Sometimes you walk into a brewery and know you’re in for a good time. And that is definitely the case with Naked Brewing. You won’t be blown away with shiny new objects on the walls, but instead the minute you walk in you know you are at a location that this whole Craft Beer industry boom was built on. A true OG, as they say. And the fact that they are celebrating 5 years in business, makes this even more true.

Naked Brewing, located in Huntingdon Valley, is nestled in the back of an industrial park. And as we mentioned above this location is what the Craft Beer industry was all about when it started out. A hometown brewery where the owner isn’t just the business owner, but he’s also your neighbor and friend.

The owner, Jim Crossland, isn’t a Johnny-Come-Lately to the beer scene, as we learned when he told his story to us (which can also be found on their website). As it goes, he got bit by the brewing bug in college in the early nineties. Back before the internet, armed with a copy of The Joy of Homebrewing and a local homebrew shop, he started creating beers for his friends and himself. So when you are drinking at Naked you know you are in good hands.

We were lucky enough to try all 11 beers on tap. Check them out for yourself….

With 11 offerings you may be concerned that the flavors begin to overlap each other. However that is not the case with Naked Brewing. There are your standard offerings such as their Naked Pale Ale and Missionary Impossible IPA. But there’s also their Tart Bunny, Jalapeno Bizness and Pomegranate Wheat. With so many offerings there is really something for everyone here.

Check out what was on draft during our visit…

Here was the complete list when we went:

• Naked Pale Ale: 5.6% American Pale Ale with Columbus, Summit and Nugget
• Stout American: Naked’s American Stout with notes of Milk Chocolate and roasty goodness
• Tart Bunny: A 4.5% American Pale Ale made with tart pink Grapefruit
• Jalapeno Bizness: Their 7.2% Saison made with, you guessed it, Jalapeno!
• Naked, Wet and Hoppy: An earthy, herbal and dank IPA brewed with hops they grew at the brewery!
• Missionary Impossible: Their 6.5% American IPA
• The Gentleman: An American Imperial Stout brewed at 10% aged on apple brandy infused oak
• Pomegranate Wheat: A 4.6% Fruit Beer brewed with caramel malts and honey infused with pomegranate.
• After Dusk: A 4.5% American Porter
• Buck Naked: A 5.7% Cream Ale which is their version of a retro cream ale that Jim says is a throwback to his old days.
• Le Petomane Aigre Cannon: A 5.6% Sour Farmhouse Ale

These delicious concoctions come from head brewer, Dave Wood, who came to Naked Brewing in September of this year from Neshaminy Creek where he was a third shift brewer. As we told you, there really is something for everyone here!

However what made our trip even better was when Jim cracked open the special release of Aloha – The Gentleman Gone Wild. A 12% Sour Ale, the first in their “Gentleman Gone Wild” series, is an imperial sour stout aged on pineapple. Delicious!

As we said this is the kind of brewery the industry was born from. When you think of the original craft beer bars what do you think of? Probably a place that locals can sit down at the bar and unwind from the day, share stories and enjoy some of the most delicious beer the area has to offer.

However just because it is your hometown brewery, doesn’t mean they don’t have an impressive set up. We walked around the brewing operations with Jim and checked it out for ourselves. Needless to say with a brewing operation like this, it is no wonder they have lasted as long as they have.

See it for yourself…

One conversation with Jim and it was clear that what he is doing is because he has a passion and wants to share that with his local community. Naked Brewing is a staple in Huntingdon Valley. If you live local and you haven’t been yet, we highly recommend it. And if you are looking for a brewery to visit with the most authentic feel around, stop by their brewery on Buck Rd in Huntingdon Valley, PA.

Make sure to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and their Website.