Good times
are brewing

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Patrick Jones shared at least one bit of valuable insight last week when he led tours of the new Triumph Brewing Co. restaurant and brewery in Old City.
Jones, the brewpub’s head brewer, has no future in rap music. A couple of lines of a popular LL Cool J tune revealed all that was needed.
When asked about the recent resurgence of the craft brewing industry, Jones broke out humorously, "Don’t call it a comeback. We’ve been here for years."
Notwithstanding the rhythm-lacking delivery, his point was made.
The swanky new Triumph on Chestnut Street, between Front and Second, is the company’s third restaurant and its first foray into an urban market. A Princeton location opened in 1995, followed by one in New Hope in 2003.
All three spots are considered brewpubs, meaning that they brew their own beer there and serve at least half of the yield on the premises. That is not to be confused with a microbrewery, which produces beer in small quantities and distributes it for sale.
In fact, the only place to get Triumph beer nowadays is at one of the company’s three restaurants. Despite the failure of many brewery start-ups in the boom era of the 1980s and ’90s, Triumph continues to demonstrate that the craft brewing industry can still be a viable and steady one.
The Chestnut Street location opened to the public about a month ago, in advance of last week’s organized media event.
"(The industry) went through the fad period," Jones said. "It culminated sometime in the mid or late nineties. But we’ve never had a down year. The lowest year we had was like one-tenth of one percent (industry-wide) growth. Now we’re going through another growth phase."
The comparisons between today’s market and the market of 10 or 20 years ago just about end there, however.
In the 1980s and ’90s, it seemed, a lot of small breweries rushed to get their products on the market, even if the quality simply wasn’t there. People drank the stuff anyway, at least for a little while.
"If you brewed it, they drank it," Jones recalled. "There was some really bad beer made."
Perhaps that ultimately turned off some consumers, but others became more discriminating. And while many brands disappeared, others solidified their reputations for quality product.
"It was a shaking-out period when the fad wore off," Jones said. "And some folded because they didn’t know how to run the business."
Jones’ employer has built a foundation of business and creative success over the last dozen years. Jay Mission is the company-wide director of brewing. Under his direction and with Jones’ assistance, Triumph has won five medals in the last three years at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado.
Each Triumph brewpub offers eight original beers on tap at any given time, along with a broad assortment of wines and specialty cocktails.
Three house beers are always available: Honey Wheat, Amber Ale and Bengal Gold India Pale Ale. Also, two taps feature rotating lagers, such as Kellerbier and Dunkel, while one has rotating stouts. There always are two seasonal beers on tap as well.
Pints generally sell for $5 each.
The Triumph model is not all about liquid consumption, however. Cuisine is an equal partner in the brewpub experience.
Regional chef Gregg Smith and the executive chef for Philadelphia, Jared Martin, studied at elite culinary schools and have studied under some of the most accomplished chefs in the United States.
The Chestnut Street location is 12,500 square feet and has a seating capacity of 240, ranging from bar stools to private booths to long communal-style dining tables based on a "center service" concept.
As such, patrons are encouraged to share and sample various dishes as they are passed from one person to the next. This promotes a lively social environment, even among total strangers.
"It’s kind of like when you’re in Europe," Jones said.
There are no TVs in the bars or the dining areas. Though the business could qualify for an exemption to the city’s smoking ban because of its food-service volume, managers have decided to prohibit smoking on the premises. ••
Triumph is open daily for lunch, dinner and beyond. Meal reservations are recommended. Call 215-625-0855 or visit www.triumphbrewing.com for information.
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com