Philadelphia, PA — On Monday, August 21, pioneering craft brewery Saint Benjamin Brewing Company will can River City, their authentic German-style Oktoberfest lager. The new canned beer will join their flagship Pilsner Prosim, which earned the Philadelphia Inquirer’s audience-choice award for “Best Flagship Beer” in Craig LaBan’s eighth-annual Brewvitational (click for details) earlier this year.
River City honors Philadelphia’s German brewing tradition: German immigrants brought their brewing culture with them when they arrived, though it evolved into a distinctively American style. Saint Benjamin Brewing has brought the traditional Oktoberfest style back with this classic German festbier, complementing the familiar deep copper color and rich malt flavor with a small dose of American hops.
This latest offering, available both on draft and in 12-oz cans, will join Pilsner Prosim, a Czech-style pils that is assertively hopped with Czech Saaz and brewed with decoction (cooked) malt, then canned unfiltered for a clean finish and subtle malt sweetness. River City continues Saint Benjamin Brewing’s dedication to producing clean, refreshing lagers in the true German tradition, a time-honored staple in the state of Pennsylvania.
Their commitment to old world styles caused the Inquirer’s Brewvitational judges to heap praise on Pilsner Prosim, saying in May 2017: “The brewery’s new German-made brewing system has paid off with brewer Andrew Foss’ classically crisp Euro-style pilsner, which uses a traditional decoction method to achieve a slightly darker color without any added sweetness. Judges’ comments: Bright hoppy-liciousnness; Clean and malt-forward; Light and crushable.”
About Saint Benjamin’s Taproom
Saint Benjamin’s Taproom is open from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The space features 12 taps and a beer engine, with 50 seats at the bar and at tables. Exposed brick and original plaster set a reclaimed-chic scene, while the walnut bar and wood flooring add to the warm ambiance. A glass viewing wall, directly against a drink rail, offers sweeping views into the brewery, while shelves of old books and games invite drinkers to linger and vintage photos of the brewery and the building anchor St. Ben’s as a piece of its history.