Brewpub of the Month
John Harvard's Brew House
629 W. Lancaster Ave.
Wayne, PA 19087
610-687-6565
Have you ever wanted to work
for a family type business? The 12 location John Harvard's Brewpub chain
seems to be just such a place! Consistency is the rule of thumb....from
the locations, decor, menu and some of the beers, they try to maintain
that feeling of comfort that comes with familiar surroundings. The people
may change, but the ambiance stays the same.
I met the manager, Greg Sebright,
when he was at the Springfield, PA location and, after he transferred,
he e-mailed his list of contacts and told us of the move. We paid a visit
to this venue soon after. Aaron Laramee, the brewer, took over the kettles
when the former brewer, Chris Rafferty, left for another position. He had
been assistant brewer at JH's Providence, RI restaurant and was offered
the promotion.
Aaron and Greg
He brought with him some strong
recipes and a willingness to innovate. Chris had left some big shoes to
fill having just won a Gold Medal at the GABF for his Mainline Stout, but
I'm sure Aaron has already filled them and then some!
There are several dining areas
in this historic building as well as a bar and a private room for small
parties. A very warm, comfortable setting to enjoy a meal and drinks.
A new chef had recently taken over
the kitchen, so they were breaking in a new group all around. The menu
is pretty much standard at all locations, though innovation may be shown
in the specials and the occasional beer dinner.
Training of the employees is
paramount in this organization. They learn all aspects of the job, even
brewing if they wish! This allows a very deep pool of diversely-trained
employees to keep all locations running smoothly. The night we were there,
employees from several locations were on hand to help out! That's where
the family comes in.
The 14 bbl brewhouse is used at
least twice a week to keep themselves stocked. A core of brews is brewed
at all locations, but each venue may innovate and make their own seasonals.
Their standard list consists of:
Light - a pale lager
with a tad more flavor than megas
Mainline Gold - a dry,
nicely balanced golden lager
Pale Ale - deep amber
color with a hoppy nose and palate
IPA - a nice copper
color with a very hoppy flavor
Nut Brown - smooth,
deep brown color with a malty nose
also had on cask - a great session beer!!
Dry Stout - very dark,
dry and malty with nice roasted and
chocolate notes.
Some of the seasonals:
Red Raspberry - a dry,
slightly fruity brew but quite refreshing
Arctic Strong Ale -
a strong malty nose with an exquisite
alcohol warmth (7%abv)
The Arctic was the hit of the
night for me! I drank several glasses and took a growler home! I hope that
comes around again next year!
So, whenever you are in the
Philadelphia area, be sure to stop in at both the local locations. You
can't beat the food and the selection of brews! Tell Greg and Aaron you
saw them here!
The website
is rather generic, but gives menus and some of the seasonals being served.
Check it out for all their locations.
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