Cruising for a Brewing
Microbreweries are hopping up all over. We found ten great places to grin and beer it By Bill Newcott
YARDS BREWING COMPANY, PENNSYLVANIA
The top of the bar at Yards is made from reclaimed
bowling alley lanes, another sign of the company’s
commitment to preserving the environment.
SUMMER IS THE TIME to chill out with friends and family—so why not use
that as an excuse to drop in on the birthplaces of some remarkable small
beers? There are some 1,500 “craft breweries” in the United States, the highest
total since before Prohibition. We set out to find a nationwide sampling of some
that throw open their doors (and often their taps) to visitors.
Lexington
Avenue Brewery
Asheville, North Carolina
828-252-0212; lexavebrew.com
Yards Brewing Company
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
215-634-2600; yardsbrewing.com
First it was a warehouse; now it’s
home to Philly’s largest brewery.
It’s also one of the nation’s greenest
brew pubs, from the recycled con-
crete floors to the wind-powered
electrical system.
POPULAR BREWS Yards’s Ales of the
Revolution use personal brewing rec-
ipes of George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
V. I.P. VIE W Take one-hour tours on
Saturdays from noon to 4:00 P.M.; the
tasting room is open daily.
WHAT ELSE TO DO After sampling Ben
Franklin’s recipe for Poor Richard’s
Tavern Spruce Ale, visit The Franklin
Institute science museum and walk
through its giant beating heart.
LAB opened this past January in
downtown Asheville. Whereas most
brew pubs keep their equipment out
back—those fermentation tanks can
rise more than 20 feet high—LAB’s
brewing tanks are in full view behind
glass in the spacious restaurant. A
92-foot-long serpentine bar winds
around them.
POPULAR BRE W LAB’s brewmaster,
Ben “Mad Scientist” Pierson, recently came up with a Belgian golden ale,
carbonated like champagne.
