On the Road with The Brew Lounge, Part 4b

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Go back to Part 4a Speaking of Vagabonds Sean Paxton gets around, literally. Whether cooking on one coast or another, running GABF cooking demonstrations (as he's doing in 2009), or helping to get a new restaurant off the ground (he's the Executive Chef at Lion's Pride in Brunswick, Maine) he runs himself on what seems like a spare tank of gas some times. Fortunately, he's one of those kind of guys that only needs a few hours of sleep in a night...or a day...or whenever sleep comes. But this means that he's often using someone else's kitchen and working with staff, some of whom he would never have met before beginning the evening's work. So what is most challenging about that? Logistics and kitchen layout for starters. Take, for example, Ebenezer's. Not exactly the kitchen most conducive to this kind of dinner. Working with the staff under these kind of conditions can present challenges that no one really wants to deal with, but in the end, must. I constantly heard people complimenting Sean on his calm and the ease at which he appeared to be working the dinner. On the inside, much to the contrary he says. Inside he's a basket case, but won't allow that to show on the outside. "If something goes wrong and I point a finger in the kitchen, yell, or otherwise make a co-worker feel small and embarrassed, that trickles from the back of the house to the front of the house and the diners will likely notice", Paxton said. "When something breaks down, it's not about how screwed up it is, it's about how can we work to fix it... make it a learning experience..." He truly believes that this can work in most kitchens, even in the heat of the moment. When talking about the dramatic scenes played out on reality TV shows, Paxton weighs in with "People who do a lot of throwing, yelling, making messes can be chalked up as some form of entertainment", Paxton commented, "but what are they really teaching the viewer...what's being learned about the culinary world?" Sourcing locally is an issue as well. Paxton strongly urges chefs to take it as a responsibility to locally source as much of the ingredients in their kitchen as possible. Chefs, he says, should become familiar with local food, concepts, and traditions and use them to their advantage. Sometimes this means more cost. But, to believe in food means to taste the food, really taste it. Many times making the connection between local food and local taste is the key to pulling this off. Of course, things don't always work out as planned, especially as he attempts to manage a life both personally and professionally on two coasts. Sourcing local duck livers? Sean didn't give this a second thought as a potential risk point, but it became one that he needed to work around. Cheeses? Well, what he wanted was not available at the last minute so, plan B. Unseen, untested, untasted beers? Very big risk as well; though in his estimation there were no failures in the pairing department. The bottles of Vagabond from Allagash? Not ready, so they filled a 6 liter bottle and made it work. Strange Meat? Great pairing Then we moved on to one of the more debatable courses of the evening. The buzz even before the dinner began was the Bison Tongue. "Put your tongue back in your mouth" was just one of the jokes being made around the dinner tables. This was one plate that I saw more returned of than any other dish. But, as one fellow table mate said, "I paid $250 for this dinner, I'm at least trying it!" Now, that's the spirit. And, as most of our mothers have said, "How do you know you don't like it if you don't try it?" Here's my take on it. What's in a hamburger? How about a hot dog? Scrapple, liverwurst....shall I go on? You do know where I'm going with this, right? Nobody can say exactly what's in any of these "meats". In most cases, it a mixture of multiple parts from multiple animals. Face it, it ain't exactly appetizing when you get right down to it. Tasty? Sure, perhaps, but... The bison's tongue. One tongue. An exclusively identifiable part of the animal's body. Let's break this down. Paxton shared the approach to the dish with me to share with you. I found it intriguing and thought you would as well. These are the short notes I captured as he rattled off the process. - Soak the meat in cold water for about 5 hours, changing water every hour, to remove blood. - Grind spices to make a seasoned salt from 1/2 dozen or so spices - Coat well the tongue, vacuum seal and keep for 4 days - This opens the pores, extracts excess moisture, tenderizes - Cook at 180F for 24 hours to break down gelatin and tough parts - Chop and mix with pork belly What this turned into was another fine pairing. The alternating spiciness, sweetness, and saltiness of the meat and its accompaniments (leeks, shallots, figs) went all too well with the St. Bernardus Abt 12 (like the Val Dieu, it was served from a 6-liter bottle), reminding me of how much I enjoy this same beer with a solid plate of barbecue. While not one of the more "exotic" beers on the menu, it's one of the most dependable year-in and year-out beers, especially for pairing with food. What Stinks? Don't worry, it's only the cheese that stinks. The cheeses were great, but what really stood out for me on the plate was the wort honey (made with Sean's collaboration beer with Matt Brynildson at Firestone Walker) and the berry compote. Dragging the bleu cheese through the honey and chasing it with the Orval beer made for incredible cheese course. I've asked Sean to recreate this wort honey and keep some aside for me! Also accompanying this course was to be "Tomme's Special Surprise" which must have been a surprise to customs, because apparently that's where it was at the time of the dinner. Instead, we had some more De Ranke, which is never a bad thing, though in this case it played second fiddle with the cheese course to the Orval, which with many cheeses is a slam-dunk. Is the 10th course the proper time for a palate cleanse? I still don't know what Sexy Time is, but that was the name of the course and it meant that Sean was bringing sexy back. Where it was, I have no idea. But...a little sweet sorbet at this point, made with $10 worth of beer per serving, was just what the palate needed. I don't know much about sorbet except for the palate cleansing role that it's supposed to play and that I usually enjoy it and finish it before I know what really hit me. That was the case here, but not before I felt refreshed and ready to conquer dessert. Coasting to a Nightcap? Just as you see these paragraphs getting shorter here, I was beginning to suffer from a bit of table fatigue by the 11th course. The dining room (aka screened-in porch just off the 2nd hole of the golf course) was just a bit too tight for someone of my size sitting on the leg of the table. And, I was pinched in between my wife (whose leg I was permitted to rub up against) and another lady (whose leg I was, obviously, not permitted to) while I sat on the 14-inch aisle and was bumped into each and every time someone walked behind me. I knew I wouldn't make it through the entire review of the dinner here without mentioning the logistics of seating 115 people in a screened-in porch and serving them 12 courses of food and drink over 6 hours. I was up and out of my seat after the second course and did so again at least 6, 7, or maybe 8 more times before the dinner was over. This was one reason, though, that I was fortunate to sit on the aisle; I could easily get up and out. But, not so easy was it for the poor souls who had to sit against either the inside or outside walls of the room. When one lady at our table needed to finally get out to use the restroom, three at our table and two at the next table needed to move to allow her to get out. As she said, "I didn't pay $250 to have to crawl under the table and have my plates passed to me by other attendees like I was at a baseball game." I can't say that I disagree. Let's get back to courses 11 and 12. The panna cotta didn't hold up to form so well. Was it the higher alcohol level that didn't allow to set? Was it the weather? Don't know; I didn't ask. It sure was tasty, but was a slightly-formed slippery texture of panna cotta whose memorable part of the course was the Saucerful of Secrets beer that I've had twice before but don't recall having been struck by its fruity nature before; maybe it was the dark chocolate in the 12th course helping to bring that characteristic out. Now I know what others have raved about. On the 12th Course of Beer Dinner...Sean gave to us... ...one of the best beer pairings known to beer dinners: Chocolate and more great beer from Firestone Walker. This time it was the coveted anniversary beer, the 12th in this case, blended a bit more with Russian Imperial Stout, Parabola, and Saucerful of Secrets to make 12 point 5, or XII.V (get it?) Or mabye the 5 represented the number of gallons in existence of this beer. Yes, this was only a five gallon batch of XII.V that was fermented in oak and then aged. Therefore this was the one-time/one-place the beer that goes so perfectly with a decadent chocolate dessert could be found. That was, simply, nice and satisfying. I could have cleaned up anyone's chocolate left behind on their table. In fact, I tried. I, like some others began to finish this course standing up, having sat plenty long enough at this point. Problem was, most others finished their chocolate as well. Between these decadent chocolate truffles and the dark Belgian Chocolate Biere Brittle, I could forgive the pork belly fat cookies...still to this day, the only part of the dinner that I truly could not figure out. What do we leave with? This is one question that Sean attempts to help us answer. He doesn't attempt to outdo himself at each dinner, making the next one bigger, better, more of this or that. Instead, he fervently believes (this seems like common sense, but is it?) that not enough people are eating well enough. Therefore, he wishes to give his dining friends "a gift" of trying something new, perhaps prepared in a different way than in the past...hoping to connect the diner with what food is, what food can be. Another of his primary missions is to help showcase and promote beer at least as sophisticated as wine and to demonstrate that it has every right, in many cases more, being on a culinary menu. He used an example, close to home for him to illustrate this point. How many pages of wine are on the menu at French Laundry? And how many beers? Only 8 beers? Most times (as we all know) beer is the more pairworthy beverage with a piece of food than is wine. This is a message that he feels he must get out and he's doing everything he can to support that mission. Where does Sean Paxton go from here? Here's a guy who cooks for small groups, large groups, in demonstrations, and in restaurants. He's only 36 so there's lots of potential still, right? So what's next? I couldn't tell if he really does float with the wind or if he was being guarded. He certainly exudes an appreciation of what it has taken to get to where he is now. He claims to really not do much long-view planning, and does not sound like a man who is necessarily looking for a get-rich quick type of fame or celebrity. When he said that Charlie Papazian complimented him on his pork being the "best that's ever passed his lips" and how that was worth more to him and opens more opportunities than a one-day payday, I believed him. What's more immediate for Paxton is the Great American Beer Festival where he'll be sharing the stage with some of the craft brewing industries leading brewers, like Barnaby Struve (Three Floyds), Matt Brynildson (Firestone Walker) to discuss using malty and hoppy beer flavors in cooking...and Ron Jeffries (Jolly Pumpkin) and Will Meyers (Cambridge Brewing) to discuss using sour Belgian beer flavors in cooking. Sean's a talented guy. If for some reason the work in the kitchen falls by the wayside, he has other hobbies that he's not only passionate about, but also very good at. Photography, gardening, woodworking, and writing all hold his interest and could make him very happy if the apron ever got too messy. But, that feels like a distant possibility and until then, I'd recommend anyone take in a dinner where Sean Paxton, The Home Brew Chef, is in charge of the kitchen.

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On the Road with The Brew Lounge, Part 4a

PART 4 pictures

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Just a Bit more Background, I promise Sean Paxton, 36, hails from Sonoma, California and takes a lot of inspiration and motivation from his local French Laundry's legendary Thomas Keller. He cites Keller's technique with and understanding of flavor components and (importantly) keeping the whole kitchen experience fun by injecting humor and lightheartedness as qualities that he attempts to emulate. Sean is self-taught in the culinary world. The learning goes all the way back to when he was helping to cook in the kitchen at the tender age of 5. His first batch of homebrew was with dad at age 16 and it's been on to bigger and better things ever since. He and Chris Lively first talked via Skype after only having chatted online (in text, that is). Their passions for great food and beer and the integration of the two quickly became obvious and led to the dinner extravaganza in 2008 to kick off Lively's annual Belgian Beer Festival at Ebenezer's. It was such a hit and created such a buzz in the beer (and food) world that they planned to do it again. It didn't hurt the buzz that Paxton has also delivered staggering dinners at the likes of Toronado and for the National Homebrewers Conference. As extraordinary as those dinners were, they may have paled in comparison to the dinner event that took place during a Stanford football game for an alumni group of close to 5000 people that Paxton once served. Paxton began planning the 2009 dinner almost as soon as he arrived home from 2008's. The conceptualization of the menu began with an R&D trip to Belgium (where he found the halibut he wanted to incorporate into the dinner). After a half dozen rewrites, countless hours of recipe research and fine tuning, and even 40 hours of menu design alone, the dinner was ready to go. Sean arrived in Maine almost a week early to begin with the sous vide approach to preparation. I've never worked on Sean's side of the restaurant operations, so I won't even begin to attempt to explain this approach other than to say that it involves taking the food preparation to a certain point, and then vacuum sealing for a number of days until ready to finish the preparation. I can certainly see how it makes a dinner of this magnitude much easier to tackle in the kitchen. That's a bit of background on Sean. Let's get into the first couple of courses here and then I'll come back to more about Sean, Ebenezer's, and the evening as it unfolded. If you want to see the entire menu, instead of printing again here, I'll refer you to a picture of it that I posted prior to the dinner. After getting a sneak preview copy of the menu a couple of weeks ahead of time, there were certain things that drew my eyes and appetite right in to. Of course, dessert (the dessert, or shall I say, the two courses of dessert) was very, very high on my list. But, patience grasshopper, that's still at least 5 hours away! Course Number One, the beginning Duck Rillettes (think: pâté), Duck Liver Mousse, and an Oud Bruin mustard served with assorted crackers and breads sat along side what it sounded like was Sean's pride of the platter, the Halibut. Sean discovered the halibut during a trip to Brugge last year during one of those "R&D trips" that I described earlier. The research paid off. This was a great way to start the dinner, teasing the palate with the rich and smooth fattiness of the duck and the succulent halibut while being offset and cut through by the tartness of the Hanssens Oude Kriek from, oh, 1978. The staff also slid an '08 version of the Kriek next to the '78 for us to compare. While the '08 had a nice snappy tartness to it, the '78 had a greater complexity with more layers of sour, tart, funk. Not bad what a "little" age can do for a lambic. Belgian Beer Dinner 2009, we have arrived! Sean Paxton, the hombrewing multi-tasking chef Let's see now. Sean was the mastermind behind the dinner, co-conspirator in the beer pairings, along with a dozen other things that he has on his proverbial plate. So, it should figure that I wasn't surprised to see him come out to introduce the dinner at the beginning of the evening. And, then the second course, the third....yes, every course throughout the evening. Paxton even had time to squeeze in a couple bites of food here and there. And take pictures of it. And pictures of people. He expedited dishes tableside (of course, he had plenty of help from the kitchen and waitstaff, lest I get in hot water for neglecting to say as much), and moved from table to table as if he was at his own wedding reception making sure that each guest was greeted and made to feel comfortable, asking for feedback at every table. This is not necessarily uncommon at hosted, fixed-price, timed dinners. But, Sean took it to another level, taking great care to introduce the food, introduce the paired beer's brewer (if there in attendance), and talk to the guests at a point somewhere between his level and ours. There are certainly some beer dinners whose hosts I know could/should take a page from this book. Sean's approach to the dinners he prepares will vary a bit from event to event. He certainly does not look at it as an "ego thing". He takes it more as a challenge to understand the diners and to try to satisfy a large group of people from all walks of life. Therefore, size doesn't really matter; it could be a group of 10 at his house or 115 at Ebenezer's. He asks himself: Have they been challenged? Not in an aggressive way, but in a good and not overwhelming way? More importantly, are they walking away satisfied? As a result, the pacing, flavors, and approach will vary from one dinner to the next. To him, this is all just part of his natural approach to dinner planning. Dinner from the Sea The next three courses focused on the sea. First, Day Boat Scallops paired with 1990 Duvel. Then, Russian River's Damnation Batch 23 paired with Roasted Eel. The fourth course featured a favorite of mine, Waterzooi, paired with the Val Dieu Triple. Again, what doesn't Sean do during a dinner? As I mentioned in finishing dishes tableside, Sean dusted each diner's plate of scallops with a bit of fennel pollen for just a touch of sweetness, and just a touch of spiciness. I say just a bit, because the fennel had a robust aroma that was detectable from the next table over. A nice touch, indeed, to provide the tableside service. The scallop dish and Duvel was quite a wide range of flavors. The beer was sweet, actually quite sweet and moreso than I might have guessed. But, after almost twenty years in the bottle, it's understandable that the sweetness is what remains. In the dish of scallops and endive, were there parsnips in there or was it the endive that added a rather earthy flavor to the dish? In any case, the fennel came along and provided a nice contrast in flavors to both the earthniess and the beer's sweetness. An interesting dish and pairing, though not nearly my favorite of the evening. The eel and Damnation, to this point of the dinner, stole the show for pairings. Of course, it was only the third course, so perhaps this wasn't the greatest test. The roasted flavor of the eel, the bitter/earthy flavor from the De Ranke XX bitter puree, and the wood and alcohol from the 10.5% abv Damnation (remember, this is the special 'Batch 23' version) made for a near flawlessly executed pairing. Speaking of tableside service, the waterzooi was finished tableside as well with the creamy and spicy broth being poured to drown the tender morsels of lobster, crayfish, and mussels. Near perfection when paired with the Triple. Though while the food was enhanced by the beer, I didn't think it was the best pairing, since the beer got lost a bit in the creaminess of the waterzooi dish. To tell the truth, I enjoyed the pairing even better when I substituted in a St. Feuillien Triple that I picked up from the bar inside; it seem to cut more cleanly through the stew's creamy broth. Plus, the St. Feuillien lasted another four or five courses for me. (See, I told you I always need a little something of beer on the table to be sipping on throughout the dinner; so, I made it happen.) What's in a Pairing? I frankly don't know how it's done. But, then again, I've only taken up food as a hobby in my own kitchen, never really pushing myself to understand food chemistry anywhere near to the point that Sean has done. I mentioned early on that he has no formal schooling in food preparation; he is self-taught...which boggles me even more so. When asked whether he believes keen senses or an understanding of food chemistry is more important to his success, he sure doesn't discredit senses but believes that a firm level of understanding food chemistry is more important. To support that belief, first, he understands that everyone's palate is different. No two people will taste the same thing in exactly the same way. The trick for Sean begins with an exercise in understanding base flavors. Then, it turns into a challenge of how to take flavor components and make them both complement and build upon each other. For example, Rodenbach Grand Cru will work so well in pickling cherries (as they did in the Foie Gras course) but, if attempted to use in a Crème Brûlée, will curdle the cream. In marathon dinner events like this one, it becomes even more challenging in upholding another of his beliefs---the need to minimize the replication of flavors and concepts throughout the dinner. Paxton is aware of diner fatigue and especially considers this when planning longer format meals such as this one. Therefore it becomes even more of a science to overlay flavors and textures from one course to the next. Understanding the connection between the various ingredients so that he knows the complimentary and interchangeable parts is a key to this science. Tender is the Word No matter the position you take on the Foie Gras delicacy, it's extremely difficult to argue the bubbly delicacy that DeuS is (2006 in this case) could go much better with anything else. The melt in your mouth, fattened livers (sorry, I know that won't sit well with some of you), the tart cherries, the crispy brioche, and the palate popping Deus made for a memorable course. More tender meat? Yes, please. The tender, succulent meat falling off the duck leg bones and the dried cherry chased by the powerful Consecration from Russian River might have made it one of the top dishes of the first half of the evening. Yes, my friends, we're only half way there. And, the theater of pouring 1 of only 3 nine-liter bottles of Consecration in existence (that Sean and Chris had to do untold things to get from the Cilurzo's....ha, just kidding of course) was magical all in and of itself. Of course, as soon as I say 'of only 3', will be the moment that someone reports more elsewhere. Oh, and if you looked closely at the menu, you might have noticed that one of my all-time favorite beers from Cambridge Brewing, the Cerise Cassee, was used in the preparation of this dish. This beer was one of my earliest and most memorable experiences (isn't that the way it normally goes?) with American-made sour beers oh around 4-5 years ago or so. So, you can probably imagine my, let's call it, glee when Will Meyers (Cambridge Brewing) announced that he brought along a small keg of it from the brewery. Duck Legs, Consecration, and Cerise Cassee...again, yes please! Wow, as if I thought the Consecration and Duck Legs couldn't get any better. Yes, in my opinion, the Cerise Cassee upstaged the Consecration by a nose. Rounding out the tender-is-the-middle-of-the-menu theme were the veal cheeks. Those strong veal cheeks that spend all day chewing. Cooked slowly down, this was yet another tender piece of meat on the menu cooked with the very special, very never-to-be-seen-again-in-this-form Vagabond beer. Jason Perkins from Allagash stood and shared his experiences with helping to craft this beer. Let's see if I can capture the story in a sentence or two. Basically, the name Vagabond comes from the idea that this 3 barrel oak-aged batch of beer began its life in the old brewery 4 years ago and subsequently was moved into the "new" brewery. It's been whiling away in various barrels and has been blended into what is being released this fall (only at the brewery) in 375ml bottles. We, at the dinner, had the honor of having one of the first bottles, a 6-liter bottle at that. I think it's time to bring in the halftime show. Or, at least give you all some sort of a break. There's just as much material to share with you from the remainder of the dinner and after party. So, I'm going to let you catch your breath and share the rest with you tomorrow morning. Consider this, Parts 4a and 4b. And, if you're thinking that this might never end, ask yourself: Why does it need to?! Continue on to Part 4b

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Weekly Beer Calendar Update: September 17-September 23

Between the oompahs of Oktoberfests and clanging of dinner plates during beer pairing dinners, there are plenty of events to carry us through the next week of September. See you along the way! Check out the entire September 2009 calendar over here. Some tastings, some free, some PAYG @Beer Yard, Wayne, PA--- Fri. 9/18 - Friday Night Tasting (Southern Tier) (5:00pm-7:00pm; free tasting samples of IPA, Harvest Ale, and Phin & Matt's Ale) @Blue Ox Bistro, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 9/18 - The Sly Gang (7:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG for a fixed price food pairing menu with Sly Fox Oktoberfest, Sly Fox Abbey Extra, Ommegang Abbey and Ommegang Witte and Oktoberfest bratwurst from Rieker's German Deli) @Craft Ale House, Royersford, PA--- Wed. 9/23 - Turn to Stone (6:00pm; PAYG gets you access to drafts like Sublimely Self Righteous, Cali-Belgique, 13 Anniversary, and maybe a few other surprises) @Teresa's Next Door, Wayne, PA--- Sun. 9/20 - Oktoberfest (as part of Radnor Fall Festival (1:00pm; PAYG for Märzens, Eagles on the big screen, children's entertainment, and shopping all along Wayne Avenue) Another month, another strongman competition @Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA--- Thu. 9/17 - Follow the Liter (6:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG to enjoy liters of Festbier and Oktoberfest, Giant Pretzels. Test your strength in the strong arm competition.) Not enough homebrew-related events out there, here's one @Market Cross Pub, Carlisle, PA--- Thu. 9/17-Thu. 10/1 - Homebrew Competition (see website for details) Food and Beer, a natural fit @The Buck Hotel, Feasterville, PA--- Wed. 9/23 - Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner (7:00pm; $45 for 5 courses of food paired with Belgian Trippel; Pale Ale; Kellerweis Hefeweizen; Anniversary Ale; and Porter) @Rembrandt's, Philadelphia, PA--- Wed. 9/23 - Victory Beer Dinner (7:00pm) @South Philadelphia Tap Room, Philadelphia, PA--- Sun. 9/20 - Farmhouse Ale Dinner (all you can eat/drink) (7:00pm; $75 includes all you can eat Buffet Dinner and all you can drink select Farmhouse Ales) @Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Escondido, CA--- Thu. 9/17 - Beer & Cheese Regional Pairing (Pacific NW) (7:00pm-9:00pm; $30) @Tria Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 9/18 - The Heart of Dark Chocolate (6:30pm-8:00pm; $55, currently sold out...call for possible availability) @Union Barrel Works, Reamstown, PA--- Tue. 9/22 - Mamma Mia Italian-Style Beer Dinner (6:30pm; $40 for seven courses and beer pairings topped off with cannoli and tiramisu) Big Festivals, Big Fun @23rd Street Armory, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 9/19 - Philly Oktoberfest 2009 (1:00pm-4:00pm, 6:00pm-9:00pm; $40/$50/$75 for all the Gemuchlicheit you can handle) @Appalachian Brewing, Harrisburg, PA--- Sat. 9/19 - Capital City Invitational Beer Festival (12:00pm-3:00pm, 4:00pm-7:00pm, 8:00pm-11:00pm; $30/$35 for over 20 participating craft brewers, food buffet, commemorative sampling glass, and live entertainment) @Appalachian Brewing, Harrisburg, PA--- Sun. 9/20-Fri. 10/9 - Oktoberfest (see website for details) @Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, PA--- Sat. 9/19 - Oktoberfest (5:30pm-9:00pm; $40/$45 includes complimentary Oktoberfest Mug and delicious Oktoberfest fare)

Get your Lederhosen on (and Dirndls, too)

Oktoberfests are plentiful in the Philadelphia Region. A heavy dosage of German immigrants that have stayed through the generations and their heritage are a big part of the reason. This is reflected in many world-class German-styled beers that are brewed around these parts. So, it's no surprise that from September to mid-October, there are more Oktoberfest celebrations than you can shake a bratwurst at (sorry, distasteful analogy). Here's a quick rundown of some. Feel free to add your own in the comments below. --> (already occurred, but mark your calendars for next year) 9/5-9/7; all day---Cannstatter's; as authenticate as it gets with Crafts; German Beer & Wines; German-American Singing & Dancing; Souvenirs; German Clothing; Rides & Games; Altweibermühle: True Fountain of Youth; Authentic Oktoberfest Atmosphere --> Sat. 9/19; 1pm-4pm, 6pm-9pm---Philly Oktoberfest 2009; Spaten, Franziskaner, plus 25 more Oktoberfestbiers & Pumpkin Ales; German Biergarten with food; Oom-pah Music; dancing by GTV Almrausch Schuhplattler; Buffet at additional charge. --> Sat. 9/19; 5:30pm-9:00pm---Elmwood Park Zoo Oktoberfest; Stroll the zoo, enjoy live music and sample seasonal craft brews. $20/$40/$45 for complimentary Oktoberfest Mug and delicious Oktoberfest fare. --> Sat.9/19-Sun.10/4; all day---McKenzie-Fest; special festival beers (Oktoberfest and Pumpkinfest), traditional music, a menu of authentic German fare, and of course, bar servers dressed in dirndls and leiderhosen. --> Sat. 9/20; all day---Boyertown Oktoberfest; Sly Fox pouring 4 beers --> Sun. 9/20; all afternoon---Teresa's Next Door; Along with various forms of shopping, children's entertainment and a big screen TV outside so you don't miss the Eagles game --> Sun.9/20-Fri.10/9---Appalachian Brewing; traditional German menu featuring Jäegerschnitzel, spätzle, hassenpfeffer, and many more favorites. --> Mon.9/21-Sat.9/26---Brauhaus Schmitz Oktoberfest 2009; Authentic Bavarian Menu and Draft specials, special events, contests, and promotions all week long, capped by 1st Annual Oktoberfest Celebration on the 26th --> Fri.9/25-Sun.9/27---Oktoberfest Weekend at Devil's Den; German beer & food specials all weekend long --> Sat.9/26-Sun.9/27; all day---Stoudt's; Music; The Reading Liederkranz Schuhplatters; Cleevagheevin contests; Food --> Fridays 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30; 5:30pm---Savona Restaurant; 5 weeks of Friday night Oktoberfest Beer Classes; $25 each/pp for beer samples plus hors d'oeuvres --> Fri.10/2-Sun.10/4 & Fri.10/9-Sun.10/11; all day---Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh; Hofbräuhaus bier and cuisine, local vendors, and live entertainment --> Sat. 10/3; 12pm-4pm---Issac Newton's; 2 beers, shirt, mug, music, and food included in base ticket price of $25

On the Road with The Brew Lounge, Part 3

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We've Arrived at Ebenezer's Pub The trip from Portland to Lovell is a scenic trip, crossing a few lakes along the way, Sebago being the largest. But, upon arrival at Ebenezer's Pub, I soon found out that Ebenezer's would have no problem fulfilling one of my requirements for an outstanding beer bar: location. Situated just off the green of the 2nd hole at Lake Kezar Country Club, Ebenezer's is a bar that's been through a few hands, most recently falling into Chris and Jen Lively's 5 years ago.

The Livelys moved from Southern California to build the perfect beer bar in the middle of nowhere Maine. They live on site and it became quite clear early on in our evening that when at Ebenezer's, the Livelys treat each and every one as a guest in their house. It was a shame that we arrived later than we would have liked to because we missed out on some great welcome beers like the Cuvee des Champions from Cantillon and Pissenlit from Fantôme. Plus, the pre-dinner kibitzing and photo ops of brewers arriving and some last-minute delivered beer from FedEx.

Fortunately, Shaun O'Sullivan from 21st Amendment sent along some pictures that he's permitted me to include in my photo gallery over at Picasa. We got over our last minute arrival frazzle and were settled at our table. We were seated with a bunch of locals/regular Ebenezer customers who had attended the inaugural dinner with Sean Paxton in 2008. This made for interesting perspective on this year's dinner. Plus, it also gave us perspective of the local scene and the role that Ebenezer's plays in it.

Big Elephant in the Corner? Alright then, let's get this out of the way. As this dinner was being planned out during the year, I've heard varying degrees of criticism around the price of the dinner, $250 per person. Patty and I have spent close to this in the past on dinner, for many less courses and for quality that was of a more suspicious nature. And, definitely delivered by people who didn't bring nearly the same passion to creating a top-notch experience as the crew at Ebenezer's and Sean Paxton.

This was a 12-course dinner lasting over 6 hours. This was an event...a gastronomical event for those that love great food and great beer. The beer alone, its vintage and its rarity taken into account, was almost worth the price of admission. But, then the food, its creativity and its careful pain-staking preparation and its cost of ingredients, added another level to the dinner that may very well have pushed this dinner to a barely-breakeven proposition for Ebenezer's. (I have absolutely no idea, this is just my semi-educated guess.)

Take into account, for example, that nearly $1000 worth of beer was used in the sorbet preparation and you're at the beginning of an interesting cost-benefit analysis. What hobby do you have? What passion do you pursue? Some people put oodles of money into sports betting/fantasy sports teams, some into their cars, some into video games and other computer-based technology, others into clothing, some into photography, others into artwork, others into season tickets to sporting events, others into their homes and related upkeep. Others search out the best of the food and beverage world. I think you get my point. We all have our hobbies, and all hobbies have a segment that focuses on the very best there is to offer. This was one such occasion.

Let's break it down from a Philly local perspective. This Ebenezer's dinner carried a $250 price tag for a 12-course meal. Straight-line average would say that's about $20 a course. A typical 5 or 6 course meal at Monk's in Philly is usually around $65 (12-ish dollars/course). Monk's is often called one of the best beer bars in the country. If you take their menu from a typical beer dinner, put even more planning and sourcing into it the dinner event, and then add some of the most obscure and most aged beers in the world, we're in roughly the same ballpark price-wise.

And, heck, while I'm on the topic, consider New York City Beer Week has a beer dinner on its schedule at the famed Per Se restaurant near Central Park pairing Thomas Keller and Garrett Oliver. It's a 7 course meal and it costs $350, excluding tax and gratuity. I think I made enough of a defense for what turns out to be a not-so-unreasonable pricetag at this Ebenezer's dinner. If you're looking at this with the same type of concern as "how cheap can I get a package of boneless chicken breasts for," then we're really having two separate conversations here. Am I looking at this the wrong way? Were the people gathered for the fools in this story? I really don't think so; it's just a different way of looking at food and beverage and the thought and preparation that goes into it.

Now don't worry, I'm not necessarily chastising you if you don't get your head around the fact that a dinner with small portions of high-quality food and rare beer can really cost you a pretty penny. And, I'm not trying to trivialize $250. I did, admittedly, find myself a little disappointed when I realized I'd have to parcel out two ounces of beer between tasting by itself, tasting it with the food, and tasting it by itself again...with no topping off as I might have liked. I'd remind myself, though, that this was about quality, not quantity...and that this was an event beyond compare. Still to have a little more beer on the table at all times, even just a pedestrian calibration beer, would have been nice. But, now I'm splitting hairs a bit more than I'd like.

So what do you say we start to jump into things a bit deeper here? I don't have the disk space to go into every nit of the dinner, the people, the food, the beer. I'll try, of course..ha!..because, that is what I do, right? In addition to the evening's food and beer, I interviewed Sean Paxton for almost 2 hours. Instead of putting that material up in a Q&A format, I figured I'd try to weave it into the retelling of the night's activities. That certainly added a level of complexity and contributed to my delay in getting all of this compiled for your, uh, digestion. Hang on, this is gonna be fun...

PART 3 pictures

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There's definitely something in the water at Flying Fish

I was looking for the hidden message in this picture sent to me yesterday. I like pizza. I like oysters. I like beer. (turtles, not so much) Looking at the oyster shell formations, the arrangement of the pizza slices. Maybe there was no hidden message afterall. Just a brewer's attempt at getting my attention. Got my attention, now where's my lunch? Dad always said there was no such thing as a free lunch. This Casey Hughes guy sure knows how to use this new-fangled media. Twitter, e-mail, Facebook, company website. All seem to point to a new Flying Fish Exit 1 beer (an oyster stout) debuting in November. I think we're gonna have fun with this one. Looks the brewery already is.

On the Road with The Brew Lounge, Part 2

PARTS 1 & 2 pictures

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A Solid Maine Dinner I'd discovered Local 188 online while doing my homework before our trip north. From their website, it seemed to be the kind of place that I wanted to make sure that we checked out at least for small nibbles and drinks. We got a second opinion from the Brynldson Party of Two that it was a top recommendation from the crew over at Allagash as well. In this case, no one was wrong. The restaurant is billed as having a Spanish Tapas approach, with a focus on locally-sourced food ingredients and drink. The atmosphere is a smart casual one, but really just about anything goes. Some more Shipyard, a Dogfish, and Unibroue all went well with the Grilled Scallops and the flavor-bursting Paella dish. But, our travels and non-stop activity was taking a toll on us; we were fading. Plus, we knew we had a big day ahead of us with a trip to Allagash and finally to Ebenezer's where more food and drink was awaiting us. We knew we'd better rest up. So, we grabbed our blueberry crisp to go, got a couple of glasses of port from the rooftop lounge to take back to our room and called it a night. Novare Res Bier Café would have to wait until next trip. This was one last place that I wanted to check out in Portland. Partly for the stellar looking beer list, but maybe even more so for its "hidden" location, tucked away behind and underneath the tall downtown buildings of Portland. I suppose that's why they invented "next times". The Rest of Portland Speaking of nexts...The next morning, I took off on a 6 mile run around Portland, hoping to see more of the "real" Portland. I'm sure many of you have heard me say that when I travel I try my best to stay away from the more touristy side of the city. I go for a run, I attend a local baseball game, and I visit the bars and brewpubs. These are all ways that help me to identify the real soul and see what an area is really made of. After my run which took me past Shipyard, Patty and I packed up our things and checked out of the hotel. We made a quick stop at Shipyard (wow, what a gift store), then headed down to the water where we did the touristy thing (well, sometimes you've just gotta play the game!) and grabbed some lunch of seafood and Allagash White. A more perfect lunch I've not had in a while. Plus, there were local union workers and others that just come in off the water to suggest that we had chosen the less-touristy of the waterside restaurants (phew, I feel better about myself now!!) When in Portland... Now the clock was really ticking. We still hadn't stopped at Allagash...and this was an absolute must. I mean, seriously, what beer traveler goes to Portland and doesn't stop at Allagash? Skipping Novare the night before, fine. Missing Allagash, no way. We decided enough was enough and finally settled up on our lunch tab and left the idyllically charming lunch. By the time we got to Allagash, Rob and Jason's chauffeur was waiting. Yes, my friends. Some brewers are living the high life. You've heard the term rock star before, right? You know what that means, right? Ah, but I kid. They were doing the responsible thing. They needed to get back to Portland still that evening. So, when you're heading to this kind of feast that Ebenezer's was hosting, the responsible thing to do was to have a driver. Still, it was fun when we pulled up to Allagash to find the Town Car waiting out front and Patty said "I'll bet it's here for Rob!" We had enough time for Jason to give us the 5-cent tour. Typical brewery? Perhaps...until we were led out back to the spontaneous fermentation building. Check out the pictures on their website (use that little linky thing that I put in the last sentence). You'll see a local Philly guy (Mr. Peters) in there helping with some of the brewing process and, of course, the quality control. To call it a building might be a bit generous. A room? Maybe that's better. In any case, it's home to the Cool Ship (koelschip if you want to sound really kool) that was installed a couple of years ago for a bit of experimentation to find out what might be found in the cool Maine air on the outskirts of Portland and how it might help the character of some of their beers. With that and a few beers from the retail shop, we were off. Ebenezer's, Are We There Yet? Our trip to Ebenezer's from Portland seemed to indicate that life in Maine may proceed at just a bit of a slower pace. With two-lane roads and traffic that generally stayed at, or just below, speed limits, we realized that we weren't going to be getting to Ebenezer's nearly as early as we had hoped. This was not good. Too much was riding on this dinner at Ebenezer's to be strolling in late. The drive from Allagash to Ebenezer's in Lovell took a little over an hour and we pulled up a little less than 45 minutes prior to the dinner's "official" start. I say official because there were some pre-dinner rare beers being passed around. We needed to set up our "campsite" before the evening's debauchery, get changed, and mingle with Sean Paxton, Chris Lively, and the scores of other industry folk, beer geeks, and foodies that had gathered for this monumental event. I put some more juice in the camera's battery while I changed clothes, then was shown the way to our dining table seats as the night was about to officially begin.

PARTS 1 & 2 pictures

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On the Road with The Brew Lounge, Part 1

PARTS 1 & 2 pictures

link forward to Part 2

The plan called for Patty and I to leave home around 6pm, with a possible dinner stop at Willimantic in Connecticut along the way, if all went well. All did go well. With leaving home an hour later than expected at 7pm, the traffic was even thinner still than anticipated as we sailed north on the Jersey Turnpike to the GW Bridge. In 2 hours, we were cruising through the Bronx and into Connecticut. A bit of road crew delays on I-95 (when isn't there, right?!) slowed us down but still got us past Hartford in 4 hours. At this rate, we just wanted to get to our hotel stopover and crash. We had some snacks in the car to get us through, arriving in Worcester, MA in just under 5 hours from home. Smooth Sailing So we went to bed beer-less in Worcester, and that was just fine. There'd be enough beer drinking in days to come. If we had some more time to spend, we may have done as Lew did recently and gallivanted a bit more through western Massachusetts. Or, gone a little farther north towards Amherst, where The Femme Fermental will find herself planting her barstool for some time to come. We had another couple of hours of driving in the morning to get to Portland, ME. We were off just after rush hour and sailed straight into Portland two hours later. Well, perhaps just a bit more than that as we were snared by the siren calls of the New Hampshire State Wine & Liquor Outlet just across the New Hampshire border. Liquor Outlet, eh? Why not...some wine and the Powerball ticket that we forgot to buy before we left from home and we were good to go (update: still not millionaires). Maine, finally. Of all the New England states, Maine was the one I had never visited. Surprising, given that family and friends relentlessly rave about the food, the culture, and the scenery. We were about to find out for ourselves. Patty and I stayed at a non-chain hotel in Portland, the Eastland Park Hotel. Or, who knows, maybe it is part of a larger hotel group; sometimes these days it's hard to tell. In any case, it carries 75 year's worth of history and is located in the West End/Arts District, a 10-20 minute walk from the farthest Port District point that you might want to visit. An Iconic Watering Hole After getting an early check-in and an upgrade to the top floor at the hotel (these things can be attempted but are not always explainable), we were off to explore the city. With 30 years of history, it seemed that it might make sense to start at The Great Lost Bear located about a mile outside of downtown Portland. So we drove, figuring that after this lunchtime visit we could put the car away for the remainder of our stay. The Great Lost Bear has an interesting and varied menu of solid pub grub and more high quality beer from both near and far than any one person really needs. I'm not sure what exactly makes this bar both large and cozy at the same time. It could be the multiple rooms but the low ceilings; the cluttered walls of bric-a-brac but the orderly menu of good food and drink; and the location on a bustling street but the trademark friendly and intimate Maine service inside. When in Maine, it's hard to escape notice of blueberries everywhere, particularly in mid- to late-summer. So, it was without hesitation that I ordered up a Sea Dog Blueberry Ale...perfect start. I then moved to the opposite end of the spectrum and dove into another local, Shipyard, and their recent take on a non-Diacetylized 'XXXX IPA.' Glad that I was happy with this beer as one of their brewers was in from across town, presumably having an end-of-day brew and taking up residence just a couple of barstools away. But, in case he wasn't at the end of his workday (and not knowing the company rules about such things) I won't share his name here in this space. We discussed Shipyard, Mr. Pugsley, and other such things of local flavor. We figured it was just about time to head back downtown. With so much that Portland has to offer, we could have blown up our whole plan to see more of the city by staying put on our barstools. Just as we were heading out, Firestone Walker's head brewer Matt Brynildson and his friend Allison (sheesh, I hope my memory's working correctly with her name) walked in. They were on a bit of the same trek that we were. They flew into Boston, drove up to Portland but started at Allagash then for lunch at The Great Lost Bear. They were heading, also, to Ebenezer's Belgian Beer Dinner/Fest and making a night of it first in Portland. We kibitzed for a bit then moved on, my gut telling me that this wouldn't be the last time that we ran into them. After all, they asked for hotel recommendations and we shared the name of ours. A Walk-About Once we dropped the car back at the hotel, we were off for a typical tourist's walk around the port area and its shops, restaurants, and bars. After hitting up some shops, we made our next beer stop at Bull Feeney's. A historic landmark of sorts, you can certainly feel the air of the old port activity when sitting at the bar that weaves its way between two rooms. Lots of brick and lots of wood make for an Irish Pub-like visit. Ghosts of Portland's past, both savory and unsavory, seem to ooze from the walls here. Definitely, a place I wouldn't have minded spending more time. The beer selection is not extensive but decent and carries many of the requisite locals. The service on this particular afternoon was marginally adequate, but that was fine given our one-and-done. My 'one', speaking of diacetyl, was Shipyard's Export Ale. I'm no stranger to this beer and it seemed to match my memories of it. I shouldn't take diacetyl's name in vein. It has its place in some beers, and not in others...so be it. We criss-crossed the street to then head into Gritty McDuff's. But, first, Brynildson Party of Two was just leaving. We traded some more notes, confirmed they were also staying at Eastland Park, and referred them on to Bull Feeney's. Had another quick 'one' (this time the Best Bitter) at Gritty's along with a plate of Fried Jalapeno Mac & Cheese. Of course, had to snap a picture of the dish and send along to Mr. TJ/Mr. Mac & Cheese with a recommendation for some R&D back in Paoli. The ambiance is relaxed at Gritty's. Where Bull Feeney's was a cozy pub-like stealaway, Gritty's had large windows looking out to the Bay and large wooden tables with communal bench seating in a side room behind the bar. With spending no more than a half hour or so at each of these spots, I can't share much more with you other than a recommendation to check them out for yourself if you find yourself wandering around Portland streets in need of a frothy one. By the time we made it through our casual tourist meanderings and shopping, we headed back to the hotel looking for a couple of hours of downtime before our dinner reservation at 8:30pm. It was good downtime, but obviously not enough. By the time we made it through our dinner and a few drinks, we'd lost the energy to head to our last planned stop in Portland. More about that later.

PARTS 1 & 2 pictures

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Resurrection Ale House set to Open

Another 10 days until the Grays Ferry neighborhood will benefit from the talents of proprietors Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida. Resurrection Ale House has a set date for opening of September 23rd. Here from this afternoon's email announcement:

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Wednesday, September 23 at 5pm Resurrection Ale House will open it's doors for business. Resurrection Ale House is a neighborhood corner beer bistro, brought to you by the folks who brought you Memphis Taproom in Kensington and Local 44 in West Philly. Come out and grab some turf early for the opening night bash... Resurrection Ale House features 12 drafts beers, one beer engine, and about 40 bottled beers. Sneak previews of the menu will be offered all night long. Starting Thursday, September 24, the full kitchen menu will be available. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 12noon to 2am, Saturday and Sundays from 11am-2am. Weekend brunch is served from 11am-3pm. (The full brunch menu will be available in the coming weeks.) The kitchen kicks out food until Midnight, seven days a week. Visit www.resurrectionalehouse.com for details about the opening draft beer list and to get on the event mailing list. Resurrection Ale House is located at: 2425 Grays Ferry Avenue (Corner of Catharine & Grays Ferry) Philadelphia, PA 19146 Telephone: 215-735-2202 Email: info@resurrectionalehouse.com Online: www.resurrectionalehouse.com

A Promise for This Week with The Brew Lounge

When this week is over, you'll be able to stop asking me about my trip to New England and Ebenezer's Belgian Beer Feast with The Home Brew Chef. That's because, finally, after almost 4 weeks I'm ready to unleash a multi-part series of these doings upon you. I figure, it took Sean Paxton roughly a year to put together the 12-course dinner menu and pairings. That should help justify the month or so that it's taken me to get through all of my notes to assemble something at least half-coherent for your reading pleasure. I'm sure you'll be glad you asked.

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: September 10-September 16

Wow! After a couple of "slow" weeks around the Philly area (y'know, nothing but good beer to found almost anywhere you look...just not very many "special" events), The Calendar is back in the swing of things. Kids are back in school, now go and polish up on your beer studies and find something fun to do. Check out the entire September 2009 calendar over here. Free or PAYG is a great way to learn about beers you haven't had before @Blind Tiger Ale House, New York--- Tue. 9/15 - Brewery Night with Dogfish Head (4:00pm; PAYG) @Blind Tiger Ale House, New York--- Wed. 9/16 - Brewery Night with Elysian (4:00pm; PAYG) @Devil's Den, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Arcadia Brewery Night (7:00pm-9:00pm; PAYG) @Devil's Den, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 9/11 - Terrapin Release Party (8:00pm; PAYG) @Drafting Room, Spring House, PA--- Sat. 9/12 - HopFest (12:00pm 'til they kick; PAYG) @Exton Beverage, Exton, PA--- Fri. 9/11 - Friday Night Tasting (Great Lakes) (5:00pm-7:00pm; free) @Hulmeville Inn, Hulmeville, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Lancaster Brewing Night (6:00pm; PAYG for Oktoberfest, Milk Stout, and a cask of Amish 4 Grain) @Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 9/12 - Pils Picnic (all day/all night; PAYG) @Jose Pistola's, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Tröegs ushers in a new football season (7:00pm; PAYG for Mad Elf and a Firkin of Nugget Nectar) @Jose Pistola's, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 9/11 - Wake and Bake Lunch with Terrapin Brewery (11:30am; PAYG for Substance abuse from 2006 that has been aged in Jack Daniels Barrels for 6 months. Also pouring the Rye Pale, Maggies Farmhouse Saison, & the Big Hoppy Monster) @Market Cross Pub, Carlisle, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Sly Fox Sampling (PAYG) @The Sidecar Bar & Grille, Philadelphia, PA--- Mon. 9/14 - A Firkin Two Hearted Ale (5:00pm; PAYG) @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA--- Fri. 9/11 - Hops Project 2009 Varietal Release: Argentine Cascade (a firkin, then CO2) (11:30am 'til it kicks; PAYG) @Tap and Table, Emmaus, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Weyerbacher Riserva 2009 Debut (6:30pm-8:00pm; PAYG to meet Dan Weirback and taste this American Wild Ale, aged in Oak barrels with red raspberry puree and Brettanomyces) @The Khyber, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Ballast Point Happy Hour (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG for a bunch of Ballast Point including Sculpin and Dorado) How 'bout a Party? The Terrible Twos @The Belgian Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - 2nd Anniversary Party with Yards (7:00pm; PAYG for a bunch of great beer and people including Yards Cape of Good Hope IPA on cask) And, if you'd like something a little bigger, there a few festivals too @West Avenue Grille & the Town Square, Jenkintown, PA--- Sun. 9/13 - Jenkintown Jazz & Brewfest (see website for time and price details) @Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY--- Sat. 9/12 - Ommefest: Celebrating the Harvest (12:00pm-6:00pm; PAYG for local foods, drinks, music, arts, and crafts) @Meade Street, Pittsburgh, PA--- Sat. 9/12 - Steel City Big Pour (12:00pm-3:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm; $45) Beer, Food, Rinse, & Repeat @The Sidecar Bar & Grille, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/10 - Southern Fried Hippie Hoedown (with Terrapin and Hippie Food) (5:00pm; PAYG for the following drafts: Big Hoppy Monster, Rye Squared, Gamma Ray, Depth Charge, Maggies Farmhouse, Reunion, Sun Ray Wheat, Rye Pale, and Indian Brown) @Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA--- Wed. 9/16 - End of Summer Barbecue with Victory Brewing (7:00pm-9:00pm; $45 gets you 4 courses of beer and food pairing including Kölsch, Festbier, Baltic Thunder, and Hop Devil cask) @Tap and Table, Emmaus, PA--- Wed. 9/16 - Beer Dinner with 12% Imports (7:00pm; $55...currently sold out) Some mixed fun and learning @Canal Street Pub, Reading, PA--- Sat. 9/12 - Sly Fox versus Tröegs Dueling Firkins (2:00pm-8:00pm; PAYG for Johnson versus Woods) @Philadelphia Brewing, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 9/12 - Rich Wagner Presents: "Ortlieb's, Brewers by Birth Since 1869" (2:00pm; free for a history-rich presentation and beer sampling from the brewery)

The Belgian Café provides better relief than Brad Lidge

I'm going to keep this one short, because I'm in deep with the Ebenezer's crew and Sean Paxton for still not sharing all the goodness that was my New England journey and Ebenezer's Belgian Beer Feast/Festival. This Monk's review will now be the second food/beer event that I've covered since returning from Maine. I promise that one day very soon you'll get to hear all about it. Just think, all of the internet hubbub will have died down by then and you'll be all refreshed and ready to hear about it all over again! In case you lost track, after the tragedy above Monk's Cafe (which, emphasis added, had nothing to do with Monk's itself) over a week ago, Monk's was reopened this past weekend but didn't want to impact its customer base yet another day. So, the scheduled dinner with Scott Vaccaro of Captain Lawrence in West Chester county New York was moved to its sister restaurant, The Belgian Café. Scott's a great speaker who brought a lot of energy, passion, and expertise to the beer dinner. After being introduced by Fergie Carey (proprietor) and George Hummel (emcee...but, had never had a Captain Lawrence?!), Scott jumped into his background in brewing and the history of the brewery. Having started homebrewing at 17, making his way through UC Davis brewing school, and making a pitstop at Sierra Nevada, Scott opened Captain Lawrence on a shoestring budget in 2005. Fast forward a few years and Scott and his team are making some of the country's most interesting and celebrated beers...beers that often involve less-than-ordinary ingredients, collaborations with other brewers, barrel-aging, and blending. It didn't take long for his brewery to be recognized for its award-winning brews at the Great American Beer Festival in both 2007 and 2008. Like I said, I'm going to keep this (relatively) brief. Suffice to say that this was an all-star dinner of brewers, writers, beer geeks, and...well, who else would there be? I've sprinkled a few pictures below, and I'm sure you'll recognize some of the rock stars. Without further ado, here's the menu with some shorthand notes from yours truly. Enjoy... First Course Grilled Watermelon; basted w/Cuvee de Castleton, thai basil, orange zest & ginger ~ paired with Cuvee de Castleton; made with muscat grapes & brett. aged in oak Notes: Batch #3 of the Castleton; watermelon done grilled didn't tickle me much in any way, but the beer was perfect and actually went even better with the dessert (read on) Second Course Lancaster County Frittata; with local eggs, corn, tomatoes, & zucchini ~ paired with NY3; a 6% dry hopped amber farmhouse collaboration ale (between Southampton, Ithaca, and Captain Lawrence) Notes: I love me some breakfast for dinner, so the frittata worked very well for me; this beer, brewed for NY Beer Week, sourced with New York State hops and honey, dry-hopped with Willamette, and finished a "Belgian Yeast that Phil Markowski found" got better as it warmed, losing its initial ash-y taste and letting the honey come through a bit later on Third Course Roasted Quail; stuffed with wild rice, walnuts, & local peaches; lacquered with xtra gold and pureed peaches ~ paired with Xtra Gold; a 10% Triple that has tons of hops Notes: "tons of hops"? sure thing...as in Amarillo. Even though I'm not always a fan of picking apart a small bird, sifting through its bones, this was a tasty dish. Another beer that might actually had been better paired with the dessert. Fourth Course Cioppino; local tomatoes, clams, mussels, shrimp, & cod ~ paired with Captain's Reserve IPA; an imperial IPA Notes: Though this IPA might have gone better with the quail than did the Triple, this here was probably my favorite pairing of the evening. The pineapple sweetness and bursting hops were nicely balanced, barely disguising this as an "imperial" IPA. Chinook, Columbus, Cascade, and Amarillo if I have my notes correct. Fifth Course Pear Tart; w/ bleu cheese crust ~ paired with Smoke from the Oak; smoked porter aged in apple brandy barrels Notes: 125 cases were made and its official release will be at the brewery this coming Saturday, 9/12. Nice beer, went pretty well with the dessert, the crust bursting with bleu cheese. In my opinion (is this where I put FWIW? or IMO?), the Cuvee de Castleton and its fruit flavors and moderately funky edge went even better with the fruit tart and its funky bleu cheese crust. Oh, and since I really didn't comment above about The Belgian Café's ability to pull off this dinner, allow me to do so right about here and now. This dinner cruised along nicely with an ending time just shy of two hours after its beginning. The staff worked the square room effortlessly and efficiently. Perhaps the only drawback was the at-times overbearing din of the high decibel crowd. But, at the same time, have you ever seen everyone who attended the same Monk's Beer Dinner as you? With the dining crowd stretched out from the "exclusive" front window seating to the sometimes-participating back room at Monk's, and the tables in between, you just never will see everyone attending the dinner all at once. That was no problem at The Belgian Café. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind more dinners moved up the Art Museum neighborhood to mix things up from time to time at Monk's.

Friday Night's Alright for Beer Running

[Insert Great Picture of Bryan, Eric, and Kevin after a Great Run] When I recover the picture (i.e. never), I'll post it up here. Due to my jackassery, I obviously don't know the difference between 'OK' and 'Cancel' when asked if I want to format my memory card in the camera. For those who don't know, it basically means to say goodbye to the stored photos on memory card when you choose 'OK.' So, we're left with the pleasant memories of a challenging but rewarding 7.1 mile run through the nearby Main Line country roads with a couple of Fishtown Beer Runners who swam upstream to TJs in Paoli to join me on this, my latest, Beer Run. I said 6 miles, it turned into 6.4, and then wound up at 7.1 miles by the time we returned. We dove into lots of rehydration and nourishment in some sandwiches, mac & cheese, pasta, and salads...La Trappe Isid'or, Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA, Dark Horse Oatmeal Stout, and a few other goodies. Another great Beer Run in the books. There'll be more to come sooner rather than later, so Stay Tuned.

Monk's Café has Reopened Today

I've opted out of the Monk's Café news over the past week. There wasn't much more to say than was reported on the news wire and other local beer sources were filling us all in with the little bit extra they may have heard. Here, from an email earlier this afternoon, is the official reopening notification from Tom Peters, co-proprietor of Monk's. A well-written and classy note that should answer most questions you may have still had.

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We are OPEN! The City of Philadelphia told us that we could open our doors at 11:30AM today. All the City officials that we dealt with were amazingly helpful. So we want to give a big thanks to Bart, Scott, Mrs. Ward and everyone else for their extraordinary efforts. Philadelphia Rocks! The workmen our landlord hired worked long hours to get us reopened. Our landlord has been on-site for 20 hours each day...seriously. He has spared no expense getting the apartments back up to code in as expeditious a manner as possible. For those few that are not aware of what occurred, I’ll give the Cliff Notes version of the events. But first I’d like to make it totally clear that we do NOT own the building. We are tenants in the building, just as are the apartment dwellers upstairs. 1. Near the end of our Saturday evening’s business (just before our 2AM closing time), one of the upstairs tenants fell from the fire escape tower. He had a third floor apartment and he and a friend apparently were leaning on a metal railing when it gave way. They both fell several stories. He died and she miraculously is already out of the hospital. We are devastated about what happened. Our landlord knew the gentleman that fell. He is also heart broken. 2. Philadelphia Department of License & Inspection decided to close the building until a structural engineer could do an inspection and certify that the building was safe. They also required our landlord to update the safety systems in the entire building. 3. The landlord has already received the engineer’s certification, but updating the apartment section of the safety systems will take several more days. The restaurant portion of the building is already approved. Since our back bar area’s emergency exit is under the apartment’s fire escape tower, we cannot open the back bar today. We expect the landlord to have everything finished by next Friday. When his work is done, we will be able to open the back bar to the public. The Front Bar and the Front Two Dining Rooms are Open! The Kitchen is Open! Hopefully that information answers most of your questions. Thank you all for your support during this very difficult time. We hope to see you soon. Tom Peters

Jamaican Food & We Tastin’ Craft Beer (Mon) at Philly Kitchen Share: 9/2/09

I knew I'd heard of Philly Kitchen Share somewhere before and I've definitely heard of Rolling Barrel Events. But, until last night, I hadn't experienced anything from either of them. Thanks to an invitation from Corey Krejcik (a founding father of RBE), I found myself on a train into Philly and continuing on to a pleasant walk over to 15th and South Streets on yet another in a string of beautiful evenings that we've been experiencing of late. Of course, with a little extra time padded into my schedule, I felt the need to meander by Monk's, looking forward to a dinner there next Tuesday (or up at Belgian Cafe, depending upon the status of the building after last week's tragedy). Then, a block over to Jose Pistolas for a quick one. The 'one' turned out to be Flower Power IPA from Ithaca, though in hindsight perhaps it could have or should have been Allagash's Confluence. Did I really think I'd return after the dinner at Philly Kitchen Share? After a chance encounter with The Beer Lass, who had just left the weigh-in at Nodding Head, I moved on to South Street. Speaking of Ms. Woods, has anyone ever spotted her sleeping? I'm just asking because wasn't it just the other day that she was hop-scotching (sort of a pun?) around Michigan? Turns out, she'd just driven back and was already back into the Philly Beer Scene (the actual Scene, not the magazine). There's not many people that you need to get up before in order to get a jump on the Scene...she's one of 'em. Anyways, what was this all about? Oh yeah, Local Beer...Local Food (via Jamaica via New Jersey and across the Ben Franklin Bridge). Chef Janet Davis of Scotch Bonnets in New Jersey was preparing a 4-course meal and tutoring the attendees along the way. Just the name, Scotch Bonnets, was enough to make my mouth water and make my decision to attend even easier. The beer? Well the beer added the extra incentive, but of course you already knew that. Emily Pollack, half of the husband-wife team at PKS, and Corey Krejcik (Rolling Barrel) kicked things off introducing the concept of the Kitchen and the objectives of the evening. They turned things over then to Chef Janet Davis who jumped right into the first course. As Chef Janet was guiding us through the preparation of the Tropical Salad, made with typical salad greens and Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Olive Oil, salt, and avocado, Corey discussed the pairing with PBC's Kenzinger. Not one of my favorite beers (and I know that I tend to be in the minority with that statement, just my personal taste talking) but it did work nice and cleanly with the salad, not allowing it to overpower the tropically citrus flavors of the salad. Could have a saison, a wheat, or a lambic worked better? Perhaps, but still not a bad pairing. If I had any quarrel with the first course, things only got better from there. Prima Pils from Victory is such a great beer on its own; pairing it with food can really enhance it. In this case, it was salt-cured cod formed, with paprika, scallions, and other things I didn't keep up with ear to pen to paper, into lightly floured codfish cakes. These tender delights were straight out of the feeding of fish and loaves...in that I lost count around 3 or 4 of these that I had, as the Chef's rations went farther than expected. I'm sure you know that I wasn't about to complain! The saltiness and gentle spicing from the paprika played nicely against the spicy hops in the Prima Pils. Oh, did you ask how many people were there? I recall hearing somewhere around 16 or 18 is the maximum for one of these events; there was just over half in attendance for this holiday week event. Not bad, given the timing, I figured. I am not a bum, I'm a jerk. What Jamaican meal would be complete without some requisite jerk seasoning...in this case, on the chicken? And in this case the dish and its beer pairing tied for the best pairing of my evening's dining experience. The subtle sweetness in the jerk seasoning and the malty sweetness in the beer played nicely with each other while at the same time alternatingly against pepper heat from the jerk seasoning and the bright hops in this reborn Philadelphia Pale Ale from Yards. Rice and beans soaked in coconut milk on the side made for the perfect accompaniment. Winner, winner...yeah, you know. Then there was sweet dessert, yes sweetness...punctuated by rum and beer. I often say that if you don't do chocolate in a beer pairing dinner's dessert course, you better make sure you hit a home run. Well, how do raisins soaked in Jamaican white rum and combined with powdered ginger sound? And give them a little a la mode treatment and, yeah, it was like that. But wait, how about an organic Brown Ale from Appalachian? Now you've got the wow factor working. Something in the raisins was really helping to bring out the roasty goodness of the brown ale. This shows that I'm a little behind in my Appalachian studies, but I hadn't realized that they had a Pennsylvania-certified organic beer on the market. This course, if you couldn't tell tied atop my list of pairings for the night along with the chicken course. This event did not leave much room for improvement. The handoffs between promoter, proprietor, and chef were seamless and it was evident that some thought went into the pairings and preparation. It was a nice touch to have the beers laid out on a tastefully printed menu. I'd like to think that the food items would have been printed up and described as well, but yet just another minor point. And even with the dustup over at Phoodie.info earlier today, I don't mind saying that it was clear from this event that Rolling Barrel events deserve to be on a beer lover's radar. And, Philly Kitchen Share, though I haven't said a whole lot here about this shared use commercial kitchen, has a calendar that you should keep an eye on as well. Some classes are more hands-on than others; all sound well worth checking out.

Coming Soon...Artisan Homebrew

Philly's suburban homebrewers in northern Chester County have suffered without a homebrew supply store long enough. Mike Hamara has decided that the time has come to keep local homebrewers happy and to give them more time with their hands in the mashtun rather than on the steering wheel. If you think you know the name Mike Hamara, it's because he's been one of the handful of beer savvy guys behind Greg Ramirez at Exton Beverage. There always a chance that you'll seem him as well at local watering holes like Victory, The Drafting Room, Flying Pig, Sly Fox (not all in the same night...usually!) Chances are, though, that in the coming months, there will be only one place that you can usually find him. October will see Mike open a homebrew shop in the heart of Downingtown, PA at 128 East Lincoln Highway. The official date is still being worked out, but you know that I'll let you know as soon as I do. So, let's see now...Downingtown. Firecreek (nice lineup of beers from near and far), Victory (world-class, award-winning brewpub), and now Artisan Homebrew. A nice cap to the end of a Route 113 Beer Tour.

Weekly Beer Calendar Update: September 3-September 9

Labor Day is as late in September this year as the calendar will ever allow it to be. But, the Beer Calendar isn't phased. In fact, here's a bunch of good times to keep you humming right along into King Ludwig's wedding celebration. Check out the entire September 2009 calendar over here. Take a sample, give a sample (what does that mean, I can't say) @Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/3 - Meet the Brewer, Keep the Pint Glass (6:30pm-8:30pm; PAYG for some of the lesser travelled beers from Ryan Michaels at McKenzie Brew House) @General Lafayette, Lafayette Hill, PA--- Wed. 9/9 - Firkin Night (7:00pm-11:00pm; PAYG to meet the brewers of both Sly Fox and General Lafayette and drink of their British Pale Ale and Griffin's Mild, respectively) @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA--- Fri. 9/4 - Incubus Friday (11:30am 'til it kicks; PAYG to drink early, leave, return, repeat) @Tria Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/3 - Bring on the Belgians (6:30pm-8:00pm; $45, currently sold out...you know the drill; give them a call just in case) @Triumph, Philadelphia, PA--- Thu. 9/3 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (6:00pm; PAYG to double down with Double Witbier) @Triumph, New Hope, PA--- Fri. 9/4 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (6pm; PAYG for hits off the barrel of Altbier) What's more fun than guessing what you're drinking? Maybe winning prizes for guessing correctly? @Memphis Taproom, Philadelphia, PA--- Fri. 9/4-Sun. 9/6 - Mystery Beer Weekend (all day/all night; PAYG for 3 days of sippin' and guessin' from 33 kegs) Food, glorious Beer @Monk's Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Tue. 9/8 - Captain Lawrence Beer Dinner (7:00pm; a few seats remain, status of the restaurant operation still undetermined) @Monk's Café, Philadelphia, PA--- Wed. 9/9 - An Homage to Fromage (cheese) paired with Foamage (beer) (5:00pm-7:00pm; PAYG for 5 ounce portions of selected beer paired with some of Tom Peter's favorite cheese, including a beer & cheese fondue and a Welsh Rarebit prepared with beer. Expect to spend between $3 and $7 to enjoy each pairing.) @Nectar, Berwyn, PA--- Wed. 9/9 - Victory Beer Dinner (5:00pm; PAYG for 5 course meal, each paired with a beer from Victory) And here's a beer mecca that I just haven't found myself to yet, that will change one day very soon @Stewart Park, Ithaca, NY--- Sat. 9/5 - Ithaca Brewfest (3:00pm-7:00pm; $30/$40/$50/$75/$95, a rate plan for everyone is Gorgeous Ithaca) Oktoberfest can never come soon enough for some @Cannstatter's, Philadelphia, PA--- Sat. 9/5-Mon. 9/7 - Cannstatter's 137th Volksfest Oktoberfest (see website for details)