Beer Dates In History: July Anniversaries

590 Years
Hacker Pschorr


10 Years
Elliot Bay Brewing
New Holland Brewing
Offshore Ale

Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 6/29/07

On an attempted regular basis, we'll post the tap list here to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA. We have no affiliation with the establishment other than living within 2 miles of it and appreciating the usual quality tap and bottle list. If you like this idea, please drop us a note and let us know.

On Draft as of 6/29/07
Dogfish Head Festina Peche
Blue Point Pale Ale
Blue Point No Apologies Imperial IPA
Sly Fox Ichor
Sly Fox Royal Weisse
Dos Equis
Brouwerij De Ranke XX Bitter
Anchor Summer Ale
Pyramid Apricot Ale
Warsteiner Premium Verum Pilsner

For Pete's Sake in Philadelphia, PA

Click Here For All Brew Pub & Beer Bar Reviews

In Philadelphia, there are few of what I would consider a classic neighborhood bar serving great beer. I'm talking about the real neighborhoods, not the Old City or Rittenhouse Square neighborhoods. I'm talking about the kind of highly residential, non-touristy type of neighborhoods, the type with a lot of foot traffic and no parking garages.

And, I'm talking about the kind of neighborhood joint where you can come as you are, no pretensions. Maybe, though, a little atty-tood if you look like you are not from around the block. But, once you're settled in, you get the kind of decent service you might expect in a close-knit neighborhood tavern along with some solid, dependable food. And, to cap things off, you're be able to have some excellent domestic craft and imported beer, with a good representation of local standouts.

In Philadelphia, you might cite Standard Tap, Old Eagle Tavern, McMenamin's, Grey Lodge Pub, and South Philadelphia Tap Room as these kind of joints (though you could argue against Manayunk and, lately, Northern Liberties too). Make sure you add For Pete's Sake to the list as well. Though they've been around for some time now, the beer list began to excel a couple of years ago. Read further down below for some of the more prominent brands that have been available on tap and in bottle during a couple of my recent visits.

Finding For Pete's Sake is not all too difficult. If you're travelling along I-95 through Philadelphia, you'll want to take the Columbus Boulevard (fka Delaware Avenue) exit and make you're way over to Washington Avenue, head west turning north on to Front Street, and go to the intersection of Front and Christian streets. There's on street parking, so get your parallel parking skills ready, unless you have one of those late model Lexus self-parking thingies. Or there's parking under the elevated I-95 roadway as well.

FPS sits nicely on the corner with street-side seating available on both sides of the building. Sure, that adds auto traffic to the ambiance, but you get the foot traffic too. Both of which, come to think of it, can provide some humorous street theater, if that's your thing. The interior floor space is split to two levels, the back level being where the restrooms are located. Overall, the place is not huge, but rather comfortable in an intimate way, though without being intrusive.

Speaking of restrooms, of which I've seemed to have had an affinity for lately, hmmm. But, I digress. Similar to the Grey Lodge Pub, there are numerous things on the walls in the restrooms here to help you pass the time while you're in there. You'll need to check it out for yourself. Moving along now....

I have already hinted at the quality of the available beer at FSP. The staff's service level delivers just as strongly as the beer does. It's down-to-earth and as to the point as you might expect a Philly neighborhood tavern to offer. While they are not going to kiss your rear end, they do know enough about the beer and the food to be helpful in getting you what you're looking for.

So, what are you looking for? In terms of food, they deliver just what you might expect. Solid pub grub (burgers, wings, pulled pork, salads, and appetizers), enhanced just a bit with some more adventurous dishes like duck sandwich and tuna tacos. Needless to say, you won't go away hungry.

You've heard me praise the bars that ditch the TVs. In this case, I believe that FPS is the type of establishment that benefits from a few TVs. It's a classic pub environment and a few TVs showing various sporting events fits right in. Seems like there's always at least one European soccer (football? soccer? football? soccer?) game being shown. Apparently, it's also a popular place to catch the local Philly action too.

I mentioned somewhere above that I would list out some of what For Pete's Sake has recently offered up by draft and bottle. Here y'go.
DRAFT - Kwak, Allagash, Chimay, Yards, Hennepin, Dogfish Head, Maredsous, Corsendonk, Harpoon
BOTTLES - Bells Oberon, DFH 60 Minute & 90 Minute, Ayinger, Saison Dupont, Maredsous 10, Duvel, Chimay Red & Blue, Delirium Tremens

Click Here For All Brew Pub & Beer Bar Reviews

Oh Sweet Lupulin

The girls are hard at work churning out the yellow resin! It's a beautiful thing...stay tuned for more.

Beer Calendar: What To Do In July 2007

I'm weary just looking at this incredible listing of events in July.

Here's just a sampling of upcoming events over the next several weeks that look interesting to check out. The list is generally geared toward the Philadelphia region, but you'll also find some out-of-region goodies in here from elsewhere.

Plus, with all of your summer vacations coming up, who knows, you just might be in the area of one of these parties! Let us know if you think you might be heading to one of these events or have been to one of them in the past.


Thu. 6/28 - Special Belgian Dinner @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA (5pm-10pm; $19.99)
Thu. 6/28 - Fermentation School: Scott Morrison @Tria, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $40)
Thu. 6/28 - Thursday Night Tasting (Grimbergen) @Isaac Newton's, Newtown, PA (7pm-9pm; free)
Fri. 6/29 - Friday Night Tasting (Erdinger) @Beer Yard, Wayne, PA (5pm-7pm; free)
Fri. 7/6 - Neal's Yard Cheese & English Beer Pairing @DiBruno Bros., Philadelphia, PA (6pm-8pm; $50)
Fri. 7/6 - First Friday Tasting (Flying Fish) @TJs Everyday, Paoli, PA (6pm-8pm; free)
Fri. 7/6 - Xmas in July @Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (6pm-9pm; pay as you go)
Sat. 7/7 - SPTR Annual Wheat Beer Fest! @South Philadelphia Tap Room, Philadelphia, PA (1pm-close; pay as you go)
Tue. 7/10 - Local Beer, Local Food Dinner @Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia, PA (7pm-10pm; $55)
Tue. 7/10 - Tria Fermentation School: A Taste of Victory @Tria Cafe, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $40)
Wed. 7/11 - Crab Boil & Meet the Brewer (Clipper City) @Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA (6:30pm; $45)
Thu. 7/12 - Thursday Night Tasting (Troegs) @Isaac Newton's, Newtown, PA (7pm-9pm; free)
Thu. 7/12 - Hagerstown Suns Beer Tasting Festival @Municipal Stadium, Hagerstown, MD (6pm-9pm; $12/$15)
Fri. 7/13 - Friday the Firkinteenth 16 @Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (open-close; pay as you go)
Sat. 7/14 - 8th Annual Royal Stumble: The Running of the Bulls @Nodding Head, Philadelphia, PA (1pm-5pm; $35)
Sat. 7/14 - Brewers’ Reserve Big Bottle Bonanza @Iron Hill, North Wales, PA (12pm-4pm; $35/$40)
Sun. 7/15 - Buy Fresh Buy Local Week Kick-off @Yards, Philadelphia, PA (2:00pm-6:30pm; $20)
Tue. 7/17 - Local Organic Beer Dinner @Victory, Downingtown, PA (6pm; $50))
Fri. 7/20 - Empire State Brewing & Music Festival @Clinton Square, Syracuse, NY (5pm-10pm; $35)
Fri. 7/20-Sat.7/21 - Vermont Brewers Festival @Waterfront Park, Burlington, VT (see details at website)
Fri. 7/20-Sun.7/22 - Belgium Comes To Cooperstown @Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY (see details at website)
Sat. 7/21 - Stone Soul Picnic @Ortino's Northside, Zieglerville, PA (1pm-whenever; pay as you go)
Sun. 7/22 - Oskar Blues Night @Hop Devil Grill, New York, NY (all day; pay as you go)
Tue. 7/24 - Fermentation School: Lew Bryson's Session Beer Project @Tria, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $40)
Fri. 7/27-Sun. 7/29 - 12th Anniversary Party @Stewart's Brewing Co., Bear, DE (all weekend; pay as you go)
Fri. 7/27 - Munich in Mayfair 8: Franzensteiner-Lodge of the Living Dead, Halloween in July @Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (6pm-8pm; pay as you go)
Sat. 7/28 - Brew At The Zoo @Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, PA (6pm-10pm; $35)
Sat. 7/28 - State College MicroBrewers & Importers Exposition @Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA (12pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm; $40)
Sat. 7/28 - Summer Beer Dinner & Anniversary Ale pre-release party @General Lafayette Brewery, Lafayette Hill, PA (12pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm; $40)

Pennsylvania's Proposed Statewide Smoking Ban

While all of the hand-wringing continues in Pennsylvania over the future of smoking laws, an article in last weekend's Philadelphia Bulletin included a paragraph with quotes from Chris Leonard of General Lafayette Brewery in Lafayette Hill, PA. It may not be a slam dunk, but the writing certainly does seem to be on the wall for the ending of smoking in most bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania.

The First Rule About Monday Night Tasting Club is...

Pete Giannopoulos (Sly Fox) & Brian Hunt (Moonlight)

...that I don't normally discuss it. But, some times things are just too good to keep to myself. Like this past Monday night. Not only did the sampling table include beauts like Alaskan Smoked Porter, Three Floyds Dark Lord, Heavyweight Saison de la Soeur, Malheur Dark Brut, and Andechser Weissbier Hefetrüb brought fresh from Germany. (I felt so modest with my Big Fish from Flying Fish!)

But, a guest appearance in the form of Brian Hunt, brewer at Moonlight Brewing in Fulton, CA made the night one of the more memorable beer drinking nights of the year. Brian's a cool cat, a one-man brewing machine just outside of Santa Rosa putting together some of the region's best, albeit style-defying beers. I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of his brews featured during the Lagunitas Skunk Beer Train event this coming September.

I've experienced his Reality Czeck (one of America's great contributions to the style...wait, did I say 'style'?), Santa's Tipple (a festive warmer if ever there was one), and Death & Taxes (oh yes, indeedy, an almost perfectly crafted dark, but not heavy beer). For our little gathering, he bestowed upon us a small keg of his Bombay by Boat IPA. The fresh hops are just so evident (duh, of course) and so tasty. The Cluster hops used deliver low acid, but big big big flavor. A session IPA is defined from person-to-person, but for me with this beer at 5.9% ABV, I think I could drink this all night. (okay, in reality maybe it's a 3/4 session, not a full session!)

Thanks, Brian, for stopping in to see us. Too bad for us that your product doesn't find its way to most of us outside of California. This should serve as a reminder to all travelling through northern California in the Santa Rosa (see also, Russian River) to be on the lookout for your Moonlight beers.

Countdown to Ommegang BCTC: Picture of the Week - Three

With roughly three weeks to go until Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 2007 we thought you could use some reminders of how much fun it was last year. Every Wednesday leading up to the event we'll post one of our favorite pictures from BCTC 2006. The week three picture is...

Ahhh...just twenty three days left :-)

Stoudt's a quick stop and a surprise...

On Saturday after our visit to Union Barrel Works we stopped over at Stoudt's. Gretel Stoudt greeted us from behind the bar. I ordered the Weizen after a little trouble choosing my last pint of the night. As we were talking about the recent Monks dinner Gretel mentioned a new batch of Saison recently brewed but not on tap yet. She asked if we would like a little to taste. Of course I said no. Ok ok...she twisted my arm. ;-) Before I knew it there was a small wine glass of it in front of me. Very nice indeed, delicious even. Thanks Gretel.

As I understand it, this is a one off brew. No plans, as of now, to add it to the lineup. I hope I get up there soon to taste it again. Union Barrel Works & Stoudts in one night. All this on the spur of the moment. Who knew! What a great weekend. Did I mention the weather was great?!

Beer Equipment: The Carbonator

Not sure if everybody has heard about this thing, but I've seen it in homebrew shops online and locally.

• Do you want to save beer from a growler?
• Do you want to take beer to a party from your keg?
• Do you have some left over beer in a keg that you want to keep?

The Carbonator should be the ticket. If you have a CO2 setup and a plastic soda bottle, you're in business.

I bought one and I'm trying it out on the last of the Victory Braumeister Pils growler that Bryan brought home a few nights ago. I'll let you know how it goes.

Note: No affiliation with the online store linked to. I couldn't find a better link.

Union Barrel Works Stevens, PA

It was Saturday night. The weather was beautiful here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. A perfect night for a spontaneous beer trip. My wife and I jumped in the car and sped off to check out Union Barrel Works. (don't worry the kids were with the grandparents) Bryan has written about Tom Rupp (owner/brewer) and the coming of Union Barrel Works, Dennis helped us out with a photo during construction and Lew Bryson has had it on his radar for sometime. I finally got the chance to visit. While driving the forty miles or so talking with my wife I was hoping this new brew pub would be worth the trip. We hit the turnpike exited at mile marker two eighty six and dropped into Stevens, PA. The commute was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.

The building sits on the corner and fits right in with everything on the block. From the outside you can see the tanks and the beautifully carved wood sign out front. As you walk in you enter into a very large space that is much deeper than it is wide. Don't miss the Schaefer sign on your left. Further inspection reveals a clean and open space with barrels and barrel shaped items all around. My wife insisted on sitting at one of the barrels in the front section near the bar. Union Barrel Works is split into two sections. The front by the bar and the dining room in the back.

One of the bartenders came from behind the bar to serve us. We decided to start with the seven beer sampler. Guess how much it was? $4.50! You get two ounces of each one of their beers for the price of a pint. Not a bad way for one to test the waters so to speak. We each ordered a bowl of French Onion Soup. As we waited I whipped out the camera again and snapped some pictures. I noticed the tin ceiling, trim woodwork and columns. I spoke with Tom for a few minutes and he mentioned that he didn't let the architect touch anything on the ceilings that didn't absolutely need work. This obviously adds character and to the charm of the place and differentiates it from larger chain type brew pubs.

Soon the beer arrived. As you can see in the picture the samples were poured into these 2 oz. glasses and presented in a beer barrel shaped carrier. It didn't take long to get through them all. My three favorites are the Weizen, Dopplebock and Stout. I was very interested in the Kölsch and I even ordered a pint of it for good measure. Still it didn't stand out like some of the others. I'll be interested to see how things progress. All in all the beer was solid with plenty of attention to the lager styles. Here's the line up. I'll add some tasting notes later: Lager, Pale Ale, Wobbly Bob Dopplebock, Round Boy Stout, Hefe Weizen, Mai-bock and Kölsch.

How did it feel inside? One word, open. Oh, did I mention that it is smoke free?! That's right ladies and gents smoke free. In fact as we were sampling the beer a group of four came in and sat down. One of the men was carrying on about the fact that there wasn't a smoking area. I was smiling to myself as the other three said, get used to it because that's the way things are headed. Then they proceeded to talk about how much they appreciated the non-smoking atmosphere. Ahhh...doesn't it make you feel good?

Well, we were winding down and getting ready to head over to Stoudt's. Hey, I don't get out in this neck of the woods very often ;-) We decided to order one last item from the menu, beer sorbet. Well I had to try it of course. I'm not sure what I expected though. I have never seen or tasted anything like it before. The bartender offered three flavors including kölsch, raspberry kölsch (new) and maibock. I really wanted to try the kölsch, but I wasn't sure if Lisa would like it so we took the bartender's recommendation and ordered the raspberry kölsch to share. How did it taste? You'll have to taste it for yourself :-p. I know I'll be trying it again the next time I visit.

As I finished my beer we walked around a bit. Checked out the very clean brewing room through the glass. Moved down the hall to the dining area. On the right were some vintage pictures of this location from many many years ago. On the left you'll see a wall full of wooden drawers presumably from an occupant from an earlier era. Next to that there's a case where they have a few promotional items. I decided to have a pint glass added to the check and inquired about the hat with a built in bottle opener. Shucks, they were out of them. Maybe next time.

By now you know we enjoyed our stay. I appreciated the atmosphere, the good quality brews and the story. I'd like to know a bit more about this place. I'll bet these walls have a few more stories to tell. Evidently it used to be an old general store. Next time I'll have to have a run at the dinner menu as well. Oh, I almost forgot according to Tom there is a grand opening in the works too :-)

Union Barrel Works (map)
6 N. Reamstown Road
Stevens, Pennsylvania, 17578-9562

Tap List at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA - 6/24/07

The Drafting Room in Exton, PA has a decent web presence and quite a huge reputation preceding them. Their beer turns over quite quickly. So, in the spirit of service, whenever we get to The Drafting Room, we'll post the current tap list.

What's on line as of 6/24/07? Funny you should ask.

Lancaster Rare Rooster
Rogue Daddy's Little Helper (John's Locker Stock)
Stone Old Guardian
Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA
Allagash Grand Cru
Sly Fox Royal Weisse
Sly Fox Chinook IPA
Troegs Mad Elf
Troegs/The Drafting Room's 13th Anniversary
Troegs/The Drafting Room's 12th Anniversary

...and last, but certainly not least, cask conditioned...
Troegs/The Drafting Room's 11th Anniversary (if I drink the rest of this before you get there to sample it, you'll only have yourself to blame!! Consider yourself warned! This is one not to be missed)

Brewing Beer: Belgian Style Ales - So Far

Seems like they turned out pretty good. First of all they are just barely a session beer at 5%. I tried them both cold and room temperature. These are much better closer to room temperature. Can't wait until they finish and clear. The orange peel is evident and adds just a bit of zest or hint of citrus. It seems like the Belgian candy sugar dried out the one batch a bit more, but, I won't be able to tell until they're finished. The wheat malt keeps it light, but, flavorful. Didn't really have enough to go into much more detail.

If they turn out well, I'll take one of them to Ommegang. Something lighter to have around the RV if we're thirsty ;-)

Did I every tell you, "I love brewing!".

Saved the yeast slurry from both batches and I'll try to brew again tomorrow.

Brewing Beer: Belgian Style Ales into the Secondary

Its been about seven days since I brewed the two Belgian Style Ales. What has happened in the last week since I put them in the primary?

• One overflowed a bit. This is becoming a habit :-/
  
• The temperature in my basement was a bit too warm at 70-75 degrees for a day or so.
• I've been eagerly awaiting a chance to taste them.
• The yeast starter really did the trick. I split a large starter between two batches and they both took off overnight with no problems.

The question is, should I brew another batch of something with the yeast on the bottom of the primary? I do have some extra kegs, Bryan's carboy, Jeremy's carboy, a can of liquid American Rice extract (freebie), and some amber liquid extract. Hmmm...I'll have to think about that.

I'll at least rack those two into the secondary.

Cheers!

The Drafting Room & Troegs...perfect together!

(L-R) Patrick Mullin (TDR); Chris Brugger (Tröegs Brewing Architect); Nick Johnson (Tröegs Sales)


The Drafting Room turns 13 this year and Tröegs turns 10. Let's see...what to do with these numbers? Add them together and you get 23...Michael Jordan's number (except for that time he went off to fulfill his baseball folly). That's some pretty great company.

Okay, one more numbers game. The Drafting Room currently has their newest anniversary incarnation on tap, the 13th Anniversary beer brewed to be a strong (imperial? double?) pilsner. Add that to the 11th anniversary (cask conditioned), the 12th anniversary (co2), Dreamweaver Wheat (4.8% ABV; 15 IBU) and Mad Elf (11% ABV; 15 IBU) makes 5 Tröegs beers currently on tap at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA. Enough of the numbers?

So, how is this new anniversary brew you ask? Well, when you bring it to your nose, you're immediately greeted by a blast of hops. If you miss them, don't worry you'll find them again soon when you take your first sip. Is this maybe an IPA? (I heard the comparison to Victory's Hop Devil being thrown around last night.) It's just shy of an amber color with a nice soft white head. The hops and sweetness compete for your palate's attention. It isn't until the finish that I started to detect the lingering pilsner malt and lager yeast flavors. So, perhaps it is a lager afterall! In any case, it's a good drinking beer that may deserve a growler or two more of "research" during summertime TBL Firepit Sessions.

(Pause. Did I gloss over too quickly just how good the 11th anniversary cask-conditioned IPA held up over the past couple of years? Better get yourself some of this first!)

After discussions last night with Patrick and the fine folks from Tröegs, it seems that my reporting of 35 kegs per TDR location was a bit of stretch. Rather, you'll have to get there and try some before the 20-ish kegs in each location disappear later this summer.

Happy anniversary to TDR and Tröegs! I'll leave you here with a fun bit that I lifted off the 'Who We Are' page at Tröegs website. I can just hear Simon & Garfunkel in the background singing "do-da-do-do, feelin' Tröegy"

TRÖEGS (tr?gs) *v-tröeged, -tröeg'in the act of tröeg'in, ie "I tröeged it" or {slang} "that boy is tröeg'in" -adj. An aura of complete enjoyment and contentment, ie "My you look Tröegy this morning" -n. a new tradition of Pennsylvania specialty ales {from the brewers of Tröegs}, ie "I'll have a Tröegs!"

Quick Review of Twain's in Decatur, GA

I should have posted this a few months back when I visited Twain's Billiards & Tap in Decatur, GA. It's just a couple of blocks away from my most favorite places in the Atlanta region, Brick Store Pub. They've only begun brewing their own beer in the past year, though they've been around for over 10 years.

I didn't stay much more then a half an hour, and only sampled a few of their brews so this will just be a 'quick review.' The first thing I was struck by when walking into Twain's was the industrial feel of high ceilings, metal, and wood. The second was the sports paraphernalia, especially hockey. I later learned that the owner is from the Philadelphia area and is a Philadelphia Flyers fan. In fact, the Atlanta Thrashers were playing a game that night and Twain's had a quite a crowd there to see it.

The brewpub generally had more of a working class feel to it on that particular night than Brick Store Pub. The BSP in my visits seems to have a slightly "trendier" crowd as well as a beer geek crowd. Twain's reminded me more of being in the upper level of the stadium during an Eagles or Flyers game in Philly. Not that it's a bad thing, just different.

Moving on to the beer. A quick sampling of most of their beers on tap that evening showed me the Jumping Frog IPA, the Hannibal Red Ale, and the Stranger Brown Ale were the best built beers. The stout and the ESB didn't quite live up to their style or deliver the flavor, while the Pale Ale and the regular IPA were a bit weak and a disappointment based on my preferences.

Keep in mind, this was all gleaned from roughly a 30 minute visit. During my next trip to Atlanta, I'd like to start my night at Twain's (then wind up at BSP) with some beer, dinner, and time on the pool tables (I didn't mention them, did I?) to give myself a fuller experience. Maybe I'll get some time with my Philadelphia brethren too. It seems like these guys are on the right track and compliment the Decatur landscape with something a bit different. If you've had a chance to stop in Twain's, let us know your opinion.

New Brew From Flying Dog

Over the past few months, we've made friends with the fine folks at Flying Dog. They've kept us up-to-date with news events and sent us some preview beers to sample before they've hit the market. And, how do we reciprocate? Not a word. Well, that ends now. (not that they really need press from li'l ol' us)

First they sent to us their barrel-aged Gonzo Porter. Then, the Helles Bock. Now, the Woody Creek White has shown up on our doorstep. We've heaped praise on their "regular" Gonzo in the past and the whiskey character in this Wild Dog release adds a little more fun to this already excellent brew.

The Helles Bock is a spring seasonal with a medium body weight that brings forth a dry and bready character with just a slight bitterness in the finish. A nice drinker for sure, it's still a solid beer at 6.2% that leaves you feeling it after just a few.

The Woody Creek White brought forth words like lemon zest tartness...refreshing...lemonade aroma...delicious...worthy of a 6-pack, or even a case here in PA! This was the newest summer seasonal release, named after a contest winner searched out from entries solicited from customers.

What else is Flying Dog up to? They've started up the Open Source Beer Project. Quite interesting, for sure, go check it out and let us know if you decide to participate.

And, they've got a somewhat new blog that they keep up-to-date fairly frequently.

Beer Tasting: Morland's Old Speckled Hen

The Beer: Morland's Old Speckled Hen
Style: English Pale Ale
Reviews: Beer Advocate Rate Beer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Packaging & Date Stamping: 12 oz. clear glass bottle; no evident date stamp on bottle

From where & how stored: Obtained via holiday beer exchange in Dec. '06 (does this really qualify has a holiday/seasonal beer?!); stored at 42F since then

Pricing: $x.xx

Availability: Year-round

ABV, IBU, and Other Available Stats: 5.2% ABV
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan's Notes
The Look:
- solid amber color
- decent white head holds up nicely for a while, leaves a thin layer

The Aroma & The Taste:
- very consistent between the taste and smell senses
- English ale for sure
- bit of caramel
- refreshing sweetness
- just the right body weight for a warm summer day

The Verdict: Technically, on the upper edge of ABV for a session beer, but this, served cold, can definitely be a decent session beer on a warm summer day.

Rob Tod and Allagash Beer Night at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA : 6/19/07

This was very nice time spent at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA last night. A good solid crowd, without being suffocating, added a definite buzz to the room. Didn't hear from anyone who was disappointed in the Allagash brews that were on for the event.

Rob spent the prior night at Brigid's in Philly and out at The Drafting Room in Spring House, PA. He was his usual fun and engaging self, as you'd expect. Here's a quick rundown of what was available.

Draft

• Curieux (hello wood! okay, that didn't sound right, but you all know what I mean)


• sixtel, won't be around much longer (no growlers)


• Grand Cru


• 1/2 barrel, will be around a bit longer (and will serve growlers)


• Tripel


• sixtel, won't be around much longer (no growlers)

Bottle

• Hugh Malone (tasty, esp. as it "opened up"...nice drinker)


• Interlude (Brett was present, no doubt!....a fab. one to explore)


• Musette (all kinds of fruit, smoke, and wood flavors...awesome!)

Countdown to Ommegang BCTC: Picture of the Week - Four

With roughly four weeks to go until Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 2007 we thought you could use some reminders of how much fun it was last year. Every Wednesday leading up to the event we'll post one of our favorite pictures from BCTC 2006. The week four picture is...

Garrett Oliver & Bryan

For those of you who noticed I skipped week five. Well, I was counting Wednesdays not weeks. Bonus week :-)

Tap List at TJ's Everyday in Paoli, PA - 6/19/07

Strange name, perhaps. Strange tap list? Only if you live on the moon. Within a 2 mile distance, it gives a very nice alternative to the Flying Pig when it's too crowded, smoky, or loud. Some even say that the smoke is more tolerable at TJ's than at other smoking bars.

These guys have not only been paying attention to their beer lately, but maybe more importantly their beer and food offerings/pairings. Check 'em out and you'll see what we mean.

On an attempted regular basis, we'll post the tap list here to the TJ's Everyday in Paoli, PA. We have no affiliation with the establishment other than living within 3 miles of it and appreciating the usual quality tap and bottle list. If you like this idea, please drop us a note and let us know. While you're at it, check out the tap lists at these other fine suburban Philly watering holes.

On Draft as of 6/19/07
Heavy Seas/Clipper City Small Craft Warning Über Pils
Weyerbacher Muse Farmhouse Ale
Southampton Double White
Grimbergen Dubbel
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
Sly Fox Slacker Bock
Dupont/Moinette Foret/Organic Pale Ale
Troegs Pale Ale (cask)
Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Big Week at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA....starts tonight

Just a reminder......Allagash tonight, 13th Anniversary party on Thursday.

Doesn't a White, or Hugh Malone, or an Interlude, or...or...or...sound good right about now?

Poll Results: Do you listen to beer related podcasts?

A while back we started polling our readers with this question.

"Do you listen to beer related podcasts?"

It seems that many of our readers do listen to podcasts (at least every now and then). 63% answered YES and 37% answered NO. We were a bit surprised to see such a high percentage of people answering YES.

Thank you to all who participated. Cheers!

Monk's Beer Dinner 6/12/07 : Stoudt's Brewery

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What better way to celebrate Monk's 10th anniversary than with a dinner celebrating Stoudt's, one of the region's stalwart and pioneering breweries (and some of the nicest people) which is celebrating its own landmark 20th anniversary.

Rush hour heading into Philly is normally no treat. That's part of the reason that we normally take a train. But, this time, friend and loyal TBL reader, Dennis, joined Adam and I for the dinner. He lives only a couple of miles from Stoudt's and often finds himself filling growlers, buying bottles for himself (and his TBL buddies), and picking up Eddie's bread for his dinners at home. That added to his desire to check out Monk's, for whom we rave about their dinners. Plus, he and I were spending the night in Philly and going to the Phillies afternoon game the following day. So, we drove....

In the end, it didn't register much of a net effect. But, by the time we checked-in at the hotel, we walked through the doors at Monk's at 6:55pm. You gotta understand, I only live 30 miles away and it took a record 1 3/4 hours to get there. Thing is, everyone was affected by the ferocious thunderstorms that swept through the area. All major, and secondary, roads were clogged. The Stoudt's crew (that would be Carol & Ed, daughters, a brewer (Joe), and a sales guy (Sean)) got stuck on the turnpike and didn't show up until close to 7:30pm. By the time Adam got to the train and meandered his way into the city, he only got there a few minutes earlier. No matter, it was game time and everyone was finally on the field.

With introductions out of the way, Carol took the microphone and smoothly transitioned from hectic travel to relaxing beer dinner co-host. From the picture here, you might think she was getting the night started with the National Anthem. But, seriously, throughout the evening, she did just what I appreciate most about Monk's dinners. That is, the interjection of stories and anecdotes from the brewer along with each course of the meal.

Not that there's hardly ever a dud in the food menu and pairings during a beer dinner at Monk's, but I sometimes find the first and the last courses the most intriguing. Their first course typically wakes up the senses with a flavorful, but not overpowering, pairing of food and beer. This time was no different. The wasabi cream underneath the tuna and the sauerkraut helped to bring out some of the spice in the Pilsner. The Stoudt's Pils has always been a real fine example of a smooth German Pilsner with its subtle fruit and spice components. Just another example of why food and beer pairing makes so much sense.

And, the last course, well the last course is dessert and you know what that means! To my recollection, I have never complained about the dessert. Usually decadent and usually perfectly paired, it's almost always the grand finale in the fireworks display that is a Monk's beer dinner. Though, this dinner's final course was just a slight derivation on their last beer dinner's dessert, it was far from worth quibbling about. Plus, with the smooth cask-conditioned Fat Dog Stout (one of my long time faves from Stoudt's), well I need not say more.

In between, we enjoyed the maibock which redeemed itself from a slightly off bottle version of it that I had a few months back. Served along with the chicken terrine stuffed with (was it?) cherries, it showed off its solid body along with solid malt flavors, but still a very drinkable beer.

The Weizen was served with a melon soup that finished with a nice pepper kick that complemented the spice from the Weizen quite nicely.

The tripel is also one of my long time favorites from Stoudt's and was served with monkfish. At first, I thought it could be an odd pairing, but it was pulled off just fine, probably helped by the fennel and vidalia onion.

The new kid on Stoudt's block (no, not Union Barrel Works) is the Smooth Hoperator. I have no clue how long it will take to get the Sade song out of my mind. But, while it rattles around up there, I can continue to dwell on what style this beer actually is. Ed and I had a little back-and-forth on this topic after dinner. I'm not certain we came to an exact agreement, but I do agree with him that it is "Americanized." But, let's forget all that for now. It's a downright hop-forward beer and went well with the veal dish. But, geez, the veal was just so tender and flavorful (and I'm a big mushroom guy, so this course you might guess was near the top of the night for me) that I couldn't decide which I wanted more of, the Hoperator or the food on the plate. Ah, to wrestle with such decisions.

After dinner, I was happy that Adam had the chance to sample the Boon (cask 52) lambic, whose second keg was still on line. That and Cantillon Lou Pepe were new styles to Dennis. We had fun watching as his perspective on what exactly beer is turned upside down. He'd come over to the craft beer world years ago, but now has a new frontier after tasting these lambics.

How did Dennis fare over the night? Well, if words from him like "incredible", "great time", "overwhelming", "well worth it", "now I know why you guys rave so much", etc. are any indication...He lives a good hike from Center City Philly, so he won't be a regular wingman for these dinners, but I'll bet he'll be back again sometime not too long from now! Then, we took him to Nodding Head and Tria....stories for another day.

Sorry, if anyone was looking for a negative note on the night, you'll have to look elsewhere. Good luck!


1st Course
Stoudt's Pilsner
- Amuse Buche (grilled asparagus/sauerkraut/asian tuna)

2nd Course
Stoudt's Weizen
- Chilled Melon Soup

3rd Course
Stoudt's Blonde Double Maibock
- Chicken Terrine

4th Course
Stoudt's aged Belgian-style Tripel
- Monkfish, braised with tomatoes, fennel, & vidalia onions

5th Course
Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator
- Veal Cheek Carbonnade with fresh morel mushrooms & fiddlehead ferns

6th Course
Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout (cask)
- Chocolate Coffee Mousse

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Bon Vivant Market, Smithfield Virginia

It all started a couple weekends ago when I was in Suffolk, VA. My brother-in-law, John, and I were talking about where to get some locally brewed beer. We were specifically looking for some Legend Brown Ale. Well that didn't take very long. In just a few minutes we were at a local Farm Fresh looking at their fairly impressive lineup of beer. Yes, that's right all you people from the Keystone State. I found Legend Brown Ale in a supermarket! In addition to the Legend Brown we picked up some Pete's Wicked Ale (hadn't had it in years), Magic Hat Hocus Pocus and some #9.

The next day I felt like the weekend was really humming along, from a beer perspective that is. I was pretty satisfied with the Legend Brown Ale, even though the bottles I bought for Bryan and Dennis were mysteriously missing. Ooops, I guess one more run to the grocery store for some beer was in order.

Even with all this success I was eager to find more local beer to bring back to PA. John was telling me about a friend of his that was into beer as well. He called him up and found out about this place in Smithfield, VA that had some really good stuff. I had a few minutes to jump on the web and decided to look it up. I found their website and at the Smithfield location they list all kinds of beer that just isn't mainstream, including a great selection of locals. Well that's all it took. We decided to make the 40 minute trek up to Smithfield and check out Bon Vivant Market.

So imagine traveling over some country roads for over 30 minutes past the peanut fields and easing into the outskirts of town looking for an address. Not to mention using directions from an online mapping site. It didn't appear to be where it was supposed to be so we drove a little futher down the road and circled around again. "Wait, no that can't be it." Yes, in fact that was it. As you can see from the picture Bon Vivant Market is a very small place. In this case good things come in small packages.

As I walked to the entrance of this informal little shop I was getting increasingly curious about what I would find. There were tons of baskets strewn among the wild flowers just outside the open front door. As I stepped inside and my eyes adjusted, there it was, the beer room. It wasn't big, but, boy was it chock full of all kinds of goodies! Check here for a pretty good list of what is available. The room is so small that I was immediately overwhelmed while trying to search for specific brands. John and Lisa helped me focus and eventually had to tear me away, but, not before filling a box with some hard to find (in Pennsylvania) beer. I even picked up some interesting glassware.

Mike Adams really knows what to put on the shelves. Too bad I didn't get to meet him. Evidently he isn't there on Mondays. Maybe next time. If you're in the area (Norfolk, Newport News or Hampton) and you're looking for good beer this is a great place to stop!

Bon Vivant Market

1504 S Church Street

Smithfield VA 23430

Bon Vivant at Governor's Pointe

1901 Governors Pointe Drive

Suffolk VA 23436