Monday, February 13, 2012

Weekly Brew Bits Update: 2/13/12

Here we head in to the lovey-dovey time of the month and there's plenty of lovey-dovey news to share with you all.

PHILADELPHIA
~ Union Transfer near the Delaware River waterfront in Philly. Don't know much about it yet, but here are some notes from Michael Klein at Philly.com. Looks like they're targeting May. The location is the old Rock Lobster. And, the concept is beer garden (yawn...oops, did I say that?).

~ Providing some of the best sports coverage in Philadelphia, Crossing Broad gets a firsthand look (video included) at the coming Xfinity Live! at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which will be complete with a Victory Beer Garden in less than a couple months.

~ This is just pure fun. You sort of need some sports and advertising history under your belt to "get this" and it's pretty darn funny. Plus, being a Phillies fan and knowing Larry Anderson is part of the fun. I met him at the bar before a dinner at Primavera Pizza Kitchen in Ardmore many years ago. Fun guy and completely well-fit for this role.

~ Sure, it's another Top X list but they're always fun discussion starting points, so the shout-outs (i.e. the ones that are more personal to me and therefore carry strong recommendations to you all) go out to: #50 The Alembic Bar (sister establishment to San Francisco's fine Magnolia Brewery & Restaurant); #42 Comstock Saloon (housed in the former San Francisco Brewing Company building that dates back nearly 150 years); #29 Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company (often cited as one of Philly's better ones); and #14 Southwark (Sazerac, period). And, it obviously proves that I spend most of my bar time in the "less classical/traditional" cocktail bars. Eh, watchya gonna do?


EASTERN PA, NJ, DE, AND OTHER NEARBY PARTS OF MID-ATLANTIC
~ Just outside of Philly, in a town called Ardmore where another great beer project (called Tired Hands) is brewing, comes word of The Beer Shoppe that could open in as little as a few months and promises to be a rather unique concept, particularly for the area. Philly.com has the details and quotes.

~ When it comes to all things Belgian in the States, it's pretty certain that very little else generates as much excitement as does Max's annual Belgian Beer Fest in Baltimore. Here's the skinny for this coming weekend's soiree at Max's.


THE REST OF PLANET EARTH
~ I don't get this crazy idea of pilgrimages and waiting in ridiculous lines. But, then again, many don't understand why I camp on the brewery grounds of Ommegang for a weekend either. This event caught the eye of the local news team in North Carolina.

~ SF Beer Week may be underway, but Strong Beer Month will continue all month long. Get out your punch cards and your designated drivers (or BART).

~ And, speaking of San Francisco, there's a new Homebrewers Guild. Check them out on their website and their Facebook page.

~ What the heck, let's add to the Pliny The Younger craze. Russian River has a blog update with some words and stories that you may enjoy.

~ Oh, and one last thing. The Weekly Pint has launched and claims to be ready to let you know everything you need to know about beer. Give 'em a look-see and let 'em know what you think. It's being spearheaded by Christian DeBenedetti, author of The Great American Ale Trail.

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