The Regulations Making Philadelphia a Beer Lover's Paradise

Craig LaBan, restaurant critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer, provides local insight into a trend that has national scope: the growth in popularity of breweries. "With the craft-beer movement doubling its share of the U.S. market over the last five years," writes LaBan, "most Americans now live within 10 miles of a brewery."

Philadelphia offers a perfect example of the trend—the city's brewpubs have quadrupled in the past four years. According to LaBan, in both the city and its suburbs, brewpubs are an attractive local amenity: "Many of the best are quirky and creative, serving thoughtfully prepared menus that, in the suburbs, offer a handcrafted alternative to the chain food culture, and in the city, capture the diverse character of emerging neighborhoods bristling with youthful energy."

The growth in the number of beer-focused establishments around Philadelphia, according to LaBan, has "liberalized regulations" to thank:

"While brewpub activity has been sparse in New Jersey because projects must acquire both brewery licenses and prohibitively expensive liquor licenses, the trend in Pennsylvania has been startling growth. In 2011, there were 24 licensed brewpubs in the state, according to the Liquor Control Board. Just four years later there are 99, with applications for 10 more pending. Over the same period, Pennsylvania's licensed breweries more than doubled from 102 in 2011 to 233 in 2015."

The article offers more details about the different types of licenses available in Philadelphia making all of these beer businesses possible.