Tidbits from around the craft brew-niverse

Cleaning out my to-read list of the past week or so, I have a few good reads to share with you here, that if I don't they will quickly wind up in the dustbin. Plus, it passes the time while I'm in Columbus.

Scoats shares a revealing story of meat and how it gets from field to your dinner plate at The Grey Lodge.

Cathedral Hill closes in San Francisco with a song from Allagash and so does a chapter on beer dinners. I wouldn't suppose that it will be long for The Beer Chef to begin a new chapter.

Am I more like Jack than I would have ever admitted? Does anyone but Jack really understand me (at least when it comes to love for the game of baseball)? I swear, Jack's take on the sport sounds a lot like arguments I've had with people (like a nimrod a few weeks back who said baseball wasn't a really sport because there's no strategy) about its merits.

Check in over here for a good cause

Aspen Street was a favorite of ours back when we lived in the neighborhood. Hopefully, a return to its glory days is in the cards once again.

The Brew Lounge does not tolerate the word that rhymes with, but does not taste as good as, ham

Nor will I allow it to alter the way we do business around here. Lately, spam has picked up in the comments to levels never seen before around these parts. Such is the way of the web I'm sure; still, I don't pretend to understand the point of it, regardless of whether it's human or robot sending out this value-less crap.

I will not turn on "comment moderation"...which for those uninitiated means some form of cryptic password that you need to enter just in order to post a comment and some form of queuing up comments for me to "approve." That, in my opinion, takes away from the spirit of encouraging effective and efficient communication. Some days it flows around here and other days...not so much.

But, I won't spammers get in the way of that sort of productive communication. So, keep on keeping on, Mr./Ms. Spam-a-lot. I can keep up. As fast as you put it out there, I delete it.

Everyone else, please carry on with the work at hand.

p.s. hm, on second thought, BrewLounge and Spam just became more highly searchable on the Web. ggrrr. (okay, so now I've changed the title to address that potential issue)

Women, Beer, and Food

How many of you perked up reading the title above? Well, that's the point. There's a whole heck of a lot of great stuff going on in the world of better beer...much of it in the last couple of years has rightfully worked food into the mix. And, until the last five years or so, finding women excelling in both the business and the brewing end of the industry was fairly rare.

My how times have changed. And Fork Restaurant here in Philadelphia will be hosting an event that will showcase these three wonderful creations.

If you follow beverage and food (um, I'm guessing that you wouldn't be here if you didn't) you'll likely recognize the names Christina Perozzi & Hallie Beaune. And, if you know anything---anything at all, I'll tell you---about the craft brewing scene in and around Philadelphia, then you surely know the names of Sebbie Buhler, Wendy Domurat, Megan Maguire, Tracy Mulligan, Jodi Stoudt, Whitney Thompson, and Suzy Woods (alphabetical because you ain't gonna find me playing favorites around this bunch!).

All of them or some combination will be descending upon Fork Restaurant on Market Street in Philly for a remarkable looking event in less than two weeks.

Fifty-five dollars will get you a whole bunch of food and great looking beers to pair with. Ladies from each of the participating breweries should be there to tell stories behind the beer that you'll be enjoying. Yes, this is a promotional angle to a book release from Perozzi and Beaune called The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer, but guys (and ladies too), I know that you'll turn out for beer events of various flavors...this one looks like a darn good night of beer, food, and double X chromosomes that you shouldn't miss. Call Fork Restaurant at 215-625-9425 for reservations. I can't imagine this not quickly filling up.

Reception:::
Spicy tuna confit with capers on focaccia toasts
Grilled flatbread with artichokes and saffron aioli
:served with: Victory's Prima Pils & Stoudt’s American Pale Ale

Chef’s selection of tapas:::
Grilled house made chorizo with spicy white beans
Salmon rillettes
Grilled shrimp with grits and smoked tomato jam
Vegetables à la grecque
Marinated olives
:served with: Sly Fox's Saison Vos

First Course:::
Seared sea scallops with coriander, caramelized brussels sprouts, meyer lemon jam
:served with: Ommegang's Rare Vos

Second Course:::
Lightly smoked duck breast with spiced croutons, caramelized onion, bacon, parsnips
:served with: Dogfish Head's Raison d’Etre

Third Course:::
Chocolate caramel tart with lemon-thyme chantilly cream
:served with: Rogue's Chocolate Stout

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: November 5th-November 11th

I know many of you spent a lot of time out at bars to watch the Phillies postseason run. It's finally over, but let's pick the pieces and settle back into some great beer and food events this next week. As usual, there's no shortage of good stuff to choose from.

Check out the entire November 2009 calendar over here.


Some tastings, some free, some PAYG
@Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 11/5 - Meet the Brewer, Keep the Pint Glass (Bethlehem Brew Works) (6:30pm-8:30pm; PAYG for local brews, reps, and free pint glasses)

@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Fri. 11/6 - Friday Night Sampling (Victory Brewing) (4:00pm-6:00pm; free)

@Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA--- Mon. 11/9 - Monday's Sixtel (Manayunk Hop Phanatic Imperial Amber) (PAYG)

@Old Eagle Tavern, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 11/10 - Coronado Tuesday Nights (8:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG to meet & greet the brewers & beer reps & to taste the beers)
@Old Eagle Tavern, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 11/10 - Victory Night (3:00pm-close; PAYG Food and Beer pairing specials, and enter to win a Victory fleece jacket)

@Triumph, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 11/5 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (November's selection: Baby Boy Bock Beer) (6:00pm; PAYG)
@Triumph, New Hope, PA--- Fri. 11/6 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (November's selection: Winter Bock) (6pm; PAYG)


Casey, Chuck, maybe Gene will be spread out around the city with Exit 1 to taste
@Hulmeville Inn, Hulmeville, PA--- Thu. 11/5 - Firkin of Exit 1 (6:00pm; PAYG)

@Varga Bar, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 11/5 - Firkin of Exit 1 (7:00pm; PAYG)


Some tastings, then, are just a bit bigger and badder than others
@Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA--- Fri. 11/6 - Incubus Friday (11:30am 'til it kicks; PAYG for a barrel full of trippy, trippely goodness)


Homebrew? Yes, Homebrew. Not enough of these type of events on this calendar
@Artisan Homebrew, Downingtown, PA--- Sat. 11/7 - Grand Opening Party on Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day (RSVP requested because there will be live folk/bluegrass music, free food, great wine from Black Walnut Winery, artisan goat cheeses from Amazing Acres, local craft beer and of course, Homebrew. There will be an all-grain brew session, starting around 10:30am, and an extract brew session, starting around 1:00pm.)


Over the next two weeks, Iron Hill will leave no corner of the Delaware Valley untouched by their beer events
@Iron Hill Brewery, West Chester, PA--- Fri. 11/6 - Brewmaster's Beer versus Wine Dinner (7:30pm; $70 gets you a five course meal paired with 1) Renwood Viognier, 2006 and Ichabod Imperial Pumpkin Ale; 2) Hahn Estate Chardonnay, 2007 and RØDE; 3) Fess Parker "Station" Pinot Noir 2007 and Biere de Mars; 4) Steltzner "Claret" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and Abbey Dubbel; and 5) Fonseca Bin 27 NV Porto and Old Ale)
@Iron Hill Brewery, Phoenixville, PA--- Mon. 11/9 - Fall Beer Dinner (6:30pm; $60 for a four course meal paired with their Pumpkin Ale, Saison, Abbey Dubbel, and Russian Imperial Stout)
@Iron Hill Brewery, Newark, DE--- Tue. 11/10 - Brewmaster's Fall Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $60 for a four course meal paired with their Lodestone Lager, Saison, Pig Iron Porter, and Pumpkin Ale)


And, just a few more beer dinners in case you're still hungry
@Chifa, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 11/5 - Victory Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $55 for five courses of food paired with Victory's Prima Pils, WildDevil, Golden Monkey, Yakima Twilight, and Baltic Thunder)

@Drafting Room, Exton, PA--- Wed. 11/11 - Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner (6:00pm; $69.99 gets you four courses of food paired with Sierra Nevada's Brown Saison, Edge of Darkness, Belgian Triple, Estate Harvest Ale, and Bigfoot [2008])

@High Street Caffe, West Chester, PA--- Wed. 11/11 - Yards Beer Dinner (7:00pm-9:00pm; $45 for five courses paired with Yards Brawler, Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale, Philadelphia Pale Ale, George Washington’s Tavern Porter, and Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale)

@The Belgian Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 11/10 - Great Lakes Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $50 for five courses paired with "lots" of Great Lakes beer)

Beer Dates in History: November Anniversaries

162 years
Carlsberg

25 years
Bridgeport Brewing

20 years
Boulevard Brewing
CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing
Long Trail
Odell Brewing

15 years
Erie Brewing
Great Dane Pub & Brewing
Magic Hat

10 years
Alpine Beer Company

Two Great Reasons to Visit Bethlehem this week

Nestled in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains and halfway between Philadelphia and New York City, Bethlehem has a lot of good stuff going for it. I won't turn this into a promotional advertisement for the city, but do want to point out two great reasons to stop in the city this or any upcoming week during the next month.


Patty and I visited there this past weekend to see her brother Bernard McManus' art exhibit on display (and for sale) at a charming gallery called Ambre Studio, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump ('hop', ha, get it? hop? uh, sorry) from Bethelehem Brew Works in the city's North neighborhood.


This coming Friday night would seem about the right night to visit. While the exhibit opened officially last month, torrential rains and closed roads may have kept some of the crowd away. So, there's a do-over on Friday, November 6th from 5:30pm-7:30pm. It's completely feasible to park once, maybe out back of the Brew Works, walk out to Ambre (roughly 1/4 mile), and then back to the Brew Works for dinner.


At Ambre, you'll be able to check out approximately 40 pieces of my brother-in-law's work and perhaps pick up a piece to take home to grace one of your walls. Much of the inspiration for his beautiful art has come from his two primary residences as an adult, France's Côte d'Azur (French Riveria) and more recently the Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley area. If you go on the 6th or on certain other days, you'll likely run into Bernie and have a chance to talk with him about his work and his travels. On the 6th, they may have some wine and light refreshments to pass around as well.


After some time spent with art of the oil paint and brush variety, you can head back down Broad Street to Bethlehem Brew Works for art of the liquid form. For the less adventurous beer drinker in your group, there are some good solid standards like the Oatmeal Stout, the E.S.B., a Golden, and a Belgian Wit.


But, for the beer geek in you, dear reader, you'll find a modestly built and easy drinking Belgian ale called Devil's Hearth. There's one on the opposite end of the spectrum that goes by the name of Biere de Pharaoh that is billed as the strongest beer (13.8% ABV) ever brewed at BBW. (Being of the driving set that day, I had to turn this one down.) I anxiously tried the Sorachi Ace hop-based Karate Hop, which was milder in flavor than I anticipated yet still quite enjoyable.


The Hop'solutely is a "triple IPA" that made its way home with me in 750ml bottle form, since my curiosity wouldn't leave it alone; more to report on that one when the time comes.

And, finally, the Framboises---one from '03 and one from '08. Both were easy drinking (relatively speaking) lambics that weren't as "challenging" to drink as I might have expected, but were very nice just the same. The '03 went just perfectly with my bleu cheese and mushroom Kobe burger and I got a sample of the '08 just for comparison sake. I was surprised that the '03 seemed only just a bit funkier and tarter than the '08, but basically the two were pretty close to each other. Could've been the bleu cheese helping to throw off my palate?


By the time you get there, the Rude Elf's Reserve (2009 Bronze medal winner at GABF) should be available. Also medaling in Colorado this year (a Silver) but not available at current time was the Bagpiper's Scotch. On top of that, growler fillups of the regular brews (I strongly suggest the oatmeal stout) are only eight dollars.

In any case, enough of my analysis. With the holidays coming, there will be plenty of reasons to venture into Bethlehem for festive shopping and doings in "Christmas City USA." Let me suggest November 6th as a way of seeing some great art and tasting some great beer before the holiday crush on the city begins. Tell 'em I sent you (though, I can't promise any discounts).

An Event Cancellation and One Possible Reschedule

Their website only says so once you attempt to buy tickets, but the Pennsylvania Farm Show Food and Beer Expo has been cancelled.

Phillies World Series action this coming Wednesday (11/4) has Donny Syracuse considering a reschedule of the the Yards dinner at High Street Caffe. Stay tuned for a possible makeup date of 11/11...