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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There go my plans of being the bad boy of beer

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

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

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

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

Remembering the Year 2008 in Beer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beer Dates In History: January Anniversaries

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

Local 44 provides Holiday Benefits

What a perfect evening to make the trek from 30th Street Station to 44th and Spruce, home of the new Local 44. It was a crisp and quiet night in the city; well, maybe not anywhere a Mummer could be spotted. Brendan and Leigh (of Memphis Taproom fame, if you haven't been around for the past year or so) wasted no time in getting the new year off to a roaring great start. On our return Amtrak train trip from our NYC neighborhood-hopping New Year's Eve trip (much more on that later), I jumped off the train (after it stopped) in Philly and Patty (yes, I'm outting her here...sorry hon) continued on home. Walking from 30th Street Station to 44th and Spruce with my brisk pace and six foot two frame's accompanying legs got me to Local 44's front door in around 20 minutes. A more "average" pace could get you there around 25-30 minutes. On the other hand, a cab return that I took to 30th Street Station cost between $7-$8, before tip, and took approx. 5 minutes. Other easy ways of getting to Local 44 from Center City include the 42 bus (through Center City on Chestnut and Walnut streets) which will drop you less than 15 feet from the front door on Spruce Street and the 34 trolley (connecting the Convention Center to West Philly) which drops you two blocks away over on Baltimore Avenue and continues on to Dock Street's front door as well.. (there's Kevin posing with two tall lovelies against the far wall) Which gets us to the first point of business here. Local 44 is the neighborhood's new "local" on 44th street. It may not be the most convenient for some of us suburban beer hunters (apologies to The Beer Hunter) or other far-flung beer aficionados in search of good beer. But, in this beer-rich region, most of us, no matter our locale, have our own local. Some areas, of course, more so than others...but the gaps have certainly filled in over time. The far-westerly "rural-suburbs" have Union Jack's, Ortino's, and now Craft Ale House. Montgomery and Chester Counties received its riches perhaps longer ago than other suburbs and have been well-documented by myself and many others. Bucks County is coming along, slowly. ....And, Delaware County is, well, Delaware County. Lest I give New Jersey the cold shoulder, even some of the close Philly suburbs across the river are beginning to pay some attention to better beer. But, this is West Philly's Local. To be fair, they're joining Dock Street, roughly nine blocks further west in defining the meaning of local and giving their respective neighborhoods in the City something good to drink. Lew Bryson has already said much of what I would have said about my visit last night...which proves a good consistent theme. I'll ask you to jump over and check out his capsule on the evening. Funny how even our pictures are almost identical as well. So it appears that he and I were two passing beer vessels in the night as I left just before 7pm. He didn't mention how many familiar beer faces that he saw. When I arrived, I immediately recognized our friend in cask, Kevin...familiar beer hound Bill...and Tom Kehoe from Yards. Other than that, nary a familiar face. Not even the kind of familiarity like "oh yeah, I recognize that guy/gal...they're at all the festivals." That's what, to me, will make Local 44 successful. While I have no doubt there were a few BAs, RBs, and other assorted usual beer geeks/lovers in attendance, this appeared to be a crowd of locals who came out to support the grand opening of their new neighbor. A crowd is putting it mildly; the joint was packed while I was there from 5:30pm-7pm. And, that's pretty refreshing. Oh, and for the record...you see the tap list in one of my pictures. I started with the Brawler from Yards on cask (I'll need to have a couple more run-ins with this beer to give a better opinion of yet, i.e. not sold yet), followed with a Victory Hop Wallop (a beer that lives and loves so well on cask!), and finished with one last hop blast---one of my favorite IPAs in the land, Russian River's Blind Pig. (here's an obligatory flash-less picture for Richard)

This is how Wooden Barrels look on the Bar at Victory

The pooches thank you for your contributions...and I thank Victory for some wonderful St. Victorious from the bartop on Saturday. Only question I had was if this was SPCA benefit, where was the SPCA information table? Perhaps some puppies on site that could use a good home? And this is how an Ommegang Christmas Eve looked at my house....just in case you were wondering. Furthermore, if you really wondered...the '05 Abbey stole the show, followed closely by this years Biere de Mars. The Three Philosophers was not too shabby but for a change paled in comparison. And the Hennepin? At a couple of years old, it just didn't "sparkle" and seemed past its prime.

A Cask for the Holidays

I was going to post the tap list from The Drafting Room in Exton, PA but I figured that all you really need to know is that the Racer 5 is on the hand pump. Unless you don't like hops, then feel free to skip the Bear Republic offerings (Grandma's Ale, Black Bear Stout, and Hop Rod Rye). Then, you can instead skip to the Anchor Holiday or Rogue Yellow Snow...oh wait, that's an IPA. But wait, if Parkerford Brewing was partaking in the cask, it seems like a sign that all was good with the Racer 5. There was a 1/2 barrel of the Racer 5, and while it won't be kicked tonight it doesn't look like it will last for much longer judging from the number of pints being pulled from it tonight. A bunch of the usual suspects were there doing damage to the keg, including a certain, um, gentleman who participated in a Germantown Avenue pub crawl today and curiously thought that Germantown Ave. ran through Chester County.

Grab a Beer and Enjoy New Year's Eve 2008/2009

NEWLY ADDED (12/30): 21st Amendment; Barcade; Beer Table; Birreria Paradiso (both locations); Boston Beer Works (Fenway); Captain Lawrence Brewing; Church Brew Works; D.B.A. (Manhattan); Duclaw Brewing (all locations); Fat Heads; Father's Office (both locations); Firewaters (Concord); Half Moon Saloon; High Street Grill; Hop Devil Grill; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Rivertowne Pour House (Monroeville); Rock Bottom (King of Prussian); Spuyten Duyvil; Teresa's Next Door; The Brewer's Art; The Publick House; Union Jack's on the Manatawny NEWLY ADDED (12/29): Bridgewater's Pub; Cosimo; Dawson Street Pub; Dock Street Brewing; Earth Bread + Brewery; For Pete's Sake; Mad Mex (Philly); Maia; Prohibition Taproom; Quotations; Sugar Mom's; The Institute; Yards Brewing; Zot NEWLY ADDED (12/26): Brick Store Pub; Flying Pig Saloon NEWLY ADDED (12/24): Alison Two; America Bar & Grille; Barley Creek; Brickside Grille; Capone's; City Beer Store; David Copperfield's; Ebenezer's Pub; Fergie's; Grace Tavern; Gullifty's; Heartland Brewery (all locations); Isaac Newton's; Jose Pistolas; Lancaster Brewing; McMenamin's (Philly); Nodding Head; Otto's; Rattle 'n' Hum; Spring Street Lounge; Stewart's Brewing; Ten Stone; The Drafting Room (both locations); The Foodery (both locations); The Gate; The Map Room; Tria (both locations); Trinity Brewhouse; Union Barrel Works; Zum Schneider NEWLY ADDED (12/23): Allentown Brew Works; Bethelehem Brew Works; Philadelphia Brewing; Russian River Brewing; Stoudt's; The Khyber; Triumph Brewing (Philly) NEWLY ADDED (12/21): Exton Beverage; Ginger Man (NYC); Goshen Beverage; Jack's Firehouse; Johnny Brenda's; London Grill; McGillin's; Michael's Deli; The Tiedhouse; The Belgian Café NEWLY ADDED (12/20): Ale Asylum; Brugge Brasserie; City Steam; Hop Leaf; Memphis Taproom; Riverstone Café; Sly Fox; Standard Tap; The Brazen Head; Willimantic Brewing Say what you will; it's not only "amateurs" that go out on New Year's Eve. Plenty of responsible revelers are going out on the last night of the year and looking for good food, good drink, and great times. My listing of various places around the country and their events was one of the most sought after postings last year at this time. Obviously, people are looking for things to do at this time of year; they're not looking for esoteric readings ;-) You want to go out this year? I say find a good beer establishment and be of good cheer. And be safe along the way. Here is a rundown of places where you can find a decent brew on New Year's Eve, starting here in Philly's Delaware Valley spreading out as far away as the Pacific NW. I've only just begun with what's listed here. Over the next several days, I'm sure to be adding to the list. If you know of something interesting going on in the world of good beer to usher in 2009, let all of us know by dropping a note below.

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Philadelphia

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Bridgewater's Pub - Kitchen open until around 4pm; bar closing around 6pm

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Bridgid's - 8pm-2am; includes all drafts, some bottled beer, call liquor, giveaways, food buffet, and champagne toast at midnight; $80/pp; call restaurant for tickets

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Dawson Street Pub - Open for Business As Usual with live music; no cover

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Dock Street Brewery - 8pm closing time

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Earth Bread + Brewery - Our kitchen will be open to 11pm and late night snacks will be on the bar until closing (1am). There'll be a sneak peak of our newest beer De Raine Pore to welcome the new year.

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Fergie's Pub - Open for Business As Usual

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For Pete's Sake Pub - Open for Business As Usual with some drink specials

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Grace's Tavern - Open for Business As Usual

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Grey Lodge Pub - Ring in the New Years at our gala Brew Years Eve Party . For just $60, you get beverages, lots of tasty special food, hats, and noisemakers from 8:30pm to 1am.

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Jack's Firehouse - Ring In New Years At Jack's With All Of Your Friends With An Open Premium Bar To 1am And A DJ And Dancing Until 2am. We Start At 9pm. Tickets - $60 Per Person. It's A Great Party - Get 20 Of Your Friends To Come Over. We Only Sell 150 Tickets Which Makes Jack's Really Festive - But Not Overly Packed.

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José Pistolas - Open for Business As Usual

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Johnny Brenda's - Upstairs Just $5! Cheap funtimes!!!! Downstairs: Dress Up and Make-out! No cover

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London Grill - 5pm-11pm; Regular Menu And $45 Fixed Price Menu Available $80.00 with 4 wine pairings Also...party favors, free champagne at midnight and Times Square on HD TV; Earlybird Kid's Menu; Bar Snacks till midnight

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Mad Mex (University City) - Special $35 Dinner for 2 (one appetizer, two entrées, one dessert, and two glasses of champagne); 1/2 price happy hour as usual and "big-azz" margaritas all day

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Manayunk Brewery - Join us Wednesday, December 31st for a premium 4 hour open bar from 8pm to 12am, heavy hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast at midnight, live music by Pub Rally downstairs, live DJ upstairs, party favors and more! Tickets are $90.

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McGillin's - McGillin's is the place to SING in the New Year with karaoke, party favors and more! $5 cover.

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McMenamin's - No food, but champagne toast, music, and dancing...no cover

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Memphis Taproom - Our chef is putting to gether some spectacular New Years Eve dinner specials, including Beer-Battered Caviar, Oyster Stew and Surf & Turf, AND we'll ring in the new year with a Cantillon toast at midnight! No reservations are necessary. Stay late or come early the next morning for New Years day! We'll be serving BRUNCH (and nursing hangovers) from 11am-3pm

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Monk's Café - The late seating (9:30pm) will be a six course extravaganza. Tom will pull out a couple of gems from his basement collection of aged beers. Some very special beers will be served. Our crack kitchen crew will create a feast to pair with these amazing beers. Of course, we will have a midnight toast with Malhuer Brut. Hats & noisemakers for everyone. The early seating (6:30pm) will be a four-course (and 5 beers or wines) dinner.

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Nodding Head - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a champagne toast.

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Philadelphia Brewing - Open for beer sales 9am-1pm.

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Prohibition Taproom - $55; 8pm to 12 Midnight; open bar and a champagne toast.

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South Philadelphia Tap Room - Open for Business as Usual until 2am; join the SPTR for early morning reveling on New Year's Day and the Mummer's Parade

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Standard Tap - A firkin of Yards and specially-priced Golden Monkey and Mad Elf...DJ, too

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Sugar Mom's - Open for Business As Usual from 8pm-2am; Free Sandwiches plus $25 bottles of champagne; no cover

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Ten Stone - Closed for a Private Party

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The Belgian Café - 4 course dinner and beer/wine pairing: -first seating 6:30PM, $55, --- second seating 10PM, $75 ---(vegetarian menu also available) --- call 215-235-3500 for reservations

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The Foodery (2nd/Poplar) - Open for Business As Usual until 12 Midnight

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The Foodery (10th/Pine) - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm (or later, depending upon business)

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The Institute - No cover; $3 Walt Wit plus many other craft beer specials during the night; Wii Booths are NOW OPEN! Normally $15 per booth on New Year's Eve will be $20 per booth and cost includes a pitcher of either PBR or Yuengling.

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The Khyber - Come Celebrate With The Khyber As We Usher In The New Year Start 2009 Off With Your Old Friend The Khyber. With Help From No Tight Pants; DJ Lexx; DJ R'N'G Moshpit Rainbow; DJ Vertigo Headbanger; DJ Jesse Merlin Stakeout 9 pm; $10

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The Tiedhouse - Join us for New Year's Eve 3-Course Prixe Fixe Dinner for $39.95!!! Add a paired beer flight for $10 Add a paired wine flight for $15

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Tria (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual, perhaps with a few menu specials

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Triumph Brewery - Make your plans now and celebrate this year at Triumph with DJ Bizz and a four hour open bar from 9:30-1:30. Package includes beer, wine, house liquor and a champagne toast (sorry, no shots). Ticket price is $75. Bottle service will also be available in our VIP lounge. Hope to see you there.

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White Dog Café - $60 per person plus tax and gratuity for late seating (after 8:30pm). A la carte early seating (6:00pm-7:45pm). Strolling Violin Duet Davis & Diane Barnett, 8:30pm - 12:00am Sing-Along Piano in the Piano Parlor, 9:00pm - 2:00am Dancing to Oldies, 12:00am to 2:00am

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Yard's Brewing - Will likely be out of beer by 12/31 and no one will be at the brewery after 5pm on New Year's Eve; but stop by 12/29 or 12/30 to buy some ESA or whatever's left of currrent inventory

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Zot - $45 & $65 priced dinners for 6:30pm & 9:30pm seatings, respectively. Beer Tasting Menu available as well. Otherwise open for Business As Usual.

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Philadelphia Metro

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Alison Two - $75 seating 5pm-7pm; $85 seating after 7pm

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America Bar & Grill - Open for Business As Usual with 10pm last dinner seating; probably some form of entertainment until closing; no cover

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Brickside Grille - Come join in the fun New Year's Eve. Make a reservation for dinner or stop in for live music with "Lord Jive" starting at 10:00 p.m. Free champagne toast at midnight, party favors; plus a free chocolate fountain all night long.

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Capone's Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual until 10pm; bottleshop until 12 Midnight

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Cosimo Restaurant - Open for Business As Usual with a special dinner menu

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Exton Beverage - 9pm closing time

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Firewaters (Concord) - $199/couple package deal includes hotel room, buffet (9pm-11pm), open bar (9pm-12:30am), DJ, and party favors)

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Flying Pig Saloon - Open for Business As Usual

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General Lafayette - 6pm and 9pm seatings for a 3-Course Prix Fixe; $44.95 per person; Call 610-941-0600 for Reservations. Salad/Appetizer, Entree, Dessert, Champagne Toast Add a flight of specially selected paired wine for $15 Add a flight of brewmaster paired beer for $12

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Goshen Beverage - 9pm closing time

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Gullifty's - 9pm closing time

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High Street Grill - Open for Business As Usual with a New Year's Eve Special Menu.

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Isaac Newton's - 9pm closing time

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Maia - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast at Midnight

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McKenzie Brew House - 4 Hour Premium Open Bar, Stellar Buffet, Hotel Packages Available, $55 in advance / $65 at door. Call 610-296-2222 for Details.

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Michael's Deli - 9pm closing time

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Quotations Pub - Open for Business As Usual

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Riverstone Café - Special Menu examples include Elk Tenderloin, Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Salad, Southwest Buffalo Filet, Brined Crispy Calamari, Butter Poached Lobster, Miso Shrimp Cocktail Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight Beer selections include from the following, among others, Victory, Piraat, Samuel Smith, Chimay, Unibroue, Magic Hat, Samuel Adams, Hoegaarden, Guinness, Young's, Rogue

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Rock Bottom (King of Prussia) - Open for Business As Usual with kitchen hours 'til 10pm and bar 'til 2am.

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Ron's Original - On New Year's Eve you can either prepay for $20 or pay at the door for $25 for a fabulous buffet plus two tickets each for your first drink (either house wine, draft beer or well drinks). SubLegend will be here to entertain you all night long as well as giveaways throughout the evening. You can park at the Comfort Suites, call Ron's and we will have a shuttle come pick you up. At then end of the night, the bus will take you back to the hotel and you can let Comfort Suites know you came from Ron's and they will give you a SPECIAL DISCOUNTED rate for the evening! Call Ron's and ask to speak to a manager or just Nardo and we will be happy to help you plan this evening!

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Sly Fox - Royersford location closes at 3pm; Phoenixville kitchen closes at 9pm, bar at 10pm

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Teresa's Next Door - Open for Business As Usual.

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The Drafting Room (Exton) - Open for Business As Usual

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The Drafting Room (Spring House) - 3 course beer dinner from 4:30pm-10:00pm on New Years Eve. Your choice of 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 desserts for $35.00. Beers include Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, East End Monkey Boy, Brooklyn Savior Faire, Ommegang Witte, Wintercoat Vildmoseol, and Allagash Grand Cru. The full dinner menu is available as well. Then stick around to ring in 2009! There will be live roots, rock, and reggae from the fantastic local band "The Mighty Manatees" beginning at 10pm. Special tappings of North Coast La Merle and North Coast Old Stock 2007 @ midnight and a complimentary toasting of a Methusula of Duvel. There is no cover for this event. Ring the New Year in in style!

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TJs - Kitchen closes at 9pm; Bar closes at 10pm

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Victory - 11:30am-6:00pm (Bar with a limited menu and Retail Shop only)

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Other PA/NJ/DE

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Allentown Brew Works - Join us in HIGH GrAvitY for our New Year’s Eve GAY-la! HIGH GrAvitY at Allentown Brew Works “Happy Trails Are Here Again” High Powered Dance Music, Champagne Toast, Balloon Drop, Continental Breakfast and VIP Bottle Service DJ starts at 10:00pm ; NO COVER!! 21 & over only Also… (for our straight guests) at the Main Bar… Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast

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Appalachian Brewing/Harrisburg - Doors Open at 6:45pm for our awesome NYE bash! Tickets include dinner buffet from 7-10pm (salad station, Andouille sausage stuffed chicken breast, roast pork loin with apple walnut stuffing, baked haddock w/crab imperial, jambalaya, Prime Rib carving station, dessert station), 2 ABC draft pints, and a champagne toast at midnight with party favors.

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Barley Creek Brewing - We're ringing in 2009 with a reservations-are-a-must-dinner in our Onyx Bar room that will be limited to 90 people and closed off to everyone else. Reservations are brisk so don't get shut out. Here are the details: Hors d'ouvres: 7:00pm-8:00pm; dinner: 8:00pm-9:30pm; carving station, buffet extravaganza, party favors, live music with Joe O'Malley, a midnight buffet and a cash bar. Make your dinner reservations ($29.95) now by sending an email to catering@barleycreek.com.

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Bethlehem Brew Works - Join us on New Year’s Eve 2009 and celebrate the New Year! Featuring: -DJ Soulja in the Steelgaarden from 10pm-2am -Midnight Balloon Drop and Champagne Toast -Bottle Service -Drink specials and giveaways with Skyy, Bacardi and Grey Goose. NO Cover Charge! 21 & over only Bethlehem Brew Works “New Year’s Eve Black Party” - dress in your most impressive black attire.

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Bube's Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner served in Alois, the Bottling Works, and the Catacombs (reserve early!). New Year's Eve Party in the Bottling Works with DJ Kerry-come dance! Dine here and admission to the party is free! $5.00 cover gets non-diners into the party.

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Bullfrog Brewery - 10pm-1am; $5 Cover Charge. A great high energy musical steamroller featuring Colin Beatty/Bass, Willi Ort/Guitar, & Shaun Gilmour/Drums, and Jimmy Lovcik/keyboards!

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Church Brew Works - Open until around 1am; Two 3-course prix fixe menus, $32-$42; appetizer/soup-salad/entree; desserts are a la carte.

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Dogfish Head - fun, food, festivities... and great beer! This year we're offering two seatings: 6pm at $65 per person 9pm at $85 per person (second seating includes a champagne toast at midnight and live music by Nate Meyers and The Aces). MENU Truffled Butternut Squash Soup - Paired with Punkin Ale Warm Lobster Salad - Paired with Midas Touch Seared Foie Gras and Lingonberry Jam on Brioche Toast - Paired with Vintage Black and Blue Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Tenderloin - Paired with Palo Santo Marron Brown Honey Tiramisu - Paired with Vintage World Wide Stout Make your reservations today by calling 302-226-BREW or e-mailing Karen@dogfish.com

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Fat Heads - Closing time of 6pm for both restaurant and bottle shop

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Half Moon Saloon - Open for Business As Usual with some special chef selections.

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Lancaster Brewing - 9pm closing time

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Otto's - Open for Business As Usual

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Rivertowne Pour House (Monroeville) - $40/pp, $75/couple; 9pm-2am; Prime Rib dinner, open bar, champagne toast, DJ

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Selin's Grove Brewing - Closed 12/24 & 12/25, 12/29/08- 1/1/09 Have a Great Holiday!!

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Stewart's Brewing - Open for Business As Usual

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Stoudt's - Call (717) 484-4387 for more details.

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Union Barrel Works - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast

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Union Jack's on the Manatawny - Open for Business As Usual with live music and a Surprise Dinner Menu.

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Zeno's - Zeno’s is pleased to have the Screaming Ducks for a New Year’s Eve bash. $5 American will do it. 10:30 'til close

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Other Northeast

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Barcade - Open for Business As Usual with a Top 200 Barcade Songs Countdown.

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Beer Table - Open for Business As Usual until at least 1am with a special "Past", "Present", and "Future" beer (hint: the future beer is a new one hailing from Sixpoint

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Blind Tiger Ale House - Blind Tiger’s New Year’s Extravaganza party will be from 9:00PM to 2:00AM and is limited to only 80 people - so we can maintain a comfortable atmosphere for all. The cost for each ticket will be $120.00 per person, which will include the following: All draught beers (with some very special selections) All cask beers (which includes a gravity keg and wood pin) All wines, sake and Prosecco A special Blind Tiger buffet (which will be replenished throughout the night), which will include: cheeses from Murray’s Chesse, fresh bread, seasonal green salad, an all white baked ziti, Swedish Meatballs, Italian Sausage and Peppers, and a fresh fruit salad. A New Year’s Prosecco Toast New Year’s Party Gear (silly hats and whatnot) And, as always - a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere To place a reservation, or if you have any questions, please contact us at Tigerale@msn.com, call 212-462-4682, or talk to your favorite Blind Tiger bartender.

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Boston Beer Works (Fenway) - Open for Business As Usual.

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Cambridge Brewing Co. - You get to stuff yourself to your hearts desire, imbibe 5 of the finest micro brews around, dig on the sounds of Cambridge's own Gypsy Schaeffer, be one of the first people to taste the 2008 Blunderbuss Barleywine and party your ass off! That's a value of $107! Add in the free gifts and That's a value of $150. Originally we were going to sell the tickets for $120. But after thinking it over, we wanted to give you a better deal. So we knocked it down to $100. We figured a 33% discount was quite generous.

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Chelsea Brewing Company - **CANCELLED** 9pm-2am; $110/$150(VIP); DJ, Dancing, Hors d'oeuvres and Buffet with Open Bar; Special Celebration Brew & Champagne Toast at Midnight; Party Favors; Giveaways; Coat Check; Live Feed of Times Square Ball Drop VIP gets private room overlooking river with premium open bar and bottle of champagne for each group of two.

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City Steam - Comedy; prix fixe menu; Countdown to New Year's event, and much more...see website for details

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David Copperfield's - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast

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D.B.A. (Manhattan) - Ring in 2009 at d.b.a. w/Serrita, Dee, Kreaux, Jack & Ryan. Nigel will greet you @ the door (I.D. is a must for entry)w/ hats,& tiaras. Fruit, cheese, champagne at 12 Midnight, music, fun, and NO COVER! Open til 8am----so Bartenders, come on over after work!

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Ebenezer's Pub - Open for Business As Usual

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Ginger Man (NYC) - We will be offering tickets for $100 for open bar from 9pm - 2am including over 100 beers, call liquor, and wine. With a Chimay (or Champagne) toast at Midnight. We will be open for regular business from 11:30am - 2am.

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Heartland Brewery (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual

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Hop Devil Grill - Go to the Hop Devil Grill for a "Devilicious New Year's Eve Party"! What is different about this New Year's Eve event from others around the city? First, who has a better beer selection and better food? Nobody in New York City, or maybe event the country! Second, no, let me repeat that NO cover charge! No open bar. No crappy buffet. How much do you realistically expect to drink and eat, anyway? $150 of beer or drinks and food? Heck no. Pay as you go. Drink and eat what you like. Buy no tickets. Hop Devil Grill, and our adjoining lounge, is spacious! Room for you and all your friends. Get there early, though. Stay late too. Our new sound system will be pumping out the best new sounds, and watch the ball fall on our big screen TVs. At Midnight. Enjoy a champagne or beer toast as the balloons drop all around. Kiss your loved one. Meet a new loved one. Have a "Helluva Time!"

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Rattle 'n' Hum - Open Bar 10pm-1am; food buffet; champagne toast; $100

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Southampton Publick House - 5pm-10pm; 3 course dinner, $40/pp; diners get free entrance to party in the taproom, all others $10; DJ Dory, Party Favors, Midnight Champagne Toast

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Spring Street Lounge - Open for Business As Usual

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Spuyten Duyvil - Open for Business As Usual

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The Brazen Head - Generous Champagne Toasts; Featuring The Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band from 9 PM to Midnight; No Cover - No Minimum

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The Gate - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast

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The Publick House - Open for Business As Usual

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Trinity Brewhouse - Open for Business As Usual

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Willimantic Brewing - a Special Dinner menu, a DJ, party favors, and a midnight champagne toast. Don’t forget the Party in the Pub starting at 9PM. For more info call 860-423-6777.

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Zum Schneider - Free party; Doors open at 9pm Included: DJ Volka Racho spinning your favorite party songs Karaoke: German and other hits Champagne toast at midnight Watch the Ball drop on the big screen On the menu: Special NY's Eve Menu Midnight soup Champagne bowl and homemade Glühwein (mulled wine)

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Other United States

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21st Amendment - Open for Business As Usual

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Ale Asylum - Open for Business As Usual; perhaps special food and discounted beers from 10pm-close (still unplanned)

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Birreria Paradiso (both locations) - Open for Business As Usual until 11pm

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Brick Store Pub - Champagne toast at midnight & party favors. No better place to usher in the New Year than your neighborhood pub... See you there!

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Brugge Brasserie - Open for Business As Usual

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Captain Lawrence Brewing - We will be open from 2–5pm…….For Growler Fills Only!

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City Beer Store - Closed

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D.B.A. (New Orleans) - 11pm- $15; w/Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters

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Duclaw (all locations) - Open for Business As Usual

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Falling Rock Tap House - Come join us for New Year's Eve @ the Falling Rock, NO COVER as always & Complimentary Champagne toast & Midnite.

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Father's Office (both locations) - Closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

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Hop Leaf - Open for Business As Usual

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Magnolia Pub & Brewery - New Year's Eve Dinner Extravaganza, $45 with beer pairings. Ronnie will be continuing our Wednesday beer dinner menus with his first one landing auspiciously on New Year's Eve. Here's the menu with beer pairings: Shrimp and Scallop Bisque X (our Belgian single) Strawberry Mountain New York Strip with Bone Marrow and Potato Gratin Out with the Old Ale Magnolia Stout Sundae (with Stout of Circumstance Ice Cream) Stout of Circumstance On New Years Eve, we'll release a new edition of Out with the Old Ale, our sour-mash old ale first brewed this past spring. It'll be the feature beer in our special dinner that night, as well. Then, on New Year's Day we'll release In with the New IPA, commemorating the changing of the kitchen guard as well as the arrival of '09. It's an English-style IPA with a very traditional hop profile. We'll be closing a little early on New Year's Eve (kitchen closes at 10:00pm) but we will turn around and open for a rare mid-week Brunch on New Year's Day.

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RFD/The Brickskeller - No Cover, DJ, and a fantastic selection of spirits, kegged and bottled beers from around the world!

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Russian River - Ring in the new year with a free party at the RRBC with Phatty!!! They have a very cool "old school funk" sound with their wildly entertaining 7-piece ensemble. Bring your dancing shoes to boogie-woogie and get down on it! Free Show!!! All Ages! Call (707) 545-2337 for more information

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Sierra Nevada - Tickets: $100 • On sale: 12/6/2008 in the pub. New Year’s Eve. The Big Room. Gourmet dinner. Jazz to dine by. Great music to dance to. Way too much fun…almost. Limited tickets. Reserved seat tickets only. Hats, horns, balloons and all the trimming you’ve come to expect from the Big Room. A complete filet mignon dinner (and other wonderful options).Appetizers, salads, killer desserts and complimentary champagne just before the midnight balloon drop. (Fingers crossed here). Doors at 7 PM. Dinner from 7 PM until 9 PM with live, easy listening jazz to help with digestion. And then…Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps out of L.A. come out to rock the house

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Stone Brewing - 11am-5pm, Specialty Growler Fills - 2008 Old Guardian, 2008 Imperial Russian Stout, 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale, 2008 Double Bastard Ale, 2008 Sawyer's Triple

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The Brewer's Art - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast; kitchen open an extra hour later

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The Map Room - Open for Business As Usual with a champagne toast

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The Monk's Kettle - A four course meal paired with four different beers from the Belgian brewery Malheur. Throughout the evening, to pair with each course, we will have the Malheur 10 (a Tripel), Malheur 12 (a Quadrupel), Malheur Brut (a Biere de Champagne), and Malheur Dark Brut (a dark and chocolatey version of the Biere de Champagne). There will also be another special one for the New Year's midnight toast. Details will be posted to our website on the events page about the food courses. The four course meal will begin at 9:00, and each course is designed to pair well with the beer served. Our resident beer expert Nick will discuss each of the beers served, and our chef Kevin will speak about the dishes. The cost of the dinner is $95 plus tax and gratuity. There will also be a happy hour between 8 and 9 before dinner starts, during which all beers will be offered at half price. To reserve a space, please call the Monk's Kettle at (415) 865-9523, or email Nat Cutler at nat@monkskettle.com

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The Old Toad - New Year’s Eve Beer Dinner 2008 ~ Lobster Bisque with Reissdorf Koelsch ~ Breaded Goats Cheese with Ommegang Hennepin ~ Charcuterie Plate with Unibroue Blanche de Chambly ~ Ephemere Sorbet ~ Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown ~ Wild Salmon Gratin with Brooklyn Local 1 ~ Lamb Shank Braised in Leffe Brune with Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale ~ Corn Cakes with Smoked Tomato Coulis with Schlenkerla Helles ~ Ice Cream Trio of British Classics (Lemon Meringue, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Rhubarb Crumble) with Southern Tier Crème Brulee ~ Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Torte with Victory Storm King ~ Cheese Plate (Triple Cream, Vintage Cheddar, Shropshire Blue) with Weyerbacher Insanity

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Yard House - Many locations west of the Mississippi, two in Florida. Come as you are. Party favors. Midnight Champagne Toast. No reservations needed.

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Beer Calendar: What To Do in January 2009

Can January keep up with its festive predecessor's calendar in December? It'll be tough to beat for sure, but let's see what's cooking. As in the past, I'll continue to break out the events between those over and under $20. If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, let me know. Enjoy! Under $20, down to and including FREE...Pay As You Go (PAYG) also included here Philadelphia Thu. 1/1 - 20 Stouts On Tap @Monk's Café, Philadelphia, PA (sometime after 12 noon; PAYG) Thu. 1/1 - Charity Fundraiser @Standard Tap, Philadelphia, PA (4pm-close; PAYG) Thu. 1/1 - Grand Opening @Local 44, Philadelphia, PA (5pm; PAYG) Thu. 1/8 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (Mystery Beer)@Triumph, Philadelphia, PA (6pm; PAYG) Wed. 1/14 - Weyerbacher Night (Fireside Ale) @Devil's Den, Philadelphia, PA (7pm-9pm; PAYG) Thu. 1/15 - Keep The Pint Night @Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:30pm; PAYG) Fri. 1/16 - Friday Night Sampling (Victory) @Bella Vista Beverage, Philadelphia, PA (5pm-7pm; free) Fri. 1/16 - Dock Street Frankford Ave Intersection Night @Grey Lodge, Philadelphia, PA (6pm-9pm; PAYG) Tue. 1/20 - 120 on 1/20 @Grey Lodge, Philadelphia, PA (10am 'til it's gone; PAYG) Wed. 1/21 - IIPA Tappings (at least 4 or 5 of 'em) @Earth Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA (PAYG) Fri. 1/23 - Hook and Ladder Chutes and Ladders Night @Grey Lodge, Philadelphia, PA (6pm-9pm; PAYG) Sat. 1/24 - Rich Wagner presents: The Breweries of Kensington @Philadelphia Brewing, Philadelphia, PA (2pm; free) Wed. 1/28 - Firkin o' Joe @Standard Tap, Philadelphia, PA (6pm-11pm; PAYG) Philadelphia's close suburbs Fri. 1/2 - Incubus Friday @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA (all day; PAYG) Thu. 1/8 - Maredsous 6 & 8 Night @Union Jack's, Glenside, PA (8pm-10pm; PAYG) Fri. 1/9 - Hops Project Day 2009 (Varietal Release #1: Boadicea) @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA (all day; PAYG) Wed. 1/14 - Russian River Night @Union Jack's, Glenside, PA (8pm-10pm; PAYG) Fri. 1/16 - Friday Night Tasting (Tröegs Nugget Nectar) @Beer Yard, Wayne, PA (5pm-7pm; free) Fri. 1/23 - Robbie Burns Birthday Bash @Sly Fox, Phoenixville, PA (6pm-???; PAYG) Sat. 1/24 - Belgium Comes to West Chester @Iron Hill, West Chester, PA (1pm-???; PAYG) Thu. 1/29 - Nugget Nectar & Others from Tröegs Brewery @The Drafting Room, Exton, PA (5:30pm; PAYG) Greater Philadelphia Metro / Eastern Pennsylvania Wed. 1/7 - Meet the Brewer Night (Southern Tier) @Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA (7pm; $45) Wed. 1/7 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (Grand Cru)@Triumph, Princeton, NJ (6pm; PAYG) Thu. 1/8 - Stone Brew & Pizza @Villa Capri, Doylestown, PA (9pm; $10) Fri. 1/9 - Brewer's Reserve Barrel Tappings (Jewish Rye)@Triumph, New Hope, PA (10pm; PAYG) Tue. 1/20 - Beer Connoisseurs Tasting (Unibroue) @Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA (6:30pm) Wed. 1/21 - Winterfest '09 Kickoff (Winterfest Cheer Barrel Tapping)@Triumph, New Hope, PA (7pm; PAYG) Fri. 1/30 - Cask Ale Night (Dogfish varieties 60 Minute, 90 Minute, Indian Brown) @General Sutter Inn, Lititz, PA (4:30pm-6:30pm; PAYG) Elsewhere Sun. 1/25-Sat. 1/31 - Stone Winter Storm @Stone World Bisto & Gardens, Escondido, CA (see website for details) Tue. 1/27 - Brooklyn Brewmaster Reserve Night with Garrett Oliver @Bar Great Harry, Brooklyn, NY (6pm; PAYG) Thu. 1/29-Fri. 1/30 - Russian River 'TION' Night @O'Brien's, San Diego, CA (PAYG) Events Over $20 Philadelphia Thu. 1/8 - Weird and Wonderful with Tom Baker @Tria Café, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $45) Sat. 1/10 - Winterfest Beer Tasting @World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA (1:00pm-4:30pm; $30) Tue. 1/20 - Tom's "Home Coming" Dinner @Jose Pistola's, Philadelphia, PA (7pm; $100) Fri. 1/23 - Strong & Soul-Warming with Lew Bryson @Tria Café, Philadelphia, PA (6:30pm-8:00pm; $50) Sun. 1/25 - Beef & Beer @South Philadelphia Taproom, Philadelphia, PA (3pm-6pm; $40) Philadelphia's close suburbs Wed. 1/21 - Victory Beer Dinner @High Street Caffé, West Chester, PA (6:30pm; $45) Sat. 1/24 - Mugs, Microbrews, & Music! @Chester County Historical Society, West Chester, PA (7pm-10pm; $24) Sat. 1/31 - High Street Grill Winter Brew Fest @High Street Grill, Mount Holly, NJ (one hour tastings beginning at 1pm, 2:15pm, 3:30pm; $20 per session) Greater Philadelphia Metro / Eastern Pennsylvania Fri. 1/16 - Victory Beer Dinner @The Olde Greenfield Inn, Lancaster, PA (6:30pm) Sun. 1/18 - Victory Beer Dinner @Yardley Inn, Yardley, PA (6:30pm; $65) Mon. 1/19 - Beer Dinner @Stoudt's, Adamstown, PA (6:30pm (tour at 6pm; $35) Wed. 1/28 - Tröegs Beer Dinner (5 courses, 6 beers) @General Sutter Inn, Lititz, PA (6:30pm; $55) Elsewhere Fri. 1/16-Sat. 1/17 - Great Alaska Beer & Barleywine Festival @Egan Civic & Convention Center, Anchorage, AK (5pm-10pm, 6pm-10pm (Sat:2pm-5pm Connoisseur); $30/$40) Sat. 1/17 - Shmaltz Beer Paired Lunch @Steinbeck's, Decatur, GA (12:30pm & 3:00pm seatings) Sun. 1/18 - Stone Brew & Cheese Pairing @Stone World Bistro & Gardens, Escondido, CA (2:30pm-5:00pm; $30) Sat. 1/24 - Blue Point Cask Ale Festival @Blue Point Brewery, Patchogue, NY (1pm-5pm; $35) Mon. 1/26 - 2nd Annual Dogfish Head Beer Dinner @Birreria Paradiso, Washington, D.C. (6:30pm & 9:30pm seatings; $TBD)

The Amazing Weekly Philly Beer Calendar of December 2008, week 5

Time to wrap up this amazing month of beer events here in the Philadelphia region. Most events are taking a back seat to New Year's Eve. But, The Drafting Room pulls out an intriguing tasting on Tuesday, perhaps as a good tuneup for New Year's Eve? And, there are a few New Year's Day events for those that boycott New Year's Eve...or want to be pros and do both. Here goes...week five...December 29th-January 3rd 2008 At Spring House's Drafting Room, they're wasting no time getting back into the special events calendar after Christmas. Check them out for a Bear Republic tasting on the 30th after 5:30pm and find Racer 5 (cask conditioned); Black Bear Stout; Hop Rod Rye; Grandma's Homegrown Ale. Across the sun dial, in Exton, they'll be pouring the same. Except instead of Grandma's elixir, they'll have the Wet Hop Harvest Ale on tap. For New Year's Eve, you can get dressy or not so dressy. (The undressed events, you'll have to look elsewhere for...) Here are a couple in the Philadelphia area. ~ Brew Year's Eve Party @Grey Lodge ~ New Year's Eve @Monk's Café For a full listing, head over here for the beer-y events. For a yet fuller listing, check out Foobooz for food, beer, wine, dancing, and general partying type of listings for New Year's Eve in and around Philly on December Thirty One. Even New Year's Day promises to be a great beer day in the Delaware Valley. In Philly, check out Jose Pistolas, South Philly Tap Room, or McGillin's for Mummers Parade mummery. Elsewhere in the city, Memphis Taproom is doing brunch, Local 44 is opening its doors for the first time at 5pm, Monk's will have a whole buncha stouts on tap, and Standard Tap is hosting a very worthwhile benefit. Later tomorrow, for those of you already looking past December oh-eight, the January calendar of events will be posted here.

A Photo is Worth a Beer

A picture is worth a thousand words...and 40 pictures (out of over 500) were worth some generously donated prizes. In my case and my close-up picture of a split hop cone, it was worth 2 weizen glasses from Widmer and a t-shirt. Thanks to Alan and Jeff for again running the contest. If this thing gets any bigger, they'll need to outsource it next year! By the way, congrats to local beer ambassador Joel Armato (of GrainBill and more recently New Holland fame) for his two award-winning pictures. Check them out over here and all of the entries and prize-winning photos here.

Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 12/27/08

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.

On Draft as of 12/27/08
Avery Old Jubilation
Brasserie Dupont Moinette Blond
Brouwerij Affligem Noël
Corsendonk Christmas
Founders Breakfast Stout
Founders Backwoods Bastard
Lancaster Brewing Milk Stout
Ommegang Three Philosophers
River Horse Hop-a-lot-amus
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Stoudts American Pale Ale
Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale
Victory Bags Packed Porter (cask)

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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Try This Pairing: Victory's Abbey 6 & Spicy Glazed Ham

Should I be freaked out? What am I becoming? Or vice versa? I go to Victory for a growler fill (for dinner pairing) and glass of Yakima Twilight (I support, I mean he supports my claim...it's a mighty fine brew) during the wait on Christmas Eve. Jack goes there on the day after Christmas and does same. Er...anyways... A growler of Abbey 6 from Victory on Christmas Eve made for the perfect holiday pairing for our Christmas Day dinner. Patty had found a recipe for a ginger glaze that had a good dosing of ginger, garlic, and dark molasses, along with a mild undercurrent of habanero pepper. Covering the juicy and tender ham with this sweet and spicy glaze and pairing it with the Belgian fruitiness and dry finish of the Abbey 6 made for the perfect dinner combination that I just couldn't get enough of. Not tipping the ABV scales at around 6.5% also made this a winner and easy-to-finish growler. If you're interested in the recipe for the glaze, let me know. I'm thinking now maybe another growler of it to go with leftover ham sandwiches this weekend? Thoughts?

Puppies & Pilsners, oh my!

Since getting to UPenn & Joe Sixpack's event does not look likely for me on Saturday (that'd be tomorrow), I just may decide to keep my drinking local and support a good cause while I'm at it. from Victory's website...Mugs for Mutts at the Victory Restaurant. Sit and enjoy a beer with friends, Stay local & do some Good this holiday. Stop by Victory on Dec. 27th and help support the Chester County SPCA. We’ll have an oak barrel each of St. Victorious Doppelbock and Hop Wallop Ale. Victory will donate $2 from the sale of each glass poured that day to the CCSPCA.

What are you doing New Year's --- New Year's Eve?

Alrighty boys and babes of beerland, now your thoughts of holiday partying turn to your New Year's Eve plans. I know, I know...some of you won't be caught dead anywhere past your front lawn. That's just fine. I've included hours of local Philly breweries and beer distributors where you can get your "to-go" beer from. For those of you wanting to search out an establishment that will take care of all of the bells and whistles for you (and clean up the morning after), you may wish to consult the Coast-to-Coast Directory that I put together. Currently, it has almost 100 establishments (going up every day) and is broken out across the following categories for easier searching. Check it out. Philadelphia Philadelphia Metro Other PA/NJ/DE Other Northeast U.S. Other United States Farewell to 2008. It's high time for a new year, a new direction, and a new attitude.

Drink Locally from Victory on Christmas Eve

The crowd is growing at Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, PA today. If you're nearby, you may wish to stop in and get some fresh beer to go. Judging from years past, this is the time to go. By 1, 2, 3 o'clock, the bar will be packed. (Well, actually at 3pm they'll be closed.) And, most of them will be enjoying a beer or two while getting one or eight growlers filled. It's one of the heaviest growler business days that they do during the year. Today will tell if the growler filling station investment that Bill & Ron made pays off. Just before noon, there was a 3-5 growler deep line at the station that grew to almost a steady stream of 10 by the time I left. The kitchen's closed, so don't expect food. But, do expect a great lineup of beer...and most likely a short wait to be served. But, they're staffed well with an energetic bunch of bartenders to make your wait as pleasant as possible.

Holiday Dinner at Monk's Cafe: 12/16/08

I do these things not to brag, merely to inform. Therefore, I must tread carefully in matters of these Monk's Beer Dinners. When weather interferes, not everyone is fortunate enough to attend (seems I may have been faced with a similar message to communicate in the past). In this spirit and out of deep respect, I will simply pass along what has transpired with nary a boastful word...all of this to engender good will and to leave undisturbed the sensitive souls of those who could not attend. Hopefully, having waited a week to post this will ease some of the pain of those who could not attend. Also, the only pictures I post here will be those taken with artificial light to show the naysayers that my camera's flash does still, indeed, work. Otherwise, just the facts. - George kicked off the evening with an obligatory and festive greeting - Tom and Fergie mingled - Adam and the kitchen crew presented another above-average dinner (oops, was that too much?) - My dining mates (Mark, Mary Lu, Tony, Larry) and I cleaned every plate and, but of course, every glass How am I doing? At the risk of sounding too pleased with myself on this trip, here's a quick run down of notable notes from last Tuesday. - Del Frisco's is truly the visual feast for the eyes that you've heard about. Only stopped in for a peak, not a pint...not even sure if they do those sorts of things. Spotted some generic bottles of beer floating around. Some people who oozed money, and many more who wanted to appear as if they did. - Nodding Head's O-Tay is a good full of flavor drinker and highly recommended On to the dinner... - Can never get enough of the Cuvée de Fleur - The foie gras lightly-seared was a nice preparation - The blend of flavors from the salmon and sake glaze mixing with the justa toucha sour, earthiness, and fruit of the Jolly Pumpkin made this not only my favorite beer, but also pairing of the evening. - If forced to take sides, would have to take the Baladin over the La Moneuse with the rosemary and lamb. - The duck, how to discuss the duck? It was a, uh, large serving. Sort of reminded me of the rack of wild boar at the Lost Abbey dinner earlier this year. And, the beer? No twisting of arms here; thought the Gouden Carolus (one of my holiday faves) went perfectly while the porter just didn't cut it for me. - The Italian cow's cheese (and its funk) went best with the Scaldis. - The 3-piece dessert had three components that were all stellar on their own, yet didn't really come together the way I'd expected...but once again if I had to take sides on the pairing, it would be the Brooklyn. - A very good night to be at Monk's to be sure, but yet not the best beer dinner ever. Perhaps that will take some of the sting off of not being there? 10 Glasses of Beer...7 Plates of Food...no partridge, pear tree, or other festive nonsense... ~ Salad of micro greens, mango, & crab meat (citrus dressing, crispy capers, & warm tapenade toast) w/Southampton Cuvée de Fleur ~ Seared foie gras (sour cherry gastrique) w/Ølfabrikken Kloster Jul ~ Grilled salmon (sake/mirin glaze served on braised watercress) w/Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza ~ Lamb lollipop (rosemary scented jus) w/La Mouneuse Special Winter Ale & Birra Baladin Noel ~ Braised duck (shipwreck & bourbon sauce, maple glazed winter squash, and christmas rice, raisins, and walnuts) w/Aracdia Shipwresk Oak Aged Porter & Gouden Carolus Christmas Noel ~ Cheese selection (robiola di bosco (cow-italy); majorero (goat-spain); ford farm clothbound cheddar (cow-england)) w/Scaldis Prestige 2006 ~ Bûche de Noël w/Tröegs Mad Elf & Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2007

Tap List at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA - 12/22/08

What's on tap at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA as of 12/22/2008?

Abita Christmas Ale
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Corsendonk Christmas
East End Fat Gary's Brown Ale
Harpoon Rauchfetzen
Stoudts Pilsner
Tröegs Mad Elf
Victory HopDevil
Legacy Brown Aled Girl
Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout
Legacy Midnight Wit
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Lindemans Framboise
Amstel Light

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Looking 2009 squarely in the face and saying Bring It On

A new joint (sponsored by the fine folks at Memphis Taproom means that this should be a very good thing) opening on New Year's Day at 5pm could have us jumping off the train home from NYC and heading into West Philly. Local 44 is the name and the intersection of 44th and Spruce is the location. Another new place focused on all things craft, but much farther west looks to be opening on December 29th. Limerick, PA is the place, Craft Ale House is the name and portends great things as well. And, finally, Teresa's Next Door may finally start pulling in some business now that they have a website. All the anguish from those who think an establishment can't thrive today without a website take note. And, I'll stop publishing tap lists for them, since they now appear to be doing it regularly. Who said Decembers are slow?