Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Philly Beer Week 2018. Untangling the schedule of events.


I'll get right to the meat of it. After pulling down the calendar of events last night before dinner and deleting duplicates, fixing erroneous times, and trying to guess where an event is being held when no establishment name was filled in (yes, really), here's how the Philly Beer Week schedule of events looks to me as of this morning.

Of course, from experience we all know that this thing is a constantly moving target and events will get added, deleted, modified right up until go-time during the week. Also, my standard disclosure, while I stand by my own data integrity, for the official calendar of events, please visit the official PBW '18 website.

   >> 52 establishments now list events, up from 23 last week. 44 of them are in the city. While it's not a stretch to see people taking a train to Berwyn (La Cabra) or scootin' out Germantown Pike to Plymouth Meeting (Whole Foods) for an event, this is Philly Beer Week and I'm pretty sure an "event" (actually just a standard tour listing) at Allentown Brew Works should be listed on Lehigh Valley's Beer Week instead. But, that's just me?

   >> These 52 establishments have 222 events listed (after I deleted 28 duplicates), which is just slightly more than double from my analysis last week.

   >> Five of the events are focused on cider. That's your call.

   >> The daily count breakout, as of last night is as follows. Following this PBW event calendar very closely since the inception in 2008, the pattern is nearly identical to past daily counts, i.e. a spike on the first Saturday and then again on Thursday, with a petering out on the last day, Sunday.
  • Fri, Jun 01 - 20
  • Sat, Jun 02 - 26
  • Sun, Jun 03 - 20
  • Mon, Jun 04 - 19
  • Tue, Jun 05 - 22
  • Wed, Jun 06 - 24
  • Thu, Jun 07 - 31
  • Fri, Jun 08 - 22
  • Sat, Jun 09 - 24
  • Sun, Jun 10 - 14
   >> Cinder has taken full advantage of its membership, listing 21 events (so far). The Lucky's two bars combined have 22 events. Interstate Draft House has 12, Grey Lodge has 11, and the P.O.P.E. has 10. Devil's Den, Khyber, and Strangelove's with 8 each. If you want a full spreadsheet-based listing of all events, drop an e-mail to me requesting one.

   >> Memphis Taproom also has 10 events listed (one event per day) and to the semi-educated eye is looking like on a per event/per day basis, no one might have more beer dork drool-inducing lineups than the good folks on Memphis Street. Love you dorks, no offense intended 😎

   >> 6 Whole Foods locations are showing 14 events. Off significantly from past years. Also missing from the "chain" listing of events is Uno. Only showing one brunch at one location right now.

   >> Only three dog-related events thus far. Seems a bit light and I'm betting that number will grow over the next week.

   >> Yuengling's hitting the week with a Golden Pilsner Pre-Release event, once each at Morgan's Pier, 12 Steps Down, and Field House.

   >> Here's a quick rundown of solid-looking new events popping on to the calendar since last week that have caught my attention. Maybe yours too?
Fri, Jun 01 - I'm sticking with some undetermined dosage of HOG and, no doubt, Opening Tap (as it should be, and I described why earlier). But if I need any other pre-gamers for this opening day kickoff, Burial at Memphis looks like a swell idea. As does Hops and the Half Shell at Cinder.
Sat, Jun 02 - Uh-oh. Beer and Dogs. Yup, right in my ol' wheelhouse. Plus, Morris is where Patty and I found our first dog together. And, the P.O.P.E.? Still one of my favorite bars in the city and they're doing the fundraiser with Fat Head’s And Tröegs. Cool.
Sun, Jun 03 - Could begin the day with an Oxbow Brunch at Khyber, which sounds great both from a glass and plate perspective. Then, I heard that this was coming and now it's officially been announced - "Who The Hell Let Tom In The Brewery?!" at Monk's. Might be epic.
Mon, Jun 04 - If I didn't get some drops of Burial's beers during the weekend, Clarkville is serving 'em up on Monday.
Tue, Jun 05 - Uh-oh, the first day of "do-I-take-off-work-for-this"? Dogfish used to do its lunchtime thing for PBW at Nodding Head. Now it looks like they've got something fun on tap at Monk's. Hhhmmmm.
Wed, Jun 06 - Wednesday will be a tough night for me as I'll be at the Mann Music Center for Nathaniel Rateliff concert. But, could possibly pull off dinner at nearby-ish Local 44 for its "Locals Only" event before the concert.
Thu, Jun 07 - I'd mentioned the panel discussion Urban Village earlier and I think I'll stick to that plan. But after? Free Will sours at Varga. Could be. Une Annee And Hubbards Cave? Another one to keep in mind.
Fri, Jun 08 - You know what? I've never seen the Sly Fox Canwood Derby in action. Sounds like fun at Good Dog Bar. Or the "West Philly Tricycle Championship" at City Tap House in University City?! Wow, picturing this is amusing, perhaps making this a must-see.
Sat, Jun 09 - Sours and brunch at Cinder. Sam Smith beers at Grey Lodge. Wood beers at Strangelove's. All new event listings and contending for my attention on Saturday.
Sun, Jun 10 - Believe I'll still be sticking with the La Cabra event in Berwyn, but there is also Sour Sunday at Devil's Den and Russian River at Local 44. Options are always welcome.
   >> Good Dog loves exclamation points!!!

   >> Oh, and re my comment earlier about establishments not listing their names, if anyone can help with the location of these events, that'd be, well, helpful.
  • Fri, Jun 01 Evil Twin/Against The Grain/Gigantic
  • Sun, Jun 03 Weyerbacher Tap Takeover
  • Mon, Jun 04 Sour Monday Tap Takeover
  • Tue, Jun 05 Sarene Takeover
  • Wed, Jun 06 Avery & Dogfish Head
  • Thu, Jun 07 Saison Jawn
  • Thu, Jun 07 Belgium Comes To Hamilton
  • Fri, Jun 08 Saison Jawn
  • Fri, Jun 08 Big Wood
  • Sun, Jun 10 Jersey Only
  • Sun, Jun 10 It'S A Ruff Life Rescue Fundraiser w/ Terrapin


© Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge, 2018. All content is owned and uniquely created by Bryan J. Kolesar. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Kolesar is strictly prohibited. Excerpts, images, and links may be used with advance permission granted and only provided that full and clear credit is given to Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Contact Kolesar at TheBrewLounge@gmail.com


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