Lets Have Breakfast @ The Sidecar Bar and Grille

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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.

 

Founders Night @ Craft Ale House

"She Was Lost But Now We Founder".  That clever phrase/title/little diddy came from the whimsically creative Mr. Dan Bengel announcing this event weeks ago over here.  I love the word play, which Dan is always good for, and really appreciate his knowledge on the liquid action at Craft Ale House. 

That action ramps up this Wednesday night (3/30) when Founders Brewing takes over the taps.  The lineup is going to make for one serious midweek gathering. Bernie from Stockertown Beverage will be on hand to spread even more evening cheer. To paraphrase Mr. Bengel, "Prepare for much evilness".

Start time: 6pm, PAYG

We will be tapping:

Centennial Ipa

Double Trouble

Devil Dancer Triple Ipa

Harvest Ale

Red’s Rye

Nemesis ‘10

Dirty Bastard

Backwoods Bastard

Imperial Stout

Breakfast Stout ‘09

Kentucky Breakfast Stout ‘10

Wheat Wine ‘09

Maybe more!!!

Founders Nemesis

In an effort to help give the wonderful Kelleigh her fridge space back I've started clearing out some of those pesky beer bottles.  Since the purchase of a new and improved beer fridge is a day away I had no choice but to open the Founders Nemesis.  Darn the luck! 

As much as I surf the monster hop wave I currently can't get enough of the barrel aged brews.  I've totally embraced the current aging movement.  The popularity of beer done in former wine, rum, whiskey and numerous other spirit vessels is on a rise and I'm praying it's an upward trend that is here to stay.  Topping my list are beers done with bourbon. Oh Nemesis label you had me at "Maple bourbon aged wheat wine"

Come on, really? Maple and bourbon playing nicely with a wheat wine.  I went into this thinking liquid heaven and wasn't disappointed.  After some time in the glass to warm up the aroma hit big, big,big.  Everything from bourbon (go figure), hot buttered rum, vanilla and I swear buttered popcorn appeared. The taste isn't nearly as potent but does follow the aroma's lead.  Maple syrup, butterscotch and oak all mingle with the hot bourbon. The surprise is Nemesis is never overly sweet. Great balance.  Since the alcohol is very noticeable some time in the cellar is needed to make this one the perfect evening sipper.  Too bad I only had the one.

Attack of the Wood @ The Institute's 1st Anniversary

As much as I am a hop head, lately my weakness is for beers from the barrel. Give me oak, whiskey, rum, bourbon, wine I have fallen for the wood aged brews. Last weekend at The Institute's 1 year anniversary gathering tucked into a good list of top beers were some very interesting beers from the wood.

Oh Canada
This was my first opportunity to taste the coveted Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. This Imperial was aged in Kentucky whiskey barrels that were also used by a maple syrup maker. The deep dark stout has a lot going on. The aroma is full of oak and whiskey with a touch of coffee and molasses. Flavors of toasted malt, whiskey, vanilla, coffee and chocolate make it very complex. Surprisingly the maple was harder to catch and the beer wasn't overly sweet. I feel the Canadian wins over the Breakfast Stout and just edges out Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Here's wishing for the opportunity to taste all three at one sitting. If you see CBS on draft stop everything and get some while you have the chance.

A Pennichuck for Your Thoughts
Until Saturday I was a Pennichuck Brewing virgin. Now I am experienced. That experience came from the Pompier (English Style Barleywine Ale Aged in Jack Daniel's Whiskey Barrels). This beer poured a deep brown with a thin white ring of bubbles. Fruit, malt sweetness and a bit of wood came out in the aroma. The smell suggests the typical sticky sweetness associated with barleywine. Combine that sweetness with whiskey aging and you would expect an overly sweet alcohol bomb. The alcohol is there at 12%, however the super sweet bomb never drops. There is a slight malt sweetness accompanied by an oaky even herbal taste. The wood aging imparts some interesting flavor twists and a mild whiskey character. Pompier means "fireman" in French and Pennichuck is committed to honoring firefighting men and women. I figures that we are all protected from an expected alcohol burn. This big beer delivers a nice warmth and always remains smooth. If you prefer a classic barleywine Pompier isn't it. It is a smooth barleywine sipper that doesn't require a cold day and a warm fire.

Lenny is No Joke

The regular Shmaltz Brewing He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. is a big spicy, malty, citrusy DIPA. Age that on Rye Whiskey barrels and you have a monster of a beer. The aroma is full of big whiskey, malt, oak and vanilla notes. The alcohol is there. Ooooh weeee whiskey! There is no sleeping through this 10% abv sipper. The malt sweetness is balanced well with the bitterness of the hops. I didn't pick up much rye in the flavor. Since I am not a huge rye whiskey drinker I'm not sure how much of that quality comes through. There is no real stickiness but the drinkability does take a hit from the alcohol burn. Even with the burn I really liked this beer. A good dose of DIPA and whiskey aging. Two loves wrapped up in one glass.

Unfortunately time didn't permit me to get to Founders Old Curmudgeon and I only had a small taste of the Southern Tier Cuvee 2. So no reviews for either. I did make sure to dive into the free buffet. The pulled pork and the salad with (I think) blue cheese and pineapple was delicious. If this is an indication of food options to come, the Institute will soon have more than great beer to serve.

Founders Night

Kentucky Breakfast Stout, much like Russian River's Elder and Younger is a rare highly prized beer that is making its way around Philadelphia. At one time craft beer lovers in the area were lucky to get one chance if any to taste the bourbon aged brew. Over the past few months there have already been several tappings and another one is happening on Thursday.

The Drafting Room (Exton) brings in KBS along with four other Founders drafts for tomorrow's Pint Night. If this appearance of KBS is like most, get there early if you want to partake. 6pm start, PAYG. Cheers!

KBS

Red's Rye

Double Trouble

Centennial IPA

Dirty Bastard

Cerese Cherry Ale

Hyped on Hops: Hopslam and Nugget Nectar

Over these past few weeks hop heads have been rejoicing over the release of Bell's HopSlam and Troegs Nugget Nectar. If you look at Beer Advocate you will read about people frothing at the mouth discussing where and when both will be pouring and offering their first born for a bottle or two in trade. I have to admit that I got swept up in the hop excitement and chased both around Philly. Unlike with Pliny the Elder I did stop short short of posting all the bars that have been pouring the sought after beers. Most recently in my quest for both I managed to grab a glass of HopSlam at TJ's, pick up a bottle from Capone's and score a six of hard to find Nugget Nectar in my travels.

So are both beers up to all the hype? Not quite. Now before I hear it from all the devoted fans of each I will say that they are both great beers. I love them. The problem was that it had been a year since I had either one and I read all the opinions and reviews. The admiration for both is pretty amazing and I don't know if any beer could stand up to all the hop acclaim. OK, maybe Pliny the Elder. Just like a movie that is overly praised, by the time you absorb all the hype even a great film can seem slightly less spectacular. These beers can suffer the same fate so it's best to sample each with a clear mind.

My Nugget Nectar experience came from a bottle. To my surprise the aroma of hops wasn't as overwhelming as I had expected. The citrusy aroma didn't grab my attention until after I took several whiffs from the pint glass. Part of this was due to the slightly cold serving temperature. I have to remember to turn down the beer fridge. Once it did warm the sweet floral aroma was nicely present. Where the hops didn't show immediately in the aroma it was the opposite when it came to taste. There was a strong upfront hop presence that hit the tongue and stayed. The bitterness showed early and didn't fade; lingering at the back of my mouth. Although the hops hang on it's not thick and super sticky so this 7.5 abv hop bomb remains very drinkable. Most hop fans will be pleased; I was. Being a fan of Troegs I will seek out another six and enjoy another pint or two. However with soooooo many high hop options arriving regularly in Philly I can't say that I will feel any shortcomings if I don't immediately get back to the Nectar.

The hop experience ramped up with HopSlam DIPA. My first encounter this year was a snifter at TJ's a couple weeks ago. My latest was at home, this past weekend, from a bottle purchased at Capone's. From the time the cap hit the table it was hops, hops, hops and more hops. The aroma wafted from the bottle and only intensified when poured into the glass. Take time to smell this one. Remember this came from the same too cold beer fridge as the Nugget Nectar. In the glass the beer is a hazy copper color with a thick white head that settled after a few sips. A tip of the glass delivered a grapefruit blast, with hints of orange, straight to the palate. It's citrusy hops and bitterness combined with a sweet background. The sweetness then steps forward and the alcohol shows in the end. The bottle states, "Ale brewed with honey", but I had a hard time picking out a true honey flavor. This is a beer to savor. I understand why it's often served in a snifter. The 10% abv, the overly sticky mouth feel and alcohol that doesn't hide may offend and for some take away drinkability. It's not my favorite DIPA or the most balanced but it still makes its way into my hop utopia. HopSlam almost lives up to the hype. If this were on draft I would have a hard time passing it up.


With all the fuss made over HopSlam and Nugget Nectar the release of Founders Double Trouble DIPA has been in the shadows. Check Capone's and TJ's, it may still be on draft. Now the hop head focus in Philly is shifting to the upcoming shipment of Pliny the Younger. I am sure that there are more than a few people who already have their growlers in the car waiting to hear who gets the first drop. Hang on Philadelphia with Beer Week less than a month away the ride only gets more fun.

Comfortable at Capone's

I was looking over my posts for the past year and noticed that my most frequent label is Capone's. It's no wonder; it's the closest craft beer bar to my home. If someone were trying to hunt me down, the chances of discovering me there are pretty good. Sure, I am a regular but I travel to places all around Philadelphia. Now that I live further from the city my regular beer territory has greatly expanded. There is so much going on that I already can't expect to get to all the events and promos. Certainly playing favorites and hanging in one area isn't going to get it done. Still, Capone's continues to pop up more and more. I suppose if I lived in Northeast Philly the Grey Lodge would dominate my posts or if Port Richmond were home Memphis Taproom would show up here more than it already does. We all have the hometown spot that we find solace in. Location is part of it but Matt Capone manages to combine several elements that make for a great beer experience whether your local or a traveler.

First: The beer selection is always amazing.

Matt knows what the people want. You have 12 rotating taps and you can purchase any beer from the highly rated bottle shop to enjoy in the bar. This beats just about any other establishment for overall selection. Plus if you can't hang load up at the shop or grab a growler to go.

Second: Old school atmosphere.

There is nothing pretentious about the place. From the outside you would never expect the beer treasures that pour inside. I think that if their signage were different they may even get more beer business. Inside you are as likely to meet someone at the bar enjoying a flight of craft samplers as you are to rub elbows with a regular who never goes beyond ordering an MGD. People respect each other and their beer differences aren't an issue.

Third: Frequent beer promotions.

Every few weeks Matt puts together a promotion that brings out beer people from all areas of Philly. Whether its a special tapping of Pliny the Elder and Younger, a focus on a new brewery (Roy Pitz) or bringing in a brewer (John Jordan, Breckenridge Brewery) the beer events are always interesting and well attended. Expect to find more than a few Beer Advocates in attendance around the bar.

I have had some friends complain that the servers aren't well informed about the beers they are pouring. While I do enjoy places where the staff makes recommendations and are incredibly knowledgeable, because of it's classic neighborhood bar feel I never expected it at Capone's. Combine all the positives with a solid menu and good service and it's clear why they are a great beer stop.

Also
On my last trip in I had the Backwoods Bastard and Curmudgeon Old Ale from Founders Brewing. Both were amazing. This was the first time I had Backwoods on draft and it may of be the first time on draft in the Philly area.

The Backwoods Bastard is a big beer. One warning; if you don't like bourbon there is no point in getting this one. The aroma is bourbon, the taste is bourbon and it almost looks like bourbon. Give this beer a chance to warm up and once the head fades you may swear that it's liquor in the glass instead of beer. Lucky for me, I LOVE BOURBON, so this beer is heaven. However I would recommend the Curmudgeon over the Backwoods only because the alcohol taste is more subdued and the overall flavor is better balanced.

Current Capone's Draft List

Founders Harvest Ale

Founders Curmudgeon"Old Ale"

Founders Backwoods Bastard

2007 Troegs Mad Elf

South Hampton Double

Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Sly Fox IPA Project Pearle IPA

Weissennohe Monks Octoberfest

2007 Brooklyn Chocolate Stout

Legacy Dear Abbey Dubbel

South Hampton Double White

Church Brew Works Tripel

2007 Stone Oak Aged Bastard

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin

New Draft Promo will be Dogfish Head Thursday Nov. 13 th "A great lineup of beers !

Prelude to Beer Week

Philly Beer Week is finally here. I have been looking at this week on the calendar for almost a year. Ever since I first heard the announcement last year at the Michael Jackson Tutored Tasting at the U of Penn I’ve been waiting with anticipation. Unfortunately to celebrate this wonderful week I proceeded to get a cold that knocked me off my feet for the weekend. However I did manage to get to the Meet the Brewer event at the South Philadelphia Taproom on Thursday and on Monday I snuck in for a late lunch at Capone’s to sample from a fantastic beer line up. It figures that my first visit to the South Philadelphia Tap room happened once I had moved out of the city. This warm corner bar located at Mifflin and S. Hicks street hosted a Meet the Brewer event with Founders Brewing. Actually the head brewer wasn’t there but cofounder Dave Engbers made the trip from Michigan to support his beers. Dave and a representative from Stockertown Beverage made the rounds meeting patrons and discussing the beers being poured. I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk with Dave for a few minutes. We discussed his trip that took him from Michigan through Pittsburgh on his way to Philly. During the stop in Pittsburgh he went to one of western Pa’s best bars, Fat Heads. The Southside bar has over 30 taps and a mix and match bottle shop making it a must stop for any beer fanatic who makes it to the other end of the state. We then discussed the new facility and distribution in Pennsylvania. From the sound of it the Philadelphia area is a big part of the expanding distribution range for Founders. So look forward to even more from the Michigan brewer. The line up of beers for the event was very impressive. Samples included Dirty Bastard, Centennial IPA, Red’s Rye, Devil Dancer, Rubaeus, Curmudgeon, Blushing Monk and Pale Ale. From the beers that I tasted the three standouts were Devil Dancer, Curmudgeon and Blushing monk. The Blushing Monk especially grabbed my attention. It was the first time I had the fruit beer and it impressed from the first pour. The color was a deep cloudy red and the small head quickly dissipated. The aroma was of fresh raspberry juice. The taste starts off as sweet raspberry then slowly slides to tart with a slight citrusy finish. The 12.3% ABV is very well hidden and although sweet it’s not cloying. This beer is a great sipper.

Having survived the Founders event on Thursday night what better way to celebrate Beer Week and take care of a cold than to spend the late afternoon at Capone’s eating a late lunch and tasting beer from the expanded tap list. How’s this for beers to choose from?

2006 Thomas Hooker Barrel-Aged Porter

2006 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Bell's Hop Slam

Old Rasputin (Nitro)

Climax 10th Anniversary

Stoudt's Birthday (rare)

Flying Fish Apple Jack Brandy Beer (aged in Apple Jack brandy barrels)

Rogue Double Dead Guy (Locker Stock)

Lucifer

Stone Double Bastard

Founder's Devil Dancer

Allagash Musette Dry Hopped

Breckenridge 471 Double IPA

Allagash Curieux.

As I always do when confronted with so many beers I have never tried I ordered a sampler. My four choices were Musette, Double Dead Guy, Apple Jack and Thomas Hooker. The World Wide was not available for sample. Unfortunately my cold affected the taste of everything. There is nothing worse than having good food and drink and not being able to appreciate all the flavors. Since Capone’s is doing the list, while it lasts, for beer week I plan on getting back once my head clears. I have only touched on a small part of what Beer Week is about. While I recover from my sickness make sure to get out there and support your favorite bars, brewers and breweries and enjoy all there is to enjoy.