Iron Hill's Renovated Brewery Provides New Upscale Environment
Dining ,
Around West Chester, the name "Iron Hill" might be in the forefront of your mind. That's because the brewery and restaurant has been active for 19 years now. Producing a whopping 1,000 barrels at 31,000 gallons of beer a year, Iron Hill is known for its quality brews. Almost 90% of all beer served at this Iron Hill location was brewed in West Chester.
Iron Hill also provides their six signature beers, which their customers, or "guests," as they call them, can reliably enjoy: Light Lager, Vienna Red Lager, White Iron Wit, Witberry, Ore House IPA, and Pig Iron Porter, as well as roughly 10 seasonal beers. I spoke with Matt Gundrum, Senior Head Brewer, about what Iron Hill's renovated brewery offers for the atmosphere.
"Guests can watch their drinks being made, especially with the new renovation now that it's behind the bar, " Matt said. "They can sit down with a mug of beer and watch the process. And the beer is so fresh, it only travels about 50 feet to get to you. It's really brewery-fresh beer in every single glass."
Amanda Lober, General Manager, added that along with the renovated brewery, the restaurant added 40 more seats at the restaurant and bar.
"It executes our bar vibe better," Amanda said.
Amanda Lober (General Manager) and Matt Gundrum (Senior Head Brewer) from Iron Hill.
"And the open-seating is more welcoming and less congested," Matt added. "Iron Hill has shifted into an upscale, casual-type theme. We are a family-oriented restaurant."
It's true. Iron Hill has recently updated their adult and children's menus, so every guest is provided with the best and freshest products available. Best of all, everything that Iron Hill produces in their kitchen and their brewery is made entirely from scratch. That means they use the best grains and hops from ingredients imported all over the world.
"I enjoy the fruits of my labors after a day of work," Matt said. "And I see everyone enjoy them too. It's a form of instant gratification."
That people-oriented nature is something Amanda also shares.
"Iron Hill is all about the people for me. We're friends here, staff and guests," Amanda said. "With Iron Hill's mission statement to loyalty, we're really interested in their well-being."
If there's one thing that makes Iron Hill stand out among its competitors, along with the renovated brewery, it's their secured win of a medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Iron Hill has won for 21 consecutive years! Last year's win was secured by Matt with a malty, sweet, and nutty German lager.
Part of the renovated area.
Both Matt and Amanda agreed that the atmosphere around West Chester's Iron Hill is completely unique to the borough.
"We have a lot of university students on our staff," Amanda said. "They're young, eager, excited, and energetic."
"For me, I like West Chester's small-town feel," Matt said. "People know and support each other as a community. The town has a spirit of its own."
skyemcdonald
Skye McDonald
Skye McDonald of West Chester, Pennsylvania, graduated from Elizabethtown College as a member of the Class of 2017. She is passionate about her growing career in journalism, and currently is a blogger for Fig West Chester and an editorial assistant for The WC Press. Her current area of expertise is human interest features, but she is always open to new opportunities to hone her writing skills. In her free time, Skye enjoys reading and writing.