Human Robot Brewery is opening a new taproom in South Philly

Human Robot Brewing opened its first South Philly outpost last weekend at the site of the former Separatist Beer Project on East Passyunk Avenue.

The Kensington-based craft brewer’s new tasting room at the corner of 12th and Morris streets is the fourth to open since Human Robot burst onto the Philly beer scene in early 2020.

The South Philly space features 12 taps and a “milk tube” that produces foam-filled beers using special equipment imported from the Czech Republic. Human Robot is considered the originator of the milk pouring trend that has become popular in breweries across the region in recent years.

“In the Czech Republic they make what’s called a mliko-pour, which is a full cup of foam,” says Jake Atkinson, co-founder of Human Robot told PA East. “A cup is a bit much to drink, so one evening we put it in a Kolsch glass that we called a Stange and called it MilkTube.”

Proper milk pouring is done using a device called a Lukr faucet, which controls the flow of beer with a series of filters for perfect foam density. Human Robot called the South Philly taproom a “work in progress” but said it will have a Lukr tower with three taps in the near future.

Like Human Robot’s other locations, people will have to bring their own food into the South Philly taproom if they want to eat there.

“Right now we are BYOF(ood), but we all know there are a variety of places on (East Passyunk Avenue) that will fill you up,” the brewery said wrote on Facebook before the soft opening.

Human Robot typically works with food partners at its other locations. The brewery’s headquarters on North Fifth Street in Kensington shares space with Poe’s Sandwich Joint, and the Jenkintown location, opening in 2022, will feature German-American dishes from Herman’s on-site.

In the spring, Human Robot opened its third location in a Center City area overlooking the Schuylkill River. This location sells Side Project Jerky to fulfill its legal obligation to serve food, but Human Robot also recommends customers visit local restaurants.

The Separatist Beer Project, originally founded in Easton, closed its South Philly location at 1646 S. 12th St. in the spring due to licensing problems. The brewery announced its permanent closure At the end of last month. Human Robot now has a five-year lease there. Its brewery license in Philly allows for two satellite locations in the city; The Jenkintown taproom operates under a separate license.

Human Robot’s expansion bucks recent trends in the craft beer industry, which has suffered a setback this year. After more than a decade of growth in the US, Forbes reported This month, consumers drank less beer and instead turned to other alcoholic beverages, including spirits and canned cocktails. In an increasingly competitive market, there are a few craft breweries have experienced declines in sales And others have closed after the industry’s boom phase.

At Human Robot’s new taproom in South Philly, children are allowed under close supervision and dogs are welcome outside only unless they are service animals.