minute drive from the brewery.
Funk’s Emmaus brewery offers curbside pickup of more than a dozen of their brews, which run the gamut from crisp lagers to hazy IPAs. Or, if you want a more relaxing option, you can grab some beers on-site, and snag some food from one of the local food trucks with which the brewery partners.` Pro tip: To get a little nature in before your visit, check out the nearby Wildlands Conservancy South Mountain Preserve, which offers nine miles of hiking trails.
If a drive through bucolic Bucks County to get beer sounds good, Great Barn Brewery is your spot. Order their beers online ahead of your visit, and pick up M-F at the brewery’s Kintnersville farm, where they grow all the grain with which they brew. On weekends, find their beers at their taproom in New Hope (12 W. Mechanic St.), with 16 taps and a dog-friendly outdoor patio. Pro tip: Check out Ringing Rocks Park — about four miles away — where you can check out Bucks County’s largest waterfall.
For a beer menu not dominated by hoppy IPAs, head to Bethlehem’s south side. There, Bonn Place Brewing is offering unique takes on everything from English-style ales and witbiers to hazy IPAs and sours. Order ahead for curbside pickup of four-packs, cases, growlers, and crowlers of its brews. Pro tip: Get a little outdoor R&R on the Saucon Rail Trail, which offers 7.5 miles of hiking trail on what used to be a railroad track — and it’s only about 15 minutes from Bonn.
If you want your beer run to take you up to the Poconos, Barley Creek — the area’s first microbrewery since Prohibition — is your spot. Currently, they are offering takeout on food and beer, and even bottles of their spirits and canned cocktails. Indoor and outdoor dining are also available. Pro tip: Barley Creek is located right next to Big Pocono State Park, so feel free to get your hike on — or for something a little more combative, The Paintball Asylum is just down the road.
Situated on 77 acres, Wyndridge Farm is the perfect spot to enjoy a socially distanced beer, wine, or cider — and they’ve got plenty. Beers come under the label of Winding Path Brewing Co., and include the juicy Hazeway IPA and the crisp River Hill Pils. If you want to grab and go, order ahead online. Pro tip: About a 10-minute drive from Wyndridge is William Kain Park, where you can fish in two lakes, and hike on 12 miles of trails.
Located inside the Al’s of Hampden restaurant, Pizza Boy has a staggering variety of six-packs, crowlers, bottles, and cases of brews — plus a menu that has a whole lot more than just pies. And now, both indoor and outdoor dining are also available. Pro tip: High-speed indoor go-karting sounds good (before you drink, of course)? Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events’ nearby location, located about 15 minutes away, is now open for walk-ins and private reservations.
This massive Union County brewery is touted as Pennsylvania’s largest brewpub, and they are open for both indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout (and yes, you can order ahead online for curbside pickup or, if you’re close, delivery). New England-style IPAs, hefeweizens, imperial stouts, lagers — they’ve got it all. Pro tip: The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail offers 9.5 miles of finished, scenic trail for walking, running, and bicycling, and runs right behind the brewery.