(Charlottesville, VA) – Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia’s largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is expanding into the Philadelphia market beginning in October.
The craft brewery plans to make its entire core lineup available which includes: Northern Lights IPA, Boxcar Pumpkin Porter (fall seasonal), The Love (wheat beer), Jomo Lager, Dark Starr Stout, Festie (amber lager), Starr Pils, and Double Platinum (Imperial IPA) as well as the brewery’s variety packs and All Access rotating draught-only series of beers.
“Twelve years ago it was our dream to open a world-class craft brewery in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that dream became a reality,” said Mark Thompson, founder & master brewer of Starr Hill. “We’ve been successful in Virginia and some surrounding states, but entering Philadelphia is taking the dream to a new level. Philadelphia is one of the most sophisticated craft beer markets in the country, and I can’t tell you how excited we are to introduce Philly beer lovers to Starr Hill.”
Starr Hill beers will be available on draught (1/2 barrels and 1/6 barrels) and in bottles (six-packs and 12-packs) at bars, restaurants, beer distributors and delis. The beers will be distributed by Penn Distributors, Inc. (Philadelphia) and Gretz Beer Company (Norristown, Penn.).
“Starr Hill is based in Charlottesville, but they have been well known and well respected throughout the craft beer community for years,” said Mike Gretz Sr., president and chief executive officer, Gretz Distributing. “Mark Thompson and his team brew a wide variety of craft beer styles, and they’ve been successful wherever they’ve gone. We’re thrilled to welcome them to Philadelphia, and we look forward to working with them to build the Starr Hill brand.”
“Starr Hill coming to Philadelphia is great news for anyone who is passionate about great craft beer,” said Matt Funchion, president and chief operating officer, Penn Distributors, Inc. “Mark Thompson is one of the most respected brewers in the country, and we could not be happier to be distributing Starr Hill’s full lineup of award-winning beers.”
At the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in 2011, Starr Hill was awarded a gold medal in the Vienna lager category for Jomo Lager, a light-bodied amber lager. The company also won silver medals for two of its specialty beers, Monticello Reserve Ale (indigenous beer category) and Smoke Out (smoke beer category). The company has won 19 GABF medals since its founding.
Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan. The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles. Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
