AMBLER, PENNSYLVANIA
A few garage-bound homebrewers began crafting beer in 2007, then reassembled in 2018 to open their first Well Crafted Beer Company location in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. After a few years of success, the eager zymurgists expanded its seven-barrel operation with a warehoused 10-barrel setup designed as WELL CRAFTED AMBLER BREWERY & BEER GARDEN (with a third location in Skippard by 2024).
Described best as an “Industrial chic hangout,” the white-bricked Well Crafted Ambler features a random patio decked beergarden, pale green-walled pub (with marble top bar, twelve draught taps and two TV’s) and a few overhead doors. Several tables, chairs and benches fill out the concrete-floored interior. Windowed brew tanks were behind the bar and a to-go refrigerator at the right side. Mocktails, ciders, wine and light pub fare were available.
During warm Friday evening, early September ’26, following Don Bosco football game victory at Roman Catholic (of Philly), ventured in to try nine Well Crafted suds, bringing home several more (reviewed in Beer Index).
Easygoing cream ale, Philly Yo!, put mild lemony orange zesting inside grassy hop astringency and corn sugared pilsner malts.
Soft-toned kolsch, Mother Of Perle, stayed dry as lemon misting, minty lemongrass herbage and lemondrop tartness merged over white breading.
Marvelous fruited kolsch, Grapefruit Mama, relinquished juicy yellow grapefruit powdering and lemony white grapefruit souring above crisp white cracker base.
Fruited Berliner Weiss, Mango Peach, let sweet mango and peach puree guide milk-sugared yogurt souring and salty guava-gooseberry tartness thru withered white wheat base.
Zestful Margarita-skewed key lime gose, How’s It Gose, plied briny key lime souring to stylish salted coriander peppering as green mango, guava and white grapefruit tropicalia added depth.
Mocha-driven dried fruiting propelled Baltic Porter, Solen, spreading blackberry, black cherry and fig sweetness all over molasses-candied Belgian chocolate spicing.
Nitro coffee-enriched blonde stout, Pumpkin Spice Latte, regaled creamy pumpkin latte sweetness reinforced by mild cinnamon-nutmeg spicing contrasting milder lemon wedged pumpkin puree earthiness.
Dark chocolate draped soft-toned milk stout, Mystic Cow, a lightly creamed milk-sugared dessert treat with mild Bakers chocolate, Milk Dud, vanilla latte and cappuccino illusions.
Perhaps less lustrous but just as flavorful as a stronger barleywine, Page Turner, scattered dried cherry, glazed date and candied fig alongside spirited sherry-brandy wining atop toasted Maris Otter malting.