In West Philadelphia born and raised [in the brewery] is where I spend most of my days! Philly is awesome. Go.

Philly Tips: 

• Philly is a really cool city with lots of distinct neighborhoods to explore!

• There are a ton of breweries! Plan ahead!

• Be mindful of the weather when planning your trip, it can get super cold and snowy so I suggest visiting in the warmer months!

Beerventure's Top Recommendations:

• Crime and Punishment Brewing: Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood (perfect fit, I know), this brewery is the best in Philly. Their beers are fantastic. It’s a tight space on busy days (I legit had to stand against a wall) but it’s worth it. They’ve got a small food menu with some amazing perogies if you’re hungry as well! Future Phantom, a sour ale with blackberries, vanilla, and rosemary was my favorite beer here. Their famed Space Race IPA is good but a little too mango-y for me.

• Fermentery Form: Brave the creepy alley you have to walk down to get here for the delicious beers! I am forewarning you that it is literally an alley with no sign for the brewery, just go with it!

• Evil Genius Brewing: Hilarious beer names, a cute outdoor space, and fun vibes. They’ve got a small food menu to keep you satisfied

  • This is located in the Fish Town neighborhood that has good vibes and lots of fun places to walk to!

• Chestnut Street Bagels: Small little spot with delicious bagels!

  • Walk a few blocks to Dilworth Park to eat your bagel and soak in the buzz of the city!

• Monks Cafe: A Belgian beer bar with some amazing beers on tap, when I visited they had Cantillon and Russian River on tap which was a real treat!

• Love City Brewing: Cute brewery with industrial vibes and rotating food trucks that pull inside through the back door. Highly recommend the Suspect Device Tripel!

• Passero’s Coffee: Great coffee shop in downtown Philly. The staff is super friendly and I am still dreaming of the lavender honey latte I had

• Urban Village Brewing: I expected to not be very impressed with Urban Village’s beer because of the brewpub vibes, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, a trendy area worth wandering around, and they were cranking out some delicious stuff. They’ve got cool flight boards made from used barrel that let you sample every beer on the menu, a cute outdoor space, a solid food menu, and great happy hour pricing!

• Second District Brewing: A little bit of a pretentious vibe, but worth it. They’ve got a small food menu (again with amazing pierogies—who knew Philly was the pierogi hot spot?!)

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• The Rocky Steps: You gotta run up ‘em!

• Philly Magic Gardens: Artsy space, $10 entrance fee

• Love Sign: Duh, it’s a must! There are actually a few scattered throughout the city, the main one is in JFK Plaza near City Hall

Other Ideas:

• Yards Brewing Co.: A huge space for this commercialized brewery. Average beers, full food menu

• Philadelphia Brewing Company: Basic beers that weren’t too impressive, but their Peacock Room is a cozy little spot to play games next to the fire

• Bluestone Lane Coffee: A cute coffee shop in the city center

• Saint Benjamin’s Brewery: Very brewpub vibes but also grungy at the same time. They’ve got a full food menu with some delicious options like mac and cheese egg rolls

• Mainstay Brewing: New to the scene, this brewery is not quite established yet, with a ‘shanty-esque’ vibe, plastic cups, and construction still wrapping up. The beer was solid though so I would expect it’ll be a cool spot in the future!

• Federal Donuts: Hot, fresh, and delicious donuts!

• Roy Pitz Barrel House: An artsy brewpub with brunch on the weekends and specializing in barrel aged beers. They have a large sour list with lots of good options!

• Brewery ARS: Located in Southern Philly, this small spot is doing good stuff!

• Bar Hygge/Brewery Techne: This spot is definitely more of a restaurant, but they do make their own beer. It’s a cute, cozy spot with 7 of their own beers on draft. They’ve also got cocktails and wine, and a full food menu. I’d recommend getting a board to kick things off!

• 2nd Story Brewing: Brewpub vibes, average beer. Skip the “pretzels” with beer cheese fondue, they are straight up not pretzels.