The Session #4 - Local Beers, Philly Style

Read all the posts for this installment of The Session

1. The Session #4 - Local Beers, Philly Style : Why we did this. (You are here.)
2. The Session #4 - Local Beers, Background Information on General Lafayette in Lafayette Hill, PA
3. The Session #4 - Local Beers; General Lafayette : Our Visit

The Brew Lounge exists in cyberspace (aka everywhere?), but we (Adam and Bryan) live in southeastern Pennsylvania approximately 30 miles west of Philadelphia. Many of you have heard of and perhaps have access to Victory, Iron Hill, and Sly Fox, the three closest and largest breweries/brewpubs to us in the western suburbs. A bit further out from Philadelphia, you'll find Dogfish Head, Troegs, Appalachian, Triumph, Flying Fish, Legacy, Stoudt's, and Lancaster Brewing. In Philadelphia proper, Yards and Nodding Head dominate the city's brewing scene, amongst a very rich pub (esp. Belgian) scene.

If you're not familiar with the concept, every month in the beer writing, blogging, etc. world, the first Friday is reserved for conversation around a specific topic. The past three months have covered different styles of beer...Stout (March); Dubbel (April); and Mild (May). This month the host of The Session, Gastronomic Fight Club, has chosen 'Local Brews' as our topic for discussion. The guidelines have been set.

We here at The Brew Lounge have chosen a brewpub that we feel does not get as much attention as some of the other ones listed above, but is just as rich in brewing talent: General Lafayette (Inn &) Brewery. Chris Leonard, owner, pairs up with Russ Czajka in the brewhouse to create a wide spectrum of flavorful concoctions, including a very good raspberry mead.

On Friday, we will pay a visit to General Lafayette (15 miles, as the crow flies) to sample a few beers and discuss why visiting them should be on a well-made beer travellers list to the Philadelphia region. Why have we chosen to single out the General Lafayette? We already mentioned above that they tend to get overlooked amongst some of the names in the region that cast longer shadows.

Further, chances are that you will find at least a few of the many that were listed above in your hometown area. General Lafayette rarely bottles their beer and kegs are only available by special arrangement. Suffice to say, if you're not from the Philadelphia region, you probably haven't seen and may not have heard of them. You may not see them at GABF or WBC. And, when you go home, you won't find them there either. That's why we're heading there on Friday.

We've written some about General Lafayette in the past. Look below for several of our links. Check back tomorrow for a rundown of our time spent there and the beers that we sampled.

In the meantime, you may wish to check out the following links to various sources with more information about the General Lafayette brewery.

Other General Lafayette Links
Mug Club
Music
Special Events

TBL Reviews
TBL review of 2007's Winterfest
TBL review of the brewpub and 2006 Vertical Barleywine tasting
TBL tasting of Double Fest
TBL tasting of Holiday Cheer
TBL tasting of Chocolate Thunder
TBL visit during a recent 'Sixtel Saturday'

Industry Websites
Beer Advocate reviews
Rate Beer reviews

Tourism Websites
GoPhila
Visit PA