West Chester Dish

WILMINGTON, DE – Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, with seven area locations won an amazing six medals for their handcrafted beer at the prestigious 27th annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado. Iron Hill has won a total 27 medals at the GABF since they opened in 1996 and has brought home medals each of the 12 years they have participated. This year’s winning GABF medals include four gold, a silver and a bronze, making Iron Hill the region’s most decorated brewery.

“We’ve always been proud of the beers we brew and serve, and these medals continue to affirm the level of quality of our products,” says Director of Brewing Operations Mark Edelson. “This year makes me especially proud, because not only did we continue our winning streak, but we also set a single year Iron Hill record for medals and this year was a complete team effort. Each medal was won by a different brewer.”

Medals were awarded in the following categories: Rye Beer, a gold medal for “Roggenbier” brewed by Tim Stumpf in Phoenixville, PA; Vienna-Style Lager, a gold medal for “Vienna Red Lager” brewed by Justin Sproul in Newark, DE; French and Belgian-Style Saison, a gold medal for “Saison” brewed by Chris LaPierre in West Chester, PA; Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, a gold medal for “Lambic de Hill” brewed by Bob Barrar (10 time GABF winner); Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, a silver medal for “Cherry Dubbel” brewed by Larry Horwitz in North Wales, PA; Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, a bronze medal for “Cassis de Hill” brewed by Brian Finn in Wilmington, DE.

Past GABF Iron Hill honors include: Best Large Brewpub of the Year 2005, Russian Imperial Stout (Gold 2003, 2006) and Bourbon Ivan (Bronze 2006), Belgian Strong and Kriek De Hill (Gold 2005), Tripel (Bronze 2002, 2003, 2004) and Ironbound Ale (Bronze 2005.)

The Great American Beer Festival is the oldest and largest beer festival in the United States. This year’s judging included 2,902 beers from over 472 breweries. A complete list of winners is available from the Association of Brewers web site at www.beertown.org.

Critics and readers alike have heaped praise on Iron Hill; in the past few months, 10 regional publications have honored Iron Hill, including The Wilmington News-Journal, which called them “Best in the Business” in 2008. Other recent critical accolades have included: “Best Bar in Montgomery County” from the Philadelphia Inquirer; “Best Upstate Beer Selection” from Delaware Today, along with inclusion in their “Hall of Fame” feature; “Best Kids Menu” from Main Line Today; “Best Brewery” from The Montgomery County Record; “Best Bar & Grill / Microbrewery” from County Lines; and “Best Beer Selection” from The Daily Times’ “Best of Delaware County” feature, an honor they have earned every year since 2003. Readers’ choice awards have included: “Best Microbrew” from Main Line Today; “Best Late Night Menu” from Delaware Today; and “Favorite Brewery” from Lancaster’s Sunday News.

Iron Hill has also been honored by several publications for their philanthropic contributions to their community. They won a prestigious Restaurant Neighbors Award from the National Restaurant Association, in addition to being named among greater Philadelphia’s Top Corporate Charitable Contributors (#52) in the Philadelphia Business Journal. That publication also named Iron Hill as a finalist for their In-Kind Donor Award, Philanthropic Donor Award, and Volunteer Donor Award.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has seven locations, in Newark, DE; Wilmington, DE; Media, PA; West Chester, PA; North Wales, PA; Phoenixville, PA and Lancaster, PA. All seven locations are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information about Iron Hill, or to make a reservation at any of their locations, please visit their website at www.ironhillbrewery.com.