Napa for Beer Take 2

The second day in Napa was dominated by wine tasting. We hired a car and driver to whisk us around to several wineries so that we didn't have to deal with the drinking and driving thing. The early evening however was dedicated to beer. Just north of the town of St. Helena is the Silverado Brewing Company. The brewery/restaurant is located in the Freemark Abbey winery building, an old stone structure that immediately reminds you of a medieval castle. Unfortunately the architecture is about the only thing that was great about this brewery. I should revise that statement, we didn't order any food so that may be bearable and the bartender on duty was pleasant but the beer was lacking. I ordered the sampler and didn't find a need to finish it. The problem with all the beers tried were that they lacked flavor. The Blonde Ale, Krolsch, Amber Ale, Pale Ale and Oatmeal Stout all tasted like watered down versions. The only beer that came across with any flavor was the Meebock which was a fairly malty Maibock. After hearing so many good things about this place I was very surprised. However the beer that is often discussed and complimented, the IPA, wasn't on tap. Hopeful it is far better than the beers currently available. If you decide to make the stop skip the sampler, sit outside, try the Meebock and enjoy the architecture. Silverado provides a comfortable place to break from the wine trail.

The last stop of the day wasn't beer related but it did deal with well crafted items. Just south of St. Helena on the way to Napa we came across the St. Helena Olive Oil Company. Inside the store the expansive floor space was set up with individual table displays allowing everyone to taste and discover their favorite olive oils. It seemed odd at first to sample oil but with so many different types and flavors it was soon easy to understand all oils are not the same. It's not just extra virgin, the Olive Oil Company creates jalapeno, orange, garlic, basil, lemon and many other varieties. The store also sells vinegars, sauces, honey and of course wine. This was truly a tasty find and the first time that a sampling of olive oil was more enjoyable than a sampler of beer.

Beer by the Strawberry Moonlight

This beer happening took me by surprise and if it wasn't for a thoughtful email I may of missed it. On Wednesday June 18th Chris Depeppe owner of Total Bru Marketing held his Full Mooner VI Beer Tasting at J.L. Sullivan's Speakeasy in Center City Philadelphia. Chris puts together a tasting of select craft beers on the eve of the full moon. This was the night of the strawberry moon and the event was appropriately named. Like Grey Lodge's Friday the Firkinteenth, Full Mooner is controlled by the calender and with some quick research it is easy to figure out when the next one occurs. This was the first tasting at J.L. Sullivans and Chris said that he tries to use different venues for each one. The crowd had the chance to sample beers from Legacy Brewing, Ommegang, Lindemans, River Horse, Dogfish Head and Lancaster Brewing. The cost to taste all evening is a small donation of $10.

http://www.beerheads.com/

http://www.totalbru.com/

So Lucky

The past weekend started early and ended up being a good beer weekend. It all started on Thursday night with the Southampton Publick House event at Capone's. The beer started pouring at noon, but I didn't get there until 5pm. The bar was filled with the normal locals who have no idea what Southampton is, the dedicated Beer Advocate crew and the rest of us beer aficionados. Matt Capone had 11 Southampton beers on and Spencer, the brewer/promoter, was on hand answering questions and expanding our Southampton knowledge. Of the beers I tried the standouts were the Imperial Porter and the smooth, malty ABT 12, a Belgian style quad that I paired with a large bowl of mussels. Who needs a trip to Belgium with that combo? Spencer mentioned that I had made a mistake not trying the Russian Imperial Stout but I had reached my limit. Capone's continues to bring some of the best beer and brewers to the area on a regular basis. Anyone who is beer minded should look forward to Matt's next promotion.


The bigger of the weekend activities was the Friday the Firkinteenth gathering at the Grey Lodge pub in Northeast Philly. The firkins were pouring at 12:00pm and the bar was already elbow to elbow. I was lucky enough to get in good with a group of people who had seats at the bar and from then on had no problem getting refills all afternoon. The event is unique since it is only held on Friday the 13th and firkins provide most of the beer consumed. The list of beers was stunning (see last post) and having them from a firkin reminds you how truly different fresh beer tastes. I survived the first 5 hours and made it through several tappings. The beers sampled were, Flying Fish Snake Dog IPA, Stoudt's Black IPA, Sly Fox Standard Ale, Flying Fish Hopfish, Victory Hop Wallop, Ithica Brewing Flower Power, Iron Hill Scottish Ale, Nodding Head IPA, Weyerbacher Old Heathen, Philadelphia Brewing Co. Special Blend, Dock Street Satellite Stout, General Lafayette Summer Ale, River Horse Special Ale, and Clipper City Loose Cannon. Fortunatly Scoates and his crew gave the choice of a pint or a smaller 4 ounce pour. The smaller pour made all the sampling possible. To choose a standout among that line up was difficult but since I am still ridding my hop wave Hopfish and Flower Power both topped the list. Each smelled like liquid hops. The Flower Power poured pale orange with almost no head. The aroma was huge floral hops and the taste was citrus and pine. A biscuit maltiness arrived in the middle and the finish was bitter. The Hopfish was more of a surprise. This one was far different from the bottle version. Compared to the bottle the hops on the fresh beer were very pronounced and didn't fade. A slight malty sweetness also stood out. If I hadn't seen the firkin I wouldn't have guessed it was Hopfish. Unfortunately I had to leave the bar at 4:30 so I don't know what the evening festivities were like. I am sure with such a great start Friday the Firkinteenth was a huge success with those coming in after work. The only bad thing is the next Friday the thirteenth isn't until next year.

One Lucky Weekend

Thursday June 12th
The beer weekend starts today, Capone's is hosting a Southampton Publick House night. Southampton is located on the South Fork of Long Island and they have been brewing award wining beer since 1996. Matt Capone has put together a fantastic line up of their beers and the taps start pouring at noon. Starting at 5pm assistant brewer Spencer will be making the rounds and discussing his creations. So save the time and the tolls and relax with a bit of the Hamptons in Norristown.

Southampton Publick House

Irish Dry Stout

Scottish Ale

Maibock

Russian Imperial Stout

Imperial Porter (2006)

IPA

Secret Ale

Cuvee Le Fleurs

ABT 12

Helles Lager

Double White

Friday June 13th

"So do you feel lucky?" Well ya should because Friday the 13th means that it's time for the Grey Lodge's 17th Friday the Firkinteenth. Probably the most uniquely timed and named beer event ever created. The concept is simple 7 random firkins will pour at any time and a new one is tapped when one kicks. So what is a firkin? A firkin is a size of cask (10.8 US gallons). OK but what is a cask? A cask is a type of barrel that is typically placed on the bar (it's small) and dispensed using gravity or a hand pump. Cask conditioned ales tend to have more hops, sugars or wort added when barreled to create a secondary fermentation in the barrel. A natural carbonation takes place and the beers are usually served at a higher temperature than typical draft beer. These are some of the freshest beers available and often brewers bring out very interesting and hard to find offerings. Class dismissed. All the festivities begin at noon.

Grey Lodge Friday the Firkinteenth

(list from Grey Lodge website)

Appalachian Hoppy Trails IPA
Arcadia Hopmouth Double IPA
Bells Two Hearted Ale
Clipper City TBA
Dock Street Satellite Stout
Dock Street Rye IPA
Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA
Flying Fish Hopfish, dry hopped with Simcoe,Amirillo and Chinook.
General Lafayette Wayside Summer Ale,
Iron Hill (North Wales) Ironbound APA. "We'll dry hop it with something cool....."
Iron Hill (West Chester) Scottish Ale. 3.6% abv
Ithaca Flower Power IPA (pin) and Oaked Nut Brown (pin)
Lancaster Amish Four Grain
Legacy Dear Abbey Dubbel
Nodding Head IPA
Philadelphia Special Blend
Porterhouse Weizen Bock or Hoppy Lager
River Horse Special Ale, easy drinking British style amber ale, 4.5% abv
Sly Fox Standard Ale
Stoudts Black Eye PA
Troegs Sh#tless Hopback. Nick says he is going to dry-hop the sh#t out of it.
Victory Hop Wallop
Weyerbacher Hops Infusion
Weyerbacher Old Heathen

Napa for Beer?

We arrived in the town of Napa in the early evening after spending most of the day in Healdsberg (see last post). By the time we checked into the hotel and got settled Kelleigh was in no mood to go out. However my energy level was still fairly high so I took off for downtown. Luck was on my side or it may of been my navigation system either way I found Downtown Joe's American Grill and Brewhouse with no problem. Located at the corner of Main and Second in downtown Napa the place is hard to miss. Walking in I grabbed a seat at the bar, scanned the beer list and started with the Tantric IPA. No matter what the season or the weather I can't break my desire for hops. The beer was good but what made it even better was watching the NHL playoffs. Who would guess I'd be watching the Pittsburgh Penguins smack around the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals while enjoying a beer in a Napa brewery? Life is good. Sorry Flyer fans but my heart is with my hometown team. The Penguins win was fantastic but what made this place great that night were the people. It's one of those places where there is a mix of locals and tourists but it feels like you are drinking with friends because the conversation is so free flowing. I discussed beer, marriage, scotch, traveling and sales with a regional sales manager from San Diego and a local biker. The conversation took place over a pint of Ace High Pale Ale followed by the Golden Thistle Very Bitter Ale. Hops were definitely ruling the night. Overall the beer was slightly above average. To my surprise the Golden Thistle stood out. The bitterness in the finish is what made this beer memorable. Not overly abrasive but enough bitterness to put a good bite on the tongue. After I finished my third beer I left the conversation and headed back to the hotel for the night with more knowledge on scotch and marriage than when I walked in. Overall Downtown Joe's was a decent beer oasis in a town built on the grape.

More Napa to Follow.

Yes There is Beer in Wine Country

Our first full day in wine country started in Santa Rosa with a stop at Russian River Brewing Company and Third Street Ale Works (see last post). After exploring the beauty of Santa Rosa we headed north for Healdsburg. The drive took under 20 minutes so it wasn't long before we started our wine tasting part of the trip. As much as I would enjoy spending the day searching out great beer spots we were in the middle of wine country. Now when it comes to wine Kelleigh is the queen of the grape. I on the other hand know what I like and not much more. The wine tasting experience for both of us was fantastic. Just having the opportunity to learn more about the wines being sampled, who made them and the details of each vineyard was fascinating. My greatest fear was that we would end up at places that were so pretentious and expensive that I would have to walk out to avoid making some smart ass comment. Fortunately the places we went were relaxed, affordable and inviting. The wineries were right in town (Toad Hallow, Thumb Print, Kendal Jackson and La Crema) and the proprietors were quick to answer questions and did everything to make a wine novice comfortable. I wish we would of had more time to venture along the Russian river to visit the larger vineyards, but a late start and consumption slowed us a bit. However we did find time to stop by Bear Republic Brewing Company which is located in the heart of Healdsburg. The great thing about the brewery, unlike the wineries, was it stayed open past 5pm. Hooray for beer!

The over all feel of Bear Republic was laid back. After all it's California. The brewery takes the outdoors inside. A mural of the Russian river with a sky full of balloons covers the back wall, bikes hanging from the ceiling and a snowboard hovers over the tap list at the bar. As cool as the decor was the important thing wasn't what was on the walls but rather what they put in the glass. I had hoped to get a taste of Racer X but it was not to be. Instead I enjoyed the excellent Racer 5 and Batch 1092. The Batch 1092 is a bourbon aged barleywine. Since I have a real fondness for barrel aged beer and this one hasn't made it to PA I was especially happy to get it. The beer poured a golden amber with a thin white head that faded quick. One sniff and you knew the bourbon was completely up front and a taste confirmed it. The bourbon really shined through with hints of cherry, raisin and oak. Though the taste was fairly sweet at first it slid to the tart side during the finish. I only wish I could of had more than one but we still had dinner, a bottle of Chardonnay and the drive to Napa ahead of us. Bear Republic was the perfect place to enjoy award winning beer and take a break from all the wine tasting. It makes the trip to wine country more bearable (bad pun) for any beer geek.

Next stop Napa.

Journey to the Left Coast

After two wonderful weeks we have returned from our honeymoon. The trip took us to Napa, Sonoma, San Francisco and Maui. Everything from the food, to the wine, to the island activities was top notch. I will skip the details of most of the food and wine we consumed and go straight for the beer. I made a point to stop at as many beer locations as possible with out driving Kelleigh over the edge. I have to hand it to my wife (that still sounds funny to say) she was more than a trooper when it came to exploring breweries. A lesser person would not put up with my beer geek ways. That's one of the reasons I married her.

Our first day was in Santa Rosa, CA and we started the beer exploration on a very high note. Russian River Brewing Company was the first beer stop. I wont say that everything after this was downhill but the bar was set high. It's very hard to beat sitting at a bar drinking fresh Pliny the Elder and Salvation with lunch. The room was wide open with a half wall that split the dinning room and bar area. High ceilings and huge windows across the front of the building add to the airy feel. A few chairs and table were also set up outside in front for those who want to enjoy the California sunshine. The bartender was very attentive but then again it was only 11:15am and Kelleigh and I and a few locals were the only ones in the place. He made sure to give us some good info on the beer and even tossed in a few samplers along with our orders. I drank Pliny the Elder, Salvation, Damnation and shared a sampler of Belgian style beers. I can't say anything bad about the place, all the beer was amazing. If I lived in Santa Rosa my butt would be planted on a bar stool at Russian River on a regular basis. Unfortunately this is not home and we couldn't spend the whole day here. So once we finished lunch I grabbed a bottle each of the barrel aged Supplication, Beatification and Temptation and continued our tour.

The second stop in town was Third Street Ale House which was only three blocks from Russian River. Walking in the first impression I got was this place feels like a beach/shore bar. That's not necessarily a bad thing just not what I was anticipating. We were there just after 12:30PM so the lunch crowd was flowing in but my guess is the place is packed with twenty somethings on Friday and Saturday nights. Kelleigh was set to start the wine tasting part of our trip so I had only one beer here, the Marzenfest. If I was smart I would have taken tasting notes. All I can remember is the Marzenfest was deep amber in color, fairly malty and had a well balanced roasted taste. Although the one beer I had was good I couldn't help but think that this brewpub and it's beers are always in the shadow of Russian River Brewing Co. Hopefully both will continue to comfortably coexist.

Next stop Healdsburg CA

The Big Trip

Yes, I am on my Honeymoon. Napa, San Francisco and Maui are our stops and beer will be consumed along the way. More details on the trip and the beer when we return. Aloha.

Bring Out Your Goats

Ahhh the smell of spring is in the air so it must mean it's time to grab a goat and head to Sly Fox brewery in Phoenixville for their annual Goat Race & Bock Festival. The fun happens this Sunday May 4th. The main event is the muti heat race that pits the area's most athletic goats against each other. The winning goat has the privilege of having Sly Fox's annual Maibock named after him or her. The beer is then tapped and served at the end of the race. The day also includes German food and music and of course Sly Fox beer. Expect to drink Slacker Bock, Instigator Bock, Helles Bock plus two Eisbocks and the Maibock named for the winning goat. All the spring time activity starts at 11am with the races starting at 2pm.

Way Late on this One

Wow, I think I just set a record for posting late. The Capone's Bear Republic night is close to two weeks old and I am just now getting to a review. If I have any excuse it's that work, a bachelor party and final prep for our wedding have taken precedence over the blog. Well better late than never. Since it was so long ago and I didn't take notes I have to pull this from the back of my brain.

I arrived at Capones early for this one, grabbing a bar stool around 5pm. Typically for an event I arrive after 7pm. The crowd was thin but I am sure it was because of the time. The list of beer from Bear Republic was great, Black Bear Stout, Hop Rod Rye, Red Rocket Ale, XP Pale Ale, Racer 5 and the hard to find Racer X. With the exception of Racer X and XP I've had all the beers on tap so I stuck with the Pale, IPA and DIPA. It's hard for me not to be bias with these beers I love them. Racer 5 is one of my favorite IPAs so you can guess where this review is going. The beer pours a hazy orange and the aroma of hops is strong. Think a clean floral pine forest in a glass. The taste is citrus with a good bitter hop smack upfront. Biscuity notes become more present as this one warms. Racer 5 seems somewhere between an IPA and a DIPA. The Racer X is a true hop bomb. Kaboom, pine and grapefruit tag teaming in a pint glass. The bitterness is well balanced with the malt presence. The hops are obvious but this one has a sweet sticky side. The malt plays more than just a background role. Out of the three beers I tried XP Pale Ale seems like the forgotten stepchild. The beer world for the past few years is so focused on big beers that a well balanced pale ale is often over looked. I have to admit I usually will skip over a pale and go right to an ipa or double. Compared to its brothers the hops in XP are toned down as they should be. The beer has a crisp hop bitterness and floral highlights. The malt creates a slight sweetness and makes it a very drinkable beer.


Bear Republic never fails to amaze me. So far I have enjoyed all their beers. Honestly it is hard to say anything negative about them. If I were to have a complaint it would be that it took too long to get their products here in PA and I wish it were easier to get my hands on a pint of Racer X.

Race To Capone's

The official tap list for Capone's Bear Republic Event is out and Matt has out done himself. If you have never had beer from this northern California brewer now is your chance to try some of their best. What's amazing is Matt was able to get the rare Racer X double IPA. This one does not hold back on the hops. From what I have read the aroma smacks with pungent hops and the taste is piney sweet with a mix of pineapple and grapefruit. Just watch out for the alcohol it weighs in at 9% abv. I will give a more official review once I have had a few. Besides the offerings from Bear Republic the rest of Capone's draft list is impressive. I don't know of too many bars in this area where you can taste a Racer X, Devil Dancer and Ten Fidy. With this line up I can't think of a better way to end a low carb diet? The beer starts pouring Wednesday the 16th at 11:30am.

Bear Republic

Racer X

Racer 5

Hop Rod Rye

Red Rocket Ale

Black Bear Stout

XP Pale Ale

The Others

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

Founders Devil Dancer

Saranac High Peak Series Imperial Stout

Kasteel Rouge

South Hampton Double White

Ayinger Brau Weisse

Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

Capone's is Feeling California

I stopped into Capone's bottle shop last week to pick up Sprecher's Bourbon Aged Doppel Bock and ended up talking to Matt Capone. He mentioned that the next beer event scheduled is Bear Republic on Wednesday April 16th. This California brewery is producing some of the best beers on the west coast. It wasn't long ago that these beers didn't even make it to PA, but late last year they crossed our border and have been highly sought after ever since. Matt is looking to have Racer 5, Red Rocket Ale, Hop Rod Rye, and the hard to find Racer X. The official list should be out this week.

Pliny Heads East

I was just on the Drafting Room website to find the list of beers for Hop Fest 3. The line up looks great. If big hoppy beers are your thing this is the ticket to Shangri-La. It all kicks off Saturday March 12th in Spring House at noon and it's pay as you go. So hop heads rejoice and make your way out to the Drafting Room.

Hop Fest 3

Green Flash West Coast IPA
Sierra Nevada Celebration
Drafting Room 13th Anniversary
Tröegs Nugget Nectar
Flying Bison Bird of Prey
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Bear Republic
Landmark Colonel Hop Red Ale
Russian River Pliny the Elder
Victory Harvest Pils
Avery the Maharaja Imperial IPA
Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Boulder Mojo Risin’ Imperial IPA
Dock Street Rye IPA
Founders Devil Dancer I³PA
Dogfish Head Aprihop
Tröegs Nugget Nectar (Cask Conditioned)

No Beer for for Me

It has been weeks since I have posted and I will blame that on the fact that I have not had a beer in 3 weeks. I know that is a horrific statement but it is true. The reason for my lack of consumption is the low carb lifestyle. I have been swept up in a challenge to drop 15lbs (or more) before our wedding in May. At this point just looking at a beer makes my mouth water. People have already told me about diets where they enjoyed a beer occasionally but I have had great success in the past with the low carb structure and combined with working out 4 days a week the fat is melting away. With that in mind I still question sticking to it. Failing at anything or giving in isn't what I enjoy and I am having success, down 6lbs, but I miss sitting down and enjoying a pint. To make it even more difficult the hockey playoffs have started and watching the games with a glass of diet Coke lacks something. I hate to admit it but I have, in a moment of weakness, gone over to the dark side ( actually the light side). I had a low carb beer. Say it ain't so. My head hangs in shame. It wasn't worth it. The Miller Lite and IC Light only confirmed how far from real beer they really are. Those pale watery beers with only an essence of beer flavor only increased my craving for the good stuff. There is no satisfaction in low budget beer. The truly odd occurrence in my habits since turning off carbs is how much beer I buy. Since turning off the suds I have increased my beer purchases. Self analysis leads me to believe that since I can't drink it I derive comfort from purchasing beer and knowing I will have it for later.

The fridge is more packed than ever. The problem is since I am not drinking it, beer isn't leaving the fridge and space is now at a premium. I have managed to max out The Beer Fridge. I can already hear everyone saying, "Poor baby a fridge full of great beer waiting to be consumed. How can you stand to go on?". I have already had several offers to help reduce the beer stock , but I already know that this isn't a permanent situation. Looking into the very near future it's easy to see the end is near. My bachelor party is in 2 weeks and of course the wedding is the second week of May. The thought of an evening of food, friends, strippers and no beer just seems silly. The other reason to toss back a pint is at the wedding reception we are having Dogfish 90 Minute and Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse. The masses will toss back Miller Lite and Yuengling, but a select few will sip a cellared Hair of the Dog Fred (big bottle). I guess it wont be long until The Beer Fridge has a little more space.