March Issue

Issue 23 | march 2013 | www.phillybeerscene.com

™

+ The Indiana Jones of Craft Beer

Dr. Patrick McGovern brings back beers lost in time

A Pint a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Protect

Craft Beer

The Brewers Association stands guard for breweries around the country

Laughter wasn’t always considered the best medicine

The Perfect Tap List | Man Caves | Corny Craft Beer

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contents

march 2013

features 60

A Beer a Day Keeps the Doctor Away From headaches to heartaches; beer has been curing our ailments for centuries.

68

To Serve and Protect The Brewers Association is working hard to benefit brewers and imbibers alike.

74

Philly’s Own Indiana Jones Meet who’s behind some of your favorite ancient ales: Dr. Pat McGovern.

on the cover

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ISSUE 23 | MARCH 2013 | WWW.PHILLYBEERSCENE.COM

™

74

60

PROTECT

+

CRAFT BEER

The Indiana Jones of Craft Beer

DR. PATRICK MCGOVERN BRINGS BACK BEERS LOST IN TIME

THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION STANDS GUARD FOR BREWERIES AROUND THE COUNTRY

A Pint a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

LAUGHTER WASN’T ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE BEST MEDICINE

$4.99

The Perfect Tap List | Man Caves | Corny Craft Beer

22

68

60

68

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1

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Photography by Alison Dunlap.

The Brewers Association is the team who works to protect your favorite craft breweries and brewers at both a national and local level. Read the full article found on page 68.

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contents

march 2013

sections 14 On the Scene

46 spirits

Beer events in Philly’s beer scene.

New Holland Craft Spirits

By Mat Falco

16 The Variety Pack

49 Le Fromage

Michael Ryan Lawrence, Greg Lehman,

Birchrun Hills Blue & Blithering Idiot

Jared Littman & Brittanie Sterner

By Ryan Hudak

Alexander Clare, Mat Falco, Joe Gunn,

26 Woman on the Scene Man Caves

50 From the Cellar

40

By Carolyn Smagalski

28 Fun With Beer Beer Can Router

’07 & ’12 Winter Welcome

By Phillip Pittore III

52 Beer Law Alcohol Sales Laws

By Senator Chuck McIlhinney

30 Homebrewer’s Corner

55 Alterna-Beer

Irish Brews

Omission

By Steve Hawk

By Dave Martorana

32 Hop Culture

56 local wine

Amarillo Hops

Thorn Hill

By Joseph Bair

By Keith Wallace

34 Cooking with Beer

59 History

Old Heathen Chili

By Chef Robert Legget

St. Patrick’s Day Events

42

36 Tunes & Brews John Vettese

By G.W. Miller III

By Mat Falco

80 Bar & Restaurant

Reviews

First Craft Beer Memories

Unique beer destinations for a pint and a meal in and out of the city.

By Brett Gibbs

By Philip Carroll & Amy Strauss

38 Discovering Craft Beer

40 Brewmasters

84 The Tasting Room

David Yarrington of Smuttynose

20 beers reviewed by our panel with special guests: Jason Harris & Rob DeMaria

By Kenneth Ogborn

42 Beer Travel

90 Directory

Baltimore, MD

Find craft beer near you!

By Suzy Woods

84

45 Not Beer Gourmet Beef Jerky

By Mat Falco 8

phillybeerscene.com

March2013

98 Beer Events Local happenings in the Philly beer scene.

Breweries - Wineries - Distilleries - Restaurants

FARE A celebration of artisnal food and drink and the people who make it.

Tickets Now Avaliable at FarePhiladelphia.com

April 13th • The Fuge, Warminster, PA • FarePhiladelphia.com 9

Publisher Art Director Executive Editor Contributing Editors

graphic designers Contributing Artist Contributing photographers

Web Designer

Mat Falco Melissa Cherepanya Alicia Eichelman Joseph Bair, Philip Carroll, Brett Gibbs, Joe Gunn, Steve Hawk, Ryan Hudak, Michael Ryan Lawrence, Chef Robert Legget, Greg Lehman, Jared Littman, Dave Martorana, Senator Chuck McIlhinney, G.W. Miller III, Kenneth Ogborn, Phillip Pittore III, Patrick Ridings, Carolyn Smagalski, Brittanie Sterner, Amy Strauss, Keith Wallace, Suzy Woods & Molly Yun Sarah Coale & Nick Less Alexander Clare Gina Aquaro, Jonathan Clark, Alison Dunlap, Thomas Ignatius, Stephen Lyford & John Vaccarelli Amanda Mitchell

Philly Beer Scene was founded in 2009 by Mat Falco, Neil Harner, Scott Willey and John Galster.

Philly Beer Scene is Designed & Printed in the USA. Copyright Š 2013 Beer Scene Publishing, LLC. Philly Beer Scene is published bi-monthly by Beer Scene Publishing, LLC. 1229 Chestnut Street-PMB 131 Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Phone: 215-470-2022 For subscription inquiries please visit us on the web at www.phillybeerscene.com

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March2013

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It’s amazing what you can pack into a 12-ounce bottle.

Flavor is Now in Session.

11

Contributors

TAKE YOUR PASSION

FOR BEER TO A HIGHER LEVEL

Brew Your Own Masterpiece!

Patrick Ridings What’s your typical St. Patty’s Day like? Love it or hate it?

My name’s Patrick, so I love it even though I haven’t participated in any festivities lately. I previously attended a few of Scranton’s Parade Days, which are marathon celebrations involving great friends, bars, and beer.

Where is someone most likely to find you out having a beer?

You’ll probably find me at the Farnsworth House Restaurant or Dubh Linn Square Pub in Bordentown, NJ, where I regularly discover new beers.

Michael Ryan Lawrence What’s your favorite style of beer and why?

My favorite style of beer depends on the season, as my tastes typically change with the weather. Currently, I’m drinking down my stockpile of holiday beers which are always fun because they warm my cockles.

Where is someone most likely to find you out having a beer?

I like to sneak around the city when possible, but the Point No Point in Bridesburg and The Grey Lodge Pub are easily my stomping grounds.

Philly’s BEST Homebrew Shop

2011 & 2012

as voted by Readers of Philly Beer Scene

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March2013

Ryan Hudak Baseball season is around the corner, what is your go-to case of beer for a ball game?

The Great Lakes mixed case. I have to support the hometown, and as terrible as our baseball team is, this reminds me that Cleveland still has some bright spots.

If there was a March Madness-type tournament of local beers, who do you think would come out on top?

Victory Prima Pils. I don’t think we’ll ever have [another] local beer as solid all-around as this one. My sleeper pick would go to Nodding Head Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse. It’s not summer in Philadelphia without that beer.

Molly Yun What’s your favorite style of beer and why?

My go-to is an unfiltered wheat ale, so pour me a Hefeweizen or a wit ale because I love the subtle flavors of citrus and spice. It’s too cold for that right now, so I’m sipping porters and stouts in the winter. But I’m also a sucker for an aged scotch ale.

Baseball season is around the corner, what is your go-to case of beer for a ball game?

Sports are not my thing, but I’m always happy for warmer weather and I’ll go for any excuse to spend a day outside with friends and a few brewskis. Something low in alcohol so I can drink and be in it for the long-haul.

publisher’s Letter

INTRODUCING OUR NEW, EXCEPTIONALLY

REFRESHING,

This issue marks the beginning of some new features for Philly Beer Scene; mainly, the launch of our Apple Newsstand App. It’s our first crack at it, so it’s not perfect, but searching “Philly Beer Scene” in the Apple App Store will bring up this very publication.

Print is still our passion and we don’t want you to stop picking up physical copies of the magazine, so don’t expect to stop seeing it anytime soon.

With the digital version, we wanted to make it a little more interactive. All links throughout the magazine are now clickable, so if you see something you want to look into, you don’t have to put down the magazine and get out your computer. You can simply click the link and open it up right in the app. More exciting than that, we can now embed articles with video and audio. To kick this off, the “Meet the Scene” section will now have an extended video version so you can watch the full, uncut interview with Jay Rose as it happened. We plan on regularly updating the iTunes version with new bonus content and soon launching an Android version as well.

As for the magazine, we went a bit historical with this issue, with two of our three features having ties to the past. First, Molly Yun shares old practices of using beer for medicinal purposes. Our other trip to the past is a look into the man behind the Dogfish Head Ancient Ales series (and I’m not referring to Sam Calagione). Dr. Patrick McGovern is the mastermind behind uncovering those ancient beer recipes and we’ve put him at the forefront to share his story. Lastly, in a follow-up to the story on Brewers Guilds (August/September 2012), Ryan Hudak takes a deeper look into the national organization that is protecting craft breweries–the Brewers Association.

I look forward to another year of sharing beers with you and watching as craft beer continues to grow beyond expectations. Stay in touch, as I always enjoying hearing from you all and what you think about the Philly beer scene. My e-mail is always open: mat@PhillyBeerScene.com.

Cheers, Mat Falco

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13

on the scene

// event photos

Nodding Head owner Curt Decker sipping on some ice beers at his an nual Ice Capades eve nt.

Andrew Dickson Matt Hasson, Ed Yashinsky, and brewer going to was ry of Tröegs, finding out which brewe Belgium to brew the PBW collaboration.

Erin Wal ace, owner of Devil’s Den and Old Ea gle, and Den manager Steve Pino, posing with the infamou s Hammer of Glory.

Don “J oe Sixp ack” R at the ussell m Philly B aking eer W the big eek Be announ lgian R cemen affle. t

One upping the Time Square NYE ball, Forest & Main’s Dan Endicott, shows off the keg that was dropped from the roof of the brewpub at midnight.

and owner Dominic Free Will Brewing Co. intern, David Wood, Brewery.

Head g Noddin at es Capad Ice Capece, at the

arlit and rs, Devin G Club membe w PBW re eb m l Ho ge for the Barley Lega of the brid re.) other side tu e pic th is on th , of Lori Aldridge the taking not hurt in as w in ev Raffle. (D

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March2013 March2013

The always happy Flying Fish rep, Ma ry Grace Hodge, with Bob Klump, along Andrew Rubenste in from The Fooder Liz Mucha enjoyi y, and ng the Ice Capades .

in going e, once aga e Grey Lodg th of ts t unique reative Scoa st and mos The ever-c e of the be m so ts en ake his ev all out to m . a re a in the

eulogy

Shangy ’s all-sta r, Matt working Satten, taking a and answ rare brea ering th the Ice C k from e phone apades to have with fri some bee end, Erica rs at Fruiterm an.

rst, , with raffle winner Matt Hoho Chris Wilson (2nd from left) rtunity to oppo the ing winn s rate Don Russell, & Tom Peters, celeb at Brasserie de la Senne. collaborate on a PBW beer

Manay unk B rewing Evan F Compa ritz, tr ny’s as ying to of Glor sistant act to y. brewer ugh w , ith the Hamm er

ad, Scott b of Nodding He rds, Gordon Grub Tom Kehoe of Ya the many ong am , Daria Street and wife, Morrison of Dock e. ffl Ra W ebrities at the PB beer-famous cel

Many of th e local brew ers gather big announc ed on stage ement at awaiting th the PBW e Raffle.

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the variety pack

// a little bit of everything

An Exemplary Showcasing of Hops The perfect book for beer geeks. By Mat Falco “He was forced to supply fresh hops to his customers, which weren’t well received, and they rejected them because of their pungent smell. His solution was to break up the bales and leave them out in the sun for several weeks to age them quickly and drive off any semblance of hoppy aroma.”

Oh, how far hop culture has come. This is the recounted story from famed brewer, Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada, of a homebrew hop supplier he worked with back in the 1970s.

It’s a complete 360 from the way hops are reacted to nowadays.

It’s as if they’ve gone from a simple necessity to fulfill the requirements of beer, to beer being the simple necessity to fulfill obsession with hops.

Thirty plus years later, we now have an in-depth guide to this plant, in hopes of satisfying the astronomical desire for everything HOPS! “For the Love of Hops” is a thorough look into every aspect of the hop, written by revered beer writer, Stan Hieronymus. The above quote from Grossman, is from the forward in this book. This is pointed out to show the relevance of the book, as any book on hops that is endorsed by the likes of Grossman along with Jim Koch, and Vinnie Cilurzo, is worth a serious look. This book, however, is probably not suited for the amateur beer drinker who doesn’t care what is in his beer, as long as it tastes good. This book is for the beer geek who wants to know everything about hops; it’s for the homebrewer that wants to have a better understanding of the essential ingredient he’s brewing with; and for the historian that wants to know where all this hop madness originated.

Serious looks at handling hops every step of the way, from the initial planting to the finished product in your glass, makes this book an exceptionally educational experience. The glossary of hop styles alone will help bring a greater understanding to what you are drinking and aid in brewing a better beer at home. Every aspect of this book lets you bask in your beer geekdom and should be a staple read for any homebrew who is striving to make the best hoppy beers.

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23

Weird Beer #23 Left Hand Milk Stout NITRO

Getting to enjoy the softness of a nitrogenized beer is something that was typically an experience which required a trip to the local pub. Yes, there are a few nitrogenized offerings from across the pond that have been available for home consumption for a couple of years, but they tend to leave a lot to the imagination. No qualms towards a classic can of Guinness or Old Speckled Hen and the glorious cascading effect they put forth as they aggressively crash into your glass thanks to that magical little white ball, but it’s time for something new. Something that doesn’t require that little white ball or even a can at all…

Let’s face it, widgets are yesterday’s news. There’s not a single non-Guinness drinker that still cares or talks about them, so why not bring forth a new product for those craving a flavorful nitrogenized beer? Why not put that product in a bottle? Well, Left Hand has come through and fulfilled the dreams of beer drinkers everywhere. Left Hand Milk Stout NITRO is everything a can of Guinness is, just without the can, without the magical white ball, and with a whole lot more flavor. It’s like drinking a fresh pint of their nitrogenized milk stout from a bar tap, but inside the comfort of your own home. Pop open the bottle, flip it upside down, aggressively pour it into your glass and watch it slowly cascade.

So what makes this beer drink like a smooth, nitrogenized stout and cascade in a similar fashion?

Well, that’s a secret that Left Hand isn’t quite ready to let out yet, but the beer is good, so is there really any need to ask questions?

Crown Jewels New labels for Ommegang. By Brittanie Sterner By now you may have noticed the shiny new Ommegang bottles that hit the market early this fall, wrapped in the centuries-old art of silhouetted figures. Looking closely, you’ll notice the Ommegang lion still living on the bottle, but now streamlined as a stamp on every bottle’s neck–in addition to holding a new pint in its paw. “We wanted to reflect a nature of celebration,” Joseph Duffy, Jr., of Duffy and Partners, says of using the royal crest-like figure in a playful way.

The brand design company was faced with the task of balancing a contemporary American brewery with its hundreds of years of Belgian tradition, an image kept closely in line by the folks at Duvel.

“During the process, we talked about Ommegang as a second generation Belgian immigrant to the U.S.,” Duffy says. In its multicultural identity, Ommegang sustains a deep love for its monk family back home while romping out of the American gate with its own imaginative innovations, i.e. the many seasonals and varietals. “People were recognizing the individual beer brands, but not Ommegang.

We really wanted to put more focus on the brewery itself,” Duffy says of the new silhouetted labels, a simple design architecture meant to remain flexible in its consistency. They wanted the design to be something that was easy to continue, not a “one-off” illustration.

Talking about that “done in the back room” design that permeates the craft industry, Duffy points to the worry that growing small brewers have of whether they’re becoming too ‘un-craft;’ “A lot of breweries do things one way when they start out with a few different beers. When they find success and growth, consistency becomes more important. Ommegang was in that crossroads, and wanted to maintain the fine balance.”

The silhouettes can change infinitely to tell various stories of Belgian brewing heritage. For instance, Rare Vos (Flemish for “sly fox”) is the name of a pub in Brussels made famous for bicycle and pigeon races. The label boasts a fox and pigeon doing what?

Cheersing Rare Vos together, of course. The clean, yet quirky shadow figures are a way to tell of a long heritage in a simple visual way, traversing easily between each beer and story.

The labels also needed to represent the fine quality of the beer.

As Duffy says, “Ommegang is not cheap. It’s meant for special occasions; you’re not going to sit down and drink one of these big bottles by yourself.” That inimitable fineness is reflected in the hand-drawn labels’ regal jewel tones, premium-looking diamond pattern, and robust finish via embossing and varnish. As a family, the labels achieve a quintessential American feel, while retaining that sophistication of a long line of Belgian brewing. Duffy refers to the new bottles as “jewels in the Ommegang crown.”

17

the variety pack

// a little bit of everything

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phillybeerscene.com

March2013

Last year at this time, my column focused on the wrath and fury of St. Patrick’s Day in Philadelphia. Although it received strong Peabody Award nomination consideration and went double viral, the article made me feel dirty. In an effort to cleanse my soul, I decided to write about the warmer and fuzzier February/March holiday, Valentine’s Day. I’m always told at our writer meetings that I should write more romantically, and with better writing skills or whatever. In addition to being an informative beer column, I was really hoping this turned out to be a good one to make out to.

Unfortunately, when I thought about it for five minutes, I realized it’s really not much of a beer drinking holiday at all. I guess a couple of you hardcore beer couples break out some good stuff, but I consider Valentine’s Day as not only a wine holiday, but one of the most dangerous holidays for relationships to drink on. It’s one of the dreaded mutual drinking holidays. I mean, excluding kids (I would never do that), holidays can be for her, for him, or for both.

For Her. I have no problem being the designated everything for my lady friend’s big days (birthday, Mother’s Day, Flag Day, etc.). I pretty much have to be ready to drive, catch, or carry her at any moment. Actually, sitting back and watching my wife attempt to drink like a grownup is very entertaining to me. That adventure generally ends after about two and a half glasses of sweet white wine. Before we had kids, she might get sick, but she now has superhuman mom powers that turn puking into three day hangovers.

The date may end early, but never ends with an argument.

For Him. Of course, on my birthday and other special days, I can drink like crazy and basically do whatever I want. I can even drink gin around her.

For Both. Now, these mutual holidays (V-Day, Anniversary, 4/20, etc.) are tricky as hell. If we go out for dinner to celebrate, we have the potential of each drinking like it’s our own special day. This is a lot of fun

for most of the night, but at some point, her two glasses of wine plus my nineteen various cocktails can equal very bad news.

For the purposes of this column, it’s not important who starts these arguments, but for the record, I’ve always believed sweet Rieslings make people really mean. I don’t want to say she physically beats me, because she doesn’t, but she probably should. If she does come at me, I usually pepper spray her.

Obviously, we would never actually go out on Valentine’s Day itself. You have to be crazy to go out that night, and you certainly haven’t worked in the restaurant business. It might be the worst night to go out all year.

You sit there and they hand you an overpriced prix fixe menu with a choice of three things that were half prepped the day before. Your table is jammed in-between two other couples, but everyone is enjoying a half flute of free cheap champagne, so it’s cool. Every single table in the city is a two top and has its own candle that night.

If you’re gonna celebrate, I highly recommend going out on the Wednesday beforehand. You don’t want the Monday and Tuesday staff. They’re either new or about to be fired (not you, Alex). Friday and Saturday could be OK, but the whole staff will be pretty disenchanted about love and shit at that point.

One last tip for the service industry folk.

Try to be nice them. They honestly have no idea it’s so cheesy.

It’s Named What?

Brew Works Space Monkey.

By Mat Falco

Music seems to be one of the most common forms of inspiration when it comes to naming beers. Lagunitas did a whole series of beers after the late Frank Zappa; Dogfish Head collaborated with legendary music label, Sony, to create a series of beers named after classic albums from various legends; and Pennsylvania brewery, Voodoo, pays homage to rock icons Primus with such beers as Wynona’s Big Brown Ale. Not to be left out is Allentown/Bethlehem brewpub, Fegley’s Brew Works.

Wanting to put a new twist on their classic saison-style ale, “Monkey Wrench Saison,” owner Mike Fegley, and brewmaster Beau Baden, decided to add some raspberries to the recipe; however, they wanted to keep the theme of the name. With ‘monkey’ being the key part of the name and logo, Baden

and Fegley looked to the world of music for inspiration. They are both fans of the great John Prine, and his track from twenty-five years ago, “Space Monkey,” seemed to be the perfect fit for the name of the beer.

The song itself was based off an article Prine read about an incident in which the Russians forgot one of their astronauts in space for a few days.

After the beer was released, Baden and Fegley reached out to Prine prior to an upcoming show in Reading, PA and were able to present him with a few bottles on stage. During the show, it all paid off for them as Prine mentioned the beer and how he needed to relearn the song just so he could perform in its honor. Not bad for a little brewpub in Allentown, PA.

One More Round So, how were your holidays?

Well, I drank a case of wicked-strength lager, followed by a light brunch.

I then proceeded to down a quart of whiskey, and what I assumed was Jaeger. I got home from the stomach-pump just in time for my parents to arrive.

AlexanderTheArt.com

Two cases of holiday ale later, they found their way into my liquor reserve and after drinking half of it, my father collapsed into my collection of beer glasses. I was cited with multiple DUI's on the way to the hospital, but not before "accidentally" commandeering the ambulance we were riding in.

Hm. Sounds pretty routine.

It gets more predictable every year...

© 2012 Alexander Clare

19

the variety pack

// meet the scene

Jay Rose Interviewed By Greg Lehman and frequently interrupted by Peter Danford Greg: Jay Rose, how’d you get involved with the Philly beer scene?

Jay: I started with selling Budweiser for a wholesaler in Jers…

Pete: (completely interrupting) That’s great, anyways…. so you’re into music?

Jay: That was my life before beer. Playing drums with DJs. Playing drums with DJs, that was something I invented back in the late 90s.

Greg: Sounds like something I would need beer for.

Jay: Yeah, yeah, there was definitely a lot of beer back then. Basically, I was a percussionist, well I used to be, I don’t play anymore.

Pete: (interrupting again) You played over the summer up at Ommegang.

Jay: You know what? I think that was the only time I played in 2012.

Greg: You played a wicked bongo.

Jay: It was actually a djembe, but it was awesome.

Pete: Rocked the house, I remember that.

Pretty tight.

Jay: Anyways, I would bring drums to places where DJs would be spinning records, and I would play live drums while the DJ was spinning.

From live drumming with DJs to becoming The King of Growlers, meet South Jersey beer hippie: Jay Rose

Pete: Other accounts come to you for your knowledge and your history. You don’t give that out for free though, do you?

Jay: I don’t give anyone anything. I let them figure it out on their own. I had to go through growing pains, so should everyone else. (Jay continues with unexpected and unnecessary random ass-kissing) We go through a ridiculous amount of Victory. It’s almost embarrassing.

It was the top seller at our growler station.

Greg: What is the South Jersey beer scene like compared to Philly?

Jay: The Philly beer scene has blended over into South Jersey. I live in Collingswood so we have that Golden Mile in Westmont.

Pete:(interrupting, yet again) Is that what they call it, the “Golden Mile?”

Jay: Someone calls it that.

Pete: Now they do. I love that.

Greg: I’m going to start a Twitter account. Anyways, So Philly beer has leaped into South Jersey?

Jay: Absolutely! 100%. Because of that, we are doing wonderfully with craft beer.

Greg: Pair a craft beer with a song.

Jay: That’s simple. Even if you two maniacs weren’t here, this is what I’d do. Grateful Dead Scarlet Begonias with Victory Scarlet Fire. Right? All day! I even had a scarlet fire sticker on my dashboard of my van.

Pete: What do you see happening with the beer trends in 2013?

Jay: IPA is king as you all know. Doubles, tripels, doesn’t matter.

Greg: What about people coming in to the growler station and saying, “Give me your biggest beer?”

Jay: It happens every day. There are people that base their taste on alcohol content. There are people that will come in and go right down the alcohol content of our draft board, find the 14% and take it.

They don’t even care what it is. People do lose their mind over a 4.5 to 6% pale ale or IPA though, as well.

Greg: What was the best spot you played in Philly?

Jay: I used to play at Fluid all the time. The biggest show was probably with the band I was in when we played this giant Jerry Garcia birthday festival in Maryland and there was a sea of hippies in front of us. It was great because we were one of them… We were dirty hippies.

Greg: So, what do you guys have going on at Joe Canal’s West Deptford?

Jay: We have, in my humble opinion, one of the best beer selections in South Jersey.

We were the first growler station in Jersey and everyone has followed suit because it’s been wildly popular, but we’re not really worried so much. It’s adorable. It’s adorable that other people are doing what we do.

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For video footage of the full interview, download our “Philly Beer Scene” app in the iTunes Newsstand.

the variety pack

// a little bit of everything

A Letter to Craft Beer Drinkers, Pt. II The problem with rare beer. By Mat Falco Westvleteren XII is the most overrated beer in the world. If you go on any of the major beer sites, this beer is guaranteed to be near the top, if not at the top of any “best beers in the world” list. Westy XII is a classic Belgian-strong ale that is a notch below many of its fellow Belgian-strong ales. In a side-by-side blind comparison, this is a beer guaranteed not to be the stand out winner. Yes, it’s a good beer and if in front of you, definitely worth drinking, but it is not the best beer in the world. Why is it that this beer is ranked so highly and its fellow superior beers so much lower? The only logical answer is availability, also known as everything that is wrong with online beer reviews.

Going down these “top beer” lists, the sightings of regular offerings from a brewery are almost non-existent. The vast majority of these beers are extremely limited beers that in most cases, one must wait in line to purchase on a single day, travel out of the country for, or live in a very small market where that beer is available and even then, the beer is usually in limited supply. Lists like these show that in order to be world class, a beer must be hard to get. Why would a year-round beer that’s readily accessible, the cornerstone of a brewery, and the reason that brewery is still in existence be considered world class or worthy of a “top-beer” list? That would be a complete absurdity in the beer world, right? There is no way that a beer like Victory Prima Pils should ever be on such a list. It’s only regularly referred to as one of the best beers of its style, in a category that is often considered the hardest to brew. No big deal. It has no right to be on a list of boozy, high-alcohol, over-hopped, imperial beers that are hard to get. Why would someone want to drink a $2 bottle of a

lager anytime they want, when they could buy a bottle of Three Floyds Dark Lord on eBay for a few hundred dollars only to stare at it endlessly, debating when to finally crack it open, which usually ends up being way past its shelf-life?

Why has judging craft beer become all about rarity? Why can’t people look at craft beer for what it is, not how they got their hands on it? Yes, tracking down sought-after beers can be fun, but it’s time to stop taking that into account when beers are judged. It’s time to start appreciating beer for being beer. Is Westy XII really a better brewed beer that Victory Prima Pils? Year-round offerings from breweries are often overlooked and lesser rated, and it’s something that needs to end. Would Sierra Nevada Pale Ale really be the anchor of a brewery that’s been leading the craft beer wave for over thirty years if it wasn’t a world class beer, yet it doesn’t even crack the top twenty on these lists? Year-round, flagship offerings are usually considered so for a reason. If Westy XII was on the shelf right next to St. Bernardus 12 on a regular basis, would Westy XII still be the best beer in the world?

Next time you review a beer, it may be time to take the beer itself into consideration. Forget how you got it or how much it cost you, because none of that matters. Close your eyes, drink the beer like you would the case of beer that regularly fills your fridge and think, “Is it really that special?” Is it really worth spending your paycheck on a single bottle of it on eBay? Next time you think about buying that bottle for $300, think about the ten cases of great craft beer you could have bought instead. And, start showing the regular beers respect.

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the variety pack

// a little bit of everything

The Anatomy of a Tap List How much can you handle?

By Jared Littman

I look at a lot of tap lists–over 200 weekly. Tap lists come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are chalkboards, printed lists, and The Institute’s cool hanging placards. Not only do tap lists differ in shapes and sizes, but they also differ in the information that they contain.

What do you expect to see on a tap list? ABV? Beer’s commercial name? Style? Brewery location? Beer description? If so, how detailed a description? Price? Glassware? Ounces in a pour? Beer Advocate/ Rate Beer scores?

I actually think about these things.

There are extremes at both ends of the spectrum. The minimalist approach includes only the brewery and the beer’s commercial name or style (ex. Weyerbacher X-Ray or robust porter). Bars with these tap lists rely on their staff to supply the rest of the information.

Although South Philly Tap Room includes a beer description, manager Kathryn Wiggins, appreciates the minimalist approach because it “Invites questions and guest engagement – which as long as you have a well-informed and friendly staff, can only benefit the bar’s bottom line.”

On the other end of the spectrum is information overload–the tap list that divides each beer into chapters, containing every tidbit of information that a Google search returns. I would give you an example, but I have a word limit.

The matter gets complicated because bars cater to diverse customers.

There’s the beer nerd that wants to know the original/final gravity and when each hop was added during brewing. Then there’s the customer that’s new to craft beer.

I believe that a moderate approach best serves the widest range of customers. The brewery and beer name or style should always be included, but would you rather know that a bar was pouring Victory Helios or Victory Saison? Ideally, probably both, but depending upon the bar’s tap list format, that’s not always possible. William Reed, Standard Tap and Johnny Brenda’s owner, has limited space on his chalkboards so he provides the brewery name and style, instead of some “made up [commercial] name,” because it “gets the best info to beer drinkers in a concise way.”

As a consumer, ABV is essential. A 5% ABV beer impacts your day much differently than a 12% beer. A customer wants to know what they’re getting themselves into. After all, many customers are getting behind the wheel when they leave the bar.

Price and pour size (either ounces or glassware) should also be included. Are you OK with a food menu without prices? I’m not.

With respect to beer description, I want a brief description to help me decide if I want the beer, but no more. Detailed descriptions and ratings can be overwhelming and skew opinions. As a consumer, I like to decide for myself how the beer tastes and if I like it.

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Jon Myerow, owner of Tria sums it up well: “The guest has a right to know what he or she is buying and how much it costs. The goal is to have no surprises once the beer is poured–‘This isn’t what I expected.’ Or ‘This beer is $9!?’ It’s an elusive goal, but the more info we provide, without going overboard, the closer we get.”

The Wild Ale of Wines Sean Thackrey–eccentric personality of wine.

By Mat Falco

One of the incredible aspects of craft beer is the story behind it. A story where in many cases, the beer tends to be a piece of art. It’s a showcase of the brewer and who he is. There is a common thread among a portfolio of beers from a single brewery that gives them a sense of familiarity; the beer becomes an offshoot of the personality of the brewer. When it comes to the world of wine, it may not be as obvious, but each bottle also carries that brewer’s signature.

Sean Thackrey is one of those unique personalities who not only believes this, but is also an ideal example of how a personality translates into one’s art.

In a historic culture laden with traditions, Sean Thackrey has used history to take one of the most unorthodox approaches to winemaking in the world. With his idiosyncratic methodology, Thackrey takes what could be compared to a Cantillon approach to winemaking. His winery is the only completely outdoor winery in the world, allowing him to take on a tradition he claims to have traced back to Greek poets from 700 B.C., in which he leaves his grapes open to air for a period of twenty-four hours to “ferment under the stars.” Open to the world, like a renowned Cantillon lambic, the wine is exposed to the wild yeasts that surround it. A technique that brings upon a uniqueness found in few other wines.

A technique that may also result in the appearance of a beer drinkers most sought after yeast—Brettanomyces. Though not rampant throughout all of his wines, traces of this funky yeast strain can be found in some and bring about a complexity unexpected in a glass of wine.

A man of innate character, Thackrey’s story is one that seems a better fit for the world of artisanal beer than wine. A passion for art and history, an ethos for following his own path, and a firm belief that winemaking is an artistic skill that one must possess naturally and cannot be taught, are among the traits that set him apart. Thackrey isn’t setting out to make wine for everyone, but instead, make wine that he wants to drink. His wine is his art; a showcase of his personality.

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the variety pack

// a little bit of everything

Children of the Corn This sacred plant gets a bad rap in our favorite libation.

By Michael Ryan Lawrence

Whenever the word “corn” is mentioned among craft beer enthusiasts, you can be certain that everything from jest to judgment shall soon follow, for you can’t spell “scorn” without “corn.” But as a red-blooded American of strong Cherokee Indian heritage, it’s extremely tough for me to show anything but adoration for the sacred plant, although I do understand where the aversion comes from. The problem I have is that the venom has been unfairly directed towards the corn itself, the innocent party at hand. So please allow me to retort.

It is believed that corn, at least in the western hemisphere, has fed humans for most of our history. Archeologists have discovered fossilized corn cobs in South America that date back to 8000 BC, which places cultivated corn at the beginning of human agriculture.

In fact, corn, or maize as the Native American Indian called it, was a cultural staple for thousands of years and easily one of the most significant crop cultivations in human history.

When it came to the indigenous American diet, corn was eaten year-round at nearly every meal due to its ability to be preserved during the cold winter months. Often dried, kernels were rehydrated and used in cornmeal, breads, puddings and succotash, all providing a significant part of their total caloric intake. And if you haven’t noticed, this mass consumption of corn products in America hasn’t changed one bit.

Today, corn is used in a majority of processed foods including sodas, ketchups, cereals and breads, not to mention most of the candies, cakes and snacks we manufacture. But that’s just the beginning.

Most of the meat we buy is farm raised on a corn-fed diet and even the vegetables we eat are often sprayed with corn based pesticides. In

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fact, if you were to analyze a strand of hair of an average American’s head, you’d find nearly 80% of the carbon chains would be derived from corn-based carbons. If the old adage of “we are what we eat” rings true, Americans literally are made of corn and always have been.

As if this wasn’t enough reason to proclaim Americans as “Children of the Corn,” science believes that the domesticated corn plant as we know it is solely an invention of mankind, developed and cultivated into one of the most remarkable breeding achievements in agricultural history. The journey from a wild grass called Teosinte into the amazingly useful plant we have today has taken thousands of years and millions of farmers. Corn is so far evolved from its origins that it is now unable to grow naturally in the wild on its own. Modern corn simply cannot exist without humans to plant, protect and harvest it, which is about as symbiotic a relationship as you can get between plant and man.

Aside from it being a huge part of our diet (and when in the form of high fructose corn syrup, a very dangerous part) corn’s contributions to humanity stretch far beyond its delicious, edible kernels. Modern maize is used to make everything from plastics to chemicals, explosives to pharmaceuticals, pesticides to biofuels and most importantly, at least to the readers of this magazine, BEER! But not craft beer, just that fizzy, yellow, crappy stuff, right?

Well, Europeans weren’t aware of corn’s existence until Columbus arrived in the Americas, which is why corn is not covered in the Reinheitsgebot, the nearly 500 year-old German purity law that declares a beer to be made from only water, barley and hops. Genuine and noble by its nature, the Reinheitsgebot was eventually

found to be outdated and therefore, replaced by the Provisional German Beer Laws which allowed for yeast, wheat and cane sugar to be used in beer production. Again, genuine and noble in its nature but also very European, as Americans were surely fermenting and enjoying corn based beers and whiskeys by this time, and without the limitations of rule and process.

“Ingredients don’t make beer, people do.”

Then came some of the darkest times in American history, the ratification of the 18th Amendment of our Constitution, better known as Prohibition. Sparing the history lesson, let’s just say that few “artisanal” brewers came out on the other side in 1933. What we were left with was a handful of industrial breweries that focused on quantity over quality. They slowly choked out their competition and by 1983, America had only fifty-one brewing companies operating eighty breweries with the top six companies responsible for over 90% of US beer production. This began the slow death of American beer which coincided with the introduction of the mega advertising campaigns that made us believe low-calorie and often flavorless light lagers were our beer of choice. This was because corn and rice were used in excess due to their cheap cost and agricultural availability. Before long, Europeans were saying “American beer was like having sex in a canoe... it’s fucking close to water”.

Thankfully, like any other duality in life, the Yin of beer’s dark days had to have a Yang. That Yang was the American craft beer revolution, which catapulted us into an era where beer was returned to an artisanal product that we could finally take pride in. This newfound pride made us look to our past, realizing what we used to accept as

beer was nothing more than fizzy yellow crap! “NO MORE,” we screamed, “DEATH BE TO CORN!” As a community, that became our mantra. We looked down our pint glasses at corn with disgust. Even the video “I Am a Craft Brewer”, which I not only loved but was made by folks I became friends with while filming Beeradelphia, mentions with pride that they don’t use corn or rice in their beer, as if any single ingredient has the ability to ruin a beer. Ingredients don’t make beer, people do. Local Flying Fish brewer, Casey Hughes, debunked that myth by brewing Exit 16, a wild rice IPA which contains wild, brown and white rice in the grain bill. This not only dried out the beer allowing the hops to shine through but also smoothed out the 8% ABV, making it quite an easy-drinking double IPA. In my opinion, beer is, and always will be, an artistic expression of the brewer. I don’t blame corn for the lackluster beers of the industrial breweries, just as I wouldn’t blame white flour for a crappy piece of birthday cake. I personally use corn when homebrewing my cream ale and I know many brewers who use corn as their adjunct of choice because it is consistent in its quality and produces a wide range of fermentable sugars and dextrins, lending itself to sweeter styles of beer since it produces alcohol but very little flavor.

So I ask you craft beer lover, to re-evaluate your stand on corn. The very essence of American craft beer is innovation and invention, so why should we shun and punish a crop that is as American as apple pie? Instead, I challenge the brewing community to prove that it is not the use of corn that creates unimaginative beers but rather the unimaginative brewers. We’ll never get out of this “maize,” as we are and always will be children of the corn. So why not brew a “Malachi Red Ale” or an “Isaac IPA?” I’d be more than happy to drink it with pride alongside he who walks behind the rows!

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woman on the scene

Pleasures of the Man Cave

Savor your pleasures; from defunct gold mines to stocked beer cellars. B C S y

arolyn

magalski

The dead of winter seems to have its own charm—the smell of seasoned oak burning in the fireplace, muffled rumblings of your SUV rolling across a snow-laden driveway, the barely perceptible clink of glasses and an occasional shout of Na Zdorovie in the distance. Ah, the sweet pleasure that emanates from the man cave in winter! A beer cellar, brought to reality.

Think back, for a moment, to a time before you built your personal man cave, to that time when your imagination ran wild, planning the spectacular beer you would collect and how it would age to perfection. You were “the man” … “the beast” … “the architect” of this cellar that would become the talk of the man club, if not the country, or perhaps, the world.

You thought of it as a gold mine. For one man, it really was a gold mine.

Sometime around 2004, Danny Williams bought an 8-acre property in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado. It was littered with old mine rubble and dead cars, but it held a secret—a shallow entrance to a defunct gold mine, filled with silt and muck, leading to nowhere. With dirt on his hands and fire in his soul, Danny Williams cleaned up that holein-the-earth, installing a drainage system to expel water from an underground spring. He laid a concrete floor and a line of lights along a 450-foot granite adit that reached deep into a tunnel that could have housed the Tasmanian devil himself.

When Williams was finished renovating his “gold mine,” it was almost as deep as a city block and the ceiling towered overhead at a height of twelve feet. Shelves of beer—labeled by style, title and category—lined walls that stretched across 26

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a ten foot width. At one time, Williams had about 2,500 beers in that personal beer cellar.

Danny was a virtuoso, some would say. For more than ten years, he served as cellar master for the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, organizing beer behind the scenes. For every competition, he kept track of more than 4,000 brands of beer in kegs or bottles—taking care to keep it categorized and labeled accurately, while maintaining the right temperature for every style. Beer was a revered treasure and he treated it so, whether for the Brewers Association or for his own personal collection.

Danny Williams passed away in January 2012 at the young age of 52, but his legacy lives on for others to imitate. As a tribute to Williams, members of the Colorado Brewer’s Guild collaborated at Breckenridge Brewery of Denver, Colorado, to create an Imperial Porter made with 200 pounds of dark chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This one-off beer was presented to medal winners at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, but a few bottles also fell into the hands of a few murky souls: beer writers, media mavens, and those who bartered for the sake of their beer cellars.

But Williams was not the only one to accumulate such a world-class trove of beer. Dr. Bill Sysak, Craft Beer Ambassador for Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, houses a personal collection of rare beers that hovers around 2,000. Along with Williams’, his collection has been the focus of articles in the New York Times and numerous beer-centric magazines.

Most professionals keep a personal reserve tucked away in their cellars. Tom Peters of Monk’s Café at 16th and Spruce Streets, has amassed a world-class reserve that is the talk of Philadelphia. Fal Allen of Anderson Valley Brewery in California focuses on Trappist beers, Belgians, sours, and barleywines.

Jim Koch of Boston Beer in Massachusetts stockpiled a collection of Cynthophrenia, a beer that commemorated his wife’s 40th birthday, along with Utopias, Millennium, and some bocks. And tucked deep in the obscure recesses of his Delaware warehouse, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head hides his own black box beauties—virgin, dust-covered crates of World Wide Stout, waiting for some obscure coming-of-age.

And then there are the private collectors: Juan Carlos Gamboa with 657 bottles from fifty countries, or Tyler Flynn with over 400 bottles of home-made mead, aging gently, along with thirty cases that include styles of lambic, gueuze, sours, English barleywine, imperial stout, Belgian strong dark ale, and farmhouse ale.

Steve Robson, the first-ever 2008 Philly Beer Geek, recommends going with big beers, Belgians, and “Series Beers”

to share for vertical tastings. His collection includes Bigfoot Barleywine 2008-2012 and Cuvee Van De Keizer (Gouden Carolus) from Brouwerij Het Anker of Mechelen, Belgium.

If you haven’t built a man cave yet, use your winter hibernation to create a personal beer cellar, focusing on winter warmers, verticals, Belgians, one-offs and Trappist ales. You will find plenty of great beers in Philadelphia, from both local and exotic locations.

Follow a few rules that will make life easier: • It’s not the color; it’s the strength. Higher alcohol beers age better, whether pale golden, chestnut brown, or black as a coal mine.

• Choose some beers that have high acidity, like Flemish reds, gueuze, and sours. These often have low alpha acid levels, so there will be minimal deterioration of hop flavors.

• Dark bottles protect beer from becoming skunked.

Still, don’t keep beer in glass-cases that expose them to bright light.

• Inspect the bottle before opening. If you see a ring on the bottle at the surface of the beer, it may be infected.

You won’t get sick from it, but avoid it, nonetheless.

There may be a yeast bed on the bottom. This is natural and is not a problem.

• Beer is a social activity. Share the good stuff with your friends.

Must Haves for Your Beer Cellar Miles Davis Bitches Brew from Dogfish Head celebrated the 40th anniversary of Davis’ genius. This landmark beer was a fusion of three batches of imperial stout and one of honey beer, accented with gesho root and clocking in at 9% ABV. Big bottles of Dock Street’s Dude de Garde and Truffled Old Ale are a must. And don’t overlook Yards’ Trubbel de Yards, a Belgian strong dark ale of 9% ABV. The Flying Fish Exit Series makes for great celebrations, and Weyerbacher has a ton of greats to savor, beginning with Tiny and Blasphemy, and moving on to Insanity. It is winter, so pull in some Arctic Alchemy from Fegley’s BrewWorks or the Scratch Beer Series from Tröegs.

Reach outside-the-box to include Firestone Walker Parabola, aged eight months in 1990’s Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels and Samuel Adams Utopias at 27% ABV. Latch onto the Trappists, including the newest to receive ITA approval, Stift Engelszell with Gregorius and Benno. Deschutes series of Jubelale, Super Jubel, and Jubelale 2010: Once a Decade Ale is a connoisseur’s pleasure with rich, complex flavors of chocolate, roast, and fruitiness. Above all, savor the pleasures of your man cave.

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fun with beer

Beer Can Router Stay connected to your favorite social beer sharing sites with this innovation.

By Mat Falco

Nowadays, it’s pretty much routine that once you crack open a beer and take a few sips, the next step is to go online and let the world know what you’re drinking; whether it’s a check-in on Untapped to keep track of your beer drinking journeys, a picture on Facebook to show off your Instagram skills to your friends, or an in-depth review on Beer Advocate or RateBeer. Abusing the self-empowering aspect of the internet to judge beer, adding to its future online rise to beer-geek fame or pushing it one step closer to obscurity, has become almost synonymous with craft beer.

To engage in the social media aspect of beer culture, an internet connection is needed. When it comes to home Wi-Fi, there is a level of uncertainty with the consistency of the signal. Being in the opposite room of the router or trying to relax outside with your beer and laptop can end up being problematic for your hopes of getting on your favorite beer-posting site. Well, fear not, as that craft beer you are about to share your love for online, might just be the answer to Wi-Fi problems. Behold, the “Beer Can Wi-Fi Enhancer:”

what you need

What to do

• Beer can • Kitchen shears or sharp knife

• (Optional) Work gloves

Step 1: You’ll need a beer can, so step one is to pick out your favorite beer can. You should not only choose the one you like the most, but also the one with the coolest artwork, as it will soon be on display in your home. Proceed to drink the beer. (It’s probably smart to only drink one before you start the project, as playing with sharp objects while drunk is not typically the best idea, and we advise against it.)

Step 2: Wash out the beer can. Make sure it’s clean of beer and any sticky residue.

Step 3: With shears or knife, cut off the bottom of the beer can. You will want to cut it as close to the bottom as possible to ensure the most surface area.

Step 4: Cut the top of the can but leave an area of about one inch attached directly in front of the opening where the beer was dispensed.

Step 5: Directly on the opposite side of the opening, cut base of the can vertically and flatten out the can.

Step 6: Place the hole on the top of the can over the antenna on the back of your wireless router and then fan out the body of the now flattened can.

Step 7: Take your computer to the furthest part of your home, open up another beer, and proceed to post away on your favorite beer site!

For Steps 3-6 wearing gloves is advised, as the edges of the can will be sharp.

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homebrewer’s corner

Luck of the Irish

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with one of these classic recipes.

By Steve Hawk

There’s no denying it. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular holidays celebrated at bars. Pub crawls, green beer, lots of toasting and laughter. You clearly don’t need to be Irish to be drawn into the festivities. But, if you prefer to celebrate at home this year—or to extend your celebration with your own private party—there are several homebrew recipes that will serve you very well. All are low ABV and very drinkable. Plus, the flavors are so genuinely Irish, you’ll be dancing a jig in no time.

Berliner Weisse

When formulating a list of beers for a traditional Irish holiday celebration, a Berliner Weisse is kind of a stretch. However, it’s a perfect way to achieve that goofy, obligatory green-colored beer, without settling on macro swill with food coloring.

The Berliner Weisse is a light-bodied sour beer that originated from Germany around the 17th century.

Due to its sourness, flavored syrups have historically been added to smooth out the tartness. The most popular of these additives is something called “woodruff” syrup, which not only imparts a sweet flavor, but also changes the beer to a green hue.

This is definitely a more advanced recipe, as there are many ways to achieve the desired level of tartness, including different rests during the mash and utilizing multiple yeast strains. This recipe relies on a specific yeast blend created especially for the Berliner Weisse.

It’s a good idea to discuss this process with your local home brew shop before attempting this recipe. But, it’s well worth the effort for the compliments you’ll receive.

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Ingredients:

3.5 lbs. Bohemian Pilsner 2.5 lbs. Wheat malt 0.70 oz. Hallertau [2.75 %] (15 min.)

1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)

1/2 tbsp. Irish moss (5 min.)

Yeast: Wyeast 3191-PC Berliner Weisse Blend Info & Process:

Type: All Grain Batch Size: 5.5 gallons Boil Time: 15 minutes Mash: Single Infusion Total Grain Weight: 6 lbs.

Sparge Water: 4 gallons 50 minutes Mash In: 2.5 gallons of water Temperature: 149.0 F 10 minutes Mash Out: 1.5 gallons of water Temperature: 162.0 F Estimated Original Gravity: 1.031 Estimated Final Gravity: 1.006 Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 3.3%

Irish Red Ale

The history of Irish Red is not as well-known as other beers. Although many of the traditional Irish ales share some similarities with their English counterparts, including English Bitters, Irish Red is generally recognized as its own distinct style, most closely represented by the Irish Red Ales brewed in Ireland today, such as Smithwick’s Red Ale and Beamish Red Ale. Irish Reds normally have a clean, dry finish, with mild toffee malt favors and little to no hop aroma. Similar to Dry Irish Stout, the Irish Red gets its unique coloring from the presence of roasted barley.

This beer is made from a very simple extract recipe, perfect for even a novice brewer. It is another very drinkable, low alcohol beer that would be a hit at any St. Patrick’s Day party.

Dry Irish Stout

The beer that is most often associated with St. Patrick’s Day is probably the Dry Irish Stout. Made famous by breweries like Beamish and Guinness, the “stout” dates back hundreds of years. Originally synonymous with “strong” beer, modern stouts differ considerably from their predecessors. Today, the “stout” is typically a light-bodied, low alcohol beer that imparts a host of very dry and roasty flavors. The key ingredient in a classic Irish Stout is roasted barley. Roasted barley gives Irish Stout its coffee-like flavor, deep, dark color, and white foamy head.

The recipe for this beer is a 5-gallon all-grain batch. The grain bill is dominated by English pale malt, accompanied by the key ingredient—roasted barley. It is traditionally brewed with English hops, like East Kent Goldings or Fuggle. This is a very simple beer to make and produces a great Guinness-style taste every time.

Ingredients:

Info & Process:

6 lbs. Pale Liquid Extract 0.60 lb. British Crystal - 55L 0.25 lb. Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L 0.25 lb. Roasted Barley 0.50 oz. Target [10.00 %] (60 min.)

0.50 oz. Willamette [5.50 %] (15 min.)

0.50 oz. Fuggles [4.00 %] (0 min.)

1 Pkgs. Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004)

Type: Extract Batch Size: 5 gallons Boil Size: 3.5 gallons Boil Time: 60 minutes Steep specialty grains for 45 minutes Estimated Original Gravity: 1.044 Estimated Final Gravity: 1.012 Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.16 %

Ingredients:

Info & Process:

5 lbs. Pale Malt (2 Row) 2 lbs. Barley, Flaked 1 lb. Black Barley 2.25 oz. Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min.)

0.25 tsp. Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min.)

1 Pkgs. Irish Ale Yeast-Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084)

Type: All Grain Boil Time: 60 minutes Batch Size: 5 gallons Boil Size: 5.5 gallons Mash: Single Infusion Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs.

Sparge Water: 2.61 gallons 60 min. Mash In: 2.5 gallons of water Temperature: 154.0 F 10 min. Mash Out: 1.6 gallons of water Temperature: 168.0 F Estimated Original Gravity: 1.039 SG Estimated Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 3.7% Volumes of CO2: 2.3

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hop culture

A Chance Seedling Named Amarillo A brief background on the sought-after Amarillo hops & methods of hop breeding. By Joe Bair The Amarillo hop was discovered growing in a Virgil Gamache Farms Inc. (VGF) Liberty hop field. It looked more yellow-green and smelled more of grapefruit than the other hops. Visually, inside the cone was a brilliant yellow lupulin color; Amarillo is the Spanish word for yellow, thus the name. Amarillo, Amarillo Gold and VGXP01 (the patented name) are the same and they join other new breeds of hops in the world which are used in American beers. There is no such thing as too many hops!

Amarillo’s cone is small and compact. It was called a supercharged Cascade, which was also said about Centennial. Amarillo’s oils compare to Horizon hops in all essential oils, especially the Myrcene percentage, which rank #1 and #2 of all hops.

The Myrcene is that grapefruit/orange taste often referred to in beer descriptions.

Horizon also matches Amarillo with very low Humulene, Caryophyllene and Farnesene oils, yet surprisingly, they are not listed as substitutes for each other.

When a cultivar hop is cross-pollinated by other hops, the cones produce seeds and a “chance seedling” is born. Fuggles is another example of a chance seedling. These were discovered by Richard Fuggle in Kent County, UK in 1861. The other methods of hop breeding are genetic modification, Polyploidy breeding and grafting which are explained below.

Genetic modification: USDA hop scientists are working to leverage the completely sequenced hop genome to combine a high yield, dual purpose, high oil, disease resistant hop with good stability into one new hop germplasm (collection of genetic resources). By introducing new genes into a hop chromosome, a cultigen (cultivated and genetically modified) is made. This is distinct from a cultivar (cultivated and variety). For most plants, the cultigen is considered a cultivar once patented.

Polyploidy breeding: Colchicine is a medicine derived from the plant Colchicum, which has been used to treat swelling since 1500 BC. The plant was brought to America by Benjamin Franklin who used it to treat his gout. A Colchicine cream is smeared on a growing shoot of a plant, resulting in doubling of the chromosomes.

This genetically manipulates the plants to be better. Liberty, Mount Hood, Ultra, and Crystal hops were colchicine induced crosses between Hallertau Mittelfrueh and other hops.

Grafting: Hops use different methods, from the woody root below the ground to the scion above the ground.

Amarillo is a trademarked proprietary hop (about 30% of the hops grown in the US are proprietary hops); VGF has patented rights to grow and license others to grow Amarillo. Amarillo rhizomes are not available to hop growers without license. I cannot find disclosure of Amarillo’s yearly harvest but HopUnion reported the 2012 Amarillo crop was lower than expected, and this year’s crop has already been rationed. Hopefully, this helps explain the questions often asked in homebrew stores, “Why are Amarillo hops unavailable?” and “Where can I get Amarillo rhizomes?”

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33

cooking with beer

Weyerbacher Old Heathen “Guerrilla-Style” Chili Spice up the winter season with this hearty meal.

By Chef Robert Legget

The boozy aromas with big, robust malts in this Heathen are followed by a heavy, deep roast of coffee and a cocoa-like finish of extra bitter chocolate. Slight raisin and nut play teammates in this quaffable symphony of an aggressive stout profile. The only dish that stands a chance to square-off against this knockout imperial stout would be a chili of epic proportions. A chili that is meat, meat and more meat. In this recipe, I’ll show you the versatility of such an omnipotent flavor profile by facilitating the use of many individual proteins. What better way to cook than with the use of coffee, beer, chocolate and various smoked meat(s) with chilies all in one dish? This particular chili The Meat is one I serve on the Guerrilla truck Ingredients: frequently, pretty much daily, with a vast • 2 fresh chorizo links, whole array of smoked goodies! This chili is sure (again, your local Mexican grocer) to bring in the heat during this bitter • 1/2 lb. fresh pork belly, diced winter finish. Sorry, no room for beans in after smoking this chili.

• 1 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cubed large, 1” The Chili Base • 1 lb. boneless beef short rib or Ingredients: brisket, cubed large, 1” • 10 guajillo chilies, toasted • (2) 6 oz. beef patties, crushed (both chilies are readily available after smoking at most Mexican grocers) • 15 pasilla chilies, toasted • 24 oz. Weyerbacher Old Heathen • 1 cup coffee • 32 oz. crushed San Marzano tomatoes Directions:

• Bring the Heathen and coffee to a boil in a stainless pot, and then throw in your toasted chilies.

• Cook 2-3 minutes, pull from the stove and immediately cover tightly with plastic wrap (while still in the pot).

• Steep at least thirty minutes, then purée in a blender.

Assembly:

Using a 2 gallon pot for your chili, you will need to prepare the following: • 2 cups sliced garlic • 2 cups minced onions • 3 tbsp. toasted and ground cumin • 2 tbsp. smoked paprika • 1 tbsp. toasted allspice, ground • 2 cups salsa verde • Habanero hot sauce of choice to taste • 2 cups diced poblano peppers • 2 roasted habaneros, de-seeded, minced Directions:

*Note: Toast the chilies by de-seeding them, laying them evenly on a baking sheet, place in a 500° oven (preheated of course), until fragrant. Approximately 1-2 minutes. The skins will begin to brighten in color when ready.

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• First, throw in your pork belly and render until crispy.

• Then, sauté the onions and garlic for ten minutes, followed by slowly adding your spices at a very low flame.

• Add the poblanos and habaneros, toss in the decadent array of smoked proteins.

Directions:

• Lightly salt all of the proteins and rub with the adobo from two cans of chipotle chilies and your own signature rub, except the sausage.

• Rest the salted proteins at least three hours. Then place them in your smoker.

• Smoke until all are cooked through, preferably with hickory and cherry woods.

• Place aside.

• Brown up that meat! Deglaze your pot with some more Heathen to prevent sticking with the salsa verde.

• Now, let’s throw in your chili purée from above and simmer no less than four hours.

• Stir that cauldron of smoked heavenly delights religiously and be sure to skim any fats that rise to the top. Also, salt that chili! Allow this goodness to rest overnight when finished to ensure the melding of flavors of this super charged wonder.

Personally, when re-heating, I like to throw in a shot of Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar to brighten things up a bit.

Use your imagination and serve with a fresh quesadilla for dipping, and top that Guerrilla Chili with watercress, radishes, tortillas and a cilantro lime sour cream to help with the sting.

Y G O L O X I M L TRAI

35

tunes & brews

The Music Lover’s Other Passion A music journalist discovered craft beer while waiting for a concert to begin.

By G.W. Miller III

Johnny Brenda’s was brand new back in 2006 when John Vettese visited the Fishtown club to see Silversun Pickups, the alternative rock band from Los Angeles.

“The place was half full,” Vettese recalls.

So he went to the bar and tried to order a bottle of Yuengling.

When the bartender said they didn’t carry Yuengling, Vettese was stumped. The Ambler-native didn’t know anything about the local craft beers listed on the wall–or anything about craft beers at all.

He ordered a random brew from the tap list.

“I think it was a Sly Fox,” he says. “I drank it and thought, ‘Wow, this is good!’ That’s when I realized there was a whole other world out there.”

Ever since, Vettese, 34, the social media coordinator for WXPN and editor of the station’s local music website, The Key, has been obsessed with the nuances of craft beer. He regularly samples random brews, he makes his own beer and he belongs to a small homebrewers club that meets every few months to share their creations.

His love of beer rivals his lifelong passion–music.

When he was 16, Vettese reached out to Rockpile, a now defunct but once highly regarded Philly music magazine, about writing for them. Within a year, he was critiquing albums for the publication.

He continued writing about music for the student-run newspaper while attending Temple University.

During college, he interned for City Paper, where he befriended then music editor Brian Howard. After graduating, Vettese took different journalism and media jobs but continued writing for City Paper. And he stayed in close touch with Howard.

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Today, Vettese is among the biggest music insiders on the local scene, having documented or recorded nearly every major artist and band in the region.

Vettese showed up at Howard’s annual New Year’s Eve party in 2010 with some of his chocolate espresso stout that he brewed in his East Mt. Airy home.

“John and I had started talking about how we should start a brew club,” remembers Howard, a fellow homebrewer. “It was one of those fits of drunken bravado and endless possibility that New Year’s Eve is known for.”

At one point, they were even chanting, “Brew club! Brew club!”

It turned out to be more drunken bravado than actual planning, and the club did not form that year.

Vettese showed up at the next New Year’s Eve party with a few bottles of his peppermint brown ale and the conversation began again. Soon after, they created a Facebook group (Brew Club To Be Named Later) and began convening, talking recipes and swapping bottles.

Last year, Vettese brewed a wheat beer with banana-flavored undertones, a chai tea porter and a vanilla cream ale.

“I love beers that have really interesting flavors,” he says.

“That peppermint brown ale was made not with candy canes but with peppermint tea,” says Howard. “It was really refreshing.

I’ve also had some of his stuff brewed with chai and vanilla and it’s also really good. The flavors are subtle: not overpowering, but distinct.”

Vettese admits that some of his experiments have not exactly been successful.

“It’s OK,” he says. “I’m not rushing to be a master brewer.”

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37

discovering craft beer

Beer Over the Bridge Reader Brett Gibbs describes his discovery of craft beer.

If you have an interesting story about discovering craft beer, send it to us at discovery@beerscenemag.com.

My discovery of craft beer came to me the same way I assume it did for most South Jersey natives, and that is, by way of Philadelphia.

Growing up, I was always a fan of beer. I enjoyed trying different beers when all of my friends would stick to the same old thing (mostly Coors Light). I would try to mix it up, but mixing it up back then meant grabbing some Yuengling or Blue Moon. That was about the extent of my diversity when it came to drinking and trying other beers, but that all changed in 2008.

My friend, Brennan, graduated college in 2008 and moved to Philadelphia shortly after. He fell in love with the city immediately and was telling me about all of these great bars he was going to and all of the great beers he was drinking. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I thought, “Beer is beer, and in the end, it all does the same thing.”

Boy, was I wrong. One night, he finally got me over to Philadelphia and took me to a bar near his house called Kung Fu Necktie. It is a great little bar that has so much character to it. It was the first time that I had been to a smaller neighborhood bar in Philly. While walking up to the bar to order a beer, I saw that the menu was written on a chalkboard behind the bartender. I looked up and down the list and didn’t notice my usual beers. I looked at Brennan and told him to choose the beer. He decided to get us a

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pitcher of Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale. He told me that he really enjoyed this beer and that I should give it a try. Looking back, I assume he picked this beer because it was the special that night; he was paying and we were broke.

As I poured the beer into my glass, I could tell that the color was a bit different than what I was used to. Not too much different, but if you’ve ever had Yards Pale Ale, you know the color. I put the glass up to my nose and inhaled. Right away, I could smell the hops and it smelled like citrus to me. I took a sip and immediately looked at my buddy, saying something along the lines of, “Wow, this is amazing.” I wasn’t really sure what I tasted. At the time, I compared it to a beer with a sweet, pear taste. I didn’t know about hops and malt or anything back then. Let’s just say I put down more than one pitcher of beer that night. After that, my love for craft beer really sunk in.

At about the same time, the Joe Canals Liquor up the street from me in West Deptford started a growler station. My buddy, Sean, who was also just getting into craft beer at the time, bought a growler and filled it up with some great beers like Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout and Tröegs Mad Elf. That was about it for me. I had a great store less than a mile from my house that had a growler station and then added a mix-a-six aisle with so many amazing beers.

My plans next are to travel around more and try all of the different craft beers that are out there. There are so many great beer cities in America and in other countries around the world, but in my opinion, Philadelphia will always be number one.

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39

brewmasters

From California To Smuttynose David Yarrington followed his bliss cross-county and back to become Director of Operations at Smuttynose.

By Kenneth Ogborn

It’s very rare in this world to meet someone who loves and is truly passionate about what they do. David Yarrington—currently the Director of Operations at Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire—is one of those people. Some might call David the Brewmaster or Executive Brewer, however, David humbly reserves those titles for folks who have been brewing for a very long time; although he himself has been in the industry since the early 1990s.

I had an opportunity recently to spend some time on the phone with David to talk about how he got to his position. His candor, knowledge and love for his job and the brewery he works for were impressive. He spoke extremely highly of the owners and staff and their commitment to making a great quality product.

After spending most of his youth growing up in North Jersey, in the Westfield area, he found himself going up the coast to attend Colby College in Maine. There, as a chemistry major, David met up with one of his professors who was a homebrewer and began brewing with him. He continued brewing and completed his chemistry degree. Through the support of his parents, David took a “mandatory year off to be a ski bum.”

When asked how his parents felt about his career choice, he spoke highly of his family. Being very spiritual people and providing him the means to attend school they supported him in following his passion. “Pursue your bliss” his father told him. And so, he did.

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While checking out the brewing scenes at different locations across the county, he did a tour at Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco. He was so impressed at the presentation of their brewery and their products that he decided this was the business he wanted to pursue.

David initially moved out to California and very eagerly convinced the folks at Twenty Tank Brewery to hire him on as an intern. Over the next few years he found himself working in areas like Boston and Colorado, working for Tommyknocker Brewery, Golden Pacific Brewing Co. and the Commonwealth Brewpub. One of his most interesting opportunities was trying to open a brewery in Tokyo with his brother. After making a valiant effort, he realized that it was time to move on.

He then found himself back in California enrolled for a six month program at UC Davis. He wanted to focus more on the science of brewing and understand the concept of brewing management.

Once he completed his program, David was quickly recruited by Peter Egelston, founder and President of Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose Brewing Company. Peter wanted David to bring his insight, energy and enthusiasm to Smuttynose Brewing Company.

At the time, Smuttynose was struggling with some quality issues and establishing a bad name for themselves. While many breweries would decide to close and start over, David decided to work with the staff to bring Smuttynose back on board as a top brand. David started with Smuttynose in 2001 on what he called an “amazing and challenging opportunity” to grow and improve a small brewery set in a shipyard town in New Hampshire. When David arrived, the brewery had a capacity of 5,000 barrel annually.

Over the next several years, David worked with his team to painstakingly improve and expand the brewery. This was no small task and it took until about 2005 for the brewery to hit its stride.

Since then, the brewery has expanded its capacity and beer offerings.

Although David oversees all of the operations and recipes, he collaborates on a continuous basis with his staff. They come up with ideas, test them, discuss them as a group and decide whether to use the full recipe or some components of it for another recipe. This collaboration and inclusion of his staff in all areas of the brewery’s functions are what he attributes to their loyalty; he has had zero turnover in staff since he arrived in 2001! He likens his staff to a family and makes it a priority to ensure they are moving forward in their careers and given the right opportunities.

Smuttynose is currently at a capacity of 40,000 barrels per year.

The exciting part is David is designing and overseeing the largest expansion the brewery has experienced since he began. Due to be completed within the year, this new brewery is set on a historic farm in New Hampshire and will double the capacity of the brewery to upwards of 80,000 barrels. All of this in just over ten years.

David is a very humble person often talking about his family, friends and co-workers and how they have supported him to live his dream. When asked if he had ever won any awards, he deferred.

He told me he knows the quality of his product and that could stand alone. That being said, Smuttynose has won consistent awards over the last ten years including a gold medal at the Great American Beer Fest.

If you are a homebrewer aspiring to enter the commercial brewing business, David shares his recommendations in a simple and straightforward manner—make sure to intern at a brewery if you can for the experience, utilize education where you can and if possible, consider making your project a brewpub. There is a lot more room for them around and the opportunity is very strong.

Although David has worked hard for his success he often thanks the people around him, including the owners of Smuttynose, for the opportunity. If you are ever in the New Hampshire area, stop into the brewery for a tour and a discussion!

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41

travel

Canton/Brewer’s Hill: of love and regret

CHARM CITY 101 A“charming” beer-filled stroll through Baltimore, MD.

By Suzy Woods

You have never seen as many purple-painted SUVs as you will see cruising down the streets of Charm City. Ravens pride looms large in town. And beer is tailgating not far behind. Baltimore’s brewing history rivals Philadelphia right down to their own designated area, Brewer’s Hill, where pre-prohibition breweries were on every block.

Fells Point I don’t think anyone would argue that Max’s Taphouse on Broadway is the head honcho of the scene. They have 102 beers on draft, five beer engines, and over 1,500 bottles. Try to plan your trip around one of their beer festivals, the biggest being the Belgian Fest (February 15-February 18). The bar staff is one of the best. Six employees have been pulling taps there for over ten years. They will guide you towards the right 12 oz. of beer without an ounce of pretension.

Here’s a little “non- beer” secret, Birds of a Feather is a scotch bar a block from Max’s. Your jaw might just drop staring at the 120 scotches with an honestly beautiful 50-something woman behind the bar talking lowlands.

Perhaps One-Eyed Mike’s also wouldn’t make a “craft beer in Baltimore crawl” article if it wasn’t for the fact that I am a member of their Grand Marnier club. I could certainly live without the orange-flavored cognac, but one look at their wall of glass-encased GM bottles, and you’ll be dishing out $175 too. This is Fells Point’s “Cheers.” There’s not necessarily a Norm or a Cliff, but chances are you’ll meet “Reds,” the unofficial Mayor. Here you’ll find the “Evolution

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of the moment” and Brewer’s Art Resurrection. I once had a whole flash-fried Maine-stuffed lobster here. You could too.

DuClaw Brewpub is nearby. Their beer is distributed in Philly now, but you can still taste how fresh it is on its home turf.

There are also a lot of “classic bars” in the area like John Steven’s, Wharf Rat and Cat’s Eye Pub, where a craft beer or two will be on tap, but it’s not their focus. And there’s likely a cover band on stage playing “The Weight.” You’ll feel like you’re on vacation.

Canton/Brewer’s Hill Mahaffey’s is an institution. When I first researched Baltimore five years ago, my research led me to the Canton neighborhood and the legendary Mahaffey’s. The blog said there was a good chance you would be greeted by one Wayne Mahaffey upon arrival. And sure enough, we’re four feet in the door and there is a jovial man extending a welcome.

A couple blocks away, you’ll see Baltimore Taphouse. It comes across as modest as a kölsch, just another Baltimore corner bar. Then you enter and notice beers are rather high-and-mighty on the chalkboard that features Union (Baltimore Brewery est. 2011) and Firestone Walker.

Of Love and Regret is the newest to the scene, produced by Stillwater’s Brian Strumke and directed by his sister Brenda, with the help of managers Leigh and Ryan Travers. Half of the taps are Stillwater, and they have a dozen of rotating guest taps that are dispensed from the most beautiful towers in town. It’s also a beer bar for the cocktail lover. Try the duck confit mac and cheese made with Stillwater’s Cellar Door.

Complete the Canton part of your crawl at Hudson Street Stackhouse.

All craft on tap, great bartenders and bubble hockey in the back.

Federal Hill If you take the trip to Federal Hill, hit up Metropolitan on Charles Street. It’s a coffee shop by day downstairs and an amazing beer bar by night. Order a Kobe beef French dip sandwich. The Abbey Burger Bistro, home of Baltimore’s “best burger” is three blocks away.

Mount Vernon On historic Charles Street, you will find one of Baltimore’s finest, The Brewer’s Art. The two-story brewpub marked my entry into adulthood. On my first trip, I thought the beautifully appointed dining room with book-lined shelves and chandeliers was too refined for me. I wanted to be in the basement sitting on old, ripped Dodge Caravan seats sipping on Resurrection and listening to Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” A return trip four years later brought me to the second floor where I dined on osso buco directly in front of their brewhouse.

The Owl Bar sits 266 feet southwest of The Brewer’s Art on Chase Street, in the beautiful Belvedere Hotel. It was a speakeasy during prohibition. If one walked in and the owl’s eyes were red, he wouldn’t ask for alcohol. If they weren’t red, no one was watching and the booze would flow. Stained glass windows dominate the back bar area with the wise bird and his wise words, “A wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard.”

Ben Wiser of Flying Dog Brewery fame wanted to add some more spots to my crawl. If you’re craving some pizza pie while you’re in town, you have two options: Joe Squared at the Power Plant or Joe Squared on North Ave, an eight minute walk from the Penn Station.

He adds, “Down the street you’ll find Liam Flynn’s Ale House–a traditional pub setting with live Celtic music and a great beer list.”

Fells Point: Max’s taphouse

Downtown/Inner Harbor Alewife occupies the space of an old bank on Eutaw Street in downtown.

The 6,000 square foot bar has a beer list as large as its vaulted ceilings with forty rotating drafts. It’s not really a hop, jump nor a skip to any other bars on this list, but definitely worth including on your trip.

A visit to Pratt Street Ale House will provide you with the opportunity to enjoy one of brewmaster Stephen Jones’ cask-conditioned bitters.

“Burial at Sea” was one of my most memorable sips of 2012.

Not every wallet can budget a night at the Four Seasons (especially when you can Priceline a four star room for under $100) but you should budget some time to check out Wit and Wisdom, a waterfront seafood-focused restaurant in the hotel brought to you by celebrated chef, Michael Mina. Fireplaces are about the dining and lounge area or sit on the patio overlooking the harbor, whilst sipping on a beer from their all local draft list.

Hampden If you venture out to Hampden (also where Union Brewery is located) you’ll find Golden West Café. Wiser recommends it as a restaurant with “friendly service, creative food and a kick-ass beer selection.”

By night, they push the tables out of the way and host live music, everything from doom metal to experimental folk. His menu favorite?

“Their famous ‘Elvis Pancakes’ (peanut butter and bananas with bacon) with a pint of something malty good.”

Lastly, you can’t drive to Hampden without your nose leading you to the wood-burning oven and the local beers at the new Birroteca, in a restored old mill house right beside the Jones Falls. You’ll see a bevy of Heavy Seas, Evolution, Dogfish and Flying Dog. Enjoy your trip. If you train it–you can travel for as low as $64 on Amtrak and be in Charm City in one hour and six minutes. For more tips, please email me beerlass@gmail.com.

Mount Vernon: The Owl Bar

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not beer

Reinventing Gas Station Food A beef jerky for the foodies. By Mat Falco When it comes to food culture, there are always the hottest trends. Over the last few years it’s hard to forget America’s obsession with the likes of cupcakes, bacon, and classic cocktails. Each of these and even methods of selling them (such as food trucks), grew to unexpected levels of desire among the foodie masses. None of them have gone anywhere and likely won’t for quite some time, but there is always the next trend. There is a current rise in affection towards ramen and other Asian-inspired noodle soups and local artisanal ice creams, but after trying samples of Side Project Jerky, it becomes hard to argue that beef jerky might just be the next big thing in food.

Side Project Jerky is a local, Philadelphia based beef jerky purveyor started by Marcos Espinoza, Daniel Olsovsky, and Mark Novasack.

What began as a little, literal side project, using a Manayunk kitchen in off hours, has turned into a local phenomenon sweeping through Philly and grabbing national exposure along the way. The project is still small and a side job for all three of the founders, but has quickly become much more than expected in a short period of time. Even national retailer, West Elm, has picked up the brand and sells them around the country.

What was always considered a mediocre snack reserved for road trips (as there was minimal food options at the gas stations), and the preferred snack of the legendary Sasquatch on television ads, is now, thanks to the likes of brands like Side Project Jerky, becoming a snack for food focused city-folk, who may have never even had a jerky experience prior. Using high-quality beef and marinades, SPJ is putting out three flavors of jerky on a regular basis—Original (everyone has to have one), Mongolian, and Southwestern. Raising the bar a rather large notch on top of that, SPJ offers up chef collaboration jerky choices. A local chef will work together with SPJ to come up with a special marinade to make a truly unique jerky flavor. The first collaboration was with Chef Sean Magee of TIME in Philadelphia and was one of the most unique jerky experiences around. Together, they came up with a pho flavored jerky (bringing the food trend world together) that tasted of a medley of all the flavors one would expect from a perfect bowl of pho. Though now off the market, there is a chance this one will return due to an overwhelming popularity. The next collaboration is with former Pub & Kitchen Chef and co-founder of Rival Bros Coffee, Jonathan Adams, who will be producing a jerky using his custom roasted coffee.

Still small in the scheme of things and despite its national availability, SPJ is best tracked down in local artisanal stores or on its website (sideprojectjerky.com). Every time a batch is available though, it doesn’t last long as Philly really seems to be keen on a newfound love for one of the oldest snacks out there.

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spirits

New Holland Spirits A harmonious collaboration of beer and spirits.

By Mat Falco

Once a palate for craft beer is developed, there seems to be a logical next step into the world of craft spirits. Whiskies tend to offer up all the flavors and complexities that we crave in a well-brewed beer. Like the vast difference in experience that comes with drinking a craft beer compared to a macro adjunct beer, there is a similar difference to be found in the world of spirits. There’s a lot more to bourbon than Jim Beam, and tequilas that will make you wonder why you ever thought Cuervo Gold was a good idea. Craft spirits, like craft beer, are on the rise, and a lot of great breweries are installing stills in their brewhouse and brewing spirits side-byside with their beers. One such brewery making moves in this department is Michigan’s New Holland Brewing Company.

Probably best known for their Dragon’s Milk Stout and their line of Mad Hatter beers, New Holland Brewing puts out a unique line of spirits aimed towards the hearts of beer geeks. Combining aspects of the brewery and the distillery, they have been able to produce some of the more unique spirits on the market.

Beer Barrel Bourbon Every brewery nowadays ages one of their beers in a bourbon barrel. It’s the perfect way to take an already great imperial stout to the next level. No one is really taking the opposite route, though. New Holland’s most unique offering at the moment is their bourbon that they age in barrels that previously held their Dragon’s Milk Stout, which were filled with bourbon prior to that. It’s the full circle of life when it comes to brewing. The bourbon itself is a five-year-old that is aged in American Oak for several years before it’s put to rest in the Dragon’s Milk barrels for an additional three months or so. Bourbon at heart, but accents from the beer are noticeable and really set this apart, opening a whole new world to all those barrels that have been aging beers.

Zeppelin Bend Whiskey Named after the style of knot used to anchor Zeppelins, Zeppelin Bend is New Holland’s foray into the world of top-shelf spirits. Using a wash made by the brewers, this straight malt whiskey is aged for a minimum of three years in American Oak barrels. It’s also one of their original spirits, giving that anchoring name even more depth.

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Brewers’ Whiskey Brewers’ Whiskey is New Holland’s way of giving reverence to their brewing roots. Each spring, one or two brands are released in this series. The series exemplifies the ingredients used by different brewers and changes each year.

Hatter Royale Hopquila The other spirit in the New Holland portfolio made with beer lovers at heart. Hopquila is not a tequila but a white whiskey that has been steeped with Centennial hops, harmoniously bringing together the beer and spirit world. Beer cocktails will never be the same.

Other Spirits New Holland also offers up a series of organic wheat vodkas, three types of rum, and a gin, rounding out a spirit selection fitting for all drinkers. Though not available in Pennsylvania at the moment, a trip to New Jersey can fulfill your needs for beer-centric craft spirits.

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le fromage

Birchrun Hills Blue & Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Bittersweet never tasted so good. By Ryan Hudak Of the cheeses people most commonly run into in a local cheese aisle or farmstand, blue cheese is by far the most feared. Just the appearance is enough to turn people off: a perfectly good cheese, lightly spotted—and sometimes positively teeming—with mold.

If the appearance wasn’t enough, the novice cheese eater will find the taste, oftentimes bitter and salty, quite offensive. This is where something like Birchrun Blue, which is less intense than many blue cheeses, can come in handy.

The cheese comes from Birchrun Hills Farm in Birchrunville, which is in Chester County. The farm began producing milk— and did so for 20 years—before turning to cheesemaking when the milk business dried up. The cheese portion of their business started in 2006 with two styles: the Gruyères-like Highland Alpine and the Birchrun Blue, which is easily their most celebrated offering still.

The cheese is a raw milk semi-soft cheese with a natural rind, which is a bit of an anomaly for the style.

The cheese is less intense than

many other blues, but still has all the characteristics that people have come to know and intensely love—or fervently hate—about blues. It is slightly bitter and loaded with moldy funk, but with a buttery undertone that borders, believe it or not, on chocolate.

The finish lingers with all the mustiness that a craft beer drinker would come to expect from their favorite gueuze.

Now is the perfect time for Weyerbacher’s Blithering Idiot, a barley wine style ale, to join the party. The Idiot has intense notes of alcoholsoaked dark fruits like raisins, dates and figs. On its own, many might think the beer is a bit too boozy, but the cheese works well with the beer in that they both take the edge off each other’s intensity. The sweetness of the Blithering Idiot is quite enough to break through the sharpness of the blue, and

the funk of the cheese eases off the fruity alcohol of the beer, both bringing each other down a notch to a more enjoyable level. And while many people treat pairings as foodfirst-drink-second, try this one the other way around: follow a sip of the barley wine with a bite of the cheese. This is where the chocolate notes mentioned above flourish, with a bit of the beer lingering on your tongue as the cheese melts in your mouth.

Not only does the pairing function as a great example of two paragons of local craftsmanship harmonizing perfectly well, but it will also be able to keep you warm during the coldest months of the year. The boozy beer will bring a flush to your cheeks and the full-flavored cheese is sure to keep it there. Stop by the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal Market to pick up a piece of the blue and you should be able to find the Weyerbacher at most beer stores. Also, if you frequent Headhouse Market at any time during the year, stop by Birchrun’s table and say hello to Sue Miller, one of the city’s favorite cheesemakers and be sure to thank her for one of the city’s favorite cheeses.

Philly Beer Scene is hosting

FREE Beer and Cheese Samplings Every 3rd Thursday of the month, from 4-6pm at the Fair Food Farmstand.

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from the cellar

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome A subtle pairing to wind down the season.

By Phillip Pittore III

Now that all the fun and chaos associated with the holiday season has subsided, it’s time to relax and look forward to the coming of spring, and the warmth with which it provides. And, what better way to warm up than with a Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome?

Winter Welcome was the first imported winter seasonal beer to the U.S. in 1990. It has received numerous accolades over the years, and it is highly sought after each and every holiday season. The only change, from one year to the next, is its iconic label.

Although not one of my all-time favorites, it’s hard to ignore the consistency and tradition with which this beer is brewed. I thought it would be interesting to pull an old bottle and see how well it has held up over the past few years.

For this comparison, I selected a 2007 Winter Welcome, and a 2012.

My initial thought was that the 2007 might be past its prime, based solely on experience, and hearsay.

The 2012 Samuel Smith poured a clear, distinct copper color, while the 2007 Winter Welcome had more of an amber hue and was considerably darker. Neither the 2012, nor 2007 had a distinctive head.

The 2012 Samuel Smith had a vibrant caramel and malty aroma, with just a hint of fruit. The 2007, on the other hand, had an unmistakable acetaldehyde, or fresh-cut green apple aroma. This is an obvious warning sign that this beer may be bad, but I decided to carry on, nonetheless.

First sip from the 2012 Samuel Smith Winter Welcome provided a subtle, earthy, nutty quality. The 2007 provided some of the same, with a slight hint of oxidation. Surprisingly, the beer wasn’t bad as the aroma would have led me to believe. There were subtle hints of cinnamon and clove on both vintages.

Moving forward, each sip provided more characteristics, albeit, subtle.

The 2012 Winter Welcome now opened up a bit, and there were hints of caramel and toffee. The 2007 had more of a fruit quality/taste. Both beers were thin bodied and easy to drink. The finish was quite dry with feint nuances of hops.

After approximately fifteen minutes, the 2012 Samuel Smith Winter Welcome tasted like sweet tea. This was one of two discernible and definitive characteristics, the second being reminiscent of a clementine. The 2007 had a mild hop presence with hints of ginger and cinnamon. Again, very subtle.

It is important to note the reoccurring theme of subtlety throughout the tasting. This beer will not blow you out of the water. It’s a 6% English Strong Ale that is thin bodied, creamy and easy to drink.

After thirty minutes, the 2007 Samuel Smith had an apple presence reminiscent of the initial aroma. The 2012, on the other hand, had more of a biscuit and bready mouth-feel with a grainy aftertaste.

I am impressed that the 2007 vintage ale held up as well as it did. Often described as a winter warmer, Winter Welcome conjures thoughts of a cold and snowy night, around a hearty fire, which makes this beer extremely desirable.

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beer law

Alcohol Sales Laws Senate Law and Justice Committee to examine the laws regarding alcohol sales.

By Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks)

After four years working as Chairman of the State Government Committee to improve the efficiency and transparency of state government, I was honored recently to be appointed to a new post in 2013–serving as Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee. This assignment will bring new challenges and responsibilities, but I look forward to working with members of this panel to improve public safety and closely examine state laws regulating alcohol sales.

The committee is tasked with reviewing legislation, regulations and policies pertaining to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the Pennsylvania State Police. During the most recent legislative session, the committee addressed a number of issues regarding state police coverage and complement and held several hearings regarding various proposals to privatize the state’s liquor stores.

In particular, providing oversight of state laws relating to liquor and beer presents a significant challenge due to the depth and complexity of the issues involved. It is likely that privatization will again be a major topic of interest for the committee. The idea of privatization has been proposed in many different forms over the past several years, but all of these plans have fallen short of the goal of creating a better system of alcohol sales that benefits consumers, brewers, distillers and retailers. As new privatization plans are considered and debated in the coming months, my immediate priority will be to improve the current system for consumers without hurting locally owned small businesses.

Last year, I introduced legislation that would promote beer and liquor sales by allowing beer distributors to sell smaller quantities of alcohol and creating a special wine and spirits license for retailers.

Enacting these reforms would provide greater convenience for consumers and prosperity for small brewers and distillers in Pennsylvania.

I look forward to the new challenges involved in continuing the commonwealth’s efforts to protect public safety and support responsible policies regarding liquor and beer sales as chairman of the Law and Justice Committee. I encourage local residents to follow the committee’s activity in 2013 on my website, www.senatormcilhinney.com.

Senator McIlhinney represents the 10th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

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alterna-beer

A Mission Close to Home Omission Beer is brewing up some classic styles for “gluten-free” consumers. By Dave Martorana I’ve been around the “gluten-free” block when it comes to beer. I’ve tried a solid portion of the gluten-free (and gluten-reallylow) beers available in the US. For now, and for my money, I’m going to say that the real future of GF beers is in post-processed barley-based beers. That’s not to say that there aren’t some really fantastic alt-grain beers out there—New Planet Off Grid Pale Ale comes to mind—but for that real beer flavor and mouth-feel, post-processed beers seem to have the brightest future.

Because the US won’t adopt the less-than20-ppm standard for “gluten-free” labeling set forth by both the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, many foreign brewers refuse to import their GF beers in to the US market. Despite the fact that many, like Greens, make post-processed GF beers for the European market, those beers never make it to our shores. Estrella Damm Daura is one of the only post-processed GF beer

imports we get, and it’s not labeled as GF. Thankfully, a few brewers in the US have started brewing barley-based beers below the 20 ppm standard. Although they legally can’t call their beers “gluten-free” they’re safe for gluten-intolerant people. That said, if you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor.

Anyway, I really want to introduce you to Omission Beer. The story of Omission is very home-grown. Their CEO, Terry Michaelson, was diagnosed with Celiac disease over twelve years ago, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, Joe Casey’s wife (Joe is the brewmaster) was diagnosed with Celiac in 2006. Joe, wanting to maintain a happy marriage, realized he’d have to come up with a great beer for his wife —and anyone with a gluten intolerance—to drink; when solutions are built for problems that hit so close to home, they’re often very good.

It took until 2011 for Joe to hone the process—a combination of being quite careful to avoid cross-contamination, selection of lowprotein barleys, proper use of a brewing agent Brewers Clarex™, some magic, and independent lab testing of every single batch of beer made, but the wait was worth it. (Interesting sidenote: Omission only sells bottles–no draft, for fear of cross-contamination in the lines.)

Let’s start with the lager. It pours crystalclear golden-yellow with a pretty decent head.

It doesn’t hang around forever, but what pilsner-style lager has a head that does? The aroma is floral, honey, pine, and (according to my lovely wife, and she’s right) pear. The mouth-feel is actually comfortably soft after the initial carbonation kick. The flavor is a bit on the light-side and the aftertaste is a little yeasty. All-in-all, a very good lager!

However, Omission really hits a home run with their Pale Ale. This is a simple reference American Pale Ale, no bells and whistles, just a great hop-forward profile on a sweet, caramel malt 5.8% ABV base. It pours a gorgeous amber-red color with a fluffier head than its lager cousin, which also lasts a bit longer too. The aroma is filled with hops and honey, and isn’t jarring. The flavor is minimalism at its best; the hops are balanced and not IPA-strong, the malt is sweet and smooth, there is a wee bit of the bread-yeast I love, and nothing more. This has become my go-to session beer.

For many, Omission’s Pale Ale might seem a bit weak in a market that over-glorifies hops and has lost sight of the classic, clean American Pale Ale. It’s not overbearing, and its simplicity could be mistaken for simple.

But for my money, it’s fantastic. Along with the lager, Omission turns in two fantastic “gluten-free” (but barley-based) beers.

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local wine

Thorn of the Grapes PA’s only private wine shop selling California wine is situated right in Lancaster County.

By Keith Wallace

For the past few issues, I have been writing about local wineries. During one such drinking session interview, a winemaker clued me into the riddle of Thorn Hill Vineyards, a Pennsylvania winery with vineyards in California. They had a tasting room in a Lancaster strip mall where one could buy their wines.

This is even odder than it sounds. In Pennsylvania, there are no independent wine shops; the only places allowed to sell wine are the government-run stores. Yet, here was Thorn Hill, blithely running its own wine shop, none too far from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s headquarters. I started researching this mystery.

I checked out their website. The winemaker at Thorn Hill is Amy Thorn, and the winery’s CEO is her husband, Jack.

Their personal story is unusual, but understandable. They are Lancaster natives who love their hometown, but also wanted to make wines in Northern California. I pulled up a photo, and was immediately struck with an epiphany–I knew this couple.

After a class, they told me of their winery concept. I thought it was awesome, bold, and likely impossible...Until Now. Six years prior, Amy and Jack spent two semesters in Philly at the Wine School. I had been their sommelier-instructor.

After a class, they told me of their winery concept. I thought it was awesome, bold, and likely impossible. They graduated, and that was that. Until now.

I shot them an email and jumped in my car. Despite two GPS devices and a set of printed directions, I managed to get lost. Twice. In my defense, there are dozens of shopping plazas in that short stretch of road in Lancaster. After

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looping through the traffic congestion a third time, I saw the huge sign across the road proclaiming “California Wine!” I hit the brakes and cut through oncoming traffic, Dukes of Hazzard style. (This is 100% true, if said Dukes used their turn signal and waited for the green arrow.)

A bit shaken, I walked in from the cold evening. Despite its location, the Thorn Hill tasting room is styled as a Tuscan villa. I looked past the ornate bar, and there was Amy. She was sitting in an overstuffed armchair in front of a roaring gas fireplace. We hugged and talked and drank her wines for hours before she had to leave for an event. By then, Jack had arrived and we started to talk, and we talked some more.

How did Thorn Hill end up being Pennsylvania’s only private wine shop selling California wine? As Jack reminded me, there is a provision in the law that allows wineries to have off-site tasting rooms where they can sell their wines.

The law was intended for locally produced wines, but that isn’t necessarily spelled out in the law.

Jack made his application for the wine shop a few years ago, when the fight to abolish the PLCB was in full swing.

It was a singular moment at the agency, when all eyes were focused on the political war going on in Harrisburg. No one seemed to notice that the winery license they just approved had vineyards in California, not Pennsylvania.

How does Pennsylvania’s only California winery stack up? The lineup is very good, with two standout bottles. The Thorn Hill 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is a sumptuously styled Cabernet with great concentration and rich flavor. Even better is the 2008 Reserve Cabernet from the Red Rock AVA, which offered more elegant and linear tannins while unfolding into a nuanced core of fruit.

Amy has turned into a stellar winemaker and Lancaster is lucky to have her. She tells me she hopes to open another wine shop soon, possibly in Center City, Philadelphia. I hope so, because I suck at Lancaster driving.

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history

Famous St. Patrick’s Day Events March 17th, 461: St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, passes, starting the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in memoriam of his life.

1737: The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the first time the holiday was publicly celebrated in America.

1762: The first official and longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in NYC.

1771: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in Philadelphia. This is the second oldest parade in the country.

1903: St. Patty’s Day finally becomes a national holiday in Ireland.

1927: After eight years, the NHL’s Toronto 1931: 169 years after the first Boston parade, Dublin, Ireland holds its inaugural St. Patty’s parade.

Mid 1970s: A law in Ireland requiring pubs and bars to close early on St. Patty’s Day when drinking became unruly is repealed.

St. Patricks retired their tributary name and colors to become the Toronto Maple Leafs.

(Though their new color, blue, is the original color associated with St. Patrick’s.)

April 3rd, 1940 & March 14th 2008: St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on these days instead of the traditional March 17th, in order to avoid falling during Holy Week. Those who focus on the mass drinking aspect of the holiday still celebrated on March 17th.

1996: The first Saint Patrick’s Festival is held in Ireland. By the following year, it’s expanded to three days. By 2000, it has grown to four days and since 2006, is a five day festival which attracts about 1,000,000 attendees.

Indie rock, hip-hop, Brazilian, country, folk, rap, blues, soul, classical, pop, R&B, electro, punk, rock 'n' roll, a capella, bluegrass, hardcore, metal, dubstep, doo wop, funk, reggae, jazz and more.

Yeah. We cover that.

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By: Molly Yun | Photography by: Alison Dunlap

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beer Cures What Ales You

Beer makes everything better, but then again, Philadelphians already know that—and so did the founders of the city and the country.

It is good for all sorts of remedies, from heartache to headache, or so it has been used for hundreds of years. It’s not a modern phenomenon to drink a pint to get rid of the breakup blues or soothe a bad day. Long before Hank Williams, Sr. crooned his honky-tonk ballad about a tear in his beer, Americans were relying on suds. Colonial Americans took to the bottle, or tap, as a means of medicine.

“Colonial Americans, at least many of them, believed alcohol could cure the sick, strengthen the weak, enliven the aged, and generally make the world a better place. They tippled, toasted, sipped, slurped, quaffed, and guzzled from dawn to dark,” Gregg Smith wrote in the article Brewing in Colonial America.

The nation’s founding fathers, and mothers, used ale in all sorts of medicines and home remedies, including a potion for teething babies and a cough syrup.

When America was a fledgling nation, medicine was just becoming modernized, so people still relied on old herbal medicine and what they passed down through generations. Philadelphia was the heart of healthcare reform. Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond founded America’s first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital. But many physicians still believed in remedies that often led to patients becoming sicker or dying—Dr. Benjamin Rush infamously bled his patients to cure the yellow fever, which was deadly and had disastrous results in the epidemic of 1797.

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“There are different recipes that I’ve come across. There are all kinds of ones that we wouldn’t even think to treat. I found a recipe for a speedy child birth, for curing baldness and for freckles” “They don’t have germ theory, so they’re trying to cure the cough or the fever. They were mostly looking to cure symptoms because they don’t understand that a fever is a part of a bigger illness,” said Michelle Presnall, Museum Manager of the Betsy Ross House.

However, most people couldn’t afford visiting physicians. Instead, the women of the household would play Dr. Mom. Even wealthy people were hesitant to call doctors unless it was a dire situation.

“You wouldn’t go to the doctor today for a headache or a cough,” Presnall said.

Martha Washington wrote many recipes for home cures in her book and commented on filling in as a nurse for slaves, grandchildren and guests on the Washington’s plantation, Mount Vernon, and while living in Philadelphia at the President’s House on Market Street.

Sick people, it turned out, were probably better off with home remedies that used beer and herbal teas than being bled or leeched.

The mom of the house would take things she had around the home and make it into a remedy. She would go to the garden and her cupboard and stove for ingredients. Every household in the colonies had an abundance of beer.

“Ale and beer was a major dietary staple in the colonies. Literally everyone partook. It was the common item which spanned generations, from cradle to grave—everyone drank beer. Infants were fed beer and it was especially recommended for nursing mothers,” Smith wrote.

Even Philadelphia’s flag-sewing darling dabbled in beer cradle to grave.

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“Betsy [Ross] was a Quaker, so she didn’t partake. She’s not drinking socially, but she certainly would have drunk watered down beer with every meal,” Presnall said.

Part of the popularity of beer was because water was not always safe to drink. Even without knowledge of germs or bacteria, it wasn’t difficult to figure out that people who drank from the water supply got sick and those who drank beer made with boiled water did not.

“They drank ale because it was a good way to get nourishment and healthier than drinking water.

It was also healthier than a variety of other drinks and it could last longer than those that were more prone to disease. By nature, an alcoholic drink would last longer than anything made with water,” said David Young, executive director at Cliveden.

Cliveden is the mansion and ground that was the site of the Battle of Germantown in the Revolutionary War in 1777.

Young also pointed out that on a day to day basis, early Philadelphians drank beer for sustenance and to gain calories.

“It processes a lot of food groups into one and provides energy,” he said.

Because beer was such a staple in the diet and around the house, it’s natural that people used what they had on hand and believed in its powers. There were also some superstitions or false assumptions that came along with recommending beer and alcohol in remedies.

“Americans of the period believed it was particularly healthier to drink lukewarm alcohol during hot weather rather than drink cold water. Signs were displayed at public wells warning individuals of the dangers of cold water during the summer. The rationale for this is that when a person sweated, heat was conducted from the inside of the body. Therefore, the stomach needed warmth, which could be provided by alcohol,” wrote Andrew Barr in Drink: A Social History of America.

While alcohol, such as rum, brandy and Madeira was imported from the Caribbean, France and Spain, beer was cheaper because it was homemade. It didn’t come from the distributor around the corner. Most people didn’t have the resources to buy beer or store it in their homes.

“Unless they were having a party, most people weren’t equipped to buy a keg of beer. They had to tap it and keep it in the cellar to stay cool,” said Rich Wagner, a Philadelphia beer historian and author of Philadelphia Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Cradle of Liberty.

Instead, mom made beer, just like a modern housewife might keep iced tea in the refrigerator or filtered water on hand.

“It’s my understanding the typical housewife would keep a crock of beer going all the time. It would be made by fermenting baking yeast, molasses and water and [housewives would] have it going on the fire,” said Wagner.

After this homemade beer fermented for hours or days it was probably very low in alcohol with a sour taste. It was considered safe and potable. So when it came time to make a home remedy, they used beer, which was on hand and much safer than water that was contaminated. This recipe, published in The Compleat Housewife in 1758, gave women a way to cure the ague, a fever brought on by malaria.

“For the ague: take a quart of strong beer, and a good quantity of the youngest artichoke leaves; shred them and boil them very well together; when you think it almost enough, put a spoonful of mustard-seed bruised, and give it one boil; then strain it, and bottle it; take half a pint as hot as you can, half an hour before the fit comes.”

This “recipe” is on display at the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street as part of the exhibit “Potions, Powders & Pills: Making Medicine at Home in the Colonial Era.”

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“Even without knowledge of germs or bacteria, it wasn’t difficult to figure out that people who drank from the water supply got sick and those who drank beer made with boiled water did not.”

“Americans thought alcohol was healthful. To their minds, drink kept people warm, aided digestion, and increased strength. Not only did alcohol prevent health problems, but it could cure or at least mitigate them. They took whiskey for colic and laryngitis. Hot brandy punch addressed cholera. Rum-soaked cherries helped with a cold. Pregnant women and women in labor received a shot to ease their discomfort,” wrote Smith in Brewing in Colonial America.

Drinking during pregnancy is a no-no in America today, and generally, newborn babies are put in sunlight and carefully monitored when they are diagnosed with jaundice. However, this recipe was published in 1737 in the booklet, It Has Helped to Admiration: Eighteenth-Century Medical Cures from the Kitchen Book of Bridget Lane.

“For the jaundice: take three bottles of ale, and half a pint of juice of celandine, and a quarter of a pint of feverfew, and a good handful of the inner-rind of a barberry-tree, and two pennyworth of saffron; divide all into three parts, and put a part into every one 64

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of the bottles of ale, and drink a bottle in three mornings: you must stir after it.”

Modern practitioners understand that jaundice is a symptom of liver malfunction, so they may not recommend beer or anything that contains alcohol for curing it. But curing a cough and a fever with a concoction that contains alcohol is not too off from modern remedies. Most popular nighttime cold and cough syrups contain alcohol, and many of them list it as the main ingredient.

While fever is something that Americans still use remedies or medicine to cure, the colonial Americans had an answer to all kinds of problems.

“There are different recipes that I’ve come across. There are all kinds of ones that we wouldn’t even think to treat. I found a recipe for a speedy child birth, for curing baldness and for freckles,” Presnall said.

It’s not so unusual from today that early Americans were interested in a “cleanse diet” beverage. That sounds familiar to today’s sensationalism diet. Albeit, most health experts recommend staying off the

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Philadelphians used what they had to make medicine. They had beer, good intentions and sometimes great outcomes. beer to lose weight, however, the following recipe was published in 1817, in Philadelphia, in Dr. Fox’s New Medical Dictionary: “A purging diet-drink: take of garden scurvy-grass six handfuls, water-cresses and brooklime, of each four handfuls, peach-blossoms four handfuls, nettle-tops and fumitory of each three handfuls, monks-rhubarb four ounces, sera four ounces, china two ounces, sarsaparilla three ounces, rhubarb one ounce; coriander and sweet fennel-seed, of each half an ounce; cut the herbs, slice the roots, bruise the seeds; put them in a thin bag and hang them in four gallons of small ale; after three days drink a pint of it every morning; be regular in diet, eat nothing salt or sour.”

The art of using beer to cure became more specific in some areas and among some cultural groups. Norwegian immigrants believed in the power of using beer made with spruce tips for medicinal purposes, which caught on with sea captains.

“I’ve read accounts of spruce beer being desired by ship captains because it kept a crew from getting scurvy. It must have had vitamin C, if it worked,” Wagner said.

Captain James Cook wrote in his notes on a voyage to the Pacific that spruce beer prevented scurvy—a disease common in sailors caused by a lack of nutrition and vitamins.

“Two of our men were employed in brewing spruce beer…such a regimen soon removed all seeds of the scurvy from our people, if any of them had contracted it. But indeed, on our arrival here, we only had two invalids in both ships.”

Cook also wrote in 1764 for The London Magazine: “I think it the wholesomest drink that is made; I am seldom without it when I can get spruce. When I lived in New England, I had a vessel that went from thence to the West-Indies, and the bay of Honduras, for logwood: I always charged the master of her to take black spruce with him, and give his men beer all the voyage, which he did, and his men were healthy and well in the West-Indies and in the Bay, when others, at the same time and places, that drank water, were very sickly.”

The beer was a method of preserving spruce, which was a common home remedy for illness and for eliminating disease. Instead of hauling around tree branches, sailors took their spruce in the form of beer. Spruce was being used by westerners all over the world and in the American colonies.

“I have seen accounts that describe all the beliefs with spruce.

They swept out a sick room with spruce balms and placed spruce in the room because it helped clean and purify air,” Wagner said.

He said that some Pennsylvania Dutch traditions continue with spruce.

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“They frequently make a tea with spruce tips as a tonic,” Wagner said. Apparently, they don’t still partake in the fizzier, alcoholic type of spruce.

Philadelphians can enjoy it, whether for a remedy or for pleasure.

Yards Brewing Company brews spruce ale as part of their collection of Ales of the Revolution. Poor Richard’s Ale was originally brewed for Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday because he wrote that he enjoyed the ale. Yards’ version is based on Franklin’s original recipe.

“It uses spruce tips and molasses, as barley and hops were not readily available at the time,” according to the Yards’ website.

The original recipe, translated from Franklin’s notes when he was living in France is, “Way of Making Beer with Essence of Spruce: for a cask containing eighty bottles, take one pot of essence and thirteen pounds of molasses–or the same amount of unrefined loaf sugar; mix them well together in twenty pints of hot water; stir together until they make a foam, then pour it into the cask you will then fill with water; add a pint of good yeast, stir it well together and let it stand two or three days to ferment; after which close the cask, and after a few days it will be ready to be put into bottles that must be tightly corked; leave them ten or twelve days in a cool cellar, after which the beer will be good to drink.”

Whether Philadelphians want to get creative and make their own spruce ale or purchase it from Yards is up to them. It makes an ideal beverage in the cold, winter months; cold and flu season may be a bit more bearable with spruce ale, too.

Before pharmacies or hospitals, Philadelphians used what they had to make medicine. They had beer, good intentions and sometimes great outcomes.

When it didn’t help the common cold, bruises or dropsy, at least beer could lower inhibition a bit and raise the spirits. Those traditions continue in modern cold remedies, such as the hot toddy and over-the-counter cough syrup. Maybe it’s time to bring back the old recipes and brew up a cure.

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To Protect and Promote How the Brewers Association benefits not only brewers, but beer drinkers as well.

By Ryan Hudak

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“Protect is what we do. We watchdog, we are proactive and also reactive to any legislative initiatives or regulatory proposals or interpretations that could possibly put professional small brewers out of business very quickly or severely limit beer drinkers’ access to great beer.”

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If you were to ask

the average craft beer fan what they knew about the Brewers Association, you probably wouldn’t get much back. It’s an association, after all, for brewers —what does it have to do with beer drinkers? The answer may be more obvious than people think, but for the most part, they don’t have to think about it. For the person who enjoys craft beer without making their own, the Brewers Association operates largely in the background of the beer-drinking world, helping drinkers in ways they wouldn’t normally think they needed help.

Even the history of the Association would be a surprise to many.

While the craft beer scene in America didn’t start to gain most of its traction until the 1990s, and even though Fritz Maytag is commonly credited with kicking the whole thing off with his Anchor Brewing Company in the 1960s, the Brewers Association finds its roots in the Small Brewers Committee, which first met in Chicago as early as 1942, and later became the Brewers Association of America.

In 1978, home brewing maven Charlie Papazian, author of the seminal Complete Joy of Home Brewing, formed the American Homebrewing Association with Charlie Matzen in Boulder, CO. Five years later, the AHA combined with the Institute for Brewing and Fermentation Studies to create the Association of Brewers, whose main purpose was to support the then-emerging microbrewery movement in the US. Finally, in 2005, all groups merged and the Association of Brewers and the Brewers Association of America became the Brewers Association as we know it today—a merger Brewers Association Director Paul Gatza, counts as a major success.

“I know that sounds basic,” says Gatza, “but there were two groups working to help small brewers, and we weren’t always rowing together in the same direction. Small brewers can now speak with one voice on industry issues.”

The purpose of the Association, as listed on their website, is “To promote and protect small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.” And, according to Papazian, who is now President of the entire operation, “Protect is what we do. We watchdog, we are proactive and also reactive to any legislative initiatives or regulatory proposals or interpretations that could possibly put professional small brewers out of business very quickly or severely limit beer drinkers’ access to great beer.”

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Even as the Brewers Association keeps an eye on any legislation that could be potentially harmful to craft brewers, they also work to bring more beneficial legislation before Congress, most currently in the form of a federal excise tax recalibration bill that will work to make a more even-playing field for small breweries in their fight to gain footing with the multi-national corporations. “The Federal Excise Tax initiative would reduce excise tax paid by small brewers, helping to create jobs and assuring the sustainability of being able to be small and continue to compete with large corporate global brewers,” says Papazian. “It’s tough being small. Producing beer at a small and craft level is a much more labor intensive and hands-on process—that’s one reason it’s called ‘craft.’ The initiative highlights our craft personality and how small and independent brewers are challenged doing business on a small scale.” But introducing legislation isn’t the only government work the Association tackles, adds Gatza: “Our assistance to help the development of the House of Representatives Small Brewers Caucus and the Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus are key markers that help educate lawmakers on small brewer and small business issues.”

The Brewers Association doesn’t only work on a federal level, but also helps guide individual states to making their commonwealth more supportive of small and craft brewers, which can be seen locally as recently as September of 2012. The Association worked with the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild to influence New Jersey to pass a bill making it easier for production microbreweries to operate and expand. Part of this help was with their Support Your Local Brewery program, in which members are sent Action Alerts when it would benefit them to write their local congressperson, vote, or otherwise help to pass beneficial legislation.

Victory’s Bill Covaleski, who splits time as the company’s president, head brewer and co-founder, clearly has his hands in every aspect of the brewery’s operation, and appreciates the Association’s help on the legislative level. “Larger brewers have more at stake that uninformed legislators could screw up if no one of BA’s stature were advocating our points to them,” he says.

“They allow us to focus on brewing.” But he doesn’t overlook the impact of the Brewers Association on smaller breweries, either: “Small guys benefit from the legislative clout BA affords them that they’d never access otherwise.” Tim Patton, owner and brewmaster of the forthcoming nanobrewery, Saint Benjamin

Integral members of the Brewers Association (left to right) Julie Herz, Craft Beer Program Director; Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association; Charlie Papazian, President; Barbara Fusco, Sales and Marketing Director

Brewing Company, agrees. “Obviously, the lobbying the group does to lower taxes and the like will benefit my bottom line, and I see some of the work they have done in states to allow breweries to expand more easily.”

Of course, the Association’s help isn’t limited to legislation. “The Craft Brewers’ Conference was huge [for us],” says Scott Rudich, owner and brewmaster of Round Guys Brewing Company in Lansdale, PA. “Getting some stats and info on breweries helped with our business plan.” The Brewers Association’s knowledge base is one of their shining features, and their list of benefits and services is sizable: The New Brewer Magazine, Brewers Association Forum, industry statistics, Power Hour webinars, Craft Brewers Conference, Brewers Publications books, CraftBeer.com, BrewersAssociation.org, media representation, press releases, American Craft Beer Week,

“We provide guidance and services for all levels of the beer community, large and very small, allied trade and beer drinkers, homebrewers, suppliers, etc...”

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the Great American Beer Festival, the World Beer Cup, SAVOR, Beer Sellers Guide, Beer & Food Guide, Brewers Resource Directory, voting eligibility, member mailings, and Zymurgy Magazine for homebrewers, to list many—but not all—of their services for professional brewers, homebrewers, and beer drinkers alike. “We provide guidance and services for all levels of the beer community, large and very small, allied trade and beer drinkers, homebrewers, suppliers, etc. Our staff has decades of experience in helping provide service. Many questions keep being asked; there are great resources for the startup in print book and publication form and online,” adds Papazian.

Aside from helping craft breweries gain—and maintain—a strong foothold in an ever-saturated market, the fans and imbibers of craft beer throughout the area may wonder if there is anything the Brewers Association helps them with directly, and the answer to that comes most noticeably in the

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form of the Great American Beer Festival, one of the largest beer events in the world. Just this year, the festival connected almost 50,000 attendees, over three days, with around 580 breweries offering over 2,700 beers, many of which would not usually be available outside of a brewpub or a local distribution area.

The Great American Beer Festival also holds an annual awards ceremony, giving medals to the best three beers in seventy-five separate style categories, as well as awards to individual brewpubs and breweries. The awards ceremony can also be felt locally, as in the 2012 competition when Tröegs Brewing Company in Hershey, PA won Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year, in addition to three gold medals. Local breweries and brewpubs also combined for twelve other medals in the competition. GABF isn’t their only awards ceremony, either, after the addition of the World Beer Cup in 1996, a bi-annual global beer awards ceremony in the same vein as GABF, with ninety-one total categories for medals.

Other than simply allowing more drinkers to experience more craft beer though, the Association provides just as much knowledge and education to drinkers as it does to brewers. “Our consumer-facing site, CraftBeer.com, is the main way we provide information on what is going on with craft brewed beer,” says Gatza. “A lot of our positions in relation to government affairs and market development have the beer drinker in mind, as they are focused on providing increased access to craft brewed beer for legal drinking-aged adults.” Many of their publications, as well, are geared to the average drinker, as Tim Patton points out: “Their books and the food guide are the two areas that benefit the average beer drinker or home brewer. The latter can be used by anyone and is very useful to the owners of restaurants of any kind to get good food and beer to the consumer.”

By extension, the Association also provides a wide range of help and support for homebrewers, which beer drinkers are converting to in increasing numbers—and which almost every professional brewer starts as. The help includes the aforementioned Zymurgy Magazine, the American Homebrewers Association and their National Homebrewers Conference, which local homebrewers like Sean Mellody are looking forward to welcoming to Philadelphia next year. “There are so many benefits [to the Conference],” says Mellody. “Networking with other brewers, the classes and sessions are very informative, and you get some one-on-one time with some great, well-known brewers as well. It also serves as an inspiration on recipes, beers, and brewing techniques.”

Overall, though, the reach and influence of the Brewers Association can hardly be completely covered in 2,000 words. It is safe to say, however, that no matter which piece of the puzzle you make-up, whether you’re a small brewery or a large one, a craft beer brewer or a drinker, a distributor, a supplier, a homebrewer, or a bartender in a brewpub, the Brewers Association has your back. They offer support not only legally, but informationally through a myriad of sources like magazines, online publications, consumer groups and an exceptionally knowledgeable membership base that will help out to the best of their ability.

This like-minded community, more than anything, is where not only the Association, but the entire industry flourishes. Craft brewership is not only about getting your market share and

This like-minded community, more than anything, is where not only the Association, but the entire industry flourishes. selling as much as you can, but to help those who have come after you, usually as you were helped by those who came before; a sentiment Bill Covaleski agreed with when asked why he had initially joined the Brewers Association. “Certainly, there was an aspect of camaraderie, of being a part of our industry [and a] connection to our peers.” Yards Brewing Company President Tom Kehoe agrees, citing “a national group that shares information and resources in a common field.”

This common field is growing rapidly and experiencing unprecedented expansion, with new breweries big and small seeming to open every day. More often than not, the successful ones will realize they can’t always go it alone, and whether it be by using statistics presented by the Brewers Association to help plan their breweries, or even using knowledge the brewers picked up at an American Homebrewers Conference they attended years ago, the Brewers Association is always there to help in every step of the process.

It is this help, this pushing forward of the industry and facilitating of assistance whenever needed and on every level necessary, that is the real benefit to craft beer drinkers. We consumers now have a mind-boggling selection of American craft beers, and they are only getting easier to obtain. We’ve been spoiled, in essence, by the Brewers Association, whether it be from them lifting red tape in our state so we can find and imbibe our craft beers more easily, or by giving us an outlet like the GABF to sample an unequaled amount of beer in one place—but, to quote Seinfeld, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” And indeed, consumers, homebrewers, and brewers alike can all look forward to being “spoiled” by the Brewers Association for quite some time.

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and the

Quest for the Bygone Beers

By Patrick Ridings

My past and present collided in September 2012, when my father and I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark: The IMAX Experience. I grew up watching the Indiana Jones franchise with him and now had the opportunity to enjoy the original film in a new format, thanks to director Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt. Every landscape view and boulder rumble wowed us like our first viewing more than twenty years earlier.

The nostalgic joy of the experience reminded me of the romanticized view of archaeology that the series instilled in me. As I grew older, I learned to differentiate between a fiction associated with fighting Nazis, cracking whips, and robbing graves and a reality aligned with dedicated training, careful research, and lengthy excavations.

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“An archaeologist’s life is not always as exciting [as Indiana Jones],” Patrick E. McGovern, Ph.D., affirms with a laugh. “It’s labor-intensive.” He’s the Scientific Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology’s Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health.

McGovern’s wide-ranging academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Cornell University, neurochemistry graduate work at the University of Rochester, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Near Eastern Archaeology and Literature from Penn. His perfect concoction of credentials, personality, and passion make him approachable and engaging to everyone, including beer lovers.

As two keywords in the Penn lab’s name indicates, McGovern knows a few things about the importance of alcohol. In Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages—an archaeological account spiced with historical records and a hint of memoir—he wrote, “Wherever we look…we see that the principal way to communicate with the gods or the ancestors involves an alcoholic beverage, whether it is the wine of the Eucharist, the beer presented to the Sumerian goddess Ninkasi, the mead of Vikings, or the elixir of an Amazonian or African tribe.” Alcohol’s significance doesn’t end there, according to the archaeologist, as it also influences humanity’s social growth.

“Imagine the monumental achievements we’d lack without beer.”

Drinking together is a basic human activity that, in addition to sustainment, leads civilizations to cultivate the land. Social desire also acts a powerful motivator for other tasks.

“Imagine,” McGovern suggests to me, “The monumental achievements we’d lack without beer.” For example, survival and the daily

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promise of a refreshing beverage often encouraged Egyptian slaves to complete their work constructing the pyramids.

The fact that McGovern understands alcohol’s noteworthiness isn’t the only reason beer enthusiasts should feel a kinship with him. If they sample some of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.’s Ancient Ales series, then they’re also at an intersection between the past and present. McGovern works with the Delaware-based company to examine, recreate, and adapt brewing techniques to bring a bygone experience to the modern beer bottle. These successful collaborations have led to the title that the archaeologist expected least in his career. Don Russell, in his Joe Sixpack columns, dubbed McGovern the “Indiana Jones of Ancient Ales, Wines, and Extreme Beverages.” The academic’s upbeat and proud demeanor lacks any disdain for his career’s comparison to a pulp fiction throwback character, but it’s not a role he always pursued.

The Discovery of Beer A young McGovern briefly flirted with beer while traveling to Europe for the first time in the summer of 1961. At age 16, he attended Ithaca High School with German exchange students who convinced his and his friends’ parents to allow them to travel abroad. Once in Germany, McGovern discovered that he could maximize the strong U.S. dollar by ordering beer with meals rather than his standard Coca-Cola. This change was made easier because of the beverage’s superior taste. While kinder to the wallet price-wise, the drink still complicated the payment process. As per local custom, waiters didn’t document orders and relied on patrons to recall their choices before finalizing the check. Remembering a meal’s details became increasingly difficult for McGovern and his friends after two liters of beer.

As the summer continued, the student separated from his classmates and worked on a farm in Bavaria. The family with whom he stayed often included him in their traditions, such as sharing a beer/lemonade mix in a giant mug. They typically offered the beverage to everyone, including children, to enjoy. McGovern partook in this rite of passage, but didn’t have an affinity for the drink. He would feel that way about most beers for the next several decades.

In the late 1990s, McGovern became reacquainted with the spurned beverage at Monk’s Café. Owner Tom Peters offered the now-wine connoisseur a glass of Chimay.

“Could this be a beer?” he wondered in Uncorking the Past. “It had all the sensory richness—the complex aromas and flavors —of a fine wine.” At last, McGovern realized that as an archaeologist with a healthy love of alcohol, he should not limit his conceptions of beer—especially quality craft beer. This revelation would later propel McGovern into that unexpected phase of his career.

McGovern realized that as an archaeologist with a healthy love of alcohol, he should not limit his conceptions of beer—especially quality craft beer.

The Adventures in Wine Country The decades separating McGovern’s interest in beer didn’t prevent his career from unfolding.

He returned to Germany in the 1970s with his wife, Doris, while en route to Jerusalem.

They often sought work during the trip, such as seasonal picking in the Mosel wine region, to support their travels. The couple’s employer offered them a generous sampling from his wine cellar after their first day. Several hours and vintages led to a rough morning for McGovern, but he unearthed a newfound thirst that would help fuel his professional work.

As years passed, McGovern received his Ph.D., became an expert on Bronze and Iron Age artifacts, and led a 20-year dig in Jordan’s Baq’ah Valley. There, he unearthed a vessel that once housed royal purple, an ancient Phoenician dye. The discovery began the meshing of archaeological and molecular passions as McGovern investigated the ancient receptacles’ contents rather than simply examining the vessels themselves.

The field combining the forms of studies grew and McGovern and a colleague pursued research that used spectrometry, chromatography, and other tests to identify tartaric acid in a jar from 3100 BC, and thus, proved that it once contained wine. This realization, and McGovern’s subsequent article detailing the research, led to his initial fame beyond the academic world. A California wine entrepreneur later contacted him to organize a wideranging conference to discuss—and enjoy —wine. The gathering further expanded the archaeologist’s contact with like minded people seeking to understand wine in its entirety.

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The Resurrection of the Midas Touch All of McGovern’s interests, including his growing taste for beer, collided in 1998 and 1999. He took an interest in a Turkish tomb that a Penn Museum team had excavated in 1957. Based on the grave’s trappings, which included the largest Iron Age drinking set unearthed, the archaeologists determined that the resting place belonged to the ruler of the ancient district Phrygia, the legendary King Midas—or at least a King Midas. The tomb included the remains of a large funeral feast created in honor of a ruler’s successful reign. Based on this information, McGovern began to investigate the museum’s collection of vats, jugs, and drinking bowls from that particular find. He discovered exactly what he sought: not proof of the mystical powers mentioned in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, but a real treasure—several pounds of organic material.

Using the identified material, McGovern plotted the recreation of Midas’ funerary meal.

He adapted the tests used on the royal purple dye to determine that the vessels from Midas’ tomb were used to house a drink that combined grape wine, barley beer, and honey mead. The beverage, which could be considered a grog, threatened to ruin his plan to mimic the burial celebration. The wine lover with a growing interest in beer wondered how anyone could mix the two drinks.

Luckily, McGovern soon faced the perfect audience to answer his question. The Penn Museum hosted a banquet honoring beer legend Michael Jackson. There, the archaeologist challenged the microbrewers in attendance to recreate the mixture. Intrigued with the request, dozens of brewers arrived at McGovern’s lab the next morning to learn more. They accepted the task to experiment and he agreed to the hardship of testing the various libations. Soon thirty to forty boxes of beers began arriving at his door. One brewery, however, seemed to have the edge.

Dogfish Head founder and owner Sam Calagione first wowed McGovern with a plum malt and mead drink that he presented at the Jackson celebration. The brewery began offering its “off-centered” beers in 1995, starting with the Shelter Pale Ale that the archaeologist greatly enjoyed, and never

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Dogfish Head’s Midas T many ancient ales Dr. P stopped growing in size and selection. McGovern’s recreation challenge intrigued Calagione who also had an interest in the alcohol of the past, which his Jackson dinner braggot demonstrated. McGovern eventually determined that Dogfish Head’s experiment best matched the parameters of the grog, but their work wasn’t over yet.

As the partnership began, Calagione quickly learned the benefits of working with the academic. “[McGovern] considers the evidence and ratios of all of the ingredients as well as the brewers involved,” the Dogfish owner says. This proved helpful when the beverage’s bittering agent couldn’t be identified. Something obviously needed to offset the honey, grape sugar, and barely melt identified in McGovern’s research. They finally decided to use saffron, which is native to Turkey. In Uncorking the Past, the archaeologist explained that the spice was “suggestive of the Midas touch both in its golden color and its price.”

Calagione also discovered that Dr. Pat—the nickname he bestowed upon McGovern in the informal brewery setting—enjoyed telling stories, a philosophy that Dogfish maintained with every beer released.

The collaboration between McGovern, Calagione, and Dogfish Head yielded results that benefited them all. Dr. Pat met his goal of reproducing Midas’ burial feast in a Penn Museum gallery. The dinner included a lentil and barbecued lamb stew and fennel tarts in pomegranate jus. For dessert, attendees received the labor of brewing and archaeological ingenuity: the Midas Touch, a drink with a unique golden color and a taste that ends with dryness stemming from the use of tree resin. Dogfish Head eventually released the beer commercially and it became the brewery’s most-awarded drink in the 2000s.

Touch, one of the Pat consulted on.

The Continuing Thirst The archaeologist/brewery pairing continues beyond its initial success. McGovern, in a consultant role, aids Dogfish Head in establishing more beers in what they call the Ancient Ales series. The relationship, according to Calagione, is based on “trust and camaraderie.”

They “have a brotherhood of curiosity” for beer history that continues to drive them.

Dr. Pat’s favorite in line, Chateau Jiahu, is based on his discovery of the oldest known alcohol in the world. He found the remnants of the 9,000-year-old beverage that mixed rice, honey, and fruit in China’s Henan province. McGovern and Calagione worked with brewer Bryan Selders to navigate the beer’s delicate combination of flavor, particularly its sweet-and-sour taste, by using brown rice syrup, orange blossom honey, muscat grape, barley malt, and hawthorn berry. That last ingredient presented a multitude of challenges for the team because the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) initially wouldn’t allow its presence in an alcoholic drink, while it was permitted in tea and herbal medicine.

After several negotiations, the beer received the agency’s approval and went on to win the gold medal in Colorado’s 2009 Great American Beer Fest.

Theobroma and Ta Henket are also results of McGovern’s quest to provide ancient drinks with a chance for rebirth. A chemical analysis of Honduran pottery fragments revealed that the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink dates back to 1200 BC. Dogfish Head’s Theobroma emulates the beverage through its inclusion of Aztec cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto. Ta Henket, which is Egyptian for “bread beer,” derives its flavor from

a combination of ancient-style wheat, loaves of hearth-baked bread, chamomile, doumpalm fruit, and Middle Eastern herbs. As depicted on Brew Masters, McGovern and Calagione traveled to Cairo to capture a specific saccharomyces yeast strain for the fermentation process.

Birra Etrusca Bronze, released in December 2012, is the latest Ancient Ale. McGovern and Calagione worked with Italian brewers Leo DeVencenzo of Birra del Borgo and Teo Musso of Baladin to examine drinking vessels in 2,800-year-old Etruscan tombs.

The ingredients include malted barley, heirloom Italian wheat, hazelnut flour, pomegranates, Italian chestnut honey, Delaware wildflower honey, clover honey, gentian root, and Ethiopian myrrh resin.

The final portion of the beer’s name stems from the traditional material used in the fermenting process.

Even with vast accomplishments that wow the academic and beer lover worlds, Dr. Pat continues to muse about the future and therefore contemplates the past. He happily remains a consultant for Dogfish Head and theorizes the origin of their next resurrected drink.

Maybe they will return to Africa since the home of early humans still has many untold gifts to bestow upon the modern world. Or perhaps the next beer will stem from a trip to Scandinavia, another region that greatly fascinates the archaeologist. McGovern is interested in researching, and even traveling to, wherever the next adventure on his lifelong journey needs him to go. In the end, he’s really not that different from a certain Harrison Ford character at all.

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Bar & Restaurant Review 80

French Quarter Bistro Fine drinking and a taste of New Orleans right on Main Street. By Amy Strauss It started with Flying Fish.

Twelve years ago, come April, Mark Van Horn introduced his Cajun-style bistro to Montgomery County, one of the first bars in his local, consumer-based stretch of the suburbs to celebrate the micro-brewed culture. In particular, he was partial from day one to tapping the New Jersey-based brewery’s craft beers, focused on supporting the increasingly-popular craft beer movement with the same level of determination he had towards maintaining his day-to-day operations.

Van Horn’s French Quarter Bistro was an adventurous concept at first for downtown Royersford. But, situated along the unassuming 200 block of Main Street, the Louisiana-inspired spot’s menu was a fresh new choice for diners to explore the local culinary landscape, as was the beverage lineup. The introduction of a neighborhood haunt hoisting an extensive program of craft beer was—and always is—like music to any bar-goer’s ears.

Over the course of a decade, the boisterous Cajun joint embarked on various facelifts, with its latest update having debuted in late fall 2012.

The two-concept-space, with an entryway per each, features a dimly-lit, white tableclothed dining room on right, which comes dressed with rich wooden floors, a deep black-and-maroon mood, and an easy-going demeanor. Rounding out this more formal dining option are appropriate, jovial accents that help maintain the whimsical atmosphere, keeping with the N’awlins theme.

Slip over to the left portion of the bistro (through the back-end of the dining room if you wish), and you’ll spy the vibrant barroom surrounding an attractive, granite-topped 30-seat bar, featuring twelve revolving craft taps, and a 70-plus bottle list. The ever-changing draft list is a sure-to-please mix of up-and-comers and local old-faithfuls, including releases from Neshaminy Creek Brewing and Round Guys Brewing Company, to Tröegs, Sly Fox and Weyerbacher. The expansive bottle list follows suit and is regularly updated, offering everyday drinking picks like Great

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Lakes Dortmunder, Founders Devil Dancer and Dogfish Head 90 Minute, to more sophisticated choices like the Duchesse De Bourgogne, Russian River Redemption and Supplication, and Chimay Grande Reserve.

Consider channeling your inner French Quarter cravings during your visit to the beer-centric restaurant, as you explore Van Horn’s culinary voodoo unfolding on the dinner menu. All the authentic, proper fixins are present—from deep-fried crawfish tails and jambalaya mac & cheese, to alligator sausage over rice, blackened catfish with stewed tomatoes, and shrimp po’boys. As if having a stop to devour fine-tuned Cajun and Creole dishes in Philadelphia’s suburbs isn’t appealing enough, he doesn’t stop there. Mark continues his creative mojo in the kitchen by drawing up Southern-inspired specials that couple classic comfort food with traditional New Orleans grub into individual, appealing dishes (surf and turf burgers, Stromboli pot pie, etc.). A meal-ending perk is the dessert menu, with a majority of the options crafted in-house. The vodka crème brûlée is first-rate, and the Bananas Foster’s bread pudding arrives on our tabletop warm-and-gooey, summoning you back bite after bite.

Whether your palate is in need of a New Orleans getaway, or you’re exploring the northwest suburb of Philadelphia and need a new watering hole, Mark Van Horn’s French Quarter Bistro is making a notable craft beer splash in the suburbs—no pretentiousness included. The service is attentive and the kitchen is constantly and consistently serving upstanding renditions of your favorite Creole cuisine.

Start with a pint and a plate of fried pickles drizzled with Creole mustard, and we promise you—you’ll be hooked. French Quarter Bistro is located at 215 Main Street, Royersford, PA 19468.

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Full range of self-serve grains, wine kits, bottles and equipment for beginners and experienced brewers alike.

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Philadelphia’s Craft Beer Locator

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Get your fill at one of Old City’s newest and most promising bars. By Philip Carroll Wedged amongst the symbols of Philadelphia and America’s beginnings are a number of newer bars featuring impressive rotating drafts. Because of the large number of bars in the area, it’s safe to say there’s no room for a slouch in the high competition for the influx of tourists and weekend drinkers. Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant, on Market Street between Front and Second, has proven to be no slouch. As the craft beer phenomenon continues to expand at exponential rates, the must-visit bars, often turning into must-visit-often bars, seem to do three things well, not separately but collaboratively: beer, food, and service. Let’s start with the most important.

Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant (PBR) offers sixteen rotating drafts at all times. Many bars make similar claims, but sometimes that large number rings hollow. When a craft beer lover heads out for something with a bit more taste (and perhaps, for a bit more alcohol percentage), too often it’s like dealing with a cable company that advertises 1,000 channels but offers much less watchable channels.

From Oskar Blues GUBNA to beers from Founders, Stone, Dogfish, Avery, Allagash, and the relatively new and local Neshaminy Creek, PBR’s varied selection does not disappoint. The beer style possibilities do not either. Their draft list includes wheats, IPAs, porters, pilsners, scotch ales, a unique cider, and many others. As if their draft list wasn’t good enough, PBR delivers a wide array of bottles and cans as well. A list of featured big-bottles included beers from Firestone Walker, Port Brewing, Rogue, Russian River, and a number of other yearned-for brewers. Their regular bottle and can list fully earns the term “extensive,” offering many solid beers such as Central City Red Racer IPA, Boulder Hazed & Infused Ale, and a few from Sly

Fox. They even sell Pabst ($2!), Miller Lite, Coors Light, and a host of others just in case your drinking buddy hasn’t caught on yet to the whole craft beer thing. PBR’s offerings are considerable, but not overwhelming, and they offer the best reason for a return visit.

PBR’s menu is dumbfounding in the most positive way.

Rarely does one find a menu on which every single item sounds like a must-have. A three cheese grilled cheese on challah bread; cornmeal crisped calamari with sautéed peppers, lemon aioli, and smoked jalapeño marinara; and pan seared tilapia with a Yards Brawler butter sauce (a number of their dishes used beer, a delectable sign) are just a few of the unique and mouth-watering options.

Rather than pair individual dishes with specific beers, PBR serves hearty food well-matched for almost any craft beer.

This freedom of choice for the patron provides a more eclectic, personal experience.

The service at PBR was impeccable. The bartender chatted with the patrons in an easy, welcoming way. He showcased his knowledge of all the beers PBR offers, even giving his opinion about beers he didn’t like in a positive way. PBR does not sell flights, but the bartender offered many samples of beers new to patrons. With craft beers, many times it matters who’s slinging the suds. A bottle jockey could get the job done, but that intimate connection craft beer lovers often feel with their beer sometimes demands a server with the same depth of love.

In an area of the city where even good bars can be swallowed up by the machine of grand competition, PBR has positioned itself to become an “old” part of Old City.

Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant is located at 120 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Bar & Restaurant Review

Reforming Old City

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The Tasting Room March 2013 Venue: Keystone Homebrew The Tasting Room brings us to one of the oldest homebrew shops in the area, Keystone Homebrew.

Not only is it one of the oldest operating shops, it’s also by far the largest, with their relatively new warehouse-type space in Montgomeryville, PA. This huge spot is like a shopping mall for homebrewers and will soon be home to a winery as well.

How we Review Beer Every issue Philly Beer Scene gets together with notable guests from the scene for a small, private, tasting session. Twenty beers are chosen that are new, seasonal or just interesting.

Star Gazing Stay Away From This Beer A Drinkable Beer But Not Worth Seeking Out An Average Beer A Pretty Decent Beer Worth Drinking Anytime If You See This Beer, Order It You Better Go Out And Find This Beer Now

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notable guests

from the scene guests Jason Harris is the man behind Keystone Homebrew. He started Keystone Homebrew back in 1992 and now has two locations with one in Bethlehem as well. Jason is also one of the founders of the annual beer knowledge competition, Philly Beer Geek.

Trish Houck is a lifelong Philadelphian who discovered craft beer and more importantly a liking for beer after having an Abita Turbodog at a wedding. She continues her beer discovery running with the Fishtown beer runners, a group that runs to a different craft beer establishment every week, all in the name of science!

Robert DeMaria is the founder and brewmaster of Prism Brewing Company in North Wales, PA. Looking for a more exciting career, Rob left the corporate world to pursue making beer. He makes some of the most interesting styles in the area, with beers such as a chocolate bacon stout, a black tea pale ale, and a strawberry jalapeño brown ale.

Randy Pyle is a sales engineer for Elliott-Lewis, a mechanical contractor in Philadelphia. Brewing is now in the family, as his son, Ian, is a brewmaster for Boston Brewing. His favorite local haunt is Union Jack’s in Glenside.

Fox Barrel Pear Naked Cider

J.K.’S Scrumpy Northern Neighbour Farmhouse Cider

A loose-limbed, uninhibited, fresh and lively natural

This delightful cider is made from Michigan apples and

pear cider. Softly sparkling with an authentic pear

a unique Canadian prairie apple, the Saskatoon. This

natural nose, and an off-dry, clean finish. ABV: 5.3%

natural cider has been carefully fermented at Almar Orchards, using their traditional methods. ABV: 5.5%

Some barrel notes, but a bit too sweet. Better intro Jason 2.5

Jason

3

Too sweet but clean tasting. Strange colour (Canadian spelling?) for a straight cider.

Rob

2

Interesting twist on a cider. The “farmhouse” fermentation is unique.

Trish 3.5 Pleasantly fruity.

Trish

3

Thick, with a lingering taste on the tongue.

Randy 2

Randy 1.5 Sweet and almost medicinal.

cider than Woodchuck, though.

Rob

3

Could be a bit dryer, but better than average and a cider I’d order.

Too sweet.

Odd chardonnay type of malolactic flavor. Very

Mat 2.5 cloudy with sediment.

Very unique. Unexpected, rich-red appearance.

Mat 3.5 Reminds me of a cinnamon apple.

Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout

Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout

A bold, reddish-black Irish-style stout, rich in color

Starr Hill’s Dark Starr Stout has won more national

but low in alcohol and very drinkable. The dark color

and international awards than any other Dry Irish

results from brewing with roasted malts, lending

Stout in the country. Brewed with roasted barley and

Brooklyn Dry Stout a chocolate/coffee-like flavor

with hints of coffee and dark chocolate, it packs a

with a bit of an espresso bite. ABV: 4.7%

robust taste into a light body. ABV: 4.2%

Jason 2.5 Burnt characteristic with some chocolate flavors.

Slight astringency. Grassy hops.

Rob

3

Faint nose and a bit thin, but a nice, mellow flavor.

Better than most St Patty’s standbys.

Trish 2.5 Smokey with a little bite from the carbonation.

Randy 3

Nice, round, nutty flavor with consistent smoothness and no bitter aftertaste.

Mat 3.5 Very traditional dry stout, perfect for St. Patty’s Day.

Jason

3

Smokey, nice bitterness. Meaty.

Rob

3

Decent nose and a mellow flavor.

Trish

4

Smells like ring bologna and tastes like it in a good way.

Randy 3.5 Smooth, smokey taste.

Not your typical dry stout. Meaty-type flavor and

Mat 3.5 aroma that sets this apart.

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the tasting room O’Hara’s Leann Folláin

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel

Laden with complex chocolate and coffee flavors, balanced by a robust bitterness and delicate spicy

Supple, malty and mellow. Its harmonious flavor is the

aroma, O’Hara’s Leann Folláin is a full-bodied extra

great strength of this dark wheat beer. ABV: 5.3%

Irish stout. ABV: 6.0% Jason 4.5 Balanced, roasty, full-bodied.

Rob 3.5 Full bodied, great nose, and satisfying flavor.

Jason 4.5 Classic. I don’t even like wheat beers, but I’d finish this one.

Rob

3

Good nose and a decent beer for throwback Thursdays or a walk down memory lane.

3

Nice head. Pleasant in the mouth. Easy to drink.

4

It’s what I would expect in an Irish Stout. Nice caramel finish.

Trish

Randy 4

Strong initial flavor. Consistent flavor to finish.

Randy 2.5 Lost something in transit. Fairly standard hefeweizen.

Trish

Near flawless take on an Irish Stout. Really

Mat 4.5 exceptional beer.

Mat

4

A classic; there is very little wrong with this beer, if anything.

Dremmwel Rousse

Timmermans Strawberry Lambic

The Dremmwel line of beers is composed of highly

For anyone who finds strawberries irresistible,

fermented, unpasteurized beers and La Rousse is

Timmermans Strawberry evokes the fragrance of

a slightly bitter beer in the Anglo-Saxon tradition.

long sunny days. Its luminous color and its fruity

Its color and softness derive from the different types

freshness are a treat for taste buds and eyes alike.

of malt used, including caramel malt. ABV: 6.0%

ABV: 4.0%

3

If I were a teenage girl, I would drink this beer all the time.

Jason

3

Smells Belgian-y, bitter biting finish.

Rob

2

Meh. And by “meh,” I mean uneventful.

Rob 3.5 Great fruit beer. I’d put it against most in the style.

Trish

2

Cloudy in appearance with a metallic finish.

Trish

Clean, sour taste. Smooth.

Randy 2.5 Good for a lambic. Not as tart as most.

Randy 4

Much cloudier than expected. Rather simple and

Mat 2.5 one-dimensional, outside dry, tart finish.

Three Heads Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale

Jason

3

It’s not a beer you would drink a lot of, but it was fun on the tongue.

Intensely strawberry. Tastes like a strawberry soda.

Mat 2.5 Perfect if you love very fruity, rather sweet beers.

Thornbridge Kipling Typical of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wine, this

3HB dedicates the Loopy to our favorite plant, the

wonderful South Pacific Ale has a great grassy nose

Humulus Lupulus. Enjoy the waves of tropical fruit

with kiwi fruits in abundance. The wonderful fruity

intertwined delightfully with a creamy, velvety

mouth gives way to a great bitter finish. ABV: 5.2%

malt blend. ABV: 6.6% Jason 4.5 Taste-bud killer. Piney hops in the nose with huge, hop bitter, lingering finish.

Rob Trish

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5

Everything I want in a beer. I need a case.

2

If you’re a hophead, go for it, but the beer is onedimensional…and I’m still looking for the oatmeal.

Rob 3.5 Spicy melon aroma and great use of Nelson Sauvin

2

Strong citrus nose. Not the type of hoppy beer I’m a fan of.

Trish 2.5 Pleasant taste, but has the metallic finish I’m not a

Stronger tasting than advertised on the bottle. Citrus overtone.

Randy 4

Randy 3.5 Mat

Jason

3.5

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Extremely hoppy! Drinks like an imperial red ale.

Lacks oatmeal character.

March2013

hop. Very pale in color and well-balanced. fan of.

Solid, smooth tasting beer. Very easy drinking.

Great example of Nelson Sauvin hops. Incredible pale

Mat 4.5 ale that is a must try when fresh.

Blue Point Toxic Sludge

Summit Saga IPA

Toxic Sludge is their version of the relatively new

Pronounced hop flavors and aromas of kiwi, passion

Black IPA style. Hopped at four stages of the brewing

fruit, apricot and gooseberry. Clean, assertive bitterness

process, Blue Point combined a hoppy IPA with a

with balancing pale malt characteristics. And hopped

richer, darker malt base for a full-bodied beer that’s

with the rare New Zealand Rakau hop along with Citra,

big on flavor. ABV: 7.0%

Centennial and Amarillo. ABV: 6.4%

Jason 3.5 Good for the style.

Jason 2.5 A little too strong on the hops. Pale malt.

Rob 3.5 Name makes you think this beer will be aggressive, but

Rob 3.5 Good example of an IPA. Go-to hops and go-to malts

Trish 2.5 Pretty even taste with a salty finish.

Trish 2.5 Citrus. Hoppy beer lovers rejoice–this beer is for you.

Randy 3.5 Smooth, nutty taste.

Randy 3.5 On the light side for an IPA.

this is very mellow. Balanced, but I’d like more IPA.

Mat

3

Much more black than it is IPA, but surprisingly mellow roast flavor.

make a go-to beer.

Mat 3.5 Clean, hop forward IPA. Very light malt in this one.

Coronado Idiot IPA

Dugges ½ Idjit!

West Coast IPAs require a “stupid” amount of hops.

From the one and only Dugges Ale & Porterbryggeri

A generous blend of Nugget hops and the Cascade,

in Gothenburg, Sweden, an original, robust “Imperial

Centennial, Chinook and Columbus, brings forth

Porter” with notes of coffee and salty licorice.

a myriad of tropical fruit flavors and a brawny,

ABV: 7.0%

persistent bitterness. ABV: 8.5% Jason 2.5 Strong bitterness. Nice aroma.

Rob

4

Smokey and malt forward with a great warming sense for a 7%’er. I’m a fan.

Trish 2.5 Fruity nose.

Trish

4

Boozy aroma and flavor. The kind of beer you drink after finishing a half marathon.

Randy 3.5 Solid and not overpowering. Good finish.

Randy 4

Rob

4

Very balanced for a west coast IPA. This goes against the norm for such IPAs.

Jason 4.5 Smells like chocolate booze. Chalky finish. I’d buy it.

Very malty, which makes it tastes a little less

Mat 3.5 hop-centric than you’d expect for a west coast IPA.

Ommegang Art of Darkness

Mat

4

Smooth, chocolaty and tasty.

Great caramel flavors. Rich and boozy tasting in a good way, despite the lower ABV.

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve

Champagne-like carbonation and rich matiness from a complex recipe of multiple barley, wheat malts and

The intensely flavored but incredibly smooth Engineer’s

flaked oats. Using no spices or flavorings, this beer gains

Reserve is Old Engine Oil brewed up to 9% ABV. Three

rich aromas, tastes, and apparent spiciness from malts

hop varieties are combined with roast barley providing

and Ommegang’s proprietary house yeast. ABV: 8.9%

a slightly burnt, toasted coffee character. ABV 9.0%

Jason

4

Too clean for a Belgian. Would be good for getting drunk fast.

Rob

4

You just can’t go wrong with this beer.

Rob

4

As described: viscous, roasty, and malt chocolaty.

Earthy and malt forward. I’d recommend it.

Trish

3

Strong, aggressive flavor. Left great lacing on the glass that’s perfect for reading your fortune.

Trish

3

Bold flavor. One to linger over.

Randy 3.5 Smooth but undistinguishable.

Mat

4

Everything you come to expect from this brewery. An extremely well-brewed, classic Belgian-style type beer.

Jason 4.5 Great beer!

Randy 4 Mat

4

Consistent flavor for a high alcohol beer. Strong and smooth.

Great sipper and even better than their Ola Dubh series in my opinion.

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the tasting room Uinta Crooked Line Sea Legs Baltic Porter

Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout Available for a limited time this is a beer to savor

Aged in Bourbon Barrels for nearly 12 months

responsibly, says Otter Creek. This style provides

adding toasted vanilla and bourbon notes, this

big malt flavors and a higher alcohol with lower

medium-bodied Baltic Porter has a complex malt

carbonation and mild hops. ABV: 10.0%

profile and mild hop bitterness. ABV: 8.0% Jason 4.5 Very nice–get me on the boat!

Rob

4

Jason

4

Rob 3.5 The nose is interesting and hard to place, but the

Solid beer. Love the raisin. Go for it!

flavor is good and complex.

3

Trish 3.5 Pours beautifully. Chocolate and caramel notes….yum!

Trish

Randy 2

Randy 4

Mat

4

Very good.

A rough finish.

Barrel-aging is well hidden, but that’s what makes it great. Well done!

Grass Roots/Tired Hands Wachu Saison

Smells healthy. Good taste, but more carbonated than I’d like.

Strong aroma with smooth, thick flavor. Not overpowering for 10% ABV. Deceivingly smooth. Nice chocolate flavors. Great

Mat 4.5 interpretation of style.

Goose Island Madame Rose A sour brown kriek made with Michigan sour cherries

Asian inspired saison brewed with Thai Red rice,

aged in oak barrels for over two years with a roselare

Schezuan peppercorns, and yuzu. ABV: 7.0%

yeast culture. ABV: 6.5%

4

Interesting, but not my style. Brett is tolerable. Smells like a zoo.

Jason

3

Very tart. Good cherry flavor.

Rob 3.5 Interesting with Brett & Schezuan peppercorns in a

Rob

4

Tart cherry. I like balanced sours and this is a good example.

Trish 3.5 Very interesting scent and flavor. A beer that makes

Trish

2

Oh, my poor face, puckering with the sourness of it all.

Randy 2

Randy 3.5

Jason

saison. I like the twist.

you stop to think about it.

Mat

4

Miss, kind of edgy. Bitter. Unstable.

Citrusy, dry, and funky. Really need a full glass of this to wrap your head around it.

Mat

4

Interesting, tart, strong taste that grows on you. Strong cherry.

Intense sour, with nice cherry finish. Goose Island barrel program always impresses.

The Final Picks After some long discussion and debate over the twenty craft beers that were sampled, our panel is ready to reveal each of their favorite picks for March.

Jason’s Final Pick: Thornbridge Kipling. Everything I want in a beer.

Good malt, flavorable hops and bitterness to balance. Great showcase for a great hop.

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Rob’s Final Pick: Ommegang Art of Darkness. This is just a great beer in every way. A cold weather drinker from a somewhat local brewery who does a great job. The love shows and you have to respect that.

March2013

Trish’s Final Pick: Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout. Unusual flavor. The other day, I had a beer that tasted like French fries; today, a beer that tasted like a sausage. At this rate, I will eventually be able to give up solid food.

Randy’s Final Pick: Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve. I’m not usually a fan of higher alcohol beers, but this one was very smooth with a pleasing, nutty finish.

Mat’s Final Pick: Thornbridge Kipling.

This was such a drinkable beer that I doubt I could ever tire of. Between this and their Jaipur, Thornbridge is quickly becoming one of my favorite English breweries.

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directory Philadelphia Center City Bars & Restaurants

1518 Bar and Grill 1518 Sansom St 1518barandgrill.com Alla Spina 1410 Mt. Vernon St allaspinaphilly.com BAR 1309 Sansom Street The Black Sheep 247 S. 17th Street theblacksheeppub.com The Cambridge 1508 South St cambridgeonsouth.com Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse 1823 Sansom Street cavsrittenhouse.com Cherry Street Tavern 129 N. 22nd Street Chris’ Jazz Café 1421 Sansom Street chrisjazzcafe.com Coffee Bar 1701 Locust Street intoxicaffeineation.com Cooperage 123 South 7th St cooperagephilly.com Dandelion 124 S 18th St thedandelionpub.com Devil’s Alley 1907 Chestnut Street devilsalleybarandgrill.com Doobies 2201 Lombard Street The Farmers Cabinet 1113 Walnut St thefarmerscabinet.com Fergie’s Pub 1214 Sansom Street fergies.com Good Dog 224 S. 15th Street gooddogbar.com Grace Tavern 2229 Grays Ferry Ave gracetavern.com

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The Institute 549 N. 12th Street institutebar.com

Smokin’ Bettys 116 S. 11th Street smokinbettys.com

The Foodery 324 S. 10th Street fooderybeer.com

Dawson Street Pub 100 Dawson Street dawsonstreetpub.com

The Draught Horse 1431 Cecil B. Moore Ave. draughthorse.com

Jose Pistola’s 263 S. 15th Street josepistolas.com

Tangier 1801 Lombard St tangier.thekalon.com

Latimer Deli 255 South 15th Street

Falls Taproom 3749 Midvale Ave

The Grey Lodge Pub 6235 Frankford Ave. greylodge.com

Ladder 15 1528 Sansom Street ladder15philly.com

Tavern 17 220 South 17th Street tavern17restaurant.com

Monde Market 100 S 21st Street

Flat Rock Saloon 4301 Main Street

Homebrew Supplies

Franklin’s 3521 Bowman St

Llama Tooth 1033 Spring Garden llamatooth.com

Tavern on Broad 200 South Broad Street tavernonbroad.com

McGillin’s Old Ale House 1310 Drury Lane mcgillins.com

Ten Stone 2063 South Street tenstone.com

Milk Boy 1100 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA milkboyphilly.com

TIME 1315 Sansom Street timerestaurant.net

Misconduct Tavern 1511 Locust Street misconduct-tavern.com Molly Malloy’s Reading Terminal Market 1136 Arch St mollymalloysphilly.com Monk’s Café 264 S. 16th Street monkscafe.com Moriarty’s Pub 1116 Walnut Street moriartyspub.com Perch Pub 1345 Locust Street perchpub.com Prohibition Taproom 501 N. 13th Street theprohibitiontaproom.com Pub and Kitchen 1946 Lombard St thepubandkitchen.com Resurrection Ale House 2425 Grays Ferry Ave. resurrectionalehouse.com Slate 102 S 21st Street slatephiladelphia.com Smiths 39 S. 19th Street smiths-restaurant.com

phillybeerscene.com

March2013

Trestle Inn 339 N 11th St Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tria 123 S. 18th Street 1137 Spruce Street triacafe.com Valanni 1229 Spruce Street valanni.com Varalli 231 S. Broad Street varalliusa.com Varga Bar 941 Spruce Street vargabar.com Westbury Bar 261 S. 13th Street westburybarand restaurant.com Woodys 202 S 13th St woodysbar.com Brewpubs

Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant 1516 Sansom Street noddinghead.com Retail Beer

Home Sweet Homebrew 2008 Sansom St. homesweethomebrew.com Fairmount Bars & Restaurants

The Belgian Café 2047 Green Street thebelgiancafe.com The Bishop’s Collar 2349 Fairmount Ave. thebishopscollar.ypguides. net Bridgid’s 726 N. 24th Street bridgids.com Jack’s Firehouse 2130 Fairmount Ave jacksfirehouse.com Kite And Key 1836 Callowhill Street thekiteandkey.com London Grill 2301 Fairmount Ave. londongrill.com McCrossens Tavern 529 N 20th St

Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar 4365 Main Street jakesrestaurant.com Kildare’s 4417 Main Street kildarespub.com Lucky’s Last Chance 4421 Main St luckyslastchance.com Manayunk Tavern 4247 Main St manayunktavern.com Old Eagle Tavern 177 Markle Street oldeagletavern.com T. Hogan’s Pub 5109-11 Rochelle Ave. The Ugly Moose 443 Shurs Ln theuglymoose.com Union Jack’s 4801 Umbria Street Brewpubs

Hop Angel Brauhaus 7890 Oxford Ave hopangelbrauhaus. blogspot.com Lucky Dog 417 Germantown Ave McMenamin’s Tavern 7170 Germantown Ave. Mermaid Inn 7673 Germantown Ave themermaidinn.net Trolley Car Dinner 7619 Germantown Ave. trolleycardiner.com Brewpubs

Earth Bread + Brewery 7136 Germantown Ave. earthbreadbrewery.com Iron Hill Brewery 8400 Germantown Ave ironhillbrewery.com Retail Beer

The Beer Outlet 77 Franklin Mills Blvd.

Brewers Outlet 7401 Germantown Ave mybrewersoutlet.com Craft Beer Outlet 9910 Frankford Ave. craftbeeroutlet.com

North Star Bar 2639 Poplar Street northstarbar.com

Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant 4120 Main Street manayunkbrewery.com

Rembrandt’s 741 N. 23rd Street rembrandts.com

Retail Beer

The Six Pack Store 7015 Roosevelt Boulevard thesixpackstore.com

Doc’s World Of Beer 701 E. Cathedral Road

Homebrew Supplies

St. Stephen’s Green 1701 Green Street saintstephensgreen.com Retail Beer

Old Philly Ale House 565 N 20th St

Colney Delicatessen: 2047 Chestnut St

Manayunk

Food & Friends 1933 Spruce Street

Couch Tomato Cafe 102 Rector St thecouchtomato.com

Bars & Restaurants

World Wide Beverage Co 508 Green Lane

Malt House Limited 7101 Emlen St. Philadelphia, PA malthouseltd.com

North/Northeast Bars & Restaurants

Campbell’s Place 8337 Germantown Ave. Daly’s Irish Pub 4201 Comly Street

Northern Liberties/ Fishtown Bars & Restaurants

700 700 N. 2nd Street the700.org

The Abbaye 637 N. 3rd Street Atlantis: The Lost Bar 2442 Frankford Ave. Barcade 1114 Frankford Ave. barcadephiladelphia.com Bar Ferdinand 1030 N. 2nd Street barferdinand.com Blind Pig 702 N 2nd St blindpigphilly.com Bottle Bar East 1308 Frankford Ave Bottlebareast.com Cantina Dos Segundos 931 N 2nd Street cantinadossegundos.com Druid’s Keep 149 Brown Street East Girard Gastropub 200 East Girard Ave Philadelphia, PA eastgirardpub.com El Camino Real 1040 N 2nd Street bbqburritobar.com Gunners Run 1001 N 2nd St Interstate Draft House 1235 E Palmer St interstatedrafthouse.com Johnny Brenda’s 1201 Frankford Ave. johnnybrendas.com Kraftwork 541 E. Girard Ave. kraftworkbar.com Max’s Brew Bar 1050 N Hancock St maxsbrewbar.com Memphis Taproom 2331 E. Cumberland St. memphistaproom.com Murphs Bar 202 E Girard Ave North Bowl 909 N 2nd Street northbowlphilly.com

North Third 801 N. 3rd Street norththird.com

Mac’s Tavern 226 Market Street macstavern.com

Jon’s Bar & Grille 300 South St jonsbarandgrille.com

Silk City 435 Spring Garden Street silkcityphilly.com

National Mechanics 22 S. 3rd Street nationalmechanics.com

Kennett 848 S 2nd St Kennettrestaurant.com

Standard Tap 901 N. 2nd Street standardtap.com

Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant 120 Market St philadelphiabarand restaurant.com

Manny Brown’s 512 South Street manny-browns.com

Breweries

Philadelphia Brewing Co. 2439 Amber Street philadelphiabrewing.com Yards Brewing Co. 901 N. Delaware Avenue yardsbrewing.com Retail Beer

Plough and The Stars 123 Chestnut Street ploughstars.com Race Street Café 208 Race Street racestreetcafe.net

The Foodery 837 N. 2nd Street fooderybeer.com

Revolution House 200 Market St revolutionhouse.com

Global Beer Distribution 1150 N. American Street globalbeerphilly.com

Sassafras Café 48 S. 2nd Street sassafrasbar.com

Homebrew Supplies

Barry’s Homebrew Outlet 1447 N. American Street barryshomebrew.com Old City Bars & Restaurants

Barra 239 Chestnut St Bierstube 206 Market St mybierstube.com Brownie’s Irish Pub 46 S. 2nd Street browniesirishpub.com City Tavern 138 S. 2nd Street citytavern.com Craft & Claw 126 Chestnut St craftandclaw.com Eulogy Belgian Tavern 136 Chestnut Street eulogybar.server101.com The Irish Pol 45 S. 3rd Street theirishpol.com The Khyber Pass Pub 56 S. Second Street thekhyber.com

Sugar Mom’s 225 Church Street myspace.com/sugarmoms Brewpubs

Triumph Brewing Co 117-121 Chestnut Street triumphbrewing.com Queens Village/ Bella Vista Bars & Restaurants

12 Steps Down 831 Christian St. 12stepsdown.com

New Wave Café 784 S 3rd Street newwavecafe.com O’Neals Pub 611 S. 3rd Street onealspub.com Percy Street Barbecue 600 S. 9th St percystreet.com Royal Tavern 937 East Passyunk Ave. royaltavern.com Southwark 701 S. 4th Street southwarkrestaurant.com

The Beer & Brewing Foundation Certificate February 23rd to April 16th

register online: www.thebeerschool.com

Twisted Tail 509 S 2nd St thetwistedtail.com The Wishing Well 767 S. 9th Street wishingwellphilly.com Retail Beer

Bella Vista Beer Distributors 738 S. 11th Street bellavistabeverage.com

The Dive 947 E. Passyunk Ave myspace.com/thedivebar

Hawthornes 738 S. 11th St hawthornecafe.com

For Pete’s Sake 900 S. Front Street forpetessakepub.com

South Philly

The Headhouse 122 Lombard Street headhousephilly.com

introducing

Tattooed Mom 530 South Street facebook.com/tattooedmomphilly

Brauhaus Schmitz 718 South St. brauhausschmitz.com

Growlers 736 South 8th St Growlersbar.com

“Best Adult Education” Philadelphia Magazine

upcoming classes California Beers Beer 101 Hopology Monster Brews Beer & Cheese Pairing The World of Beer

Bars & Restaurants

2nd St Brewhouse 1700 S 2nd St American Sardine Bar 1801 Federal St americansardinebar.com Bainbridge Street Barrel House 625-627 South 6th St Bainbridgestreetbarrelhouse.com

The Philly Beer School 127 S. 22nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.thebeerschool.com

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directory Birra 1700 E Passyunk Ave birraphilly.com Cantina Los Cabalitos 1651 E Passyunk Ave cantinaloscabalitos.com Devil’s Den 1148 S. 11th Street devilsdenphilly.com Fountain Porter 1601 S 10th St Philadelphia, PA 19148 Fountainporter.com The Industry 1401 E Moyamensing Ave theindustrybar.com

The Blockley 38th & Ludlow Streets theblockley.com Bridgewaters Pub 30th Street Station Thepubin30thstreet station.com City Tap House 3925 Walnut Street citytaphouse.com Fiume 229 S 45th St Jolly’s Piano Bar 3801 Chestnut St jollyspianobar.com

Lucky 13 Pub 1820 S 13th Street lucky13pubphilly.com

Local 44 4333 Spruce Street local44beerbar.com

Pub On Passyunk East (POPE) 1501 E. Passyunk Ave. pubonpassyunkeast.com

Mad Mex 3401 Walnut Street madmex.com

South Philadelphia Tap Room 1509 Mifflin Street southphiladelphiatap room.com The Ugly American 1100 S. Front Street uglyamericanphilly.com Victory Beer Hall 1100 Pattison Ave xfinitylive.com Watkins Drinkery 1712 S 10th St Retail Beer

Beer Heaven 1100 S Columbus Blvd Bell’s Beverage 2809 S. Front Street Brew 1900 S. 15th Street brewphiladelphia.com The Bottle Shop 1837 E Passyunk Ave bottleshopbeer.com Society Hill Beverage 129 Washington Ave University City/West Bars & Restaurants

Tria Wine Room 3131 Walnut St bibawinebar.com 92

World Cafe Live 3025 Walnut Street worldcafelive.com Brewpubs

Dock Street Brewing Company 701 S. 50th Street dockstreetbeer.com Retail Beer

Bottle Shop at Local 44 4333 Spruce Street local44beerbar.com

Suburbs Bucks Co Bars & Restaurants

Bailey’s Bar & Grille 6922 Bristol Emilie Rd Levittown, PA 19057

Becker’s Corner 110 Old Bethlehem Rd Quakertown, PA 18951 Blue Dog Tavern 4275 Country Line Road Chalfont, PA 18914 bluedog.cc Bobby Simone’s 52 East State Street Doylestown, PA 18901 ilovebobbys.com Brady’s 4700 Street Road Trevose, PA 19053 bradys-pub.com

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The Buck Hotel 1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA 19053 thebuckhotel.com

Newportville Inn 4120 Lower Road Newportville, PA 19056 newportvilleinn.net

Buttonwood Grill Rd 202 & Street Rd in Peddler’s Village peddlersvillage.com

Puck 14 E. Court Street Doylestown, PA 18901 pucklive.com

Candlewyck Bar & Grill 2551 Durham Rd Buckingham, PA 18912

Spinnerstown Hotel 2195 Spinnerstown Road Spinnerstown, PA 18968 spinnerstownhotel.com

The Dog & Bull 810 Bristol Pike Croydon, PA 19021 dogandbullhouse.com

Springtown Inn 3258 Rt 212 Springtown, PA 18081 springtowninn.com

Vault Brewing Company 10 S. Main St Yardley, PA 19067 vaultbrewing.com

Fenice Creolo 902 Village At Eland Phoenixville, PA 19460 fenicecreolo.com

Retail Beer

The Fenix 193 Bridge St Phoenixville, PA 19460 thefenixbar.com

B&B Beverage 3670 Sawmill Road Doylestown, PA 18902 bandbbeverages.com Bailey’s Bar & Grille 6922 Bristol Emilie Rd Levittown, PA 19057

The Beer Store 488 2nd Street Pk. Southampton, PA 18966 thebeerstorebuckscounty. com/

Green Parrot Restaurant Pub & Patio 240 N Sycamore St, Newtown, PA 18940 greenparrotrestaurant.com

TJ Smiths 1585 Easton Rd Warrington, PA 18976 tjsmiths.com

Honey 42 Shewell Ave. Doylestown, PA 18901 honeyrestaurant.com

Tony’s Place Bar & Grill 1297 Greeley Ave Ivyland, PA 18974 tonysplaceivyland.com

Hulmeville Inn 4 Trenton Road Hulmeville, PA 19047 hulmevilleinn.com

Uno Chicago Grill 801 Neshaminy Mall Bensalem, PA 19020 unos.com

Candlewyck Bar & Grill 2551 Durham Rd Buckingham, PA 18912

Isaac Newton’s 18 S. State Street Newtown, PA 18940 isaacnewtons.com

1661 Easton Road Warrington, PA unos.com

Philly’s Steaks Wings and Beer 160 Bristol-Oxford Valley Rd Langhorne, PA 19047

Jamison Pour House 2160 York Road Jamison, PA 18929 jamisonpourhouse.com Maggio’s Restaurant 400 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA 18966 maggiosrestaurant.com Manny Brown’s 25 Doublewoods Road Langhorne, PA 19047 manny-browns.com Maxwell’s on Main Bar & Restaurant 37 North Main St. Doylestown, PA 18901 momsmaxwellsonmain.com Mesquito Grille 128 W. State Street Doylestown, PA 18901 mesquitogrilledoylestown. com/

Vault Brewing Co 10 South Main St Yardley, PA 19067 Vaultbrewing.com Wycombe Publick House 1073 Mill Creek Rd Wycombe, PA 18980 wycombepublickhouse.com Breweries

Free Will Brewing Co 410 E Walnut St Ste 10 Perkasie, PA 18944 freewillbrewing.com Neshaminy Creek Brewing 909 Ray Ave Croydon, PA 19021 neshaminycreekbrewing. com Brewpubs

Triumph Brewing Co 400 Union Square New Hope, PA 18938 triumphbrewing.com

Bensalem Beer & Soda 1919 Street Road Bensalem, PA 19020 bensalembeer.com Bound Beverage 2544 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA 19020 boundbeverages.com

Stephanie’s Take-Out 29 S. Main Street Doylestown, PA 18901 stephaniesrl.com Trenton Road Take Out 1024 Trenton Road Levittown, PA 19054 trentonroadtakeout.com Trevose Beer & Soda 550 Andrews Rd Langhorne, PA 19053 Homebrew Supplies

Wine, Barley & Hops Homebrew Supply 248 Bustleton Pike Feasterville, PA 19053 winebarleyandhops.com Chester Co Bars & Restaurants

The Drafting Room 635 N. Pottstown Pike Exton, PA 19341 draftingroom.com

Flying Pig Saloon 121 E. King Street Malvern, PA 19149 Goshen Beverage 102 Turner Lane West Chester, PA 19380 Goshenbeverage.com Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon 108 W. State Street Kennett Square, PA 19348 halfmoonrestaurant.com High Street Cafe 322 S. High Street West Chester,PA 19382 highstreetcaffe.com Pickering Creek Inn 37 Bridge Street Phoenixville, PA 19460 pickeringcreekinn.com Rams Head 40 E. Market Street West Chester, PA 19382 ramsheadbarandgrill.com River Stone Cafe 143 W Lincoln Hwy Exton, PA 19341 riverstonecafe.com Ron’s Original Bar & Grille 74 E. Uwchlan Ave. Exton, PA 19341 ronsoriginal.com Side Bar 10 East Gay St West Chester, PA 19380 sidebarandrestaurant.com Station Taproom 207 West Lancaster Ave. Downingtown, PA 19335 Stationtaproom.com TJ’s Everday 35 Paoli Plaza Paoli, PA 19301 tjseveryday.com The Whip Tavern 1383 Chatham Rd Coatesville, PA 19320 thewhiptavern.com

Open 12pm-2am EvEryday!

Happy Hour 5-7pm! We Offer New Specials daily!

Every Wed: Pub Quiz Trivia | Every Fri: Beer Pong

Over 100 brands Of beer available sold by the bottle or Make Your Own 6 packs 9 draft beers on Tap ask about our latest additions, we’re always bringing in new brands Please call for weekly happy hour specials Wine by the glass or carafe in our casual dining room

Come Join Us for Our Upcoming Events:

fasageo’s inn 724 ridge road sellersville, Pa 18960 215-257-3545 www.fasaegos.com Check Out Our Other location: fasageo’s 2 217 Telford Pike | Telford, Pa 18969 215-721-1480 (indian valley shopping Center)

Cornhole Tournament Super Bowl Party with Bud Light Couch Giveaway Reading Royals Ticket Giveaway Bloodhound Gang’s DJ Q-Ball 2.21 & 3.15 St. Patty's Day Parties 3.16 & 3.17 2532 Swamp Pike | Gilbertsville | 610-326-1181 www.SwampPikePub.com

May 22nd, 2013

BeerSceneAwards.com 93

directory Winners Circle 143 W. Lincoln Hwy Exton, PA 19341 winnerscircleexton.com Brewpubs

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant 130-138 Bridge Street Phoenixville, PA 19460 3 W. Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 ironhillbrewery.com McKenzie Brew House 324 West Swedesford Rd Berwyn, PA 19312 451 Wilmington-West Chester Pk Chadds Ford, PA 19342 mckenziebrewhouse.com Sly Fox Brewing Co 520 Kimberton Road Phoenixville, PA 19460 slyfoxbeer.com Victory Brewing Company 420 Acorn Lane Downingtown, PA 19335 victorybeer.com

Brother’s 157 Garrett Ave Rosemont, PA 19010

Civera’s 2214 State Road Drexel Hill, PA 19026

Flip & Bailey’s 900 Conestoga Rd Rosemont, PA 19010 flipandbaileys.com

Pappou’s Pizza Pub 415 Baltimore Pike Morton, PA 19070

Frontier Saloon 336 Kedron Ave. Folsom, PA 19033 frontiersaloon.com Garrett Hill Ale House 157 Garrett Ave Rosemont, PA 19010 garretthillalehouse.com JD McGillicuddy’s 118 N. Wayne Ave. Wayne, PA 19087 690 Burmont Rd Drexel Hill, PA 19026 mcgillicuddys.net Oakmont National Pub 31 E. Eagle Road Havertown, PA 19083 oakmontnationalpub.com

Exton Beverage Center 310 E. Lincoln Highway Exton, PA 19341 extonbeverage.com

Pinocchio’s 131 E. Baltimore Pike Media, PA 19063 pinbeer.com Quotations 37 E. State Street Media, PA 19063

Waywood Beverage Co. 624 Millers Hill Kennett Square, PA 19348 waywoodbeverage.com

Teresa’s Next Door 126 N. Wayne Ave. Wayne, PA 19087 teresas-cafe.com

Retail Beer

Homebrew Supplies

Artisan Homebrew 128 East Lancaster Ave Downingtown, PA 19335 artisanhomebrew.com The Wine & Beer Barrel 101 Ridge Road Chadds Ford, PA 19317

UNO’s Chicago Grill 3190 West Chester Pike Newtown Square, PA Brewpubs

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant 30 E. State Street Media, PA 19063 ironhillbrewery.com

Delaware Co Bars & Restaurants

Pinocchio’s Beer Garden 131 E. Baltimore Pike Media, PA 19063 pinbeer.com Township Line Beer & Cigars 5315 Township Line Road Drexel Hill, PA 19026 townshiplinebeerand cigars.com Swarthmore Beverage 719 South Chester Rd, Swarthmore, PA 19081 Homebrew Supplies

Brew Your Own Beer & Winemaking Too! 2026 Darby Road Havertown, PA 19083 Montgomery Co Bars & Restaurants

Baggatawny Tavern 31 N Front St Conshohocken, PA 19428 baggatawaytavern.com Blue Dog Pub 850 South Valley Forge Rd Lansdale, PA 19446 bluedog.cc Broad Axe Tavern 901 W. Butler Pike Ambler, PA 19002 broadaxetavern.com Brother Pauls Pub 3300 Ridge Pike Eagleville, PA 19403 brotherpaulspub.com Cantina Feliz 424 S Bethlehem Pike Fort Washington, PA 19034 cantinafeliz.com

Retail Beer

Chap’s Taproom 2509 W. Main St. Jeffersonville, PA 19403 chapstap.com

Lucky Lab 312 N. Lewis Rd Royersford, PA 19468 luckylabtavern.com

Craft Ale House 708 W. Ridge Pike Limerick, PA 19468 craftalehouse.com

Mad Mex 2862 W. Moreland Rd Willow Grove, PA 19090 madmex.com

East End Alehouse 712 Main Street Harleysville, PA 19438 ortinos.com

McCloskey Restaurant 17 Cricket Ave Ardmore, PA 19003 Mccloskeystavern.com

Farmers Daughter 1401 Morris Road Blue Bell, PA 19422 Normandygirl.com/bar

McShea’s 30 E Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA 19003

Fingers Wings And Other Things 107 W. Ridge Pike Conshohocken, PA 19428 fwot.com Firewaters 1110 Baltimore Pike Concord, PA 19342 firewatersbar.com Flanigan’s Boathouse 113 Fayette Street Conshohocken, PA 19428 flanboathouse.com French Quarter Bistro 215 Main St Royersford, PA frenchquarterbistro.com Gullifty’s 1149 Lancaster Ave. Rosemont, PA 19010 gulliftys.com Iron Abbey Gastro Pub 680 N. Easton Road Horsham, PA 19044 ironabbey.com Keswick Tavern 294 Keswick Ave Glenside, PA 19038 Keswicktavern.net

2312 Garrett Bar 2312 Garrett Rd. Drexel Hill, PA 19026 2312garrett.com

Back Alley Beverage 2214 State Rd. Drexel Hill, PA 19026 backalleybev.com

Capone’s Restaurant 224 W. Germantown Pike Norristown, PA 19401 thebottleshop.biz

Little Ortino’s Restaurant 800 North Main Street Schwenksville, PA 19473 ortinos.com

Azie 217 W. State Street Media, PA 19063 azie-restaurant.com

Beer Yard, Inc. 218 E. Lancaster Ave. Wayne, PA 19087 beeryard.com

Chadwicks 2750 Egypt Rd Audobon, PA 19403 mychadwicks.com

Lucky Dog Saloon 417 Germantown Pike Lafayette Hill, PA 19106 theluckydogsaloon.com

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242 Haverford Avenue Narberth PA 19072 mcsheas.com Oreland Inn 101 Lorraine Avenue Oreland, PA 19075 Ortino’s Northside 1355 Gravel Pike Zieglerville, PA 19492 ortinos.com/northside Otto’s Brauhaus 233 Easton Road Horsham, Pa 19044 ottosbrauhauspa.com PJ Whelihan’s 799 Dekalb Pike Blue Bell, PA 19422 pjspub.com Side Door Pub 3335 County Line Road Chalfont, PA 18914 sidedoorpub.com Tonelli’s 278 Easton Rd Horsham, PA 19044 tonellispizza.com Union Jack’s 2750 Limekiln Pike Glenside, PA 19038 Uno’s Chicago Grill 1100 Bethlehem Pike North Wales,PA 19454 unos.com Village Tavern 511 Stump Road North Wales,PA 19454 villagetavernpa.com

Whitpain Tavern 1529 Dekalb St Blue Bell, PA 19422 Brewpubs

Appalachin Brewing Co 50 W 3rd Ave Collegeville, PA 19426 abcbrew.com Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant 1460 Bethlehem Pike North Wales, PA 19454 ironhillbrewery.com Forest & Main Brewing Company 61 N Main St Ambler, PA 19002 forestandmain.com McKenzie Brew House 240 Lancaster Ave. Malvern, PA 19355 mckenziebrewhouse.com Rock Bottom Brewery 1001 King of Prussia Plaza King of Prussia, PA 19406 rockbottom.com Tired Hands 16 Ardmore Ave Ardmore, PA 19003 tiredhands.com Breweries

Prism Brewery 810 Dickerson Rd North Wales, PA 19454 prismbeer.com Round Guys Brewing Co 324 W Main St Lansdale, PA 19446 roundguysbrewery.com Retail Beer

Ambler Beverage Exchange 259 E. Butler Ave Ambler, PA 19002 amblerbeverage.com Beer World 1409 Easton Ave Roslyn, PA 19001 beerworld-roslyn-pa.com The Beer Shoppe 44 Greenfield Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003 Capone’s Restaurant (takeout) 224 W. Germantown Pike Norristown, PA 19401

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

THE BREWER’S PLATE Sunday, March 10, 2013

National Constitution Center

The 2013

20 local restaurants, 20 local craft breweries, spirits, sweets & more!

Fair Food once again brings you a celebration of our region’s craft breweries, restaurants, farmers, & artisan producers – all independently owned and located within 150 miles of the city! A one-ofa-kind tasting event that pairs craft beer with local gourmet food for eaters of all kinds!

The Speakeasy

Where local spirits & sweet collide!

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INCLUDED IN GA

@FairFoodStand #brewersplate

JOIN US IN VIP

Wonders small

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the BIG taste behind small scale

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All proceeds benefit Fair Food, a 501(c)3 dedicated to promoting and sustaining a healthy local food system for the region!

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directory Domestic & Imported Beverages 485 Baltimore Pike Glen Mills, PA 19342

The Firkin Tavern 1400 Parkway Ave. Ewing, NJ 08628 www.firkintavern.com

Epps Beverages 80 W. Ridge Pike Limerick, PA 19468 eppsbeverages.com

Geraghty’s Pub 148 W. Broad Street Burlington, NJ 08016 geraghtyspub.com

Flourtown Beverage 1114 Bethlehem Pike Flourtown, PA 19031

High Street Grill 64 High Street Mount Holly, NJ 09199 highstreetgrill.net

Frosty Caps 1745-47 Old York Road Abington, PA 19001 Hatboro Beverage 201 Jacksonville Road Hatboro, PA 19040 hatbev.com Michaels Deli 200 West Dekalb Pike King of Prussia, PA 19406 Michaelsdeli.com Towamencin Beverage Co 1555 Sumneytown Pike Lansdale, PA 19446 Home Brew Supplies

Keystone Homebrew Supply 435 Doylestown Rd. (Rt. 202) Montgomeryville, PA 18936 599 Main St Bethlehem, PA 18018 keystonehomebrew.com Weak Knee Home Brewing Supplies North End Shopping Ctr Pottstown, PA 19464 weakKneehomebrew.com

New Jersey Bars & Restaurants

Blue Monkey Tavern 2 South Centre St. Merchantville, NJ 08109 bluemonkeytavern.com Dublin Square 167 Route 130 Bordentown, NJ 08505 dublinsquarepubs.com The Farnsworth House 135 Farnsworth Ave Bordentown, NJ 08505 thefarnsworthhouse.com

Jug Handle Inn 2398 Route 73 Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 Keg & Kitchen 90 Haddon Avenue Westmont, NJ 08108 kegnkitchen.com

Brewpubs

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant 124 E. Kings Highway Maple Shade, NJ 08052 ironhillbrewery.com Triumph Brewing Co 138 Nassau Street Princeton, NJ 08542 triumphbrewing.com

Liquor Barn 1051 Florence Columbus Rd Bordentown, NJ 08505 Monster Beverage 1299 N. Delsea Drive Glassboro, NJ 08028 Red White and Brew 33 High Street Mount Holly, NJ 08060 redwhitebrew.net

Breweries

Flying Fish Brewing Co 900 Kennedy Blvd.

Somerdale, NJ 08083 flyingfish.com River Horse Brewing Co 80 Lambert Lane Lambertville, NJ 08530 riverhorse.com Retail Beer

Lazy Lanigans Publick House 139 Egg Harbor Rd. Sewell, NJ 08080 lazylaniganspublickhouse. com

Canal’s Discount Liquors 10 W. Rt. 70 Marlton, NJ 08650

Madison Pub 33 Lafayette Street Riverside, NJ 08075

1500 Route 38 Hainesport, NJ 08060

Total Wine and More 2100 Route 38 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 Walker’s Liquor Store 86 Bridge Street Lambertville, NJ 08530 Wine Works 319 Route 70 W Marlton, NJ 08053 Wonderful World of Wine 8 South Union Street Lambertville, NJ 08530 wonderfulworldofwines.net

Domaine Hudson 1314 N. Washington St Wilmington, DE 19801 domainehudson.com

Breweries

Ernest & Scott 902 N Market St Wilmington, DE 19810 ernestandscott.com

Retail Beer

Homegrown Cafe 126 E Main St Newark, DE 19711 homegrowncafe.com

Frank’s Union Wine Mart 1206 North Union Street Wilmington DE 19806 FranksWine.com

McGlynn’s Pub 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center Newark, DE 19711

Greenville Wine & Spirits 4025 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 19807 wineandspiritco.com

108 Peoples Plaza Newark, DE 19702 mcglynnspub.com Nomad 905 N Orange St Wilmington, DE 19801

Twin Lakes Brewing Co 4210 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 19807

Avenue Wine & Spirits 2000 Delaware Ave Lowr Wilmington, DE 19806

Kreston’s Wine & Spirits 904 Concord Ave Wilmington, DE 19802 krestonwines.com Total Wine and More 691 Naamans Road Claymont, DE 19703

Home Brew Supplies

Two Stones Pub 2-3 Chesmar Plaza Newark, DE 19713

BYOB 162 Haddon Avenue Westmont, NJ 08108 brewyourownbottle.com

2502 Foulk Rd Wilmington, DE 19810 twostonespub.com

2004 Mount Holly Road Burlington, NJ 08016 joecanals.com

Ulysses 1716 Marsh Rd Wilmington, DE 19810 ulyssesgastropub.com

Mexican Food Factory 601 W Route 70 Marlton, NJ 08053 themexicanfoodfactory.com

Keg and Barrel Home Brew Supply 41 Clementon Road Berlin, NJ 08009

Route 73 and Harker Ave Berlin, NJ 08009 canalsofberlin.com

Princeton Homebrew 208 Sanhican Drive Trenton, NJ 08618

Ott’s 656 Stokes Road Medford, NJ 08055 ottsrestaurants.com

Hopewell BuyRite 222 Rt. 31 S. Pennington, NJ 08534 hopewellbuyrite.com

Washington Street Ale House 1206 Washington Street Wilmington, DE 19801 wsalehouse.com

If you would like to considered for the beer directory, please email

Pour House 124 Haddon Avenue Haddon Twp, NJ 08108

Hops And Grapes 810 N. Delsea Drive Glassboro, NJ 08028 hopsandgrapesonline.com

World Cafe LIve at the Queen 500 N Market St Wilmington, DE 19801 queen.worldcafelive.com

mat@ beerscenemag. com

Max’s Seafood Cafe 34 N Burlington St Gloucester City, NJ 08030 maxsseafoodcafe.com

210 N Black Horse Pike Mt Ephraim, NJ 08059

5360 Route 38 Pennsauken, NJ 08109

Taproom & Grill 427 W. Crystal Lake Ave Haddonfield, NJ 08033 taproomgrill.com

J & D’s Discount Liquor 430 N. Broad St Woodbury, NJ 08096

UNO’s Chicago Grill 225 Sloan Avenue Hamilton, NJ

Joe Canal’s 1075 Mantua Pike West Deptford, NJ 08096

1162 Hurffville Road Deptford, NJ

3375 US Rt. 1 Lawrence Twp, NJ 08648 305 N. Rt.73 Marlton, NJ 08053 joecanals.com

2803 S. Rt. 73 Maple Shade NJ unos.com

Delaware Bars & Restaurants

1984 2511 W 4th St Wilmington, DE 19805 1984wilmington.com BBC Tavern and Grill 4019 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 19807 bbctavernandgrill.com Chelsea Tavern 821 N Market St Wilmington, DE 19801 chelseatavern.com Deer Park Tavern 108 W Main St Newark, DE 19711 deerparktavern.com

1325 McKennans Church Rd Wilmington, DE 19808 totalwine.com Home Brew Supplies

How Do You Brew?

203 Louviers Drive Newark, DE 19711 howdoyoubrew.com

Brewpubs

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant 710 S. Madison Street Wilmington, DE 19801 147 E Main St Newark, DE 19711 ironhillbrewery.com Stewarts Brewing Co 219 Governors Place Bear, DE 19701 stewartsbrewingcompany. com

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local event calendar

Beer Events

For more events, visit phillybeerscene.com

February Monday, February 4th Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer with Great Lakes World Café Live 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 Thursday, February 7th Weyerbacher Insanity Vertical Tasting Devil’s Den 1148 South 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Sunday, February 10th Band of Brewers World Café Live 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 2nd Annual West Philadelphia Homebrew Competition Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant 701 S 50th St., Philadelphia, PA 19143 Thursday, February 14th Anti-Valentine’s Day Devil’s Den 1148 South 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Saturday, February 16th “Barrel Aged” Stout Takeover The Drafting Room 635 North Pottstown Pk., Exton, PA, 19341 Wednesday, February 20th Yards Brew & Chew Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse 1823 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 Thursday, February 21st Major YARDage Growlers 736 S 8th St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147 Saturday, February 23rd 2nd Annual Bierfest The German Society of Pennsylvania 611 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19123 First Annual Kennett Winterfest S. Broad St. Between State And Cypress St., Kennett Square, PA 19348 Stoudt’s Winter Brew Fest Stoudt’s Brewing Co. 2800 North Reading Rd., Adamstown, PA 19501

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Founders Brewing Kite & Key 1836 Callowhill St., Philadelphia, PA 19130 Monday, February 25th Pork-Brooklyn-Pints Pig Roast The Institute 549 North 12th St., Philadelphia, PA 19123 Wednesday, February 27th B United Night Devil’s Den 1148 South 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 Thursday, February 28th Launch of Abbatia Decum 10 Iron Abbey 680 North Easton Rd., Horsham, PA 19044

March Saturday, March 2nd Philly Craft Beer Festival The Philadelphia Navy Yard 4747 South Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19112 Saturday, March 9th Craft Beer Express Various Locations, Philadelphia, PA craftbeerexpress.com Sunday, March 10th The Brewer’s Plate National Constitution Center 525 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19106

Monday, March 11th Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer w/ Victory World Café Live 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 Wednesday, March 13th Victory Brew & Chew Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse 1823 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 Thursday, March 21st Smuttynose Night Old Eagle Tavern 177 Markle St., Philadelphia, PA 19127 Friday, March 22nd Weyerbacher Woody Weekend Grey Lodge Pub 6235 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19135 Saturday, March 30th Split Thy Skull Tattooed Mom 530 South St., Philadelphia, PA 19147

April Friday, April 5th-Saturday, April 6th The Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival Atlantic City Convention Center 1 Convention Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ 08401

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Top 5 Places in the World to Have a Beer All About Beer Magazine, 2010

Top 5 places in America for Beer & Food Celebrator Magazine, November 2006

Best Mussels in America Maxim Magazine, August 2009

PHILLY’S BEST Beer Bar* BEST Draft Beer* BEST Beer Selection* BEST Late Night Dining* BEST Bar Food* BEST Burgers* BEST Fries* *Philly’s Best, Best of Philly, etc Awards ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11 & ‘12

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