Philly Beer Week kicked off on May 30th with their Opening Tap event at the 23rd Street Armory. More than 30 local breweries were featured, as well as the debut of Philly Tripel, a triple collaboration beer with PBW, Dock Street and Belgian beer makers, Brouwerij Dilewyns. An awesome raffle included prizes like SEPTA passes, Philadelphia Comic Con tickets with Walking Dead cast photo op, UBER Credit, and a full size kegerator. Everyone loved posing with the HOG aka the Hammer of Glory!
If Opening Tap tasting didn’t quench your thirst for beer enough, the International Great Beer Expo: Philadelphia sure could have. Held on the grassy lawns of the Navy Yard on May 31st, this year’s expo featured more than 75 breweries from 25 countries from Germany and Belgium to more unexpected places like Japan. Pennsylvania represented itself well with pours from Prism Brewing Co., Neshaminy Creek Brewing, and Evil Genius Beer Company.
There were plenty of non-alcoholic options to indulge into too, such as bacon jam, chocolate, jerky, hilarious t-shirts, leather goods, and beer accessories. Not to mention, beer festivals always bring out the best food trucks. Appearances at Great Beer Expo were made by The Whirly Pig, Oink and Moo BBQ, Prime Stache, The Tot Cart, Curbside Creamery, and Mom Pops. Our favorite part was the ingenious pretzel necklaces that raised money for the Committee to Benefit the Children while providing on-the-go snacks for inebriated guests.
We also loved the digital marketing and technology behind these events. Philly Beer Week has introduced a new and improved version of their app. The 3.0 version features improved schedule navigation, find your Facebook friends in the area push alerts, events notes, “Discover” tab, and a separate happy hour link. Philadelphia’s International Great Beer Expo also featured the FindMyTap app that allowed guests to search locations of your favorite beers, browse user reviews and ratings, add your favorites to a growing database, and choose bars based on distance and tap selection.
Philly Beer Week runs from now until June 8th. Don’t miss out on their beer garden, open everyday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Shambles at Headhouse Square. For more information and live updates, follow Philly Beer Week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What event are you looking forward to most during Philly Beer Week, and why?
