Tap List at Teresa's Next Door in Wayne, PA - 4/6/08

For those who have not made their way to Teresa's Next Door, here's the tap list as of 4/6/08. It's fairly typical of the quality and diversity that can be found there. Keep in mind, that these are the drafts. The bottle selection is just as good, but ten fold. Made our way there today for brunch; here are some goodies for you.

Allagash Dubbel
Avery IPA
Bell's Third Coast Old Ale
Breckenridge 471
Brasserie d'Achoufee La Chouffe
Brouwerij De Koninck De Koninck
Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Blonde
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Rouge
Chimay White
Coniston Bluebird Bitter
Corsendonk Brown
Founders Red's Rye
Hoegaarden Witbier
Lindemans Pomme
Mahr's Bock
Ommegang Hennepin
Sly Fox 113 IPA (cask)
Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout (nitro)
Sprecher Imperial Stout
St. Bernardus 12
Thomas Hooker Helles
Tröegs Pale Ale
Victory Baltic Thunder
Victory Hop Devil (cask)
Victory V-12

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Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 4/4/08

On an attempted regular basis, I'll post the tap list here to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA. I have no affiliation with the establishment other than living within 2 miles of it and appreciating the usual quality tap and bottle list. If you like this idea, please drop me a note.

On Draft as of 4/4/08 (Thanks to Patty!)
Arcadia Cocoa Loco Stout
Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA
Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru
Brasserie de Silly Scotch Silly
Brouwerij Bavik Petrus Winter
Philadelphia Brewing Walt Wit
Sly Fox O'Reilly Stout
Sly Fox 113 IPA (cask)
Smuttynose Hanami
St. Feuillien Brune
Stone Russian Imperial Stout
Summit Maibock
Tröegs Dead Reckoning

And the usual suspects...

Blanche De Bruxelles Witbier
Chimay White
Coors Light
Guinness Stout
Harp Lager
Plzensky Prazdroj Pilsner Urquell
Smithwick's Ale
Stella Artois Belgian Pale Ale
Victory HopDevil
Yuengling Traditional Lager

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Father's Office in Santa Monica, CA

Click Here For All Brew Pub & Beer Bar Reviews

I finally found something to like about Los Angeles...in Santa Monica. The Father's Office name had been around for 55 years and current chef/owner Sang Yoon took over the location in 2000. He is currently in the last stages of debuting a second location over in Culver City, due to open any day now.

I had previously heard of Father's Office only casually on the web. Then, several months ago, I'd seen Moon featured on the MOJO network's extraordinarily entertaining After Hours with Daniel Boulud. Seeing the 30+ taps criss-crossing the wall and Moon convincing Boulud of the food pairing-worthiness of many of the beers gave me all that I needed to know to put them on my list to check out.

To get there, though, from my Beverly Hills hotel required a round trip cab fare that exceeded the food and beer bill for my traveling colleague and myself. That either tells you that we didn't drink nearly enough, or that the traffic was at an infamous LA rush hour standstill.

Seven miles from the hotel to Father's Office took approximately 45 minutes of agony, but fortunately the experience at the pub made up for it. To say that one needs to have a game plan (and game face) for scoring a table would be an understatement. There's only a guy at the door to welcome customers, not to seat them.

Tables are first come, first serve to those that can grab them as they become available. After opening at 5 p.m., the open tables quickly disappear and waiting diners fill in the gaps to cast death stares at anyone even appearing close to finished with their dinner and drinks. Fortunately, we arrived around 5:30pm and placed our order at the bar (no table service).

When we walked in, only 3 of the roughly dozen tables had people at them. By the time we placed our order, only 3 or so remained. We quickly grabbed a table and waited for our food to be delivered. Working with clients the following morning, I limited myself to two pints of local IPA.

F.O. (as they're affectionately referred to) specializes in worldly beers but also pays plenty of attention to California, particularly southern California. Since I've had AleSmith, Stone, and the numerous northern California beers that were offered, I quickly honed in on two that I've heard of but previously missed...Telegraph (Santa Barbara) and Craftsman (Pasadena). These are both almost exclusively found in southern California and embrace the "drink local" concept.

We started with some easy Spanish mushrooms and spicy olives. I was in a west coast mood so my first beer selection was California Ale, the pleasantly-hopped and saison yeast-finished flagship beer from Telegraph. It was a snappy beer that held up well against the spices in these tapas-style plates.

Then, came the burger. Made from dry-aged beef and covered with Maytag blue cheese, bacon compote, caramelized onion, Gruyere, and arugula, this award-winning burger of theirs sits on soft, oblong bread sized just right to fit the burger. The well done IPA (as opposed to the medium-rare burger?!) from Craftsman went very nicely with the big, rich flavors coming from the burger. The accompanying sweet potato fries with a garlic aioli dipping sauce on the side, were served interestingly enough in a miniature shopping cart (a la carte?!) . They were as addictive as everything else that we'd tasted.

We drug out the last sips of our beer just long enough to annoy the young, uh, "ladies" who just couldn't wait to take our table away from us. Then again, we weren't just intentionally holding out on them, we were also procrastinating the long seven mile taxi ride back to the hotel. On the weekends they open for lunch. I'll bet the traffic's a bit easier at that time.

Click Here For All Brew Pub & Beer Bar Reviews

In Case You're Traveling Through Northern California

You may want to keep this in mind during the next few weeks if you should find yourself bouncing around northern California. Top shelf beer bars and retail shops will be carrying some of Russian River's most recent creative brews. But, they won't be making it out of California, unless you have some connections in the state.

The (soon to be) Tap List at Ron's Original in Exton, PA

The tap list is almost set at Ron's Original for when they unveil soon-to-be completed renovations in just a matter of weeks. As you can see from the intended tap list, they plan to make a splash and give The Drafting Room a little more competition in northern Chester County. They've always had a top shelf take out selection, now they'll have the taps to match. There are even a few beers at the end of the list that will satisfy even the most discriminating of palates. Stay tuned for an exact date of their official reopening; but remember that they remain open in the meantime. Flying Dog Double Dog Left Hand Dopplebock Victory Abbey Six Tröegs Mad Elf Rogue Brutal Black Bitter Ramstein Maibock Youngs Double Chocolate Stout Chimay White Stone Russian Imperial Stout Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve Ommegang Witte Southern Tier Unearthly Avery Ellie's Brown Flying Fish Espresso Porter Stoudt's Mai-Bock Bells Amber Peroni Miller Lite Yuengling Coors Light

Beer Dates In History: April Anniversaries

okay, now back to the serious beer reporter stuff :) 130 years Genesee Brewing 20 years Great Lakes Brewing 10 years Bethlehem Brew Works Upland Brewing

April's Fool

It feels like a good day for this. - There must be an ulterior motive, since I really don't understand why slovenly beer drinkers would want to go for runs with me, and not just beer runs. More to discover here I'm sure. - I think that places without websites like Teresa's Next Door and Flying Pig Saloon better get their act together soon if they're looking to stay in business. Fortunately, Union Barrel Works saw the light and got a website up just in time to save their business from lack of it. - I've decided that since everyone wishes to blanket-label me a libertarian (not librarian, apologies to Lew) since I don't support government-mandated smoking bans in a private businessperson's establishment, I've decided to just go with it and file my application. - I'm going to keep on enjoying all the big bad beers out there for all I can. I appreciate them for what they are and will try to resist being a session contrarian as long as possible. Or, at least until the trendies tell me that high alcohol, highly hopped are not evil but fashionable again. - Since I read it on the Internet, it must be true. Instead of researching on my own, I'm just never, ever going to Monk's again. They're just so rude and my thin skin is so easily offended. - Because all of this lovely content is published via blogspot, it must be a blog....it absolutely must be. How did this turn into a rant disguised as an April Fool's joke? Well, I feel better now. Have a splendid April Fool's Day and try not to be one!

Planning for a Great 2008

Is 2008 looking great here in the Philadelphia region, or what? We got the year off to a great start with Philly Beer Week. You may have heard of it! I've drudged up my old Brew Pub Watch page and updated it with links to everything you need to know about the new and returning players to the Philly Brewing Scene. Keep up, things change fast 'round these parts. I'm sure it won't be long before someone jumps in with something I've missed, right? Coming soon to Philadelphia is the re-emergence of Yards Brewing and their familiar ESA, Saison, Love Stout, IPA, Pale, and the Revolutionaries. This will mark the return of Tom Kehoe and his team, including Tim Roberts, formerly of the suddenly-shuttered Independence Brewing and Dock Street (first edition). Following closely behind (or don't quote me on the exact order...it's not an exact science) will be the glamorous and newly renovated Victory in Downingtown and Ron's Original in Exton/Uwchlan Township. Earth, Bread, + Brewery in West Mt. Airy shouldn't be too far behind these two renovations. And, later in the summer to early fall should be the (don't call it the "General Lafayette") Tied House in my old Fairmount/Art Museum neighborhood. Good times...good times

New Brew Pub Watch

Tröegs Brewing Company in Hershey, Pa.
10/13/11 - Nearing completion
July 2011 - Summer 2011 update


Tired Hands Brewing Company in Ardmore, Pa.
10/1/11 - Update #2
7/2/11 - First full day of property ownership
7/1/11 - Announcement


McKenzie Brew House in Devon, Pa.
10/1/11 - Update #2


Forest & Main Brewing Company in Ambler, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/9/12 - Grand Opening Notice
10/1/11 - Update #2
8/11/11 - Pix at Facebook
8/11/11 - Update #1


Victory Brewing in Downingtown, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
5/7/08 - Opening Day
3/31/08 - Last Day for the Old Bar
3/22/08 - Nearing shutdown
2/24/08 - Continued Progress
2/8/08 - More Pictures
1/21/08 - Early Progress Update
1/3/08 - Ramp-Down Notice
11/27/07 - Initial Announcement


Ron's Original in Exton, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/28/08 - Soft Opening Underway
4/3/08 - Projected Tap List at Re-Opening
3/22/08 - Construction Update & Reminder that they're still open for business
1/21/08 - Construction Update


Yards Brewing in Philadelphia, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/24/08 - Construction Update & Pictures
3/29/08 - Construction Updates and a Brewer's Blog
12/21/07 - Ybor Brewing System
8/5/07 - Initial Words from Tom Kehoe


Earth Bread + Brewery in Philadelphia, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/2/08 - Construction Moving Along
3/28/08 - Pictures from Tom Baker
12/17/07 - Connection to Collins Bar/Blind Tiger?
12/7/07 - Words from Tom Baker
12/6/07 - Initial Announcement


(General Lafayette) Tied House in Philadelphia, Pa. - Late Summer/Early Fall 2008 Grand Opening [Since Closed]


Union Barrel Works in Reamstown, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/6/07 - Now Open!
12/29/06 - Construction Update
11/29/06 - Opening Update
8/30/06 - Construction Update


Triumph Brewery in Philadelphia, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/1/07 - Opening Update is 4/6/07


Blind Tiger Ale House in New York City, NY - NOW OPEN!
3/29/07 - Tap List for Grand Re-Opening Party on 4/2/07
3/11/07 - Opening Date Announced (3/15/07)
3/7/07 - License Approved!
11/19/06 - Closure Notice (until liquor license is obtained)
9/30/06 - A 'pre-Ale House' review
8/14/06 - Neighborhood Issues
4/27/06 - Construction Update


Iron Hill Brewery in Phoenixville, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
10/2/06 - Grand Opening Date, 10/3/06
9/29/06 - Soft Opening Dinner review
9/27/06 - Grand Opening & Soft Opening Update
9/1/06 - Construction Update
8/11/06 - Construction Update
7/17/06 - Construction Update
4/9/06 - Construction Update
1/22/06 - Construction Update


McKenzie Brew House in Malvern, Pa. - NOW OPEN!
4/6/06 - 1st Night Review
4/5/06 - They're open for business
4/3/06 - Meet us there
4/3/06 - Opening announcement
3/19/06 - Construction Update
2/11/06 - Construction Update
1/9/06 - Construction Update
12/10/05 - Construction Update
11/25/05 - Construction Update
11/10/05 - Construction Update
11/7/05 - Construction Update

Tap List at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA - 3/31/08

Thanks to CaskAleKev for the heads-up on the tap list this week.

What's on line as of 3/31/2008?

Avery Maharaja
Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster's Reserve Extra Brune
Fuller's ESB
Otter Creek Sea Otter Baltic Porter
Sierra Nevada ESB
Tröegs Nugget Nectar
Victory St. Boisterous
Weyerbacher Heresy
Yards Philly Pale Ale
Victory Hop Devil (cask)
Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout
Legacy Midnight Wit
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Lindemans Pomme
Amstel Light

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But What About Victory Over Prohibition Day?

I can only imagine what it was like hanging at Victory's fabled long bar from opening to closing time yesterday (3/30/08).

Other than those oh-so-necessary biological breaks, there was one man (you all know who he is) who filled his usual spot at the end of the bar.

Friends came and friends left; Richard remained. Pipes were donned (video courtesy of Richard hisself), Polaroids were snapped (talk about nostalgia), and serving tanks were drained.

I had my growler filled with Storm King before and also did my part with a Hop Devil and Uncle Teddy's while mingling with the celebratory crowd.

I didn't stay for the locking of the doors, but I'm sure more than enough did with plenty of goosebumps and maybe even a few tears to go around.

According to the sign on the door, take-home beer will still be available to go fresh from the brewery during April. See you soon...

Yards Construction Updates

"Damn it, Skippy, get to work!" "Dayamn, that's some good beer Skippy!" "Damn Skippy you know it is!" "Skippy, when you gonna get that posting up online?" Looks like we've got some activity over at Yards as their progress continues to an opening hopefully in the next couple of months. They've got a blog to post construction, brewing, and other miscellaneous updates. Apparently, they flip a coin (or some other democratic process) for who gets to pen the entry under the name "Skippy." That way, anyone can be blamed or likewise take credit. Wanna know what's going on? Check out the blog, or e-mail to them via this link for more information.

Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 3/28/08

On an attempted regular basis, I'll post the tap list here to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA. I have no affiliation with the establishment other than living within 2 miles of it and appreciating the usual quality tap and bottle list. If you like this idea, please drop me a note.

On Draft as of 3/28/08
Arcadia Cocoa Loco Stout
Bell's Third Coast Old Ale
Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru
Brasserie de Silly Scotch Silly
Brouwerij Bavik Petrus Winter
Philadelphia Brewing Walt Wit
Sly Fox O'Reilly Stout
Sly Fox 113 IPA (cask)
Smuttynose Hanami
Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale
St. Feuillien Brune
Summit Maibock
Tröegs Dead Reckoning

And the usual suspects...

Blanche De Bruxelles Witbier
Chimay White
Coors Light
Guinness Stout
Harp Lager
Plzensky Prazdroj Pilsner Urquell
Smithwick's Ale
Stella Artois Belgian Pale Ale
Victory HopDevil
Yuengling Traditional Lager

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Gettin' Rustic in the West Village

Some of the woodwork at Blind Tiger Ale House comes from New England. So, it makes some sense that they put together a little Tuesday & Wednesday Vermont-themed event with these fine breweries and plenty of good cheese (surprised?!) from the state of Freedom and Unity. Here's a rundown of just some of what they were serving. And yet again, plenty of strange looks as I brought a plate full of cheese onto the train (again, "no sir, the service car is not having a wine and cheese event!") Alchemist - first time for me; the Beelzebub Impy Stout (chocolatey) and Heady Topper (great hops, malt too) were so very nice. Though, I was a bit confused and put off by the overly grape-ness of the Bacchus Wild Grape Ale (grapey yes, but not so wild in the way in which I was expecting) American Flatbread - only had these guys previously at Ommegang's BCTC; Paul's a great guy/brewer and my tasting of his Wheat IPA (the 'Centennial') was one of the softest, easiest IPAs ever tasted Long Trail - got lost in the shuffle, skipped Magic Hat - had too many of these in the past, so skipped as well McNeill's - wow! fortunately, well-traveled, beer loving Rich sitting next to me suggested I try any of them...he's had them all...he wasn't wrong. The Imperial Stout (quite nice and dry, roasty, yet somehow rich feeling too), the Pullman's Porter (a perfect porter? pretty close) were very nice. Unfortunately, the ESB was kicked and I had no room for the scotch, the amber, or the IPA. Keeping these guys on my radar for sure. Otter Creek - the gravity poured baltic porter looked great, but only from afar....ggrrrr Wolaver - love finding organic beers, but alas not this time Did I mention the randal-poured 90 minute from Dogfish was also on tap?! Also, Weihenstephaner Weisse, Ommegang Witte, and Bear Republic Racer 5. Too bad.

Nothing smokes more than Music, BBQ, and Beer at Bo's BBQ in Lafayette, CA

Now that Philly Beer Week is officially over, I can resume some of my missing California chronicles.

Bo McSwine knows BBQ. Have I said this before? Most likely. But it's always worth saying again. When in the Bay Area, make sure you either take a drive or the Pittsburg BART line east to Lafayette for dinner, beers, and live music at Bo's BBQ. This is just what I did again on this most recent trip. Though most of our beer events were centered on San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, I took the time to introduce Patty to Bo's for the first time. We went with her sister and brother-in-law and a couple of their friends.


I'd be redundant to again describe the beer selection and the non-vegetarian food choices. Just check back here for comments from previous comments. Also, Joy the Restaurant Whore does a wonderful job describing similar highlights from a visit to Bo's and the SF Chronicle has a nice review/biography from a few years ago as well.

What made this trip stand out was when my brother-in-law, Mike, insisted that we speak with Bo. He looked relaxed enough for a conversation so we engaged him for 15 minutes or so. I was impressed by not only his handle on beer, wine, food, and the restaurant industry, but likewise his passion and concern for arts, culture, children, education, family, and general community matters.


What also stood out was the phenomenal soulful sounds of The Black Diamond Band with Layce Baker. So much so that I picked up a CD of theirs for enjoyment at home and on the road. Oh, and someone else, I won't say whom and fortunately for this person I don't have any pictures, enjoyed the night so much that they made a Port Brewing Old Viscosity look like a great chugging beer...straight from the bottle...just saying :)

PBW 2008 - And One Last Word

PHILLY BEER WEEK INDEX @ THE BREW LOUNGE

Jack getting in his last words reminded me that I still had this in the hopper. So, without further ado, I hereby present my last words (promise!) on PBW 2008.

I know, I know...what more could I possibly say that hasn't been said. Let's break it up into two categories: more reactions from around town (check here from the first half of the week's commentary); and my overall impressions and suggestions for a better PBW 2009.

- Who wasn't at the "Kill the Sixtel"? Who wasn't amazed at the efficiency and enthusiasm of the crowd moving through the sixtels from bar to bar

- Utopia at Beaumont's/Monk's Expensive Beer Dinner. Say no more.

- Nice comments came in regarding various events at Jose Pistola's, Aspen Street, Johnny Brenda's, and For Pete's Sake

- Where was Lew when he was due on the mic at Triumph? unanswered questions...

- Speaking of where were.....Where were the shuttles due to get people around town? More than a few people have told me they were looking for them, but couldn't find them even hiding around the corner

- PhillyBeerGeek.com will be posting video recap of the finals night at Johnny Brenda's

- Lot of interest in doing more beer runs

- Bobo from Chimay made quite the splash with guys and gals alike

- Scoats continued with more successful oddball (all affection intended) events

- The Ladies Beer Tea sold out and was a rousing success; no tea to be found, I was told

Sssooooo, how to make next year even better? I give the overall 10 day event, eh, something like a B+, which means there's room for improvement. Here's a few suggestions for how:

- plan, plan, plan, organize, organize, organize...more and sooner

- on the more and sooner point, planning sooner and wrapping in hotel and airline/rail packages can help attract more out-of-towners

- get transportation more involved (SEPTA, complimentary shuttles, historic trolleys, rickshaws, etc.); the area's too big to expect people to get around on their own via bus or cab - more suburbs; include them early and earnestly.

Philly Beer is about way more than just Philly Proper. Plus, not all locals from the hinterlands can get downtown as often as they may like to. Give them the option to do more in the 'burbs. - more diversity; Meet 'n' Greets and Special Tastings are great, but how about more homebrewing events/competitions (isn't this where many professionals started?), more dinners (aka food/beer pairing events), and more specialty events (I'll leave it at that since I've got some more ideas).

- more promotional creativity (once again, leaving it at that since I've got some unique ideas here too); make people WANT/NEED to take off an entire week of work to attend as much as they possibly can

That said, I'm signing off of PBW until later this year. I had a great time and hope that you all did too.

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A Weekend of This 'n' That

I guess you could say that I wasn't really in the mood for a skull splittin' on this Saturday. My original intention was to do the whole barleywine thing at Sugar Mom's on Saturday, and that's about it. But, with the way I'd been feeling lately, it got pushed back a little in priority. Plus, I'd been wanting to get to the new Philadelphia Brewing Company in Kensington. With Rich Wagner there doing a presentation and all four of their new brews pouring, I figured I could squeeze it in and instead only do a half-session at Sugar Mom's.










So a train ride, then subway takes me to within a couple of blocks of PBC. It was an incredible day for walking the city; I'd have considered getting off one stop sooner and walking if it wasn't for the rest of my afternoon schedule.

I'd arrived early enough to kibitz with Nancy Barton and Dean Browne about the new operation and near-term plans. Also got in a few words with Rich before he kicked off his presentation about the history of PBC...the name. Didn't know there was history behind the name, now did you?






I sampled one of each of the new brews. I'd found the Kenzinger and Walt Wit around town during Philly Beer Week. So, it was a pleasant conquest to finally catch up with the Rowhouse Red and Newbold IPA. My recommendation still holds. The Kenzinger will become a local fave as an easy drinking, lawnmower-like, beer with a great local name. (Matter of fact, they've done a tremendous job on the marketing end...names, design, tap handles, etc...haven't they?) But, drink it either on its own or before getting into "bigger beers" as the Kenzinger's wonderfully delicate flavors get lost amongst higher ABV or more complex flavored beers. No matter, still a great session-y beer.











I cut out of PBC halfway through Rich's presentation (don't think he noticed me leaving behind the 70+ in attendance...congrats PBC on a nice first Saturday event) and headed back to Old City for Split Thy Skull (now in its 13th attempt to ruin your Easter Sunday plans) at Sugar Mom's. The crowd, as expected, was already fully lubricated on these big beauties. Indeed, three had already been kicked (Flying Fish, Stoudt's, and Founders). But, I still had the chance to appreciate the tasty bourbon-aged beer from Porterhouse and several others.










But, while I ran into some great people and sampled some very decent beers, I was longing for some easier drinking beers in an easier atmosphere. I love the subterranean atmosphere at Sugar Mom's, but just couldn't get myself into the proper STS mindset. Fortunately, I'd caught wind of a meetup of sorts over at Triumph. The couches in the back of the first floor, lower key atmosphere and good convo, a Schwarzbier and a Kellerbier were just what I needed to soothe me before catching the train back home.

I debated this last picture, but he insisted...so I present it to you for your indulgence.

Gotta Take the Good with The Bad

This was a great quote from a movie I watched while laid up the other day. While I wondered what to do with some of this disheartening material that I've read over the past several days, the quote reminded me that, as in all of life, there'll always be some bad to balance out the good. I figure as long as the world of better beer continues to grow in quality and interest, we can take some of the bad too. Price Gouging - if it wasn't prevalent before (likely), it is bound to become more so (more likely)...but we also have folks, like Andy, diligently watching now to put bar owner, wholesalers, and distributors on notice Sobering Numbers - Bill Brand reminds us that no matter how many friends you surround yourself with that drink the beer you drink and make their own beer, this country (world?) has a long, long way to go to realizing that most of the beers on these lists have such little taste and character Help Yourself...why, thank you - But then Stan digs up a new place for me to look for next time I'm in the Atlanta area...if you can tear me from my seat at Brick Store Pub. Though, I haven't verified the quality of tap handles at this sports bar joint. Cleanup in Aisle 24 - And Jack reports progress made in potential Pennsylvania approval for beer in grocery stores Another BJCP category - Finally, Vinnie gives his suggestion for another uniquely American beer category. I believe that puts today's score in favor of the good guys. More to come, I'm sure.

Luck of the Irish continues into April at Union Barrel Works

As you work your way through Easter Brunch, consider the next beer dinner scheduled on April 8th at Union Barrel Works in Reamstown, PA. Here's a sneak peak at their expected pairings for that evening's Irish-themed dinner.

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Appetizer Bangers and Mashed Potatoes ~Paired with Dubbel U(nion)~ Soup Irish Lamb Stew ~Paired with Pale Ale~ Interim Strawberry Pilsner Sorbet ~Paired with Pilsner~ Pre-Entrée Shepherd’s Pie ~Paired with Uncle Fester~ Entrée Salmon with an Apple Scallion relish, with colcannon potatoes ~Paired with Wobbly Bob~ Pre-Dessert Rhubarb Crumble ~Paired with Double Barrel ~ Dessert Chocolate Stout Cake ~Paired with Round Boy Stout~ $40.00 plus tax and gratuity; Reservation required @ 717-335-7837 Seating at 6:30pm

Ron's Original (Schoolhouse): Open During Construction

Continuing my criss cross county tour yesterday, I stopped in to find what is poised to be the next destination beer bar in Chester County. Ron's Original (aka Ron's Schoolhouse) has always been a good stop for a meal and a beer and/or perhaps some takeout. But, now with a 20-ish seat bar going in and 16 tap handles, I can see us all now jamming in there for happy hours, special events, and the like.

I had a chance to see behind-the-scenes yesterday. The comforting stone work is shaping up nicely, the new takeout area is completed, the tap lines have just been run to the cooler, and work looks to be on schedule for a mid-to-late April unveiling. According to management, we should look for a big weekend blowout in April re-introduce Ron's. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures that they're keeping up-to-date on their website.