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Sly Fox
The Sly Fox story begins in 1994 when Pete Giannopoulos, who left his job in corporate sales earlier that year to pursue his dream of opening a brewpub. As Sly Fox Brewery has grown over the years into a thriving and expanding enterprise, the one constant has been the unswerving commitment of the Giannopoulos family to its success.
Wisely recognizing that while being a brewpub was what would make them unique among most of their competitors, it was the restaurant side of their business which would be a determining factor in their success, the Giannopoulos family made Sly Fox an affordable, appealing dining option for the entire community. The effect has been to create an eclectic clientele—businessmen and woman dressed for success, a family with young children out for dinner, young people out for an evening on the town. Sly Fox has been cited several times over the years as a favorite Chester County dining spot. The open design of the main bar area and a popular outdoor drinking and dining terrace in warmer weather give the pub a welcoming and inviting ambiance that is enhanced by a friendly serving staff and knowledgeable bartenders familiar with the beers they pour.
The sense of camaraderie which pervades the pub is made tangible by Sly Fox's involvement in its community, most notably an annual golf tournament which has raised funds for local charities since the first year the doors opened.
Good food and good people have been vital to its success, but brewpubs are ultimately defined by the quality of their beers, of course, and Sly Fox quickly established itself as a beer-lover's pub. Sly Fox Amber IPA was voted Philadelphia Favorite Beer at a judging in the spring of 1996, only a few months after the doors opened, and other awards followed, including a Gold medal as "Best Bitter" for Sly Fox ESB at the annual State College Microbrewers & Importers Exposition in 1998. The first brewer was John Giannopoulos, who was succeeded in the brewhouse by Brady Van Duff, his former assistant. Van Duff was followed by in turn by Bob Waterman before award-winning brewer Bill Moore (Stoudt's, Independence) came on board in 2000-2001 and manned the kettles until current head brewer Brian O'Reilly arrived in March 2002.
O’Reilly kicked things up another notch with his talent for promotion as well as making beer. His enthusiastic efforts quickly increased off-premise sales and made Sly Fox a familiar tap handle at some of the area’s top beer bars. He created popular annual events such as the Annual Goat Race & Maibock Festival and Robbie Burns Birthday Bash, both of which draw visitors from as far away as New York and Virginia, and Incubus Friday, which fills the pub to overflowing the first Friday of each month when Incubus Triple is tapped. His beers won Bronze medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2002 (French Creek Helles) and 2003 (Pikeland Pils, an earlier version of which, brewed at a since closed brewpub, won a Gold medal in 2000). Sly Fox was voted Third Best Brewpub in the country at beeradvocate.com in July 2003 and named Philadelphia’s Best Brewery by Philadelphia Magazine in July 2004.
This steady record of success, plus a growing demand for Sly Fox beers in recent years which taxed the capacity of the 10-barrel Phoenixville brewhouse, fueled the search for a second location which the owners began in the summer of 2002. A second search turned up an ideal location at 312 N. Lewis Road in Royersford. That 12,500 square foot site, which opened in November 2004, now houses a 20-barrel brewhouse and bottling line plus a 7,000 square foot pub. With this expanded capacity, O’Reilly and new assistant brewer Tim Ohst, who arrived in April 2004, are able to meet the current demand for draft Sly Fox beers and to begin expanding the market into other sections of Pennsylvania and, eventually, neighboring states. Bottling capability will go online in 2005 and Sly Fox will produce 750ml bottles of its stronger, Belgian style beers for sale at the brewery and through retail outlets in Pennsylvania and other states.
With a full-scale brewery, two pubs, a loyal local customer base and both beer and food which attract visitors from all along the Eastern seaboard, Sly Fox moves into its tenth year of operations with the same confidence and vigor which marked its earliest days. The family business has expanded that family to include customers, friends, employees and suppliers and made itself a vital part of the growing western Philadelphia suburbs.
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