Dublin Brewing, a new 11,000-plus square-foot brewpub and guest winery located at 137 Wallace Ave in Downingtown, is currently being built out by owner, head brewer, and general contractor, Brendan Fitzgerald, with the hopes of opening in time for a “full-blown [St. Patrick’s Day] three-ring circus.”
“Worst case, I’m shooting for St. Patrick’s Day,” Fitzgerald tells What Now Philadelphia. “I’m born and raised in Ireland so it’s kind of a big day for me. If I could be open sooner I’d certainly like to do that, but St. Paddy’s Day falls on a Friday so it would be kind of nice to be open then.”
In addition to the brewery – which will be pouring a range of styles including lager, IPA, saison, and of course, Irish classics such as dry stouts and red ales – Dublin Brewing will also house a kitchen serving up pizzas, paninis, flatbreads, and charcuterie boards alongside Irish breakfasts, bangers and mash, and “food from the old country, some stick to your belly type of things.”
Likewise, Fitzgerald will be renting out a portion of the space to friends and Pennsylvania-based vintners, Steven Funk and Christopher Conti, who operate Patriot Wines.
On operating in the community, Fitzgerald explains, “The borough has been great to work with. I lived in Downingtown for about 20-plus years, and the town really has a great feel to it. The other people in the town, the other breweries – you know, Victory and East Branch – have been very welcoming.
“There’s sort of a unique thing in the brewing industry, it’s that we generally don’t see each other as competition. As they say, the rising tide raises all ships, and I’ve got nothing but encouragement from the others. So it’s really been a pretty supportive environment.
“And as I progress, I’d like to see if I can help somebody else on this journey when they go to do it. Just keep the love going.”
