Wissahickon Brewing Co. eyes Olde Kensington for an expansion this summer

Wissahickon Brewing Co. is opening a new location this summer, bringing its bold, award-winning beer and kombucha to Olde Kensington.

After operating for the better half of a decade in East Falls, the family-owned brewery — founded by Tim Gill Sr. and his three sons — is opening a taproom and production facility at 1526 N. American St.. The Gill crew has been looking for the next steps in their expansion for a while.

“We looked at so many spaces outside the city and inside the city, but they don’t always check the boxes, and you don’t get that good feeling,” Gill said. “Last summer, we were informed that there was a location that we might be interested in. When we visited, we thought, ‘This is a no-brainer, this place is great.’”

Previously, the North American Street location was home to Original 13 Ciderworks, a homegrown cider outfit that met hard times during the pandemic and subsequently closed last spring. Gill said that he and previous owners will try to get Original 13 ciders back on the menu when the new Wissahickon Brewing opens.

Since Original 13 Ciderworks and Wissahickon Brewing Co. both started in 2017, the area around North American Street has changed rapidly. What could once be described as “desolate,” without many new residential buildings, is now growing to accommodate more housing, walkable streets, and more greenery, said Gill.

“The street is beautiful, and that center median is very walkable and friendly, with the flowers, grass, and trees. It’s great for the bike lanes too,” Gill said. “On top of that, all of the residential construction that was just completed or is still ongoing is very attractive to us because a walk-up customer base is great.”

Their East Falls location has helped Wissahickon Brewing cultivate a fan base that is accustomed to its classic IPAs, like Devil’s Pool, and an industrial-cozy setting inside the brewery. Gill plans to bring many of those brews and vibes they’re known for to Olde Kensington, with the added benefit of the new location’s kombucha production facilities.

Wissahickon recently acquired kombucha brewers Inspired Brews, which will soon be produced at the North American Street location, served alongside its Czech, Please! Czech pilsner, Crumble Oreo cookie stout, and from Wissahickon’s cider arm of the operation, Gazebo: Prickly Pear Pineapple cider. The brewery also owns Wirlybird coffee, so whether it’s beer, cider, coffee, or kombucha — they got you covered.

As of now, the Wissahickon Brew crew is looking to open the Olde Kensington location in the summer.

“We’re excited and this is such a fabulous location because it forms this triangle for all the excitement and buzz surrounding Fishtown and Northern Liberties, with Olde Kensington,” Gill said. “We feel like we’re the other tip of a triangle, where it’s going to be a fun place to share all the energy that’s going on with other breweries in the area.”