Sunday, August 28, 2011

Beer Calendar: What To Do in September 2011

Hurricane season can threaten, but the Philly beer events calendar is stronger. September is the month of the Great American Beer Festival, but it's obvious from this calendar that not everyone will be in Denver. Get out and enjoy.

If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.


$20 and under, down to and including FREE...Pay As You Go (PAYG) also included here


Philadelphia
Thu. 9/1 - Keep the Glass Night (Palm) @Hop Angel Brauhaus, Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/1 - Brewery of the Month (Ballast Point) @Old Eagle Tavern, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/1 - Dog Days of Summer @Gunners Run, Philadelphia, PA (5:30pm-8:30pm; $5 plus PAYG donations)
Fri. 9/2 - Beer Tasting (Flying Fish) @Trolley Car Diner, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm-7:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/2 - Free Sampling (Heavy Seas) @Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/2 - Funky First Friday (plus a visit from Jim Keaveney) @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/3-Mon. 9/5 - Labor Day Volksfest/Octoberfest @Canstatter's, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; $6-$11)
Tue. 9/6 - Movie Night (Dark City) @Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA (9:00pm; PAYG)
Wed. 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 - Back to School Staff Beer Training @Memphis Taproom, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/8 - Straub Night @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (7:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/9-Sat. 9/10 - Session Beer Fest @The Farmers' Cabinet, Philadelphia, PA (3:00pm-11:30pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/9 - Free Sampling (Pumpkin Beer with Joe Sixpack) @Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Sat. 9/10 - Pils Picnic @Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/10 - Founders Breakfast Stout Breakfast @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (10:00am-1:00pm; PAYG)
Tue. 9/13 - Movie Night (Conan, Can't Stop) @Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA (9:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/15 - Sibling Rivalry @The Sidecar Bar & Grille, Philadelphia, PA (PAYG)
Fri. 9/16 - Third Friday Jodi's Firkin @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/16 - Free Beer Tasting (Philadelphia Brewing) @Global Beer Distributors, Philadelphia, PA (4:30pm-6:30pm; Free)
Fri. 9/16 - Free Sampling (German Fest Beers) @Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Sat. 9/17, 9/24, 10/1 - Oktoberfest @Hop Angel, Philadelphia, PA (3:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/17 - International Zwanze Day @Monk's Café, Philadelphia, PA (3:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/17 - West Philly Homebrew Competition @Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA (1:00pm-3:00pm; $7)
Sat. 9/17 - Oktoberfest @Devil's Den, Philadelphia, PA (PAYG)
Sat. 9/17 - Craft Beer Games @Manayunk Brewery, Philadelphia, PA (PAYG)
Sun. 9/18, 9/25, 10/2 - Oktoberfest Pre-Game Wheat Beer Breakfast @Hop Angel, Philadelphia, PA (11:00am-1:00pm; PAYG)
Sun. 9/18, 9/25, 10/2 - Oktoberfest @Hop Angel, Philadelphia, PA (1:00pm-5:00pm; PAYG)
Mon. 9/19 - Oktoberfest Flight Night @Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Tue. 9/20 - Life & Limb Collaboration Night @Local 44, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm; PAYG)
Tue. 9/20 - Movie Night (Urban Roots) @Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA (9:00pm; PAYG)
Wed. 9/21 - Spaten/Franziskaner Party @Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, PA (7:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/22 - Yelp Movie Club Night (Flying Fish) @The Institute, Philadelphia, PA (7:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/22 - Keep the Pint Night (Sly Fox) @Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/22 - Two Year Anniversary Party @Resurrection Ale House, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/22 - Bratwurst Eating Contest @Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, PA (7:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/23 - Oktoberfest @With Love Garden at The Four Seasons, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/23-Thu. 9/29 - Sausage Fest @Standard Tap, Philadelphia, PA (PAYG)
Fri. 9/23 - Free Sampling (American Oktoberfests with Joe Sixpack) @Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/23 - Kick the Keg Lottery @Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/24 - Oktoberfest @Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/24 - Ryes Above @Khyber Pass Pub, Philadelphia, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Wed. 9/28 - Victory Village Celebration of Beer and Coffee @Cooperage Wine & Whiskey Bar, Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/29 - Cape of Good Hope & The Fleeting Ends @Roosevelt's Pub, Philadelphia, PA (8:30pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/30 - Spaten Oktoberfest Night @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/30 - Free Sampling (Samuel Adams Beer Lover's Choice) @Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)


Philadelphia's close suburbs (within 20 mile radius of Philadelphia)
Thu. 9/1 - First Thursday Beer Tasting @Whole Foods, Plymouth Meeting, PA (6:00pm-8:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/2-Sat. 9/3 - Special Draft Event @Capone's, Norristown, PA (11:30am; PAYG)
Fri. 9/2 - End & Odd @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA (PAYG)
Sat. 9/3-Mon. 9/5 - Tröegs/Teresa's/Beer Yard Event for Delco SPCA @Beer Yard, Wayne, PA (1:00pm-4:00pm; Free + Donations)
Sun. 9/4 - Kan Jam 2011 @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA (2:00pm-9:00pm; $20 to play, PAYG to watch)
Tue. 9/6 - Troubadour Tasty Tuesday @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA (PAYG)
Thu. 9/8 - River Horse Night @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA (PAYG)
Tue. 9/13 - Zwet.be vs. Exportation @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA (PAYG)
Fri. 9/16 - Free Beer Tasting (Philadelphia Brewing) @Beer World, Roslyn, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Sat. 9/17 - Festivus Humules Hopfest @Iron Abbey, Horsham, PA (PAYG)
Tue. 9/20 - Stone Tap Takeover @Pinocchio's, Media, PA (PAYG)
Tue. 9/20 - Allagash Alley @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA (PAYG)
Fri. 9/23-Sun. 9/25 - Oktoberfest @United German Hungarian Club, Oakford, PA (PAYG)


Greater Philadelphia Metro / Eastern Pennsylvania (beyond 20 mile radius of Philadelphia)
Thu. 9/1 - West Coast Gold @Iron Hill Brewery, Phoenixville, PA (5:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/1 - Pick Me A Winner @Iron Hill Brewery, West Chester, PA (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/1 - Charity Cask Night (featuring "No. 7", a Belgian Wit to benefit Nevus Outreach) @Bethlehem Brew Works, Bethlehem, PA (5:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/2 - Friday Night Sampling (Great Lakes) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (5:00pm-7:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/2 - Pint Night (Central Waters) @Washington House, Sellersville, PA (5:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/2 - Free Sampling (Long Trail) @Goshen Beverage, West Chester, PA (4:00pm-7:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/2 - Firkin Friday (Nut Brown Ale) @Iron Hill Brewery, Phoenixville, PA (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/3 - Free Sampling (Heineken draught can) @Goshen Beverage, West Chester, PA (2:30pm-4:30pm; Free)
Wed. 9/7 - Welcome Back Wednesday @Craft Ale House, Limerick, PA (6:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/8 - Victory Promo Night @Farmhouse Tavern, Doylestown, PA (7:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/8 - Thursday Night Sampling (Yuengling Light Lager and a Darren Daulton appearance) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (3:00pm-4:30pm; Free)
Thu. 9/8 - Stone/Tröegs Collab Keg Tapping @Brewhouse Grille, Camp Hill, PA (5:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/8 - Beer 101: Get your suds on @Total Wine, Claymont, DE (6:30pm-8:30pm; $15)
Fri. 9/9 - Oktoberfest Release Party @Iron Hill Brewery, Newark, DE (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/9 - Friday Night Sampling (Leinenkugel) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Sat. 9/10 - Heavy Medals @Iron Hill Brewery, Phoenixville, PA (12:00pm-5:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/10 - Rogue Brewery @The Drafting Room, Exton, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/10 - Saturday Sampling (Tailgate Can Sampling) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (1:00pm-4:00pm; Free)
Sat. 9/10 - Big Beers Small State @Iron Hill Brewery, Wilmington, DE (3:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/10 - Saisons in the Sun @Union Jack's on the Manatawny, Boyertown, PA (1:00pm; PAYG)
Tue. 9/13 - Victory Cooks' Showdown @Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA (6:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG)
Wed. 9/14 - Carol Stoudt and the West Chester Beer Ladies @Ron's Original, Exton, PA (7:00pm-10:00pm; $20)
Fri. 9/16 - Friday Night Sampling (Victory) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (5:00pm-7:00pm; Free)
Thu. 9/22 - Pick Me A Winner @Iron Hill Brewery, Newark, DE (6:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG)
Fri. 9/23 - Free Beer Tasting (Philadelphia Brewing) @Wegmans, Downingtown, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/23 - Friday Night Sampling (Fegley's) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/23 - Pumpkin Ale Release Party @Iron Hill Brewery, Newark, DE (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG)
Thu. 9/29 - Beerrelevance: The tastiest history lesson you've ever had @Total Wine, Claymont, DE (6:30pm-8:30pm; $15)
Fri. 9/30 - Free Beer Tasting (Philadelphia Brewing) @Superior Beverage, Phoenixville, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)
Fri. 9/30 - Friday Night Sampling (Flying Fish) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free)


Events Over $20

Philadelphia
Tue. 9/6 - Local Beer & Cheese Class @Garces Trading Co., Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm; $65)
Sat. 9/10 - Beer Fest at the Ballpark @Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (2:00pm-7:00pm; $15-$50)
Sat. 9/17 - Brew Blast on the Battleship @Battleship New Jersey, Camden, NJ (1:00pm-5:00pm; $45)
Sat. 9/17 - Blues & Brews on the Banks @Schuylkill River Banks under the Walnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm-8:00pm; $35)
Sat. 9/17 - Brews, Blues, & BBQ @Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA (1:00pm-5:00pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm; $45)
Mon. 9/19 - 20th Anniversary Party @London Grill, Philadelphia, PA (5:00pm-9:00pm; $40)
Tue. 9/20 - An Evening with The Brewer, The Farmer, The Chef, and The Goat @DiBruno Bros., Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm-8:00pm; $45)
Thu. 9/22 - Beer 101 @Tria, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $50)
Thu. 9/22 - Beer Tasting and Dinner @Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA (7:00pm-9:00pm; $50/$55)
Fri. 9/23 - Smoke 'em if Yous Got 'em @Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia, PA (2:00pm-6:30pm; $25/$50/$60)
Sun. 9/25 - Friends of Hawthornes Beer Dinner @Hawthornes, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:30pm; $50)
Sun. 9/25 - Taste of Fall @The Suzanne Morgan Center at Ridgeland in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA (1:00pm-5:00pm; $10-$60)
Thu. 9/29 - Birdies, Beer, & Booze @Midatlantic Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA (6:00pm; $TBD)


Philadelphia's close suburbs (within 20 mile radius of Philadelphia)
Fri. 9/9 - Next Step Brewing Class @Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA (6:30pm; $40)
Sat. 9/10 - Introduction to Brewing Class @Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA (1:00pm; $40)
POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING 2012 Sat. 9/10 - PA Craft Beer Fest @Parx Casino, Bensalem, PA (1:00pm-4:00pm; $15/$25/$30)
Sat. 9/10 - American IPA Festival @High Street Grill, Mount Holly, NJ (7:00pm; $40/$45)
Tue. 9/13 - Beer School (Belgian styles) @Mile Post Pub inside Whole Foods, Devon, PA (7:30pm-8:30pm; $35)
Tue. 9/13 - Farm to Table Supper @Iron Hill Brewery, Media, PA (7:00pm-10:00pm; $75)
Sat. 9/17 - Oktoberfest @Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, PA (5:30pm-9:00pm; $25/$45/$50)
Sun. 9/18 - Beer Fest at Jenkintown Festival of the Arts @Jenkintown Town Square, Jenkingtown, PA (1:00pm-6:00pm; $25)
Tue. 9/20 - Beer School (Hodgepodge/Miscellaneous) @Mile Post Pub inside Whole Foods, Devon, PA (7:30pm-8:30pm; $35)
Wed. 9/21 - Russian River Beer Dinner @Iron Abbey, Horsham, PA (7:00pm-9:00pm; $60)
CANCELLED Sun. 9/25 - Fall Beer Expo @United German Hungarian Club, Oakford, PA (1:00pm-3:00pm, 4:00pm-6:00pm; $35/$40)


Greater Philadelphia Metro / Eastern Pennsylvania (beyond 20 mile radius of Philadelphia)
Wed. 9/7 - Lagunitas @Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA (7:00pm; $45)
Sat. 9/10 - Beerfest @Bube's Brewery, Mount Joy, PA (2:00pm; $TBD)
Thu. 9/15 - Samuel Smith Beer Dinner @Allentown Brew Works, Allentown, PA (7:00pm-9:30pm; $50)
Fri. 9/16 - Eclat Chocolate and Beer @Eclat, West Chester, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm, 8:30pm-10:00pm; $45)
Sat. 9/17 - Capital City Invitational Beer Fest @Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA (2:00pm-9:00pm; $15/$35/$40)
Sat. 9/17 - Craft Beer Bus Tour (Lehigh Valley and New Hope) from Allentown to New Hope to Easton and back to Allentown (11:00am; $65)
Sat. 9/17 - Yards Ales of the Revolution Dinner @Maloney's Pub & Grill, Matawan, NJ (7:15pm; $55)
Sun. 9/18 - Beer and Cheese Tasting @General Sutter Inn, Lititz, PA (4:30pm; $30)
Mon. 9/19 - Girls Just Wanna Have Suds 2 @Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA (6:00pm; $30)
Wed. 9/21 - Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner @Side Bar, West Chester, PA (7:00pm; $55)
Fri. 9/23 - Grapes vs. Grains @Harry's Savoy Grill, Wilmington, DE (7:00pm-10:00pm; $75)
Sat. 9/24-Sun. 9/25 - OktoberFest opening weekend @Stoudt's Brewery, Adamstown, PA (12:00pm; PAYG)
Sat. 9/24 - Newtown Beerfest 2011 @The Stocking Works, Newtown, PA (12:30pm-5:30pm; $10/$40/$75)
Sat. 9/24 - Texas Bar-B-Que & Craft Beer Fest @Triumph Brewing, Princeton, NJ (1:00pm-5:00pm; $50)
Sun. 9/25 - Bike Fresh Bike Local @Victory Brewing, Downingtown, PA (7:00am; $40/$45)
Mon. 9/26 - ALS Beer Dinner with Yards @High Street Caffe/Vudu, West Chester, PA ($55/$75)
Wed. 9/28 - Next Step Brewing Class @Keystone Homebrew Supply, Bethlehem, PA (6:30pm; $40)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: August 25 - August 31

August has one last full week of seven days remaining and the beer calendar is complying with at least double that number of fun-looking beer events. Give 'em a gander (a look, that is, not a male goose) and get out there and have some late summer fun to prove that not all the fun is at The Shore.

And if you want to see William Reed and Yours Truly carry on the success (and then some) from PBW at The Four Seasons, come on out to Kan Jam 2011 at Sly Fox in Phoenixville on Sunday.

Check out the entire August 2011 calendar over here.

If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.

Tastings and samplings
@Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/26 - Free Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Brooklyn Brewery's beer)

@Isaac Newton's, Newtown, PA--- Wed. 8/31 - Specialty Keg Wednesday (11:30am; PAYG for Evil Twin Ryan and The Beasterbunny)

@Vudu Lounge, West Chester, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - Flying Fish Happy Hour (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG for Exit 16, Abbey Dubbel and Farmhouse on draft, as well as ESB and Exit 9 bottles)


Other promotions of substantial note
@Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - With Love Beer Garden (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for an encore performance from Philly Beer Week featuring Dock Street, Sly Fox, Victory, and Yards)

@Hulmeville Inn, Hulmeville, PA--- Tue. 8/30 - Yards Tap Takeover (6:00pm; PAYG for Brawler, Cape of Good Hope, Cape of Good Hope (cask), ESA (Cask), George Washington Porter, IPA, Love Stout, Philly Pale, Poor Richards Spruce, Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale, something Bourbon, something else Bourbon, and maybe yet something else)

@Iron Hill Brewery, Maple Shade, NJ--- Sat. 8/27 - IronFish/IPA event (PAYG for the IronFish, a collaborative Black Belgian Imperial IPA brewed by Flying Fish and Iron Hill)

@Isaac Newton's, Newtown, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - Avery Tap Takeover (7:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG for Maharaja, White Rascal, IPA, Czar, Salvation, Oak Aged Samaels, and 18th Anniversary)

@Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA--- Sun. 8/28 - Kan Jam 2011 (1:00pm; $20 to enter, PAYG to come and watch teams compete for various prizes and the honor of being the 2011 Sly Fox champion. Plus beer in cans and cans of beer and, you know, beer.)

@Stoudt's Brewery, Adamstown, PA--- Sat. 8/27 - Micro Fest (12:00pm-4:00pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm; $35 to attend the 20th anniversary of this popular festival)

@The Sidecar Bar & Grille, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - Summer Wind with Ommegang (PAYG for Adoration, BPA, Chocolate Indulgence, Cup O'Kyndness, Gnomegang, Independence Saison, Rare Vos, and Witte)


Food and Beer events
@Chifa, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - The Bruery Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $65 for a four-course meal paired with Orchard White, Trade Winds, Rugbrod, and Mischief)

@Earl's, Peddler's Village (Lahaska), PA--- Thu. 8/25 - Victory Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $55 for a five-course meal paired with Summer Love Golden Ale, Prima Pils, Storm King Stout, HopDevil, and Helios)

@Wegmans, Collegeville, PA--- Thu. 8/25 - Time to Tailgate Beer & Spirit Tour (6:00pm-8:00pm; $30)


Make the good stuff yourself (or at least try)
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA--- Fri. 8/26 - Intro to Brewing Class (6:30pm; $40 will explain the basic equipment needed to homebrew and how it works. Participants will get hands-on experience brewing, bottling, and tasting homebrew.)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Same Iron Hill, new King

(Bob Barrar seems excited for Kevin Walter's keg being the first to kick)


The weather was a bit frightful outside last night. But, inside at Earth Bread + Brewery, the joint was hot (like cool-hot, not temperature-hot, y'dig?) and the atmosphere could not have been more inviting for King of the Hill 2011. Last year, EB+B hosted Iron Hill in February not long after the 20+ inch snowfall that had me parking between 10-foot high snow banks.

Next year, there will be a ninth brewer, Paul Rutherford, bringing his beer from the new Chestnut Hill location of the ever-expanding Iron Hill. Until then, there are 8 brewers and their beers were all represented last night on Germantown Avenue for a throwdown of the beer sort.

It was a gathering of brewers and assorted peeps from Iron Hill to EB+B to McKenzie Brew House to the Dogfish and Nodding Heads. The flatbreads were perhaps the only thing flying faster than the beers. An admirable style lineup was presented by Iron Hill and, in the end, it was Lancaster's Kevin Walter that took the prize for fastest keg drained.

For the record and for what it's worth, there were no dogs on tap but forced to name some of the favorites that I sampled would have me giving nods to Brian Finn's (Wilmington) Blackberry Saison, Tom Baker's Sour Wheat (with a touch of house-made cherry syrup), Tim Stumpf's (Phoenixville) Schwarzbier, and Justin Sproul's (Newark) Xtra Stout. Chris LaPierre's (Maple Shade) Caprice is no slouch and again last night did not disappoint. The honey-basil flatbread (YES, honey on a pizza/flatbread...believe it!) was also a highlight on the food side of things.

Suzy Woods was also snapping away and has posted a couple pictures over at BeerLass.com.

Just another night of proof how lucky the folks in West Mt. Airy to have Tom and Peggy Baker's restaurant and brewery to call their own.

(No snow forecasted for King of the Hill, II)


(Earth Bread + Brewery front door)


(Iron Hill menu at Earth Bread + Brewery- 8/18/11)


(Tom Baker crowns Kevin Walter King of the (Iron) Hill, 2011)


(Kevin Walter foreshadowing next year's King of the Hill?)


(Kevin Walter next to the original medal machine and first King of the Hill, Bob Barrar...or the Acme Employee of the Week, the debate continues)


(Seed pie: plain and simple and great)


(DeuS, a beer fit for a birthday boy, Tom Baker)


(Birthday wishes and toasts all around for Tom Baker)


(Birthday wishes and toasts all around for Tom Baker)

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: August 18 - August 24

Summer's entering its last month, but that doesn't slow down the weekly beer calendar here in the Philadelphia region. Check out below for a bevy of beer events over the next seven days.

Check out the entire August 2011 calendar over here.

If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.

Tastings, samplings, and other promotions
@Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/19 - Free Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Belgian Beers with Joe Sixpack)

@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Fri. 8/19 - Friday Night Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Moosehead Light Lime)

@The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/19 - Jodi's Third Friday Firkin (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for Sour Cherry Karnival Kölsch)

@Wegmans, Downingtown, PA--- Fri. 8/19 - Victory Beer Sampling (5:00pm; Free tasting samples of Victory beer)


Special Promo events with a little "extra something"
@Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/18 - Welcome to the Neighborhood (7:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG as EB+B welcomes the future Iron Hill to the neighborhood with a beer from each current IH location tap. First brewer's beer to kick will be crowned King of the Hill)

@Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/18 - With Love Beer Garden (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for an encore performance from Philly Beer Week featuring Dock Street, Sly Fox, Victory, and Yards)

@Khyber Pass Pub, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/20 - HopScotch II (12:00pm; PAYG for a bunch of scotch ales including Oskar Blues Old Chub, Brouwkot Vlaskapelle, Belhaven Wee Heavy, Bear Republic Heritage, Brasserie D'Achouffe McChouffe, Founders Diry Bastard alongside hoppy beers like Founders Devil Dancer, Russian River Blind Pig, Avery Maharaja, Flying Dog Centennial Single Hop, Bear Republic Racer 5 (cask), Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Corne Du Diable, Ballast Point Even Keel, Blue Point No Apologies (cask), and Russian River Pliny The Elder)

@Side Bar & Restaurant, West Chester, PA--- Tue. 8/23 - D-Town Skate Park Charity Event & Yards Tap Takeover (9:00pm; PAYG for a skateboarding-based quizzo night with prizes provided by event sponsors Side Bar and Else Wear Apparel, plus a ridiculous Tap Takeover from Yards Brewing)

@Sly Fox, Royersford, PA--- Thu. 8/18 - Yappy Hour (6:30pm-8:30pm; PAYG and bring your well-behaved dog out for our extended patio happy hour. Perk Valley Pet Eatery will be passing out free treats, as well as The Berks County Humane Society with their mobile RV unit.)


Beer and Food events
@High Street Grill, Mount Holly, NJ--- Fri. 8/19 - Beer Wars II, Championship (7:00pm; $50 for a five-course pairing meal pitting Allagash against Unibroue)

@Osteria, Philadelphia, PA--- Wed. 8/24 - Beer and Cheese Tasting with Flying Fish and DiBruno Bros. (6:00pm-9:00pm; $20 for a sneak peek at what we'll be doing at our new restaurant Alla Spina. Stop by the bar for a taste and hang out with the guys and try a flight of 4 beers and 4 cheeses.)

@Percy Street Barbecue, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 8/23 - Can of Wheat Dinner (5:00pm; $50 for a four-course meal paired with Sly Fox Royal Weisse, 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat, Wild Onion Summer Wit, and Avery White Rascal)

@Pinocchio's, Media, PA--- Tue. 8/23 - Gourmet and Pizza Beer Pairing (7:30pm; $45 for five styles of pizza paired with Ayinger Brau Weisse, Duck Rabbit Barleywine, Furthermore Knot stock, Stillwater Cellar Door, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter)

@Resurrection Ale House, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/20 - Brett Beer Brunch (11:00am-3:00pm; PAYG for an open brunch featuring beers like Russian River Consecration, Lost Abbey Red Poppy, Oude Beersel Framboise, Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza, Rodenbach Classic, De Proef Les Deux Brasseurs (Allagash), De Proef Broederlijke Leifde (Sly Fox) and more)

@Wegmans, Malvern, PA--- Thu. 8/18 - Time to Tailgate Beer & Spirit Tour (6:00pm-8:00pm; $30 for an entertaining and informative event)


Fests and Anniversaries (and homebrew)
@Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/20 - Homebrewing Class with George Hummel (3:30pm; PAYG as recently-published George Hummel (The Complete Homebrew Beer Book) walks guests through all aspects of making beer from start to finish)
@Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA--- Mon. 8/22 - 4th Anniversary special beer tapping and celebration (5:00pm; PAYG as they tap a single keg of Flemish Sour that has been aging in a Pinot Noir barrel for 2 1/2 years)

@Jose Pistolas, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/20 - Summer Session Fest (3:30pm; PAYG for live music all day and night along with a never-ending supply of session beers including the likes of Founders Dry Hopped Pale Ale, Bahnoff Berliner Weisse, Russian River Blind Pig, and much more. A $5 donation is suggested for the show.)

@Paradise Farm Camps, Downingtown, PA--- Fri. 8/19-Sun. 8/21 - Honey Fest ($10/$15/$25 for this weekend festival where Victory is a major sponsor. It's a campout weekend of all day and night music, art, food, vending and more to help fight polycystic kidney disease on the 600 acre property.)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Forest & Main, Construction Update #1


(Gerard Olson, left, and Daniel Endicott, co-owners of the future Forest & Main in Ambler, Pa.)

I know of a few people still who are not plugged into The Facebook yet. While I have some understanding for some of the reasons why, I'd encourage everyone to check it out at least for what your favorite businesses are doing. I'm not sure if it's a long-term trend, but I see some businesses moving away from traditional websites for timely information.

Take, Devil's Den in Philadelphia as an example. Their calendar of events is maintained almost exclusively on The Facebook (and, of course, The Twitter).

But, this isn't about Devil's Den and I didn't mean to single them out either positively or negatively with regard to their usage of social media.

This is about Forest & Main. And how if you are riding the Facebook Superhighway (and I know that many of you are), you likely saw pictures of me working with Gerard and Dan (Olson and Endicott, co-owners, that is) to split a 12-foot-long barn beam that will serve as a bar top in their much-anticipated new brewery and restaurant.

The opening is currently guestimated in the October timeframe. Judging from my visit last week (finally, my first visit), the guys are gonna do their part to get to an October opening. It sounds like the borough has been, and will continue to hopefully be, cooperative. So, it will all come down to their friendly helpers in Harrisburg to grease the skids and get them the rest of the way to opening.

To say that the property has all the makings of one of the more comfortable brewpubs around might be an understatement. From the front yard, past the front porch (complete with hop bines), through the attractive front door, and in to the individual rooms on either side of a center staircase leading to a second floor for dining and gathering, the at-home feel that exudes from the unfinished building is already evident.

The guys have been doing a real fine job of keeping thirsty followers updated on the construction progress with a website and Facebook page replete with pictures and other useful information.

I've put up a gallery of pictures over at Picasa -- and stole the best Facebook image of me as well...hey, if I'm "tagged" in a picture, does that make the picture equally mine? -- to share with you all. I think you'll all be equally impressed in a few months when you're comfortably lounging with some well-crafted beer at the corner of Forest & Main.

More to come...

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Mostly Iron Hill news

Haven't checked in with our favorite Beer Lass in a while. Here's what she's helped a) catch me up on, and b) remind me for later this week.

While I was out: it's difficult to trade anything for a weekend of gallivanting through NYC, but it wasn't easy missing the annual Iron Hill Bocce Challenge at the Wilmington Waterfront. Nodding Head won again - wrap-up and pictures at Suzy's site.

In two days: Celebrate Iron Hill and see if Medal Machine Bob can pull a Nodding Head and defend his title. What title is that, you ask? Well, Suzy's reminder post (complete with all 8 IH beers that will be pouring) had me digging through the archives whereupon I found one of the more enjoyable pieces that I put together.

Read about Iron Hill at Earth Bread + Brewery last February. Lots of snow and lots of fun with great beer and people.

I've already predicted which I think will kick first. That said, don't come on Thursday; I don't want it to be too crowded ;-)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Belgium is going to stay a while longer in Cooperstown at Ommegang

Ommegang Belgium Comes to Cooperstown (BCTC) 2011


Belgium came to Cooperstown again this year. So did I. I've pretty much settled on declaring this year the best installment yet of the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown (BCTC) event. So then why has it taken me this long to get some wrap-up words and pictures to you, you may ask? That, my friends, would be a perfectly acceptable and good question to ask!

Let's get to it then.

Instead of getting into time-consuming lengthy paragraph after time-consuming lengthy paragraph after lengthy time-consuming paragraph (and not to mention, superfluous wordiness that would serve only to fill the page and make me look/sound more eloquent than I really am, does that make sense?!), here's a quick hit list of what made this year's BCTC the best one yet from this guy's perspective. The only order that these points are in is the order that they come to mind.

And I speak to this as a VIP attendee (all-weekend, all-access), which in my opinion is the optimal way to experience the weekend. We tried the non-VIP (tasting festival-only) approach a couple of years ago and, for my appetite, it came off not nearly as ideal as staying for and taking in the whole weekend.

The Property - for first-timers, oh heck for veterans alike, the setting of the brewery in the foothills to the Adirondacks is the first thing that strikes visitors to the brewery. There's little chance that Ommegang's brewery setting is not a top ten or even top five in the country. Witnessing the sun set over the brewery and the lifting, passing fog in the morning as day breaks is beauty to behold. It sets the scene perfectly for a weekend of ideal beer karma. It doesn't hurt that the property used to be home to a hop farm in a former life.

The Growth - the new Visitor Center/Retail Shop and new Café Ommegang are just the two most recent additions to the brewery. And what new additions they are! To sit in a climate-controlled pub and enjoy any number of Ommegang, Duvel, and related beverages is simply amazing. The café's menu features Belgian-themed items such as mussels, fries, assorted aioli for dipping, stews, crepes, ice-cream, and waffles. And even though the retail shop no longer comes with the aromas of a working brewhouse, it also is climate-controlled and much more spacious. Both are absolute joys to explore. Seeing these new facilities first-hand makes the "no RVs" ruling for the festival more obvious. Speaking of growth and expansion, I just saw a Facebook posting from the brewery announcing the installation this week of a 40-head bottle filler that will reportedly triple their bottling capacity to more quickly meet skyrocketing demand.

The Organization - the early wild-west years of this festival are behind us. Sure, there are ways in which to bemoan this. But, at the end of the day, I think all agree that organization and control -- for an endeavor of this size -- are not bad words. There's control, but there's not too much control. The fun is organized but only to the point of being reasonably safe and where the fun can still be organic. Now if we could only do something about special festival permits for out-of-state breweries and the silly (not to mention, wasteful) drink ticket regulations.

Simply put: the job that lead organizers Tara Aitchison and John Tuchowski and the whole team of employees and volunteers that it takes to pull off this awe-inspiring event impresses more with each passing year.

The Dinner - sure, as some have said, it's not totally necessary and of course only adds to the overall ticket price. But, the way in which it adds to the total weekend experience is important in my opinion. After an afternoon of setting up camp and mingling amongst campsites, having a dinner prepared and delivered table side with copious and virtually unlimited amounts of beer to choose from is just what is needed for most. The dinner was seven courses this year and does draw out over a few hours, but, to me, that makes it for the better. The duration provides plenty of time to take in the food and beer at a leisurely pace, wander around the property, and dance to the always entertaining Horseshoe Lounge Playboys.

The Tasting Event - every year it seems that I taste less beer than I go into the tasting festival intending to. In some ways, that disappoints me and in some ways it doesn't really matter. I seem to take away more from the tasting tents in the personal interactions that I have with longtime and new friends alike. (Plus, it's important to keep in mind that there will still be another 8-12 hours of debauchery to take in, depending upon how one counts their hours.)

So, did I regrettably miss Captain Lawrence's Rosso e Marrone (I've had it before and is spec-friggin-tacular)...Ithaca's Brute (bottles at home)...Ommegang's Eleven by Volume (brewed just for the festival...or, so they say :)...Malheur Dark Brut (still waiting)...Ithaca Fula (still don't know what this was supposed to be). Sure. But, the beauty of the beer world that we are fortunate enough to partake in is that there's (usually) always another great beer lurking around the next tap handle.

Of what I did taste, however, there were some clear-cut winners. For the sake of brevity, I'll simply list Ithaca Le Bleu (again and again, please!), Allagash Coolship (this project has been well worth the wait), Ommegang Aphrodite (this will likely evolve nicely over a couple of years), Lagunitas Lucky 13, Shmaltz Jewbelation (reminds me of a vertical I must get around to doing at home), Stillwater (anything by Strumke works for me), Lawson Session in the Rye (what a great concept serving it "regular", regular-dry hopped, and cask-conditioned), White Birch (the tripel/barleywine blend aged in wood, wow!),  Allagash Vrienden (oh, if this could be a couple of ticks less than its advertised 9.3%, I'd drink this all night long), Pretty Things (some of the more interesting beer being made in the Northeast)...and a lot of homebrew. I'm still scratching my head as to how I could have forgotten to box up a few bottles of my own Sour Cherry Chocolate Imperial Stout. This was the perfect venue for sharing and tasting.

The Extracirriculars - multiple bands during and after the Saturday tasting portion of the festival. Numerous food options from waffles to barbecue to wood-oven pizza to chocolates. A "Mussel Tussle" (for VIPs only) with six different chefs doing mussels prepared with Ommegang beers six different ways was an extraordinary addition to this year's festival. (I'd only request that they include the beers that were used in cooking also for tasting/pairing under this tent.) Fun movies, firepits, and late night musical entertainment. A 15 minute fireworks display over the brewery to cap off Saturday night. Plenty of extracirriculating from campsite to campsite. What else could be asked for?

This 'n' That - Beer Sessions Radio. Didn't know where else to put these guys here in my wrap-up. The last time I saw Ray Deter was at 2010's BCTC and I can easily recall discussing our mutual affection for Petrus Aged Pale Ale just before going our separate ways. (I seem to recall him also joking about getting lost so far from NYC!) So, it was fitting that I hung around for nearly an hour watching and listening to co-hosts Jimmy Carbone (Jimmy's No. 43) and Dave Brodrick (Blind Tiger) conduct an on-site taping for Beer Sessions Radio. They were joined by Phil Leinhart (brewer) and Larry Bennett (marketing) from Ommegang, Dann Pacquette (Pretty Things), Simon Thorpe (Duvel/Moortgat USA), and Naomi Neville (Allagash National Sales Manager).

I feel like I should end with an apology for the late, half-arsed, and scattershot approach to sharing BCTC '11 with you. Plus, there's a ton of parentheticals, which I realize doesn't lend to easy reading. It doesn't feel up to standards...particularly for an event that is one of the best in the land. But for now, well, I'll leave it that. 'Til next time.

You can find all 100 or so pictures that I uploaded to Picasa over there.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: August 11 - August 17

Everyone's busy with something in August. Vacations, prepping for back to school, home projects, and on and on. Good thing that are local breweries and bar owners are just as busy putting together fun and interesting beer events to give you a break from it all. Get out there and enjoy and stay cool.

Check out the entire August 2011 calendar over here.

If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.

Homebrew
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA--- Fri. 8/12 - Intro to Brewing Class (6:30pm; $40)
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA--- Sat. 8/13 - Next Step Brewing Class (1:00pm; $75)
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Bethlehem, PA--- Wed. 8/16 - Intro to Brewing Class (6:30pm; $40)


Tastings, samplings, and other promotions
@Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/12 - Free Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Long Trail)

@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Fri. 8/12 - Friday Night Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Franzikaner)
@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Sat. 8/13 - Saturday Sampling (12:00pm-2:00pm; Free tasting samples of Stoudt's)

@Nodding Head, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/13 - Fun With Blondes (3:00pm; PAYG for Goldihops, Ich Bin Ein Beliner Weisse, Keller Pils, Monkey Knife Fight, Saison De La Tete, and Triple Lindy)

@Old Eagle Tavern, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 8/16 - Keep the Pint Night (6:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG to buy a Victory beer and take home a Victory Logo pint glass)

@Wegmans, Malvern, PA--- Fri. 8/12 - Victory Beer Sampling (5:00pm; Free tasting samples of Victory beers)


More fun times with beer
@Craft Ale House, Limerick, PA--- Thu. 8/11 - Night of Fools (6:00pm; PAYG for Brugse Zot, Brugse Zot (unfiltered), and Brugse Dubbel)
@Craft Ale House in Limerick, PA to Lancaster County--- Sat. 8/13 - Craft Beer Bus Tour (11:00am-6:00pm; $65 for a tour that includes stops at Lancaster Brewing, JoBoys, and Union Barrel Works)

@Devil's Den, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/13 - Pucker Up Sourfest (PAYG for a starting draft list with the likes of Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic, Russian River Sanctification, Petrus Aged Pale Ale, Allagash Confluence, Mikkeller USAlive, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Jolly Pumpkin Luciernage, and then more to follow)

@Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/11 - With Love Beer Garden (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for an encore performance from Philly Beer Week featuring Dock Street, Sly Fox, Victory, and Yards)

@The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/13 - Grey Lodge Goes Bollywood (6:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG for costumes, music, dance numbers, and lots of IPAs like drafts Ballast Point Sculpin, Manayunk California Dreaming, Philadelphia New Bold, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Sixpoint Bengali Tiger, Sixpoint Chanouk IPA, Victory Yakima Twilight, and Firkins of Dock Street Rye IPA spiced with curry, Weyerbacher Double Simcoe with a little cardomom and/or mango, Yards Cape of Good Hope, and Yards IPA)

@Iron Hill Brewery, Wilmington, DE--- Sat. 8/13 - Bocce and Beer (12:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG as Dogfish Head, Evolution, Yards, Flying Fish, Sly Fox, Stewart’s, Nodding Head, and Iron Hill all face off. Beers from all of the breweries, too.)

@World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/11 - A Philadelphia Ale & Arts Trolley Adventure (5:30pm-8:00pm; $35 for a pre-tour beer and a soft pretzel. Then, join a guide and weave through Philadelphia to learn the stories that bring the murals come to life. Plus, a stop at Yards Brewery)


Food and Beer
@Fonthill Museum, Doylestown, PA--- Fri. 8/12 - Bring on the Belgians (7:00pm-10:00pm; $28/$35 for a night of lectures, tutored tastings, hor d'oeuvres, and music. Participating breweries include: Forest and Main Brewing Company, Free Will Brewing Company, Keystone Homebrew, McKenzie's Brew House, Outta Hand Homebrews, Round Guys Brewery, and Yards Brewery. Dallas Vietty's Musette Project will play French accordion and gypsy music.)

@Gigi, Philadelphia, PA--- Wed. 8/17 - Victory Beer Dinner (5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm; $TBD for a 3-course dinner paired with Victory beers)

@Iron Abbey, Horsham, PA--- Wed. 8/17 - Dogfish Head Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $60 for a five-course meal served with Pangaea, Red & White, My Antonia, Chateau Jiahu, World Wide Stout, and Miles Davis Bitches Brew)

@Normandy Farm, Blue Bell, PA--- Thu. 8/11 - Caribbean Beer & BBQ (6:00pm-9:00pm; $31.95/$35.95 for Live Music, All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, and Unlimited Beer featuring Whirlwind Wit, Headwaters Pale Ale, Prima Pils, and HopDevil)

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Next from Hitachino Nest


While assembling my tasting notes of Hitachino Nest XH beer from Japan's Kiuchi brewery, Matthias Niedhart, B.United International's company president, forwarded a handful of pictures to me that I thought you might find interesting related to an upcoming new brew from the Japanese brewery..

The new beer is based on Toshiyuki Kiuchi's Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia, an ale that incorporates a particular favorite hop, Sorachi Ace. Neidhart described it as a "Pilsner version of Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia, fermented cold using a bottom-fermenting yeast. It will be kegged at our place as soon as our temperature-controlled container tank arrives from Japan."

A B.United tanker was filled at the brewery and is en route to the States to be packaged at the importing distributor's Oxford, CT location.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Yards is Philly's Brewery

A few years down the road from Tom Kehoe taking his Yards concept solo (no need to reenact it here, but if you need more details, here's one link), any concerns about the brewery's long-term plans and viability should have been put to rest.

Not that this 610 WIP Beer Brawl accomplished that all by itself, but it's another part of Yards continued growth and success on Delaware Avenue, Philadelphia, and beyond.

Of the three categories being judged in last Thursday's competition finals at Chickie's & Pete's in South Philly, Yards took first place in two of the three.

Philadelphia Pale Ale — the beer that just may have bumped ESA from the top spot of my Yards' favorites — took the gold in the Best Light-Bodied Beer category (also in Listener's Choice, perhaps the more coveted one).

Their Saison took the top prize in the Best Seasonal/Specialty Beer category. In other Philadelphia brewery news, Nodding Head took first place for Best Full-Bodied Beer with its Grog and a homebrewer, Rick Kocher of Bruclear Homebrewers, was awarded the top spot in the homebrewing portion of the competition.

Digging around the Web, all I could find for picture-documenting of this event was this one public site and this one semi-public site (facebook).

Probably glad I wasn't a judge in this one. As you can see from the finalists below, their were no dogs in the bunch.

Light-bodied beer:
1) Victory Prima Pils
2) Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale
3) Nodding Head Brewery Goldihops

Full-bodied beer:
1) Weyerbacher Merry Monks
2) Dock Street Rye IPA
3) Nodding Head Grog

Seasonal/specialty beer:
1) Flying Fish Exit 4 American Tripel
2) Victory Summer of Love
3) Yards Saison Belgian Ale

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Tracking down a new Tröegs


(The new brewhouse)



(Brewhouse steps going into place)


One of my most interesting and informative encounters of last weekend's BCTC at Ommegang (yes, yes...you will be hearing and seeing more — much more — from me on this wonderful festival topic soon), was seeing Ed Yashinsky (operations manager at Tröegs) at some bizarre hour of the morning — like 7 a.m. or something silly like that.

As I was walking the brewery property (I'm an early riser, regardless of my night's-before activities...and when I'm up, I'm up, usually can't fight that), I bump into Ed who apparently has a similar morning routine. He'd already been into town for an early morning café breakfast.

We got into a bit of a catch-up conversation on the brewery construction progress in Hershey, Pa. You are familiar with this, right? If not, go and visit Tröegs' website where they're doing a very nice job of documenting their own progress.

Since that early morning riser update from Yashinsky, he's sent along two of what appear to be previously-unpublished pictures of the new brewery. Those are the two pictures pasted above.

Tröegs has been hitting the market from all angles lately.

Their continually-expanding (and very wisely measured expansion) market distribution — it'd slipped by me that they are now in Ohio.

They keep on top of their brewers' blog where it's not uncommon to find transparent and useful information.

They've put out a cherry chocolate stout collaboratively brewed with Stone that I'll need to do a little side-by-side with my homebrewed version of the same recipe....or, at least, of the same title. I'm sure it will be a humbling experience!

And, an appearance of the brothers Trogner (Chris and John, for the record) on a recent episode of The Brewing Network's Sunday Session. [Jump to The Brewing Network archives, aired 6/27/11]

One of these days, I'll find myself in Hershey hoping to bring you all a first-hand look at the progress prior to opening....currently looking at an October timeframe.

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: August 4 - August 10

It the last week of July seemed light for scheduled beer events around the Philadelphia region, fear not. The next 7 days are chock full with events of every stripe. Get out there and enjoy!

Check out the entire August 2011 calendar over here.

If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know.

Tastings, samplings, and other promotions
@Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Free Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples of Hop Monsters with Joe Sixpack)

@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Friday Night Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; Free tasting samples from Yards)
@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Sat. 8/6 - Friday Night Sampling (2:00pm-4:00pm; Free tasting samples of Sapporo)
@Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Sun. 8/7 - Special Sampling (2:00pm-3:00pm; Free tasting samples of both Sam Adams and Bull's BBQ)

@Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - With Love Beer Garden (5:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for an encore performance from Philly Beer Week featuring Dock Street, Sly Fox, Victory, and Yards)

@Goshen Beverage, West Chester, PA--- Sat. 8/6 - Free Sampling (3:00pm-5:00pm; Free tasting samples of Stoudt's)

@Hop Angel Brauhaus, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - Keep the Glass Night (6:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for a night with Pilsner Urquell)

@The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - First Friday After Work Party (5:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG for live music and Ithaca/Iron Hill's Dark Humor, a black ale that was fermented with funky sour yeast)

@Washington House, Sellersville, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Pint Night (6:30pm-9:00pm; PAYG for a night of Victory beer)

@Wegmans, Downingtown, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Beer Sampling (5:00pm-7:00pm; Free tasting samples from Philadelphia Brewing)

@Whole Foods, Plymouth Meeting, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - First Thursday Beer Tasting (6:00pm-8:00pm; Free tasting samples)


Promotions with a little extra something
@Chickie's & Pete's, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - The WIP Midday Show Beer Brawl Finals (7:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG for a showdown of all-star local beers in three categories: Light-bodied; Full-bodied; and Seasonal/specialty beer. Victory, Yards, and Nodding Head are nominated in two categories. An all-star panel of judges as well.)

@Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - Night Market, Mt. Airy (6:00pm-10:00pm; PAYG for the traveling show that includes beers from Earth Bread + Brewery and McMenamin's)

@Monk's Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Mon. 8/8 - Mad Monday (11:30am; PAYG for true madness from Cantillon, including Cuvee de Champions, Fou Foune 2008, Fou Foune 2010, Iris, Kriek, Lou Pepe Kriek, Monk’s Café Cuvee Gueuze, St. Lamvinous, Vigneronne, and Zwanze 2010 plus maybe a couple more kegs buried in the basement)

@Sly Fox, Phoenixville and Royersford, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Phillies Business Person's Special (1:00pm; PAYG for beer and hot dog specials during the game)


Beer and Food events
@Fox and Hounds, King of Prussia, PA--- Sun. 8/7 - Samuel Adams Beer Dinner (5:00pm; $65 for a five-course meal paired with Utopias, Cherry Chocolate Bock, Oak Aged Porter, Latitude 48 Hallertau Mittlefrueh IPA, Summer Ale, and Boston Lager)

@Kaya's Cuisine, Havertown, PA--- Wed. 8/10 - Summer Beer Dinner, part 2 (7:00pm; $65 for a seven-course meal paired with Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock, Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Pretty Things Jack D'Or, North Coast Old Rasputin, Duvel, and Weyerbacher Riserva)

@Old City, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 8/6 - Craft Beer and Artisanal Cheese Tour (3:30pm-5:30pm; $49 for 8 Craft Beers and 4 Artisanal Cheeses in one of Philly's best microbreweries)

@Twin Brook Winery, Gap, PA--- Sat. 8/6 - BrewBQ (12:00pm-4:00pm; $25/$50 for an all-ages event complete with Kids Area, Live Bands, Chester County Cheeses, Twin Brook Wines, Cooking Demos, Victory Food Menu, Victory Root Beer, and of course Victory Beer)

@White Dog Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Wed. 8/10 - Victory Beer Dinner (6:30pm; $50 for a four-course meal paired with Victory's Summer Love, Sunrise Weisse, Helios, Hop Wallop, and V-12)


Firkins
@Bethlehem Brew Works, Bethlehem, PA--- Thu. 8/4 - Charity Cask Night (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG for a firkin of Colonial Pale Ale, a dry-hopped pale ale with simcoe and cascade hops. All proceeds benefit Sun Inn Preservation Association)

@Iron Hill Brewery, Phoenixville, PA--- Fri. 8/5 - Firkin Friday (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG for a firkin of Hoppopotamus, a "double red IPA")


Homebrew
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA--- Sat. 8/6 - All-Grain Brewing Class (10:00am; $75)
@Keystone Homebrew Supply, Montgomeryville, PA--- Sun. 8/7 - Sour Power Brewing Class (1:00pm; $75)

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Please, a Pilsner at, yes, a Pilsner event

A Pilsner, a Pilsener, a Pils. I haven't said much about the ongoing impressive lineup of events at Blind Tiger Ale House in NYC. Perhaps because I haven't been to one in nearly a year.

After seeing Dave Brodrick and Jen Schwertman at Ommegang's BCTC this past weekend and then reading the event posting for this Wednesday (tomorrow), this seemed like the right time to rectify that.

Some would say that Pilsners are far too often overlooked in the world of imperial thisses-and-thats. Check out the following list and see if you think this is a step in the right direction.

Is this Session Thing catching hold? During these crazy, hazy days of summer, I'm betting these beers will be just what everyone needs and will go right quickly.

Christoffel Blonde
Coney Island Mermaid Pils
Einbecker Pils
Kulmbacher EKU Pils
Kulmbacher Edelherb Pils
Mahr's Pilsner
Mikkeller Draft Bear
Mikkeller Dream Pils
Schlenkerla Helles
Southern Tier Farmer Tan
Strubbe Pils
Victory Braumeister Pils

Monday, August 01, 2011

I hear someone turns 40 tomorrow


My birthday present to him will be to not blather on about my opinion of some industry nonsense. I did enough of that on Saturday at Ommegang.

Happy Birthday Chris LaPierre!