Iron Hill brewer Bob Barrar, announced this week he is building a new brewery in Delaware County, PA in partnership with the owners of the successful Two Stones pubs.
The brewery will operate under the name 2SP, a shortened name for Two Stones. Barra was the chief brewer at the Iron Hill location in Media, PA. A story in Out and About magazine indicated the brewery will open in May in Aston, Pa.
In keeping with the collegial spirit of the craft brewing industry, Barrar was the subject of a tribute from the Iron Hill principal who overseas brewing operations. Iron Hill has grown from its first location in Newark to a dozen brewpubs in the Delaware Valley and Lancaster, Pa.
Barrar is joined by the principals of the Two Stones gastropub group Michael Stieglitz and Ben Muse in building and operating the brewery.
Two Stones got its start a few years ago when Stiglitz, a chef, and craft beer expert Muse teamed up to open the first Two Stones in 2011 in the blue collar Bookside neighborhood south of Newark, a short drive from the city’s thriving Main Street.
The Brookside location was followed with a location in north Wilmington and most recently Kennett Square. Two Stones has become known for its large selection of craft beer and innovative dishes that complement the brews.
According a release announcing the brewery, Stiglitz was approached by Barrar, his former Iron Hill co-worker, about opening a brewery.
Stiglitz says that “what sold me on doing this with Bob was that he loves beer like I love food. The money and the fame mean little compared to the smiles you see and the ‘mmmm’s’ you hear.” When invited to Bob’s house to discuss a possible brewery Stiglitz asked to see his trophy room of medals. To his surprise, Stiglitz says “Bob had to think hard about where he had put his awards. That’s when I knew he’s about passion, excellence, and hard work, not ornaments. That is who we are.”
2SP Brewing will initially be offered at the Two Stones Pub locations and the 2SP Brewing tasting room, which will open at a later date.
“Once we feel we have our feet underneath us and Bob has perfected his craft on a new system, we will begin to distribute in the PA and DE markets,” says Michael Contreras, director of sales and marketing at 2SP Brewing. Contreras, a Dogfish Head alumnus, adds that “we will initially be self-distributed in Pennsylvania, but will be interviewing for a distributor partner” and will be “seeking an immediate distributor partnership in Delaware.”
Ben Muse who will move over to the brewery will continue to oversee the beer lists at the Two Stones Pubs. 2SP Brewing plans to offer six to eight of its beers at the pubs which currently maintain more than 20 draft lines.
