A South Jersey brewery is crossing the Delaware River to Philadelphia, where it plans to open a larger production facility with a taproom.
Chimney Rustic Ales, owned by Dan Borrelli, will debut its new location at 2157 E. Lehigh Ave.
“We were looking to expand our space,” Borrelli told Whatnow Philadelphia. “It’s about 5,000 square feet. It’s like a flag shape. The flag part is the brewery area. The staff of the flag is where the kitchen, tasting room and restaurant seating are.”
Borrelli launched the brewery in early 2020, naming it after a spot where he spent much of his childhood.
“When we were kids, we used to hang out in the woods by our house at a place we called the ‘Chimney.’ It was an old hunting cabin, and the only thing standing was the chimney itself,” Borrelli said.
He described how, over time, the space eroded and the town cleared the area, joking, “We lost our hangout spot, so I built another one.”
The Hammonton brewery poured its final brew in June 2025, and the new Philadelphia location is designed to be a more elevated version of the original.
“I think the aesthetic’s going to be a little more upscale than what we had in Jersey. It’s going to be more polished. In Jersey, it was just a tasting room for beer, but now we’ll have food service as well,” he said.
A larger brewing system will allow Chimney to increase beer production. The brewery also plans to serve 16 beers on tap, canned offerings and cocktails from a six-tap draft system.
“We make sure we’re brewing right and we’re not cutting any corners. There’s hundreds of styles of beer. We don’t expect everybody to enjoy every beer we make, but we expect every beer we make to be brewed correctly and perfectly,” Borrelli said.
To complement its brews, the full-service restaurant will serve elevated bar fare, including burgers and cheesesteaks. Borrelli, who previously operated The Minnow food truck, also plans to bring back customer favorites such as lobster rolls and crab cakes.
Borrelli said he’s looking forward to becoming part of Philadelphia’s food and beer scene.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to showcase more than a couple of beers on tap. We have a lot more to offer, variety-wise. It’ll allow us to show off a little more of our style and what we like to do,” he said.
Chimney is awaiting construction permits from the city. Once construction is complete, Borrelli said it will take at least three months to brew enough beer, putting the opening on track for late 2026 or early 2027.
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