Resurrection Ale House, Philadelphia - What's On Tap

A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly bars across the country.

The Fourth of July has come and gone, but What's On Tap wanted to continue a tradition of celebrating Independence Day in the city where it all started -- one of America's greatest craft beer destinations -- Philadelphia!

Earlier this year, the Resurrection Ale House made national news after a controversial run-in with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. But like the Patriots who built this country, they've fought the good fight, and in the end, continued to do what they do best: serve craft beer.

Resurrection Ale House opened in September 2009, one of three bars in which Brendan Hartranft is part owner. Though all of his locations feature amazing draft selections, he believes that Resurrection's list is the one that's currently most exemplary.

Read on about Resurrection Ale House and find their most recent draft list, after the jump...

When asked about the inspiration behind his bars, Hartranft admits he answers to two different constituents: his neighborhood and himself. "We want to serve the neighborhood the best way we can," he says, but at the same time, he wants to do, "what we want to do."

Serving the neighborhood is all about quality and price, "We want to be able to offer a craft beer experience with a matching food experience at a price that is as inexpensive as it can get." Nothing on the menu is over $15, he points out, insisting that quality is always at the expense of the bar's profit margin and "never at the expense of the guest."

But at the same time, Hartranft refuses to rollover and give up his vision of what makes a bar great. "There has to be a balance to it," he pontificates. "I'm not just going to put on whatever people are asking for. [Our draft list] has to have stuff that I know."

But that's why patrons go to a bar like Resurrection. They can trust that all 13 draft beers are hand-selected -- each draft line chosen for a reason by someone who knows about beer, and knows what's worth trying at any given moment. During our discussion, Hartranft admits he's really big on sours right now. Soon we're on a 15 minute tangent about the merits of this particular style.

"I can't phone it in," Hartranft stresses. Not even during a phone interview.

Check out Resurrection Ale House's most recent draft list:

• Russian Russian Consecration
• Troegs Hopback (cask conditioned)
• Petrus Oak Aged Pale Ale
• Bell's Two Hearted Ale
• Port Mongo Double IPA
• North Coast Red Seal Ale
• Hacker Pschorr Hefe Weizen
• DeKoninck
• Lost Abbey Carnevale
• OAKED Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Spezial Rauchbier
• Sierra Nevada Philly ExPorter
• Stoudt's Pils