Chestnut Hill Brewing Company 2024: Craft Beer At Its Finest

DeliveryRank has the opportunity to engage with Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, founded by Nick and Lindsey. It combines a passion for craft beer and Neapolitan, wood-fired pizza in a welcoming community-focused space. Inspired by a restaurant in Minneapolis, the couple created a brewery that embodies hospitality, inclusivity, and connection. With a mission to be Chestnut Hill's go-to destination for memorable experiences, they emphasize integrity, respect, and giving back to their community. The brewery’s playful spirit is captured by its mascots—originally Ralph the Newfoundland and now Barley and Hopz, who carry on the tradition as beloved symbols of the brand.

What inspired you to create Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, and how does the local community play a role in your vision?

I wanted to be an entrepreneur, and my husband was a home brewer.  The concept started out as a hostel with a brewery and then it evolved into a restaurant and brewery.  We opened in the Market at the Fareway in Chestnut Hill and it was a great way to start out small and test our concept.  The local community is extremely loyal and we have many regular guests who come out for trivia on Wednesdays, live music on Fridays and Saturdays in the winter, or to just enjoy some good food and drink with friends and/or family.  We have hosted engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, and 1st birthday parties for our regulars.  We love being part of our guests’ big life moments and we enjoy creating memorable experiences.

How does Chestnut Hill Brewing Company balance maintaining its local community roots while expanding its presence and offering both unique craft beers and vegan food options? How do you see these efforts aligning with broader trends in the craft beer industry, especially as consumer preferences shift towards sustainability and wellness?

We don’t have plans to expand so we are focused on keeping our beer hyper local.  We make and sell everything on site, we don’t distribute.  However, we do sell beer to go in growlers, crowlers, and 4-packs.  We try to expand our presence in the Greater Philadelphia Area through social media, partnering with influencers, partnering with local businesses to host events (such as AR blanket workshop or beer and chocolate tasting with Made by ME), and also by hosting events to attract more people such as trivia, music BINGO, live music, art events, and more.  

We believe our vegan-friendly menu aligns with the consumer preference shift towards sustainability and wellness.  We also support Friends of the Wissahickon, an organization that maintains the local park system by donating and we brewed two beers this year to raise money for their 100 year anniversary.  We promote hiking in the Wissahickon and enjoy supporting and participating in local run clubs, triathlon clubs, and biking groups.

We are always looking for ways to be more sustainable.  We compost our spent grain, no longer use plastic bags, and no longer use plastic to go containers.    

What sets your beer garden and taproom experiences apart from other breweries in the Philadelphia area?

The vegan-friendly component sets us apart along with the kid-friendly and dog-friendly aspects.  We also have the best outdoor heaters in the area and we are part of a Market, which is a unique setting and guests can mix and match food from us and from other vendors in the Market.  We are very community-oriented.  We are the only wood-fired pizza place in Chestnut Hill and the only vegan spot in Chestnut Hill that sells alcohol.  All of our food is made from scratch and is fresh and our beer is made in small batches and is extremely fresh.  

How do you create an atmosphere that is both family-friendly and dog-friendly, and why is that important for you as a business?

Our outdoor beer garden is family friendly and also very dog-friendly.  It is a casual and relaxed atmosphere and there are water features and flowers that the kids enjoy.  There is also plenty of room for strollers and we have highchairs, booster seats, and a restroom with a changing table.  Our mascots are two newfoundland dogs, and we also encourage dogs to visit our spot.  We have spent grain dog biscuits on our menu, dog bowls, and spots for people to “leash their beast”.  We are also known to host dog events such as a birthday party for our mascots, Barley and Hopz, and a newfie meetup.  

What future plans or innovations do you have for Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, and how do you plan to continue growing within the craft beer industry?

We want to continue to be the best that we can be and continue to be the community destination of choice and to create lasting memories.  We want to be a “go-to” spot for fun, trivia, music, events, causal dinners, family outings, work happy hours, date nights, and more!  We will continue to change our menu seasonally and bring back seasonal favorites sprinkled in with some new items.  The brewer is always experimenting with a new beer! 

If you would like to find out more about Chestnut Hill Brewing Company, please visit https://www.chestnuthillbrewingcompany.com/