Tucked away in the warren of South Philly lanes is a gem of a cider taproom. Hale and True is what you would expect from a Bella Vista drinking establishment: modern, sharp and new, yet warm, familiar and antique. With a Villanova-Seton Hall basketball game on a big screen, this feels like it could be any bar in South Philly. Indeed, one of the goals of owners Risa and Kerry was that this taproom would first and foremost be the ‘local’ of those who call this neighborhood home. (Which is good because parking is impossible unless you pay the parking barons who control the only lot a couple of blocks to the East) And though it has that laid back and friendly vibe of a sports bar, when one looks around they also see a sharply appointed and sophisticated interior. Again the décor promotes the mesh of new and old mirrored in the neighborhood with sophisticated contemporary cool colors and straight lines to go along with the hand-made bar crafted by Kerry’s father who used the reclaimed wood Kerry had helped his dad to collect since the age of ten.

When it comes to ciders, the main attraction, (though they serve Kombucha, cocktails and beer too) the owners have a strong sense of mission to educate people about the drink. They hold classes that are open to the public to come and learn how to make cider in H&Ts creation space windowed in just beyond the bar. They consider themselves to be producing thoughtful ciders, somewhere between heritage and modern cider making, and their menu confirms that. While they have a number of familiar ciders in the lineup—most falling on the dry side—they also like to do a lot of experimentation in the basement of the taproom and they occasionally bring out their creations as a special cider of the night or one of their "basement series" lineup. I wish I was in Philly more often so I could go back frequently to see what they bring out next, but if you are nearby, go check them out.