Anyone who's played Monopoly more than once has drawn the card to advance to the Reading Railroad. Such a railroad once ran, in real life, but is now long gone. Its terminal in downtown Philadelphia is now a touristy market and its tracks running north from that terminal are now a weedy, aging viaduct over Philly streets. One crossing, over Spring Garden St., is just a block from the Roy Pitz brewpub, last post, and from
Love City Brewing's taproom, open just six months.
Brewing takes place under high ceilings in an industrial building first used by a company that made parts for the Reading Railroad.
The tops of some of the 10-bbl fermenters stick out above the partition in the picture to the left. Brewer and co-owner Kevin Walter concocts a variety of IPAs (I counted seven, two signatures and five seasonals) and some tasty alternatives. My first pint was the Generator Wheat Ale, a spicy take on the style at 4.25% abv. A shorter glass of stout, aged in bourbon barrels was a good warmer for a chill day.
Kevin honed his craft working at the Iron Hill Brewing chain for nine-plus years, in several locations and capacities. As the web site relates, he met his wife Melissa over a craft beer keg event and they brewed a special batch of beer for their wedding.
As the next picture shows, food trucks can be driven right inside the cavernous building.
One more detail about the long-gone railroad--the city is working on a plan to convert the old viaduct into a walkway, similar to the very successful High Line on the west side of Manhattan. The first phase, RailPark 1, ends about a block and a half from Love City's front door. "If they can finish it to Spring Garden," Kevin says, "this district will have a great boost."
I took home a six pack of Love City Lager, filled by a contract canner as often as sales support. This was a very sound session beer at 4%.
(Visited 10/20/18)
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