Earlier this year, I enjoyed a glass of Wells Bombardier from the handpump at Memphis Taproom with brunch; I was a very happy fellow. Last year, (almost) a boatload of Fuller's made its way across to the Memphis/Local 44/Resurrection family.
Now, the opportunity comes knocking again...and then some.
In a recent email update from Leigh:
We'll kick it off Monday (12/20) when our firkins of Wells Bombardier arrive from Bedford, England. Soon to follow will be amazing beers from Bank's and Marston's (including the Pedigree Bitter and Oyster Stout), the Wynchwood Hobgoblin and our second installment of firkins from Fuller's, including the London Pride, London Porter, and the ESB!
Showing posts with label Local 44. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local 44. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Hanssens Kriek, you say? Sounds like a NYD game changer
Hm, very interesting and very sneaky of Leigh to throw in that tasty (and rare) delight at the bottom of their anniversary list.
Hard to believe it's been almost 2 years since I stumbled from NYC to 30th Street Station through Drexel and Penn's campuses to 44th and Spruce.
....and what else do we have here?! Memphis Taproom is reporting another Hanssens tasty treat..the Oude Gueuze. This one on Boxing Day, December 26.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Where to watch the Tour de France and drink great beer? (other than my house)
I love the Tour de France. I believe it is one of the world's best annual sporting events. I won't get in to all the reasons why. Jeff Appletans, bicycling extraordinaire and craft beer lover, agrees. He noticed the weekly calendar that I put out a couple of days ago and the Tour de France-related entries on the calendar and wondered if there really weren't any more to add.
Well, he has done a bit of suds and cycling sleuthing for us and gotten back to me with a short list of some pretty good beer bars in Philly and where they stand on the topic of showing the Tour. While it doesn't seem like anyone is opening early and showing it live in the morning hours, the way that they might for World Cup games, here are a few places in Philly where you can catch a pale ale with the pedal pulsing action replayed later in the day during normal bar hours.
Absolutely...
The Belgian Café
St. Stephen's Green
If the Phillies or World Cup Soccer isn't on, then you can likely catch the race at...
Memphis Taproom
Local 44
Resurrection Ale House
Devil's Den
Thanks, Jeff. How about any of you? Where are you watching the race? Do you know of any bars dedicated to tuning their TVs to the Tour de France?
p.s. this reminds me of another question....anyone heading to West Chester and the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium tomorrow night?
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Story of the Year (to date) in Philadelphia
I take back what I said yesterday when I said that there was not much worthy chatter out there. Turns out most of us must have been enjoying the beautiful weather around the Philadelphia area. Since then, every one has settled back into their desk chairs (at home, or I'm presuming at work!!) and...
...our local ABC affiliate got in on the story during tonight's 6 o'clock newscast; though, I'm not so sure about the "cool and secured cellar" comment.
...Don Russell/Joe Sixpack has done some more of the investigative work that he's good at.
...Lew Bryson's blog about the inner- and never-workings of the PLCB and the associated posting on this topic has mushroomed to over 20 comments while...
...Jack Curtin's site seems to be the place to be heard. As of this afternoon, he's logged over 50 responses to his initial posting...including weigh-ins from Nancy Barton, Mark Haynie, Chris LaPierre, Leigh Maida, Steve Mashington, and Jeff Miller.
...and my posting from yesterday has accumulated a handful of quality comments.
...According to the Facebook event status for tonight's Exit 16 release party at McGillin's, it has been cancelled due to an abundance of caution.
The conversation is really rolling now; let's not let go of this. Unlike the evening news, I suspect that we'll be tracking this one for quite some time.
...our local ABC affiliate got in on the story during tonight's 6 o'clock newscast; though, I'm not so sure about the "cool and secured cellar" comment.
...Don Russell/Joe Sixpack has done some more of the investigative work that he's good at.
...Lew Bryson's blog about the inner- and never-workings of the PLCB and the associated posting on this topic has mushroomed to over 20 comments while...
...Jack Curtin's site seems to be the place to be heard. As of this afternoon, he's logged over 50 responses to his initial posting...including weigh-ins from Nancy Barton, Mark Haynie, Chris LaPierre, Leigh Maida, Steve Mashington, and Jeff Miller.
...and my posting from yesterday has accumulated a handful of quality comments.
...According to the Facebook event status for tonight's Exit 16 release party at McGillin's, it has been cancelled due to an abundance of caution.
The conversation is really rolling now; let's not let go of this. Unlike the evening news, I suspect that we'll be tracking this one for quite some time.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Shut up about your Pliny the Younger*
Well, Sunday morning is not as easy as I thought it might be here today. I'd caught wind of a still-unfolding story involving the city's Memphis Taproom, Local 44, and Resurrection Ale House beer bars at the beginning of this weekend. I thought "wow" at the time and wondered how big this might get.
I won't go as far as to say I saw this coming, but I saw something like this coming. Things have been relatively quiet, peaceful, and amicable for sometime now. It was only a matter of time as more consumers, retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers are vying for what they see as a piece of the lucrative pie that is non-industrial/macro beer.
Add to this gnawing feeling the growing awe and angst that I've felt around all of these ridiculously hyped beers...HopSlam, Pliny the Younger are just two beers that we could start the conversation with. Lest I sound like a hypocrite, if you read here closely enough you likely know that I have a case of Monk's Blood, of Nugget Nectar, a six-pack of HopSlam, and bottles of Consecration in my personal inventory. I like drinking the interesting stuff as much as anyone, but I will refuse to throw elbows for it...now, more than ever.
With all of this in mind, I'd been tossing around, for the past few weeks, the formulation of an article themed around the idea that the percentage of good guys (and ladies of course) in the work of "craft" beer has been dwindling. Not rapidly, mind you. And dwindling more at a glacial pace, and not the kind of global warming glacial pace, but I think you see what I mean. Don't get me wrong, there are still way, way more good guys at all levels of the business, but with more hands reaching for more money, something's bound to give.
From my first-hand (and sometimes first-and-a-half hand) experience and anecdotal evidence, Consumers want more beer...and the more rare, the more "exotic", the more we want it, right? From the other end, experienced talented Brewers/Suppliers and up-and-coming Brewers/Suppliers are battling to make beers that are the most interesting and demanded by the Consumers. And, they are making products that Consumers have never even dreamed they might want or like. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.
But, in the frenzy to raise revenues and get their products out to and seen by an ever-widening and growing market of beer drinkers, Suppliers use Distributors to get their product to the Consumers. Wrapped around all of this is The Law. The Law written by legislators, overseen by an agency, and policed by a badge and gun. Most of whom I would challenge in their understanding, particularly, of the wide world of beer as we know it in regions like Philadelphia.
So how did this debacle at Memphis Taproom/Local 44/Resurrection Ale House get to this point? Only a few know 100% for certain. Some of the conjecture floating around attempts to center the discussion solely on Pliny the Younger and the inability for some to get it on their tap handles while the MT-44-RAH family of bars apparently have three. Fair? Unfair? I suppose that comes down to whether you like Brendan, Leigh, and what they are doing and have accomplished...or not.
And while I have a hard time getting my head around someone "ratting out" these folks for a keg or two of PtY, it may well have been the tipping point. Seriously? Would you risk your reputation on a $300 keg (or whatever PtY is costing bars nowadays)? Is the future of your bar really dependent upon getting a keg of PtY for a couple of hours? Is the hassle really worth it? I'm hearing more from folks on the retail end of things that the hassle of such things is getting less and less worth it....more on that to come.
What I'm increasingly more convinced of comes down to more of a conversation about envy. Jealousy of what these two have accomplished in a remarkable amount of time. (in case it's important to you, I should point out that I do not have a personal relationship with either Brendan or Leigh...simply a friendly professional one as a result of what I do here at The Brew Lounge.)
If you're the type of bar owner, though, that would do such a thing (and, yes, I'm going out on a limb without solid proof, that this was the anonymous tipster workings of a competing bar owner) then you fall into the category that I described earlier as a growing, albeit minority, people who do not have the best interests of the industry at heart. Are you not getting the beer geek cred/hype that you think you deserve? Then, I'd venture to suggest that you're not doing your job year-round to earn this. Getting a keg of PtY does not earn you a year-round reputation as a destination beer geek bar. And, do you really want the beer geeks? You know they can't sustain you year-round, right? You want a solid, diverse crowd. Once again, to risk completely alienating the beer geek crowd that you think you may want over a keg of PtY seems utterly foolish. That's why I'll continue to bring this back to a more personal and jealous angle of how/why this story is continuing to unfold.
Oh, The Law, in this case? Ha, I barely touched on their involvement in this. But, our friend Lew Bryson has done an admirable job of covering this area for quite some time now and has a well-construed synopsis of what has transpired this past week. Go and read it; it beats the heck of what I'm writing here.
The only two cents I would add on this topic, since I'm not sure it has been said letter for letter, is that before the PLCB and The Law go attempting to clean other's houses, they better make damn well sure that their's is first in order. That may be some interpretation of a parable, I'm not sure.
My point there is that I have never put 100% faith in what so many will adamantly point to as the website source for licensed brand registration in Pennsylvania. Is it what retailers and distributors should be able to point to with faith that the list is accurate?...sure! Even though there's a date at the top of the webpage, I've never put confidence that the fingers that type the entries on the list are getting it right on every line of roughly 3000 beers. Cynical? Perhaps. Reality in today's culture of less-than-concerned-with-100%-accuracy where all kids get a prize? Maybe.
From a Retailer's point-of-view, doing their homework, I believe, comes down to taking the PLCB's word (on their website) for what is registered and what is not. But, more importantly, working with the Distributor whose role it is to honor contracts as the prudent middleman between suppliers and retailers? At some point, retailers have to, I believe, fall back on what should be the distributor expertise in brand management for their market. Naive? Perhaps.
And, from the Supplier's perspective, it may sound like a lot to ask, particularly for smaller operations, but I firmly believe that breweries have to take responsibility for where their product winds up. I don't necessarily mean each retail account and the gray and black markets. Rather, I mean on a state-to-state, distributor-by-distributor, market-by-market basis. I believe that, once again as the market and brand "expert", the Distributors need to fill their role responsibly, but the brewery/Supplier needs to understand the State, its laws, etc. related to where their beer is sold. Thoroughly...inside and out. Sorry, it's just too important to neglect.
Finally, I urge you to become better versed in the distribution of alcohol. Don't take what I spill out here as anything close to gospel. I don't have the right answers and I surely have a lot to learn of my own. Though, I've yet to come across anyone who has all of the right answers and can speak definitively on these laws and the enforcement of them. There is way too much rumor-mongering and here-say taking place without much substantiation. This story is a complex one and one that deserves to be dealt with in fact and not supposition and half-truths.
Breathe....I said to myself that I would keep this to just a few paragraphs, but I had a difficult time sleeping last night and a lot becomes more clear during sleepless nights.
Agree? Disagree? I'm sure there are (and I have already been engaged in deep, lengthy, interesting, and thought-provoking discussions at Dock Street and TJs yesterday) many flavors of varied opinions on multiple sides of this complex story.
I don't know where this is all going, as I am surely no expert on the intricacies of beer distribution laws and politics. But, one can only wonder what this may portend for Philly Beer Week.
Oh, and maybe now's a good time to remind all to DRINK LOCAL...it's a bit less complicated.
* The title of this posting is loosely inspired by the well-formed title of a well-written blog: Shut Up About Barclay Perkins and can be construed in a few different ways as to what I really mean by it. And you could stand to be correct in each way.
I won't go as far as to say I saw this coming, but I saw something like this coming. Things have been relatively quiet, peaceful, and amicable for sometime now. It was only a matter of time as more consumers, retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers are vying for what they see as a piece of the lucrative pie that is non-industrial/macro beer.
Add to this gnawing feeling the growing awe and angst that I've felt around all of these ridiculously hyped beers...HopSlam, Pliny the Younger are just two beers that we could start the conversation with. Lest I sound like a hypocrite, if you read here closely enough you likely know that I have a case of Monk's Blood, of Nugget Nectar, a six-pack of HopSlam, and bottles of Consecration in my personal inventory. I like drinking the interesting stuff as much as anyone, but I will refuse to throw elbows for it...now, more than ever.
With all of this in mind, I'd been tossing around, for the past few weeks, the formulation of an article themed around the idea that the percentage of good guys (and ladies of course) in the work of "craft" beer has been dwindling. Not rapidly, mind you. And dwindling more at a glacial pace, and not the kind of global warming glacial pace, but I think you see what I mean. Don't get me wrong, there are still way, way more good guys at all levels of the business, but with more hands reaching for more money, something's bound to give.
From my first-hand (and sometimes first-and-a-half hand) experience and anecdotal evidence, Consumers want more beer...and the more rare, the more "exotic", the more we want it, right? From the other end, experienced talented Brewers/Suppliers and up-and-coming Brewers/Suppliers are battling to make beers that are the most interesting and demanded by the Consumers. And, they are making products that Consumers have never even dreamed they might want or like. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.
But, in the frenzy to raise revenues and get their products out to and seen by an ever-widening and growing market of beer drinkers, Suppliers use Distributors to get their product to the Consumers. Wrapped around all of this is The Law. The Law written by legislators, overseen by an agency, and policed by a badge and gun. Most of whom I would challenge in their understanding, particularly, of the wide world of beer as we know it in regions like Philadelphia.
So how did this debacle at Memphis Taproom/Local 44/Resurrection Ale House get to this point? Only a few know 100% for certain. Some of the conjecture floating around attempts to center the discussion solely on Pliny the Younger and the inability for some to get it on their tap handles while the MT-44-RAH family of bars apparently have three. Fair? Unfair? I suppose that comes down to whether you like Brendan, Leigh, and what they are doing and have accomplished...or not.
And while I have a hard time getting my head around someone "ratting out" these folks for a keg or two of PtY, it may well have been the tipping point. Seriously? Would you risk your reputation on a $300 keg (or whatever PtY is costing bars nowadays)? Is the future of your bar really dependent upon getting a keg of PtY for a couple of hours? Is the hassle really worth it? I'm hearing more from folks on the retail end of things that the hassle of such things is getting less and less worth it....more on that to come.
What I'm increasingly more convinced of comes down to more of a conversation about envy. Jealousy of what these two have accomplished in a remarkable amount of time. (in case it's important to you, I should point out that I do not have a personal relationship with either Brendan or Leigh...simply a friendly professional one as a result of what I do here at The Brew Lounge.)
If you're the type of bar owner, though, that would do such a thing (and, yes, I'm going out on a limb without solid proof, that this was the anonymous tipster workings of a competing bar owner) then you fall into the category that I described earlier as a growing, albeit minority, people who do not have the best interests of the industry at heart. Are you not getting the beer geek cred/hype that you think you deserve? Then, I'd venture to suggest that you're not doing your job year-round to earn this. Getting a keg of PtY does not earn you a year-round reputation as a destination beer geek bar. And, do you really want the beer geeks? You know they can't sustain you year-round, right? You want a solid, diverse crowd. Once again, to risk completely alienating the beer geek crowd that you think you may want over a keg of PtY seems utterly foolish. That's why I'll continue to bring this back to a more personal and jealous angle of how/why this story is continuing to unfold.
Oh, The Law, in this case? Ha, I barely touched on their involvement in this. But, our friend Lew Bryson has done an admirable job of covering this area for quite some time now and has a well-construed synopsis of what has transpired this past week. Go and read it; it beats the heck of what I'm writing here.
The only two cents I would add on this topic, since I'm not sure it has been said letter for letter, is that before the PLCB and The Law go attempting to clean other's houses, they better make damn well sure that their's is first in order. That may be some interpretation of a parable, I'm not sure.
My point there is that I have never put 100% faith in what so many will adamantly point to as the website source for licensed brand registration in Pennsylvania. Is it what retailers and distributors should be able to point to with faith that the list is accurate?...sure! Even though there's a date at the top of the webpage, I've never put confidence that the fingers that type the entries on the list are getting it right on every line of roughly 3000 beers. Cynical? Perhaps. Reality in today's culture of less-than-concerned-with-100%-accuracy where all kids get a prize? Maybe.
From a Retailer's point-of-view, doing their homework, I believe, comes down to taking the PLCB's word (on their website) for what is registered and what is not. But, more importantly, working with the Distributor whose role it is to honor contracts as the prudent middleman between suppliers and retailers? At some point, retailers have to, I believe, fall back on what should be the distributor expertise in brand management for their market. Naive? Perhaps.
And, from the Supplier's perspective, it may sound like a lot to ask, particularly for smaller operations, but I firmly believe that breweries have to take responsibility for where their product winds up. I don't necessarily mean each retail account and the gray and black markets. Rather, I mean on a state-to-state, distributor-by-distributor, market-by-market basis. I believe that, once again as the market and brand "expert", the Distributors need to fill their role responsibly, but the brewery/Supplier needs to understand the State, its laws, etc. related to where their beer is sold. Thoroughly...inside and out. Sorry, it's just too important to neglect.
Finally, I urge you to become better versed in the distribution of alcohol. Don't take what I spill out here as anything close to gospel. I don't have the right answers and I surely have a lot to learn of my own. Though, I've yet to come across anyone who has all of the right answers and can speak definitively on these laws and the enforcement of them. There is way too much rumor-mongering and here-say taking place without much substantiation. This story is a complex one and one that deserves to be dealt with in fact and not supposition and half-truths.
Breathe....I said to myself that I would keep this to just a few paragraphs, but I had a difficult time sleeping last night and a lot becomes more clear during sleepless nights.
Agree? Disagree? I'm sure there are (and I have already been engaged in deep, lengthy, interesting, and thought-provoking discussions at Dock Street and TJs yesterday) many flavors of varied opinions on multiple sides of this complex story.
I don't know where this is all going, as I am surely no expert on the intricacies of beer distribution laws and politics. But, one can only wonder what this may portend for Philly Beer Week.
Oh, and maybe now's a good time to remind all to DRINK LOCAL...it's a bit less complicated.
* The title of this posting is loosely inspired by the well-formed title of a well-written blog: Shut Up About Barclay Perkins and can be construed in a few different ways as to what I really mean by it. And you could stand to be correct in each way.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Breaking in the New Year 2010 with ease
After a great New Year's Eve in the neighborhood drinking a plethora (a plethora, you say?!) of great beverages from local craft brew to mulled wine to champagne to toasting with Firestone Walker's 10th Anniversary (holding up quite well after 3+ years) at Midnight, I looked to follow up with a back end of a doubleheader on New Year's Day.
After sleeping in and cleaning up around the house, we were off into Philly on the train a little later than expected. The quick trip down the old Pennsylvania Railroad was made much easier with my chosen hair of the dog, Monk's Blood from 21st Amendment. Yes, I splurged on a case of these cans ($55...not a typo) and they are worth every penny for this sipping pleasure. And, yet another place where cans are just a little bit more convenient than bottles---trains.
After strolling Broad Street a bit to take in some of the Mummery of the annual Philadelphia tradition called the Mummers Parade (it sounds so much better in person), we thought we might check out the kick off of McGillin's 150th Anniversary, well at least 2010's kickoff...since technically, the anniversary kickoff began mid-summer last year, 150 days prior to the anniversary date.
But, the scene was just way more than we were looking for. We've seen McGillin's during a St. Patrick's Day parade and this was much the same mess, complete with a police cruiser being sprayed with beer, while the officer sat inside. Yes, this also was not a typo.
We moved on across Broad Street to Monk's where the crowd was a bit thinner, a bit better behaved, and the suds a bit heftier and tastier. 19 Stouts and 1 Lambic is how Monk's promoted their New Year's Day. We saw a sub-chapter of the Usual Beer Crowd at Monk's before we moved across town and to the south to the H&H party (at the house of Hughes and Hatton, not Horn & Hardart, in case there was any confusion). Original Buddy held court for a while; I was not coerced, paid, or otherwise to call him Original Buddy.
We skipped out on the 2 Street Revelry, which as many of you know continues into the wee hours of January 2nd every year. We opted, as some of the others did, to do our part on the firkin and some dinner at Devil's Den. Yards was continuing their 10-day Blowout of Olde Bartholomew Barleywine firkins.
This was Day 2 and continues on through January 9th at the P.O.P.E. Check out their website to find some of this smooth and deceptively drinkable 10.3% brew out of the firkin. It'll be on CO2, of course, as well at many places in the city and 'burbs. But, the firkin is the one place that you should make an effort to have it from. In the coming days, you'll be hard-pressed to come up with an excuse not to.
I'd hoped to start 2010 the way I did 2009, with a trip to Local 44...only this year to celebrate their 1st Anniversary instead of their grand opening. With the amount of time we had already spent gallivanting the city, the amount of calories consumed, and a holiday season that was just about to put its final stake in us, we opted instead for the train back home. That only postpones my visit to congratulate them in person; the wishes are nonetheless the same.
Of course, that should mean one last T.U.D. at Bridgewater's Pub at 30th Street Station. That would not happen this time 'round, since they determined it was better to be closed on New Year's Day than put up with traveling mummer-ites.
In a year where (just a few changes listed here) the Brendan & Leigh family grew 300%, Sly Fox began the process of moving its home location, Victory significantly expanded the brewhouse footprint and capacity, and the beer scene witnessed the losses of Zot, the tiedhouse, and Maia, it leaves us wondering what surprises and disappointments 2010 has in store for us.
We moved on across Broad Street to Monk's where the crowd was a bit thinner, a bit better behaved, and the suds a bit heftier and tastier. 19 Stouts and 1 Lambic is how Monk's promoted their New Year's Day. We saw a sub-chapter of the Usual Beer Crowd at Monk's before we moved across town and to the south to the H&H party (at the house of Hughes and Hatton, not Horn & Hardart, in case there was any confusion). Original Buddy held court for a while; I was not coerced, paid, or otherwise to call him Original Buddy.
We skipped out on the 2 Street Revelry, which as many of you know continues into the wee hours of January 2nd every year. We opted, as some of the others did, to do our part on the firkin and some dinner at Devil's Den. Yards was continuing their 10-day Blowout of Olde Bartholomew Barleywine firkins.
This was Day 2 and continues on through January 9th at the P.O.P.E. Check out their website to find some of this smooth and deceptively drinkable 10.3% brew out of the firkin. It'll be on CO2, of course, as well at many places in the city and 'burbs. But, the firkin is the one place that you should make an effort to have it from. In the coming days, you'll be hard-pressed to come up with an excuse not to.
I'd hoped to start 2010 the way I did 2009, with a trip to Local 44...only this year to celebrate their 1st Anniversary instead of their grand opening. With the amount of time we had already spent gallivanting the city, the amount of calories consumed, and a holiday season that was just about to put its final stake in us, we opted instead for the train back home. That only postpones my visit to congratulate them in person; the wishes are nonetheless the same.
Of course, that should mean one last T.U.D. at Bridgewater's Pub at 30th Street Station. That would not happen this time 'round, since they determined it was better to be closed on New Year's Day than put up with traveling mummer-ites.
In a year where (just a few changes listed here) the Brendan & Leigh family grew 300%, Sly Fox began the process of moving its home location, Victory significantly expanded the brewhouse footprint and capacity, and the beer scene witnessed the losses of Zot, the tiedhouse, and Maia, it leaves us wondering what surprises and disappointments 2010 has in store for us.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Publicans of the Year coming soon to Resurrection Ale House
Okay, so I walk into Local 44 yesterday to watch Stage 1 of this year's Tour de France (you do know, right, that these are seriously some of the world's most fit athletes, right? and that it's a team sport, right? and there are spectacular crashes, right? so why don't more people care?....eh, never mind...)
Okay, so as I was saying, Brendan and Ashley opened the shop yesterday morning. After the most pleasant 27 minute ride down the Schuylkill Expressway (er, yeah, how many times are those words strung together in a sentence?!), I found myself as the first person at the bar.
I also found myself congratulating Brendan on his (and Leigh's) announcement of a third edition to their growing Philly beer family. Resurrection Ale House is what it will be called...Yello'bar in Grays Ferry is the now-shuttered business in the location where it will be come the fall of '09. Corner of Grays Ferry Ave. and Catherine Street to be exact. An underserved area if I ever saw one.
It's been mentioned everywhere else, (yup, and here too) so I suppose I'm a little late to the game. But, I found myself saying to Brendan that even if they did nothing else this year, I'd put them up for Publicans of the Year.
Did I find out anything else new? Well, maybe, but things I can't tell. Brendan did mention that there will be 12 taps and 50 bottles, which does seem to substantiate comments you've read across those other links from above about how this third place of theirs will have more of a food-centric approach.
Then, I get home to do my rounds on the BeerNet and I find Kindly Mr. Curtin has already bestowed upon them the very same distinction. Ah, there are those big bucks at work again.
Ah well, I suppose that we really can't pile too many accolades upon Brendan and Leigh. After all, they in fact are very, very good at what they do. Where other places fail at doing trendy things or half-baked things, these two and their staffs do some very good things in a very consistently well manner.
Congrats and continued success to Brendan and Leigh, the staffs at Memphis Taproom, Local 44, and soon-to-be Resurrection Ale House. And, if you haven't yet been to the former two, uh...get going...now. You've missed out on some of the best local pub culture that Philly has to offer.
Oh, and by the way, the big draw yesterday seemed to be not only the Tour, but the keg of Racer X that put up on tap as well (the XP from Bear Republic on cask was also quite lovely). If you hanker for that sort of thing, fret not, another keg of Racer X will go on tap July 26th, the last day of the Tour de France when it heads down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. But, don't wait until then to check out one of the world's finest sporting events.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Very Good Holiday Weekend in Philadelphia
I guess you could say the Memorial Day Weekend started for me on Thursday night at Victory. It was my first run-in with their German-themed night, Follow the Liter. The night was replete with a Strongman competition, a special menu, and an abundance of typically good beers.
We rolled in too late to catch any of the competitive theatrics, but that didn't stop us from finding some friends to share a booth with and getting down to business.
The food menu certainly accentuated the talents of the kitchen staff like I don't believe I've ever previously tasted. Save for the change in the preparation of dried leeks in the Thrice Fries (please say this was a one-time anomaly)...the Pine Nut & Goat Cheese-stuffed tomato, the "German" pretzel, and the Schweinshauxe made for an unforgettable night of grub and grog. Meeting up with friends made it even better.
How's by beer? The beers made for this year's CBC in Boston made an appearance and several may still be on line. I dipped twice into the Saphir Pils, once with food once without. Either way, this is one mighty fine brew. So was the Abbey 6, consistently good as in the past, and it made its way home with us for some Friday night tippling by the firepit. (The Herkules and Hallertau were also sure-fires.)
Friday night after work was all about the firepit. Abbey 6, then moved on to some of the unfiltered Double Simcoe from Weyerbacher that certain people wish me to bring along to a certain weekly meetup. Hm, let's see if there's any bottles remaining in my cardboard box.
Saturday was a day long grind of house and yard work. These things, though, must be done to get just rewards at night time. Rewarded we were in an easy-breezy trip down the Schuylkill Expressway (how often do you hear those words uttered?). We obviously weren't winning the Powerball on Saturday night, because after making a trip from Malvern to 44th/Spruce streets in 34 minutes (those not familiar with the Philly region don't realize how near impossible that feat is in reality), we then scored a parking space 4 spots away from the front door of Local 44.
Then inside, customers lined the bar, save for two seats...obviously with our name on them. Food bites came out in short order as did a few beers. The Reuben Fritters were stuffed with a bit too mushy of a filling for my liking. I would have preferred the reuben ingredients to be more identifiable in their taste and texture. What did hit the mark perfectly, though, was the shrimp tacos. Three shrimp each stuffed inside of three soft taco shells, spiced generously and lined with a bit of citrus lime flavor, made for the perfect starter for the night and accompaniment for the beer.
The beers in question for me on this Locals Only weekend at Local 44 were Iron Hill's Eddy, Philadelphia Brewing's Fleur de Lehigh, and Victory's Bags Packed Porter on the handpump. These are not among your usual suspects on taps around town. That's why, for the 4th time in the past three weeks or so, I made it an urgency to get an Eddy to kick off the night. Solid, but not overwhelming Brett character, a good...very good....drinker...for those uninitiated.
The Fleur de Lehigh is such a herbaceously wonderful and refreshing beer that I hope to see this on as much of a regular basis as their capacity and ingredients supply will allow. It paired up nicely with the shrimp tacos.
The Bags Packed Porter. I wondered if this has ever made it out of Chester County up until this point? This brew is new(er) since the brewery's expansion and pub's renovations last year. Either way, this solid porter with obvious java influence (and so smooth from the cask) was a nice way to finish out the session at Local 44.
Then, it was another quick jaunt down the Schuylkill Expressway to South Philly Tap Room. Again, something/one was smiling upon us as we scored another primo parking spot...walked in and planted ourselves at the "head table" in the front corner of the bar. Plenty of room, perfect for people watching...could the night get any better?
We stopped in for the unveiling of Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. If I understood correctly, this was the beer's debut in Pennsylvania, but we were not necessarily the first...understandably. But, SPTR is special in their relationship with Founders, and the availability of this brew in PA will be quite limited.
I'd seek it out if I were you. It's their Breakfast Stout aged in a maple syrup barrel. As much as that may sound like a turnoff to some of you, listen up. It carries a light aroma of syrup-y sweetness, though it all but disappears in the taste, where the expected rich Breakfast Stout flavors come to the forefront. A nice experience indeed.
(I trust anyone with more correct information than I've put forth will feel free to offer it up in the comments below.)
The one for the road had to be the Russian River Damnation. Well, it didn't have to be, but it was...and it was good. And a 32 minute drive home from South Philly was awaiting us to end a very, very good night of keeping it local in Philly. Ah, the food? Maybe not the perfect pairing, but when at SPTR, the Wild Boar Tacos are not to be overlooked.
Oh, and yes, SPTR's spinoff "Brew" down the street is open, sans beer for the time being. But, grab a coffee and some compost to go. It'd be the right thing to do and your tomato and pepper plants will thank you for it.
Sunday was a bit quieter on the beer front as I had some serious painting to do in our under-construction sunroom. That was enough to knock me out until Monday, when I indulged in some Buckbean Brewing Company beers (from Reno, NV). More later on those beers.
If I began the weekend a day early, perhaps I can say I ended it a day late. After a haircut last night not far from Teresa's Next Door, I figured it'd only be proper to stop in and relieve them of a Pliny the Elder...or two. Cuz that's the kind of guy that I am. Uh, er, okay...scratch that. A Longshot (Cranberry Wit) from Boston Beer Co. with dinner instead. But, that shouldn't stop you from stopping in at TND and having one of them there Plinies, cuz that's the kind of person you are.
Hope your weekend was as enjoyable.
The food menu certainly accentuated the talents of the kitchen staff like I don't believe I've ever previously tasted. Save for the change in the preparation of dried leeks in the Thrice Fries (please say this was a one-time anomaly)...the Pine Nut & Goat Cheese-stuffed tomato, the "German" pretzel, and the Schweinshauxe made for an unforgettable night of grub and grog. Meeting up with friends made it even better.
How's by beer? The beers made for this year's CBC in Boston made an appearance and several may still be on line. I dipped twice into the Saphir Pils, once with food once without. Either way, this is one mighty fine brew. So was the Abbey 6, consistently good as in the past, and it made its way home with us for some Friday night tippling by the firepit. (The Herkules and Hallertau were also sure-fires.)
Friday night after work was all about the firepit. Abbey 6, then moved on to some of the unfiltered Double Simcoe from Weyerbacher that certain people wish me to bring along to a certain weekly meetup. Hm, let's see if there's any bottles remaining in my cardboard box.
Saturday was a day long grind of house and yard work. These things, though, must be done to get just rewards at night time. Rewarded we were in an easy-breezy trip down the Schuylkill Expressway (how often do you hear those words uttered?). We obviously weren't winning the Powerball on Saturday night, because after making a trip from Malvern to 44th/Spruce streets in 34 minutes (those not familiar with the Philly region don't realize how near impossible that feat is in reality), we then scored a parking space 4 spots away from the front door of Local 44.
Then inside, customers lined the bar, save for two seats...obviously with our name on them. Food bites came out in short order as did a few beers. The Reuben Fritters were stuffed with a bit too mushy of a filling for my liking. I would have preferred the reuben ingredients to be more identifiable in their taste and texture. What did hit the mark perfectly, though, was the shrimp tacos. Three shrimp each stuffed inside of three soft taco shells, spiced generously and lined with a bit of citrus lime flavor, made for the perfect starter for the night and accompaniment for the beer.
The beers in question for me on this Locals Only weekend at Local 44 were Iron Hill's Eddy, Philadelphia Brewing's Fleur de Lehigh, and Victory's Bags Packed Porter on the handpump. These are not among your usual suspects on taps around town. That's why, for the 4th time in the past three weeks or so, I made it an urgency to get an Eddy to kick off the night. Solid, but not overwhelming Brett character, a good...very good....drinker...for those uninitiated.
The Fleur de Lehigh is such a herbaceously wonderful and refreshing beer that I hope to see this on as much of a regular basis as their capacity and ingredients supply will allow. It paired up nicely with the shrimp tacos.
The Bags Packed Porter. I wondered if this has ever made it out of Chester County up until this point? This brew is new(er) since the brewery's expansion and pub's renovations last year. Either way, this solid porter with obvious java influence (and so smooth from the cask) was a nice way to finish out the session at Local 44.
Then, it was another quick jaunt down the Schuylkill Expressway to South Philly Tap Room. Again, something/one was smiling upon us as we scored another primo parking spot...walked in and planted ourselves at the "head table" in the front corner of the bar. Plenty of room, perfect for people watching...could the night get any better?
We stopped in for the unveiling of Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. If I understood correctly, this was the beer's debut in Pennsylvania, but we were not necessarily the first...understandably. But, SPTR is special in their relationship with Founders, and the availability of this brew in PA will be quite limited.
I'd seek it out if I were you. It's their Breakfast Stout aged in a maple syrup barrel. As much as that may sound like a turnoff to some of you, listen up. It carries a light aroma of syrup-y sweetness, though it all but disappears in the taste, where the expected rich Breakfast Stout flavors come to the forefront. A nice experience indeed.
(I trust anyone with more correct information than I've put forth will feel free to offer it up in the comments below.)
The one for the road had to be the Russian River Damnation. Well, it didn't have to be, but it was...and it was good. And a 32 minute drive home from South Philly was awaiting us to end a very, very good night of keeping it local in Philly. Ah, the food? Maybe not the perfect pairing, but when at SPTR, the Wild Boar Tacos are not to be overlooked.
Oh, and yes, SPTR's spinoff "Brew" down the street is open, sans beer for the time being. But, grab a coffee and some compost to go. It'd be the right thing to do and your tomato and pepper plants will thank you for it.
Sunday was a bit quieter on the beer front as I had some serious painting to do in our under-construction sunroom. That was enough to knock me out until Monday, when I indulged in some Buckbean Brewing Company beers (from Reno, NV). More later on those beers.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Support the Local Economy, Drink Local
Who needs the aggrevation of the Turnpike or the Parkway, the Bridges or the Tolls when you can stay local and drink local in Philly this weekend. The edge of the University City neighborhood to be exact...at Local 44.
You know 'em, You love 'em...it's Brendan, Leigh, and a cast of thousands of beers and their fanatics. Stop in, stay for an hour or stay for the day. If the weather cooperates, the windows will be open and you'll have a hard time leaving. Doesn't matter, you can rinse and repeat and do it all again on Sunday and Monday.
I've been assured that you don't have to be a local from the neighborhood to be welcome at this Locals Only Event. Stay up-to-date with the evolving tap list at their website. Cheers...
Here's what their website is currently showing.
Appalachian
~ Broad Street Barleywine
Dogfish Head
~ 60 Minute Pale Ale
~ Festina Peche
~ Shelter Pale Ale
Flying Fish
~ Abbey Double
~ Farmhouse Ale
~ ESB
~ Extra Pale Ale
General Lafayette
~ Economizer
~ Pacific Pale Ale
Iron Hill
~ Heywood Eddy
Lancaster
~ Milk Stout
Legacy
~ Euphoria
~ Hedonism
~ Hoptimus Prime
Manayunk
~ Whistle Whetting Wheat
Roy Pitz
~ Watermelon Summer Lager
Sly Fox
~ Abbey Dubbel
~ Ichor
~ Maibock
~ Panacea Barleywine
~ Prometheus
~ Seamus
~ SlackerBock
Stegmaier
~ Summer White
Stoudt's
~ Kölsch
~ Fat Dog Stout
~ Double IPA
~ Belgian Triple
Tröegs
~ Mad Elf
~ Trogenator
~ Sunshine Pils
Victory
~ 10 Year Alt
~ Mad King Weisse
~ Rauch Porter
~ St. Boisterous
~ Sunrise Weisse
Weyerbacher
~ Blanche
~ Muse
~ Double Simcoe IPA
Yards
~ Smoked Polish Wheat
Cask-Conditioned Beer
Sly Fox
~ Placebo
Victory
~ Uncle Teddy's Bitter
~ Bags Packed Porter
Yards
~ General Washington Tavern Porter
Friday, January 02, 2009
Local 44 provides Holiday Benefits
What a perfect evening to make the trek from 30th Street Station to 44th and Spruce, home of the new Local 44. It was a crisp and quiet night in the city; well, maybe not anywhere a Mummer could be spotted.
Brendan and Leigh (of Memphis Taproom fame, if you haven't been around for the past year or so) wasted no time in getting the new year off to a roaring great start. On our return Amtrak train trip from our NYC neighborhood-hopping New Year's Eve trip (much more on that later), I jumped off the train (after it stopped) in Philly and Patty (yes, I'm outting her here...sorry hon) continued on home.
Walking from 30th Street Station to 44th and Spruce with my brisk pace and six foot two frame's accompanying legs got me to Local 44's front door in around 20 minutes. A more "average" pace could get you there around 25-30 minutes. On the other hand, a cab return that I took to 30th Street Station cost between $7-$8, before tip, and took approx. 5 minutes. Other easy ways of getting to Local 44 from Center City include the 42 bus (through Center City on Chestnut and Walnut streets) which will drop you less than 15 feet from the front door on Spruce Street and the 34 trolley (connecting the Convention Center to West Philly) which drops you two blocks away over on Baltimore Avenue and continues on to Dock Street's front door as well..
Lew Bryson has already said much of what I would have said about my visit last night...which proves a good consistent theme. I'll ask you to jump over and check out his capsule on the evening. Funny how even our pictures are almost identical as well. So it appears that he and I were two passing beer vessels in the night as I left just before 7pm.
He didn't mention how many familiar beer faces that he saw. When I arrived, I immediately recognized our friend in cask, Kevin...familiar beer hound Bill...and Tom Kehoe from Yards. Other than that, nary a familiar face. Not even the kind of familiarity like "oh yeah, I recognize that guy/gal...they're at all the festivals."
That's what, to me, will make Local 44 successful. While I have no doubt there were a few BAs, RBs, and other assorted usual beer geeks/lovers in attendance, this appeared to be a crowd of locals who came out to support the grand opening of their new neighbor. A crowd is putting it mildly; the joint was packed while I was there from 5:30pm-7pm. And, that's pretty refreshing.
Oh, and for the record...you see the tap list in one of my pictures. I started with the Brawler from Yards on cask (I'll need to have a couple more run-ins with this beer to give a better opinion of yet, i.e. not sold yet), followed with a Victory Hop Wallop (a beer that lives and loves so well on cask!), and finished with one last hop blast---one of my favorite IPAs in the land, Russian River's Blind Pig.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Grab a Beer and Enjoy New Year's Eve 2008/2009
NEWLY ADDED (12/30): 21st Amendment; Barcade; Beer Table; Birreria Paradiso (both locations); Boston Beer Works (Fenway); Captain Lawrence Brewing; Church Brew Works; D.B.A. (Manhattan); Duclaw Brewing (all locations); Fat Heads; Father's Office (both locations); Firewaters (Concord); Half Moon Saloon; High Street Grill; Hop Devil Grill; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Rivertowne Pour House (Monroeville); Rock Bottom (King of Prussian); Spuyten Duyvil; Teresa's Next Door; The Brewer's Art; The Publick House; Union Jack's on the Manatawny
NEWLY ADDED (12/29): Bridgewater's Pub; Cosimo; Dawson Street Pub; Dock Street Brewing; Earth Bread + Brewery; For Pete's Sake; Mad Mex (Philly); Maia; Prohibition Taproom; Quotations; Sugar Mom's; The Institute; Yards Brewing; Zot
NEWLY ADDED (12/26): Brick Store Pub; Flying Pig Saloon
NEWLY ADDED (12/24): Alison Two; America Bar & Grille; Barley Creek; Brickside Grille; Capone's; City Beer Store; David Copperfield's; Ebenezer's Pub; Fergie's; Grace Tavern; Gullifty's; Heartland Brewery (all locations); Isaac Newton's; Jose Pistolas; Lancaster Brewing; McMenamin's (Philly); Nodding Head; Otto's; Rattle 'n' Hum; Spring Street Lounge; Stewart's Brewing; Ten Stone; The Drafting Room (both locations); The Foodery (both locations); The Gate; The Map Room; Tria (both locations); Trinity Brewhouse; Union Barrel Works; Zum Schneider
NEWLY ADDED (12/23): Allentown Brew Works; Bethelehem Brew Works; Philadelphia Brewing; Russian River Brewing; Stoudt's; The Khyber; Triumph Brewing (Philly)
NEWLY ADDED (12/21): Exton Beverage; Ginger Man (NYC); Goshen Beverage; Jack's Firehouse; Johnny Brenda's; London Grill; McGillin's; Michael's Deli; The Tiedhouse; The Belgian Café
NEWLY ADDED (12/20): Ale Asylum; Brugge Brasserie; City Steam; Hop Leaf; Memphis Taproom; Riverstone Café; Sly Fox; Standard Tap; The Brazen Head; Willimantic Brewing
Say what you will; it's not only "amateurs" that go out on New Year's Eve. Plenty of responsible revelers are going out on the last night of the year and looking for good food, good drink, and great times.
My listing of various places around the country and their events was one of the most sought after postings last year at this time. Obviously, people are looking for things to do at this time of year; they're not looking for esoteric readings ;-)
You want to go out this year? I say find a good beer establishment and be of good cheer. And be safe along the way.
Here is a rundown of places where you can find a decent brew on New Year's Eve, starting here in Philly's Delaware Valley spreading out as far away as the Pacific NW. I've only just begun with what's listed here. Over the next several days, I'm sure to be adding to the list. If you know of something interesting going on in the world of good beer to usher in 2009, let all of us know by dropping a note below.
Philadelphia
Bridgewater's Pub - Kitchen open until around 4pm; bar closing around 6pm
Bridgid's - 8pm-2am; includes all drafts, some bottled beer, call liquor, giveaways, food buffet, and champagne toast at midnight; $80/pp; call restaurant for tickets
Dawson Street Pub - Open for Business As Usual with live music; no cover
Dock Street Brewery - 8pm closing time
Earth Bread + Brewery - Our kitchen will be open to 11pm and late night snacks will be on the bar until closing (1am). There'll be a sneak peak of our newest beer De Raine Pore to welcome the new year.
Fergie's Pub - Open for Business As Usual
For Pete's Sake Pub - Open for Business As Usual with some drink specials
Grace's Tavern - Open for Business As Usual
Grey Lodge Pub - Ring in the New Years at our gala Brew Years Eve Party . For just $60, you get beverages, lots of tasty special food, hats, and noisemakers from 8:30pm to 1am.
Jack's Firehouse - Ring In New Years At Jack's With All Of Your Friends With An Open Premium Bar To 1am And A DJ And Dancing Until 2am. We Start At 9pm. Tickets - $60 Per Person. It's A Great Party - Get 20 Of Your Friends To Come Over. We Only Sell 150 Tickets Which Makes Jack's Really Festive - But Not Overly Packed.
José Pistolas - Open for Business As Usual
Johnny Brenda's - Upstairs Just $5! Cheap funtimes!!!! Downstairs: Dress Up and Make-out! No cover
London Grill - 5pm-11pm; Regular Menu And $45 Fixed Price Menu Available $80.00 with 4 wine pairings Also...party favors, free champagne at midnight and Times Square on HD TV; Earlybird Kid's Menu; Bar Snacks till midnight
Mad Mex (University City) - Special $35 Dinner for 2 (one appetizer, two entrées, one dessert, and two glasses of champagne); 1/2 price happy hour as usual and "big-azz" margaritas all day
Manayunk Brewery - Join us Wednesday, December 31st for a premium 4 hour open bar from 8pm to 12am, heavy hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast at midnight, live music by Pub Rally downstairs, live DJ upstairs, party favors and more! Tickets are $90.
McGillin's - McGillin's is the place to SING in the New Year with karaoke, party favors and more! $5 cover.
McMenamin's - No food, but champagne toast, music, and dancing...no cover
Memphis Taproom - Our chef is putting to gether some spectacular New Years Eve dinner specials, including Beer-Battered Caviar, Oyster Stew and Surf & Turf, AND we'll ring in the new year with a Cantillon toast at midnight! No reservations are necessary. Stay late or come early the next morning for New Years day! We'll be serving BRUNCH (and nursing hangovers) from 11am-3pm
Monk's Café - The late seating (9:30pm) will be a six course extravaganza. Tom will pull out a couple of gems from his basement collection of aged beers. Some very special beers will be served. Our crack kitchen crew will create a feast to pair with these amazing beers. Of course, we will have a midnight toast with Malhuer Brut. Hats & noisemakers for everyone. The early seating (6:30pm) will be a four-course (and 5 beers or wines) dinner.
Nodding Head - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a champagne toast.
Philadelphia Brewing - Open for beer sales 9am-1pm.
Prohibition Taproom - $55; 8pm to 12 Midnight; open bar and a champagne toast.
South Philadelphia Tap Room - Open for Business as Usual until 2am; join the SPTR for early morning reveling on New Year's Day and the Mummer's Parade
Standard Tap - A firkin of Yards and specially-priced Golden Monkey and Mad Elf...DJ, too
Sugar Mom's - Open for Business As Usual from 8pm-2am; Free Sandwiches plus $25 bottles of champagne; no cover
Ten Stone - Closed for a Private Party
The Belgian Café - 4 course dinner and beer/wine pairing: -first seating 6:30PM, $55, --- second seating 10PM, $75 ---(vegetarian menu also available) --- call 215-235-3500 for reservations
The Foodery (2nd/Poplar) - Open for Business As Usual until 12 Midnight
The Foodery (10th/Pine) - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm (or later, depending upon business)
The Institute - No cover; $3 Walt Wit plus many other craft beer specials during the night; Wii Booths are NOW OPEN! Normally $15 per booth on New Year's Eve will be $20 per booth and cost includes a pitcher of either PBR or Yuengling.
The Khyber - Come Celebrate With The Khyber As We Usher In The New Year Start 2009 Off With Your Old Friend The Khyber. With Help From No Tight Pants; DJ Lexx; DJ R'N'G Moshpit Rainbow; DJ Vertigo Headbanger; DJ Jesse Merlin Stakeout 9 pm; $10
The Tiedhouse - Join us for New Year's Eve 3-Course Prixe Fixe Dinner for $39.95!!! Add a paired beer flight for $10 Add a paired wine flight for $15
Tria (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a few menu specials
Triumph Brewery - Make your plans now and celebrate this year at Triumph with DJ Bizz and a four hour open bar from 9:30-1:30. Package includes beer, wine, house liquor and a champagne toast (sorry, no shots). Ticket price is $75. Bottle service will also be available in our VIP lounge. Hope to see you there.
White Dog Café - $60 per person plus tax and gratuity for late seating (after 8:30pm). A la carte early seating (6:00pm-7:45pm). Strolling Violin Duet Davis & Diane Barnett, 8:30pm - 12:00am Sing-Along Piano in the Piano Parlor, 9:00pm - 2:00am Dancing to Oldies, 12:00am to 2:00am
Yard's Brewing - Will likely be out of beer by 12/31 and no one will be at the brewery after 5pm on New Year's Eve; but stop by 12/29 or 12/30 to buy some ESA or whatever's left of currrent inventory
Zot - $45 & $65 priced dinners for 6:30pm & 9:30pm seatings, respectively. Beer Tasting Menu available as well. Otherwise open for Business As Usual.
Philadelphia Metro
Alison Two - $75 seating 5pm-7pm; $85 seating after 7pm
America Bar & Grill - Open for Business As Usual with 10pm last dinner seating; probably some form of entertainment until closing; no cover
Brickside Grille - Come join in the fun New Year's Eve. Make a reservation for dinner or stop in for live music with "Lord Jive" starting at 10:00 p.m. Free champagne toast at midnight, party favors; plus a free chocolate fountain all night long.
Capone's Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm; bottleshop until 12 Midnight
Cosimo Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual with a special dinner menu
Exton Beverage - 9pm closing time
Firewaters (Concord) - $199/couple package deal includes hotel room, buffet (9pm-11pm), open bar (9pm-12:30am), DJ, and party favors)
Flying Pig Saloon - Open for Business As Usual
General Lafayette - 6pm and 9pm seatings for a 3-Course Prix Fixe; $44.95 per person; Call 610-941-0600 for Reservations. Salad/Appetizer, Entree, Dessert, Champagne Toast Add a flight of specially selected paired wine for $15 Add a flight of brewmaster paired beer for $12
Goshen Beverage - 9pm closing time
Gullifty's - 9pm closing time
High Street Grill - Open for Business As Usual with a New Year's Eve Special Menu.
Isaac Newton's - 9pm closing time
Maia - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast at Midnight
McKenzie Brew House - 4 Hour Premium Open Bar, Stellar Buffet, Hotel Packages Available, $55 in advance / $65 at door. Call 610-296-2222 for Details.
Michael's Deli - 9pm closing time
Quotations Pub - Open for Business As Usual
Riverstone Café - Special Menu examples include Elk Tenderloin, Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Salad, Southwest Buffalo Filet, Brined Crispy Calamari, Butter Poached Lobster, Miso Shrimp Cocktail Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight Beer selections include from the following, among others, Victory, Piraat, Samuel Smith, Chimay, Unibroue, Magic Hat, Samuel Adams, Hoegaarden, Guinness, Young's, Rogue
Rock Bottom (King of Prussia) - Open for Business As Usual with kitchen hours 'til 10pm and bar 'til 2am.
Ron's Original - On New Year's Eve you can either prepay for $20 or pay at the door for $25 for a fabulous buffet plus two tickets each for your first drink (either house wine, draft beer or well drinks). SubLegend will be here to entertain you all night long as well as giveaways throughout the evening. You can park at the Comfort Suites, call Ron's and we will have a shuttle come pick you up. At then end of the night, the bus will take you back to the hotel and you can let Comfort Suites know you came from Ron's and they will give you a SPECIAL DISCOUNTED rate for the evening! Call Ron's and ask to speak to a manager or just Nardo and we will be happy to help you plan this evening!
Sly Fox - Royersford location closes at 3pm; Phoenixville kitchen closes at 9pm, bar at 10pm
Teresa's Next Door - Open for Business As Usual.
The Drafting Room (Exton) - Open for Business As Usual
The Drafting Room (Spring House) - 3 course beer dinner from 4:30pm-10:00pm on New Years Eve. Your choice of 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 desserts for $35.00. Beers include Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, East End Monkey Boy, Brooklyn Savior Faire, Ommegang Witte, Wintercoat Vildmoseol, and Allagash Grand Cru. The full dinner menu is available as well. Then stick around to ring in 2009! There will be live roots, rock, and reggae from the fantastic local band "The Mighty Manatees" beginning at 10pm. Special tappings of North Coast La Merle and North Coast Old Stock 2007 @ midnight and a complimentary toasting of a Methusula of Duvel. There is no cover for this event. Ring the New Year in in style!
TJs - Kitchen closes at 9pm; Bar closes at 10pm
Victory - 11:30am-6:00pm (Bar with a limited menu and Retail Shop only)
Other PA/NJ/DE
Allentown Brew Works - Join us in HIGH GrAvitY for our New Year’s Eve GAY-la! HIGH GrAvitY at Allentown Brew Works “Happy Trails Are Here Again” High Powered Dance Music, Champagne Toast, Balloon Drop, Continental Breakfast and VIP Bottle Service DJ starts at 10:00pm ; NO COVER!! 21 & over only Also… (for our straight guests) at the Main Bar… Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast
Appalachian Brewing/Harrisburg - Doors Open at 6:45pm for our awesome NYE bash! Tickets include dinner buffet from 7-10pm (salad station, Andouille sausage stuffed chicken breast, roast pork loin with apple walnut stuffing, baked haddock w/crab imperial, jambalaya, Prime Rib carving station, dessert station), 2 ABC draft pints, and a champagne toast at midnight with party favors.
Barley Creek Brewing - We're ringing in 2009 with a reservations-are-a-must-dinner in our Onyx Bar room that will be limited to 90 people and closed off to everyone else. Reservations are brisk so don't get shut out. Here are the details: Hors d'ouvres: 7:00pm-8:00pm; dinner: 8:00pm-9:30pm; carving station, buffet extravaganza, party favors, live music with Joe O'Malley, a midnight buffet and a cash bar. Make your dinner reservations ($29.95) now by sending an email to catering@barleycreek.com.
Bethlehem Brew Works - Join us on New Year’s Eve 2009 and celebrate the New Year! Featuring: -DJ Soulja in the Steelgaarden from 10pm-2am -Midnight Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast -Bottle Service -Drink specials and giveaways with Skyy, Bacardi and Grey Goose. NO Cover Charge! 21 & over only Bethlehem Brew Works “New Year’s Eve Black Party” - dress in your most impressive black attire.
Bube's Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner served in Alois, the Bottling Works, and the Catacombs (reserve early!). New Year's Eve Party in the Bottling Works with DJ Kerry-come dance! Dine here and admission to the party is free! $5.00 cover gets non-diners into the party.
Bullfrog Brewery - 10pm-1am; $5 Cover Charge. A great high energy musical steamroller featuring Colin Beatty/Bass, Willi Ort/Guitar, & Shaun Gilmour/Drums, and Jimmy Lovcik/keyboards!
Church Brew Works - Open until around 1am; Two 3-course prix fixe menus, $32-$42; appetizer/soup-salad/entree; desserts are a la carte.
Dogfish Head - fun, food, festivities... and great beer! This year we're offering two seatings: 6pm at $65 per person 9pm at $85 per person (second seating includes a champagne toast at midnight and live music by Nate Meyers and The Aces). MENU Truffled Butternut Squash Soup - Paired with Punkin Ale Warm Lobster Salad - Paired with Midas Touch Seared Foie Gras and Lingonberry Jam on Brioche Toast - Paired with Vintage Black and Blue Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Tenderloin - Paired with Palo Santo Marron Brown Honey Tiramisu - Paired with Vintage World Wide Stout Make your reservations today by calling 302-226-BREW or e-mailing Karen@dogfish.com
Fat Heads - Closing time of 6pm for both restaurant and bottle shop
Half Moon Saloon - Open for Business As Usual with some special chef selections.
Lancaster Brewing - 9pm closing time
Otto's - Open for Business As Usual
Rivertowne Pour House (Monroeville) - $40/pp, $75/couple; 9pm-2am; Prime Rib dinner, open bar, champagne toast, DJ
Selin's Grove Brewing - Closed 12/24 & 12/25, 12/29/08- 1/1/09 Have a Great Holiday!!
Stewart's Brewing - Open for Business As Usual
Stoudt's - Call (717) 484-4387 for more details.
Union Barrel Works - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
Union Jack's on the Manatawny - Open for Business As Usual with live music and a Surprise Dinner Menu.
Zeno's - Zeno’s is pleased to have the Screaming Ducks for a New Year’s Eve bash. $5 American will do it. 10:30 'til close
Other Northeast
Barcade - Open for Business As Usual with a Top 200 Barcade Songs Countdown.
Beer Table - Open for Business As Usual until at least 1am with a special "Past", "Present", and "Future" beer (hint: the future beer is a new one hailing from Sixpoint
Blind Tiger Ale House - Blind Tiger’s New Year’s Extravaganza party will be from 9:00PM to 2:00AM and is limited to only 80 people - so we can maintain a comfortable atmosphere for all. The cost for each ticket will be $120.00 per person, which will include the following: All draught beers (with some very special selections) All cask beers (which includes a gravity keg and wood pin) All wines, sake and Prosecco A special Blind Tiger buffet (which will be replenished throughout the night), which will include: cheeses from Murray’s Chesse, fresh bread, seasonal green salad, an all white baked ziti, Swedish Meatballs, Italian Sausage and Peppers, and a fresh fruit salad. A New Year’s Prosecco Toast New Year’s Party Gear (silly hats and whatnot) And, as always - a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere To place a reservation, or if you have any questions, please contact us at Tigerale@msn.com, call 212-462-4682, or talk to your favorite Blind Tiger bartender.
Boston Beer Works (Fenway) - Open for Business As Usual.
Cambridge Brewing Co. - You get to stuff yourself to your hearts desire, imbibe 5 of the finest micro brews around, dig on the sounds of Cambridge's own Gypsy Schaeffer, be one of the first people to taste the 2008 Blunderbuss Barleywine and party your ass off! That's a value of $107! Add in the free gifts and That's a value of $150. Originally we were going to sell the tickets for $120. But after thinking it over, we wanted to give you a better deal. So we knocked it down to $100. We figured a 33% discount was quite generous.
Chelsea Brewing Company - **CANCELLED** 9pm-2am; $110/$150(VIP); DJ, Dancing, Hors d'oeuvres and Buffet with Open Bar; Special Celebration Brew & Champagne Toast at Midnight; Party Favors; Giveaways; Coat Check; Live Feed of Times Square Ball Drop VIP gets private room overlooking river with premium open bar and bottle of champagne for each group of two.
City Steam - Comedy; prix fixe menu; Countdown to New Year's event, and much more...see website for details
David Copperfield's - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
D.B.A. (Manhattan) - Ring in 2009 at d.b.a. w/Serrita, Dee, Kreaux, Jack & Ryan. Nigel will greet you @ the door (I.D. is a must for entry)w/ hats,& tiaras. Fruit, cheese, champagne at 12 Midnight, music, fun, and NO COVER! Open til 8am----so Bartenders, come on over after work!
Ebenezer's Pub - Open for Business As Usual
Ginger Man (NYC) - We will be offering tickets for $100 for open bar from 9pm - 2am including over 100 beers, call liquor, and wine. With a Chimay (or Champagne) toast at Midnight. We will be open for regular business from 11:30am - 2am.
Heartland Brewery (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual
Hop Devil Grill - Go to the Hop Devil Grill for a "Devilicious New Year's Eve Party"! What is different about this New Year's Eve event from others around the city? First, who has a better beer selection and better food? Nobody in New York City, or maybe event the country! Second, no, let me repeat that NO cover charge! No open bar. No crappy buffet. How much do you realistically expect to drink and eat, anyway? $150 of beer or drinks and food? Heck no. Pay as you go. Drink and eat what you like. Buy no tickets. Hop Devil Grill, and our adjoining lounge, is spacious! Room for you and all your friends. Get there early, though. Stay late too. Our new sound system will be pumping out the best new sounds, and watch the ball fall on our big screen TVs. At Midnight. Enjoy a champagne or beer toast as the balloons drop all around. Kiss your loved one. Meet a new loved one. Have a "Helluva Time!"
Rattle 'n' Hum - Open Bar 10pm-1am; food buffet; champagne toast; $100
Southampton Publick House - 5pm-10pm; 3 course dinner, $40/pp; diners get free entrance to party in the taproom, all others $10; DJ Dory, Party Favors, Midnight Champagne Toast
Spring Street Lounge - Open for Business As Usual
Spuyten Duyvil - Open for Business As Usual
The Brazen Head - Generous Champagne Toasts; Featuring The Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band from 9 PM to Midnight; No Cover - No Minimum
The Gate - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
The Publick House - Open for Business As Usual
Trinity Brewhouse - Open for Business As Usual
Willimantic Brewing - a Special Dinner menu, a DJ, party favors, and a midnight champagne toast. Don’t forget the Party in the Pub starting at 9PM. For more info call 860-423-6777.
Zum Schneider - Free party; Doors open at 9pm Included: DJ Volka Racho spinning your favorite party songs Karaoke: German and other hits Champagne toast at midnight Watch the Ball drop on the big screen On the menu: Special NY's Eve Menu Midnight soup Champagne bowl and homemade Glühwein (mulled wine)
Other United States
21st Amendment - Open for Business As Usual
Ale Asylum - Open for Business As Usual; perhaps special food and discounted beers from 10pm-close (still unplanned)
Birreria Paradiso (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual until 11pm
Brick Store Pub - Champagne toast at midnight & party favors. No better place to usher in the New Year than your neighborhood pub... See you there!
Brugge Brasserie - Open for Business As Usual
Captain Lawrence Brewing - We will be open from 2–5pm…….For Growler Fills Only!
City Beer Store - Closed
D.B.A. (New Orleans) - 11pm- $15; w/Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters
Duclaw (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual
Falling Rock Tap House - Come join us for New Year's Eve @ the Falling Rock, NO COVER as always & Complimentary Champagne toast & Midnite.
Father's Office (both locations) - Closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Hop Leaf - Open for Business As Usual
Magnolia Pub & Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner Extravaganza, $45 with beer pairings. Ronnie will be continuing our Wednesday beer dinner menus with his first one landing auspiciously on New Year's Eve. Here's the menu with beer pairings: Shrimp and Scallop Bisque X (our Belgian single) Strawberry Mountain New York Strip with Bone Marrow and Potato Gratin Out with the Old Ale Magnolia Stout Sundae (with Stout of Circumstance Ice Cream) Stout of Circumstance On New Years Eve, we'll release a new edition of Out with the Old Ale, our sour-mash old ale first brewed this past spring. It'll be the feature beer in our special dinner that night, as well. Then, on New Year's Day we'll release In with the New IPA, commemorating the changing of the kitchen guard as well as the arrival of '09. It's an English-style IPA with a very traditional hop profile. We'll be closing a little early on New Year's Eve (kitchen closes at 10:00pm) but we will turn around and open for a rare mid-week Brunch on New Year's Day.
RFD/The Brickskeller - No Cover, DJ, and a fantastic selection of spirits, kegged and bottled beers from around the world!
Russian River - Ring in the new year with a free party at the RRBC with Phatty!!! They have a very cool "old school funk" sound with their wildly entertaining 7-piece ensemble. Bring your dancing shoes to boogie-woogie and get down on it! Free Show!!! All Ages! Call (707) 545-2337 for more information
Sierra Nevada - Tickets: $100 • On sale: 12/6/2008 in the pub. New Year’s Eve. The Big Room. Gourmet dinner. Jazz to dine by. Great music to dance to. Way too much fun…almost. Limited tickets. Reserved seat tickets only. Hats, horns, balloons and all the trimming you’ve come to expect from the Big Room. A complete filet mignon dinner (and other wonderful options).Appetizers, salads, killer desserts and complimentary champagne just before the midnight balloon drop. (Fingers crossed here). Doors at 7 PM. Dinner from 7 PM until 9 PM with live, easy listening jazz to help with digestion. And then…Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps out of L.A. come out to rock the house
Stone Brewing - 11am-5pm, Specialty Growler Fills - 2008 Old Guardian, 2008 Imperial Russian Stout, 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale, 2008 Double Bastard Ale, 2008 Sawyer's Triple
The Brewer's Art - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast; kitchen open an extra hour later
The Map Room - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
The Monk's Kettle - A four course meal paired with four different beers from the Belgian brewery Malheur. Throughout the evening, to pair with each course, we will have the Malheur 10 (a Tripel), Malheur 12 (a Quadrupel), Malheur Brut (a Biere de Champagne), and Malheur Dark Brut (a dark and chocolatey version of the Biere de Champagne). There will also be another special one for the New Year's midnight toast. Details will be posted to our website on the events page about the food courses. The four course meal will begin at 9:00, and each course is designed to pair well with the beer served. Our resident beer expert Nick will discuss each of the beers served, and our chef Kevin will speak about the dishes. The cost of the dinner is $95 plus tax and gratuity. There will also be a happy hour between 8 and 9 before dinner starts, during which all beers will be offered at half price. To reserve a space, please call the Monk's Kettle at (415) 865-9523, or email Nat Cutler at nat@monkskettle.com
The Old Toad - New Year’s Eve Beer Dinner 2008 ~ Lobster Bisque with Reissdorf Koelsch ~ Breaded Goats Cheese with Ommegang Hennepin ~ Charcuterie Plate with Unibroue Blanche de Chambly ~ Ephemere Sorbet ~ Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown ~ Wild Salmon Gratin with Brooklyn Local 1 ~ Lamb Shank Braised in Leffe Brune with Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale ~ Corn Cakes with Smoked Tomato Coulis with Schlenkerla Helles ~ Ice Cream Trio of British Classics (Lemon Meringue, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Rhubarb Crumble) with Southern Tier Crème Brulee ~ Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Torte with Victory Storm King ~ Cheese Plate (Triple Cream, Vintage Cheddar, Shropshire Blue) with Weyerbacher Insanity
Yard House - Many locations west of the Mississippi, two in Florida. Come as you are. Party favors. Midnight Champagne Toast. No reservations needed.
Philadelphia
Bridgewater's Pub - Kitchen open until around 4pm; bar closing around 6pm
Bridgid's - 8pm-2am; includes all drafts, some bottled beer, call liquor, giveaways, food buffet, and champagne toast at midnight; $80/pp; call restaurant for tickets
Dawson Street Pub - Open for Business As Usual with live music; no cover
Dock Street Brewery - 8pm closing time
Earth Bread + Brewery - Our kitchen will be open to 11pm and late night snacks will be on the bar until closing (1am). There'll be a sneak peak of our newest beer De Raine Pore to welcome the new year.
Fergie's Pub - Open for Business As Usual
For Pete's Sake Pub - Open for Business As Usual with some drink specials
Grace's Tavern - Open for Business As Usual
Grey Lodge Pub - Ring in the New Years at our gala Brew Years Eve Party . For just $60, you get beverages, lots of tasty special food, hats, and noisemakers from 8:30pm to 1am.
Jack's Firehouse - Ring In New Years At Jack's With All Of Your Friends With An Open Premium Bar To 1am And A DJ And Dancing Until 2am. We Start At 9pm. Tickets - $60 Per Person. It's A Great Party - Get 20 Of Your Friends To Come Over. We Only Sell 150 Tickets Which Makes Jack's Really Festive - But Not Overly Packed.
José Pistolas - Open for Business As Usual
Johnny Brenda's - Upstairs Just $5! Cheap funtimes!!!! Downstairs: Dress Up and Make-out! No cover
London Grill - 5pm-11pm; Regular Menu And $45 Fixed Price Menu Available $80.00 with 4 wine pairings Also...party favors, free champagne at midnight and Times Square on HD TV; Earlybird Kid's Menu; Bar Snacks till midnight
Mad Mex (University City) - Special $35 Dinner for 2 (one appetizer, two entrées, one dessert, and two glasses of champagne); 1/2 price happy hour as usual and "big-azz" margaritas all day
Manayunk Brewery - Join us Wednesday, December 31st for a premium 4 hour open bar from 8pm to 12am, heavy hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast at midnight, live music by Pub Rally downstairs, live DJ upstairs, party favors and more! Tickets are $90.
McGillin's - McGillin's is the place to SING in the New Year with karaoke, party favors and more! $5 cover.
McMenamin's - No food, but champagne toast, music, and dancing...no cover
Memphis Taproom - Our chef is putting to gether some spectacular New Years Eve dinner specials, including Beer-Battered Caviar, Oyster Stew and Surf & Turf, AND we'll ring in the new year with a Cantillon toast at midnight! No reservations are necessary. Stay late or come early the next morning for New Years day! We'll be serving BRUNCH (and nursing hangovers) from 11am-3pm
Monk's Café - The late seating (9:30pm) will be a six course extravaganza. Tom will pull out a couple of gems from his basement collection of aged beers. Some very special beers will be served. Our crack kitchen crew will create a feast to pair with these amazing beers. Of course, we will have a midnight toast with Malhuer Brut. Hats & noisemakers for everyone. The early seating (6:30pm) will be a four-course (and 5 beers or wines) dinner.
Nodding Head - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a champagne toast.
Philadelphia Brewing - Open for beer sales 9am-1pm.
Prohibition Taproom - $55; 8pm to 12 Midnight; open bar and a champagne toast.
South Philadelphia Tap Room - Open for Business as Usual until 2am; join the SPTR for early morning reveling on New Year's Day and the Mummer's Parade
Standard Tap - A firkin of Yards and specially-priced Golden Monkey and Mad Elf...DJ, too
Sugar Mom's - Open for Business As Usual from 8pm-2am; Free Sandwiches plus $25 bottles of champagne; no cover
Ten Stone - Closed for a Private Party
The Belgian Café - 4 course dinner and beer/wine pairing: -first seating 6:30PM, $55, --- second seating 10PM, $75 ---(vegetarian menu also available) --- call 215-235-3500 for reservations
The Foodery (2nd/Poplar) - Open for Business As Usual until 12 Midnight
The Foodery (10th/Pine) - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm (or later, depending upon business)
The Institute - No cover; $3 Walt Wit plus many other craft beer specials during the night; Wii Booths are NOW OPEN! Normally $15 per booth on New Year's Eve will be $20 per booth and cost includes a pitcher of either PBR or Yuengling.
The Khyber - Come Celebrate With The Khyber As We Usher In The New Year Start 2009 Off With Your Old Friend The Khyber. With Help From No Tight Pants; DJ Lexx; DJ R'N'G Moshpit Rainbow; DJ Vertigo Headbanger; DJ Jesse Merlin Stakeout 9 pm; $10
The Tiedhouse - Join us for New Year's Eve 3-Course Prixe Fixe Dinner for $39.95!!! Add a paired beer flight for $10 Add a paired wine flight for $15
Tria (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a few menu specials
Triumph Brewery - Make your plans now and celebrate this year at Triumph with DJ Bizz and a four hour open bar from 9:30-1:30. Package includes beer, wine, house liquor and a champagne toast (sorry, no shots). Ticket price is $75. Bottle service will also be available in our VIP lounge. Hope to see you there.
White Dog Café - $60 per person plus tax and gratuity for late seating (after 8:30pm). A la carte early seating (6:00pm-7:45pm). Strolling Violin Duet Davis & Diane Barnett, 8:30pm - 12:00am Sing-Along Piano in the Piano Parlor, 9:00pm - 2:00am Dancing to Oldies, 12:00am to 2:00am
Yard's Brewing - Will likely be out of beer by 12/31 and no one will be at the brewery after 5pm on New Year's Eve; but stop by 12/29 or 12/30 to buy some ESA or whatever's left of currrent inventory
Zot - $45 & $65 priced dinners for 6:30pm & 9:30pm seatings, respectively. Beer Tasting Menu available as well. Otherwise open for Business As Usual.
Philadelphia Metro
Alison Two - $75 seating 5pm-7pm; $85 seating after 7pm
America Bar & Grill - Open for Business As Usual with 10pm last dinner seating; probably some form of entertainment until closing; no cover
Brickside Grille - Come join in the fun New Year's Eve. Make a reservation for dinner or stop in for live music with "Lord Jive" starting at 10:00 p.m. Free champagne toast at midnight, party favors; plus a free chocolate fountain all night long.
Capone's Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm; bottleshop until 12 Midnight
Cosimo Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual with a special dinner menu
Exton Beverage - 9pm closing time
Firewaters (Concord) - $199/couple package deal includes hotel room, buffet (9pm-11pm), open bar (9pm-12:30am), DJ, and party favors)
Flying Pig Saloon - Open for Business As Usual
General Lafayette - 6pm and 9pm seatings for a 3-Course Prix Fixe; $44.95 per person; Call 610-941-0600 for Reservations. Salad/Appetizer, Entree, Dessert, Champagne Toast Add a flight of specially selected paired wine for $15 Add a flight of brewmaster paired beer for $12
Goshen Beverage - 9pm closing time
Gullifty's - 9pm closing time
High Street Grill - Open for Business As Usual with a New Year's Eve Special Menu.
Isaac Newton's - 9pm closing time
Maia - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast at Midnight
McKenzie Brew House - 4 Hour Premium Open Bar, Stellar Buffet, Hotel Packages Available, $55 in advance / $65 at door. Call 610-296-2222 for Details.
Michael's Deli - 9pm closing time
Quotations Pub - Open for Business As Usual
Riverstone Café - Special Menu examples include Elk Tenderloin, Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Salad, Southwest Buffalo Filet, Brined Crispy Calamari, Butter Poached Lobster, Miso Shrimp Cocktail Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight Beer selections include from the following, among others, Victory, Piraat, Samuel Smith, Chimay, Unibroue, Magic Hat, Samuel Adams, Hoegaarden, Guinness, Young's, Rogue
Rock Bottom (King of Prussia) - Open for Business As Usual with kitchen hours 'til 10pm and bar 'til 2am.
Ron's Original - On New Year's Eve you can either prepay for $20 or pay at the door for $25 for a fabulous buffet plus two tickets each for your first drink (either house wine, draft beer or well drinks). SubLegend will be here to entertain you all night long as well as giveaways throughout the evening. You can park at the Comfort Suites, call Ron's and we will have a shuttle come pick you up. At then end of the night, the bus will take you back to the hotel and you can let Comfort Suites know you came from Ron's and they will give you a SPECIAL DISCOUNTED rate for the evening! Call Ron's and ask to speak to a manager or just Nardo and we will be happy to help you plan this evening!
Sly Fox - Royersford location closes at 3pm; Phoenixville kitchen closes at 9pm, bar at 10pm
Teresa's Next Door - Open for Business As Usual.
The Drafting Room (Exton) - Open for Business As Usual
The Drafting Room (Spring House) - 3 course beer dinner from 4:30pm-10:00pm on New Years Eve. Your choice of 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 desserts for $35.00. Beers include Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, East End Monkey Boy, Brooklyn Savior Faire, Ommegang Witte, Wintercoat Vildmoseol, and Allagash Grand Cru. The full dinner menu is available as well. Then stick around to ring in 2009! There will be live roots, rock, and reggae from the fantastic local band "The Mighty Manatees" beginning at 10pm. Special tappings of North Coast La Merle and North Coast Old Stock 2007 @ midnight and a complimentary toasting of a Methusula of Duvel. There is no cover for this event. Ring the New Year in in style!
TJs - Kitchen closes at 9pm; Bar closes at 10pm
Victory - 11:30am-6:00pm (Bar with a limited menu and Retail Shop only)
Other PA/NJ/DE
Allentown Brew Works - Join us in HIGH GrAvitY for our New Year’s Eve GAY-la! HIGH GrAvitY at Allentown Brew Works “Happy Trails Are Here Again” High Powered Dance Music, Champagne Toast, Balloon Drop, Continental Breakfast and VIP Bottle Service DJ starts at 10:00pm ; NO COVER!! 21 & over only Also… (for our straight guests) at the Main Bar… Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast
Appalachian Brewing/Harrisburg - Doors Open at 6:45pm for our awesome NYE bash! Tickets include dinner buffet from 7-10pm (salad station, Andouille sausage stuffed chicken breast, roast pork loin with apple walnut stuffing, baked haddock w/crab imperial, jambalaya, Prime Rib carving station, dessert station), 2 ABC draft pints, and a champagne toast at midnight with party favors.
Barley Creek Brewing - We're ringing in 2009 with a reservations-are-a-must-dinner in our Onyx Bar room that will be limited to 90 people and closed off to everyone else. Reservations are brisk so don't get shut out. Here are the details: Hors d'ouvres: 7:00pm-8:00pm; dinner: 8:00pm-9:30pm; carving station, buffet extravaganza, party favors, live music with Joe O'Malley, a midnight buffet and a cash bar. Make your dinner reservations ($29.95) now by sending an email to catering@barleycreek.com.
Bethlehem Brew Works - Join us on New Year’s Eve 2009 and celebrate the New Year! Featuring: -DJ Soulja in the Steelgaarden from 10pm-2am -Midnight Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast -Bottle Service -Drink specials and giveaways with Skyy, Bacardi and Grey Goose. NO Cover Charge! 21 & over only Bethlehem Brew Works “New Year’s Eve Black Party” - dress in your most impressive black attire.
Bube's Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner served in Alois, the Bottling Works, and the Catacombs (reserve early!). New Year's Eve Party in the Bottling Works with DJ Kerry-come dance! Dine here and admission to the party is free! $5.00 cover gets non-diners into the party.
Bullfrog Brewery - 10pm-1am; $5 Cover Charge. A great high energy musical steamroller featuring Colin Beatty/Bass, Willi Ort/Guitar, & Shaun Gilmour/Drums, and Jimmy Lovcik/keyboards!
Church Brew Works - Open until around 1am; Two 3-course prix fixe menus, $32-$42; appetizer/soup-salad/entree; desserts are a la carte.
Dogfish Head - fun, food, festivities... and great beer! This year we're offering two seatings: 6pm at $65 per person 9pm at $85 per person (second seating includes a champagne toast at midnight and live music by Nate Meyers and The Aces). MENU Truffled Butternut Squash Soup - Paired with Punkin Ale Warm Lobster Salad - Paired with Midas Touch Seared Foie Gras and Lingonberry Jam on Brioche Toast - Paired with Vintage Black and Blue Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Tenderloin - Paired with Palo Santo Marron Brown Honey Tiramisu - Paired with Vintage World Wide Stout Make your reservations today by calling 302-226-BREW or e-mailing Karen@dogfish.com
Fat Heads - Closing time of 6pm for both restaurant and bottle shop
Half Moon Saloon - Open for Business As Usual with some special chef selections.
Lancaster Brewing - 9pm closing time
Otto's - Open for Business As Usual
Rivertowne Pour House (Monroeville) - $40/pp, $75/couple; 9pm-2am; Prime Rib dinner, open bar, champagne toast, DJ
Selin's Grove Brewing - Closed 12/24 & 12/25, 12/29/08- 1/1/09 Have a Great Holiday!!
Stewart's Brewing - Open for Business As Usual
Stoudt's - Call (717) 484-4387 for more details.
Union Barrel Works - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
Union Jack's on the Manatawny - Open for Business As Usual with live music and a Surprise Dinner Menu.
Zeno's - Zeno’s is pleased to have the Screaming Ducks for a New Year’s Eve bash. $5 American will do it. 10:30 'til close
Other Northeast
Barcade - Open for Business As Usual with a Top 200 Barcade Songs Countdown.
Beer Table - Open for Business As Usual until at least 1am with a special "Past", "Present", and "Future" beer (hint: the future beer is a new one hailing from Sixpoint
Blind Tiger Ale House - Blind Tiger’s New Year’s Extravaganza party will be from 9:00PM to 2:00AM and is limited to only 80 people - so we can maintain a comfortable atmosphere for all. The cost for each ticket will be $120.00 per person, which will include the following: All draught beers (with some very special selections) All cask beers (which includes a gravity keg and wood pin) All wines, sake and Prosecco A special Blind Tiger buffet (which will be replenished throughout the night), which will include: cheeses from Murray’s Chesse, fresh bread, seasonal green salad, an all white baked ziti, Swedish Meatballs, Italian Sausage and Peppers, and a fresh fruit salad. A New Year’s Prosecco Toast New Year’s Party Gear (silly hats and whatnot) And, as always - a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere To place a reservation, or if you have any questions, please contact us at Tigerale@msn.com, call 212-462-4682, or talk to your favorite Blind Tiger bartender.
Boston Beer Works (Fenway) - Open for Business As Usual.
Cambridge Brewing Co. - You get to stuff yourself to your hearts desire, imbibe 5 of the finest micro brews around, dig on the sounds of Cambridge's own Gypsy Schaeffer, be one of the first people to taste the 2008 Blunderbuss Barleywine and party your ass off! That's a value of $107! Add in the free gifts and That's a value of $150. Originally we were going to sell the tickets for $120. But after thinking it over, we wanted to give you a better deal. So we knocked it down to $100. We figured a 33% discount was quite generous.
Chelsea Brewing Company - **CANCELLED** 9pm-2am; $110/$150(VIP); DJ, Dancing, Hors d'oeuvres and Buffet with Open Bar; Special Celebration Brew & Champagne Toast at Midnight; Party Favors; Giveaways; Coat Check; Live Feed of Times Square Ball Drop VIP gets private room overlooking river with premium open bar and bottle of champagne for each group of two.
City Steam - Comedy; prix fixe menu; Countdown to New Year's event, and much more...see website for details
David Copperfield's - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
D.B.A. (Manhattan) - Ring in 2009 at d.b.a. w/Serrita, Dee, Kreaux, Jack & Ryan. Nigel will greet you @ the door (I.D. is a must for entry)w/ hats,& tiaras. Fruit, cheese, champagne at 12 Midnight, music, fun, and NO COVER! Open til 8am----so Bartenders, come on over after work!
Ebenezer's Pub - Open for Business As Usual
Ginger Man (NYC) - We will be offering tickets for $100 for open bar from 9pm - 2am including over 100 beers, call liquor, and wine. With a Chimay (or Champagne) toast at Midnight. We will be open for regular business from 11:30am - 2am.
Heartland Brewery (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual
Hop Devil Grill - Go to the Hop Devil Grill for a "Devilicious New Year's Eve Party"! What is different about this New Year's Eve event from others around the city? First, who has a better beer selection and better food? Nobody in New York City, or maybe event the country! Second, no, let me repeat that NO cover charge! No open bar. No crappy buffet. How much do you realistically expect to drink and eat, anyway? $150 of beer or drinks and food? Heck no. Pay as you go. Drink and eat what you like. Buy no tickets. Hop Devil Grill, and our adjoining lounge, is spacious! Room for you and all your friends. Get there early, though. Stay late too. Our new sound system will be pumping out the best new sounds, and watch the ball fall on our big screen TVs. At Midnight. Enjoy a champagne or beer toast as the balloons drop all around. Kiss your loved one. Meet a new loved one. Have a "Helluva Time!"
Rattle 'n' Hum - Open Bar 10pm-1am; food buffet; champagne toast; $100
Southampton Publick House - 5pm-10pm; 3 course dinner, $40/pp; diners get free entrance to party in the taproom, all others $10; DJ Dory, Party Favors, Midnight Champagne Toast
Spring Street Lounge - Open for Business As Usual
Spuyten Duyvil - Open for Business As Usual
The Brazen Head - Generous Champagne Toasts; Featuring The Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band from 9 PM to Midnight; No Cover - No Minimum
The Gate - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
The Publick House - Open for Business As Usual
Trinity Brewhouse - Open for Business As Usual
Willimantic Brewing - a Special Dinner menu, a DJ, party favors, and a midnight champagne toast. Don’t forget the Party in the Pub starting at 9PM. For more info call 860-423-6777.
Zum Schneider - Free party; Doors open at 9pm Included: DJ Volka Racho spinning your favorite party songs Karaoke: German and other hits Champagne toast at midnight Watch the Ball drop on the big screen On the menu: Special NY's Eve Menu Midnight soup Champagne bowl and homemade Glühwein (mulled wine)
Other United States
21st Amendment - Open for Business As Usual
Ale Asylum - Open for Business As Usual; perhaps special food and discounted beers from 10pm-close (still unplanned)
Birreria Paradiso (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual until 11pm
Brick Store Pub - Champagne toast at midnight & party favors. No better place to usher in the New Year than your neighborhood pub... See you there!
Brugge Brasserie - Open for Business As Usual
Captain Lawrence Brewing - We will be open from 2–5pm…….For Growler Fills Only!
City Beer Store - Closed
D.B.A. (New Orleans) - 11pm- $15; w/Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters
Duclaw (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual
Falling Rock Tap House - Come join us for New Year's Eve @ the Falling Rock, NO COVER as always & Complimentary Champagne toast & Midnite.
Father's Office (both locations) - Closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Hop Leaf - Open for Business As Usual
Magnolia Pub & Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner Extravaganza, $45 with beer pairings. Ronnie will be continuing our Wednesday beer dinner menus with his first one landing auspiciously on New Year's Eve. Here's the menu with beer pairings: Shrimp and Scallop Bisque X (our Belgian single) Strawberry Mountain New York Strip with Bone Marrow and Potato Gratin Out with the Old Ale Magnolia Stout Sundae (with Stout of Circumstance Ice Cream) Stout of Circumstance On New Years Eve, we'll release a new edition of Out with the Old Ale, our sour-mash old ale first brewed this past spring. It'll be the feature beer in our special dinner that night, as well. Then, on New Year's Day we'll release In with the New IPA, commemorating the changing of the kitchen guard as well as the arrival of '09. It's an English-style IPA with a very traditional hop profile. We'll be closing a little early on New Year's Eve (kitchen closes at 10:00pm) but we will turn around and open for a rare mid-week Brunch on New Year's Day.
RFD/The Brickskeller - No Cover, DJ, and a fantastic selection of spirits, kegged and bottled beers from around the world!
Russian River - Ring in the new year with a free party at the RRBC with Phatty!!! They have a very cool "old school funk" sound with their wildly entertaining 7-piece ensemble. Bring your dancing shoes to boogie-woogie and get down on it! Free Show!!! All Ages! Call (707) 545-2337 for more information
Sierra Nevada - Tickets: $100 • On sale: 12/6/2008 in the pub. New Year’s Eve. The Big Room. Gourmet dinner. Jazz to dine by. Great music to dance to. Way too much fun…almost. Limited tickets. Reserved seat tickets only. Hats, horns, balloons and all the trimming you’ve come to expect from the Big Room. A complete filet mignon dinner (and other wonderful options).Appetizers, salads, killer desserts and complimentary champagne just before the midnight balloon drop. (Fingers crossed here). Doors at 7 PM. Dinner from 7 PM until 9 PM with live, easy listening jazz to help with digestion. And then…Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps out of L.A. come out to rock the house
Stone Brewing - 11am-5pm, Specialty Growler Fills - 2008 Old Guardian, 2008 Imperial Russian Stout, 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale, 2008 Double Bastard Ale, 2008 Sawyer's Triple
The Brewer's Art - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast; kitchen open an extra hour later
The Map Room - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast
The Monk's Kettle - A four course meal paired with four different beers from the Belgian brewery Malheur. Throughout the evening, to pair with each course, we will have the Malheur 10 (a Tripel), Malheur 12 (a Quadrupel), Malheur Brut (a Biere de Champagne), and Malheur Dark Brut (a dark and chocolatey version of the Biere de Champagne). There will also be another special one for the New Year's midnight toast. Details will be posted to our website on the events page about the food courses. The four course meal will begin at 9:00, and each course is designed to pair well with the beer served. Our resident beer expert Nick will discuss each of the beers served, and our chef Kevin will speak about the dishes. The cost of the dinner is $95 plus tax and gratuity. There will also be a happy hour between 8 and 9 before dinner starts, during which all beers will be offered at half price. To reserve a space, please call the Monk's Kettle at (415) 865-9523, or email Nat Cutler at nat@monkskettle.com
The Old Toad - New Year’s Eve Beer Dinner 2008 ~ Lobster Bisque with Reissdorf Koelsch ~ Breaded Goats Cheese with Ommegang Hennepin ~ Charcuterie Plate with Unibroue Blanche de Chambly ~ Ephemere Sorbet ~ Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown ~ Wild Salmon Gratin with Brooklyn Local 1 ~ Lamb Shank Braised in Leffe Brune with Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale ~ Corn Cakes with Smoked Tomato Coulis with Schlenkerla Helles ~ Ice Cream Trio of British Classics (Lemon Meringue, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Rhubarb Crumble) with Southern Tier Crème Brulee ~ Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Torte with Victory Storm King ~ Cheese Plate (Triple Cream, Vintage Cheddar, Shropshire Blue) with Weyerbacher Insanity
Yard House - Many locations west of the Mississippi, two in Florida. Come as you are. Party favors. Midnight Champagne Toast. No reservations needed.
Friday, December 26, 2008
What are you doing New Year's --- New Year's Eve?
Alrighty boys and babes of beerland, now your thoughts of holiday partying turn to your New Year's Eve plans. I know, I know...some of you won't be caught dead anywhere past your front lawn. That's just fine. I've included hours of local Philly breweries and beer distributors where you can get your "to-go" beer from.
For those of you wanting to search out an establishment that will take care of all of the bells and whistles for you (and clean up the morning after), you may wish to consult the Coast-to-Coast Directory that I put together. Currently, it has almost 100 establishments (going up every day) and is broken out across the following categories for easier searching. Check it out.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Metro
Other PA/NJ/DE
Other Northeast U.S.
Other United States
Farewell to 2008. It's high time for a new year, a new direction, and a new attitude.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Looking 2009 squarely in the face and saying Bring It On
A new joint (sponsored by the fine folks at Memphis Taproom means that this should be a very good thing) opening on New Year's Day at 5pm could have us jumping off the train home from NYC and heading into West Philly. Local 44 is the name and the intersection of 44th and Spruce is the location.
Another new place focused on all things craft, but much farther west looks to be opening on December 29th. Limerick, PA is the place, Craft Ale House is the name and portends great things as well.
And, finally, Teresa's Next Door may finally start pulling in some business now that they have a website. All the anguish from those who think an establishment can't thrive today without a website take note. And, I'll stop publishing tap lists for them, since they now appear to be doing it regularly.
Who said Decembers are slow?
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