Big Snowy Beer Weekend

If you love snow and beer then this is the weekend for you. Philly is getting slammed by both. On the beer side it starts today with several events and promos and continues with more all day tomorrow. The snowy forecast is for 12-18+ inches starting Friday afternoon and on into Saturday. It will be interesting see what effects the white stuff has on the weekend plans.

The Strong Ale Fest @ Union Jack's on the Manatawny has been rescheduled for Sat Feb 13th at noon.

Friday February 5th

Capone's

11:30 Taps open

Happy Anniversary Boaks Brewing

(Capone's website)

Next Promo Meet the Brewer : Come out and Celebrate Brian Boaks 3 Year Anniversary and Try his Top 2 Drafts: Three Blind Monks & Monster Mash R.I.S.Imperial Stout ! He will be glad to speak to you Personally from 6:30 to 9:30Due to the weather Please call to see if the Brew makes it ? In either case the beer will be flowing ! 610-279-4748 On Saturday we may open the bar later also call ! No matter what the Weather is like the Beer Store will be open open normal hours both days !

The Drafting Room (Exton)

West Coast Brewery Night

(Drafting Room website)
Friday, February 5th“Tap Time” @ 6pm
Featuring: Stone Double Bastard (2006), Russian River Blind Pig, Ballast Point Sculpin, IPA Coronado Idiot IPA, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Sierra Nevada Life & Limb, BrewDog/ Stone Collaboration “Basha”, Moylan’s IPA, Sierra Nevada “Edge of Darkness”, Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary, Eel Brewing Salient du Scotia Brune, Green Flash West Coast IPA (Firkin).

Saturday February 6th

The Institute

All Things Coffee, Chocolate and Barrel Aged

(Institute website)

February 6th 2pm until?
The name says it all.
Draft /firkin list with more being added
Dock Street Sexual Chocolate
Wyerbacher Hotel Imperial Orange-Chocolate Porter
Wyerbacher Barrel Aged Heresy
Founders Backwoods Bastard(Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale)
Allagash Curieux (Bourbon Barrel Aged Tripel)
Bells Java Stout
1 or the other, not sure which: Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly Double IPA or He'Brew Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Lenny

Iron Hill Brewery (West Chester)

BELGIUM COMES TO WEST CHESTER

FEBRUARY 6, 2010 2 – 9 PM. PAYG

(Iron Hill site)

Join us as we team up with regional breweries to showcase the best locally craft-brewed Belgian-style beers ~ Meet the brewers behind the beers ~Cambridge Brewing Co • Devil’s Backbone • Dogfish Head Earth, Bread + Brewery • Flying Fish • Harpoon Iron Hill West Chester, Phoenixville, Wilmington, North Wales, Media, Lancaster & Maple Shade Ithaca • Manayunk • Mckenzie’s • Nodding Head Rock Bottom • Sly Fox • Stewart’s • Stoudt’s • Troegs Victory • Weyerbacher • Yards

To Great Friends & Great Beer, Sláinte!

As I checked the pictures on my SD cards I realized that over the past few weeks I've had some good times with some great friends. Nothing too crazy: a few beers, dinner, conversation and singing a Doors tune or two (more on that later). It's all standard practice for a weekend night in the burbs. What also seems to be standard practice is to take a few photos then never have them see the light of day. Sorry guys for the major delay on getting these up. If I said that a million things stood between me and creating this post I'd only be glorifying a lame excuse.

The pictures were taken a few weeks ago on a hop heavy night at The Drafting Room in Spring House with Mike (hope all is well in the UK), Lauren (see ya soon in NYC) and the mysterious Kelleigh (luv ya dear).

The ladies kicked off the evening with a sweet offering of Fruli Strawberry. Think fizzy, sweet, jammy strawberry juice and a touch of beer essence. The mysterious Kelleigh loves the oh too sweet beers from Belgium. I started with the Drafting Room's 15th Anniv. Ale and Mike dove into a Troeg's Hopback Amber. From that point the evening steam rolled even more into a hop fanatics roll call: Arrogant Bastard, 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA, Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus and Green Flash West Coast IPA. A very nice recipe for a tongue thrashing. However, the true danger of those pours was only revealed when the opportunity to pick up a mic during Karaoke night presented itself. Now don't worry I'm not here to critique any one's late night singing ability. Maybe sometime in the future I'll reveal the video of my inner Morrison. Finally to put a cap on the evening and to honor Mike's Emerald Isle heritage it all came to a close with clanking pints of Beamish Irish Stout.

Hey guys we are looking forward to doing this again real soon.

Sláinte!

Quick Pours: Anniversaries Abound

This past weekend The Institute celebrated their 1 year anniversary. More on that later.


Boulder Brewing is celebrating their 30th Anniversary and Suzanne Woods, here, lets us all know about their special evening at The P.O.P.E tonight.



Tomorrow The Drafting Room debuts their 15 Anniversary Ale.
The Drafting Room 15th Anniversary Ale
Brewed to our specifications by Tröegs Brewing Company
Also featuring on tap: TDR 14th, Nugget Nectar (cask) and A Very Special "Firkin" of TDR 15th
Wednesday, June 24th
6:00pm "Tap Time"

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

Beer Happenings

First, a huge Happy Anniversary to Brendan and crew at Memphis Taproom. Today (4/22) they are celebrating their big 1 year of providing us with wonderful comfort food and a solid beer selection. The party starts at 5pm and the beer list is stellar. Come on, would you expect anything less?

Join us to celebrate this milestone! In addition to complimentary snacks butlered throughout the evening, we will be tapping some very special beers...the line up includes: De Dolle Dulle Teve, Bear Republic Racer X, Schlenkerla Fastenbier, Taras Boulba, Cantillon Vignerrone, North Coast Brother Thenlonious, PBC Fleur De Lehigh, Fuller's ESB, Uerige Doppelsticke, Sly Fox Instigator and Stone Russian Imperial Stout.
*Please note our kitchen and dining room will NOT be open for regular dining on this night.

Congratulations to Brewers/Owners Chris Miller & Mark Lehman on the draft debut of Breaker Brewing Company. I first heard about Breaker months ago here and now the beers (Anthracite Ale, Goldies, Malty Maguire Scotch Ale, and Old King Coal Stout) will pour on Thursday (4/23) at Kelsey's in Ashley, PA.

Another Saturday is almost here and yet again we have a decision to make. Do ya do the festival thing or hit the pay-as-you-go event? The 11th Annual Brew Fest Extravaganda at the Manayunk Brewery and HopFest V at The Drafting Room in Spring House. The full on festival is sold out so that may make your decision a bit easier.

Weekend Beer PA & NJ

Tonight The Drafting Room in Spring House is having Maredsous Night with Megan Maguire from Duvel Moortgaat. Blonde, Brune and Triple will pour. 5:30 start.

Saturday is the 1st Annual High Street Grill Winter Brew Festival. 12 breweries including, Stone, River Horse, Lagunitas, Founders, Victory, Smuttynose and many more will take part in this Mt. Holly fest. Join reps, brewers and beer lovers to toast some of the best winter beers available in New Jersey . Tickets are $20 and tasting sessions are an hour each (1-2:00pm, 2:15-3:15pm and 3:30-4:30pm). Stay warm.

Saturday. Go take a hike and enjoy a bit of stew and brew. Venture Outdoors in Pittsburgh is having a Stews and Microbrews Hike.

Stews and Microbrews Hike - Saturday, January 31
Do you want to know our recipe for the perfect winter day? How about hiking for a couple of hours through North Park's winter landscape and then rendezvousing at the trip leader's house for some hearty hot stews and seasonal brews! Sounds good, doesn’t it? We’ll have two types of delicious stews (one vegetarian) on hand. The beer and stew tasting will be inside, so we can warm up while socializing. Minimum age 21.

Location: North Park

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Cost: $44.00 non-member / $27.50 member

Organization: Venture Outdoors

Quest for the Nectar

It has begun; the madness that goes with the release of Troeg's Nugget Nectar. Just like Russian River's Pliny the Elder, Nectar is a hop lovers dream and people have been anticipating this beer for months. Now that it's out it is flying off the shelves around Philly. Two days ago stops at three six pack shops yielded nothing but the words, "I am sorry we are all out". Since then I have found a nice stash and a fresh six sits in the beer fridge. Now local taps are about to begin flowing with the dream draft.

Tonight Standard Tap is the place to be if you want it first and on cask. 6:00PM

The Drafting Room in Exton, PA. Jan 29th a firkin pours at 5:30PM

Teresa's Next Door. More Nectar flows Feb 5th @ 6PM.

Thursday is Beer Night 9/18

I was reading Philadelphia Area's Cask Ales and Kevin gave me a great reason to head up to Ortino's Northside on Thursday. Not that any night isn't a good night to hit Ortino's; this is just one of those places I always say I will get to but never do. I swear my car only knows the directions to Capone's. Ortino's is having a Lancaster Fest Night on the patio starting at 6pm. Head brewer Bill Moore will be on had for the festivities. A chance to talk with Bill and imbibe a few of Lancaster's finest is the perfect reason to head north tomorrow night.

The Drafting Room

Ithaca Night with a firkin of Flower Power, White Gold and Ten. Nut Brown and Cascazilla are also available. The taps flow at 6pm.