Capone's, It's Criminal Not to Stop

It's a little over a week into the new year and I find myself already falling behind. I wanted to put this post up during the last week of December but with the holidays and traveling it kept getting pushed to the side. So before the year gets any older it's time to shout about Capone's restaurant. Capone's is located on Germantown Pike in Norristown and is a must stop for anyone who enjoys great beer. If we all think about what makes a great beer place there are a few things that show up on any list. You want a good tap selection, great bottle list, beer events and comfort food. Well Capone's covers it all and they do it very well. From the outside it looks like your standard local family restaurant. Walking in the front door doesn't do much to change that impression. The bar almost runs the width of the building with tables on the opposite side of the room near the front window and along the sides. The locals are in place on bar stools, televisions are overhead, macro beer specials are listed behind the bar and a dinning room is viewable through an archway on the back wall. But a close look at the tap handles tells you this place isn't just home to the Bud/Miller/Coors monster. A few of the beers pouring were Troeg's Mad Elf, Bear Republic Racer 5, Victory's Baltic Thunder and Founder's Breakfast Stout. If your having a hard time deciding what to drink Capone's allows you to order a sampler. Then there's the bottle selection. If you didn't notice it on your way in you will know it once you read the bottle list. This place has a treasure in the back of the building, a bottle shop.



The bottle shop is accessible through the restaurant or from the outside on the left rear corner of the building. The selection is nothing less than amazing. Many of the beers are extremely hard to find anywhere else in eastern PA. The small space holds some of the best offerings from breweries across the country as well as around the world. On any given visit you can find Founders, Bell's, Avery, Three Floyd's, Middle Ages, Hair of then Dog, New Holland, Stone, Russian River, Olfabrikken, Otto's, Fort Collins, Rock Art, Left Hand, Hoppin' Frog, East End, Voodoo, Breckenridge, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey and Mikkeller just to name a few. Of course the local craft beers are all there along with a solid selection of Belgians. Any of these beers are also available to enjoy in the restaurant.


Another plus at Capone's is the food. I can only speak for what I have had in the bar, but it never disappoints. When I come here it's typically to enjoy the liquid offerings but a night of beer with no food is not a good night. The standard bar fare is done well. The Buffalo wings are spicy, crisp and a good size and the burgers are large and flavorful. At some point I will make sure to explore the menu and actually eat in the dinning room.

Finally, what really makes this a beer destination are the monthly brewery events. A few of the events from last year included owners, brewers and reps from Bell's, Russian River (My first taste of Pliny the Younger and Elder and a growler of each for The Beer Fridge), Allagash, Boulder, Legacy, Penn, Flying Fish and Founders. These events are always a great way to taste a wide range of beers from the participating brewery and to talk a little shop. So whether its for a beer event, comfort food, to find a unique bottle, or enjoy what's on the ten taps make sure that Capone's is on your short list of great beer destinations.

Travel North for the New Year

Kelleigh and I spent this New Year's Eve extended weekend on the road traveling to a friend's wedding just northwest of Boston in Waltham Massachusetts. The weekend ultimately turned into a very, very good beer experience. Once in Waltham I decided to do a little research to uncover beer bars, breweries and beer stores within a decent vicinity of the hotel. I was surprised to find a well rated liquor, wine and beer store close and a brewery less than 2 miles away. So while the ladies were getting their hair and makeup done for the big day, a friend and I jumped into the rental car and headed towards Gordon's Liquors. Once there I searched the shelves for something new or not available in PA. The overall beer selection was average and the store seemed to cater more to the wine crowd. On the shelves were several Belgians and other imports, along with many familiar craft brews; Victory, Allagash, Rogue, Magic Hat, Ommegang etc. What I came away with were a bottle each of Cape Ann Brewing Company's Fisherman's Navigator '05, Coastal Extreme Brewing Co's Newport Storm '06. and a mix case of Magic Hat. The Navigator and the Newport were traveling back to the beer fridge in Philly and the Magic was for the wedding after party.

Later in the day we moved on to Watch City Brewing Company in downtown Waltham. We were hungry and what better place to get take-out than a brew pub? While waiting for the order I grabbed a sampler of 4 beers. The Explosion IPA, Moody Street Stout, Pie Eyed Pumpkin Ale and Father Time Winter Ale were all fairly light in taste. The explosion IPA had a good nose of pine and fruit but lacked any hop punch as the name might suggest. The stand out beer was the Pumpkin ale. The smell of pumpkin pie comes at you as soon as you lift the pint to your mouth. The cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar were all detectable. To my surprise the taste was more bittersweet than pumpkin pie sweet. The pumpkin and spices were there from start to finish with the spices lingering after the last sip. This was a very balanced easy drinking beer. Overall Watch City is the type of brew pub that would work well for someone who is trying to break away from the mainstream beers and test the craft brew waters.

The best part of this northern journey happened later in the evening during the reception. The groom who is an employee of Samuel Adams had two special treats. First was a beer he had entered in the Sam Adams Long Shot Homebrew Contest. He was a finalist in the employee competition and had a sample of his Orange Hefeweizen at the reception. The beer poured a hazy orange, had a strong banana and clove nose with a light hop bitterness from start to finish. As good as it was the evening's winner was the snifter of Samuel Adams Utopias. This was my first taste of the Holy Grail of beer. From the smell it's hard to believe this is beer. It is easy to understand why so many equate it to bourbon, scotch and brandy. The color is hazelnut and with no carbonation, there is no head. The taste is maple, butterscotch, nut, and sugary malts but is never sticky sweet. The slight bitterness is so hidden that it is almost nonexistent. Some warmth comes through as you sip, but the biggest surprise is with an abv of 27% there is no alcohol burn. Utopias is silky and smooth all the way down. This was the perfect beer to toast a friend's wedding and bring in the New Year.