Kensington in a Day
I LIKE TO THINK OF KENSINGTON AS THE FERMENTATION PLAYGROUND OF PHILADELPHIA. Many of my neighbors are home brewers, cheesemakers, kombucha makers and sourdough heads. A decade ago, we shared our enthusiasm (and creations) at kitchen tables and on our stoops, but thanks to the recent proliferation of Kensington breweries, cideries, distilleries and craft cocktail bars, this area has become a fermentation destination. Saturday is the ideal day to visit, since some of these bright spots offer limited hours. You can bike this trip or ride the el to the Girard Ave. stop and begin your fizzy vision quest on foot.
9AM
SOURDOUGH TOAST AND COFFEE AT LOST BREAD CO.
Lost Bread Co. operates out of a garage tucked between row houses on a quiet neighborhood street. Signage is minimal, so if you get lost trying to find it, just chillax a minute and nose the air until you catch a whiff of toasted sourdough. Once you find the counter, order a pastry and whatever breakfast sandwich is served. Don’t leave without a loaf of beet rye from Lost Bread’s sourdough czar, Alex Bois.
10AM
PICK UP A MOTHER AT PHILLY HOMEBREW OUTLET
Looking for your first homebrew kit, yogurt starter or vinegar mother? Stop into this maker mecca for a conversation on kegging or to ask about the local home-brew crew that meets here for tastings. The outlet is also ground zero for beekeeping and cheesemaking supplies, plus there’s an impressive roster of weekly classes devoted to homemade soda, wine, beer, cultured butter and even handmade soap.
Breakfast tacos at Original XIII Ciderworks
11AM
BRUNCH & CIDER AT ORIGINAL XIII CIDERWORKS
Mosey across American St. to Original XIII, the area’s first cidery. Ask for a tour, taste through the line of Sir Charles Hard Ciders, then sit down for second breakfast (brunch served weekends, 10am–2pm). Local beers are on draft, plus there’s a full line of whiskeys to sample from neighboring New Liberty Distilling, also worth a stop.
1PM
COFFEE AND GELATO AT FLOW STATE COFFEEBAR
Make your way to Frankford Ave., and you can shop/thrift your way north toward a dreamy scoop of orange-cardamom gelato doused with espresso (an affogato). At this new woman-powered coffee shop cum gelateria, you’ll find a gorgeous assortment of unusual gelato flavors, like cardamom-orange and pepita, prepared by Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc, formerly of Blackbird in Chicago.
gin photo courtesy of Rowhouse Spirits
2PM
SIP GIN AT ROWHOUSE SPIRITS
A one-man distillery that produces fantastic small-batch gin, akavit, rum, whiskey and amari? Every aspiring distiller or cocktailian should meet Dean Browne, the red-bearded father of fermentation along Frankford Ave. Browne left a brewing life at nearby Philadelphia Brewing Company several years ago to launch the neighborhood’s first distillery. Enjoy a brief tasting at the counter, then grab a bottle of Bear Trap, an herbal liqueur, for later.
3PM
FIGHT FOR BARREL-AGED BEER AT FERMENTERY FORM
This tiny artisan brewery and blendery operates on a Solera system, a pyramid of barrels, for aging beer. These are housed in a narrow garage that morphs into a tasting room on Saturday afternoons (or by special announcement on Instagram, @fermentery_ form), attracting beer geeks from across the East Coast. Weasel your way in, no matter how many elbows try to edge you out. Everything on tap tastes like it was fermented by angels. Too crowded? Take a bottle next door to Keystone Mini Golf and nurse it lovingly over a game.
golf club photo by Kartouchken stock.adobe.com
5PM
PLAY BYO GAMES AT KEYSTONE MINI GOLF AND ARCADE
Keystone is basically Pee-wee’s Playhouse for adults, albeit in a former warehouse now lined with AstroTurf. It’s BYO, so you can imbibe, golf, play Ms. Pacman and shoot pinball, all while eating chips and candy from the counter. A menu of vintage arcade games is listed online.
Hoagie and pickle plate from Martha
7PM
DINNER AT MARTHA
Time for a hoagie and a lacto-fermented pickle plate. Saunter over to Martha, the neighborhood clubhouse for all things local and fermented. Chill inside or on the patio, and be sure to order a local cheese board—you might even score a hunk of the house cheese, Martha Street, made by urban cheesemaker Emiliano Tatar and washed down with Martha’s own sour beer. Don’t miss the great kombuchas on tap, including the hyper-local Funky Fresh made by Martha regular Seth Glassman.
QUICK TIP
Ditch your car. Parking can be tight in some sections of Kensington, but the neighborhood is accessible via multiple stops on SEPTA's Market-Frankford subway line. Biking is another favorite way to get here from across the city.
Your Day at A Glance
LOST BREAD CO.
1313 N. Howard St.
215.739.2904
lostbreadco.com
FLOW STATE COFFEEBAR
2413 Frankford Ave.
267.702.0280
flowstatecoffeebar.com
PHILLY HOMEBREW OUTLET EAST
1447 N. American St.
215.755.4556
phillyhomebrew.com
ORIGINAL XIII CIDERWORKS
1526 N. American St.
215.765.7000
original-13.com
ROWHOUSE SPIRITS
2430 Frankford Ave.
267.825.7332
rowhousespirits.us
FERMENTERY FORM
1700 N. Palethorp St.
267.518.3676
fermenteryform.com
KEYSTONE MINI GOLF & ARCADE
161 Cecil B. More Ave.
267.267.GOLF
keystoneminigolf.com
MARTHA
2113 E. York St.
215.867.8881
marthakensington.com
