Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Beer Week in the Philly Suburbs, April 23 - April 29

The 19468 is getting its own Beer Week. Other suburban areas around Philly may want to consider the same.

I've become a bit more certain over the past year or so about tightening down Philly Beer Week to be enclosed strictly within the city border. On one hand, through the years I've been fond of defining the Philly beer landscape extending from Harrisburg to Cape May and the Lehigh Valley to Delaware.

But, for the magnitude of Philly Beer Week, that definition is just not practical. It seems to make more sense to draw some lines in terms of who can participate and how far visiting brewers/owners/reps must be flung to undertake special events during Philly Beer Week.

This keeps everyone from Montgomeryville to Wilmington to Limerick out of the mix, but you know what? They're gonna do just fine without whatever modest bump they might see from the special PBW event(s) they would conduct.

So here we have four bars within a few miles or so of each other in the shadows of the Limerick cooling towers in the western Philly exurbs. They have loyal followings (some may say rabid — in a good way, of course) and typically carry an above-average selection of beer.

The schedule has beefed up to a solid looking list of events where the participating foursome — Craft Ale House, French Quarter Bistro, Lucky Lab Tavern, and Railroad Street Bar & Grille — are cooperating to bring their customers the best that seven days of beer events in the 'burbs can offer.

Check out the list below. And, by all means, please be safe out there. Philly Beer Week works very well because, for one (really significant) thing, there are plenty of public transportation options, taxis, and sidewalks to keep revelers from getting behind the wheel. Again, use your best adult judgement.

Monday, April 23, 5 p.m. — at Craft Ale House — Dogfish Head Tap Takeover
Beers on Tap from Dogfish Head: 60 Minute IPA ('12); 75 Minute IPA firkin ('12); 90 Minute IPA ('12); Aprihop ('12); Black & Blue ('11); Fort ('11); Immort Ale ('11); Indian Brown Ale ('12); Midas Touch ('12); My Antonia ('12); Namaste ('11); Old School Barleywine ('12); Palo Santo Marron ('11); Red & White ('11); Sah'tea ('11); Saison Du BUFF ('12); and World Wide Stout ('08, '09, '10, '11).
Tuesday, April 24, 6 p.m. — at French Quarter Bistro — Clown Shoes Brewing Tasting

Wednesday April 25, 5 p.m. — at All Four Locations — IPA & Cajun Throwdown, Host Choice IPA Event paired with "Cajun Style Tapas"
Go for a short drive to each bar (they are all very close) and get involved as they all host a Throwdown Challenge. You be the judge as each place offers their best Cajun-inspired dish with a 5 ounce pour of an IPA of their choosing (something good, don’t worry). You will receive a card that will get stamped when you order the pairing, take it with you to the next place and get stamped again. Only those cards with all four bar stamps will qualify to pick the winner of the throwdown.
Thursday, April 26, 6 p.m. — at French Quarter Bistro — Fruit Beer/Chocolate Beer Tasting

Friday, April 27, 4 p.m. — at Lucky Lab Tavern — Tröegs Tasting and Firkin Event

Saturday, April 28, 2 p.m. — at Railroad Street Bar & Grille — Spotlight on Colorado Breweries: Boulder, Avery, Left Hand, Breckenridge, Great Divide, and more

Sunday, April 29, 5 p.m. — at Craft Ale House — Last Call: "Barrel-aged" Beer & Food Pairing Dinner
Reservations required for this five-course meal paired with unique barrel-aged beers. Beers scheduled to include: Goose Island Sofie; Allagash Curieux; North Coast Grand Cru; Lost Abbey The Angel's Share ('09); and Russian River Consecration ('09). Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner served at 6 p.m. $75 per person. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Berks County

See each establishment's webpage or social media account for up-to-date details.

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