Rosemarie Certo at the 2012 Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll/ Photo by West Philly Local

Dock Street Brewery at 50th and Baltimore is changing hands after 15 years.

Owner Rosemarie Certo announced in a mass email yesterday that she is selling the equipment in the brewpub but not the Dock Street name.

“On June 1st, there will be a talented duo taking over Dock Street’s space in the Firehouse – they are young, ambitious, hardworking, and kind,” she wrote. “They are seasoned brewers and will make fantastic beers and other fare. We can’t wait for you to meet them and to welcome them to the community.”

Dock Street opened in the former firehouse at 701 S. 50th St. (which had been converted to a farmer’s market) in August 2007 after a long process that included opposition from local church leaders and multiple zoning rejections. But several longtime residents, the neighborhood group Cedar Park Neighbors and the University City District pushed the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to reverse its decision. Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Parks on Tap

Parks on Tap, Philadelphia’s traveling beer garden, will kick off its 2021 season tomorrow with the first-ever Cherry Blossom edition. The garden will pop up at two locations outside the Fairmount Horticulture Center Arboretum (100 N. Horticultural Drive) through Sunday, April 25 and will partner with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia to present the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing. This new campaign includes three weeks of prime Cherry Blossom viewing, socially distanced activities, virtual programming, and new Japanese-inspired fare.

Parks on Tap will also feature products from Two Local’s Brewing, Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery, and will offer three weeks of free live performances to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month. Continue Reading

Who said poetry doesn’t go with beer? There’s a chance to try it out this Saturday (April 28) at the West Philly shop of Philly Homebrew Outlet where the Spring 2018 edition of their book reading series will be held. Local authors James Hoch, Rachel Howe, Steven Kleinman and Susan Barr-Toman will read from their work.

Also, enjoy some popcorn, and homebrew beer and wine, of course.

The event, which will be held from 5:30 until about 7:45 p.m., is free and open to the public. You can RSVP here. The shop is located at 1314 S. 47th St.

Also, on Saturday, but a little earlier – from 2-3 p.m. – PHO West will present a Sourdough Bread workshop on the basics of creating and maintaining your own sourdough starter. This event is also free and open to the public. More info can be found here.

Photo by Chris Richman, University City District.

If you’re wondering what this new structure at The Porch near 30th Street Station that looks like a shipping container is, here’s the scoop: It’s a new destination for post-work drinks called The Pub at The Porch. This thing just opened and will be serving beer, wine, and rotating bar fare Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. while the weather is warm. The pub is operated by the well-known Bridgewater’s Pub, a drinking and dining destination inside 30th Street Station.

The Pub is located near the center of The Porch, where food trucks set up for weekday lunch service. Local firm SHIFTSPACE designed and manufactured the free-standing non-permanent 10×10 cube that houses The Pub. It has a vibrant turquoise color coupled with carved-out architectural features.  Continue Reading

Parks on Tap, a traveling beer garden concept created last summer by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy and FCM Hospitality, is returning to Clark Park tonight and will stay through Sunday, Aug. 27. Then, it will reopen for a second week, from Wednesday, Aug. 30 – Monday, Sept. 4.

Here are the hours of operation for this and next week:

Wednesday & Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 1-11 p.m.
Sunday: 12-10 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 4 (Labor Day): 12-10 p.m.  Continue Reading

Dock Street Cannery & Tasting Room will open on April 27 at 4 p.m. (Photos by Rana Fayez).

Starting Thursday, April 27, you’ll be able to buy some Dock Street Brewery beer, such as No Exit double IPA, Jip the Blood Berliner weisse and Golden IPA, in cans. Customers will be able to see the canning line in action at the new tasting room, which will be located right around the corner from the restaurant on 50th street.

Dock Street head brewer Mark Russell (right).

Why is this recent shift in product packaging? Head brewer Mark Russell says that’s where the beer industry is headed.

“Craft beer, in general, is heading towards cans. Lots of other breweries are also looking at cans, it’s something you can take outdoors. When you look at shipping costs, cans are a lot cheaper, too,” said Russell.

Russell went on to further advocate for beer in cans as a preferred format due to their ability to contain less air and allow less light in, two aspects that affect beer. Dock Street hopes to offer Summer in Berlin and Man Full of Trouble in cans soon as well.

The tasting room will be offering a curated selection of cocktails in addition to the beer. On the shelves, there will be a rotating selection of Pennsylvania liquors like Faber. However, if you’re trying to order one of the restaurant’s famous pizzas in the new space, you won’t be able to. The tasting room will stick to providing a seasonal snack menu from different vendors throughout the area.  Continue Reading