September 09, 2026
Provided Image/Fathers Brewing
Fathers Brewing has signed a distribution deal to make the Philadelphia region the first new market for its lagers outside California.
Fathers Brewing, an organic beer company that boasts Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson among its investors, is making its first foray out of Northern California with a deal to bring its lagers to the Philadelphia market.
The startup launched a year ago with a mission to create a "clean beer" that uses organic ingredients and a double filtration process that removes heavy metals, forever chemicals and microplastics from the final product. The company produces two beers — the 5.0% ABV Father's Lager, made with Citra hops, and the 4.1% ABV Organic Light Lager brewed with floral Contessa hops.
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Fathers Brewing co-founder Joe Cloyes said Philly was the first market the company targeted for expansion. In its first year, the brand touted rapid growth as it hit shelves at Whole Foods, Costco, Sprouts Farmers Market and other retailers in California.
"(Philly) has unbelievable beer culture, incredible loyalty and a real appreciation for brands that stand for something," Cloyes said in a statement. "Having Lane involved makes it even more special. Philly is our first step toward seeing if we can build Fathers into a truly national brand."
Johnson joined Fathers Brewing as an investor and ambassador during the brand's launch last September, and he's been spotted wearing Fathers Brewing apparel during public appearances. Washington Commanders offensive lineman Nate Herbig also is an investor in the brand.
Under the new distribution deal, Fathers Brewing is partnering with Penn Beer Sales & Service to distribute its two lagers at beer distributors, restaurants and supermarkets in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The lagers also will be available for delivery on Gopuff.
Cloyes and co-founder Conor Begley said the Fathers Brewing name comes from their wish to set an example for the next generation of beer producers. In an interview with Beer Crunchers, Cloyes said he wants to overcome the hurdles of transparency and quality that other beer makers often sacrifice during production for financial reasons.
"As we dove into the outside research around beer, we found reports that there were (Roundup), heavy metals (arsenic and lead), microplastics, forever chemicals (PFAS) so we raised a little bit of money to start independently testing all of the different mainstream beer brands and our reports confirmed what we had seen in the third party research," Cloyes said.
The term "clean beer" is sometimes used by brewers to refer to the characteristics of a beer's taste or appearance, but Cloyes and Begley say their approach targets ingredients, production processes and materials to achieve higher quality and a crisp taste. In addition to ultra-fine filtration, Fathers Brewing exclusively uses glass bottles instead of aluminum cans, whose inside liners may go through processes that leach unwanted chemicals into beer, the owners told Beer Crunchers.
"Beer is one of the worst foods when it comes to microplastics contamination and the forever chemicals that are used to strengthen those plastics," Begley said. "...We look at clean as removing the things that should not be in there beyond the ingredients we chose and may cause harm to health."
Fathers Brewing is certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, meaning all of its hops and malts must be grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. The soil used to grow ingredients also must be deemed free of unwanted chemicals for three years before anything grown on it qualifies as organic.
Fathers Brewing won two gold medals and a bronze at the World Beer Awards in 2025 and 2026.
To mark its expansion into the Philly region, Fathers Brewing is teaming up with celebrity chef and Eagles fan Robert Irvine to bring the beer to Lincoln Financial Field for Sunday's season opener against the Washington Commanders. A tailgate outside the stadium will pair Irvine's take on the Philly cheesesteak with Fathers Brewing's lagers.
After moving into Philly, the brand has its sights set on branching into Southern California early next year.
"We've tried to be very deliberate about expansion," Begley said in a statement. "We want to enter a market, build real density and prove that people come back and buy it again. California gave us that proof. Philadelphia is where we get to prove it again."
