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...and for Sly Fox's new Phoenixville location in the Maple Lawn Shopping Center on Rt. 113, it came on Friday, April 23, after a last minute scramble when the final permits were received. The doors opened that night with bar service only; full menu service began Saturday, April 24.
The first beers were in the hands of eager regulars within minutes after founder Pete Giannopoulos received the final document making the site official and said "that's it, we're open." Many regulars had been stopping by every day since the original location shut down at the close of business on Sunday, April 18, to begin the transfer to the other side of Rt. 113; several even got involved with helping workmen get the job done faster.
The new Sly Fox has 20 taps, three handpumps, a larger bar with an automated growler filler and a lot of additional space, all located on one level which will be much more efficient, Giannopoulos said. There are several pictures in this issue to give you some idea of the place, but it really must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Lots of finishing touches are being attended to in preparing for its first big moment this Sunday, May 2, when one of the region's major annual beer events, the Sly Fox Bock Festival and Goat Races will be held as it always is, on the first Sunday in May (see below).
"It will take us a couple weeks to get the brewhouse and growler filler going," says Brewmaster Brian O'Reilly. "I am trying to spend as much time at it as possible, but we are busy at Royersford and we need to get everything ready for the goat races as well. Once it is done and we are able to catch up on specialty brews, it will be amazing! Up to 20 draughts and 3 separately cooled hand pumps! The growler filler will not only help us waste less beer and get it to our customer faster, but the quality of the fill will also be improved. Please be patient. And please bear with us if we can't keep all 20 of those taps filled all the time right from the start."
"There will be a Grand Opening Party a few weeks down the road, O'Reilly added, "just as soon as we can brew a special beer for that night here in our new home."
We know there were some doubters, but come this Sunday at 2pm, Sly Fox will once again unleash the goats--for the ninth straight year--as the races begin to determine which one's name will go down in history as that of our 2010 Sly Fox Maibock.
Same concept, same array of Bocks and other beers, same great music and food and family fun--the only thing that has changed is the location.
The Sly Fox Bock Festival & Goat Race begins at 11am on May 2 and the races start at 2pm. It's a day to enjoy great beer, German food and music, featuring what may be the most extensive lineup of bock beers poured at any brewpub in the nation on a single day. The To-Be-Named-Later Maibock will be tapped immediately after the championship heat is completed and the winner determined, but on tap from the time the doors open will be Slacker Bock, Instigator Doppelbock and two Eisbocks--Maibock and Instigator this year (missing from the usual offering is Helles Bock, which just could not be fit into the very tight brewing schedule). Of course, an array of other Sly Fox beers will also be on tap, including 10 other German styles, and there will be a location selling cans for your convenience in case the lines for draught beers get a little long.
Special commemorative glasses and t-shirts will be available for purchase and food and beer will be sold both inside the pub and at locations out front. There will be two large tents side-by-side out in front of the pub for the comfort and convenience of attendees. The race itself will be run at the north end of the parking lot, beginning at the rear of the building and finishing in the parking lot. There is plenty of room on both sides of the race course for viewers to watch the goats, accompanied by their human companions, run for the finish line.
Because we are holding this massive event for the first time in our new location, we ask everyone to be understanding and cooperative about any issues which might develop. Every year, as the festival grew larger and larger, we were able to identify any potential problems and fix them for the next year, but this time it's all brand new." "This is our first opportunity to make a good impression on our new neighbors and friends here in the Maple Lawn Shopping Center," says Pete Giannopoulos, "and we ask all our faithful customers to help us do that. We want to be good neighbors and not cause any problems for the people who do business here. It's their understanding and cooperation, and that of township authorities, that makes this event possible."
Goat Race parking on Sunday will be at the Kimberton Fairgrounds roughly a mile and half south on Rt. 113. There will be a free shuttle to and from Maple Lawn Shopping Center throughout the day, starting at 10:30am and running until 6pm. Everyone is urged to take advantage of this rather than risking having cars ticketed or towed.
There will be policemen at the entrance to Maple Lawn Shopping Center and they will only allow cars in for shopping at Genuardi's and other businesses or vehicles bringing goats for the races, for which there will be special parking arrangements made. Buses bringing large groups from the city, as well as the shuttles, will be directed to an area for dropping off and picking up riders.
RT 113 CANS: IF THEY'RE NOT
ON YOUR RETAILERS SHELVES,
THEY SOON WILL BE.
We know everyone was and remains very eager for this newest addition to our canning portfolio. The first run of cans came off the line on Tuesday, April 20 and cans went on sale at the Royersford pub that Tuesday afternoon and will be available there and at Phoenixville as long as they last (which won't be long). Another batch was canned this week and is being shipped now.
Our Delaware Valley wholesaler, Origlio Beverage, has the product in its warehouse and will release to retailers the week of May 3. Westy's Beer Distributor in Camp Hill already has begun sales in the Harrisburg area; The Beer Mart (Reading), Galli Beer Distributing (Pittsburgh) and Nittany Beverage (State College) are all getting the beer this week. Shangy's The Beer Authority (Emmaus) and Hunterdon Brewing Co. (New Jersey) will pick up next week. A pickup by Manhattan Beer Distributors and T. J. Sheehan Distributing in New York will be happening soon.
