13 Roller Coaster Years of Craft Brewing at Tired Hands Brewing with Jean Broillet IV

On June 13, 2025, the Tired Hands Brewery celebrated its 13th anniversary of continuous brewing in the Philadelphia suburbs. To celebrate the occasion some special beers were released, and a special VIP tasting was held with Jean Broillet IV – the founder and original owner of the highly acclaimed brewery that has gained world wide attention. A lot has happened to the craft beer business in the past 13 years, and the story of Jean and Tired Hands reflects and illustrates that crazy narrative. In the following article I will share some of my experiences of “being there” with Tired Hands from the very start in late 2011.

At the end of 2011, suburban Philadelphia home brewers and craft beer aficionados were abuzz about the news of a new craft brewery being built out in an old storefront on the corner of Ardmore and Lancaster Avenues in Ardmore PA – about 10 miles west of Philadelphia on the Main Line. Ardmore was always a tad more on the “Bohemian” side of the “Bohemian Bourgeoisie” Main Line suburban scene. It had a live music venue (Ardmore Music Hall) a craft beer bottle shop, independent coffee shops and even was a stop on a train to New York City. While Ardmore had a bit more of an urban feel than many of the other suburbs, would a craft brewery work there? Would Ardmore accept it – and who is this very young looking Jean guy from the Weyerbacher, Victory and Iron Hill brewing lineage?

The Early Years 2012 – 2014

We were all very excited and some home brewers actually helped in the final fit out of the brewery, Jean invited others in before the official opening. I remember him showing me his 5 barrel brewhouse crammed under the main floor “It’s really not that much more than your home brewing set up” he told me while smiling. To generate more start up capital he set up a “Supporters Club” where you paid a small lump sum up front and then got discounts on his beer over time to get the value back. I still have the glassware and t-shirt that came with joining the club. I used up my discount quite rapidly.

Well, his attention to detail, focus on quality and brand image – and most of all his very interesting beers with strangely inventive names took hold quickly. It rapidly became a must visit spot for local beer appreciators. An early collaboration beer brewed with Hill Farmstead’s Shaun Hill, was a harbinger of the intriguing saison’s, sours, hazy IPA’s and milkshake beers yet to come. Early on Jean was a very visible figure at the brewery most evenings, wandering the floor scanning for things to straighten out, talking about beers with patrons – many who looked at him like a brewing “rock star”.

He drew some unusual art (he called himself an “Organoleptic Cartographer”) which added to the edgy and somewhat mysterious “coolness” of his brewery’s vibe. I remember at one time telling him that I thought Tired Hands was the “Evil Twin” of the well regarded “Forest and Main” brewery in nearby Ambler Pa. He laughed at the idea – but also seemed thoughtful about my assessment.

 

In those beginning years Tired Hands beers were not available anywhere but the brewery itself, and the only take out was in the gallon growlers – wrapped with the TH arms/hands design that became his early trademark.  I recall seeing revered local brewer Tom Baker (Heavyweight/Earth Bread/Bar Hygge) and his Wife Peggy walking into the Brew Cafe one evening while I was walking out – we nodded to each other as we both knew this was the place to be right now for real beer appreciators.

 

 

The Fermentaria and Tired Hands Fever – 2015 – 2020

Things really took off in 2015. That was when Jean opened the much larger “Fermentaria” nearby the original Ardmore sight, at the same time that the interest in craft beer was peaking across the nation. An old, derelict trolley maintenance shed on Athens Ave was refurbished into a significantly sized production brewery with a large, open drinking and eating space. His lactose laden sweet milkshake IPA’s had become the “It Beer” and eager craft beer fans lined up around the block for the opportunity to buy a case. (He also offered standard pale ales like “Hop Hands” and hoppy double IPA’s like “Alien Church”). 

The daily lines around the brewery went on for months, and after a while people would bring their beach chairs and line them up to hold their spaces while they escaped the hot sun. Legend has it that at one point someone came by in a pickup truck and started taking the chairs and throwing them in the back – until they were stopped by local authorities. When asked to explain why they were taking the chairs, the thief showing the police a Facebook post which stated “Free Beach Chairs In Ardmore” with the Tired Hands address. It seemed that not everyone was happy with the runaway success of Jean and Tired Hands.

As time went on, the Tired Hands Fermetaria would attract home brewers, professional brewers, craft beer stars and wannabes alike. People came from all over the country to sample Tired Hands brews, swap hard to find beers and just hang out and catch the vibe. While the lines around the block eventually subsided, Jean and Tired hands continued to build out capacity and innovative flavor first beer styles. They added horizontal tanks to the brewhouse for authentic lagering, and huge wooden and concrete “foeders” fermentors for treating their more exotic brews. 

Changes and Moving On – 2021 – 2024

The stories about how in May 2021 Jean stepped away from day to day operations of the brewery due to pressure resulting from accusations of creating a “Bro-Dude based toxic work environment” are well chronicled, you can Google them if you want more detail. Personally I don’t know what happened, though I read the allegations just like all ofter local fans of Jean and his beer. I do know this, Jean could be a difficult person to read, some days he was downright charming and accessible, and some other days he appeared to be reclusive and distracted.

You’d never know which Jean you might see – the one that offered me a batch of free house yeast for home brewing or the one that turned away from me when I walked up towards him. That said, I can see how some people might interpret that unpredictable personality as being used in a purposeful manner. Craft brewing was and still is a white male dominated business, and I think there’s no question that there could some bad apples out there. The Tired Hands team had some work to do to right the perception of their brewery, and so they went to work.

For a while Jean was no longer visible, though he was still there in the background and helping direct his brewery’s future – slowly, carefully and purposely. In 2023 several articles announced that “he was back” at the brewery. In the meantime the brewery kept releasing a wide array of styles from very traditional Lagers and Kolsh’s to crazy flavored high ABV IPA’s. Now their beer was available on tap and in local beer stores and local direct delivery as well. 

New Tired Hands facilities in Kennet Square, beer gardens and tap room locations appeared including a taproom in Philly’s Fishtown section and 5 other locations as of 2024. Tired Hands had absorbed a major blow of 2021 but the company and management kept their head down but kept on chugging along, While no longer “the It Beer” anymore, their quality and innovative approach to brewing interesting high quality beers pretty much stayed on course. The brewery is reported to be producing more than 10,000 barrels a year at their Fermentaria location.

 

Tired Hands Today and the Future – 2025 and Onward

So, what’s going on 13 years from the start of this roller coaster story? When I first saw Jean in the brewery that June day in 2025 I was astonished to see him in glasses and appearing skinny as a rail – dressed in his typical black outfit with work boots and black baseball cap. Moreover though, he seemed happy, and not too concerned at all at the relatively small turnout for his brewery’s birthday VIP event. He was talking energetically with the patrons, laughing and sharing stories – pouring his beer and even talking about the future – his and his brewery.

He told me that he felt great about where Tired Hands was, and proud of helping to shepherd it through 13 years of “slow sustainable growth”. I asked him about why he appeared so very thin and he replied “I don’t drink beer anymore” …then said, “no, I actually still do”. But then he told me that he felt that he has more or less “done all he can do in beer” and was looking for his next act. Jean said that as a parent and now a bit older, he is more concerned about health and a healthy lifestyle. He is an avid cyclist and wants to get more involved in something health related.

He said he had designed some activewear – a windbreaker. I asked him about his read on the explosive growth of NA Beer – and the widely popular belief in its health benefits. He asked me – “Have you had my Non-Alcohol Alien Church IPA” yet? I told him I hadn’t so he sprinted off and got me a can. I can honestly say it was pretty darn good, nice body and flavor – especially for an NA beer- and I told him so. He then said “it took me over one and a half years to create the recipe I liked”. I then asked him why he thought no one had put out an NA Saison beer yet…Jean just smiled his certain smile and said…. “Just wait”.

I then asked him about how he felt about the impact he had on the local brewing scene. I told him that the owners and brewers at Farm Truck Brewery of Medford NJ had met at a beer swap at his Fermentaria. I also told him how the owners and brewers of one of my favorite newer craft breweries – “The Seed” in Atlantic City had called him out as a major influence on their brewing approach. He said that he had heard of The Seed and liked their graphics, but appeared either oblivious or disinterested in discussing the influence of Tired Hands on these and other breweries.

I asked him what he thought about Philadelphia’s Yards Brewing forming a partnership with two other breweries to get through the current industry headwinds. He seemed surprised and said he hadn’t heard about that. He said he was still happy with his beer and his brewery, but that he would be on to something else as well, not exactly sure what – but that he had lots of ideas. Shortly after the anniversary event it was announced that Tired Hands old original Ardmore Avenue “beer cafe” was rebranding itself to “The Ardmore Brewing Company”, refreshing it’s look, reducing it’s beer list and adding more craft cocktails – though still run by Tired Hands.

I would never bet against Jean on executing his vision successfully, and I look forward to finding out what he may create in the next 13 years. It’s not always been a smooth ride for Tired Hands – or the craft beer industry since 2012, but it’s been an interesting and exciting one to observe and for a craft beer appreciator to be a part of.