Sly Fox Brewing Co. — From Microbrewery to Official Craft Brewery

Sly Fox Brewing Company is a local microbrewery no more. According to the Brewer’s Association, they are now designated as a regional craft brewery. The Brewer’s Association defines a microbrewery as a facility that produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year. A brewery that produces between 15,000 and 6,000,000 barrels receives the regional craft brewery designation. One barrel of beer equals 31 gallons.

Sly Fox has been growing ever since they hit the brewing scene in 1995. In 2012, Sly Fox opened a new 30,000 square foot production Brewery in Pottstown, PA. which helped them increase their production and distribution within six states and the District of Columbia.

“We packaged our 15,000th barrel sometime around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, when the first cases of Helles Golden Lager spun through the canning line that morning,” Sly Fox director of brewing operations Tim Ohst said in a news release. “I’m surprised no one noticed tectonic movement when we shifted from micro to regional at that exact moment.”

The brewery has also revolutionized craft beer in cans. In 2006, Sly Fox opened the first craft beer canning line in the Mid-Atlantic region. The awarding of a Gold Medal to Sly Fox Pikeland Pilsner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in Denver marked the first time a GABF medal of any sort had been given to a canned craft beer. Additionally, Sly Fox became the first North American Brewery to offer 360 end cans with the launch of Helles Golden Lager.

Sly Fox currently cans 10 different craft beers and plans to release additional varieties in 2014. They also package some special release beers in 750 milliliter corked bottles.

The brewery is well known for their fun, quirky events like the Bock Festival & Goat Race, CanJam Music Festival and even now has a Track Club for those who want to combine their run with a bit of beer.