When Alex Howell isn’t serving as a trusted accountant and financial advisor, he’s home brewing batches of craft beer. Combining his economic prowess and affinity for home brewing, the 28-year-old has decided to go into the beer business for himself with a new brewery in Kensington. Humble Parlor Brewing Co. will open in February in a 600 sq. ft. space in The LOOM Philly, which offers studio and small business space for creatives and eco or social-conscious endeavors at 3237 Amber St.
Humble Parlor Brewing Co. will house a half-barrel brewing system and taproom with seating for 10 to 15 people. Howell, who has been homebrewing for five years, says he’s been looking to open his own business for the past five or six years and jumped when a space opened that fit his budget. He signed his lease in January 2021.
“I don’t want to say that I don’t like being an accountant, but it’s not as exciting as going out on my open and opening my own business, especially with brewing,” Howell told What Now Philadelphia. “To me, it’s the complete opposite of providing a service or doing a tax return. People on the other side of my [accounting] services aren’t really excited or happy to be there. But when I started brewing, it just clicked. Once I started brewing good beer and got to share it with people, people were just interested in talking about it. Interested in getting more of it. As a profession, it’s something I much rather be doing.”
Getting over the financial hurdle of coming up with his own $50,000 investment to open a brewery was the tricky part. After that, Howell, who will continue his work as a CPA, took a “humble” approach to getting his place spruced up. The brewery will have a homey living room feel outfitted with furniture from Howell’s own house. He and a few of his friends built the 14-ft bar that has seating for seven. He and his sister, a graphic designer, made the artwork themselves. His wife, Maria, has been doing his social media.
Howell will start off brewing three or four of his best beers, including a hazy IPA, porters, and stouts. The small-batch brewing system will allow him to rotate beers and create new offerings, so there will always be fresh batches on tap. Howell plans to offer beer for pick-up before the taproom officially opens, as well as a free beer giveaway, stay tuned to Humble Parlor Brewing Co.’s website at humbleparlorbrewing.com and Instagram at @humbleparlorbrewing for updates.
