Bear Spotted in the Burbs

Bear Republic is now in PA!!! I read about this last week on the Beer Yard site. As reported Stockertown Beverage Co, a Lehigh Valley wholesaler, is putting the beer on the taps and shelves of bars and restaurants all around Philadelphia. Bear Republic Brewing Co, located in Sonoma County California, is known for well balanced hoppy ales. Expect to see Red Rocket Ale, Hop Rod Rye, Big Bear Stout Ale, XP Pale Ale and Racer 5 IPA. The later I first had while on a weekend trip to Washington D.C.. I was in a Whole Foods market and came across a display of Racer 5. I puchased two bottles and after trying it was hooked. Before heading home I made sure to grab several bottles to enjoy back in Philly. Now you no longer need to take a road trip down I-95 to quench your thirst, it's just a quick local trek to put a pint of Bear Republic's best in your hand. On a journey out to the burbs I found Racer 5 on tap at Capone's in Norristown and Red Rocket Ale at TJ's Everyday in Paoli. In Philly look for XP Pale Ale soon at the Grey Lodge in the Northeast. Having Stone, Moylan's, Port Brewing/ Lost Abbey and now Bear Republic in Pennsylvania makes finding a unique ultra hoppy west coast beer easier than ever. Hopefully we can look forward to more California breweries sending their best to the east coast.

Looking Forward to March 08

Philadelphia Beer Week, March 7-16, is fast approaching. Expect a beer lovers fantasy week. Look forward to festivals, events, dinners and more. Check out the link to stay on top of everything.
www.phillybeerweek.org

Also in March on the 1st

The Philly Craft Beer Festival @ The Philadelphia Cruise Terminal. Tickets are on sale now.
http://www.phillycraftbeerfest.com/

March will be a very, very, very good month!!!

Quick Brewery/ Brewpub Update

I stopped by the Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant at 50th and Baltimore Ave on Thursday after work. I hadn't been in for months and wanted to see what was new on tap. Now that it's winter my taste buds crave anything malty and toasty with a little oak mixed in. I just can't get enough of the winter warmer style. Dock Street did not disappoint. I started with the Barley Wine and WOW this is a good one. It's not too sweet on the tongue like so many barley wines are. The lack of sticky sweetness along with a medium mouth feel makes it very drinkable. The taste is of caramel, dark fruit and mild oak. It all finishes with a warm alcohol kick. Respect this one it comes with an ABV of 10.5%. I also had the Cuckoo's Nest Red which is a nice malty red ale. I wanted to try the Golden Stock Ale which is described as, a blonde ale with soft malts, aromatic hops and oak notes, but time and the fact that I had to drive home didn't allow it. Other offerings on tap are Kolsch, Rye IPA and Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

Openings and closings.

John Harvard's in Wayne is down and out. It seems that the company is doing serious down sizing. Earth Bread and Brewery will rise in the Mt. Airy section of Philly sometime near the end of March 08. The owners are Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver the former owners of the defunct Heavyweight Brewery. A little further from Philly, actually a lot further from Philly, Elk Creek Cafe and Ale Works has opened in Millheim PA. Finally, One Guy Brewing in Berwick should open in the next few weeks.

Happy New Beer or Hoppy New Year!!!

The clock is ticking towards the New Year, so if you still don't have a date or plans for the big night here are a few ideas that incorporate our favorite beverage. Now all you have to do is find a date. Good luck.

Stoudt's Brewing Company
Toast in the New Year with Carol and Ed.
www.stoudtsbeer.com/events_new-years.html

General Lafayette Inn and Brewery
Choose from either a 3 or 5 course pre fixe meal. Includes champagne toast at midnight.
www.generallafayetteinn.com/default.htm

Manayunk Brewery
The Cocktail Party goes from 8pm-12am. Premium 4 hour open bar with BEER, wine and top shelf liquor. Party favors, hors d'oeuvres and a champagne toast are included.
www.manayunkbrewery.com/events.php

Johnny Brenda's
Peek-A-Boo-Revue
"Philadelphia's Premiere Neo-Burlesque"
www.johnnybrendas.com/?p=409

Triumph Brewing Company
The party starts at 10pm. The champagne toast is at midnight.
www.triumphbrewing.com/indexfl6.html

Monk's Cafe
Early dinner, 4 courses with beer 6:30pm
Late dinner, 6 courses with beer 9:30pm
This is a food and beer spectacular.
www.ripsneakers.com/monks/

The Grey Lodge Pub
This party has food, drink, noisemakers, a dj and the champagne toast at midnight. It all starts at 9:30pm and rolls until 1am.
www.greylodge.com/index.html

Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats
Dinner in downtown Rehoboth Beach, DE. Two seating times available 6:00pm and 8:15pm.
www.dogfish.com/news/New_Years_Eve_Beer_Dinner!/1029/index.htm

Make sure to check the links for detailed info and availability.

Happy New Year!!!

Beer Break Before the Holiday

As we head into those days just before Christmas take a break from the madness of last minute shopping and stop by one of these upcoming beer events. Cheers!!!

Tues Dec 18th

Tasty Tuesdays At Teresa's Next Door

Enjoy TND's food paired with sample sizes of various beers and/or wines.

124 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne PA
(610) 293-0119

Wed Dec 19th

In Pursuit of Ale's Holiday Bash @ Johnny Brenda's

Everyone is invited to this holiday gathering that supports a great cause and promotes local beer at a very comfortable price. A $13 cover gets you in the door, plus it benefits the National Parkinsons Foundation. Look for $3 pints of Iron Hill, Sly Fox, Troegs, Dock Street and Flying Fish. Along with beer enjoy snacks, raffles and a little Rock-Paper-Scissors. Check the links below for more info.

1201 N. Frankford Ave Philadelphia, PA 215-739-9684

www.johnnybrendas.com/, www.beerlass.com/2007/12/blog-post.html

Fri Dec 21st

Third Friday Firkin Fest: Sly Fox Red Ale @ Pheonixville

This one promises a one time only release of Unspiced Xmas Ale. Just one firkin of this dry hopped brew. The event starts at 12pm and flows to 10pm.

519 Kimberton Rd, PIKELAND VILLAGE SQUARE PHOENIXVILLE, PA 19460

610-935-4540

www.slyfoxbeer.com/index1.asp

Fri Dec 21st

Ithaca Brewing Firkin and More @ Union Jack's Inn on the Monatawny

Ithaca Brewing reps bring out their beer knowledge and of course their beer. Look for Cascazilla DIPA, Winterizer and a mystery brew. Yummy!!!

546 Manatawny Rd, Boyertown, PA 19512

(610) 689-0189

School is in Session

For those of you who thought school was always stressful and found every reason to skip class Tria Cafe has the perfect solution. Sunday School. No not the religious classes you went to as a kid but rather an excellent chance to taste some great beer, wine and cheese. On Sundays Tria selects a beer, wine and cheese and offers it at 1/2 off the regular price. This gives everyone a fantastic opportunity to try something they have never experienced without having to take a deep dive into the wallet. This week's beer selection was De Dolle Oerbier from Diksmuide, Belgium. The commercial description says that it is," ...brewed from no less than 6 malts, uses Poperinge Golding hops and special yeast and is cellared at a constant temperature of 8 degrees Celsius...". All this creates a highly carbonated beer that pours deep red with a complex wine like sweet, tart fruitiness (apples and dark berries). The alcohol weighs in at 9%. I paired this with the cheese of the evening, the Sprout Creek Toussant from Poughkeepsie, NY which was served with crusty sliced bread and Amontillado apples. The De Dolle Oerbier was a perfect compliment to the robust, slightly peppery cheese. Not to forget our wine friends, Kelleigh had a glass of the Meritage Lyeth, 05 from Sonoma, CA. This was also from the Sunday School syllabus. To end the evening I had a beer I can never pass up when I find it on tap, Stone's Double Bastard. This beat out my second choice Victory's Old Horizontal. Wow, it's nice to have choices. Oh did I mention there was also Dogfish 90 minute. Well, whether you stop in on a weekday or take part in Sunday School, Tria Cafe is the perfect place to test your taste buds.

TRIA Rittenhouse Square • 18th & Sansom Streets • 215.972.8742
TRIA Washington Square West • 12th & Spruce Streets • 215.629.9200
http://www.triacafe.com/

Brewery Stop in the Burgh

While in Pittsburgh my fiancee, Kelleigh, and I made sure to stop by the East End Brewing Co. The brewery is located in an old warehouse building on a small back street in the Homewood area of Pittsburgh. If you don't have GPS definitely jump on Google Maps to get detailed direction. Once there don't bother looking for any flashy signs or the brewery's name up in lights you won't find any. This place doesn't even have windows. Just look for the grey door marked with a small open sign. The brewery is open during growler hours for free tastings. Once inside it's a quick walk down a dimly lit hall to the tasting room/ brewing floor. Scott Smith, the owner, wasn't on hand the day we were there, but he had two assistants manning the taps. Eight people were there already with pints in hand tasting and chatting. The atmosphere was very casual friendly and we were immediately greeted and asked what we would enjoy. I started with their Winter Warmer- Snow Melt Winter Ale, described as, "A rich malty, ruby-red, lightly spiced winter ale...". It poured murky reddish brown with a thin head. The taste was of coffee and chocolate and finished slightly sweet and toasty. Kelleigh had a Fat Gary Nut Brown Ale and we actually had a chance to meet Fat Gary. I followed my Snow Melt with a Black Strap Stout, Fat Gary, Big Hop IPA and an East End Witte. Yes I drank dark and toasty first and went to light and slightly sweet. Oops my bad. All the beers were very good. We stayed for an hour or so tasting and talking and left with a growler of the Snow Melt and a bottle of Smokestack Porter. If you want something more than beer to remember your journey they offer hats, t-shirts and of course pint glasses. I highly recommend stopping by this little brewery if you ever make it out to the Burgh. Check out the link to find out more details on Scott and his Brewery. http://www.eastendbrewing.com/

Sour Holiday

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, overeating and good drink. For all of this I ventured westward to Pittsburgh to celebrate the holiday. My Turkey Day was fairly routine, in attendance were my parents, sister, grandmother, uncle and fiancee. The food consisted of the grand bird, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, collard greens, cranberry sauce, corn pudding, rolls, green beans, apple pie and sweet potato pie. For this grand meal I brought a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru from my beer fridge. The sour ale complimented the meal and created an interesting if not perfect pairing with both slices of pie. I ended up being the only one to partake in the big bottle. Everyone else found the Flemish Red Ale far too sour and my uncle commented the aroma from the glass was, "very odd". That just meant the entire bottle was all for me. Not a problem =).

If you are not familiar with Flemish Red Ales they are aged in large oak vats that are home to wild yeast and bacteria. With aging the beer takes on and acidic, vanilla, oakiness on the palate. Older and younger beers are blended, Rodenbach Flemish Ale, creating a light, tart, fruity taste. The Rodenbach Grand Cru is not blended and is aged for 2 years giving it an acidic tongue prick with flavors of oak and passion fruit. Both beers can be an acquired taste. I suggest if you're going to try them search for the smaller bottles if you don't have someone to share them with.

Don't Fear the Dark Side

With the cooler weather this past weekend I thought it was the perfect time to journey out and taste a few beers on the roasty, toasty dark side. The late fall and winter months always bring out great winter warmers, porters and imperial stouts and after drinking IPAs and DIPAs all summer my taste buds were ready for a switch. Below is a quick recap of my journey.

Friday 16, 07
1st stop
General Lafayette Inn and Brewery
Chocolate Thunder Porter (Mocha colored head, roasty, bittersweet chocolate with hints of coffee and a dry finish).

Dinner with my Fiance
Twenty Manning
Surprise find!!!
Sprague Farm and Brew Works, Hellbender Robust Porter (Murky deep deep brown color, roasted malt aroma, medium mouth feel and light chocolate sweetness)

After Dinner
Tria Cafe
Weyerbacher, Insanity (Thin head, dark amber pour, vanilla, caramel, hops and bourbon taste. Strong alcohol presence).
Bell's, Expedition (Pours black with aroma of dark fruit, chocolate and espresso. Thick mouth feel and alcohol warming effect.) My favorite of the night

Journey's End
Home in front of the fire
Brooklyn Brewing, Black Chocolate Stout (Pitch black pour with a medium tan head. Aromas of roasted malt, dark chocolate and fruit. Warm mouth feel.). Second favorite.

A beautiful end to a wonderful trip.

What Should I Cover?

Since I am a one man operation I need to be realistic about what I can cover in the beer world. I would love to tell you that I'm going to fly around the country and visit great breweries and festivals and drink beer with the locals and report back on them, but that's not going to happen. There are people out there that make a living doing that (yes I'm jealous). I'm going to scale it back a bit and keep it fairly local. Since my home base is here in Philly, eastern PA, NJ and DE will be my main concentration. However, I grew up in Pittsburgh and try to get out there when I can so you will get info from the left side of the state as well. My adventurous side often has me jumping into the car with my fiance and heading to some little beer place in the middle of nowhere. So really I could be anywhere. I may even toss in some beer news from across the country from time to time. So much for scaling it back. Hey, this blog thing is still new to me so I will have to see how it goes.................check back for updates

Another Beer Blog

Yes, it's another beer blog but just like a great beer bar or brewpub you can never have too many. My focus is on craft beer. Sorry for those of you who might of stumbled on here looking for info on those macros (Bud, Miller/Coors...etc). They have their place its just not in my fridge or on this spot. I feel that people should be smart about what they drink and if I can lead anyone away from the world of thin, bland, tasteless, beer all the better. This is the best time ever to be a beer drinker so why waste it tipping back a beer that is just another mass produced bottle of fizzy yellow water. With so many options anyone would be hard pressed to not find a beer that satisfies their tastes. This blog is for the beer adventurer in all of us. As I hit new beer spots and taste all the wonderful offerings I look to learn and also provide helpful info on beer styles, bars, festivals, books, breweries, brewpubs and anything that is craft beer related. Here's to drinking smart.