Yesterday, you heard thoughts and opinions from Lew Bryson, Brian Yaeger, and Jennie Hatton. Next up are (chosen in random order) Howard Weintraub and Suzanne Woods. Please be sure to click the links and visit their sites. It shows that you came from The Brew Lounge and that you care about their work :)
Howard Weintraub (Proprietor of both Drafting Room locations and Brickside Grille)
"2009 was bitter sweet. Restaurant sales were down, but beer drinking crowds and bar sales were the same, if not better. 2009 was bitter sweet as Wegmans finally did the obvious and got licensing to sell beer. Disruptive to local tavern owners and distributors? Apparently not.
2009 was joyous as additional new products arrived in our market. 2009 was as joyous as a successful Philly Beer Week jump-started additional "beer weeks" throughout the country.
Expect 2010 to bring more options as additional breweries arrive in our market as well as additional "beer bars" open. Expect beer prices to continue to rise, and probably never fall back to the days when a good pint of beer was $4 or $4.50
And let’s just hope, although Budweiser is very hard to drink, that they continue with Jimmy Football, "Tail Gate Tested, Tail Gate Approved" marketing campaign in 2010."
Suzanne Woods (agenda too lengthy to list here, not least on the list though, Sales Rep for Sly Fox, IPA founder, and writer under the Beer Lass pseudonym)
"-->A gang of us brought 2009 in at Standard Tap. We gussied up and traded in our standard pints for champagne that night.
-->As it always does- the year came and went quicker than I go without getting a parking ticket.
-->We saw the entrance of a lot of new brands into the market that kept a lot of us local guys on our toes. Bars started rotating a lot more.
-->Nick Johnson got married in '08 but continued shananigans. I can't walk into a festival without him screaming "b o o z a n i m a l"
-->Casey Hughes launched his Exit series-= maddening M.A.D.D. but making all of us very happy. Exit 4 was one of my year's favorites.
-->Steve Mashington met a chicken wing and continued to know everything.jkid
-->I forged some great new friendships in and out of beer. Tracy Mulligan of Victory, Megan Maguire of Ommegang, and Wendy of Dogfish Head and I started "Beer bitch" getaways.
-->I started going on "dates" with Gordon Grubb.
-->I developed crushes on Anniversary beers from North Coast and Great Divide. Must be the wood.
-->I had a Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock. That was more than a crush.
-->I wasted a night watching Beer Wars when I could've seen the Felice Brothers in concert.
-->Bars started doing away with brewery handles and went the way of the Chalkboard.
-->I twittered the heck out of my life.
-->I beer tripped through Michigan.
-->I finally got to Three Floyds.
-->I finally got to drink Sly Fox Prometheus- our smoked porter.
-->Philly got themselves a beer magazine with Philly Beer Scene
-->Cans started taking off in bars.
-->Sly Fox launched Chester Co. Bitter- a new cask ale to be served authentically and with TLC.
-->Jose Garces continued to expand his empire including great beers on all his lists. Starr continues to not really get it.
-->Restaurants started to change their beer lists. Mini-chains like Marathon and Fishtown corner bars like Paddy's Well offered craft.
-->More American craft breweries started pushing Nitrogenated Stouts. This gave me high blood pressure.
-->I met a ton of women this year that are truly into beer. Women writing books, women making documentaries, women focusing on beer for their school semester projects, women homebrewers, and all the inspiring ladies of Pink Boots Society.
-->South Jerz got themselves a brewpub and a PJ's Pourhouse
-->In 2010 I'd like to see more beer lists switch up in Jerz. I'd like to see that last liquor warehouse on 30 east as you head back to Philly carry Sly Fox cans.
-->I'd like to see a major relationship forged between beer emporium takeouts and BYOs.
-->Beer Week will be different. Not better, not worse- just different. I am confident that once it's here- people will shut up about the change in month
-->I hope to drink a Rochefort 10 on the cheap in Belgium or maybe a trip to California. At the very least- I will visit the Windy City for the first time.
-->BREW will open with a beer selection as awesome as the coffee they brew.
-->South Philly Tap Room will expand to another location called American Sardine
-->I predict Brendan Hartranft and Leigh open at least one more bar.
-->YARDS will finally get their tasting room. It will be a huge hit. Maybe I will even have my birthday party there in April. They will continue to expand their presidential line with a series called the "Jimmy Carter Series"...where they pay homage to local Philly homebrewers by brewing a different recipe every month. not really.
-->Chris Lapierre of Iron Hill Maple Shade will have the largest mug club in the Country. And maybe he'll even let me brew with him one day.
-->John Doherty will finally get a twitter account and 90% of his tweets will take place at either the South Philly Tap Room, Standard Tap, TJs, Teresa's Next Door, or Local 44.
-->The beer scene will continue to expand in University City. Smart sales reps will spend more time there getting the students to get to know craft beer earlier.
-->The Varga Bar ceiling mural will be expanded to include Casey Hughes
-->Captain Lawrence will come to Philadelphia. I will celebrate with a Cuvee de Castleton party at my house with special guest Scotty V.
-->I will see more shows at Johnny Brenda's
-->I will spend more time selling in the burbs.
-->I will brew a beer with my sister
-->I will make beer icecream. I will actually go to the gym to burn off said beer ice cream
-->I think Devil's Den will get the upstairs open and it'll be a great place for events/dinners
-->Adam and Jennifer Ritter of Sidecar Bar will have beaut of a new bar in Fishtown- it will be packed constantly
-->Prism Brewing will start distribution in the area. Owner seeks to brew new takes on classic styles. Funky ingredient play. Stay tuned.
-->Philadelphia Brewing Co will release their coolest tap handle yet
-->I promise my blog won't look like a blogger blog anymore.
-->2009 saw mainstream media embrace craft beer. Esquire, NY times, Details, etc. I'd like to see that continue. Perhaps have chefs cooking with it on the Food Network- that kind of thing.
-->I will drive a Sly Fox wrapped car. Probably not. But a rep can dream right?
-->I can tell you one thing with certainty- I would be honored to be in the company of all the same folks drinking champagne at Standard Tap once again when the clock strikes 12. Auld Lang Syne couldn't sound sweeter any other way. I'll raise a cup o' kindness to them any ol' time. One thing that won't change with the years is the family we have in the beer community of our city. I'm lucky. We're all lucky.
Cheers!"
Stop back tomorrow to read yet more sage tidbits from (chosen once again in random order) Jim Crane, Don Russell, and Arthur Etchells.
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