Our Story

From Tap To Table

Nothing’s More Local

than beer brewed ten feet from your table

Nothing’s Fresher

than every dressing, every stock, every sauce made from scratch. Every day.

Nothing’s Truer to Who We Are

than every dressing, every stock, every sauce made from scratch. Every day.

Trends will come and go, but great beer and delicious food will never go out of style. That’s why we stock our kitchen with the freshest ingredients to create the most delicious food, entirely from scratch. Our brewery and kitchen work in tandem with one another, helping to allow our staff to inspire recipes, from burgers and sauces to pale ales and stouts. Our kitchen is our brewery and vice versa, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

1990

A PASSION IS BREWING

Kevin Finn, one of those Delaware locals, receives a homebrewing kit from his wife for his birthday. What starts as a hobby soon becomes a passion. His friend, Mark Edelson, takes an interest and begins brewing with him. Soon, they decide to enter their beers in competitions. Surprising even themselves, they start bringing home some impressive awards.

1994

THE DUO BECOMES A TRIO

The duo begins to wonder, “Could we do this for a living?” Lucky for them, a friend introduces them to Kevin Davies, an experienced restaurant professional. It only takes a few conversations to decide that together they could open an innovative brewery and restaurant concept. It’s time to take the brewing out of Kevin’s basement!

1996

IT'S OFFICIAL

On November 14th, Iron Hill officially pours its first beer and serves its first dish at 147 E Main St in Newark, Delaware.

1997

THE BEGINNING OF A LEGACY
In September, the team decides to swing for the fences. At less than a year old, Iron Hill enters the American Brewer’s Association’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the industry’s premiere competition. Newcomers to the scene, they take the crowd and critics by surprise when their Lodestone Lager wins a gold medal. It is the first of many.

1998

NEW LOCATION. NEW BREWERY.
The trio decides to open a second location in West Chester, PA. They determined, quite boldly, that it, and every future location, would have an on-site brewery. They wanted to guarantee the same quality, freshness, and innovation that had made their first location so successful. Opening day arrives, and the annual West Chester Restaurant Festival is going on right outside. The crowd is so large that they must close for the next few days just to regain inventory and catch their breath.

2004

GIVING BACK
A pediatric oncologist (M.D.), Mark Edelson’s wife, Maureen, suggests partnering with CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Inspired by his wife’s passion for her patients, Mark speaks with both Kevin Finn and Kevin Davies about pursuing a charitable endeavor. On September 14, 2004, the team announces the Triple Chocolate Hill campaign, vowing to donate a portion of every Triple Chocolate Hill dessert sale to the organization.

2010

GOING GLOBAL

The team decides to up the ante and take their beers to an even bigger stage than the Great American Beer Festival. In May of 2010 they attend the World Beer Cup, the largest global beer judging event. Already excited about the impressive number of medals they have won over the duration of the conference, they are overwhelmed to hear their name called as the world’s “Best Brewpub”. They go on to win again in 2014 and finish as a runner-up in 2016 only by a tie-breaker.

2016

20 YEARS BREWING STRONG

The team decides to up the ante and take their beers to an even bigger stage than the Great American Beer Festival. In May of 2010 they attend the World Beer Cup, the largest global beer judging event. Already excited about the impressive number of medals they have won over the duration of the conference, they are overwhelmed to hear their name called as the world’s “Best Brewpub”. They go on to win again in 2014 and finish as a runner-up in 2016 only by a tie-breaker.

2018

POISED FOR GROWTH
With an aggressive goal of having 20 restaurant and brewery locations open by the year 2020, 2018 featured four new locations added to the Iron Hill family. The month of May included grand openings in Greenville, South Carolina, IHB’s first expansion outside of the traditional mid-Atlantic region and an additional Delaware spot located in the popular Rehoboth Beach area. Later in the year, new locations were unveiled in Center City Philadelphia and Hershey, PA to engage craft beer and scratch food fans throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

2020

GROWTH THROUGH ADVERSITY

Amidst disruptions from COVID-19 Iron Hill continues to push forward with two location openings by the end of the year: one in Atlanta, GA, and the second in Exton, PA, which will open as Iron Hill Brewery TapHouse. Additionally, with the new, large-scale production brewery at the Exton location, Iron Hill entered the off-premise beer market, with availability at retail markets in Delaware and, soon, Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

Awards

Great American Beer Festival

 2021 Gold Medal: King’s Gold, American Pilsner – Newtown

2018 Bronze Medal: Solzhenitsyn, Aged Beer category — Media

2017 Silver Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category — Media

2017 Silver Medal: Solzhenitsyn, Aged Beer category — Media

2016 Bronze Medal: Bridge St. Bock, Bock category — Phoenixville

2015 Silver Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category — Lancaster

2015 Silver Medal: The Cannibal, Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale — Chestnut Hill

2014 Silver Medal: Rye of the Tiger, Rye Ale category — Media

2014 Bronze Medal: Burton IPA, English-Style IPA category — Media

2014 Silver Medal: Bedotter, Belgian-Style Tripel category — Newark

2013 Silver Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category

2012 Silver Medal: Rauchtoberfest, Smoke Beer category — Lancaster

2012 Bronze Medal: Black IPA, American-Style Black Ale category — Wilmington

2012 Bronze Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category — Media

2012 Bronze Medal: Roggenbier, Rye Beer category — Phoenixville

2011 Silver Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category

2011 Bronze Medal: Grand Inquisitor, Barrel / Wood Aged Stout category

2011 Bronze Medal: Vienna Red Lager, Vienna-Style Lager category

2010 Gold Medal: Pig Iron Porter, Robust Porter category

2010 Gold Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category

2009 Gold Medal: Schwarzbier, German-Style Schwarzbier category

2009 Silver Medal: Raspberry Torte, American-Style Sour Ale category

2008 Gold Medal: Roggenbier, Rye Beer category — Media

2008 Gold Medal: Vienna Red Lager, Vienna-Style Lager category — West Chester

2008 Gold Medal: Saison, French and Belgian-Style Saison category — West Chester

2008 Gold Medal: Lambic de Hill, Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale category — Media

2008 Silver Medal: Cherry Dubbel, Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category — Newark

2008 Bronze Medal: Cassis de Hill, Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale category — Newark

2007 Bronze Medal: Kriek de Hill, Belgian-Style Sour Ale category — Media

2006 Gold Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Russian Imperial Stout category — Media

2006 Bronze Medal: Bourbon Ivan, Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer category — West Chester

2005 “Large Brewpub of the Year”

2005 Gold Medal: Kreik de Hill, Belgian-style Sour Ale category

2005 Gold Medal: The Cannibal, Belgian-style Strong Specialty Ale category

2005 Bronze Medal: Ironbound Ale, American-style Pale Ale category

2004 Bronze Medal: Bourbon Russian, Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer category

2004 Bronze Medal: Bedotter, Belgian-Style Abbey Ale category

2003 Gold Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category — Newark

2003 Gold Medal: Lambic de Hill, Belgian-Style Sour Ale category — Media

2003 Bronze Medal: Bedotter, Belgian-Style Abbey Ale category — Media

2003 Bronze Medal: Munich Dunkel, Munchner-Style Dunkel category — West Chester

2002 Bronze Medal: Pig Iron Porter, Robust Porter category

2002 Bronze Medal: Bedotter, Belgian-Style Abbey Ale category

2001 Bronze Medal: Wee Heavy, Strong Scotch Ale category

2000 Bronze Medal: Lodestone Lager, Munchener-Style Helles category

2000 Bronze Medal: Maibock, Bock category

1999 Gold Medal: Maibock, Bock category

1999 Bronze Medal: Vienna Lager, Vienna-Style Lager category

1998 Bronze Medal: Wee Heavy, Strong Scotch Ale category

1997 Gold Medal: Lodestone Lager, Munchener Helles category

World Beer Cup

2024 Gold: 30 E Stout Street, Stout Category – Huntingdon Valley 

2024 Gold: Philly Chili, Chili Beer Category – Newtown 

2023 Gold: 30 E Stout Street, Stout category – Huntingdon Valley

2022 Silver: Queen of the North, Wood and Barrel-Aged

Strong Beer – Hershey

2018 Silver: The Cannibal, Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale category — Maple Shade

2018 Bronze: Solzhenitsyn, Aged Beer category — Media

2016 Silver: Overload Stout, Coffee Beer category — West Chester

2016 Silver: Solzhenitsyn, Aged Beer category — Media

2016 Gold: Bedotter, Belgian-Style Tripel category — Lancaster

2016 Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, British-Style Imperial Stout category — Media

2016 Silver: Valentinus IPA, Double Red Ale category — Wilmington

2014 World Beer Cup World Champion Brewery & Brewmaster – Small Brewpub

2014 Bronze: Bock, Traditional German-Style Bock category — Phoenixville

2014 Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, British-Style Imperial Stout category — Media

2014 Bronze: Honey Tripper, Specialty Honey Beer category — Maple Shade

2014 Gold: The Golden Child, American-Style Brett Beer category — Chestnut Hill

2014 Gold: Russian 2009, Aged Beer category — Media

2012 World Beer Cup World Champion Brewery & Brewmaster – Small Brewpub

2012 Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, British-Style Imperial Stout category — Media

2012 Gold: Old Ale, Old Ale or Strong Ale category — Media

2012 Bronze: Grodzinski, Smoke Beer category — Newark

2010 World Beer Cup World Champion Brewery – Large Brewpub

2010 Gold Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, British-Style Imperial Stout category

2010 Gold Medal: Raspberry Torte, American-Style Sour Ale category

2010 Silver Medal: Crazy Ivan, British-Style Imperial Stout category

2010 Bronze Medal: Lambic de Hill, Belgian-Style Sour Ale category

2010 Bronze Medal: Abbey Dubbel, Belgian-Style Dubbel category

2008 Silver Medal: Wee Heavy, Strong Scotch Ale category

2008 Silver Medal: Vienna Red Lager, Vienna-Style Lager category

2006 Silver Medal: Cannibal, Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale category

2006 Bronze Medal: Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout category

2006 Bronze Medal: Abbey Dubbel, Belgian-Style Dubbel category

2004 Gold Medal: Wee Heavy, Strong Scotch Ale category

2004 Gold Medal: Old Ale, Old Ale category

2004 Bronze Medal: Framboise de Hill, Belgian-Style Sour Ale category

2002 Bronze Medal: Old Ale, Old Ale category

Work on the Walls

We’re not just great beer and food – we are ambiance!

The murals at all Iron Hill’s are unique and created by acclaimed artist Jeff Schaller, who’s pieces use familiar iconography to evoke memories and emotions that provoke thought from his audiences.

And that’s why we love his work – it’s ability to spark conversations is what we want in our dining rooms. That’s why in 2002, we commissioned to use the walls of our Wilmington Riverfront location as his next canvas to create an atmosphere perfect for enjoying the Iron Hill experience. It was such a hit that we’ve continued to work with him at every location since!

The TapHouse

Exton, PA

The first of its kind the TapHouse features a craft casual atmosphere with must-try food and award-winning beer. A place that allows you to come as you are and stay as long as you want. Our TapHouse also houses our large-scale production brewery, stop in for a brewery tour any time!
Visit the TapHouse