"Roy Pitz"--sounds like a good name for a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer, doesn't it? Turns out it is the nicknames of a couple of guys, Ryan Richards (Roy) and Jesse Rotz (Pitz), best buds since first grade in Chambersburg, PA, out in the country a ways west of Gettysburg. Both learned beer-making at the Siebel Institute and opened up a brewery in their hometown about ten years ago.They have evidently prospered there, as they recently opened a new location in Philadelphia, just north of center city and about five blocks from Yards Brewing's new plant on Spring Garden St. The
Roy Pitz Brewing Co. website describes this venue as a barrel house, designed for finishing sour beers and the like.
Some of the barrels and fermenters are shown on the left, on the ground floor of a former warehouse, a seven-story brick building built in 1927 for pharmaceutical products. It stood empty for some decades, one of so many rustbelt structures that dominate large swaths of the Philly landscape.
This building has had a dramatic makeover and spaces on the higher floors are being filled by a variety of business tenants. Roy Pitz's space is on the street level and shows off some snazzy
design features, like this dramatic mural bracketing the current tap list. Speaking of the beers--I went through a flight of four tasters here.
Started with Ichabod Crane's Midnight Ride, an exemplar of the pumpkin ale style that seems obligatory in October now. Belgian ale yeast, 7% abv, nice aroma and malty mouthfeel. Then the Gobble Lager, a 5.5% marzen, dark with an earthy tang, interesting effect with light hopping.
No. 3 was a sour Berliner Weisse, 4%, red color and made with berry puree. Did I just imagine a hint of cranberry, influenced by the seasonality of the other beers? I finished up with Heavens to Betsy, a hazy yellow IPA, about the color of grapefruit juice with 5 % alcohol, with some peach and strawberry tastes coming on in the finish. Not a bad beer in the bunch. A fun spot for later research.
(Visited 10/18/18)
