Brewers Plan to Welcome Pope With Themed Beers

Philadelphia won’t lack for brews with which to toast the pope during his visit to Philadelphia. Local breweries are jumping on the trend of producing small-batch beers with pope-themed names just in time for the papal visit on September 26 – 27. These craft- and microbreweries are having some fun with the occasion and also giving the City of Brotherly Love something to quaff during the tourist invasion. Some of the beers produced for Pope Francis’ visit include Pap Ale, You Only Pope Once, Nope, Holy Wooder, and Jesus Wept.

Holy Wooder is just one of the brews with which you can toast the pope’s visit. Image: Philadelphia Brewing Company

The beers are just part of what Fortune called “an emerging economy” coming from the papal visit in Philadelphia. From booming business in hotel stays to pope plush dolls, it’s expected that money will be flowing into the region with the occasion of the pope’s visit. Local restaurants and bars are getting excited about the visit as well. Bars like the Pub on Passyunk East (whose initials spell out the acronym PoPE) are hosting themed drinking occasions during the week around the papal visit. PoPE will hold a “Last Supper” and “Confessional Happy Hour.”

It’s likely the patrons will be drinking some of the special papal brews. Holy Wooder, a play on how locals say the word “water,” is a Belgian Tripel with a rich, savory taste that will be sold throughout the Philadelphia region. Jesus Wept is a sour German wheat beer in which salt plays a major role in the taste profile. Nope is being sold throughout New Jersey, and the name pokes fun at those who have no interest in crossing the bridge to go see the pope. No matter what your preference in beer, you are likely to find one to your taste during the pope’s visit.