Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant (Iron Hill) is a scratch brewery and craft restaurant founded in 1996 in Newark, Delaware. The company is recognized for their craft kitchen concept and award-winning beers.
Location | Newark, Delaware, United States |
---|---|
Opened | 1996 |
Key people | Kevin Finn, Mark Edelson, Kevin Davies |
Website | https://www.ironhillbrewery.com/ |
History
Iron Hill was founded in 1996 by Kevin Finn, Mark Edelson, and Kevin Davies. Soccer friends, Finn and Edelson, enjoyed home brewing in the early 1990s; their love of beer inspired the duo to create a business plan for a future brew pub.[1]
Finn and Edelson began raising money, researching the restaurant industry, and visiting location sites for a potential brew pub in the early 1990s. Eventually, the two invited Kevin Davies, a career restaurateur, as a third partner in their venture. Finn acquired money through family and an SBA loan to open the first Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant on Main Street in Newark, Delaware.[1]
The team estimated that the Newark restaurant would produce $2 million in sales within the first year, however their success in the college centric town produced an extra million in revenue, which can be attributed to food sales.[1]
In 1998, Iron Hill opened a second location in West Chester, Pennsylvania.[2] In May 2018, the restaurant opened its first location in the Southern U.S., in Greenville, South Carolina. Iron Hill launched th 20 for 20 initiative, in which it plans to have 20 locations open in 2020, including a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia.[3]
Origin of Iron Hill name and brand
Finn discovered the geographic landmark, Iron Hill, in a Delaware book of maps, which explained the site's rich historical background. Finn, Edelson, and Davies chose the company's name after discovering that Iron Hill is considered the highest hill in Delaware and was the site of a significant battle during the Revolutionary War known as the Battle of Cooch's Bridge.[1]
The company's mark is a bird holding barley and hops, which represents two main ingredients found in beer.[1]
Products
Iron Hill Brewery exclusively serves its own beers and offers new American cuisine. Each location brews a variety of beers that are influenced by the season. The brewery's goal is to focus on small batches of beer that are creative and in line with desirable styles and flavors.[1] Currently, hop forward session IPAs are trending in America, and according to Edelson, the brewery aims to offer beers in line with this and other trends.[4] The Philly cheesesteak egg roll is a popular item, and the Drunk Monk Burger was praised as "addictive" by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, which described it as "tremendously juicy."[5] The menu also includes vegetarian and vegan options such as a hummus platter, vegetable penne, black bean vegetable burger, and several salads.[6]
Awards
Iron Hill has claimed 47 medals over 21 consecutive years at the Great American Beer Festival, along with several World Beer Cup and restaurant awards.[7] The Great American Beer Festival Awards between 1997-2018 are as follows:[8]
Year | Award | Beer |
1997, 2000 | Gold, Bronze
Munchener-Style Helles Category |
Lodestone Lager |
1998, 2001 | Bronze
Scotch Ale Category |
Wee Heavy |
2008, 2011 | Gold, Bronze
Vienna-Style Lager Category |
Vienna Red Lager |
1999 | Bronze
Vienna-Style Lager Category |
Vienna Lager |
1999, 2000 | Gold, Bronze
Bock Category |
Maibock |
2002, 2003, 2004, 2014 | Bronze, Bronze, Bronze, Silver
Belgian-Style Abbey Ale Category Belgian-Style Triple Category |
Bedotter |
2002, 2010 | Bronze, Gold
Robust Porter Category |
Pig Iron Porter |
2003 | Bronze
Munchener-Style Dunkel Category |
Munich Dunkel |
2003, 2008 | Gold
Belgian-Style Sour Ale Category |
Lambic de Hill |
2003, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 | Gold, Gold, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Silver, Silver, Silver
Imperial Stout Category |
Russian Imperial Stout |
2004 | Bronze
Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer Category |
Bourbon Russian |
2005 | Bronze
American-style Pale Ale Category |
Ironbound Ale |
2005, 2015 | Gold, Silver
Belgian-Strong Specialty Ale Category |
The Cannibal |
2005 | Gold
Belgian-style Sour Ale Category |
Kreik de Hill |
2006 | Bronze
Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer Category |
Bourbon Ivan |
2008 | Bronze
Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale Category |
Cassis de Hill |
2008 | Silver Medal
Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer Category |
Cherry Dubbel |
2008 | Gold
French and Belgian-Style Category |
Saison |
2008, 2012 | Bronze
Rye Beer Category |
Roggenbier |
2009 | Silver
American-Style Sour Ale Category |
Raspberry Torte |
2009 | Gold
German-Style Schwarzbier Category |
Schwarzbier |
2011 | Bronze
Barrel / Wood Aged Stout Category |
Grand Inquisitor |
2012 | Bronze
American-Style Black Ale Category |
Black IPA |
2012 | Silver
Smoke Beer Category |
Rauchtoberfest |
2014 | Bronze
English-Style IPA Category |
Burton IPA |
2014 | Silver
Rye Ale Category |
Rye of the Tiger |
2016 | Bronze
Bock Category |
Bridge St. Bock |
2017, 2018 | Silver, Bronze
Aged Beer Category |
Solzhenitsyn |
The company has also won several World Beer Cup and restaurant awards spanning from 2002-2018.[9]
References
- "Interview with Kevin Finn, 2016 February 2 | Hagley Digital Archives". Digital.hagley.org. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- "Our Story". Iron Hill Brewery. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- Quinn, Holly (July 24, 2019). "Iron Hill Brewery to expand into Georgia". technical.ly. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Interview with Mark Edelson, 2016 February 2 | Hagley Digital Archives". Digital.hagley.org. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- Brodeur, Mimi (December 15, 2018). "Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery in Hershey adds layer of excitement: Mimi's Picks". Harrisburg Patriot-News. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- Paolino, Tammy (March 30, 2017). "Iron Hill courts vegans, vegetarians". Camden Courier-Post. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Iron Hill Earns 47th Medal in 21-Year Winning Streak at Great American Beer Festival 2017 | Philly Beer Scene". Beerscenemag.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- Association, Brewers. "Past Winners - Great American Beer Festival". Great American Beer Festival. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- "Awards". Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. Retrieved 2018-12-03.