On Saturday, January 27 from 12 noon until 5 p.m., Iron Hill West Chester will host their 13th annual Belgium Comes to West Chester celebration at 3 West Gay Street in West Chester, PA. This year’s line-up is among the most exciting in the festival’s history, with a who’s-who of top local breweries sending their Belgian-style best, plus featured beers and food pairings from all Iron Hill locations. Widely known as #BCWC2018 on social media, this is the area’s largest and longest-running celebration of Belgian beers, highlighted by 40 Belgian pours from the best local breweries.
As always, beer lovers can choose from four carefully-curated flights (4-ounce tasters, curated by the Iron Hill brewery team) or guests may opt for full pours (12-oz or 16-oz, depending on ABV) and go down the list on a pay-as-you-go basis. There will also be a special Belgian-inspired menu prepared by Iron Hill’s forward-thinking culinary team, with a heavy emphasis placed on perfect food and beer pairings.
Senior Head Brewer Matthew Gundrum, along with Head Brewer Benjamin Schamberg and General Manager Amanda Lober, has been planning the festivities ever since the last keg was emptied at last year’s Belgium Comes to West Chester festival. This year, King of the Hill (KOTH) members will have exclusive access to a private Brewer’s Lounge, where they can mingle with their favorite celebrity brewers from all 25 invited breweries, plus the head brewers from all 12 Iron Hill locations. Guests will be treated to a never-before-seen beer from the Belgian beer specialists at Allagash Brewing in Maine, along with a VIP sampler of four different versions of Bedotter – Iron Hill’s crowd-pleasing Belgian Tripel and 2016 gold medal winner at the World Beer Cup.
“This event has become the ultimate showcase for the most interesting Belgian ales being produced in the Philadelphia area,” says Gundrum. “Despite competing against each other at various beer competitions and tasting festivals throughout the year, the local beer community loves coming together for Belgium Comes to West Chester. We look forward to a fun day of collaboration with our brothers and sisters in beer.”
Beer lovers can expect top-notch offerings from the following local breweries: 2SP, 3rd Wave, Allagash, Big Oyster, Boxcar, Brewery Techne, Conshohocken, Denizens, Evil Genius, Free Will, Hidden River, La Cabra, Levante, Manayunk, Neshaminy Creek, Philadelphia Brewing, Root Down, Saint Benjamin, Second District, Sly Fox, Stable 12, Stickman Brews, Tired Hands, Victory and Yards.
In addition, each Iron Hill location will contribute a Belgian-style beer of their own, including:
- Abbey Dubbel (Wilmington) – Brewed in the original style of a Belgian monastery, this mahogany ale has the sweetness of dark Belgian candi sugar paired with the distinct aroma of plum and pear (6.9%)
- Fool’s Gold (Ardmore) – This elegant Belgian pale ale has notes of tropical fruit and spice from the use of our special yeast strain complemented with spicy European hops (5.4%)
- Honey Tripper (Chestnut Hill) – Belgian Tripel with a complex aroma and notes of plum, spice and banana made with 20 pounds per barrel of Pine Barrens wildflower honey (9.0%)
- Funkaster ’17 (Lancaster) – Lancaster sour beer project aged in red and white wine barrels for 2 ½ years. Smooth caramel notes are complemented by flavors of oak, hay and funky tartness (6.0%)
- Ruby Slippers (Maple Shade) – Deep ruby-colored French-style farmhouse ale with hints of dark stone fruit and malt sweetness (7.0%)
- The Cannibal (Maple Shade) – A golden Belgian-style ale, with complex flavors and dry finish, accented by a nose of tropical fruit and dry spice (7.8%)
- The Traveler (Media) – A Belgian-inspired Grisette brewed with oats, wheat and rye malts to complement the peppery Belgian yeast, then aged with Brettanomyces to lend a dry, tart finish (4.4%)
- Lychee Golden Ale (Newark) – A golden Belgian ale infused with Lychee, giving it a sweet and tart herbal fruity balance (6.5%)
- Blame the Dog (North Wales) – Belgian-style strong ale brewed with orange blossom honey and chamomile (9.2%)
- Phoenix Rising (Phoenixville) – A ruby red Belgian-style ale, brewed with Montmorency tart cherry juice (6.7%)
- Saison (Huntingdon Valley) – Classic Franco-Belge-style farmhouse ale; unfiltered, bright and light bodied. The yeast gives us an earthy, fruity and spicy character with a refreshing finish (6.0%)
- Saison de Pennsy (West Chester) – A pale, light-bodied Saison with flavors of stone fruit and citrus with a dry, hoppy and spicy finish (5.9%)
- The Watchtower (Voorhees) – This blend between The Cannibal and The Watcher, both aged in red wine barrels, is dosed with Brettanomyces to exhibit a tart, citrus and slightly woody aroma, with a refreshingly dry finish (7.0%)
About Iron Hill… Founded by home brewers Kevin Finn and Mark Edelson and restaurateur Kevin Davies in Newark, DE in 1996, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has blossomed from one restaurant and brewery to 12 locations across the mid-Atlantic region, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. Each brewpub has their own craft kitchen and scratch brewery, allowing individual chefs and brewers the creativity to pair the freshest ingredients with the highest quality grains and hops. For 21 years, Iron Hill has held beer at the heart of everything they do, and their passion has been roundly rewarded: their beers have won 47 medals from the Great American Beer Festival and another 30 medals at the World Beer Cup.
About Iron Hill West Chester…Iron Hill West Chester opens at 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and at 11 a.m. on weekends. Full hours, including food service and bar service hours, are available on their website. Every day until 11 p.m., guests can choose any two Iron Hill pizzas and a growler of signature beer for just $25, available for take-out only. Happy Hour is offered Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., and includes special pricing on signature and seasonal beers, as well as house wines, specialty cocktails and appetizers throughout the bar and cocktail areas.
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