How Wyndmoor’s fish and chips shop scored a liquor license on the cheap

If you go to Pennsylvania’s latest brewery, Wyndmoor’s Yankee Chipper Brewing Co., expecting to see stainless-steel fermenters and a big bank of taps, think again. Up until a few weeks ago, this was just a BYOB.

The Irish stout soon to be served at the Yankee Chipper is brewed in the kitchen, fermented in the basement, and pumped into a jury-rigged keg by hand. Owner Eric Connor, a Manayunk native and restaurant-industry veteran, plans to make 320 gallons of Irish stout, or about 10 barrels of beer, every year on-site. To put that into perspective, consider many small local breweries — including Germantown’s Attic Brewing and South Philly’s Brewery ARS — brew 10-barrel batches at a time.

Not only that, but Connor is a home-brewing novice, and he’s not afraid to admit it.

That’s because his ultimate play in getting a brewery license is not to start cranking out bottles and kegs. It’s Connor’s way of getting a liquor license for his nearly 2-year-old restaurant without having to take out a second mortgage.

“The bidding in Montgomery County starts at $350,000 and goes up — like immediately goes up,” Connor said. “This is a much more affordable way for someone like me. I don’t have crazy deep pockets or a wealthy family. Every nickel I have is in here.”

He spent about $20,000 getting the brewery license, sometimes referred to as a G license. Most of that went to a lawyer who helped him navigate the nearly yearlong process; he found the expense well-worth it.

“The laws are all very new and there’s constant advisory opinions being added to the law,” Connor said. “It seemed like every time we submitted, whatever they asked us to submit would go through some channels and then come back.”

Now that the license has finally come through, Connor is not only allowed to brew and sell his own beer on-premise, but he’s also able to serve any Pennsylvania-produced beer, wine, and liquor — the options for which have grown expansive in recent years.

While he has yet to tap the inaugural keg of Yankee Chipper Irish Stout, he’s already serving beers from Yuengling, Victory, Troegs, and King of Prussia’s Workhorse Brewing. Once his draft system is installed, he’ll have eight beers and ciders on draft. He’s also contracted with Wissahickon Brewing to make a lager, an IPA, and potentially a kolsch for the restaurant. The wine and spirits selection is more limited at the moment but includes Stateside Vodka, Kinsey Bourbon, Dad’s Hat Rye, and Bluecoat Gin.

A liquor license was always part of the plan for the Yankee Chipper, which is a block away from the bustle of Willow Grove Avenue, home to Locals Coffee, Captain Andy’s Market, El Jefe Taqueria, and three pizza shops. Connor and his co-owner, cousin Shana Cox, renovated the former shot-and-a-beer/smoking bar at 827 E. Pleasant Ave. and initially focused on resetting perceptions in the neighborhood.

“When we first opened [in July 2021], it was really important to us to kind of shake that reputation that they had. So we weren’t even worried about a license yet,” Connor said.

They rehabbed the bar, raised the ceilings, restored the wainscoting, and added wooden-pew seating. All that was missing from the cozy Irish pub was a proper beer, so Connor commenced the process of securing the brewery license last July. He was finally approved on April 25. He’s been perfecting his stout recipe in the meanwhile.

Despite the wait, Connor is nothing but satisfied with the outcome. “We had a long road getting the license, but the truth of the matter is … the laws that we have in Pennsylvania are great for small businesses like me.”

The Yankee Chipper at 827 E. Pleasant Ave., Wyndmoor, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 3 to 9 p.m. 267-703-2447, the-yankee-chipper.square.site.