When it comes to brewing in the Philly area, there are a couple of big names, but there’s one that’s always stood head and shoulders above the rest.

They essentially started the Philadelphia craft beer scene back in ‘95.

Their Philadelphia Pale Ale released in 2000 is both ubiquitous and delicious.

Social Media and Design Alchemist Courtney Rosenberg literally cannot get enough of their cherry and raspberry ale.

Their new facility on Spring Garden St. made headlines when it opened in 2017.

By now, you probably realize that we’re talking about Yards Brewing Company, and we’ll be partnering with them to bring you Cape May Lager.

“It’s hard to remember the first craft beer I ever had, but it’s a very good chance it was a Yards Pale Ale,” Hank says. “I do remember getting it back in the day from their Kensington spot. I used to stop by to pick up mixed cases.”

Yards’ new location has the installed capacity to produce up to 100,000 barrels a year with the ability to expand to over 200,000 barrels a year, so they’ve got the room to introduce a new revenue stream for themselves, stay true to their “Brew Unto Others” philosophy, and help us free up some of our capacity to expand our variety.

“We are ecstatic to open up our extra space to our good friends from Cape May,” says Yards Founder, Brewmaster, and President, Tom Kehoe. “Ryan, Hank, Mop Man, and those guys are doing a great job. They’ve built a beer culture in South Jersey where there wasn’t one before, and we’re proud to be doing our part to help them grow.”

And we’re proud to be the first ones on board as part of their new initiative. Yards’ dedication to making high-quality, consistently good beer for Philadelphia and beyond cannot be denied, so we feel that Cape May Lager will be in good hands.

“Yards is the real deal,” Ryan says. “They’ve been making great beer for as long as I’ve known what beer is. Cape May Lager is the newest core brand in our lineup, and what’s been brewed there has been outstanding. We’re honored to put our name on it.”

Cape May Brewing Co. is likely only the first of many local breweries to sign on with Yards’ new program, as Yards continues to seek out partners in the future. However, fans were able to sample Cape May Lager in Yards’ new taproom this past weekend.

“The Yards team has been so knowledgeable and professional throughout this process,” says CMBC Marketing Director Alicia Grasso. “The new facility is inspiring: they made great use of space -- the whole layout is clean and efficient..”

“Yards will continue to keep our state-of-the-art facility churning out great beer around the clock,” says Yards CEO Trevor Prichett. “We built a brewery that we could grow into over the next several years, so this is the perfect opportunity for us to put the entire brewhouse to good use while we continue our strategy of increasing depth within our existing markets.”

Ultimately, the beneficiaries of this partnership are our dedicated fans. You’ll have an increased chance to sample Cape May Lager, and fans throughout the area will reap the benefits of increased capacity in Cape May.

“We’ve always looked up to Yards and have a lot of respect for them,” Hank says, “and that’s why they’ll be an awesome partner for this next phase in our growth.”

We’re looking forward to this partnership -- Yards has been producing great beer for years, and we’re proud to be working together.

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