Sly Fox Brewing Company History

SLY FOX

OUR BREWERY

Sly Fox Brewing Company is headquartered in Pottstown, Pennsylvania with a 50-hectoliter production brewery at 331 Circle of Progress Drive.

The company was founded in December 1995 by the Giannopoulos family and as the years have passed, the brewery and family have grown.

After cutting his teeth in sales for 15 years, Pete Giannopoulos opened the Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery in his hometown of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Over the years, the brewpub exposed many people to craft beer for the first time and started to grow its loyal, local following. After former brewmaster Brian O'Reilly arrived in the Spring of 2002, he developed an off-premise sales program to gain Sly Fox beers a place on the taps at some of Philadelphia's best bars and taverns, greatly expanding the customer base.

When off-premise sales increased beyond the Phoenixville location's ability to keep up, Sly Fox opened a 20-barrel production brewery and accompanying restaurant in nearby Royersford, in November 2004. Pete Giannopoulos' brother, John, joined the company at that point to manage the brewery side of the business. After seven years, increasing demand once again made greater production capacity a necessity and the restaurant was sold to former employees in 2011.

The Pottstown brewery opened in January 2012, equipped with a German 40-barrel brewhouse and room for growth. Sly Fox beers are currently available in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Sly Fox is considered to be one of the premier craft brewers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Sly Fox's success has been due not only the award-winning quality of its beers but also to solid judgment and forward-looking business decisions. The company was an early adopter of the craft-beer-in-a-can revolution and became the first craft brewery in the Mid-Atlantic region to put in a canning line in 2006, at Royersford. The awarding of a Gold Medal to Sly Fox Pikeland Pilsner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in Denver marked the first time a GABF medal of any sort had been given to a canned craft beer.

Sly Fox Beer

ABOUT SLY FOX BREWING COMPANY:

THE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST'S CHOICE!

Cyclists, runners, climbers, golfers and hikers meet at our pubs after days spent doing what they love. Brewed in the vibrant communities of Phoenixville and Pottstown, Pennsylvania's Sly Fox beer has become synonymous with outdoor adventure and the active lifestyle.

The Brewery's embracing of outdoor activity was evident before Sly Fox became a pioneer in the craft beer canning movement– Cans pack better for people on the go, weigh less so you can do more… they stay colder longer and infinitely recyclable cans can be crushed to pack out of any adventure.

The Sly Fox adventure is a commitment to brew authentic styles of beer with excellence while continuing to support outdoor lifestyles and organizations. With multiple sponsorships, partnerships and unique events, the Sly Fox beers really are the outdoor enthusiast's choice! Click below to explore more.

Sly Fox Beer The Outdoor Enthusiasts Choice

1995

  • Sly Fox Brewing Company founded

  • Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery opens in Phoenixville, PA

2000

  • Brewmaster Bill Moore hired

  • First Bock Festival & Goat Race

2002

  • Brewmaster Brian O'Reilly hired

  • Helles Golden Lager wins GABF Bronze Medal

2003

  • Named Top Three Brewpub in the country by Beer Advocate

  • Pikeland Pils wins GABF Bronze Medal

2004

  • 20-barrel production Brewery opens in Royersford, PA

  • Named Philadephia's Best Brewery by Philly Mag

  • Hop Project series inauguration

  • First release of Odyssey Imperial IPA

  • Second pub opens at Brewery location

2005

  • First of the 750ml and 22oz. bottles begin rolling off the line

  • Tenth anniversary celebration

2006

  • First craft beer canning line in the Mid-Atlantic region

  • Entry into New Jersey and New York markets

2007

  • Pikeland Pils wins GABF Gold Medal

  • Instigator Doppelbock wins GABF Bronze Medal

2008

  • Rauchbier wins GABF Gold Medal

2010

  • Original Phoenixville location makes the leap across Route 113

  • Pikeland Pils and Sly Fox Oktoberfest named National Grand Champions at 15th annual USBTC

2012

  • 30,000 s.f., 50-hectoliter production Brewery opens in Pottstown, PA Tastin' Room opens at Pottstown Brewery location

  • Distribution expands to Delaware

2013

  • Sly Fox designated a regional craft brewery

  • Sly Fox becomes first North American Brewery to offer 360 end cans with launch of Helles Golden Lager

  • Distribution expands to Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC

  • Grisette wins GABF Silver Medal

  • Oktoberfest wins GABF Bronze Medal

2014

  • Sly Fox releases their first 16oz. can—360 IPA

  • Grisette wins GABF Gold Medal

2015

  • SRT Ale Released

  • Grisette wins GABF Silver Medal

2019

  • Wyomissing Taphouse at The Knitting Mills opens

  • Sly Fox makes a move out west and opens the Pittsburgh Taphouse at The Point

2020

  • Malvern Taphouse at The Grove opens

  • Sly Fox opens The Den inside the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA