Chickie's & Pete's Visited (Revisited)

Finally after weeks of trying I managed to slide into Chickie's & Pete's in Audubon.  My last C&P experience happened at the Philadelphia Airport location more than a year ago. Where that was a quick, grab some Crabfries before jumping a flight to Pittsburgh, the Audubon stop was the whole down and dirty. The perfect opportunity to dive deep into sloppy crabby goodness, house a mound of Crabfries and fully explore the extensive (smile) beer list.

Since Friday was the night of my attack all the expected negatives were in place: crowded parking lot, 40 minute wait, full bar area and a mix of loud chatter and 80's music. Not a problem. I didn't expect Sunday School surroundings. Those slight negatives were easily brushed off. What made a true impression, is for the amount of humanity swirling the service was exceptional. From the time I entered the door until I received a check the service impressed.  There has to be some crazy Chickie's & Pete's boot camp out there, whipping 20 somethings into hardcore food service shape. You'd never know the place had only been in operation for a month.  While quickly getting menus, taking orders, delivering drinks and serving, the crew remained friendly and operated  like a well tuned machine.

Great service is certainly something to fawn over but the efficiency of the wait staff wasn't the primary reason for dining out. The main focus involved food and beer. I'll start with the good news first.  Chickie's & Pete's knows what to do with little creatures from the sea. Oh holy crabs! Specifically three hard shell crabs served in a bowl of seasoned broth with a side of crusty white bread. Juicy, tender and sweet there is no way to hate the little bottom walkers. Surprisingly 3 crabs with an order of Crabfries and a salad completely wiped out my massive appetite.

However as delectable as the crabs were if you want a good beer to accompany your meal the choices are horribly limited.  In my last post (see below) I brought out the fact that Chickie's & Pete's seems to have a blind eye for craft beer. Well that's not entirely true. It's more like an eye with tunnel vision and severe cataracts. The Audubon beer list isn't that drastically different from the other locations. It's chocked full of crap macro swill with barely a sniff of good beer. A small hooray for Victory Hop Devil and the obligatory Sam Adams offerings. Really guys, only room enough for a few true craft beers? You're a Philly based restaurant group and you don't get how this town loves great beer? Sure everyone tells you your the best sports bar in America but that obviously has nothing to do with the beer you pour.  I guess I'll just have to be happy with Hop Devil along side the hard shells.  I'd certainly walk through the doors more if a few of those repetitive, same old, swill macros were pushed aside for more craft beers that would compliment what's served on the plates. Go to Chickie's & Pete's for the crabs and Crabfries. Go somewhere else for a beer.

Chickie's & Pete's Where's the Beer (WTB)?

Chickie's & Pete's has recently opened in Audubon, PA. I'm sure most Philadelphian's who enjoy sports, drinks and bar grub are more than familiar with the, "Crab House and Sports Bar".  I've made it to several of their locations over the years and have succumb to the delicious spell of their crabs and famous Crabfries (cheese sauce please).  Now that they are essentially in my backyard the temptation to throwdown will be even harder to resist. However as great as their food menu is one look at their beer selection leaves a craft beer fan asking, "Where's the beer (WTB)"?

(from C&P website S.Philly Menu)
Draft List
Amstel Light, Blue Moon, Budweiser, Coors Light, Guinness, Heineken, Hoegaarden, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Sam Adams Seasonal, Rolling Rock, Yuengling Lager

Bottle List

Amstel Light, Bass Ale, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Lime, Coors Light, Corona, Corona Light, Harp, Heineken, Heineken Light, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Miller 64, Molsen Golden, Moosehead, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Smirnoff Ice, Smithwick's, Stella Artois, Twisted Tea, Twisted Tea 1/2 & 1/2, Twisted Light, Twisted Peach, Yuengling Lager, Yuengling Light, Yuengling Black & Tan, O'Doul's.

Why in a town known as, "America's Best Beer Drinking City", where the "Beer Week" phenomenon originated and whose residents support an amazing array of craft beer locations, does Chickie's & Pete's have one of the largest selections of bland, unimaginative, fizzy yellow, macro muck on draft and in bottles? One look at what the South Philly location is pouring and anyone who knows good beer would head in the other direction. There's barely even a thimble full of taste on either list and having Sam Adams  does nothing to appease my dissatisfied craft beer soul. Ironically this is happening at a time when even cookie cutter national chains such as T.G.I. Friday's and Applebee's are getting a clue and doing slight tweeks to improve their beer menus. Seems odd that a well run Philly based restaurant/bar chain would snub craft beer. Worse yet turn it's back on local brews.

Obviously the powers-that-be who guide the Chickie's & Pete's gravy train are successful with what they do and their business plan is certainly rapidly moving them forward. However why not offer some quality beer choices that go beyond what I'd find at a late night frat party. Would that take C & P too far off course? Hey, no need to get crazy with the beer offerings. I'm not shooting for a selection of 10% imperial, barrel aged, smoked, Whatchamacallits. To avoid getting lost in the sea of craft beer choices start simple and stay local.  Sorry, having Yuengling as the only local beer doesn't cut it. There are plenty of good choices from: Victory, Sly Fox, Troegs, Dogfish Head, Stoudt's, Weyerbacher, Yards etc. Imagine a successful local restaurant/bar with fantastic food and amazing local beer. Hmmm, (Standard Tap) wonder if that would work?

 

Now in fairness I haven't made a trip to the Audubon location of Chickie's & Pete's so I'm judging from past experience and relying on the beer menus posted on their website.  If the beer program has miraculously changed for the better I stand corrected. Hooray if that's the case. Then it's time for me to shut up and move on. Since I'm headed to C & P over the weekend I'll have recent first hand experience. I hope I'm not stuck asking, "WTB"? Check back here for what I uncover.

Meanwhile, to the guys who make the decisions at the house that Crabfries built, check out what craft beer can do for you. Just a thought.

Happy International Stout Day

November 3rd is officially proclaimed by those official enough to deem such things officially as, International Stout Day

(From the ISD website). International Stout Day is a worldwide celebration of the iconic beer style, Stout. Taking place in homes, pubs, breweries and restaurants; it’s all about celebrating the craft beer revolution, relishing in this beloved beer style, sharing your photos, tasting notes and events with the world

Now I am all for the celebration of a particular beer style. Ahhh, how I remember International IPA Day just like it was yesterday (actually Aug 4th). Heck if it puts people in bars, on their couches, in clubs or wherever they raise a glass, then I say, "Hell yeah lets celebrate".  However as a responsible citizen I must inform everyone of a few special days ahead. Prepare accordingly.

11/3  National Sandwich Day (Order a Cheesesteak and Stone IRS and the day is covered)
11/5  National Doughnut Day (Wonder if Krispie Kreme and DD are aware?)
11/9  National Bold and Pungent Day (So many ways I can celebrate this)
11/16  National Fast Food Day (Truly an American holiday)
11/9  National Scrapple Day (Another reason for Philadelpians to stand up and cheer)

Today, where ever you choose to imbibe, pick your favorite stout and hoist the glass high in honor of this most righteous day of beer.

Cheers my friends!

Lets Have Breakfast @ The Sidecar Bar and Grille

What more needs to be said?

THE PUMPKINS LIVE!!!! (Pumpkin Beers Part Deux).

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the bottle shop..........(dramatic pause)............More pumpkin beers cometh!!!!  No one ever expects a horror movie to end on the first go around.  You have to beat any good idea into the ground like it's a stumbling, worm infested zombie. Thus, The Pumpkins Live.

In round one a Pie-in-a-glass (aka P.I.G) scale was introduced to judge the pumpkin pie effect of the selected brews. A 1 rating denotes it's less pie like while a 5 rating suggests a side of whip cream is appropriate.  Let the tasting commence.

Heavy Seas:  Great'Er Pumpkin (Imperial Pumpkin Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels)

If you're launching back into the pumpkin beer sea you might as well go big and boozy.  Great'Er (9.0% abv) is the bourbon aged version of Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin (not reviewed) and there is no denying this beer spent some time in the wood. Bourbon catches air during the pour, lashes out at first sip and remains the dominate flavor. Pie spices, pumpkin and roasted malt are detectable while the bourbon provides a mild sweetness. As expected the warmth kicks in towards the end and hangs on through the finish. Overall Great'Er is good but a fuller bodied imperial pumpkin beer as a base may of worked better with the barrel treatment. P.I.G factor 2. This is one serious drunkin' pumpkin.

Cigar City: Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale

This seems to be the year that brewers want to say, "My pumpkin is bigger than yours". The imperial train keeps on rolling with Good Gourd (9.0% abv). This is one of the few bottles that I didn't drag from my cellar. I was lucky to share this with friends at Craft Ale House one evening. The yummy pie flavors are all present but what stood out most was the great balance of flavors.  Pumpkin, spices, graham cracker, sweetness and booze were all in check. No high octane burn, no sudden nutmeg spikes and not a single sugary rush. Simply a solid flavorful pumpkin beer. The P.I.G is high on this one 4.

New Belgium w/Elysian: Kick (pumpkin, cranberry, barrel aged)

Leave it to New Belgium to put a sour twist on the pumpkin beer tradition.  Part of the Lips of Faith series, Kick (8.5) is a pumpkin cranberry ale that's blended with wood aged beer. In this unique wrestling match for flavor supremacy the cranberry lays a serious smackdown on the old orange gourd. Sweet tart cranberry, crisp citrus and oak flavors barely give the pumpkin a chance to surface. The sour effect is low so it's not a tongue buckler. Pumpkin lovers don't let the kickass Jack-o-Lanterns on the bottle fool ya. This one is more Thanksgiving than Halloween. A very good lightly sour beer that sends the pie a packing. Zero P.I.G.

Rock Bottom Brewery (King of Prussia) Ichabod's Pumpkin Ale

One of the few things that keeps an extended trip to the mall bearable is the ability to sneak away to Rock Bottom for a pint. No shifty moves were needed to seek out their pumpkin beer. Ichabod is a break away from the imperialized trend. In fact it could officially be the anti-imperial pumpkin. The most exciting option offered when ordering a pint was the sugar & cinnamon treatment done to the rim of the glass. I opted out and went in clean. Everything about the 5.5% abv ale is clean and easy going. The pie spices and pumpkin flavors are middle of the road and almost textbook plain. Surprisingly the underlying flavor even leans more towards a traditional macro lager than an ale. Tasting more light hops and malt than in-your-face pie spice isn't necessarily a bad thing. However on the P.I.G it gets you a 2.5.

Pumking on display at Wegmans Collegeville

2010 & 2009
(Ghostly finger provided by Big Dan)

Southern Tier:  Pumking

If there were a heavyweight equivalent to pumpkin beer, Southern Tier Pumking (9.0% abv 2011) would be champ. The hurrah hype that hits every fall causing bottle packed displays to quickly dwindle down to empty cardboard stacks is almost deserved. I've reviewed this beer multiple times so I'll keep it simple this go around. This is the Grand Puba P.I.G 5. Sure, go ahead toss in a dollop of fresh whip cream for effect (just kidding). Sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, yadda, yadda, yadda, yummy pie goodness, you get the idea. To make it somewhat interesting this year I had the chance to taste the 2009, 2010 and this year's draft and bottle versions. The draft had a more pronounced cinnamon sharpness than the bottle and a pallet far better than mine is needed to pick out any subtle difference between the  09 and 10. Whichever one you encounter, here's to raising a pint of pie.

Now that Halloween has passed does this mean a death to the pumpkin beers? Something tells me this tale of spice and hops has not seen it's final chapter.  To be continued..........????

The Gathering of the Gourds @ Iron Hill West Chester

For those of you, like me, who go full speed ahead into fall consuming everything pumpkin (especially beer) West Chester is where you'll want to venture next weekend (10/29) for the annual Gathering of the Gourds. The folks at Iron Hill Brewery West Chester will be pouring a variety of their well crafted and creative pumpkin beers along with guest brews from Elysian Brewing Co. and Cambridge Brewing Co. To accompany the pumpkin pours special pumpkin and squash inspired dishes. It all starts at 2:00 with the tapping of one seriously sizable pumpkin.

Here a little pumpkin tapping blast from the past to hold ya over until next week. Iron Hill North Wales Pumpkin Fest 2008. Hmmm, those guys in the video look familiar.

It's On: Great American Beer Festival 2011

Philly represented at GABF 2010 @ the Cheeky Monk

 Ooohhh Haaa! It's time for a little beer gathering in Denver.  Today is the kick off of the Great American Beer Festival.  A three day (Sept 29-Oct1) extravaganza dedicated to the world's best beverage. Last year I experienced it first hand and it's a trip that should be made by anyone who suffers from good beer lust. There is no need to go into all the many reasons why the pilgrimage is a must. It's already been done here.  Simply trust me on this and make plans to attend next year. There's obviously a reason why all the people above are smiling. Cheers!

Yard's: Smoke 'Em If Yous Got 'Em

This is the 3rd Annual Smoke 'Em If Yous Got 'Em at Yard's Brewing Company.  I've had the chance to attend the last two and if you are a smoke beer fan with a fondness for BBQ then don't miss this. Unfortunately do to prior engagements (hanging with Ava) my attendance streak will come to an end. However, that should be good news to everyone in attendence. Since I ate a criminal amount of BBQ last year I gaurentee there will be more food available this time around. Cheers!

4:30-8:00pm
Tickets
$50.00 in advance
$60.00 at the door
Designated driver $25.00

Pictures from Smoke Em 2010 and Smoke 'Em 2009

Dogfish Head Celebrates Pearl Jam



Looks like Dogfish Head is continuing it's blending of beer and music. Following in the path of last year's Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) and the release of Hellhound Ale (Robert Johnson) earlier this year, Faithfull Ale will celebrate Pearl Jam's twentieth anniversary and the album TEN. A release date has not been announced.

(Label)

Faithfull Ale is a celebration of Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary and their seminal album Ten – In recognition of these milestones this Belgian-style golden ale is delicately hopped to 20 IBUs and fruit-forward from 10 incremental additions of black currants over the course of the one hour boil. 7% ABV.

The Cameron Crowe film Pearl Jam 20 was released in theaters September 20th on a limited run.  The film will be shown on American Masters (PBS) on October 21st.  

This is a blatant opportunity for me to post a Pearl Jam Video. So be it.

YIKES, The Invasion of the Pumpkin Beers!!!

Beer people tend to have either a love it or hate it relationship with pumpkin beers. While I lean heavy on the love side, seeing pumpkin beers in late July (finger pointed at you Smuttynose) had me grimacing and screaming foul. However now that the weather is turning, a slight chill is in the night air and the last days of summer are upon us, it's time for the flavors of Fall. Unleash the pumpkin brews!

The abundance of pumpkin offerings this year is staggering. More breweries than ever are making it their big fall seasonal. Sorry, Oktoberfest lovers the squeeze for shelf space is on. Some companies like Elysian offer multiple styles: Night Owl (pumpkin ale), The Great Pumpkin (imperial pumpkin) and Dark-o-the-Moon (pumpkin stout). With so many options I stuck with a few tried and true beers and then mixed in several bottles that were new to me.

When it comes to pumpkin beer they tend fall on a sliding scale. At one end there are the pumpkin pie wannabe's. All the spices of pumpkin pie coveniently in liquid form. The over used, "pie in a glass" applies here. On the other side are beers with less of a sweet pie complex. The pumpkin is there with spice but the hops and malt are more pronounced. The following beers are all judged on the Pie-In-a-Glass scale (aka P.I.G scale). 1 denotes it's less pie like, while 5 means breakout the whip cream.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Thank you Dave for putting this in my hands. This is getting high praise over on that advocate site so my interest was peaked going into the first sip. This screams pumpkin pie spice as soon as it's poured in the glass. Cinnamon is the muscle spice here with a nutmeg back-up. The clove barely creeps in. The pumpkin is all pie quality. Think Grandma baking on Thanksgiving. This one will have you forgetting it's beer. With an 8% abv this could make for a dangerous dessert. If you dig the pie this is for you.

P.I.G scale 5 (Did my Grandma make this?)

Dogfish Head Punkin
Hello old vampire shark friend (see the label). It's been awhile.  This may of been my first pumpkin beer and remains a beer I purchase every year. The pumpkin pie spices are there but don't call it pie. The brown ale base is very noticeable with nutmeg and allspice mixing in well with the hops. It's a treat but not an overly sweet candied one. It happily maintains it's beer bite.
P.I.G scale 2 (Yum, I can tell I'm drinking a beer)

O' Fallon Pumpkin Beer

This is where things get interesting. Real pumpkin comes forward in the aroma, not just pie spice. However the same isn't true when it comes to the flavor. The pumpkin fades and spices come forward with cloves running the show. There's even a slight cider flavor detectable. The P.I.G is there but only if your grandma's pies were covered in dry clove buds.  Finally, this was also the thinnest of all the beers which didn't make for the best drinking experience.
P.I.G scale 4 (only if you love cloves)

River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern Imperial Pumpkin Ale

This is the non offensive pumpkin beer out of the bunch. Somewhat of a surprise since it has the "Imperial" tag. Everything here leans to the light side. There's pumpkin and pie spices but they don't strike big. Sweet, malty cinnamon and nutmeg balance out the bitterness. The booziness that lags at the end is the only hint that this wants to be known as an imperial ale.
P.I.G scale 3 (Imperial ?)

South Hampton Pumpkin Ale
This is another middle of the road offering. The aroma is light roasted pumpkin and pie spice. The flavor is pumpkin bread upfront with a good balance of cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar appearing later. Sweetness is under control and nothing over powers so you know there is an ale under the spice.
P.I.G scale 3 (Middle of the road pumpkin)


This is only the begining of the season. Prepare for more beers from the cellar. The Invasion of the Pumpkin Beers Part Deux........ coming soon!

Wow, Those Are Some Seriously Big Beers My Dear: Oktoberfest is On

With such a focus on what's happening in and around Philadelphia sometimes I forget to widen the lense for a bigger view of the beer world. Last week I managed to miss the start of Oktoberfest in Munich Germany.  The world's largest festival, at 5 million plus attendies, launched on Sept 17 and runs until October 3.

As much as I'd love to attend this mondo beer fest that day will have to wait. If you plan on keeping it local here are two options that will put a twist in your dirndls and lederhosen. PROST!

Brauhaus Schmitz 3rd Annual Oktoberfest

Saturday Sept 24. Noon-? PAYG

This is the real deal. Skip the flight and stay in Philly for German food, music and of course the beer. Anytime you can shut down a block on South Street for your party it's gotta be good.

6th Annual Midtown Village Fall Festival
Saturday October 1st, Noon-8pm
So what if it's not offically an Oktoberfest. It's a "five block block party". Have a beer and enjoy!

Tailgating Bastard





Last week I the started the 2011 NFL season tailgating at Met Life stadium for the Jets/Cowboys game. In a massive sea of green clad Jets fans, sparking up grills to prepare various forms of seasoned meats, the beers most often seen were of the fizzy yellow variety. However, one cooler held a secret. Mixed in with the chilled cans of Miller Light was a bottle of true relevance.  An old micro friend. Something a tad tastier than the common mans micro muck, a bomber of Stone Arrogant Bastard.

The one thing I never understood was why someone would spend time grilling up big flavorful pieces of meat cover them in big bold spicy sauces then wash them down with flavorless swill. It's the equivalent of picking off a pass, running it down the field, avoiding multiple defenders, reaching the 1 yard line only to sit down and not score. What the hell? If you start strong finish strong. 

Arrogant Bastard's strong abrasive hop profile matched perfectly with the charcoal cooked meats. From brats to dogs, burgers and grilled chicken the beer flavor never got lost. Overall, the best combo was Bastard and marinated steak.  The garlic, onion, season salt and lines of black char from the steak melding with the roastiness and bitter hops of AB was an intoxicating flavor marriage. Not that Bastard is the only beer suited for a big grilling occasion, it's simply a damn good one. The bonus of the day was that there was even enough to enjoy once we broke out the cigars. Consider Arrogant Bastard a true tailgate necessity.

For the Love of Dogs and Beer: The Beer Yard/Troegs/Teresa's

The Murph

This one is for Murphy (any reason to get my dog's photo up) and all those who love dogs and beer. Troegs, the Beer Yard and Teresa's are combining forces for the Delco SPCA on Sat (9/3).  Since Mr Curtin's words over at the Beer Yard site say it best I'll just copy and paste them below.

Labor Day Weekend Tröegs/Teresa's/Beer Yard Event for Delco SPCA September 03, 2011 - September 05, 2011 - The Beer Yard


Saturday, Sept. 3: 1-4 pm, in front of the Beer Yard. Award-winning beers from Tröegs Brewing Company will be available for sampling and accompanied by a variety of tasty food treats from Teresa's Next Door. Every case of Tröegs beer sold during the event will benefit the Delco SPCA to the tune of $5.00 and all profits from the food menu, which will feature $2 hot dogs as a specialty, will also go to that worthy cause. Sales Rep Nick Johnson will be selling Tröegs do collars with proceeds going to SPCA. Additionally, every customer buying a case of Tröegs will receive a free logo-ed pint glass.

All Weekend & Labor Day: $5 goes to Delco SPCA for any case of Tröegs beer purchased; write SPCA on your bill at Teresa's and 10% will also go the Delco SPCA.

Firestone Walker Abacus with a Kicker

Lately I've been on a Firestone Walker journey.  A few roll backs on the mouse wheel and you'll see a review of Parabola. Before that, although not reviewed, I poured a bottle Double Jack . This past weekend I yanked a bottle of Abacus from the cellar and rode out the hurricane.

David Walker @ Capone's

The first time I experienced Abacus was during the Philly launch of FW back in April. David Walker was doing his best Sam Calagione impersonation by making the proper promotional rounds and explaining the magic behind his beers.  Since most of what he was showcasing packed a serious abv punch the extreme beer heads (myself included) were happy with Philly's newest offerings. Abacus made enough of an impression that I have three two bottles collecting dust in the beer cellar.

With the first drops hitting the glass it's obvious this is a big beer.  The aroma is all telling; Sweet bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla and toffee with some roastiness.  I feared an overly sweet first sip but thankfully this barley wine's sweet malty side isn't over the top. The taste is in line with the aroma. Cherry, fig and chocolate flavors mixing great with the soft bourbon background. The booze is there but more warm than burning. Very well done and so far my favorite from Firestone Walker.

Abacus with cherries added, SWEET!

Looking at the photo your eyes are not deceiving you there are some serious floaters in the glass. Those globs are fresh Bing cherries I added to my second glass of the evening.  The sweet cherries were a nice little kicker and worked even better than expected. They obviously pumped up the dark fruit flavors and the bourbon combined with fresh cherry juice created an ultimate evening sipper. The bonus was all those Abacus soaked cherries once the beer was finished. A glass just keeps on giving. No better way to spend a stormy evening.

Beer is My Breakfast: Rogue Bacon Maple Porter



Bacon Maple Bars



Rogue Ales and Voodoo Doughnuts are putting their creative Pacific Northwest minds together and unleashing what sounds like a wickedly delicious breakfast beer. Bacon Maple Porter will be made with apple smoked bacon, vanilla beans and maple syrup. Mmmmm bacon!  The release will be in 750ml bottles.

For those not in the know Voodoo Doughnuts out of Portland Oregon is famous for their ultra creative sugary fried treats. The Bacon Maple Bar with actual strips of bacon and a maple glaze is one of their biggest sellers. This is definitely the type of food and beer collaboration I live for.

Welcome to the World Ava

In the past my lapses in posting have mainly been due to surges in work or laziness. Now I have an even better excuse for my recent hiatus. On August 7th little Ava Grace Parker entered the world.  Our first child is now delightfully taking up anything that could be called free time.  Everyone at this end is healthy, happy and working with all the new twist and turns of the day.  My beer life has slowed but still exists between diaper changes, feedings and doctor visits. Cheers!

Happy IPA Day

I'm not sure how I feel about International IPA Day. Is it just another silly made up celebratory day in the mold of National Raspberry Cream Pie Day, National Tooth Fairy Day and National S'mores Day? Or is it another great way to get the word of craft beer flowing. Realistically the only people talking about IPA Day are those of us who are already enjoying craft beer.  I know this for a fact because my mother has yet to send me a holiday card filled with XOXOXOs and a $10.00 check. Take it for what its worth, it's another reason to enjoy a beer.  Round up a few friends, pick your favorite pub and hoist a glass of IPA.  The day is yours hop heads, rejoice. It all ends soon, but no worries National Mustard Day (Aug 6th) is just around the corner.

Memphis Taproom Does My Pittsburgh Heart Proud

There is certainly no love lost between Philadelphians and Pittsburghers.  With the exception of when their sports teams are butting heads one corner of PA couldn't care less about what's happening in the other.  However, since Pittsburgh is my hometown and the Philly area is were I reside I have a love of both cities.  Therefore, when I have the chance to experience a little Pittsburgh flavor at this end of the state it makes me all warm and fuzzy.  Tonight is the chance to experience a taste of Pittsburgh.  Memphis Taproom has brought back Pittsburgh Nights and they're doing it in the Beer Garden.

Pittsburgh Night in the Beer Garden

Wednesday, August 3 :: 6-9pm
Pittsburgh Nights are back! We'll be stocking the truck with cans of IC Light and whatever goodies we can get our hands on from Penn Brewery, all for $3! AND for one night only get your 'Ode to a Primanti Brothers HOT DOG' for just $4. Alfresco dining, the Pittsburgh way!

I'll vouch for the Primanti style dog and beers from Penn Brewery but you're on your own when it comes to IC Light. Just because I call it home doesn't mean I have to like everything from Pittsburgh.

Parabola: the Darkness in the Glass

IN THE DARKNESS

In the darkness of my doubts

I know not what to say.

In the darkness of my jealousies

I know not what to feel.

In the darkness of my insecurities

I know not what to become.

-Sri Chinmoy

In the darkness of my glass I know not what I'll taste. The darkness in the glass is 2011 Firestone Walker Parabola. It's a high octane (13% abv) bourbon barrel aged imperial stout.  I had debated on whether or not to pull this from my cellar or to let it sit on the shelf, get dusty and age.  Originally I had only one bottle.  A HUGE thanks to Rich Isaacs (richonbeer.blogspot.com) who stepped up when I thought I missed my chance to find it in store. Then, not too long after, during a trip through South Jersey I got lucky and came across two bottles. Score! So quickly none turned to three. Now the best of both worlds: drink one and age two.

On the first pour of Parabola the bourbon shows big in the aroma. There is no denying its bourbon aged. Chocolate, hints of cherry/dark fruit, coffee and caramel all fall in line. The taste is sweet bourbon mixed with chocolate, vanilla and roasted malt flavors. With small sips it's perfectly smooth at first. However, the booziness catches up in the end and it becomes hot. Not horrible, but age should do good things to this beer. Even now it's still a pretty amazing.

If you're lucky enough to have a bottle or find it on draft two things are a must.  First, enjoy it in the proper glass. Get your nose into a snifter and have fun with the aroma while you drink. Yes it makes a difference! Second, taste it cool but wait to really enjoy it once it warms up. Well worth it.

I put it up there with The Abyss, Bourbon County Brand Stout and Black Magick. The curiosity of how this is going to taste in a year or two is the only thing that stops me from opening the remaining bottles and enjoying them now.

Thanks Big Dan for Bringing Us Beersgiving

Mr. Dan Bengel, aka Big Dan, has officially made the announcement of BEERSGIVING.  A grand beerfest to be held at Sunnybrook in Pottstown on Sat November 19th.  Yes, that's the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Hence the name of the fest.  Those of you who know Dan are probably aware that his first attempt at a beerfest unfortunately fizzled fast.  That's why this announcement is even sweeter.  I've known about it for awhile but was sworn to secrecy. A wise man, especially a beerwise man, knows it's best to follow Big Dan's wishes. You know he hangs with those TNSC hooligans. Anyway I kept quiet and now that the news is out we can all cheer for the big day.  If you haven't done so already click on the above link for more information and start counting the days until our first BEERSGIVING.

Traveling for Burgers and Beer



Craft Ale House Burger
w/ fried onions & blue cheese

Some of my recent posts have focused on food along with beer options around Philly.  This started me thinking about my favorite beer and food combo. What do I tend to order more than anything else?  Either locally or out on the road the burger is king.  For great beer and burgers around Philly Standard Tap, Craft Ale House , Monk's and Capone's get my nod.  Since my grand traveling days are on hold for awhile (little Miss. Iambeerwise is arriving soon) I'm depending on these local favorites for my fix. However, when I dream of sizzling ground beef away from Philly there are two places that satisfy my beer and burger fantasies. One is a plane ride west and the other is a simple day trip down 95.
 

Duffy's Cherry Cricket Burger
w/green chilies & cream cheese



First up is Duffy's Cherry Cricket in Denver Colorado. Their mouth watering Cricket Burger topped with mild Green Chilies and Cream Cheese is outrageously good. It may sound odd but it's an incredible mix of flavors that really work well together. The beer list is heavy on Colorodo breweries which should be no surprise. I wrote more about it here in my ramblings on last year's GABF.

RFD  Breakfast Burger



However as good as that burger and beer choices were at Cherry Cricket top spot goes to RFD in Washington D.C. This beer utopia is home to the appropriately named  Breakfast Burger. I discovered this miracle on a plate last year during D.C. Beer Week. It's a 1/2lb of ground beef marinated in Kostritzer Black Lager, cooked to order, topped with a fried egg, bacon, American cheese and a choice of toppings.  It's all served with a side of fries.  As good as that was what pushed it to number one was the accompanying glass of Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout.   A damn a finer meal has not been had in all the land! Although I enjoyed it for dinner it's easy to picture putting this away on a weekend morning or better yet after a night out with the clock striking 3am. All that breakfast goodness between two buns washed down with the maple, coffee, bourbon flavors of the palate bashing CBS. The bonus is RFD is one of the best beer bars anywhere. If a monstrous Imperial Stout doesn't work something from the impressive bottle selection or 35 taps is sure to please. The perfect gluttonous burger along with a bevy of beer choices is the reason RFD has my top spot.