Beer Tasting: Weyerbacher Hops Infusion

Hops Infusion is an IPA style brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing of Easton, PA. This 12oz. bottle was purchased from Beer Yard and served at a 45F refrigerated temperature. Adam's Notes:

• mmm..sweet hops heaven!
• ahhh...quite a nose full of hops
• clean hops taste upfront
• enough malt to showcase the hops well
• very drinkable hoppy ale

Bryan's Notes:

• slightly dull, orangish-brown color
• just a bit cloudy
• soft white head, hangs around for a while
• grassy and citrus notes in the nose, accompanied by some, but not much malty sweetness
• Something just a bit offputting in the finish makes me wonder if this suffers from one too many hops in the formula
• Though I'll be honest and say I don't recall exactly why, I believe I enjoyed the previous formula more

GABF 2006 wrap-up

A quick shout-out and kudos here to everyone winning awards at the 2006 GABF this past weekend. Very happy for Bear Republic, recipient of the Small Brewery/Brewer of the Year Award. We certainly hope to see more in our area in the near future! The votes were tallied and 141 different breweries/brewpubs won an assortment of awards across 69 categories. In the spirit of analysis (hopefully, not paralysis), here's a little breakdown that I did after combing through the award winners. Further down the page, I focused a bit closer on the awards earned in the group of states stretching from Northern Virginia to New York. Interesting note: least amount of entries in a category (8; Baltic-Style Porter) and most (94; American Style IPA) Most awards by brewery/brewpub location (at least 3) 9 to Miller Brewing Co. 5 to Pelican Pub & Brewery 4 to Bear Republic Brewing Co. 4 to Flossmoor Station Brewing 4 to Pabst Brewing Co. 4 to Pizza Port - Carlsbad 3 to Capitol City Brewing Co. 3 to Great American Restaurants 3 to Great Divide Brewing Co. 3 to Odell Brewing Co. 3 to Russian River Brewing Co. 3 to Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Delaware (4)

Dogfish Head
• BRONZE - World Wide Stout in the Aged Beer (Ale or Lager)
• BRONZE - Festina Lente in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category
Stewart's Brewing Co.
• BRONZE - Stewart's Smoked Porter in the Smoke-Flavored Beer category
• BRONZE - Dunkel Rico in the European-Style Dark / Münchner Dunkel category

Maryland (3)

Clipper City Brewing Co.
• SILVER - Balto Marz Hon in the Vienna-Style Lager category
Rock Bottom Brewery-Bethesda
• GOLD - Raccoon Red in the Bitter category
• BRONZE - Terrapin Alt in the German-Style Brown Ale / Düsseldorf-Style Altbier category

New Jersey (1)

Basil T's Brewery & Italian Grill
• GOLD - Maxwell's Stout in the Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout category

New York (2)

Brewery Ommegang
• BRONZE - Hennepin Farmhouse Saison in the French- Belgian-Style Saison category
Southampton Publick House
• BRONZE - Belgian Double White Ale in the Belgian-and French-Style Ale category

Pennsylvania (7)

Bethlehem Brew Works
• BRONZE - Berliner Weiss in the German-Style Wheat Ale category
Iron Hill Brewery-Media
• GOLD - Russian Imperial Stout in the Imperial Stout category
Iron Hill Brewery-West Chester
• BRONZE - Bourbon Ivan in the Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer category
McKenzie Brew House
• SILVER - Raven in the Baltic-Style Porter category
Rock Bottom Brewery-King of Prussia
• SILVER - Schwarzbier in the German-Style Schwarzbier category
Triumph Brewing Co.-New Hope
• GOLD - Triumph Bengal Gold I.P.A. in the English-Style India Pale Ale category
Tröegs Brewing Co.
• SILVER - Tröegenator Double Bock in the Bock category

Virginia (northern) (4)

Capitol City Brewing Co.
• GOLD - Fuel in the Coffee Flavored Beer category
• SILVER - Amber Waves Ale in the American-Style Amber / Red Ale category
• SILVER - Saison in the French- Belgian-Style Saison category
Old Dominion Brewing Co.
• BRONZE - Dominion Octoberfest in the German-Style Märzen / Oktoberfest category

Number of awards to groups of restaurants/brewpubs 7 to the Rock Bottom group 6 to the Pizza Port group 4 to the Ram Restaurant/Big Horn group 3 to the Great American Restaurant group 3 to the BJ's Restaurant group 2 to the Iron Hill group

Iron Hill Brewery in Phoenixville, PA - Grand Opening on 10/3/06

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From today's e-mail newsletter. Looks like the practice dinners this past weekend went well enough to proclaim 'all systems go' for an official opening on Tuesday the 3rd. If you go, be sure to check out their Oktoberfest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iron Hill set to open in Phoenixville ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iron Hill's newest location in Phoenixville, PA is set to open Tuesday October 3rd at 5:30 pm. Come join us as we celebrate our newest location! The brewery is located at 130 E. Bridge Street in Phoenixville, PA. For more information call 610-983-9333.

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Blind Tiger Ale House in New York, NY

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Blind Tiger will soon see a new day...trust me! Ok, I really don't have any inside knowledge on this topic. However, we made a visit to their new location this past weekend. There is just an air of eventuality in the place. Any concerns about BT's ability to be a good neighbor (silly, yes, but it's been called into question) should be easily allayed. Set at Bleecker and Jones streets just steps off the bustling 7th Avenue, the new digs are attractively appointed with wood from a 19th century farm in Vermont. So, while they are awaiting approval to sell alcohol, they are doing a real fine job at some nice creations coming out of the kitchen. Pressed sandwiches, soups, bagels, and muffins are all made fresh on the premises and are served along side finely crafted coffees and teas. As you can tell, this made for a great mid-afternoon lunch stop as we traversed Manhattan. Perhaps as a bit of irony, the one tap currently flowing at BT has a Dogfish Head handle on it. Guesses anyone? Actually, it's reportedly the first keg of birch beer from Dogfish Head to make its way out of the State of Delaware. Eventually, BT will have 28 lines pumping out the usual good suds that they have become known for over the years. For the time being, the barrels are resting nicely in the basement. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a post-Marathon celebration on November 5th with a couple of brews at the new Blind Tiger Ale House.

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Iron Hill Brewery 'the VI' in Phoenixville, PA - Soft Opening 9/29/06

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Don't look now, Philadelphia, but the once-sleepy, downtrodden western suburb of Phoenixville has a nightlife. This has been a slow, growing revolution in P'ville over the years. Leaving the new Iron Hill at one end of Bridge Street and driving to the other end left us simply with 'Wow! What a change.' Whether you're looking for retro movie theater, hip coffee house, Spanish, American, or quality crafted beer, Phoenixville has slowly become a destination in the western suburbs of Philly. Iron Hill has taken their tried-and-true formula and applied it to the new and relatively smaller location in Phoenixville. On this last weekend of September, Iron Hill is doing "practice dinners" by invitation only. All of the Iron Hill family of usual suspects were brewed on premises and available for consumption. The only upcoming beer outside of the typicals is the Pumpkin Ale, due somewhere around the middle of October. Between the three of us (Scott played third wheel to Patty and your's truly.....aw shucks Scott, we enjoyed your company....really!), we hit many of the styles on the tap list. Pig Iron Porter, Raspberry Wheat, Oktoberfest, and Saison all met expectations. We all seemed to agree that the Oktoberfest was the most pleasantly surprising and drinkable. It had hints of being lager-ish (noble bite?) but was balanced nicely with a soft malt taste and medium body. Will certainly seek this out again. The food menu will look familiar to Iron Hill regulars. For the practice dinners, the menu was broken up into thirds and distributed amongst the tables. This was to help ensure that the kitchen would see a variety of appetizer and entree orders. We enjoyed sweet potato fries with dipping sauces, bruschetta, salmon filet, mushroom lasagna, and pizza (my, do they do pizzas well, or what?) Overall, the opening night here in Phoenixville was an enjoyable evening. There was nothing overstated about it. The typcial food menu, beer menu, and a pleasant staff that we've come to expect from Iron Hill. As they go through their full opening to the public, scheduled for this upcoming week, they should be well on their way to successfully anchoring the north end of Bridge Street.

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Brewing News: Fall Beer Brewing!

Wow, it seems like there's something in the air that makes me want to brew in the Fall. Here are some of the posts that I'm working on.

• Beer Swap with the crew. (Just got back and we had some great beer!)
• Harvesting the Hops
• Wet Hopping/Dry Hopping
• Kegging the Oktoberfest

I think I'm back on the wagon. I had a bit of a lull there for a while if you couldn't tell. Fortunately for me and YOU Bryan picked up the slack. I'm looking forward to some of the posts he is working on. I hope you like them.

Marin Brewing Co. in Larkspur, CA

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After a great start to our Northern California brewery tour at Moylan's in Novato, we drove 15-20 minutes south to Larkspur where we found Marin Brewing Co. Seemed like an obvious next choice, as Marin begat Moylan's in the form of Brendan Moylan (who is still heavily involved with Marin). Like Moylan's, Marin was another easy find, just off route 101 and in a shopping area with an accompanying large parking lot. Inside the brewpub is just as spacious. And once inside, it didn't take long for Jay to find Arne Johnson, brewmaster, who was onsite taking care of brewing operations. We grabbed a table for a much-needed lunch and Arne stopped by a few times to check in on us, get our reactions to his brews, and talk (also, like James over at Moylan's) of his recent experience at hop school in Yakima. Arne was most interested in our take on his Quad, a new recipe added to his arsenal of award-winning brews. You can see from the picture with the jeroboam, that he was anxious for us to take some with us for another tasting. But, alas, I was bequeathed with a bomber to take home with me because I didn't rank as high as Jay (just kidding...but it's true :) Fortunately, a 22oz. bottle fit a lot easier in my suitcase for the flight home than the 3 liter bad boy would have! For food, we each chowed down on a well-made, tasty chicken sandwich, each with different accompaniments. Sampling the beers was another difficult proposition, like at Moylan's. Each brew on its own was at least above average. But, if you forced me to pick my top three (sorry, four), it would go something like this: Mt. Tam Pale Ale; Double IPA; Blueberry Wheat; San Quentin Stout; Port Reyes Porter; Albion Amber. Did I say 3, 4.... or 6?! Did I mention the barleywine? Yeah, that too! Awesome and spot-on interpretation of the style. I think you get the picture. This probably sounds like a broken record. But, the beer, the brewer and staff, the food, and the atmosphere get high marks here, just as at Moylan's. If they're going for consistently all-around high quality at these two establishments, they certainly have not failed to hit the mark. Thanks, Jay, so far 2-for-2.

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Bottle Conditioned Beer at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA

I suppose earlier today I said that we're gonna get a bit locally bent on the Flying Pig in Malvern, PA. Sorry, it continues some more this afternoon. Though, after spying the list of 'Flying Pig Cellar Aged Bottle Conditioned Beer,' I thought it had to be shared. If you're in southeastern Pennsylvania and passing through Chester County with a thirst, it's certainly worth checking out. In addition to a very nice draft list, these bottles round out a quality beer bar experience at 'the Pig'. Specialty Bottle List as of 9/27/06 Achel 8 Brun 2004 Chimay Grande Reserve 2004 De Dolle Stille Nacht 2004 J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 1999 J.W. Lees Harvest Ale in Port/Sherry Casks 2003 Kulmbacher Eisbock 2004 La Trappe Quadrupel 1999 Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout 2001 North Coast Old Stock Ale 2004 Ommegang Three Philosophers 2004 Orval 2004 Rochefort 10 2004 St. Bernardus Abt 12 2004 Westmalle Tripel 2004

Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 9/27/06

We're gonna try an extremely local idea here. Maybe it will "fly," maybe it won't.

The Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA typically has a fresh and interesting lineup of brews on tap. But, the publicity of the tap list is lacking (i.e. no website, etc). So, on an attempted regular basis, we'll post the tap list here. If you like this idea, please drop us a note and let us know.

On Draft as of 9/27/06
Ayinger Oktoberfest
Felinfoel Wales Double Dragon Ale
Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest
Legacy Midnight Wit
Magic Hat Circus Boy Wheat
Maredsous 8
Middle Ages Wailing Wench
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Paulaner Oktoberfest
Warsteiner Oktoberfest

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Iron Hill Brewery in Phoenixville, PA - Opening Update 9/27/06

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Excerpted from today's e-mail from Iron Hill regarding their new location opening date in Phoenixville, PA. Opening Soon! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The staff and owners of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant wanted to thank all of our customers for being so patient as we worked to open our newest restaurant in Phoenixville. We are very excited to be opening in Phoenixville and hope to see you soon! The contractors are almost finished and we are in the home stretch! We have been diligently training our staff, preparing our soups and sauces and fermenting our beer. Our goal is to open next Monday Oct 2 or Tuesday Oct. 3 at 5 pm. We will notify you via email as soon as the date is finalized. Help Us Out and Eat On Us! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iron Hill Phoenixville is almost open and we are asking you for your help! Our staff needs to practice, and we are inviting you to come to one of our practice lunches or dinners this Friday Sept. 29, Saturday Sept. 30 or Sunday Oct. 1. We are taking reservations for Friday dinner, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner and Sunday dinner. You need a reservation to attend and reservations are on a first come, first served basis. To make a reservation call the restaurant between 9 am and 5 pm at 610-983-9333. If you choose to participate, all food and soft drinks are complimentary. There will be a cash bar for beer only. Gratuities are not included.

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Moylan's Brewing Co. in Novato, CA

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I've been around the City of San Francisco and have been exposed a bit more to the better beer available south and east of the city. So, what's the most logical next step for exploration? Of course...head north. Wine geeks, be not offended. In case you weren't aware, the region to the north of San Francisco in Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties are overflowing with great suds of the barley and hop variety. Hey, I love wine too and it is a bit difficult to drive by beautiful wineries (ok, Napa's not too hard to drive through, given their Disney-ification over the past couple of decades) and the allure of the grape. However, greater expectations beckon. The first stop along this magnificent northern tour involved picking up Jay Brooks as he offered to escort us around his stomping ground of Marin County. The first stop was at Moylan's in Novato. Located just off route 101, Moylan's is extremely easy to find. And, judging from the lunchtime crowd already building at 11:30am, it's quite a popular destination as well. Moylan's is a brewery that I've previously been experienced with only while visiting California. If it's distributed to Pennsylvania, I've either overlooked it or simply passed on it out of ignorance. No longer. I was already aware that their beer was preceded by an award-winning, top-notch reputation, but now that I've been able to match the people and personalities behind the brewing, I'm a devoted fan. We chose to put off our hunger for our next stop, Marin Brewing, and opted instead for a sampler. Ok, stop for a minute here. I've had samplers of 5, 6, 7, even 8 beers. Moylan's takes the prize for largest beer sampler ever...10 beers. Yowzah, what a start to the day (which, by the way, was due to end at Russian River...so...must...pace...self...control!) The sampler was all over the style map from IPA to Scotch to Wheat to IPA to Barleywine to IPA. Ha, get the picture?! And, if you check out the picture, you'll see that we did not step timidly into the lunch hour. Worse yet, there was not a bad one in the batch. Not a wimpy, flavorless, hop-deprived, or bland one. James Costa, head brewer, was onsite wrestling with temperatures of a new batch and spent some time chatting with us. He had just returned from hops school in Yakima armed with all sorts of new information about the science of hops utilization. He beamed with pride as I listed my favorites of the sampler. First, the Hopsickle Triple IPA. Oh, for the love of all that is sweet and hoppy goodness! The Hopsickle has got to be one the tastiest hopped up beverages mankind will ever impart to its lips. Ok, I'll settle down now. Seriously, though, the freshness of the hop wallop that it delivers is truly magnificent. James, who cut his mashing teeth at Bear Republic, is certainly a shining star at Moylan's. Following in very close order of favorites were the Moylander (double IPA), Moylander (cask), Kiltlifter (scotch ale), Old Blarney (barleywine), unfiltered Wheat, Tipperary (pale ale), Pomegranate Wheat (yes, folks, I said Pomegranate and don't you forget where you heard it first!). Wait, how can I possibly put an Imperial Stout last?! Afterall, it's one of my favorite styles. It was such a rich and sinful stout with hints of roasted coffee and sweet chocolate. Ugh, trying to rank these is a futile effort. Do yourself a favor and make sure to try some of Moylan's fine brews when you're out West; you'll understand my dilemma here. The layout of the brewpub is very comfortable with a spacious bar area bordered by a large, open air dining room. Paraphernalia ranging from sports to beer to patriotic decoratively fills in the space on the walls and from the rafters. Pair this with a friendly brewer and staff (oh yeah, and great beer too), you've got a recipe for success. It's no wonder they've gathered countless awards for their many excellent brews. There was more to see of James on the next day's Lagunita's Skunk Beer Train further up north. Yes, I promise...those notes, pictures, and videos will be forthcoming....soon....I promise!

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Beer Tasting: Heavyweight Biere d'Art

Biere d'Art is a Biere de Garde "farmhouse" style brewed by the now-defunct (or so they say) Heavyweight Brewing of Ocean Township, NJ. This 22oz. bomber was purchased from the brewery during their last open house on the first weekend of July 2006. It was since stored at room temperature and refrigerated to the low 40 degrees fahrenheit prior to serving. We did this "remote" tasting with Adam on the western side of Pennsylvania spending quality time with his father and Bryan on the eastern side of Pennsylvania spending quality time.....in his desk chair! In any case, it's a shame to see these beers disappear with the closing of the brewery. Though, we have a sneaking suspicion (and optimism) that we'll see some of these recipes reappear at sometime in the near future. Adam's Notes:

• good malt nose upfront
• hazy burnt orange
• well carbonated
• good level of yeast present in taste/nose
• some lighter fruit flavors
• malt there as a backdrop for all this
• a tinge of spice toward the end
• hops not very detectable as such

Bryan's Notes:

• a huge shaving cream head that doesn't quit, leaving behind some serious lacing
• solid copper colored brew
• a slightly earthy and musty, but not offputting, aroma
• sweet and malty upfront
• slowly turns over to some alcohol warming (almost 8% ABV) and slight hop bitterness in the end
• prefer colder temperature
• such a pleasant drinking beer; no problem finishing the bomber all by myself!

Beer Calendar: What to do in October 2006

Here's just a sampling of upcoming events over the next several weeks, mostly in the Philadelphia area, that look interesting to check out. Let us know if you think you might be heading to one of these events or have been to one of them in the past.

Thu. 9/28-Sat. 9/30 - 25th Annual Great American Beer Festival @Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO (5:30pm-10:30pm; $35-$145)
Fri. 9/29 - Friday Night Tasting (Victory) @Beer Yard, Wayne, PA (5pm-7pm; Free)
Fri. 9/29-Sun. 10/1 - Oktoberfest "Big Weekend" 2006 @Stoudt's Brewing Co, Adamstown, PA (5pm-7pm; $8/$30)
Sat. 9/30 - 3rd Annual Lehigh Valley Brewfest @Riverside Park, Easton, PA (1pm-5pm; $30/$35)
Sat. 9/30 - Victory Fall Fest @Victory Brewing Co, Downingtown, PA (2pm-9pm; pay as you go)
Wed. 10/4 - Oktoberfest @Ortino's Northside, Zieglersville, PA (1pm-5pm; $35/$40)
Thu. 10/5 - Weyerbacher Tasting @The Drafting Room, Spring House, PA (6pm; pay as you go)
Sat. 10/7 - Kennett Square Microbrew Festival Kennett Square, PA (2pm-6pm; $30)
Sun. 10/8 - Chester County SPCA Wine & Beer Festival @Duling-Kurtz House & Country Inn, Exton, PA (12pm-4pm; $30/$35)
Tue. 10/10 - Oktoberfest Beer Dinner @Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia, PA (5pm-7pm; $55)
Fri. 10/13 - Friday the Firkinteenth XIV @The Grey Lodge Pub, Philadelphia, PA (all day; pay as you go)
Sat. 10/14 - Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewer's Festival @Stoudt's Beer Garden, Adamstown, PA (12pm-4pm; 7pm-11pm; $26)
Sat. 10/14 - Oktoberfest @General Lafayette Inn & Brewery, Lafayette Hill, PA (12pm-4pm; pay as you go)
Wed. 10/18 - Rogue Beer Dinner @The Drafting Room, Exton, PA (6:30pm; $49.95)
Thu. 10/19 - Rogue Beer Dinner @The Drafting Room, Spring House, PA (6:30pm; $49.95)
Sat. 10/21 - Chesapeake Real Ale Festival @Wharf Rat/Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD (1pm-6pm; $25/$30)
Sat. 10/21 - Newtown Brewfest @Stocking Works parking lot, Newtown, PA (2pm-6pm; $25/$30)
Mon. 10/23 - Van Steenberge Beer Dinner @Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia, PA (7pm; $60)
Fri. 10/27 - Oktoberfest Beer Dinner @The Farmhouse Restaurant, Emmaus, PA (7pm; $80)

Beer Tasting: Sly Fox Black Raspberry Reserve

This raspberry fruit beer is a wheat ale style brewed by Sly Fox Brewing of Phoenixville, PA. This 25oz. bottle was purchased from the brewery during and was since refrigerated to the low 40 degrees fahrenheit. The label boasts "unforgettable fruit ale" and let's just say it got close. I also sampled it on draft and it was just as memorable. Brian O'Reilly continues to impress. Bryan's Notes:

• brilliant, reddish-purple glow
• substantial head that settles to a nice lavender crown
• hints of strawberry and raspberry in the nose; some barley too?
• easy-drinking wheat with significant raspberry flavor
• but not overly sweet or tart, just right
• effervescent, fresh flavor and mouthfeel
• swirl up a few chunks from the bottom for extra texture
• 8% ABV? Hard to believe
• perfect after a late summer day of hard outdoor work

Monument Wine & Spirits (Concord, CA) & Jackson's Wine and Spirits (Lafayette, CA)

If you're in the East Bay area of San Francisco, CA and are looking for a good retail beer selection you can't go wrong at either of these locations. Both are managed by the same ownership (in addition to Moraga Wine and Spirits in, that's right, the city of Moraga) and carry a decent selection of high quality beers, wines, and liquors.

Generally speaking, the Concord location (Monument) has a greater emphasis on beer, while the Lafayette location (Jackson's) has a greater emphasis on wine. But, really, when you browse the inventory the difference is almost imperceptible. Following is a rundown of the stash I came away with from these locations. Oh, for a Pennsylvania boy like me, I surely appreciated the single bottle option...and not with the accompanying price penalty that we experience here back home. Not too shabby, eh? (And I didn't even really get into the rare stuff.)

Bear Republic Red Rocket; Russian River Salvation; Fantome Saison; Lagunitas IPA; Pyramid Thunderhead IPA; Firestone Double Barrel Ale; Deschutes Butte Creek Porter; Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA; Anchor Steam; Sierra Nevada Pale Ale; Sacramento Sac-Squatch

Beer Tasting: Anchor Porter

This porter is from Anchor, brewed in San Francisco, CA. This beer was purchased from Total Wine & More in Claymont, Delaware at room temperature and refrigerated in the low 40s since then. It was allowed to warm approximately 10 degrees before serving. Bryan's Notes:

• dark as night
• hefty tannish-cream head
• rich, toffee, molasses aroma; bit of alcohol presence
• fig, caramel, a bit woody
• somewhere between medium and fuller bodied, but not overwhelming; very nice
• serves better on the cooler side, but not ice cold
• loses some of its flavor as it warms
• a pleasant reminder of fun times in San Francisco

Thursday, was it saved? ;-)

Considering we haven't posted anything yet today, I'm not so sure. ;-) I am thinking of going to the Stoudt's Oktoberfest this year. I also heard that Victory is holding Octoberfeast to benefit the Brandywine Valley Association. Also note, it is not in Downingtown at the brewery. I should probably look at Bryan's calendar, huh? BTW, Friday is saved! I have the day off to visit with my Dad. I hope you have something good planned as well.

Monk's Beer Dinner 9/19/06 : St. Bernardus

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The skies were threatening, but the promise of another great beer dinner event at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia was way too great to keep us at home. We were fortunate enough to take an earlier train into Philly which allowed us first to stop off at Tria (review-3/06) for a pre-Monk's beer and cheese plate. The skies were clearing up by this point and the windows at Tria were open to create a nice after-work atmosphere. Around the table, we enjoyed an Allagash White, Victory Kölsch, and Jolly Pumpkin Wit with a plate of soft Brie-like cow's cheese from France. Fast forward a few blocks over to Monk's where we socialized with others before we were sat at our center booth table for dinner. We eased our way into dinner with a Gaffel Kölsch, Monk's "house" Gueuze, and a Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout (how's that for variety?!) Tom, Fergie, and some of the usual suspects were on hand as the dinner got started near 7pm. The dinner began with a quick intro from the usual emcee, George Hummel. He quickly turned things over to the good folks from St. Bernardus who filled the crowd with some stories and clarifications about the history of the brewery. Marco Passarella described the sequence of events in the 1940s as St. Sixtus beers were brewed with the assistance of Westvleteren to the 1960s and an agreement to brew with Deconinck to 1992 when St. Bernardus came to be the name we know it as today. He also cleared up any confusion regarding the smiling face that graces many of the St. Bernardus bottles. It is not that of a monk, but rather, as he put it, a counselor. No monks are involved in the brewing of St. Bernardus beers (nor were any animals harmed ;-) So, on with the dinner we went. A look over the menu had me believe that I would be look equally forward to the food as much as the beer. The kitchen, as usual, did not disappoint. For simplicity, I've listed the 5 course pairings of beer and food below. In short summary, my favorite food item of the evening was the opening Red Mullet and Scallop. Though, the Lobster Creme Brulee was a very nice dish of lobster chunks. My favorite brew was the St. Bernardus 12. (I went into the dinner with this expectation, so hopefully I didn't predispose myself to this judgment!) Though, a very close second (and a bit of a surprise) was the Wit. This was a very nicely made, not overstated, Witbier with subtle notes of honey, ripe banana, and coriander. And, my favorite pairing of the night was not actually a prearranged pairing. But, with the way pourings go at Monk's dinners, it is quite possible to make your own pairings as the night goes on, if you catch my drift! It was the Tripel with the Cornish Hen. The saltiness of the meat, the richness of the fat, and the sweetness of the peach/raisin compote made for an even better pairing with the Tripel than with the St. Bernardus 8. Finally, a simple creme-filled chocolate eclair with the 60th Anniversary was a real pleasurable way to conclude the dinner. It also was fun to have the 12 and the Anniversary 12 both in front of us at the same time to compare. For as much as I enjoy the Anniversary, at least on this particular evening it was better as a food pairing with the creamy filling of the eclair than by itself. Something about the scrubbing bubbles of the Anniversary made it pair better with the dessert. Though, all by itself, the smooth and lush 12 took the blue ribbon prize of the night! Thanks to Tom, Fergie, Adam, and staff for another fine Tuesday evening at Monk's.

• Course 1
~St. Bernardus Wit ~Red Mullet & Scallop au Vert
• Course 2
~St. Bernardus Tripel ~Lobster Creme Brulee with Sea Salt Sweet Glaze and Micro Greens tossed in a St. Bernardus Tripel Vinaigrette
• Course 3
~St. Bernardus 8 ~Cornish Hen marinated in St. Bernardus 8, Herbs, and Garlic with Peach & Raisin Compote
• Course 4
~St. Bernardus 12 ~Lamb Loin with Truffled Pesto, Roasted Potato, and Baby Vegetables
• Course 5
~St. Bernardus 60th Anniversary ~Chocolate Enrobed Eclair with Coffee Creme Filling

p.s. Adam took a couple of pictures and will put them up for you with his own review of the event. I will link it here.

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Flickr: Beer Growlers of the World Updated

I added most of my collection to the Flickr photostream. Check it out. If you want to subscribe to the photostream you can via this feedburner link. You'll get notified when new photos are added. Click here to subscribe to the photo feed.

Beer Commercial: Guiness - 125 calories

I was watching ESPN and saw a Guinness commercial called Suntan. You can view it on their site here. In the commercial they mention that Guinness Draft has 125 calories. Pretty cool eh? Somebody there clued into the same thing we discussed. Guinness is not as "heavy" as people think. :-)