Teddy Sourias of Craft Concepts (BRU Craft & Wurst, U-Bahn, Uptown Beer Garden, Finn McCool's Ale House) announces the opening of Cinder today at 1500 Locust Street. The Rittenhouse cider/sour bar and artisanal pizza kitchen features ciders and wild ales on the 32 taps and 70+ bottles. Three bell chef rated Jonathan Petruce and his culinary team will prepare pizzas, mussels, salads and small plates in the open kitchen focusing on local ingredients. Rustic pizza using creative and classical toppings will be prepared in custom-built wood-fired pizza oven. Beer will be poured from full custom design system housed in copper pipes. The bar will also pour 10 wines by the glass and over 20 wines by the bottle. The stylish and sophisticated 2,400 square foot bar and dining room seats 34 on custom built high-tops and 34 on low-tops and banquets, with 16 at the bar.

"Cinder is a unique concept that shines the spotlight on ciders and sours together for a new genre of beer bar," said Sourias. "We are essentially combining our favorite elements of a Belgian Beer cafe (our original inspiration), with a wine bar/pizza kitchen (which we think is perfect for the area). Our intention is for this marriage to deliver an product that is consistently sophisticated and compelling, but intrinsically jovial and light-hearted. The perfect place for a date or dinner out on the town, but also comfortable enough to stop in for a pint or glass of wine after a long day (or night)."

Cinder's opening hours are seven days a week starting today, from 11:00am to 2:00am. The full menu is available for lunch, afternoon and dinner service. Down the road, Cinder will launch a happy hour and special brunch menu.

For more information and to connect with Cinder, call 267-761-5582, visit www.cinderphilly.com, follow @cinderphilly on Twitter and Instagram, and like Cinder on facebook.com/cinderphilly.

OPENING WEEKEND

Cinder is open 11:00am to 2:00am this weekend, serving the full menu of pizzas, cheese and charcuterie, plus a limited selection of salads and small plates. By Monday, look for the full menu to debut, including four varieties of mussels.

All 32 taps are pouring today including 16 beers that are pouring only at Cinder. The opening tap list is found below and will pour until kegs tap. Look for updates over the weekend on www.phillytapfinder.com.

OPENING TAP LIST

2SP The Russian
AleSmith Pilsner
Allagash Farm to Face *
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin'
Bell's Best Brown
Big Hill Marmalade *
Boon Kriek
Captain Lawrence Caption's Kolsch
Cascade Elderberry *
Chimay Blue (Grande Reserve)
Christian Drouin Coeur du Lion Pays dAuge Cidre *
Coppertail Florida Jawn *
Del Ducato/Oxbow Oud Brunello
Fat Head's Head Hunter
Forest & Main Paradisaea *
Founders Backwoods Bastard
Frecon Farms Crabby Granny *
Grimm Echoplex *
Half Acre Bucket Brains *
Jack's Pear Cider *
Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Boreal
Left Hand Milk Stout
Ommegang Abbey Ale *
Prairie Ace
Russian River Damnation
Sidra Castanon *
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Troegs Scratch #265 Fresh Hop Ale *
Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout *
Wicked Weed Fille de Ferme *
Wyndridge Rye of the Cider *
Yards Brawler

* Only pouring at Cinder

CUSTOM DRAFTS

Cinder features two exclusive, custom drafts as follows:

Florida Jawn: Cara Flora

Coppertail Brewing | Tampa, FL Florida Weisse | Caracara Orange Hibiscus | 33cl | 3.5%

Jack and the Pear

Hauser Estate Winery | Biglerville, PA Hopped Cider | Pear | Simcoe 16oz | 5.0%

Both were made in consultation with Director of Operations Alex Bokulich.

CIDERS, SOURS AND BAR PROGRAM

Cinder aims to meet the growing regional demand for boutique and super-premium artisanal ales and ciders. This new genre of bar takes elements of higher-end wine and cocktail bars and mixes them with inspiration from Belgium beer bars. The focus will be on unique beer and cider program that identifies key styles that customers are passionate about, while serving them in a sophisticated yet approachable environment.

Final draft categories at Cinder will include the following 32 lines:

* Wild Ales - 8 choices
* Farmhouse & Abbey Ales - 6 choices
* Natural Ciders - 6 choices
* Crisp & Golden - 6 choices
* Rich & Malty - 6 choices

"Our draft menu is the jewel of our establishment- a fully custom 32 tap system, with beer run through copper pipes to a steel draft box behind the main bar, "said Director of Operations Alex Bokulich. "Our primary focus is on two styles that we feel are at the forefront of beer/beverage culture in America today: wild/sour beers, with eight choices encompassing Belgian classics and the cutting edge of American craft, and natural/craft ciders, with six choices displaying both traditional French & Spanish products counterpointing a full slate of PA estate grown and pressed products from local farmers and artisans. These taps will round out with a half dozen Belgian & American craft Farmhouse & Abbey ales, specific lines/profiles rotating to fit with the seasons, and the final twelve split between Crisp and Golden- focused on the new wave of American craft lagers, as well as the best and freshest IPA's available, and Rich & Malty, displaying session/mild amber ales and lagers, all the way to behemoth imperial stouts."

For wine, Cinder will pour 10-12 wines by the glass with 20 additional by the bottle with a focus on natural and organic wines. Cinder's spirits program will include full bar, with a wide selection of handmade American small batch products. Custom cocktail list will debut shortly after opening- utilizing local and seasonal ingredients.

"The wine menu was carefully chosen to mirror this ambitious draft program, with a focus on small producers and farms/farmers, and natural, organic, and biodynamic wines that are made with few additives, in order to display products that are unique interpretations of the land itself," added Bokulich.

CHEF JONATHAN PETRUCE

Three bell-rated chef Jonathan Petruce will serve as Executive Chef at Cinder. Petruce recently worked with Craft Concepts as the pop-up chef for the summer at Uptown Beer Garden. Petruce's opening menu at Cinder includes elevated versions of casual favorites - and including Al Pastor Pizza, Pistachio Pizza and Saison Mussels.

Petruce brings 15 years of experience in the kitchen working at M Restaurant, Rae, Meme, and Little Fish (which Travel + Leisure magazine named among the top 20 seafood restaurants in the country). Petruce also was co-chef of Petruce et al which garnered a three bell rating from Philadelphia Inquirer's Craig Laban and a three star rating from Philadelphia Magazine.

"Jonathan was an easy choice for us to take the helm of the Cinder kitchen, given his familiarity with the company from Uptown Beer Garden, his interest and vigor for the products that we are focused on, plus the esteem of his experience," said Sourias. "We are very excited to see the finesse and style he brings to this concept, which we have all worked extremely hard on. It is our hope that he can help us create something that is truly special."

This past summer, Petruce was brought in to consult with Craft Concepts as the pop-up chef for Uptown Beer Garden's second season. At Uptown, Petruce expanded food offerings and fired up the grill with elevated street food and skewers. The new menu, along with a major increase in tables, extended season dates, expanded bars, new special events and other changes, helped Uptown have a record year for both revenue and attendance.

After Uptown closed for the season, Petruce was tapped to help complete the team for Cinder. At Cinder, Petruce takes the lead in the kitchen - where the offerings focus on rustic pizza with creative and classical toppings and ingredients, plus local cheese and charcuterie boards, a variety of mussel preparations, elegant-yet-approachable appetizers and small plates. Dishes will be created in the open kitchen immediately visible from seating in the dining room, and the menu aims to pair with the extensive sour and cider list pouring on taps.

"I've been wanting to run a pizza-focused kitchen for many years, so this definitely is an exciting opportunity," said Petruce. "Look for a menu with some traditionally casual food but in a fun and upscale way - like al pastor pizza, cheeseburger pie, jalapeno poppers and fried chicken thighs. I'm looking forward to keeping the food as interesting as the great beverage program Teddy and Alex (Bokulich) have lined up."

MENU

Petruce's opening menu focuses on four key areas, with specific menu selections below:

Categories --

* Wood Fired Pizzas - top quality ingredients and exciting combinations (10 varieties, $11-18)
* Artisinal Cheese & Charcuterie - emphasizing local producers ($12-45)
* Mussels- four different preparations inspired by our "core" draft styles (4 varieties, $14)
* Small plates- 'haute cuisine' that's also easy and approachable (12 varieties, $9-18)

Flora --

Cinder Fries $9
Ricotta | "Wiz" | Bacon | Ranch

Broccoli Tempura $10
Spicy Mayo | Furikake

Poppers $11
Jalapeño | Cloumage | Tomato Conserva

Tuscan Zkale $11
Squash | Pepitas | Curry

Escarole Salad $13
Anchovy | Lemon | Pickled Garlic | Bread Crumbs

Carrot Salad $12
Pistachio | Mizuna | Raisin | Sumac

VIBE

Cinder features an accessible industrial interior with polished concrete floors, abundant stone and copper used in design and structural elements, smoky-greyish blue tones, comfortable bar stools, 30-foot black walnut bar, custom built bar stools, custom wood tables and lush banquettes. Custom light fixtures were personally designed by Sourias himself.

Interior design was by Teddy Sourias (owner) with Dimitri Armenakis, plus additional support from Masterminds Agency, the branding agency that helped conceptualize and name BRU and U-Bahn. Dimitri Armenakis from Lance Kramer & Associates, who designed U-Bahn, Cin Cin, Kitchen Bar and Nectar, was the architect for the project.

The open layout features a bar to the right of the entrance, with hightops nestled along the windows for people watching on Locust Street. To the left of the bar, look for banquets and two-tops with TVs for sports viewing. The center of the dining room features hightops for two to six people which all provide the perfect view into the open kitchen. At the back of the bar is a private dining area that can be roped off for special occasions and VIP guests. In the warmer months, the custom built windows will open on to Locust Street, and Cinder will offer ample sidewalk seating.

DOWN THE ROAD

Before the end of 2016, look for beer flights to debut at the bar. In early 2017, look for the launch of a special happy hour food and drink menu, as well as the debut of a special brunch menu. Until then, Cinder will be open during brunch hours (starting 11:00am) with the existing lunch and dinner menu. in 2017, also look for catering, plus the expansion of the cocktail program.

At this time, Cinder is walk-in only and is not taking reservations. For groups, events and more information, call 267-761-5582, visit www.cinderphilly.com, follow @cinderphilly on Twitter and Instagram, and like Cinder onfacebook.com/cinderphilly.