Sixpack Sez

Jan. 25, 2008 | Heavyweight pair downsize in a big way

THE WELL-AGED wooden bar is from an old dive in New York, the brewing equipment has been sitting in storage for more than a year, and the owners found the building on Craigslist.

Welcome to Earth Bread + Brewery in Mount Airy, where even the owners are recycled.

Or, as they say in the green movement, "adaptively reused."

Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver, the popular owners of South Jersey's defunct Heavyweight Brewing Co., are back in town.

They've been mostly absent from the local brewing scene since June 2006, when they closed up Heavyweight after a seven-year run.

Baker had talked longingly of sizing down, running a small bar and brewing just enough beer for locals. Instead of hustling to sell kegs of Lunacy and Stickenjab from New York to Baltimore, he wanted sit at the end of his own bar, drink his own beer and banter with friends and patrons.

The other day, Baker and

Zwerver were happily tramping around their "new" joint on Germantown Avenue, imagining what it'll look like when they're up and running this spring.

"We're going to open up the floor so you can see the brewery downstairs," Baker said. "And over there, we'll put some more tables . . . We're going to try to build with as much re-salvaged stuff as possible. People think that's because it's cheaper, but it's not!"

"We're just sentimental," Zwerver chirped.

"But we really believe in it," Baker said. "Restaurants are the worst wasters of energy. They just throw out their food. Well, we're going to compost our waste. And napkins? We're going to use as little paper as possible, so we'll use coasters on the bar . . . And no televisions. Sorry, I want a bar where people talk."

Said Zwerver, "Upstairs, we've got room for a sitting area, maybe a sofa."

"And a dartboard. A real dartboard," Baker added.

OK, a small, green, community-based business - that's the "Earth" part of this place.

The "Bread"? That's the menu - flatbread pizzas, complemented by soup and salads. Simple.

The "Brewery," of course, is why I'm here.

Heavyweight had a reputation for brewing huge - HUGE! - ales, full of flavor and high in alcohol. It was a cult brewery whose fans were so devoted, they volunteered their Saturday mornings to help bottle.

Earlier this month - more than 18 months after the brewery closed - devotees gathered to toast Baker at the official unveiling of Victory's new Baltic Thunder, a strong porter based on an old Heavyweight recipe.

But Baker's moving in a different direction, manifested by the first few beers he'll brew: A dunkel, a rauchbier (smoked lager) and a mild. Though they're all full-flavored, they're decidedly low in alcohol.

"One of the handcuffs with Heavyweight was that everyone expected a heavy beer," Baker said. "When I made a mild, people would say, 'That's a Heavyweight?'

"Well, Heavyweight is gone. There's no more Heavyweight. I want to make smaller beers with more balance, mostly lagers. I want something people can actually drink more than one of."

The brewhouse is tiny; they could squeeze only two fermenters into the basement. Baker figures he'll serve four of his beers along with another eight local craft beers.

This stretch of Germantown Avenue is already home to one of Philly's most popular neighborhood taverns, McMenamin's. Earth Bread + Brewery, opening just a few doors down in the former Anglesea Pub, looks to be a welcome addition.

"We never had a good local bar in Jersey," said Zwerver. "We always wanted a comfortable place to go out and enjoy good beer."

"We're building this place for ourselves," said Baker. "We just hope people come here, too."

Belgian invasion

If you missed "Belgium Comes to West Chester" last year, you missed one of the region's best new beer events. Held at Iron Hill Brewery (3 W. Gay St., West Chester), it featured a fine three-course menu paired with local versions of classic Belgian styles.

Why do I mention last year's fest? Because it's back tomorrow, and there's no excuse for missing this one. The details:

The beers: Iron Hill Barrel-Aged Imperial Wit, Flemish Red, Cannibal Nocturnum, and Fe10, with Stoudt's Dubbel; Stewart's Stumbling Monk; Sly Fox Saison; Harpoon Wild Ale and Belgian Brown; General Lafayette Abbey Blonde; Flying Fish Bourbon Abbey Dubbel; Troeg's Mad Elf; Nodding Head Otay; Victory Abbey 6; and Dock Street Imperial Wit.

Taps open: 4 p.m.

Info: 610-738-9600. No cover, pay as you go.