HBO My Sunday Night Fix

Vince, all that cash and all you get your boys is Bud?

Sunday night use to bring a feeling of dread.  The joy of the weekend was over and the weekly grind lay only hours ahead.  Now I look forward to Sunday night all because of HBO.  This past weekend brought the cable movie channel's full on power summer lineup.  From 9 to 11pm it's vampires, werewolves, pimps, prostitutes, Hollywood posses and power players.  True Blood, Hung and Entourage are successfully taking  the gloom out of the end of the weekend.  Of the three shows Entourage and True Blood are the established heavy hitters here.  Although I'm starting to believe that Vinnie Chase and the boys may have already jumped the shark. The bad ass vamps top my list however Hung might be the most compelling of the three shows.

This woman knows the way to my heart

HBO is betting that you will hang on after True Blood to watch the up and down (pun intended) life of struggling Detroit high school teacher/coach/male prostitute Ray Decker (Thomas Jane).  The pleasant surprise is Hung holds it's own (make your own joke) in the evening lineup.  Good character development, humorous interaction and quirky sexual trysts all draw in the viewer.  Even though Ray is in the business of pleasure (only for the ladies) most of us can still relate to his hard times, troubled relationships and less than perfect family life.  All  points that resonate more with the common man than the lusty sex and bloody gore of True Blood or the big time livin' in Entourage. This past Sunday's episode even managed to throw a bone to craft beer. 

Founders Double Trouble along with a couple burgers are used as a good will offering by Rhonda (Ray's pimp) to put her back in his good graces.  This is product placement I support.  It's good to see the show is true to it's Michigan base. It would of been too easy to have the characters toss back a Bud or Miller Lite.  Unfortunately something the Entourage crew does far too often. Even the patrons at Merlotte's, True Blood's local hangout, can get an Abita Turbodog.  The craft angle is a nice touch for those of us who care about such things.  Gotta wonder whats next for Ray's fridge: New Holland, Bell's, Jolly Pumpkin, Dark Horse.  Dr. Joel you may want to send a letter to the writers emphasising the wonders of New Holland. Heck, why should Founders have the TV spotlight all to themselves?

The bar owner shape shifts into a dog so of course Abita's Turbodog is on draft

Mmmmm PBW Beer Scraps @ TJ's

Since Philadelphia is a true beer lovers paradise we've all come to expect frequent events that present an excellent opportunity to indulge in great craft beer. Think about it. When was the last time a solid month passed and there wasn't some beer tasting, dinner, special tapping, cask event, brewery promo, etc? Following that wonderful trend and with Philly Beer Week still fresh in our minds TJ's in Paoli rolls out PBW the Scraps.  Yes all those beers that didn't get their chance to shine during Beer Week take over the taps on Saturday (6/26).  Included on that draft list the much sought after Russian River Registration Ale. The naming plays off those infamous Philly beer raids that had the PLCB carting off all those "unregistered" kegs and bottles. The 7.5% abv even pays homage to $75.00 fee to register the beer in PA. The beer fun starts at noon. PAYG

TJ's what's on tap Sat

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA - FIRKIN Ballast Point Simcoe Hopped Big Eye IPA- FIRKIN

Russian River Consecration

Russian River Registration Ale

Troegs Scratch 31 (Citra IPA)

Southern Tier 2XIPA

Arcadia Hop Rocket

2008 Eel River Tripel Exultation

2009 Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

Dogfish Head Sah'tea

Bear Republic Crazy Ivan

Stillwater Oliver's Channel Crossing

Petrus Oak Aged Pale

Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

Meantime Chocolate Porter

Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout

FYI

If you can't make it to TJ's and you're near Lansdale make your way to Via Marconi's Pizza Pub for Russian River Fest 2.  Registration Ale and Pliny the Elder tap at 11:00. PAYG

Beer Week @ City Tap House

Beer Week is just about two weeks in the past so this is obviously the perfect time for slacker me to toss up some photos from the few events I attended.  Unfortunately a nagging cold and an unforeseen increase in the work schedule kept this from truly being my best beer week ever.  Instead of hitting all the events I had highlighted old school style on paper (no iPhone apps for me) I spent more time plowing through paperwork and coughing up Phlegm.  Not pretty.  The cool thing is the time I did spend tripping around the city with friends was a much appreciated good time.

Me, Woody Chandler & Ed

Cask Ale Kev, Dr. Joel, Ed

During the week I couldn't resist the gravitational pull of the  City Tap House.  Somehow I managed three visits: the Deschutes Philly Debut, 31 Flavors of Bells and a random night for food and a few drinks.

The new University City 60 tap beer utopia is impressive.  All I could think entering the unassuming frosted door next to Jimmy Johns is that from ground level the place had a secret lair feel.  Reminiscent of Maxwell Smart entering Control.  A dimly lit curved hallway leading to a mysterious elevator.  Press the button and your adventure begins.  Once at restaurant level the doors open and with a step to the left the mystery quickly fades and a mega bar awaits.

For the Deschutes event we arrived after a day spent at Yard's Smoke 'Em if Yous Got 'Em.  Managing to beat the crowd, the place was fairly empty so grabbing a table was no problem. The first round went to, Hop Henge followed by  The Abyss.  As you can imagine after hours of smoked beers the senses weren't the sharpest.  However even abused taste buds could appreciate both wow beers.  I won't give a detailed review until I've had each again during a clearer state of mind but trust me Hop Henge fantastic mix of tropical fruit/citrus and piney hop goodness and The Abyss is dark, sweet, raisiny heaven in a glass.  We should all put our hands together and pray to the beer gods that Deschutes turns their Philly trial period into a full time gig.

Bells Rep Derek Zomonski holding two of his 31 flavors

The 31 Flavors of Bells made for an even more impressive evening.  A Bells world record (for now) for number of Bell's beers poured at one time in one place.There was no beating the crowd for this one.  The people were easily two deep at the bar. Not a surprise with the amount of rare beers on the draft list. My only regret is not taking notes on everything I had.  No way is memory going to help here.  What I do recall is loving Black Note, Batch 9000 and Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury.  Sadly the tasting details have faded like the thin white head on a cask beer. Going, going gone.

Now only time will tell if City Tap House survives the campus life.  A draft list of 60 is the largest in the city, the patio with fire pits is perfect for those chilly nights and the overall space gives off the right kind of hangout feel.  This ain't your daddy's or for that matter my college beer bar.  So do craft beer heads make it a must stop? Do all those taps keep pouring the good stuff? We'll all wait to see.  

Overall my only real gripe is that prices seem a touch high for food. With Local 44 close by pouring good beer and dishing out amazing food at reasonable prices it may be tough to make City Tap House my number one destination in West Philly.

More Beer Week? Nope Just Another Day @ Capone's

The biggest week of beer ended almost 2 weeks ago and life in Philly is back to normal.  Lucky for us normal means plenty of opportunities to have more amazing craft beer.  Today Capone's unleashes the taps with a monster draft line up.  Since it is only here on a trial basis Deschutes Hop Henge has gotta be the hot beer of the day. However with Sculpin, Stone IPA (Dry Hopped), Brooklyn Buzz Bomb and Petrus Aged Pale it won't be the only highly sought after draft.  Hopefully Deschutes is taking notice of the stir it's caused in the market and the trial period quickly turns to more beers headed to Philly on a regular basis. Start 11:30am, PAYG

What's Pouring @ Capone's

Ballast Point Sculpin "Nice And Fresh!"
Deschutes Hop Henge "Experimental Imperial IPA"
Stone IPA "Dry Hopped"
Lancaster Kolsch
Green Flash Le' Freak
North Coast Old Rasputin "On Nitrogen"
Petrus Aged Pale "Great Sour Beer"
Spring House Diabolical Dr. Wit
Spring House Goofy Foot "Summer Wheat Beer"
Brooklyn Brew Master Reserve Buzz Bomb Ale "Braggot Mead"
Great Lakes Erie Monster IPA
Southern Tier 2X IPA
Roy Pitz Watermelon Lager
Port Brewing Shark Attack
Victory Summer of Love
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Brassiere Saison Dupont
Weyerbacher Kilo "Limited Draft Release"
Weyerbacher Verboten
Weyerbacher Merry Monks
Stillwater and Oliver Ales Channel Crossing Volume 1
Stillwater Stateside Saison
Stillwater Cellar Door"Belgian Bitter"
Steenbrugee Tripel
Dogfish Head Sah'tea 2009
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Ayinger Brau-Weisse
Founders Porter

Odell Brewing Company @ Capone's

We are headed into the final weekend and I have been dealing with a cold for the past few days.  Great timing. Unfortunately I've missed many events on my can't miss list. Since physically I feel somewhat better I have my sights set on Capone's for Meet the Brewer with Odell Brewing Company.  Tagged as one of the best breweries in Colorado they are making their east coast debut. The beers are here on a trial basis which is all part of deciding if PA gets the opportunity to pour more in the future.  Looks like we have to make a good impression. Definitely a good reason to drag myself to a bar stool and partake in the afternoon festivities.  Besides we all know the healing benefits of a good pint.  See ya there. Cheers

Capone's
2-4pm, PAYG
Odell Drafts
90 Schilling
IPA
Saboteur Brett Barrel Brown Ale
Woodcut 4 Oak Aged Lager

Smoke 'Em if Yous Got 'Em PBW 2010

Philly Beer Week Takes Off

Philly Beer Week is off and running. I am trying not to go too crazy about getting to places and have somewhat come to grips with the fact that I can't go to every event I want.  I'm not a iphone person so I've been tracking the grand festivities through the site and the old school way on paper.  At this point everything has been circled, asterisked and highlighted to death.  So far the plan is to hit favorites, see old friends and check out the new guys, both bars and breweries. 

My week kicked off at Capone's with Old Dominion.  Thanks Scott and Dave for the beer selection you guys were great.  On Sunday it was off to Smoke 'Em if Yous Got 'Em.   Loved it last year and this year's gathering didn't disappoint. It was also my first visit to Yards since the arrival of the new bar and I understand why the place is so damn popular.  It's the best place on Del Ave to grab a pint. Yards just doesn't stop improving.  On the new side, the Philly debut of Deschutes at City Tap House. The beer and the bar were equally amazing.  60 taps is impressive. With The Abyss and Hop Henge on, it's draft paradise.  If you haven't had any of their beers just trust me, you want Deschutes to keep pouring in Philly.  My only regret so far is missing Lew and Scoats at the Grey Lodge for Upstate Brewery Haul. In past years I've missed it and I knew after Smoke 'Em and Deschutes there was no way I was getting to the Grey Lodge.  Ya gotta know when to say when.

I'll toss some pics up soon.  Until then keep enjoying the week.  Cheers!

All About Beer in the Perfect Place

The other day in the mail I received a special double issue magazine wrapped in plastic.  Take your mind out of the gutter, it was the July issue of All About Beer. The special part was the accompanying Beer Traveler issue.  The magazine covers festivals, beer excursions, provides a beer vacation planner for the US and Europe and some helpful travel tips. Along with that comes a list of the 150 Perfect Places to Have a Beer.  I know these lists are always popping up: Must Have Beers Before You Die, Best Bars in America, The Country's Best Beer Cities and so on.  I love them all because like many who are into the craft thing I want to see how many places, beers or whatever I can check off and there's fun in seeing where your favorites rank. 

In this version of the perfect beer list the Philly area  is represented, not once, but twice.  Monks Cafe rolls in at the #4 spot and Eulogy takes #79. Not too shabby.  However for "America's Best Beer Drinking City" I want more.  Heck, Chicago hit 6 spots on the list (Goose Island, The Map Room, Piece Brewery, Clark Street Ale house, Hopleaf and Delilah's). All excellent, however classic places like Capone's and Grey Lodge can easily hold their own against any of them.  I guess we can take some comfort in the fact that some other places in the area and PA got props: Selin's Grove Brewing Company #63, Dogfish Head Ale House Rehoboth #91 and Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh #130.

For the record,  #1 spot went to Great American Beer Festival.

Mad Hatter Rages on the South Side

There are many reasons I have for getting back to Pittsburgh: family, friends, Primanti Bros, real pierogies, the view from Mount Washington, to hear the word yinz, growler hours at East End Brewing and to be surrounded by those who love the black & gold as much as I do.  All great.  However, after checking in over at The Grain Bill, Dr. Joel gave me another reason. 

One Saturday June 12 the dear Dr. is conducting a New Holland Mad Hatter Bar Crawl on the South Side. It's six different bars and six different versions of Mad Hatter (Imperial, Black, Oak Aged, Cask Conditioned, Rye and of course the original). Unfortunately a trip back home to The Burgh on that weekend isn't possible for me.  I'll have to cross my fingers and hope that the Dr. throws some of that multiple Mad Hatter love in Philly's direction.

Heading into Philly Beer Week with Deschutes

Sad to say I'm still catching up on past activity on the eve of Philly Beer Week. It's a little difficult looking into the past when you know there's a hop behemoth lurking around the corner. However I'm also moving ahead and focusing on an event during the best week ever that is sure to get some attention. 

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine passed me a few great beers and I've been slowly working my way through them.  Thanks again Brandon, you rock! Two of the better choices that have filled a glass over the past few days are from Deschutes Brewery in Portland.  Inversion IPA and Green Lakes Organic Ale are my first experiences with Deschutes and if they are a good indicator of their other offerings I need to get my hands on more bottles.  The Inversion IPA starts off on the malty side with an orange and carmel sweetness.   Most of the bitterness holds off until the end.  Typically I lean toward an IPA with a good amount of hop bite but the malt forward side was a good change. The Green Lakes Organic follows a similar taste profile, sweet moving to bitter but was slightly more toasty and bready. Both had me wanting more when the last few drops were poured.

As luck would have none of us have to wait very long to get a taste of Deschutes.  The brewery is making its big premiere in the Philly market during Beer Week.  City Tap House is pouring 5 drafts (Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Henge IPA, Hop in the Dark Black IPA, and The Abyss Imperial Stout) on Sunday afternoon, 6/6 from 3-6pm, PAYG. Hopefully this is the beginning of a good flow of Deschutes into Philly.

Finally all caught up.  Time to let the week begin.

Still Catchin' Up: New Holland & Calkins Creamery @ CAH

A little over a week ago the perfect storm of beer and cheese took over Craft Ale House in Limerick.  Dr. Joel Beer Ambassador for New Holland Brewing and Jay Montgomery of Calkins Creamery brought together some of their best offerings for the evening.  The tasting included 5 cheeses paired with appropriate beers and bread. What else does one really need to survive?  All were great but for me there were two standouts. The Noble Road w/The Poet and Udderly Hot Havarti (infused with chilies, super chilies & habanero) w/El Mole Ocho.

(Bryan Kolesar The Brew Lounge & Dr. Joel New Holland)

The Noble Road, a semi-soft raw milk cheese aged for 60 days, was mild and earthy which worked nicely with the roasted earthiness of the Poet Oatmeal Stout.  I'm still learning my beer and cheese combinations but it makes sense that the mushroom notes of the cheese would mix well with the semi-sweet, chocolate and wood flavors of the beer.  As good as it was my favorite match-up put the complex chili, cocoa and coffee convergence of  El Mole Ocho along side the Hot Pepper Havarti. With peppers as a common theme you might of expected big, big heat but it never went past pleasant warmth on the tongue. I heard a few people complain about the pepper bite of the cheese but for a spice fiend like myself it was heaven on a plate. I highly recommend you search out the El Mole Ocho and if you're in the Philly area head to Whole Foods (Plymouth Meeting) for Calkins cheese. Cheers!

I Got Some Catchin' Up to Do: NYC Ginger Man & Rattle N Hum

I realized that I am slowly falling behind in my beer life.  With Philly Beer Week just around the corner and the tremendous amount of events scheduled, if I don't pull it together before launching into the best week ever I'll never catch up. First up NYC.

It's been almost three weeks since I trekked up to Citi Field to watch the Mets pull one out against the Giants. The beauty of this last journey to NYC were the quirks in the day that weren't beer related. I arrived at Penn Station smack in the middle of the National Train Day celebration. Who knew? And how do you celebrate NTD?  Apparently by giving out free cupcakes and inviting actor Taye Diggs (GO, House on Haunted Hill, How Stella Got Her Groove) to stand in front of a giant cake replica of a Manhattan trainscape created by the Cake Boss's Buddy Valastro. That fun was followed later by a bomb scare in Times Square. Luckily nothing major. Fortunately all the other surprises in the day were beer related.

I deviated from my usual first stop out of Penn Station, Rattle N Hum, and took a left at the Empire State Building to hit Ginger Man.  Although I like my bars a bit grittier, Ginger Man has a classic New York feel. The place is a true craft beer paradise. Over 70 taps and a monster bottle list prove that.  The problem in a place like this is choosing what to have.  I started my day with a beer I had never experienced from a brewery I had never heard of Thomas Sykes Old Ale (cask) from Burton Bridge Brewery. 

The more I experience it the more I love good cask ale. Thomas Sykes qualifies. It started off by looking great in the glass. Clear medium brown with a thin white head served in a snifter.  The sweetness of the beer never hides.  The aroma is boozy, dark fruit and toffee and the taste follows the same route.  Delicious bourbon qualities, breadiness and 10% abv make it a smooth sipper.  Not the best beer for a warm afternoon but certainly appropriate for a start to a laid back day in the city.

After walking back to Penn Station to meet a friend we headed down 33rd to Rattle-N-Hum.  All respect to Ginger Man, RnH has won over my craft beer soaked heart.  The ginormous draft list written in chalk, the warm wood surroundings, swag covered ceiling & walls, impressive taps, spicy bartenders, and the broken in feel even though the place isn't that old all make for a good beer destination.  More reasons I never skip it when I'm in the city. Sticking with the try a beer I've never had theme I ordered Captain Lawrence, Captains Reserve Imperial IPA. 

I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't met the Captain sooner.  I've had plenty of opportunities to purchase various bottles from this NY brewer but passed. For shame! No more excuses.  The Captain's Reserve was a  bit of a surprise.  The hoppy citrus/grapefruit/tangerine, some bitterness along with a touch of pine and grassiness were all expected. The twist I got was whiskey. Oddly enough there seemed to be a sweet subtle herbal whiskey flavor.  Wow, definitely different, in a  good way, from a typical DIPA. I hope the whiskey thing wasn't just in my head or a remnant from the previous stop.  I'd love the opportunity to try it again either on draft or from the bottle to explore it a little more.

The Dr. Will See You @ Craft Ale House

The always knowledgeable Dr.Joel Armato (New Holland Beer Ambassador) will steer his road show towards home with a night of beer and cheese at Craft Ale House.  On Wed night (5/19) he and Calkins Creamery owner Jay Montgomery will offer up delicious beer and cheese pairings. 

Calkins Creamery located in Honesdale, PA is where Jay and his wife Emily Bryant, "...specialize in fine, artisan cheeses, using only the freshest milk possible from our very own herd of registered Holstein cattle." Of course the good doctor is bringing in only the freshest from New Holland and promises to have a special, first time tapped in the area, beer. So expect nothing less than a tantalizing taste opportunity. PAYG, 6pm-???. Cheers!!!

Happy American Craft Beer Week

Here in Philly the focus, as expected,  is on the upcomming Philly Beer Week (6/4-6/13). However not to be overlooked is BA's American Craft Beer Week (5/17-5/23).  After all Congress did desiginate this an offical celebration of craft beer/micros.

(from ACBW site)
A House of Representatives resolution, H.R. 1297 (PDF file), was introduced on April 22 to recognize and support the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week. This Congressional effort highlights the valuable role that small and independent craft brewers play through community citizenry, economic contributions—including the estimated 100,000 jobs in the industry–and the resurgence in a rich brewing culture not seen since before Prohibition.

Nationally bars, breweries and brew pubs are running specials to cheer the occasion. Check out the American Craft Beer Week site for full details.

On the Road to NYC

Good-bye Philly hello NYC.  The last time my journey to the apple was for a Yankee's game in the new park.  This go around it's Citi Field, home of the now second place Mets.  Before anyone thinks I have a thing for the NY teams understand that my true baseball heart died years ago when the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to transform into a minor league team and give up any chance of winning.  Being here in Philly I've thought of cheering on the Phillies but my heart isn't in it.  It doesn't seem right to jump on now that they are king of the hill.  Therefore, I place myself in baseball limbo.  Any team, any time just give me an amazing baseball experience:  food, beer, an exciting game and good friends. At this point the uniforms on the field are secondary. As long as they can play ball I'm good. 

The plan is to hit the city early then make our way out to the game in the evening.  I'm sure a few interesting stops are in order for the day.  Can you say Rattle N Hum and The Ginger Man? Oh yes you can.

Rattle N Hum’s Beer List

05/04/10
1. Founder's ′Centennial IPA'
2. De Ranke ‘XX Bitter’
3. Bear Republic 'Racer 5’
4. Cigar City 'Jai Alai IPA’
5. Founder's 'Double Trouble IPA'
6. Sierra Nevada 'Pale Ale’
7. Dogfish Head ‘90 Minute IPA'
8. Weyerbacher 'Double Simcoe IPA’
9. Founders ‘Pale Ale’
10. Rodenbach 'Grand Cru’
11. Ballast Point 'Black Marlin Porter'
12. Ballast Point 'Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Marlin’
13. Speakeasy ‘Holiday Spice’
14. 21st Amendment ‘Golden Doom’
15. Founder's 'Cerise'
16. Climax 'ESB’
17. Weihenstephan ‘Heff Weiss′
18. Captain Lawrence 'Captain's Reserve DIPA'
19. Green Flash 'Hop Less'
20. Founder's 'Porter’
21. Founder's ‘Red Rye PA’
22. Captain Lawrence ‘Brown Bird’
23. Southampton ‘Double White’
24. Sixpoint ‘Otis’
25. Ommegang ‘Rare Vos'
26. Victory ‘Prima Pils’
27. Founder's ‘KBS’
28. Hofbrau ‘Maibock’
29. Goose Island ‘Pepe Nero’
30. Harpoon 'Cider’
31. O'Hara's 'Irish Dry Stout'
32. Dogfish Head ‘Paulo Santo Marron’
33. Founder's ‘Curmudgeon’
34. Pretty Things ‘Jack D'Or’
35. Oskar Blues ‘Ten Fiddy’
36. Climax 'Hoffman Helles'
37. Founder's 'Dirty Bastard’
38. Climax 'Nut Brown'
39. Mikkeller ‘Beer Geek Breakfastr’
40. Climax 'Cream Ale'
Cask:
1. Williams Brothers 'Midnight Sun Porter'
2. Williams Brothers 'Joker IPA'
3. Two Brothers 'Cane & Ebel'

The Power of Collaboration: Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Release Saison du BUFF

Yesterday the collaborative powers of  Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Bill Covaleski (Victory) and Greg Koch (Stone) unleashed Saison du Buff. The brew commemorates the short lived, Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor (BUFF) formed by the three brewers back in 2003. 

The Belgian farmhouse style ale breaks away from the norm with some creative herbal touches.  A unique blending of sage, rosemary, thyme and parsley is sure to keep this from being a ho-hum saison. You sure wouldn't expect anything from these guys to get labeled run of the mill. The beer is being brewed at all three breweries. The current batch was done at Stone Brewing and the next brewings happen during Philly Beer Week. First up is Dogfish Head on June 6th (release July) and then Victory Brewing  on June 10th (release August). 

A few words from the guys who do the brew


Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone Saison du BUFF from stonebrew on Vimeo.