USA, PA: Family-run Wissahickon Brewing Co. aiming to open up this fall

Family-run venture Wissahickon Brewing Co. is aiming to open up operations at 3705 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia this fall, Montgomery Newspaper reported on August 25.

Tim Gill is the founder, president and head brewer and his love for brewing started about eight years ago when he received a brewing kit as a Father’s Day gift. He and his four kids — Timothy Jr., Megan, Lucas and Peter — began by brewing on their stovetop, creating several batches per year.

As their interest and experience increased, their equipment also had to step up.

“We had to stop taking over the kitchen from my wife,” Gill said.

They purchased a half-barrel brewing system that mirrors the process used in large breweries and turned their basement into a mini-brewery.

“We started entering beers into national contests and started getting some notoriety,” Gill said.

As more and more people tried their beer, the family received more and more compliments on the taste.

“Family, friends, people who try your beer, they’ll compliment you and say, “You know, you could make a go of this,’” Gill said. “When we started winning objective accolades from professional beer judges, we started to get the bug.”

The timing seemed perfect, as Gill is preparing to retire from the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department after more than 30 years. So he decided to partner with his children and launch a new venture for his retirement.

The family members-turned-business partners began the search for a location — a process that took them all over the local area and dragged on longer than expected.

“It was exhausting — touring and visiting and evaluating,” Gill said.

And then Gill happened upon a CraigsList post advertising a building on School House Lane.

“It had the right amenities. It had the right space that we could easily turn into a tasting room,” Gill said of the former ambulance facility that had been available for a few months. “It just all sort of worked out.”

They signed a lease on the facility in May and since then have been working to turn it into a functioning brewery.

Once the doors open, Gill said he expects to have five styles on tap: an IPA, a session IPA, a Bohemian pilsner, a pale ale and a winter special ale that’s “like biting into Fig Newton.”

“These are the styles that are tried and true for us,” he said. “Some have won awards for us, some nationally. These’ll be our flagship beers we’ll be offering.”

Gill said the brewery plans to stay in touch with the evolving craft beer scene by tweaking flavors and developing new beers through pilot batches.

Some of the beers that will be ready to go off the bat derive their names for local spots, such as Devil’s Pool (the IPA) and Ole Wiss’ (the pale ale), according to Wissahickon Brewing Co.’s website, wissahickonbrew.com — a move that reflects the brewery’s emphasis on the community.

“Our vibe, our theme, our look, if you will, is based on the beautiful Wissahickon Valley,” Gill said.

He said plans are for the brewery’s tasting room to have a “woodsy” feel with earth tones and a sense of being in the natural world.

“I think that’s going to carry us well,” he said. “It’s going to be a casual, come-as-you-are location, family friendly, dog friendly.”

Gill said he hopes the brewery can become a “town hall” of sorts — a place where people can gather in a friendly environment, similar to an Irish pub.

“There’s a community feel, there’s a camaraderie feel that comes with being able to go to a brewery, sample the beer that’s being served and use it as a gathering space,” he said.

And so far, the community seems to be embracing the idea of having a brewery in the neighborhood for the first time since Prohibition.

“The reaction so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” Gill said.

The brewery has received a positive and growing social media buzz, while Gill said he has received good responses when he has met with local civic groups.

“We’re very, very blessed to be received very, very welcomingly,” he said. “The enthusiasm has been great.”

The community will have to wait a couple months longer, however, to enjoy a beer at Wissahickon Brewing Co.’s facility.

“We’re hoping that we are good to go by Halloween,” Gill said. “We’re very excited about this new chapter in our lives.”

21 August, 2016