Guide to Philly Beer Gardens: 7 Spots to Drink Outdoors

Story and Photos by Danya Henninger

In the mid-19th century, Bavarian brewers discovered a new type of brewing yeast that required cool temperatures for proper fermentation and aging. They dug cellars and placed their barrels deep underground, covering the top with gravel and shady linden trees. Lager beer was born, and with it, the beer garden. As the beer scene in Philly has exploded over the past decade, beer gardens have also started popping up. Most of these outdoor drinking oases are on the edges of town, but there are also a few in Center City proper. Read on for tour of seven of the city’s best.