Craft Cocktails vs. Craft Beer: Which Philadelphia Crawl Fits Your Vibe?
Philadelphia's nightlife scene has had a bit of an explosiveness to it over the last decade, and now you've got two solid paths to choose from on a night out: the hoppy world of craft beer, or the polished world of craft cocktails. Both scenes are thriving in this city, but they attract very different crowds and price points. So how do you pick?
Here's a breakdown to help you decide which crawl matches your mood tonight.
The Case for a Craft Beer Crawl.
Craft beer crawls in Philadelphia always lean relatively relaxed. Walk into taprooms and you can be sure to find some combination of communal picnic tables, rotating guest taps, board games, and bartenders happy to walk you through a flight. Fishtown and Kensington are loaded with breweries that feel equally as chill as a backyard hangout – we’re talking wander in off the street wearing sneakers and a hoodie and you’ll fit right in.
Sourced via Humble Parlor Brewing’s Instagram
The vibe is lowkey, the price point is mint with pints often in the $6–9 range, plus – many taprooms are dog-friendly and BYO-food, so you can pair your crawl with a food truck stop instead of a seated dinner.
Our top picks:
Humble Parlor Brewing (Fishtown) — a cozy 21-seat nanobrewery in a former 1920s textile mill, specializing in stouts, porters, and hazy IPAs.
Source Urban Brewery (Fishtown) — a smaller, up-and-coming spot on Frankford Avenue that's still flying under most people's radar.
Love City Brewing (Callowhill) — an industrial-chic taproom with a strong outdoor patio and a wide range of styles, from crisp lagers to rich stouts.
Tired Hands Brewery (Fishtown) — known for majorly hopped beers and cult-following milkshake IPAs.
Two Locals Brewing Company (University City) — Pennsylvania's first Black-owned brewery, worth the trip outside the usual Fishtown/Kensington loop.
The Case for a Craft Cocktail Crawl
Philadelphia’s cocktail scene has gotten quite ambitious; it’s become home to menus that read like short stories, full of house-made bitters and barrel-aged spirits. This is where the city's speakeasy culture lives, behind unmarked doors in Center City and Old City. The pacing is slower, and the atmosphere tends to be dimmer, moodier, and dressier.
The vibe on this round is intimate, even a little theatrical, with price points understandably a tad higher — meaning $14–18 per cocktail at most craft bars. Reservations also matter more here, since the best speakeasies cap capacity.
Our top picks:
1 Tippling Place (Rittenhouse) — a cozy cocktail parlor pouring classics like the Penicillin in kitschy barware.
The Library Bar (inside The Rittenhouse Hotel) — an elegant hotel bar with rare spirits and house-infused pours, bingo for a quieter, dressier night.
Condesa & El Techo (Rittenhouse) — sister spots with an extensive mezcal and tequila program; try the smoky Mezcal Negroni upstairs at El Techo.
a.bar (Rittenhouse) — dark and consistently packed, with a menu built around mezcal and Japanese whiskey.
Andra Hem (Center City) — a Swedish-style bar with turquoise walls and leather booths, pouring aquavit (a traditionally Scandinavian distilled spirit) based drinks like the Jack Rose.
Can't Decide? Do Both.
The very best nights in Philadelphia mix the two: start with a couple of pints somewhere loose and loud, then close the night with a proper cocktail somewhere hushed and dark. Old City and Northern Liberties both have enough density that you can walk between the two scenes without needing a car or a long Uber ride.
Of course, for a lot of people, the crawl is just the warm up. If you're the type who wants the night to keep going after last call at the taproom or the cocktail bar, check out our guide to Philadelphia's top nightclubs for where to keep the momentum going once the dance floor calls your name.
