Philly’s top beer family is getting ready for their next great adventure-the suburbs. Northwest Philadelphia’s own Wissahickon Brewing Co., a labor of love of the Gill family, is taking its signature brews to a new location in Maple Glen, and it should be ready to go before the end of 2025, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The brewery will be breathing life back into the building at 870 Welsh Road that housed Brick & Barrel until about a year ago. The ground floor storefront will afford Wissahickon Brewing Co. with 7,000 square feet of space to accommodate around 75 customers.Â
Tim Gill Jr. tells What Now Philadelphia that the seeds of the new location were planted well before the opportunity to harvest them arose. He states: “I brought my family and friends here to hang out. I always thought this was a great spot and if it ever became available, it would be a great spot for our family brewery. May of 2024, this location closed down, it just sat vacant. I was able to get in touch with the building owner and a few months later we signed the lease.”
While the building will need to undergo a bit of a cosmetic glow-up, the Gills see opportunity in the many features that already recommend it. Gill Jr. explains: “The building stands alone. It has some character; it’s a little bit older. When you walk inside, it’s got a great bar space, dining space, it’s kind of split in half. It’s got a very large kitchen and a wood-fired brick oven, which is very cool. We weren’t looking for a third location per se, but this opportunity came up so we had to jump on it. It has a lot of parking in the front and the back. This location is just a good watering hole for the town of Maple Glen and Horsham in general. There’s not a lot of bars and restaurants in the area.”
As to what the various necessary improvements might entail-and how they may impact an opening timeline-Gill Jr. is optimistic. He says: “We’re going to shoot for a fall opening-it would be great to open while the Eaglers are still playing. We just started getting into the nitty-gritty of clearing out the junk. Getting the place cleared out and mapping out what we want to do inside, get a fresh coat of paint and update the space.”
The Gills are looking forward to introducing their signature brews, ciders, and kombucha to a whole new audience. Additionally, Wissahickon visitors can anticipate a delicious new way to sate their appetites. Gill Jr. explains that the family is working with their executive chef now to round out the menu, but they will certainly be taking advantage of the wood-fire oven for pizzas and beyond. He also hints that this location may experiment with some new menu items. “We may extend the menu a bit.” he states, adding “My family we love some raw oysters, so we could get some oysters on the half shell, that’s one direction.”Â
