Victory Beer Dinner at High Street Caffé: 1/21/09

High Street Caffé in West Chester, PA is back on my radar. But, wait, you say; how in the world did they ever fall of my radar? Great question, one to which there isn't a great answer, or any at all. Do you have places that you haven't been to in a while that you can't explain why?

Well, it was Victory's Beer Dinner that they played host to this week at High Street Caffé that brought us back. Restauranteurs: Did you hear that? Do something a little different, maybe a beer dinner???, and watch the diners come out, perhaps some you haven't seen in a while.

This actually was HSC's first beer dinner in what proprietor Donny Syracuse promises will be an ongoing string of similar events. (For example, next up is Stoudt's. I'll be sure to bring the details to you here as soon as I get them.) And turn out the customers they did. Right around sixty hungry and thirsty patrons filled the restaurant. Well, to be honest, it was almost a full house sellout with room for maybe another 10-15.

Not too bad for restaurant dipping into the Beer Dinner Scene for the first time. Not that they're any newcomer to filling plates. Syracuse and executive chef Jay Wenner have been doing what they do together now for almost 13 years. This thing is cajun and creole just south of downtown West Chester and just north of the heart of West Chester University's main campus. Joining Jay in puttin on this event...behind the beer for this dinner was Lisa Wampler and managing the event was Kevin Coley.

Patty and I attending this dinner continues in keeping with one of my objectives this year: to attend more "off the beaten path" beer events. This was qualified not because it was an unheard of brewery or restaurant, but rather because of their first time hosting a beer dinner.

Things got off to around a twenty minute late start. We'd arrived about 15 minutes before the scheduled 7pm start. But, with a Welcome Beer in hand, I don't believe that anyone minded the wait. While the kitchen was readying itself, Bill Covaleski and Tracy Mulligan from Victory worked the room personally welcoming each table.

It was the last time in the evening we waited on a beer. Bill officially got things rolling by introducing himself and giving a background of the Brewery. He was self-deprecating saying that the beer would be more interesting than he, but the laughs continued after that joke so I think he was doing just fine.

He and Tracy sat and enjoyed the dinner as well, getting up to mingle and answer questions a few times. Bill spoke to the room once more before giving the floor to (the ever-so-crafty) Tracy to distribute raffle winnings to a handful of lucky patrons (yours truly included, thank you).

So, how about those pairings you ask? Glad you asked!

The Lager was a perfect intro beer, especially considering that no beer after it was under HopDevil's 6.7% ABV. Oh, and did I mention that each beer served was a 12 ounce bottle per person? I'm not sure that I've had a full 12 oz. of Old Horizontal before, at least not in one sitting. The Baltic Thunder, come to think of it, wasn't a 12 ounce bottle...no it wasn't. It was a 22 ounce bottle...were we happy? You think? Well, actually, no one should probably be too surprised that we actually left some non-empty bottles behind on the table. Is that a beer foul or responsibility?



We got into our first course of mussels and Hop Wallop. Each was fine, of course, in their own right, but maybe a broth with ingredients packing a bigger flavor punch would have stood up better to the much more flavorful Hop Wallop. The second course, though, was where it was at. The doppelbock's rich malty flavors with a bit of smoke was an obvious winning combination with the smoked sausage and contrasted nicely with the sharp cheese and vinaigrette flavors in the bed of greens that it rest upon.

While the hops in the Hop Wallop didn't marry as well with the mussels from the sea, the hops in the HopDevil went just perfectly with the jambalaya. The trademark spiciness in the jambalaya was the perfect match for this IPA and the strong malt balance made the difference in helping it stand up to the weight of the dish.

Then, my oh my, next came the Old Ho with the pork sliders. I've talked in the past about how well strong barbecue flavors can go so well with a barleywine or a strong Belgian ale, as two examples. This is a perfect application of that principle. The beer's hallmark big malt flavors and alcohol strength created the perfect complement to not only the tangy barbecue and the creamy cheddar, but also the fried onion ring and snappy cole slaw.

Then we came to...a dessert course in a beer dinner without chocolate? This type of thing, I suppose, is allowed to occur from time to time. Especially, when the chocolate dessert is replaced with cheese. Come to think of it, I suppose that I could look at the subtle chocolate flavor in the Baltic Thunder as the chocolate in my dessert course. There was so much talking going on during the dessert course that, while I ate most of the plate (and what was on it!), I didn't really pay close attention to the types of cheese or the exact pairability.

What I do recall, though, is the most important takeaway: cheese and beer are so wonderfully pairable. If you didn't already know this, please study up, you're missing out. Particularly in this beer, the maltiness and accompanying roasted, chocolate, and coffee flavors meld so well, while the hop bitterness and carbonation help to clear the palate of the creamy cheese.

Well done, High Street. You can bet that, barring any conflicts, I'll be back for your next Beer Dinner...Stoudt's you say, right?

Welcome Beer ~ Victory Lager

First Course ~ Victory Hop Wallop ~ paired with Mussels, cooked with garlic and fresh herbs in a Victory Lager broth

Second Course ~ Victory St. Victorious ~ paired with Smoked Alligator Sausage, served with baby Arugula and tossed with Stilton in a Dijon vinaigrette

Third Course ~ Victory HopDevil ~ paired with Crawfish Jambalaya, their famous recipe made with Andouille sausage

Fourth Course ~ Victory Old Horizontal ~ paired with BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders, served with Tillamook Cheddar and carmelized onions, and a side of onion ring and slaw

Fifth Course ~ Victory Baltic Thunder ~ paired with a Cheese Plate, a selection of artisanal cheeses with traditional accompaniments

Iron Hill BCtWC: Ready Thyself

If you've been to the Iron Hill Belgian event in West Chester (notice how I slip in this link to Chris LaPierre's newly minted blog?) in past years, then you'll recognize the format for Saturday afternoon. If not, here's the way it works. Ah, why not just click on the picture below and get the official word straight from the menu that you'll be looking at on Saturday (or tomorrow, or today....or yesterday if you slept through it and are now just catching up). Figure this may reduce some hemming and hawing when the bartender is looking at you and a hundred others who are trying to figure out which ones to buy. Or just get the package deal and share; that seems to have been a popular and effective approach in the past in order to trying them all.

Belgium Comes to West Chester at Iron Hill this Saturday; The List

Chris LaPierre, one of your emcees for this Saturday's event, has passed along the anticipated lineup of tasties. I have this sneaking suspicion that you'd like to know? Ready the car service. Dock Street; Born Again Tripel (American Tripel) Earth Bread + Brewery; Li'l Pylon (Dubbel) Flying Fish; Belgian Mild General Lafayette; Bière aigre de fraise (sour strawberry beer) Harpoon; Wild Hibernian (Irish Red fermented in a barrel with Brett) Iron Hill-Lancaster; Permanent Midnight (Belgian Strong) Iron Hill-Media; Straight Lambic Iron Hill-North Wales; Cherry Dubbel (barrel aged w/Brett) Iron Hill-Phoenixville; Honey Saison Iron Hill-West Chester; Eddy, (Brett Cannibal) Iron Hill-West Chester; Saison (the last of the actual medal winning batch) Ithaca; Brut (sour ale) Ithaca; White Gold (Golden Ale finished w/Brett) Lancaster Brewing; Tripel Manayunk; Tripel Lindy (Tripel) McKenzie's; Wallonia DeLuxe (High Gravity Farmhouse) Nodding Head; O'Tay (Belgian Buckwheat Ale) Nodding Head; Rudy's Kung Fu Grip (Belgian Strong Ale) Ommegang; Chocolate Indulgence Ommegang; Three Philosophers Philadelphia Brewing Walt Whitever Sly Fox; Abbey D'Extra (Belgian table beer) Stewart's; Stumblin Monk (Belgian Strong Ale) Tröegs; Mad Elf Victory; Abbey 6 Yards; Belgian IPA

Raise a Glass of Ommegang Inauguration Ale tonight (and where to find it)

Join me and fellow Brew Loungers at TJs in Paoli, PA this evening to toast a change in approach to governing this country. Not only will TJs continue to pour their A+ draft lineup (and not to be ignored bottles, too), but they will also be one of the several area bars carrying Ommegang's much discussed Inauguration Ale (a-not-ka Obamagang Ale). They'll be saving the second keg for Philly Beer Week's visit from brewmaster Phil Leinhart. It should be quite a memorable day and I, for one, am looking forward to a refreshing change of view. So, while it will be bittersweet to see this website discontinued, the snark will continue to live on (though not in the White House) in Internet History. Every once in a while, I get a kick in the pants for being, how shall we say, a bit thickheaded. Here's what happened. Instead of going straight to the source, I tried (for your pleasure) to cobble a list of bars serving Ommegang's Inauguration Ale the old fashioned way...by calling and e-mailing around. Since it wasn't twittered, I wasn't able to....(oh wait, I'll save that fun topic for another day) In the meantime, the man on top of all of this just so happens to be in Cooperstown. Larry Bennett from the brewery posted a listing at Beer Advocate of all mid-Atlantic bars with the Inauguration Ale on 1/20. Thanks Larry, maybe next time I'll start with the source instead of the other way around. Now to get back those lost minutes.... Cheers and best wishes, Mr. President! You've got your work generously cut out for you. Philadelphia Beneluxx Bishop's Collar Eulogy Grey Lodge Pub Race Street Café Side Car Bar and Grille St. Stephen's Green Tria, Rittenhouse Square Tria, Washington Square London Grille and Bar Philly Suburbs Blue Dog, Chalfont Blue Dog, Lansdale Ortino's, Schwenksville Stephanie's Restaurant & Lounge, Doylestown Teresa's Next Door, Wayne TJ's Drinkery, Paoli

Blind Tiger's Night of the Imperials

Have you missed the torture of being no where around NYC and reading about upcoming taplists at the Blind Tiger? Well, fear not, they're back. And, their first "official" event of the year 2009 is no different from past events: impressive

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Jan. 21st @ 4PM, is the Night of the Imperials! I know it's a little strange that we are celebrating Imperials during one of the pinnacles of our democracy, but if you've ever been to the Tiger then you understand strange is the new normal. I don't know what I'm talking about... The List: Avery Kaiser Hitachino Espresso Stout 2 Brothers' Northwind Imperial Stout (Cask) 2 Brothers' Heavy Handed Imp. IPA Southern Tier Unearthly IPA Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Rogue Imperial Pilsner Lagunitas Imperial Red Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA Rockies Oblivion Imperial Stout Victory Storm King Victory Hop Wallop Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Sixpoint Belgian Double IPA Stoudt's Double IPA Oskar Blues' Gordon Imp. IPA Blue Point Imperial Cherry Stout Southampton Imperial Porter AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!! A selection of cheese from Murray's will be on hand for your tasting needs. Also to get you geared up for the coming months, we will be hosting Stone Brewery (Feb. 25th), Bear Republic, Lagunitas, and our friends from Vermont (i.e. Vermont Beer and Cheese)...details will follow.

Beer Geeks Rejoice, The Nectar is Flowing

Cases and Kegs have hit the market. Tröegs always highly-anticipated Nugget Nectar has become widely available over the past week. Last night at The Beer Yard in Wayne, proprietor Matt Guyer was hosting Nick Johnson from Tröegs who was pouring various styles, but none more so than Nugget Nectar. There is a reservation list for cases of NN at The Beer Yard, but there was a small stack of extra cases available too. A dozen or so went out the door last night, so if you want a case for tomorrow's football games and have not reserved a case at The Beer Yard, I'd suggest getting there early today. Nick passed along the following dates which should have Beer Geeks far and wide across the PA/NJ/MD/DC eagerly marking their calendars. Firkins of cask conditioned Nugget Nectar will be pouring the juice on the following dates. Philly and Surrounding Area 1-21-09 Standard Tap, Phila., PA 1-29-09 Drafting Room, Exton, PA 2-5-09 Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA 2-12-09 Canal St. Pub, Reading, PA 2-13-09 Grey Lodge (Friday the Firkinteenth), Phila., PA 2-27-09 High St. Grill, Mt. Holly NJ 3-12-09 Drafting Room, Spring House, PA Out of the Philly area: 2-4-09 Max's, Baltimore, MD 2-6-09 Brewhouse Grille, Harrisburg, PA 2-11-09 Frisco Grille, Columbia, MD 2-12-09 Mahaffey's, Baltimore, MD 2-13-09 Fat Head's, Pittsburgh, PA 2-18-09 Racer's Cafe, Baltimore, MD 2-20-09 Market Cross Pub, Carlisle, PA 2-23-09 Pizzeria Paradiso, Washington, DC 2-25-09 Max's, Baltimore, MD 2-27-09 General Sutter, Lititz, PA

Raise a Toast for A New Outlook

With my country getting a long overdue fresh perspective on leadership, breweries, restaurants, and bars are getting in on the action by making special beers and throwing parties on Inauguration Day, January 20th, 2009. While by no means exhaustive, check out the following list of events for next Tuesday that I've seen come across my screen. If you know of more in your neck of the woods, please feel free to post them in the comments section or just toss an e-mail to me if you prefer. I'll get things started here with an interesting blurb from Piece Brewery in Illinois by way of Lew Bryson. Interesting, to say the least. The Tiedhouse- "History in the Making" Inauguration Brunch McGillin's- all day, special Hawaiian-inspired menu, drinks, and leis 21st Amendment- Yes We Can! Party; opens at 9am with the televised inauguration and serving $2 cans of 21A beer all day McMenamin's/Crystal Ballroom- The People's Inaugural Ball, details TBA Plough and Stars: 6pm, Get Your Barack On Grey Lodge: 120 Minute IPA on 1/20 on draft all day Blind Tiger: serving Duvel/Ommegang's Inauguration Ale, Avery's Ale to the Chief, a few Imperial beers Pike Brewing: Pike "White House" Chili Thirsty Bear: all day Beer Stimulus Plan City Tavern: Jan. 16-20, $44 prix fixe 3 course menu with beer London Grill: all day, all night with Obamagang (see below); and even a "going away" party for Bush and Cheyney on 1/15 Dock Street: 6pm, special food and beer Zot Restaurant: 3 course Inauguration Dinner followed by Bush Piñata Party And finally, Ommegang- has released a new, very limited, beer called Inauguration Ale (a.k.a. Obamagang) in the brewery's words...

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January - February 6.2% ABV - Draft only The TTB won't let us call the beer Obamagang on the keg label. So it will be known legally as Inauguration Ale 2009, but the tap handles will be more...um...direct. The style lies between a porter and stout, with a bit of Kriek and a touch of chocolate blended in. It will be on draft only, beginning with the inauguration - in limited areas including DC, NYC, Syracuse, Philly, Chicago and Boston. We will donate a percentage of sales to charities in the respective cities where the beer is sold, and we've asked our distributors to match our donations and pick the local charities. (Also please note that the beer is not an endorsement of Obama.)

Tonight

Not gonna go into anything too sudsy here tonight other than to say that I'm staying warm with, ironically, some Great Lakes treats (Eliot Ness Lager and Christmas Ale). This being one of the coldest nights of the year in many places where you may be reading this, it reminds me that I should be thankful for a roof over my head, a job that keeps the furnace running, and a lifestyle that allows me to enjoy the good things in life like this Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve beer, one that I just may be ready to proclaim one of the best of the 2008/2009 winter season. I'm hoping that this evening finds you warm and counting your blessings as well. Not everyone is so fortunate. Those of us who can, could and should always do more than just think about helping those less fortunate.

In Brian O'Reilly's Words

The Pride of the Fox You'll need to tune in on Sunday, or later download the podcast version, to The Brewing Network's Sunday Session for an interview with Brian O'Reilly of Sly Fox. Interviews on the Sunday Session are always well-done and usually very entertaining as well. Let's see how Brian fits in with the crew from The BN.

The Haggis, please...

Excerpted from the latest Sly Fox newsletter. Let's just say that the last sentence below could be mine as well as anyone who has ever attended this fine, fine party. If that's not you, it should be high on your list of things to rectify this year. The haggis, please...

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....The Burns Birthday Bash attracts many fans of Burns’ poetry and Americans of Scottish descent from all around the region as well as beer fans who’ve waited anxiously for the release of our Gang Aft Agley Scotch Ale on that night. This year, everybody in attendance will also enjoy another special treat: both Gang Aft Agley and Burns Scottish Ale will be pouring on the Phoenixville handpumps as well as the draft lines. In addition--and this one is clearly for the beer geeks--a keg of 2007 Gang Aft Agley will also be on draft. The Robbie Burns Birthday Bash features bagpipers, Haggis and the reading of selections from Burns’ poetry by attendees brave enough—or lubricated enough—to take center stage. This is a great winter party.....

If there must be a Consolation Prize, let it be Nugget Nectar

Plans had me drinking Weyerbacher's new Fireside Ale in South Philly at Devil's Den. Plans had me drinking G.W.'s Porter from a cask at The Kite and The Key. Funny thing about plans? They sometimes change. Sheesh, I'm starting to sound like this other guy I know. Things happen. Trains are missed. But there's something about dark clouds and silver linings that have a way of working themselves out. See, if you didn't already know, the first-class beer bar, TJs, is directly across the street from the Paoli Train Station, home to the aforementioned 'missed train.' Patty and I rendezvoused at TJs where Tröegs latest incarnation of beer geek favorite, Nugget Nectar, had just been delivered at 5:58pm off the truck to the coolers at the bar. So, what does that mean? It means that at 6:04pm, I was drinking the first delivered retail account's Nugget Nectar in Chester County, PA. Not that I get all bothered by such things. But, on this night of missed opportunities, I'm taking this one for all it's worth. ($12/six pack at TJs, if you're interested.)

The Great 2009 New Year's Eve Beer Trek through New York City, Part 4

Previously in the series...Be careful what you ask for (or expect) Midnight in the garden of Tompkins Square Going into a marathon day like we did on New Year's Eve, it can feel like it will never end (in a good way). Then, by the time darkness falls and later as the night comes to end, it feels like it all went by in a flash. We left the negativity behind from the last two stops and strolled on over to Hop Devil (& the adjoining Belgian Room) on the doorstep to Tompkins Square Park. It was somewhere around 10:30/11:00pm when we showed up and the place was filling up fast. I've been to Hop Devil numerous times in the past and have always been pleased with the beer selection. The couple of times that I've had food also left me satisfied to recommend Hop Devil as one of the better beer bars on Manhattan. They appear to have some sort of branding re-make underway, so a more complete review should be in order soon. This visit was no different. Well, except this time it was only the beer menu and not the food menu that we sampled from. Balloons were awaiting overhead, party hats and horns were being distributed, and saucers of champagne were being poured in anticipation of the stroke of midnight. While I did take the champagne, it was the glassful of Pennichuck aged Russian Imperial Stout from the tap that I made sure to toast with at midnight. I'd only just caught wind of this beer in the last month or so and honestly don't know much of anything about Pennichuck the brewery (near Nashua, New Hampshire). What I do know, bushie, is that this one heck of a beer. Further, what I have learned from cruising their website's history page is that they have the bottle labeling machine from the Heavyweight Brewing Company, formerly of Ocean Township, NJ. Remember the T.U.D. during last year's Philly Beer Week? The Totally Unnecessary (last) Drink? Once we finally left Hop Devil, we found it necessary to have that "one last drink." To be fair, only I had one last one, Patty abstained. A few doors up and across the street is St. Dymphna's, as in the Patron Saint of mental disorders, in case you're not up on your Saints. They must fall under the threshold for the smoking ban, because smoking was in full effect and a flashback to days past in Pennsylvania. As you can see, and predictably I'm sure, the notes and the photos went downhill as the night went on. But, that's fine; living in the moment sometimes requires that I take the reporter's hat off from time to time. I've often wondered over the years if all the posturing for pictures of a birthday cake, a sporting event's action, or a wedding reception actually enhance the moments, preserves it (for what?) down the road, or just flat out leaves us vacant of understanding the meaning of a moment. There you have it. Roughly thirteen hours, ten stops (eleven if you include the Whole Foods Beer Store), a few interesting characters met along the way, and many good beers retired. Let's recap... Best Way of Getting to NYC from Philly: Amtrak- Without a doubt, if you've got the coin in your purse, opt for Amtrak over New Jersey Transit, and especially....please, over the car. There is absolutely no point in driving to or into NYC. The seats are more comfortable, the trip is around 90 minutes from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station making between 2-4 stops, and service is friendlier. Plus, when enjoying an on-board cocktail, Amtrak's smooth ride is much less likely to spill your drink. Bar Most Likely to Return to ASAP: Spring Lounge- the relaxed atmosphere, the quality beers could have you here for hours on end Most Surprising Find: Nolita House- serves the lesson that you should never pass up an open door without further investigation (well, maybe not every open door, use your best judgment ;-) My favorite New Beers found during my New Year's Eve: (1) Pennichuck aged Russian Imperial Stout at Hop Devil; (2) Duvel Green at Vol de Nuit; (3) Chelsea Hoppy Holidays at Spring Lounge Beer every NYC bar should carry: Blue Point Toasted Lager- great for beer geeks and newbies alike Lesson Learned (consumer): When a bartender not otherwise terribly preoccupied doesn't acknowledge you when you come in the door, or at the very least when you sit at his/her bar, leave immediately Lesson that should be Learned (bar owner): Every day is a chance to win new future customers. Supposing that this is actually part of your business plan, that you would put staff on duty for New Year's Eve that is either inexperienced or not enthusiastic about promoting your business is just plain dumb. Whether you call New Year's Eve customers "amateurs" or not, an impressed clientele is future business and should not be taken lightly. Here endeth my New Year's Eve rant for another 350 days or so. Best New Year's Day morning-after Meal: New York Burger Company- burgers made to order, fries, and fountain soda. Cured! Who's ready for 2010?

Philly Celebrates Earth

Earth Bread + Brewery will be the place to be this coming Thursday (1/15) as Philadelphia Brewing suds take over the local tap handles. Nancy and Chris will be guest bartending. Reporting for duty will the "regulars" (Newbold IPA, Kenzinger, Rowhouse Red, Walt Wit) and the recent specialities like PhilaBuster, Philly'z Navidad, and Joe's Espresso Porter. Plus, you get to 'keep the glass.' With this promotional event and after a mostly glowing review in this past Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer, I'm betting a full house on Germantown Avenue on Thursday.

Running with Beer in the Bay Area

I've always enjoyed reading Jay Hinman's reviews of beers and locations that he runs into in the Bay Area (keeping me up-to-date while I can't be there) and as he travels the country. Recently, he reviewed Southampton's Cuvee des Fleurs, one of my perennial faves. Now he's taking up running. It's refreshing that he approaches it from a 'I really enjoy running' perspective as opposed to the resolutiony-type of 'I'm getting fat and need to run to lose the pounds' approach. (Though, he hints at that as well, you can easily tell that he does enjoy the act of running.) As you know if you pay attention around here, I really enjoy running as well. It's therapeutic, inspiring, and even relaxing. Jay is setting off on a marathon quest of his own this year. Stop by his blog, check out his readings, and subscribe to updates. Wish him well on his journey. I, for one, know just how far the simplest words and wishes can go to helping with motivation to hit the pavement.

Of Belgians and Barrels at Iron Hill

In 2 weeks from today, Iron Hill once again hosts a Belgian event at their West Chester location. Then, Iron Hill Lovers, get ready to have your hearts warmed in February. After bottling lambics this past holiday season, here comes the next big news from the Iron Hill Family. excerpted from a press release yesterday...

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Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, the popular food and drink destination with seven area locations, announces Beers from the Barrel, a celebration of Bourbon Barrel-aged Beers, throughout February. All month, each Iron Hill location will spotlight two house brewed beers that celebrate this uniquely American style of beer. "In the past, our bourbon barrel aged beers have only been available sporadically, in small quantities," says Director of Brewing Operations Mark Edelson. "With this month-long event, guests will experience a variety of these special beers, on draught – as long as supplies last!" Featured bourbon barrel aged beers will include: Bourbon Porter, Iron Hill’s award-winning Pig Iron Porter has roasty malt and pronounced bourbon flavors with a nice vanilla aroma, served on nitrogen and sometimes described as ‘dessert in a glass’; Bourbon Russian Imperial Stout, a Great American Beer Festival medalist has a complex malt character and balanced, distinct bourbon and vanilla flavors; Bourbon Barley wine, with intense caramel-malt sweetness and aroma balanced with distinct bourbon and vanilla flavors; Bourbon Tripel, a traditional Belgian-style strong ale with complex aroma and flavor of plums, spice and bananas with a refreshing, balanced bitterness; and well as Bourbon Wee Heavy; Bourbon Baltic Porter; and Bourbon Dubbel.

Staid Main Line? not in Wayne, PA

I'd heard well-placed whispers for a few months now that there were longer-term changes in store ever since John Mims took the toque at The Freehouse. It looks like the changes are finally underway, big time. When living in Ardmore, we often enjoyed Carmine's in Havertown. I'll look forward to seeing his new operation and how it takes shape over the next few months. Opened yesterday, if I recollect correctly, at 3pm. Similarly, long-simmering changes have been on the table at White Dog in University City (Philly). As original and long-time owner (and leading community voice) Judy Wicks continues to take more of a supporting role at the restaurant, it looks as if part of the new plans include a Wayne location as well. If this plays out as planned, this could be another nice little beer-y addition to Wayne. A stop-in at White Dog in University City always brings at least a couple of good beers (especially of the local variety, in keeping with their mission statement) and bites at this Philly classic. Teresa's Next Door has a new website and their continuing stellar lineup of beer. A new outpost of Flanigan's Boathouse has opened...joining its sibling Conshohocken's and Malvern's locations. They have a decent looking beer list (with the competition in Wayne, they'd better), I just don't know how much they're actively promoting it. First hand investigation is required, I believe. Okay, so Beer Yard remains the same, yawn ;-) With all of this change to small, little-old Wayne, the question that will be answered throughout this new year and next: Will the town be able to support these new and changing businesses?

The Great 2009 New Year's Eve Beer Trek through New York City, Part 3

Previously in the series...Day turns into Night in the West Village A Little Rain Must Fall It was lightly snowing and blowing like old man winter, but it sure felt like it was about time for someone, something to rain on our extraordinarily great day thusfar. I'm going to name this little session here the Nobody's Perfect, and Some Don't Even Try edition. The first entry in this session comes from Café de Bruxelles. Now, to be fair, this was an overall satisfactory, maybe even slightly above average visit. I don't want to come across as being too much of a jerk here (remember, I'm the really nice beer guy ;-) but when poor service leaves a mark on the visit, well... The bar and restaurant were crowded. We'd come in the front door off of Greenwich Avenue, spied no open seats at the bar, and were immediately asked if we wanted a table. Figured, sure!, it would beat standing at this point. The crowd wasn't too surprising considering the lengthy history and reputation of this Belgian restaurant, one of New York's originals. So, as quickly as we were greeted, we were sat at a dining room table. Though, we didn't plan to have dinner here, we thought it was a good idea to mix in a little food with the Ommegang Abbey Dubbel bottle that we ordered. Do you remember how I raved about my Christmas Eve run-in with an aged bottle of this beauty? Then it shouldn't surprise you that it took all of 30 seconds to select it from amongst a bunch of other nice looking bottles and drafts on the list. (The mussels, fries, soup, and beer were the highlights of an odd visit to Café de Bruxelles) We ordered some soup and a large (emphasis added once again!) bowl of mussels with bacon, mushrooms, and leeks. Okay, our tab wasn't going to be $100 or more, but did we deserve to never be checked in on again? Never asked how were doing, if we wanted more beer, dessert, or anything? Our table was cleared and we sat...and sat. So, when our check never came, we got up to leave. I really believe we could have walked clear out the door without being recognized. I wondered for a second whether our dinner might have, in fact, been free! Bizarre, to be sure. Especially considering that in the tight dining room, our dining neighbors on the left and right of us were both attended to multiple times during our stay. But, near the door, we were asked (by the owner, I'm fairly certain) how things were. Let's just say I didn't mince words. Politely, but firmly and without too much volume that would draw attention. The multiple apologies came across as lukewarm and faintly sincere. I believe his attitude was partly borne out of frustration of needing to move as many customers through the doors as possible on this busy night. But, still... Anyway, should have I shared this with you? Eh, maybe...maybe not. The mussels were great, the beer selection very pleasing, and the crowd had a New Year's electricity about it. The service, or I should at least qualify and say the service that we received was extremely lacking. We got apologies from the owner, but we really didn't care at that point. We were ready to write it off as a fluke experience. But, by all means go and check them out for yourself. In any case, by the time we took our short cab ride across town toward the East Village and plopped ourselves down on the next set of barstools, trust me, our experience at Café de Bruxelles was a distant memory. Let's see if I can paint this picture properly for you. We walk into Burp Castle and the place is fairly empty, like less than ten customers. We were there for less than an hour and they never doubled their customer count. (Mind you, this is New Year's Eve and the time was somewhere in the ballpark of nine o'clock or so.) We sit down at the end of the bar to give us a full view of the room. Tap handles are all around us, but we can't see them all. The chalkboard menu is behind the bar; I can see part of it, Patty can't see any of it from her angle. We're both taking a look at tap handles deciding what we want. The tap list at Burp Castle has always been pretty good, almost stellar at times. The atmosphere is a hushed low murmur, that appears to be the way they prefer it...okay. (The darkness represents our recent experience at Burp Castle) We lost track of how many minutes we waited for the bartender to come on over and even acknowledge us. Picture this, though. The bar is only, I don't know, twenty feet long or so. The bartender is prepping meats, cheeses, crudite and whatnot that were being offered on New Year's Eve to all customers. Terribly important when there are newly-arriving and waiting customers, I'm sure. Then, when we began to put on our distressed faces, he finally meandered over and asked what we wanted. Patty had a couple of questions about taps (what's that one?, etc.) and his ultimate response was something to the tune of "It would just be easier if you came over here and looked at the tap list yourself." Alrighty then... So we got our beers and needless to say it would be the only one. The bartender was so enraptured with a friend of his, that getting the tab was alone a trying enough task...forget if we had even wanted a second beer, which was totally plausible when we walked in the door. I'm going to end this installment of my New Year's Eve story a bit earlier than the last two (I can hear the sighs of relief). This is an attempt to keep all of the negativity in one posting. The message should be clear here. Café de Bruxelles we're chalking up to an accidental occurrence of careless service and we'll look to return anytime we're in the area. Burp Castle? Once it may have even been in my top 10 on the island. Now, it's dropped like a concrete boot in the East River; even if the service was an aberration, it left a bad enough taste in my mouth to say this. The outwardly ambivalent service leads me to believe that I don't know when I'll return. There's plenty of good beer on the island with better service. Oh, and if you'd like a happier review of Burp Castle, check out what I said three years ago about them. Next up in this series...Midnight approaches in the East Village

Resolve to Eat and Drink well...Tonight in Doylestown at Villa Capri

I rarely do New Year's Resolutions (make them, that is...forget about keeping them). I instead prefer the approach of picking any time of the year to change a way, a habit, a goal in the spirit of making a 'better me.' But, this year, one thusfar unspoken and unwritten resolution (regarding the pursuit of all good that beer has to offer) has been/will be to search out the smaller and, shall we say, off-the-beaten-path events on the calendar. They may turn out to be less expensive too, but that's not really the motivation. The motivation is to support not just the high-end, high profile beer dinners (e.g. Monk's), beer festivals (e.g. Ommegang), and the like. Granted, these things must and will still be on my calendar. But, take tonight for example. We're going to check out Lee Marren, who recently left Spinnerstown Hotel (and previously Legacy Brewing in Reading, PA) to be the Mid-Atlantic spokesman for Stone Brewing from southern California. Tonight Lee's hosting a simple (I say that with all affection) tasting of four Stone beers paired with pizza and other small bites at Villa Capri in Doylestown, PA. I wouldn't be surprised if most of you missed it on the beer calendar of events. Sure, same beer time, same beer date...Tria with Tom Baker...looks interesting but it's sold out so you can't go anyways. My goal is to help bring attention to any event occurring that aims to promote the consumption of better beer, especially when it's paired with food. The city version of supporting lower profile events tonight would be at The Khyber where they'll be helping to debut Philadelphia Brewing's new Joe Espresso Porter with $2 glassfuls from 5pm-7pm. If you're in the City and want to head out to Doylestown after happy hour for some pizza and Stone beer, it's an easy ride on SEPTA's R5 to the Doylestown stop (actually, the end of the line so you can't miss it!), then just a couple of block walk.

The Great 2009 New Year's Eve Beer Trek through New York City, Part 2

Previously in the series...New Year's Eve gets off to a Proper Start (Part 1) Moving On Along our way back to Houston (street, that is...say it with me...How-stin...when you're in Texas with the Bushies, you can say Hew-sten) to jump back on the subway, we did a bit of window shopping and stopped in a couple of stores. Then, we made our first digression from "the plan" of the day. Now before you go thinking, 'oh boy, Bryan must have blown his lid, they were already off the plan!' it's not like that at all. The list was only there for guidance. Remember, the mission of the day was to discover new places. There were already many more places on the list than could ever be visited in one day. Sheesh, guys, I may be detail-oriented but it doesn't mean I'm obsessive about it. Moving on... (Nolita House beckons passers-by on Houston Street) This second place was intriguing to us because of its entrance on Houston Street. With a small sandwich board outside announcing their specials and a short stack of steps leading up to a door on the right, it definitely had a curiosity-seeker's interest piqued. The name is Nolita House and inside is a narrow space with a few tables upfront, more in the back, a booth that holds 6-10 people (depending upon size!), and a bar that holds around ten to maybe fifteen people max in the middle of the room. A large chalkboard against the inside wall displays the available beers and the staff is quick to welcome. (Nolita House's beer offerings; small list, but solid and tasty) This was a one-beer stop, maybe not necessarily a beer geek's stop. But, with a Delirium Tremens and Brooklyn Lager to throw back on our 20-30 minute visit, we were anything but unhappy to have stopped in. Nolita House has a reasonably-priced and interesting looking pub menu with a cheese menu to boot. Plus, our appreciation goes out to the three young ladies who provided us with a bit of entertainment as they one by one visited the ladies room to install their personal, uh, porta-pots for their visit to Times Square for the ball drop. Yes, friends...diapers. (A winter's celebratory beer if I ever saw one) After leaving Nolita's, a short block and a half or so to the subway station took us to the train which we took to the next stop at 4th Street. Up to street level and just off of Washington Square Park is where Vol de Nuit is tucked away. It has been at least three, maybe four or five, years since we've last been to Vol de Nuit. I always hear mixed reactions about this place. But, this is my space, so I'll share with you my thoughts instead. (Pick up your head as you walk down 4th Street or you'll miss Vol de Nuit) Bring on the Night Our original visit to Vol de Nuit was an accidental stumbling upon. You'll know what I mean if you can make out the picture. Vol de Nuit is set back through an archway on 4th Street. Once you find it the first time, subsequent visits shouldn't be as difficult. Think: Brickskeller in D.C.; Victory in Downingtown; Sugar Mom's in Philly; or Cambridge Brewing across the river from Boston. All of these places I had difficulty finding the first time. After that, they became habit. (The entrance to Vol de Nuit is tucked away off the hustle and bustle of the street) We got there just as they were opening for the evening. They still keep the lights extremely (emphasis added!) low so it takes a few minutes for the eyes to adjust. Once they adjust and there's a beer in front of you, I guarantee it's the kind of place that you won't want to leave. Since we've last been there, the tap list has changed and improved a bit. They've always had Leffe, Hoegaarden, Delirium Tremens, and Corsendonk. Now, with the addition of La Chouffe, Duvel Green, and Chimay it's an even more appealing draft list. Plus, the moules and frites (disclaimer: did not sample this time) add to the experience. (Did I mention dim lights at Vol de Nuit?) Once again, it was a one beer and done visit. The one beer? A La Chouffe for Patty and a Duvel Green for me. Both hit the spot perfectly and they can be my "one beer and done" anytime. It was good to see that Vol de Nuit is still serving up what I appreciated several years ago at my last visit, and maybe even better this time. Put this at the top of your list when in the lower half of Manhattan. Plus, being easily accessible to the subway and just around the corner from Blind Tiger makes it a no-brainer. (But the beer list at Vol de Nuit shines brightly) ...Which brings us to Blind Tiger You knew I couldn't stay away, right? When we'd first considered New Year's Eve in NYC, we thought very long and hard about doing the museum and touristy thing during the day and the $120/pp package at the Blind Tiger at night. The lineup of beer, food, and camaraderie looked just so appealing and the price right for a five hour shindig. But, in the end, we decided to instead include Blind Tiger as one of the stops during our thirteen hour tour. Plus, we figured a few of the evening's special beers might already be on tap when we arrived in the late afternoon. That way, for what would work out to be a little bit less than the Blind Tiger fixed price affair, we could hit a dozen or so places over a longer period of time and take in all that the various NYC neighborhoods have to offer along the way. (No pictures at the Blind Tiger? What?! So you get a picture of our beers at Vol de Nuit instead---with proper glassware of course) And, other than the curiously stashed Budweiser bottles on ice behind the bar, all was typically perfect. The staff was already beginning the transition over to the New Year's environment, where they would be scattering food stuffs around the bar, decorations from the rafters, and fresh kegs of the good stuff (even better than the usual stuff?) on tap. I was surprised to see a young lady behind the bar whose name and face escaped me until we had left and were walking down the street (of course). The last time I'd seen her was farther uptown at The Collins Bar not long before they were closed down for "block renovations." The Blind Tiger may have been where the night started to take on a different flavor, so to speak. With a Smuttynose Wheat Wine and Anchor Christmas for me and a Sly Fox O'Reilly Stout for Patty, it was more like I had three beers to her one. But, "wow beers" they were. I'm enjoying the Anchor this year more than I have of their holiday beers over the past few years. The spices are toned down a bit and it becomes a really nice malt drinker with spices moreso in the background. And the Smuttynose? Wow, quite a mouthful...and an ABV pusher. At 10%+ it brought the heat, but also the flavor too. It was overwhelming in an overly delicious way. I'll be on the lookout for this at least once more this winter. A Trip Down Memory Lane And, so we sadly parted ways with the Blind Tiger, leaving way too many good soldiers on the chalkboard. Before we pushed into the West Village for Cafe de Bruxelles, we had an order from good friend Lloyd to stop off at Jekyll and Hyde for old time sake. A bit of history follows. Back, oh, in 1992 I made my first New Year's Eve pilgrimage to New York City. Times Square, the Ball Drop, partying 'til the sun rises, and all that goes with being an early 20-something. (Does this convey how blustery cold New Year's Eve in NYC was? It was for the wind, not the drinks, that I couldn't hold the camera still for this shot) After midnight, we ventured down to Greenwich Village/SoHo/West Village...bopping around 'til the wee hours, until the trains started running south again in the morning. Along the way, Jekyll and Hyde became a long-term stopover for us. At the time, they were pouring some of the most interesting beer I had ever seen. Remember, these are in the early days of my learning about "different beer." So, it was a Sierra, Anchor, John Courage, Samuel Smith, Newcastle, and Harpoon...and many of each for me back in those days. The ambiance of the place was something to behold as well. (A must drink beer, in my opinion, when in the NYC region) Well, time has marched on and Jekyll & Hyde has stayed mostly the same. That goes for the beer selection as well. This can be fortunate (when talking about the Belgians and Germans that they've pretty much carried throughout the years) and unfortunate (in the continued stash of fairly mundane national and international offerings and modest U.S. and particularly local NY craft selections). The freakish environs and characters persist, but save for a Blue Point Toasted Lager (I love this beer, btw)...and Stone, Goose Island, Flying Dog, and Anchor the beer menu is roughly the same. I should know. I have a copy of the beer menu circa 1992/1993 to compare to the one from 2008/2009. It's just that 15 years ago, it seemed much more interesting. Ah well, c'est la vie I suppose. Okay, this is almost enough for one session. One more story to share, then I'll save the rest for Part 3. We marched deeper into the West Village with the intention of getting to Café de Bruxelles. Along the way on a lovely stretch of 4th Street, Patty noticed a stepdown into the subterranean level of a brownstone. There were people seated around tables and what looked like a bar. Intriguing, of course. After a little hesitation, we jumped in headfirst and bellied up to the bar. (Fedora's oozes charm) Turns out, Fedora is a bit of a throwback nostalgic walk down memory lane of their own for longtime New Yorkers. No website, no nonsense, just good and affordable food (reportedly), and conviviality throughout the cozy dining room. No beer discoveries to speak of here, so we opted for our first glass of wine for the day/night. Not too memorable the drinks, but more memorable the Susan Sarandon lookalike and her husband/boyfriend/male friend(?). Had a nice time kibitzing with them in this family-owned Italian restaurant. We were there long enough to see the matriarch of the restaurant show up to a round of applause. It was clear that this is a true neighborhood gem and we hope to return for dinner sometime soon. Next up in this series (or whatever we're calling this)...part 3, almost to midnight!

The Great 2009 New Year's Eve Beer Trek through New York City, Part 1

The Background There are more, contrary to popular belief, than two ways to celebrate New Year's Eve. There's a certain wisdom to staying home and celebrating under the safety of your own roof. Or there's the idea of going out and tearing up the town, acting like an idiot and endangering the happiness and well being of those around you.

Then there's my approach which involves being out, having a great time, and not hurting anyone in the process. It amazes me how many quizzical looks I get about my plans for being out on New Year's Eve, let alone in New York City. Fact is, I can and do run into "idiots" on the other hundred times a year that I go out, so why should New Year's Eve scare me away from going out? And why should the fact that I find it cause for celebration to mark the passing of the year be a strange concept? The point of "going out" often is to celebrate something, right? Of course it's just another digit on the calendar, but how many times do you find yourself out on the town for really no reason at all? Now driving on New Year's Eve is a different story, and I can certainly understand why, if that's the only option for transportation, that people will want to shy away from going out on New Year's Eve. If that's the way you must go out on New Year's Eve, particularly if you're planning to "light it up," well now that's a whole nutha conversation that we're not even going into here.

That's why it was off to New York City for Patty and me. Times like New Year's Eve last week remind me of why I love living in this Northeast region of the country. From the big cities to the rural farmlands, from the mountains to the ocean and the bay, and all of the benefits of cultural diversity that this all brings, it's all right here for easy pickings in southeastern Pennsylvania.

It was the train ride to and traversing of New York City on New Year's Eve that reminded me of this. It's not that I take it for granted; it's just that it all worked out almost as perfectly as could be wished. It worked well in New York City and it works just as well whether we're talking about Boston, New York, Philadelphia, or Washington. From the Philadelphia region, only Boston is a bit of stretch. Within a few hours drive or a couple of hours on a train we can easily be in any of these magnificent cities.

 
(The 8am opening time supports Spring Lounge's admirable motto)
Train, to me, is almost always the best option. Then, when in the city, New York almost without argument can get you practically anywhere in four out of the five boroughs within spittin' distance that you'd want to go. Washington's METRO and Boston's T do pretty good jobs as well. And there aren't many spots that most of us would want to go to in Philly that SEPTA can't get you close to. Say what you want about the service aspect, if you want to get somewhere in one of these cities, some combination of the train, a taxi, and your legs can get you there without putting yourself behind the wheel of a car.

The Trek Begins But enough of this transportation blathering, or rant if that's the way it came off. On to (back to?) New Year's Eve. The dogs were dropped off at the kennel and Patty and I got ourselves on to the Amtrak train out of Paoli. Within a couple of hours, we were hopping the subway on to our hotel in the Chelsea neighborhood where we were able to get an early check-in. No tunnel delays, no road rage, just a smooth relaxing ride up the Northeast Corridor. So far, so very good.

 
(Quite possibly the best start to any beer-drinking day)
The main objective of this New Year's Eve trip to NYC was to hit up as many places as possible that I haven't been to in the past. Or, maybe better stated, as few of the usual suspects as possible. We had a list of twenty or so places that made the list, a map, and subway passes; that's all we really needed for this mission...well, and warm clothing for the frigid night weather as well. There have always been these kind of places hanging around on my NYC to-do list and in the past they've always stayed there in favor of places like Blind Tiger (I'll bet some of you figure that I'm getting something from BT for all that I've written about them in the past.)

After dropping our bags at the hotel and freshening up, we made off to the Bowery location of the Whole Foods chain. Yes, I've written about my stops there before. The regulars of you here will recall the cheese shop, grocery store, great beer selection, and of course the growler filling station. Go back and read if you'd like to catch up; I won't go into any more detail here again.

 
(Spring Lounge at the corner of Spring & Mulberry Streets)
We picked up some sandwiches and an accompanying side dish to head over to our first stop, Spring Lounge, on the corner of Spring and Mulberry, basically at the northern entrance to Little Italy. If you talk to serious beer geeks in the NYC area, you might get mention of Spring Lounge, but unfortunately casual observers tend to lose sight of Spring Lounge amongst the Hop Devils, Blind Tigers, Ginger Mans, Barcades, Spuyten Duyvils, and others of the NYC beer bar heaven.

 
(From the Spring Lounge's back room looking out toward the front bar)
The First, The Best? Spring Lounge certainly set the bar high and early. What a gem. From 8am to 4am, if you want a good beer in NYC, Spring Lounge is the place to go. The bar, which has seen suds flowing since the early 20th century under various names, is just a couple of blocks south of Houston and across from the Disalvio neighborhood park.

They've been voted Best Place to Drink Before Noon by The L Magazine. Served in a comfortable no-nonsense environment with interesting people and decor to match, we were right at home at our heavy wood table and bench in the corner with a street-peeping view out the large window next to us. We were surrounded by historical pictures, toilet seats, sharks, and moose mounted on the walls...beer barrels serving as table tops...hardwood floors and exposed brick.

 
(The tap list can be spotted amongst the kitsch at the Spring Lounge front bar)
As I'd mentioned, unless you want a bag of chips from the bar, you'll need to bring your own food. With our sandwiches and side dish from Whole Foods, we got things started perfectly with a Brooklyn Local 1, a Chelsea Brewing's Happy Holidays, and a Lagunitas Brown Shugga. Perhaps a "big" way to start the day, yes, but there was plenty of food to chase the suds down. Chelsea Brewing was originally on our hit list for the day, but fell off due to logistical conflicts. But, fortunately, this was the one chance that I had during the day to have Chelsea on tap, and it sure did not disappoint.

One quick conversation overheard at the bar: Guy buying the beer: One's Stella and one's PBR Girl: Which is which? Guy: You'll need to figure it out. (girls guessed the same; both were wrong, go figure) The Great 2009 New Year's Eve in New York City tour was officially underway and we were happy…
 
(Peering eastward out the Mulberry Street window)
Up Next...Moving Along with a surprise pit stop and a visit with a few old friends (Part 2)

There go my plans of being the bad boy of beer

Probably a good thing, since there's some tuff competition out there!

Thanks for the kind words, Suz, and great job on encapsulating a year in Philly-area beer. But, for the record, there's no human out there who thinks I'm a nicer guy than Dr. Joel.

It's been enjoyable seeing everyone's take on how to remember the year 2008. See also:

~ Don Russell's favorite beers of the moment (fwiw, in my opinion, the only "safe" way to do these favorite-style lists)
~ Jack Curtin's awards and observations
~ Lew Bryson participates in The Session (which should absolutely should be a resolution of mine to participate in more often) and reveals his thoughts of 2008 and forecast for 2009 ** While at Lew's blog, be sure to check out "Why We Drink"
~ Jay Brooks submits his 2008 grades for your review; good marks Jay!
~ John Rehm reviews notes from a year prior
~ Alan McLeod does 2008 in Part 1 and Part 2
~ Pete Brown reviews the Best and the Worst across the Pond in 2008
~ Shaun O'Sullivan checks in with his thoughts of things done and to come
~ Andy Crouch reviews the year and contemplates his wishes for better beer in 2009's Boston
~ Stan Hieronymous reminisces on things he'll miss from 2008
~ Maureen Ogle has wishes for 2009 that are hard to argue with
~ Dan Bengel's had a crazy year and he's ready for the next one
~ Tomme Arthur came off gift-giving agony for his daughter's second birthday with a great follow-up Christmas story
~ Jeff Glazer at Madison Beer Review looks back and looks forward

Remembering the Year 2008 in Beer

Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost---Along the Way--- So Dry your tears I say---

From top to bottom, the big story across the industry for 2008, was it the hops shortage? Maybe. Price increases? Absolutely. Business Model Viability was tested.

It turned out to be more, way more than just the hops driving beer prices this year. I keep track of prices paid for the beer I've bought over the years. It's interesting to note that a mere eight miles from my house I can get a growler filled with one of Victory's mainstays for under $10, actually more like $7 and a 750ml bottle of great beers like their V-series for $7.50. These prices have barely budged over the past few years. Similar deals can be found up route 113 at Sly Fox and into the City at Philadelphia Brewing and Yards.

Similar stories play out in your hometown continuing to make well-crafted beer the most affordable luxury there is today. Here's to buying local!

The year 2008 got kicked into high gear quickly when Patty and I were in the Bay Area for Strong Beer Month and the Celebrator 20th Anniversary Party. With events spread across the two cities by the Bay in February, it's easy to see San Francisco Beer Week 2009 being a success.

Then, in March, Philadelphia did it up big time. Philadelphia has been on the beer radar of most beer aficionados for many a year. In 2008, no less than a couple of hundred events from free tastings to dinner galas should have left no doubt of Philly's prominence in the beer world. As a testament to the success of Philly Beer Week, handfuls of cities followed suit planning their own take on Philly's template. 2009's installment promises to be no less of a success.

August brought Belgium back to Cooperstown again, this year a few weeks later than usual. Ommegang hosted its must-do Belgian Beer Festival for the fifth year, to even greater success than ever. Even if the only measuring stick that you use to determine success is ticket sales popularity. A fun sidenote (not so side-notish for the riders) was my hosting of the words and pictures of the Ride to Cooperstown by six local riders over 350+ miles.

During October, we took our second big beer trip of the year, this one to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival. We fit in some touring around the state with the festival tacked on to the last 4 days of our 10 day trip. It will certainly be difficult to look at other beer festivals through the same eyes again.

Here in Philly, December played host to a greater variety of beer events than recent memory can recall. It made for a quite the busy month, as if it couldn't get any busier! Jack correctly points out that January will pick up where New Year's Eve left off.

The horizon for 2009 looks promising in the Philadelphia region, with two new beer bars with a heavy craft focus opening at the turn of the calendar; and they couldn't be in more different areas. Local 44 opened on January 1st on the doorsteps of West Philly, less than a dozen blocks from Dock Street and just a few more than that from 30th Street Station.

Forty miles west in the hinterlands is the new Craft Ale House, which means that part of the Fertile Crescent is filling with a nice little triangulation from Ortino's (Zieglerville) to Craft Ale House (Limerick) to Union Jack's (Boyertown). The second installment of Philly Beer Week kicks off on March 6th and, with some refinements this year, looks to be even better than the first year's smashing success.

On a much more individual level, the brewing world lost some of its leaders in 2008. The brewing world dealt with the loss of Bill Leinenkugel from cancer at age 87. His family's eponymous brewery was one of the first "micros" that I'd experienced somewhere around the early nineties.

Matt Luhr (Dillon DAM, CO) passed away of an aneurysm at age 46. We'd driven by Dillon DAM on our way through Colorado backcountry, it was on "our list," but didn't have time to stop in. They then went on to win a gold for their english brown at this year's GABF.

Right around the same time, longtime brewmaster Charlie Lieberman passed away at the age of 99.

Closer to home here in the Philadelphia region, the biggest loss (figuratively and literally) came when Jay Misson of Triumph passed at the young age of 45. His impact on the brewing world, particularly the lager brewing world from Philly to New Jersey to California's Gordon Biersch was profound and he will continue to be sorely missed.

Of course there were plenty of big, wow type of beers that left an impact on me this year. The continuation of the Proef collaboration did not fail to disappoint with Allagash doing the pairing this year as a follow-up to a phenomenal debut of the concept last year with Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing. Next year's collaboration will be with Bell's of Michigan and am already looking forward to this. Actually, I look forward to just about anything from de Proef.

Speaking of Port Brewing. They brought some Lost Abbey beers to a Monk's Beer Dinner earlier in the year that took my palate for a joyride. Thinking Veritas, Cable Car, Angel's Share, and Amazing Grace. I tripped twice this year across the Isabelle Proximus that Tomme undertook with Rob Tod, Sam Calagione, Adam Avery, and Vinnie Cilurzo. This beer, if you ever stumble across it yourself, should be an immediate "yes, please!"

Speaking of Vinnie, the 20th Anniversary celebration beer that they brewed in conjunction with Dave Keane from Toronado was also a great find. But finding it any longer will be near impossible except for those who may have hoarded what they found.

And, speaking of Monk's Dinners, the always intriguing Utopias found its way to my lips, which is generally not a bad thing.

Or, at Ommegang, when I ran into the incredibly complex and delightful Rosso e Marrone from Captain Lawrence. Speaking in Italian, though, reminds me of the great introduction that I had to many wonderful flavors in beers from Italy that showed up in more and more markets in 2008. Think chestnuts for starters. Also, just about anything from Jolly Pumpkin...and Struise...and...and…

But, I lay all of those big, nasty beers before you to say that perhaps the one beer above all that has left a long-term mark on me in 2008 was the Black Bavarian from Sprecher in Wisconsin. I'd previously had their bigger beers, but until they began distributing to Pennsylvania in early 2008, I never had the Black Bavarian Kulmbacher-style lager. What have I been missing?! At just a tick under 6% ABV, this is the kind of beer with great flavor of medium "weight" in the mouth and low alcohol that will keep me happy all night long and prove to be a beer that makes converts out of the "I'm not a dark beer drinker"-beer drinker.

Is there one thing that I experienced during the year that I wish I could banish. You'll laugh, but it's a word. I don't worry myself with too many pet peeves, but the word 'yummy' is one of them. One of them that I seem to have seen and heard more than ever this year. Somehow, seeing it in print makes me even more twitchy. What is it about delicious food and drink that turns our vocabulary into basic, childlike speak? Dunno, but I'm guessing now that you know just how it tweaks me, I'll be hearing even more of it in 2009, ha! (I've saved you some effort and already searched my archives to see if I'm being hypocritical.)

Best Wishes for a Happy (and as Prosperous as possible) New Year to All!

Beer Dates In History: January Anniversaries

250 years Guinness 180 years Yuengling 25 years Bridgeport Granville Island Brewing Pyramid 20 years Bison Brewing 15 years Downtown Joe's Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens Left Hand Legend Brewing 10 years Asheville Pizza & Brewing

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.. (there's Kevin posing with two tall lovelies against the far wall) Which gets us to the first point of business here. Local 44 is the neighborhood's new "local" on 44th street. It may not be the most convenient for some of us suburban beer hunters (apologies to The Beer Hunter) or other far-flung beer aficionados in search of good beer. But, in this beer-rich region, most of us, no matter our locale, have our own local. Some areas, of course, more so than others...but the gaps have certainly filled in over time. The far-westerly "rural-suburbs" have Union Jack's, Ortino's, and now Craft Ale House. Montgomery and Chester Counties received its riches perhaps longer ago than other suburbs and have been well-documented by myself and many others. Bucks County is coming along, slowly. ....And, Delaware County is, well, Delaware County. Lest I give New Jersey the cold shoulder, even some of the close Philly suburbs across the river are beginning to pay some attention to better beer. But, this is West Philly's Local. To be fair, they're joining Dock Street, roughly nine blocks further west in defining the meaning of local and giving their respective neighborhoods in the City something good to drink. 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. (here's an obligatory flash-less picture for Richard)