Philly Beer Scene August/September 2009 by Philly Beer Scene

Issue 2 | August/September 2009 | www.beerscenemag.com

â&#x201E;˘

Craft Beer

Tailgating A few pints with Sly Fox and River Horse before the game

Bavarian Barbarian

the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beer

The Art of the Tap Handle not your usual rods and knobs

1 iBeer | The Hash Back | Two Guys on Beer | Weird Cave Aged Beer august/september 2009

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august/september 2009

The Blue Ox Bistro is Proud to Serve Philadelphia's Finest Selection of German Beers On Tap and Bottles. With 13 Rotating Drafts and Over 40 Bottles.

Authentic German Restaurant and Tavern located in Fox Chase in One of the Oldest and Historic Buildings in Philadelphia. Built 1863 Authentic German & American Pub Menu

Lunch & Dinner Everyday Outdoor Biergarten with Authentic Octoberfest Tables Sunday Brunch 11am - 2pm

Thursday’s ½ Price Draft Night

Coming Soon

Sly Fox and Ommegang Belgium Night Come Meet and Greet the Beer Lass and the Ommegang Queen

At The End of The Regional Rail R-8 Fox Chase Wednesday Nights in September & October come taste a different Octoberfest Beer

Free Parking

7980 Oxford Ave | Philadelphia, 19111 | 215.728.9440 | www.BLUEOXBISTRO.com 3 august/september 2009

Contents August/September 2009

specials

the official launch The Philly Beer Scene launch party! By Kevin Romer

The park and the parking lot Tailgating at the Phillies game with Sly Fox, River Horse and Rolling Barrel. By Neil Harner

a big axe to grind Meet Williamsportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest brewer. By Scott Willey

the art of the tap handle More than just the gateway to beer. By John Galster

20 sections 8

the variety pack

15 tapping into technology

By John Galster, Andrew Loder, Mat Falco, Suzanne Woods, Neil Harner & Jack Curtin

12 fun with beer Maltose Falcons Homebrew Club explain the process of building a dry hop device. By Scott Willey

13 homebrewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corner Learn to brew the refreshing summer Schuylkill Kolsch. By George Kuech

Innovative beer apps for your iPhone. By Zeke Diaz

16 beer travel Craft brewing is growing overseas. By Steve Hobman

17 not beer The Green Fairy comes to Philly. By Neil Harner

32 bar & restaurant reviews

14 cooking with beer Delicious steak and vegetables made with Victory Hop Wallop. By Chef Joe Gudonis

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august/september 2009

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

34 34 the tasting room 12 Beers reviewed by our panel with special guests: Two Guys on Beer.

38 directory

Local listings of places to drink a great beer, take home a great beer, or make your own (great) beer.

42 beer events Local happenings throughout the Philly beer scene. By Neil Harner

Philadelphia's Favorite

Better Beer Bar for 149 years!

The

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Featuring

New Lounge Play Wii or Watch the Game in our New Luxe Lounge!

Magic Hat No. 9 Featuring 15 Local Craft Beers always on tap!

Coming soon

The McGillin's 1860 I.P.A., by Stoudt's!

1310 Drury Street • Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-735-5562 • www.mcgillins.com

215.860.9975 5 South State Street, Newtown PA 18940

www.temperancehouse.com

august/september 2009

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by ts! t i f e n en e v b e l o O als on loca s r e crib offers s b Subscribe today @ u S www.beerscenemag.com!

BREWS FOR

BOOBIES

BrewStudio's 2nd Annual Pub Crawl for Breast Cancer! Saturday, October 3, 2009 Taking place in Old City Philadelphia ,Center City Philadelphia and Richmond, VA BrewStudio is an Inverse Paradox Project.

For details and pre-registration, sign up @ www.brewsforboobies.com

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august/september 2009

founders

Scott Willey, Neil Harner, Mat Falco & John Galster President

Scott Willey Editorial Director

Neil Harner Managing Editors

Mat Falco & John Galster Art Director

Melissa Levenduski Executive Editor

Shannon McLaughlin Associate Art Director

Brandi Kerekes Contributing Editors

Jack Curtin, Zeke Diaz, Joe Gudonis, Steve Hobman, George Kuech, Kevin Romer & Suzanne Woods Editorial Assistant & Subscriptions Manager

Alicia Eichelman Photography

Artistic Imagery, Inc., Rob Hall, Jordan Hayman Web Designer

Amanda Mitchell Account Executives

Matt Cherepanya & Kevin Puls

Philly Beer Scene is Designed & Printed in the USA. Philly Beer Scene is an Inverse Paradox Publication. Copyright ÂŠ 2009 Inverse Paradox, LLC. Philly Beer Scene is published bi-monthly by Inverse Paradox, LLC. 4432 Bristol Road, Suite 1B, Oakford, PA 19053 | 215-478-6586 For subscription inquires please visit us on the web at www.beerscenemag.com/subscribe.html

Letter from the Founder Here we are two issues deep now. Ask me a year ago if this is where I thought we would be, and I would have told you you’re crazy and that I know nothing about the magazine industry aside from reading them. All in all though, for four guys who have no journalistic background, ad-sales knowledge, and very little magazine experience in general, we’re pretty pleased with the product we’ve turned out. We’ve received lots of feedback, mostly positive and encouraging, and some negative. Realizing that we are new to the business and the beer scene, we are asking for even more feedback. This magazine is for you Philly, and we want to know what you want out of a beer publication. We even set up a new e-mail account to voice your opinions: feedback@beerscenemag.com. This magazine is something we love to do, so help us make it something that you love to read. Just to update you about what’s been going on the past few months, it’s been pretty crazy. We had an awesome launch party at World Café Live, which completely exceeded our expectations and raised about $1,500 for charity. A good friend of ours, Kevin Romer, will catch you up on that a little more in this issue. We also had a follow up “kick the firkins” charity event at Bridgid’s and raised an additional $150 for cancer research. Aside from those events, we’ve been spending tons of time getting this issue together, and attempting the monumental task of trying to take in as much of the beer scene as possible. We also got the website up and going (www.beerscenemag.com), and we’re all blogging on a regular basis to try and keep you up to date with what’s going on. As far as future events go, we have a lot in the works, so make sure you keep checking the events calendar on the website. This issue we have some cool new things prepared for you. We’ve decided to expand the magazine from 32 to 40 pages, and also doubled our distribution to 20,000 copies. With more pages comes more content, so we are introducing a few new columns: “Tapping into Technology,” “Not Beer,” as well as our first “Brewers Spotlight” which focuses on Bavarian Barbarian. Being that Bavarian Barbarian has the most kick ass tap handle going, we decided to give you a feature all about the design of the tap handle. Also, we are aiming to improve your tailgating experience, giving you tips on how to make it a craft beer extravaganza. We’re bringing back the tasting room, but giving it a new feel. The scoring system has broadened a bit, and we have a new guest, well guests, in Johnny and Dave from TwoGuysOnBeer.com. They had some big footsteps to follow in Ben Franklin, but they did an awesome job and we think you’ll enjoy it. Speaking of Ben, we wish him the best of health in his recovery and can’t wait to see him back on his feet again. Finally, before you read on, we just want to once again thank everyone who has made this magazine possible, and thank those who are reading it. I know it sounds corny and overstated, but without our readers this wouldn’t even be possible. Next time you’re out at the bar and see us around, stop over and have a drink with us. We want to get to know you all better and there’s no better way than over a good beer. Cheers, Mat Falco Founder, Philly Beer Scene Magazine

Where do you buy your beer? Fine Beer From Large and Small Brewers Worldwide Corporate Gift Baskets Beer & Liquor Collectibles Glassware ID Verification Equipment

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Named One of 79 “Remarkable Retailers” (in the world)

Joe Sixpacks “Best Places for Six Packs”

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august/september 2009

The Variety Pack

10 Minutes with Duck Rabbit A philosophy teacher learns a new trade. By Mat Falco PBS: What got you started in Brewing? Paul: I was a homebrewer since ‘87. I got more

and more serious about it, and it got to the point where I loved it as much as anything I did. I got some formal brewing education in Chicago, and then worked at three other breweries before I started my own. I think that was necessary to learn all the millions of little details that you don’t learn in a school. PBS: It seems like most brewers we run into seem to have beards. Where is yours? Paul: (laughs for a bit) Ryan one of brewers has

a big, giant beard. I had a beard, but it’s itchy and was too much. It’s just not me. As to why so many brewers have them: I think it’s because it’s a job that attracts a lot of people that aren’t in the mainstream and it’s a job where it’s ok to have a beard. There isn’t a corporate boardroom. Philly Beer Scene: What’s the story with the name? Paul Phillipon: Well

not everyone sees it right away, but you notice if you look at it one way it looks like a duck but if you look at it another way it looks like a rabbit. Before I became a professional brewer, I made a living teaching philosophy. A version of that illustration was used famously in a book that I admire entitled, Philosophical Investigations. When I started my own brewery I wanted to use a name that had a relevance to my life, who I am, and what I use to do, as well as hopefully something that looks cool and functions well as a branding image. PBS: How do you go from philosophy to brewing? Paul: Seemed like a natural transition to me.

I was drinking a lot of beer. I still love philosophy, but I saw a lot of my colleagues who were smarter than me struggling to make a career so I looked at what other options were out there. PBS: Why only the dark beers? Paul: Nationally but especially in the South East

where we’re located, it seemed to be an underserved part of the market. Everyone under the sun does an IPA. Not that there is anything wrong with them, I love IPA’s. I felt like that ground was already well covered though and the world didn’t need me making another IPA. I wanted to do traditional styles that I felt I could put my stamp on and set us apart from what everyone else is doing.

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PBS: What’s your production up to? Paul: This year we will hit about 3,000 barrels. PBS: How many states are you available in? Paul: North and South Carolina, Georgia, just a little

sliver of east Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. PBS: What’s the most unique beer you’ve ever brewed or attempted to brew? Paul: Probably the most unique beer we’ve done

is, don’t hold me to this though, because two hours later I’ll probably think of something else, is a series of beers called braggots (mead flavored with wart). We took second runnings from each of our seasonal beers and mixed them with honey to make the braggots. One of which we used the wart from our Russian Imperial Stout. That was probably the most unique. PBS: Any chance we’ll see any of them? Paul: No probably not. It will most likely be a

brewery-only beer. PBS: If you only had one last beer to drink before you die, what would it be? Paul: That’s a hard one. Maybe New Glarus Uff-

da Bock. That’s my answer today, but ask me again tomorrow and it’ll probably be something different. PBS: Anything new and exciting we should be looking out for in Philly? Paul: The Dopplebock is being released in Philly

first. The next big new thing is a Schwartz beer (both should be out by the time this is printed). There is also plans to start corking some champagne bottles, not sure if they’ll make it to Philly though.

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John Knows Best ...or does he? Is something stumping you about beer? Email your questions to john@beerscenemag.com. Dear John, I’ve seen a lot of beers recently that are being served with fruit around the rim. I thought this was only done with Coronas and limes. What gives? -Josh M., Manayunk, PA This relatively recent trend of putting citrus fruit in beer is a way of marketing beer to people who may not be as discriminate towards the taste of the actual beer. I’m looking at you, cheap beer drinkers. Beers are regularly brewed with all kinds of fruits ranging from passion fruit (see Voodoo Love Child on page 34) to pumpkin, and can certainly be brewed with citrus flavor too. This technique is mainly designed to attract people who would normally drink cocktails or to hide the taste. There may be other experts who disagree with me. They are wrong. Dear John, my friend and I were having an argument that I hoped you could solve. He said that Wild Blue was not technically beer, but I said it was because it clearly says “Lager” on the label. Which of us has the right of it? -Chelsea F., Philadelphia, PA Although your friend may be in the right mindset, he is wrong. Wild Blue is a beer, because as defined by US law, beer is a beverage brewed at least partly from malt or a malt substitute and having more than 0.5% alcohol. Although many of us imagine a beer tasting nice and hoppy, it doesn’t have to be. John, what the hell is triple hops brewing?! -Keith H., Burlington, NJ Well, triple hops brewing can refer to any one of three things, depending on your viewpoint. 1. A (not so) clever marketing campaign that seeks to make drinkers that grow more knowledgeable by the day (though not necessarily intentionally) think that their beer has some kind of unique process that makes it extra special. 2. A magical process that makes your beer special and win all kinds of awards. 3. Pure bullshit. You can decide for yourself which definition you want to go with.

The Variety Pack

Sam Adams Interactive Whether you like Samuel Adams beers or not, there is no denying that they take great steps to be innovative and interactive with their market. By Neil Harner One of my favorite brands of Sam Adams is the LongShot which is an annually changing variety pack of beer usually consisting of three different unique styles. The beers in this variety pack are based on the recipes of two winners of the Samuel Adams American Homebrew Contest™ and the winner of Samuel Adams’ employee homebrew competition. Last year, the homebrew contest yielded 1,367 entries from just under 1,000 homebrewers from around the country. Currently, the LongShot variety packs featuring a Traditional Bock, Cranberry Wit, and Double IPA and is available at most beer stores throughout the area. The other major initiative Sam Adams has been doing, and perhaps more significant to beer drinkers like myself, is the annual Samuel Adams Beer Lover’s Choice, which is an opportunity for beer drinkers across the country to decide what the next great beer offered in the Samuel Adams Brewmaster’s Collection will be. This is done through tastings across the country where everyday beer drinkers have the opportunity to try “Sample A” and “Sample B” and

then submit a voting card with their choice for which beer they thought to be the better of the two. In past years, Samuel Adams Brown Ale, Honey Porter, and Irish Red were the winners of the contest. Most recently, the 2008 winner was the Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier (reviewed on page 35) which was determined by the voting of approximately 52,000 beer enthusiasts across the country. This year’s contest, the 5th Annual Beer Lover’s Choice, has just begun and will be taking place until September 30th. “Sample A” is similar to a Czech Pilsner and notes “a blend of five noble hop varieties from each of the world’s remaining Noble Hop growing regions.” “Sample B” is an IPA brewed with a blend of American, traditional German, and English hops and then dry hopped with Anthamum, Simcoe and East Kent Golding hops. So, how do you get the opportunity to try these samples and vote? Visit www. samueladams.com/promotions/beerloverschoice2009/home.html to find one of the tasting events in the Philadelphia area.

Philly Beer Scene’s Vote: Sample A - Pils

D-LITE BY Andrew Loder

beer, beer everywhere, yet not a drop to drink.

august/september 2009

The Variety Pack

General Lafayette Inn: Triumphant Once More Life was full of joy on a July day in 2008 during my first “Beer of the Bike” ride out to the General Lafayette Inn. By Suzanne Woods parking lots. While the General Lafayette, which couldn’t be more American, is down $10,000 a month in food revenue. Leonard has taken the steps to change that by having new chef, Oliver Munguia, in the kitchen now. Chef Munguia is using better ingredients, and is now making the frites and fried mozzarella from scratch. Homemade Flatbread is a favorite—topped with spinach, tomatoes, goat cheese and crispy shallots. All entrees are priced under $20, so it’s hard to not want a little of everything. I’m pretty certain that I’ll be ordering the Coconut Curry Chicken on my next visit.

August 3rd - Anniversary Luau Pig Roast September 29th Fall Harvest Beer Dinner 7:00pm 5 course beer + dinner meal

4-6pm Monday-Friday 1/2 OFF drinks & appetizers 1297 Greeley Avenue . Ivyland, PA 18974

www.tonysplaceivyland.com

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“Beer of the Bike” is a group of craft beer-loving cyclists that ride to different beer destinations. Jesse Keenan, the BOTB organizer agreed, “it was a perfect ride with a perfect welcome at the Inn. We were greeted by friendly servers, packed the private courtyard; picked fresh hops off the vine and steeped them in our beers.” Could life get any better? A mere 13.1 miles out of the city, a mile away from Forbidden Drive, the northwestern most tip of Fairmount Park, is General Lafayette and Lafayette’s Escape, the guest house. The Inn dates back to 1732. The first record of ownership goes to Christopher Rapin in 1752 when it was named the Three Tun Inn—context clues us in that it may have been a brewery. Since then, the Inn has been though 17 stages of ownership. It is currently in the hands of Brewmaster Chris Leonard and his family, whom bought it after the passing of Michael McGlynn in 2003. Leonard started brewing there after graduating from the American Brewer’s Guild in San Diego in 1999. Leonard installed new bathrooms and a new foyer immediately, which were the last major structural changes made. The liquid, on the other hand, changes often as Leonard and Brewer Russ Czajka brew 30 beers throughout the year. The General used to be known for stronger styles in the early 2000s, but now opts for session beers with lower abvs. A few such as “Lafayette’s Escape” and the “Mirage” have the character of a Belgian without the booziness. (My liver and my Subaru appreciate that equally.) The Inn is now named for Marquis de Lafayette, the charming general that passed much time there. The Frenchman who aided George Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War was beleaguered by the British, but escaped, and is now considered an American hero. The building is a treasure, the beer is to be treasured, but the dining room decorated with colonial prints and a wood-burning fireplace needs more guests. Diners, whom once upon a time came in by the dozens, are now visiting in dribs and drabs. The most disheartening part about this is the route in which Leonard takes home each day past the Plymouth Meeting Mall. He passes the juggernaut of giant chains like P.F. Chang’s and Redstone American Grill with packed

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Double Double Toil and Trouble I must make mention of Leonard’s 2008 project, his second pub, The Tiedhouse, which required he and his family to dip into the General’s revenue stream. He stuck his hand in the hornet’s nest of the Philly restaurant scene, a scene which was terra incognita for the brewer. Unfortunately, the doors were closed nine months after opening, which I deem a casualty of location. The good news is Leonard is far from feckless. He has faith and a plan of action—programming galore. Quizzo on Monday, $3 Chocolate Thunders on Thursday. On Friday afternoons, he actually plays his own records from the ‘90s and features ½ pints for 90 cents. Children are able to join their parents for free from Sunday through Thursday and during that time, a 3 course pre-fixe is only $16.95. Leonard started a Brewery-in-residence program last May, kicking off with Philadelphia Brewing Co. They teamed up their talent and brewed a saison, Paul Cezanne, coinciding with the Philadelphia Art Museum’s exhibit. Next up was Royersford’s Sly Fox. Brewmaster Brian O’Reilly plans to create a “two-faced” beer that will feature ½ German and ½ English malts and hops. The beer will have lager yeast but will be fermented at a warmer temperature to have more ale characteristics. Look forward to drinking it by October. The G.L.U.B. Club, the General Lafayette Underground Brewer’s Club, have worn their Esprit de corps on their sleeves. The club is donating ingredients for Leonard to craft them a beer of their own selection. Last year, distribution of packaging commenced. Bella Vista distributors signed on to be their wholesaler and pedaled Abbey Blond, Brune, and Chocolate Thunder around the region. Jordan Fetfatzes of Bella Vista, says they can sell whatever Lafayette enters in their warehouse. Welcome Friends On a July afternoon as I sipped my Mirage, a Belgian Amber that was delightfully handcrafted at a mere 2.8% abv, I read the beer board. The words “welcome friends” were chalked. Sure, it’s a simple age old saying, but I know I’m not going to find that at a P.F. Chang’s while suffering through a Tsingtao. Here’s to hoping that Leonard will have the same success keeping this historical treasure’s heart beating as Lafayette did escaping from the British on ol’ Barren Hill—so the joie de vivre will return to General Lafayette Inn once again.

The Variety Pack

LEGACY OF THE TAPPIES

By Jack Curtin

The old man at the end of the bar was exactly the sort of old man you’d expect to see at the end of a bar in mid-afternoon. He looked at the pint in front of me and said, “You’re drinkin’ one-a them fancy beers, ain’t ya?” When I nodded my confirmation he raised his own glass and said, “I’m drinkin’ Bud. I always drink Bud.” He paused for a sip from his mug. “They’re gonna get rid of Bud

here, they say. You know what I’m gonna do? The last day they have Bud on tap, I’m coming in and drinking every drop of it…and then I’m never coming back.” We were at McManamin’s on Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill. Not the modern-day McMenamin’s with its respected kitchen and one of the best tap lists in town week after week, but the McMenamin’s of the late ‘90s—this had to have happened no later than early 1997—the one that P.J. McMenamin, who’d taken over the family business after his father’s death, was trying to turn into a beer bar. I’d stood beside him roughly a year previous in the dim and dingy barroom of Manayunk’s Dawson St. Pub while he looked in awe at owner Dave Wilby’s tap list and customer base and murmured, “someday I want to make my bar as good as this one.” The old man that afternoon was a quarrelsome ghost of the fading past. P.J.’s successful effort to make McMenamin’s one of the city’s best beer venues was a harbinger of the great switchover during the decade which would follow, a change which one can argue is the primary reason Philadelphia has developed a reputation as one of the world’s great beer cities. Neighborhood tappies all over the city, some with

new owners and new names, some with enlightened second generation management, are all pouring at least a few craft beers these days and many are pouring them exclusively. Dawson Street, which was a biker bar before Wilby took over (“they sold more meth than beer here,” he once told me), has been refurbished, including outdoor seating and a mini-art gallery in the back room. A dive bar no more, which some of us accept with a tinge of regret. The sine qua non of this sort of thing, of course, is the Grey Lodge Pub on Frankford Avenue, where Mike “Scoats” Scotese (“either a genius or an idiot savant” I once described him) has developed a business that has been listed as “one of America’s best bars” by Esquire Magazine and created events such as Firkin Friday and Groundhog’s Day Hawaiian Breakfast which have become nationally famous. The reinvention of another old tappie as a good drinking and dining establishment seems to happen almost weekly these days, with the indefatigable juggernaut that is Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida leading the way by creating three, count ‘em three, new hot spots (Memphis Taproom, Local 44, the forthcoming Resurrection Ale House) in roughly 18 months.

august/september 2009

Fun With Beer

The Hash Back Here’s a little bit of fun for you home brewers out there− The Hash Back. By Scott Willey Much like Dogfish Head’s Randall Filter, our friends Kent Fletcher and Drew Beechum from the Maltose Falcons Home Brew Club (www.maltosefalcons.com) sat down and built their own Randall Filter, without ever seeing Dogfish Head’s model. What they ended up with is a great little device to dry hop some beer. Hell, you can put whatever you want in this filter. A little Bacon Stout? Go for it. A Mojito Wheat Beer? Stuff it with fruit and some fresh mint leaves. Your Hash Back and keg are your canvas. Also, be sure to check out the Maltose Falcons web page at maltosefalcons.com. They are America’s oldest home brew society based in California. They were instrumental in legalizing home brewing for the rest of us, and they are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year. So you better get to it. The best way to thank them would be to build yourself a Hash Back, and stuff it with some birthday cake. Below, are the exact directions found on the Maltose Falcon’s website. Thanks again, Falcons, and have a Happy Anniversary!

what you’ll need (1) 10” Whole House Water Filter (the kind with a screw-on lid that accepts a cartridge)

(1) 1/2” OD (Outside Diameter) Stainless Steel Tubing McMaster Carr #8989K78

• 1/4” NPT threaded inputs and outputs are easiest to use • A clear housing makes for the best presentation

(2) 1/4” MPT to 1/4” male flare Fittings for Quick Disconnects

• Cut to fit the length of the canister interior (about 10”)

(1) Keg line to flare (input connector) (1) Serving line or beverage line for faucet hookup • Optional Parts (for Split Service - One Keg, Two Beers)

• If the filter housing has threads other than 1/4” NPT threads you will need reducers to fit the flares • Many filter housings have 3/4” FPT threads • Alternatively, you can use Kynar barbed fittings

(1) Keg line (no flare)

(McMaster-Carr #53055K213)

(1) Beverage line to flare

(1) 1” long piece of 1/2” ID (Inside Diameter) x 3/4” OD PVC hose.

(1) Y barb connector

(1) Beverage line to tap or faucet

Assembly Instructions

Usage Instructions

Step 1: Clean the filter in soapy water to remove all the packaging gunk.

Step 1: Check the placement of the “gasket” in the lid.

Step 2: Screw flare connectors (and optional reducers) into the input and output of the filter. Step 3: Plug the PVC hose into the port on the underside of the top lid. This acts as the “gasket” for your stainless tube. Step 4: Place stainless tube into the PVC hose “gasket.” The fit should be secure. Step 5: Screw the filter housing together. If your stainless is cut to the right length, it should fit snugly into the bottom port. If not trim the tube and repeat. Step 6: Remove the stainless steel tube and drill approximately 20 1/16” holes in the bottom twothirds of the tube. Step 7: Deburr the tube. Voila! You have a Draft Hopback!

Step 2: Place the stainless steel tube, holes down, into the well on the bottom of the housing. Step 3: Stuff 2oz of fresh whole hops around the stainless rod. Enjoy the aroma.

Usage Advice

Step 4: Push the tube into its “gasket” and screw down the housing lid.

• Avoid using copper piping for the interior pipe, copper imparts an off-flavor to draft beer

Step 5: Securely attach the serving line to the output side of the housing.

• Use hop varieties that you would use for dry hopping a beer: Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, etc.

Step 6: Securely attach the keg line to the input side. • It's important to get this right or the beer will always pour foaming

Step 7: Attach the Draft Hopback to your keg. Step 8: Open the pressure relief on the filter housing and allow beer to slowly fill. Step 9: Once filled, close the housing, let sit for a couple of minutes and then let the beer flow!

regular vs. draft hopped If you'd like to be able to compare the beer, regular vs. draft hopped; attach the input line from the keg to a "Y" connector. One output of the Y should go straight to a serving line/faucet. The other output gets connected to the Draft Hopback. Now it's possible from one keg to try a beer two separate ways!

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The Hulmeville Inn’s hash back circulating Oskar Blues’ Gordon in Amarillo hops.

august/september 2009

• The draft hopback works most effectively with higher alcohol beers: IPA, Double IPA, Barleywine. • Don't just think of the hopback as a “party” item If you leave the hops wet and place the hopback in your kegerator/beer fridge, the hops can last for a few weeks. • An easy way to securely mount the hopback is to take a piece of Simpson Strong-Tie, bend into a hook and screw into the mounting holes on the filter lid. Now you have a simple molable mounting strap that can hang off your bar, keg, kegerator, etc.

Homebrewer’s Corner

Schuylkill Kolsch Looking for a great refreshing summer Kolsh that you can make at home? Here is a simple recipe that is sure to delight. The outcome is golden honey in color with a light malty sweetness in the body and a fantastic touch of hops in its finish. Brewer: 12 String Brewing • Beer: Schuylkill Kolsch Style: Kolsch • Type: Extract w/ grain • Size: 5 gallons SG: 1.054 • FG: 1.010 • Bitterness: 23 IBU’s • ABV: 6%

select singles

DATING SERVICE SERVICE DATING Introducing Men and Women ages 25-70 in Bucks and Montgomery County, PA

Ingredients Grains:

2 lb. German Vienna 8 oz. dextrine malt (Cara-Pils) 8 oz. flaked wheat (Each steeped for 45 mins.) Boil:

5 lb light DME 8 oz. honey Hops:

.5 oz. Saaz (3.75% AA, 60 min.) .5 oz. Saaz (3.75% AA, 45 min.) .5 oz. Tettnanger (4.5% AA, 45 min.) .5 oz. Tettnanger (4.5% AA, 15 min.)

• We meet all of our prospective members in person and complete a one-on-one confidential interview.

Yeast:

• We screen and qualify for stability and we perform a background check.

Wyeast German ale yeast

SINGLES NIGHT OUT AT: Hotel Fiesole Thursday, August 27th 7pm -11pm 4046 Skippack Pike Skippack, PA 19474

DJ, Dancing, light hors d’oeurves & over 100 singles to mix and mingle with! No Entry Fee for Members. Non-Members $15 Register at www.selectsinglesdating.com About the Creator: George Kuech is a homegrown Philly kid & an avid homebrewer since 1999. Primarily concentrating on his craft, rather than a particular style, George’s beers have been brewed under the monocle “12 String Brewing.” With brew names such as Jackson Brown Ale, Slow Hand ESB & Bon Scotch Ale, it’s easy to see where the inspiration comes from for his brews. Recently his 12 String Schuylkill Kolsch Style Ale was the feature beer during local Philly band, D.T.O’s record release party.

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august/september 2009

Cooking With Beer

Victory Hop Wallop Grilled Steak and Summer Vegetables In June, I presented the first in a series of craft beer dinners at The Buck Hotel featuring Victory Brewing Co. from Downingtown, PA in conjunction with Philly Beer Scene. The dinner was comprised of five courses, each paired with a different Victory beer. The main entrée and crowd favorite was the Victory Hop Wallop grilled steak and summer vegetables. Although there are many components to this recipe, don’t be intimidated, it’s quite easy to prepare. Victory Hop Wallop Marinade Ingredients:

Grilled Summer Vegetables:

2 bottles – Victory Hop Wallop (You can also try other IPAs or Double IPAs) 1/4 c malt vinegar 1 medium sliced white onion 5 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped 3 Tablespoons cracked black peppercorns 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped 3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 1 Tablespoon salt

This is a very loose recipe. You can use any combination or amount of great vegetables that you find in season. Consider zucchini, yellow squash, portabella mushrooms, scallions, red bell peppers and sweet yellow corn. 3-4 cups chopped vegetables 1/4 olive oil 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped 3 Tablespoons cracked black peppercorns 3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped 1 Tablespoon cracked black peppercorns 1 Tablespoon salt Marinade the vegetables in garlic, the oils and spices for 1 hour. Grill vegetables on high heat until you achieve desired doneness.

The Steak: I prefer to use a flank steak for this dish. Feel free to use any cut of steak. This amount of marinade is sufficient for a few pounds of meat. Preparation:

Put the steak(s) in a flat baking dish. Rub dry seasonings and garlic into steak. Cover the steak with the sliced onions. Let the steak sit out at room temperature for about one hour. Pour beer and vinegar over steak, cover and put in fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. Grill as desired.

Serving:

Serve your steak sliced over top of a bed of the grilled vegetables.You’ll find that the delicious aromas of the hops accent every bite of the steak and perfectly complements the sweet crispness of vegetables.

Created by Chef Joe Gudonis: Chef Joe Gudonis has 18 years experience in the restaurant industry. He graduated from The New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and has worked in Key West, FL., San Francisco, CA., Philadelphia, PA. and is currently a chef at The Buck Hotel in Feasterville, PA. Joe is also on the board of directors for the Philadelphia chapter of The American Culinary Federation. Along with Philly Beer Scene, he is presenting a series of monthly craft beer dinners at The Buck Hotel each spotlighting a different brewer; pairing five of their beers with five gourmet courses. More information about these dinners can be found at www.PhillyBeerScene.com.

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august/september 2009

Tapping into Technology

iBeer I love my iPhone! By Zeke Diaz After holding out for a year or so (actually, being too cheap to buy it) I finally splurged and bought one. There were several reasons I had for this purchase; I was tired of my old phone, a company discount made the price attractive, and Christmas was coming. I also wanted access to my BeerAdvocate account since I try and pick up beers on my friend’s want lists. After using the phone for a couple of weeks I started looking at the different beer applications available through the iTunes store. Well, let me tell ya, there’s all kinds of apps and some of them are even worth a buck or two. I’ll tell you a bit about the ones I’ve downloaded, and all are available through iTunes for $2.99 or less. These apps have limited usability but may give you something to play with at the bar. Rooster Alarm – Surprise! It’s an alarm

and a timer. Set the alarm or timer and a rooster crows. To shut him up you shake the phone and feathers fly all over the place. Not really beer related (it does have the Pacifico beer logo) but it’s useful for a practical joke. Beer Counter – Helps you keep up

with your tab. You can set the price of each drink and the phone will keep count of the number of drinks you’ve had. A good idea until the tequila shots arrive. If you manage to keep up with the beers, you’re probably the designated driver. BeerSnob – Contains a database of 6,170 beers but has only one Russian River entry. Granted, it is Damnation but there are many fine beers being brewed in Santa Rosa. The New Belgium beers are there but we’ll be waiting for a while I’m sure before we see them in the Philly market. Beer Brands – Over 7,800 beers in the database. Allows browsing using

an indexed list, and has a section on beer styles. If you like a particular beer, you can find out what style it is and find another one to try. The database, while far from complete, does have nice surprises. Have you ever heard of Bullmastiff Brewery? Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCPStyles) – This is my favorite application. It has great information on the different beer styles and details the aroma, appearance flavor, mouth feel, and vital statistics of each style. It provides examples of beers that fit that style. Yes, it’s a beer geek app but if you enjoy craft beer, this may help you understand what to expect from different beers. DrinkFit – For those concerned about nutrition when drinking beer (WTF?),

this is the app for you! Curious about which beer has the least amount of calories? DrinkFit provides information on calories, carbs and protein per serving. You should be able to find nutrition info on most of the standard brews here. There are many other applications (Beer Signal, Beer Button, BeerSnap, iBeer and Beer Hero) available on iTunes. Perhaps one of them will work for you!

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august/september 2009

Beer Travel

Craft Brewing Booms in the UK

Third Annual

Microbrewery Tasting

n o t l o B at t s e F Beer Saturday

October 10th 2009 Noon - 4:00pm

$30.00 Advance Sa le onlin $35.00 at Door

Designated Drivers: Free Credit/Debit Accepted

Includes Limited Edition Pilsner & Microbreweries

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Friends of Bolton Mansion, Inc. 85 Holly Drive, Levittown, PA 19055

& American Cancer Society of Bucks County

FOOD! LIVE MUSIC! FUN! BY PAUL NELSON BAND

Proper ID required per ticket Under age 30 – 2 ID’s please No one under 21 admitted Sponsored by:

Pat Deon Beverages, Fairless Hills Go to our New Website:

www.boltonmansion.com Microbrewery List , Ticket Sales & Directions

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august/september 2009

Taking a look at British craft brewing. By Steve Hobman

Sean Franklin, head brewer at Rooster’s in North Yorkshire speaks passionately about hops. Hops are at the heart of Rooster’s ales with varieties used from Europe, the US and New Zealand and Sean’s enthusiasm captures the spirit of the UK craft brewing scene. It’s a scene that grows more and more exciting each year. Micro breweries are opening at the rate of one a week while others expand to meet demand. Long established brewers have also enjoyed growth. Lancashire brewer Moorhouse’s, which now sells its famous ‘Pendle Witches’ brands such as Black Cat and Blond Bitch in the States, has seen sales spiral and is now poised to treble its capacity with a £3.5m investment. All brewers have one thing in common; like Sean Franklin, they are absolutely passionate about what they do. This, of course, is key to the burgeoning business that has given SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) more than five hundred members. Innovation thrives and reveals itself with a vast array of new beers from stouts, porters and oak-aged ales to blonde light beers and fruity brews using hops from across the globe alongside traditional bitters - brewed with Maris Otter malt and traditional hops like Fuggles or Goldings - that have long been the hallmark of British cask-conditioned ales. The historic IPA (India Pale Ales) style has made a serious return. The pioneering Thornbridge Brewery based in the grounds of a magnificent 18th century hall in Derbyshire is expanding with a state-of-the-art plant to seriously lift production of their famous Jaipur IPA. In South Yorkshire the award winning Acorn Brewery has produced 30 single hopped IPAs over the past two years. Both breweries are still only a few years old. The passion carries through to the point of delivery. Quality here is crucial and individual brewers have worked with industry body Cask Marque in recent years to ensure that the legendary warm pint of an English summer is forever dead and buried. OK, at an ideal cellar temperature of 12-14 degrees C (54-57F) British top fermented cask beer is still well above the temperature of the European lager beers. But this is what allows the full majesty of its fruit and chocolate malts and spicy, citrus hops to work their magic on the taste buds. The UK beer scene is also about great pubs. It’s about the heritage and atmosphere of grand country inns and cosy village hostelries or vibrant city centre pubs like the Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield, where beer goes hand-in-hand with good food and shed loads of conviviality. Zak Avery, the British Guild of Beer Writers top beer writer in 2008, says: “I love American craft beer and the slightly raucous beers that the scene has spawned, but I also still love a pint of good English ale. With its lighter natural carbonation, lower alcohol content, and emphasis on elegant, understated drink-ability, when served in its natural home of an old English pub, it takes much beating.” Steve Hobman is co-editor of the New Imbiber magazine and tours advisor to Beer Tours (UK) Ltd (www.beertoursuk.com), a company that aims to promote British beer tourism. Contact:steve@beertoursuk.com or +44(0) 7751 578 605.

Not Beer

La Fée Verte For our first Not Beer, I took a look at a very misunderstood alcohol, absinthe, which has been popping back up in more and more bars across the Philadelphia area. And what better example could we give than Philadelphia Distillng’s Vieux Carré. By Neil Harner La fée verte, l’atroce sorciere, Notre-Dame de l’oubli*; these are just a few of the bohemian nicknames tagged to one of the world’s most controversial liqueurs. I am of course referring to absinthe, which was once knowingly consumed and appreciated by artists and politicians alike including Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, William Howard Taft, and Theodore Roosevelt. So with such great esteem, how did this liqueur get banned during the early 1900s throughout countries in Europe and the U.S. in 1912? The general consensus was that The Green Fairy drove people fucking insane. Aside from the general associations to violent crimes and social disorder, rumors of suicide attempts and even van Gogh famously cutting off his own ear were attributed to the levels of intoxication due to the consumption of absinthe. How is absinthe any different than one too many beers you may ask? Absinthe generally is between 110 and 150 proof (55-75% ABV) and traditionally distilled with wormwood (artemisia absinthium) as one of its three main ingredients; which is the essence of absinthe’s great controversy. Wormwood contains a neurotoxin called thujone which is similar to THC (marijuana). Many have argued that the inclusion of wormwood causes brain damage, leads to hallucination, and drives people to act unfavorably. Others point out that a person would be too whacked out of their mind by the high alcohol content before the effects of such a small percentage of wormwood sets in. It wasn’t until March of 2007 that the federal government allowed absinthe to once again fill the shelves of liquor stores (and with tight regulation, naturally) throughout the country and earlier this year that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) permitted the sale of absinthe throughout its chain of Wine and Spirit Shoppes. Before you would even

find absinthe in PA, Philadelphia Distilling became the first east coast distiller of absinthe with its release of Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure on December 31, 2008. According to the Philadelphia Distilling’s President, Andrew Auwerda, “The spirits’ flavor and color is derived exclusively from 100% natural herbs. The flavor is simultaneously complex, mysterious and engaging and its deep olive color is reminiscent of a vintage jewel.” Vieux Carré is nothing less than a perfect blend of bohemian traditionalism and American ingenuity. The absinthe is distilled by a “double maceration” process using Grande Wormwood, Petite Wormwood, Green and Star Anise, Fennel Doux Provence, Melissa, Genepi, Hyssop and Spearmint. Upon tasting this absinthe in the traditional fashion (see sidebar), the distinct flavors and strong alcohol notes overwhelm your senses. The herbs release a profound freshness across your palette while maintaining a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste. It is definitely unique and bold. I have had the opportunity to taste several European absinthes and this blend is nothing less than extraordinary and exceeds the profiles of many of its overseas counterparts. As a final note, not only is this liqueur distilled in Philadelphia but the beautiful artistry of its square glass bottle featuring screen printed floral patterns was designed by Saxco International in Horsham, PA and Quest, Inc. in Hillside, NJ. If you are a beer lover, absinthe may be far from what you would usually experiment with. However, if you appreciate fine beers for their various unique characters and flavors, giving this absinthe a try may be worth it. Vieux Carré is approximately $60 and can be found at most Wine & Spirit Shoppes throughout the Philadelphia area. * La fée verte, l’atroce sorciere, Notre-Dame de l’oubli - The Green Fairy, The Atrocious Sorceress, Our Lady of Forgetting

how to serve absinthe (the traditional french way)

To enjoy traditional absinthe pour one measure of absinthe into a glass.

Place one or two sugar cubes on a slotted absinthe spoon.

Slowly drip four to six parts iced water through the sugar.

The milky green effect is known as the famous absinthe ‘louche.’

august/september 2009

The

Official Launch

On Sunday, June 28th, World Café Live in Philadelphia hosted the magazine launch party for Philly Beer Scene, welcoming through its doors many craft beer enthusiasts from all over the Philadelphia region.

By Kevin Romer

t showcased the beginning of a magazine that offers an in depth look at the best beer drinking city in America.Whether you are a craft beer novice or a seasoned veteran, you can definitely appreciate its content. The founders put a lot of time and effort in both the magazine and launch party, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The festivities were kicked off with the tapping of the firkins. As a craft beer enthusiast you had to love the firkin selection. There were six firkins available for all to enjoy in their new Philly Beer Scene pint glass. Dock Street, Sly Fox, Weyerbacher, Triumph New Hope, Gaslight and Bavarian Barbarian were each kind enough to donate a firkin for the event. All of the breweries respective beers

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were tremendous; however there were two that stole the show. Weyerbacher filled their firkin with unfiltered Double Simcoe IPA. The unfiltered version of this great beer is very hard to find. Then, Triumph New Hope went a step further and filled and oak aged barrel with their Witbier. This beer was off the charts. It was so popular that it was the first firkin to be kicked. When you are able to get firkins filled with two rare beers as a donation, you know that you are doing something right. After about an hour into the event the band Fooling April took the stage. They were a perfect fit for the afternoon’s festivities. They captured the crowd with their catchy original songs and also spiced it up with covers from Genesis and The Rolling Stones. Then shortly after, The AM

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Frequency, who recorded the band’s performance, showcased some of their work with local bands throughout Philadelphia on the big screen. With the party in full swing, the guests were taking full advantage of the beer and food that Philly Beer Scene and World Café Live had to offer. They also had the opportunity to meet the founders of the magazine Scott, Neil, Mat and John, along with their special guest, Laura Rae, the Ales of The Revolution Model, up close and personal. If you had the opportunity to talk with any of them, you could easily tell how passionate they are about the magazine. Every one of them was more than professional when someone wanted to stir up a conversation. They were also very humble with all of the praise that

Would like to give a Big Thanks to World Cafeô L‘ ‘ ‘ ive Fooling April The AM Frequency Show Triumph Brewing of New Hope Dock Street Sly Fox Gaslight Brewery Bavarian Barbarian Weyerbacher Hank's Gourmet Soda Two Guys on Beer The Big Beer Guy Laura Rae Suzanne Woods Advanced Media

Above: (top to bottom) laura rae poses with her “ales of revolution” spread. fooling april performing. two pbs enthusiasts discussing how kick-ass our last issue was!

they had received for all of their hard work. As the party came to an end, the diehard beer lovers lingered around to grab a few more pints before the last call. If you stayed until the end you may have had a chance to chat with Dave and Johnny from Two Guys on Beer, or you may have even run into a few beer reps, bar owners and brew masters. This event definitely made waves in the Philadelphia beer scene. With the launch party now complete, anything is possible for the four founders who took a chance and made their dream a reality.

Also...

Our friends that helped out during the event, our families & close friends that came out to support us. Finally and most importantly, all of the new friends that came out to support our magazine!

august/september 2009

The Park and the

Parking Lot It’s 9 AM in the morning on a Saturday. As I am lying in bed I can’t help to think to myself, “why the fuck am I awake?” Being the nine to five, Monday through Friday laborer that I am, I tend to like sleeping in on the weekend. But then I realize, just above my head there is a small wet spot at the top of my pillow and a noticeable small drip of water falling from the ledge of the windows over my bed. I immediately jump up to see a downpour which at this point in time wasn’t that uncommon since it had been raining for what seemed like a month. On any other day, I wouldn’t have cared and probably would have gone back to sleep. But this day was a very special day. No, it wasn’t a wedding. No, it wasn’t a family reunion. No, I wasn’t getting a puppy. It was a day perfect for the craft beer loving Phillies fan. This particular Saturday, June 20th, Rolling Barrel Events was hosting their second annual BBQ at the Ballpark. I immediately raced out of bed to my computer to see if the tailgate of which I’d been looking forward to for two months was still going to be on. I quickly keyed their website into Firefox, www.rollingbarrel.com, and much to my relief the headline of their site read, “A little rain never hurt anyone…” The craft beer tailgate was still on. By Neil Harner

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Upon arriving at Lot N outside of Citizens Bank Park with the entire Philly Beer Scene crew, we noticed a very large line of canopy tents and cars at the far side of the lot. Since it was a 7 o’clock game and this was about 2:30, we knew this had to be the right place. While we were setting up our own canopy and table so that we could distribute the first edition of Philly Beer Scene, I started talking to Scott Willey, our magazine’s President and a Phillies fan that puts me to shame, about how much tailgating has changed along with the beer scene. Naturally he agreed although he’s the same guy that would deny ever drinking a Bud. I remember tailgating with my family at my first concert seeing the Dave Matthews Band, when the Susquehanna Bank Center was still known as the Sony Music Centre. Although I was probably 13 years old, I remember vividly Bud and Miller Lite bottles littering the parking lots. I remember even seeing Phillies games at the Vet shortly before it was demolished and experiencing the same. Yet, here we are today, experiencing a unique tailgate featuring BBQ from Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse and amazing craft beers from River Horse and Sly Fox.

Citizens Bank Park Craft Beer Locator

Drafts: Brewerytown:

So after much debate on the topic, because sure there are still plenty of people still drinking macro-beers while tailgating, we used this great opportunity to investigate and find out how many people are really drinking craft beers versus those macros. But, before we could start, we of course needed to sample some of the beers and delicious BBQ. We’ll start with River Horse from Lambertville, NJ which is right across the bridge from New Hope. At their tent on tap they were featuring their Hop Hazard Pale Ale and Summer Blonde. These two beers were perfect for summer day (regardless of the rain). The Hop Hazard is a well balanced ale featuring both malty sweetness and a great bitterness that finishes clean. Not being a fan of golden ales, I was a little apprehensive to try the Summer Blonde. But hell, it was all included in the package price so what was the harm? I was extremely surprised to find that it was quite enjoyable and refreshing. There was a great depth of flavor from notes of honey and citrus that was most dominant. During their tasting session (yes, we seriously got tasting sessions at a tailgate), River Horse showed off their Lager, Special Ale and Tripel Horse. The lager is a pretty traditional beer, definitely a great choice for a Yuengling drinker to try. The Special Ale has great malt flavors and a decent amount of bitterness making it an interesting brew. And finally, in my opinion probably River Horse’s best beer, their Tripel Horse which is a beautiful Belgian-styled tripel. It has great flavor, body and alcohol notes which don’t overwhelm. Only a few steps away was Sly Fox Brewery which is located in Phoenixville and Royersford right here in Pennsylvania. The boys at Sly Fox brought along their canned series of beers; Royal Weisse Ale, Pikeland Pils and Phoenix Pale Ale. Again, these are a great selection for tailgating especially if you are looking to avoid broken bottles. The Royal Weisse is a Bavarian wheat which I especially appreciate since its unfiltered and includes subtle hops notes. The Pikeland Pils is the perfect match to step up your game from a macro-beer. It’s intimidating yet tasty. And finally, the Phoenix Pale Ale is another fantastically hopped beer with great citrus notes and a beautiful copper color

Ashburn Alley – Victory & Flying Fish Section 105 – Sierra Nevada, Victory, & Yards Section 110 – Otter Creek, Philadelphia Brewing Co., & Flying Fish Section 113 – Flying Fish, Yards, Victory, & Sam Adams Section 119 – Sly Fox & Flying Fish Section 135 – Flying Fish & Sam Adams Section 137 – Troegs, Victory, & Sierra Nevada Section 144 – Yards & Red Hook Section 204 – Sam Adams Section 208 – Flying Fish Section 323 – Yards, Victory, Sam Adams Section 329 – Flying Fish Chickies & Pete’s – Red Hook & Victory Harry the K’s – Flying Fish & Troegs Diamond Club – Flying Fish, Victory Hall of Fame Club – Flying Fish, Victory

Bottles: In addition to all the above crafts on draft, I found a few decent bottles throughout the various Brewerytown’s and other vendors. Here’s the list. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA Victory Hop Devil Ale Anchor Steam Beer Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Samuel Adams Boston Lager

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pouring from the silver can. During their tasting session, they took advantage of a very inebriated audience by taking them to the next level with some of their bigger beer offerings; the Ichor, Incubus, and Black Raspberry Reserve. The Ichor has always been a favorite of mine. I was first introduced to it at Sly Fox’s 2008 Goat Race where after one too many bocks, I decided to step it up. An Abbot style Quad weighing in at 10% ABV, it was as good as I remembered and probably the darkest beer at the event. The Incubus, which is another heavy hitter, is comparable to the Ichor in ABV%; however being a tripel, it has a rich golden color and incredible sweetness. Finally, there was the Black Raspberry Reserve which was great for a summer day. To find out more about this beer though, you can read about it in our Tasting Room. In the parking space across from the beer was a smoking grill stacked with ribs from Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse, located in Philadelphia. They provided all the tailgaters with a great selection of BBQ specialties including ribs, BBQ pulled chicken, and of course a tailgating delicacy, hot dogs. In addition, they brought along an incredible selection of sides including their southern macaroni and cheese and mashed sweet potatoes. I am used to tailgating with a small charcoal grill and frozen burgers so you could imagine my excitement by eating gourmet style outside the ball park. After getting my fill, both in regard to the beer and BBQ, I started a conversation with Corey Krejcek, the Managing Director of Rolling Barrel Events about Craft Beer Tailgating. He naturally agreed with me that there is an increasing number of people tailgating bring premium craft beers, “It’s refreshing to see people bringing out some of the more accessible regional craft beers like Yards, Victory, and Dogfish Head and I definitely notice more refreshing styles like Victory’s Prima Pils or Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA.” I know personally I go to more concerts than games and I usually tailgate with beers like Troegs’ Dreamweaver or Sly Fox’s Royal Weisse. Corey immediately agreed with the Royal Weisse noting that, “Sly Fox makes it so easy with their cans. You have to love wheat beer in a can.” When asked if he notices if the beer and tailgate reflects the event, whether it’s a Phillies or Eagles game, or concert, Corey pointed out that he saw

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some of the most impressive spreads at Eagles games; closely followed by the Phils. “Tailgate preparation, including beer selection, for a sporting event is more thought-out than anything I’ve ever seen at a concert. Unless you’re talking about Jimmy Buffet, but those guys just drink margaritas.” So as a sidenote, look forward to a great Eagles season around the corner. Who knows, maybe there will be a craft beer tailgate there too. After a great tailgate, we knew we were approaching the beginning of the game when everyone seemed to simultaneously start packing down their tents and Sly Fox and River Horse packed away their beer. A very inebriated group of about 150 Phillies fans began the long stroll from Lot N to the park to enjoy more beers and a great game of America’s favorite pass time. Truth be told, it was already the third inning by the time we got to our seats in the park but part of that was easily due to the distraction of the Brewerytowns, Citizens Bank Park’s beer vendors, and many Philadelphia favorite food vendors. You’d think I’d have enough by now, didn’t you? Well, you can’t go to a Phillies game without getting at the very least a bag of peanuts and an order of Chickie & Pete’s crab fries. And with all the salt, you gotta have another beer! Every Brewerytown throughout the park features your usual suspects but also features great local and regional craft beers. I was especially happy to find beers by Dogfish Head, Troegs, Sly Fox and Victory. Corey also noted, “The craft beer I see most often is Flying Fish, but I love that brewers like Troegs are being featured.” Corey and I mutually agreed that the selection available at Citizens Bank Park has to also be one of the best at any sports facility throughout the country. If you can prove us wrong, drop us a line at www.beerscenemag.com. The game itself was a bust that day with most of the excitement coming from a Ryan Howard monster pitch hit homer, giving the Phils a small 5-3 lead over the Orioles. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough to win, as the damn Orioles were back on top by the end of the ninth (thanks Ryan Madson) leaving Phillies fans disappointed as they exited the park making it a five game losing streak. Win or lose, we still love our World Phucking Champions and every person taking part in Rolling Barrell’s tailgate had a smile on their face by the time they got back to Lot N. And although the season is more than half way over, there are plenty of opportunities to hold a craft beer tailgate of your own or enjoy a great beer at the ballpark. In fact, another exceptional event group, BeerHeads (www.beerheads.com), is having their annual Beer Fest at the Ball Park taking place at McFadden’s during the Saturday, August 22nd away game against the Mets. This Beer Fest will feature 25 craft brewers from throughout the region. So, if you missed out on tailgating, don’t miss out on this festival!

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august/september 2009

RIA

A Big Axe

N RIA

RBA

d n i r G o T By Scott Willey

Mike Hiller of Bavarian Barbarian isn't new to brewing—he's been in the business for over 10 years now. However, he’s pretty new to the brewery-owning business. Bavarian Barbarian is one of the newest breweries to hit the Philadelphia beer scene. Mike fights on a daily basis to bring us what he calls, “the people's beer,” while sharpening his axe to bring some normality back to the craft beer market with a product that he wants to see “paired with life.”

On one of the few days in June that didn't rain this year, I decided to jump in the car and take the scenic three hour drive to Williamsport, PA. Although a few friends asked me, I wasn't headed to see the Little League World Series that has made Williamsport famous, but instead, I was headed to meet a rookie of the Craft Brewery Big Leagues, Mike Hiller. Mike has been involved with the beer industry in many aspects. In 1997, Mike entered the beer world as an Account Services Associate for Legendary Distributors, Ltd., in Richmond Virginia, distributing beer. A year later, jumping at the opportunity, he took a position as a brewer for Legend Brewing, a spin-off of the distributor he worked for. After brewing at Legend for four years, Mike had to hang up his rubber boots to move to Boston so that his wife, Kira, could attend grad school. Itching to brew again, Mike had to settle with a home brewer’s kit, but he solidified his recipes for Headbangerz Brown Ale, Weldspatter I.P.A., and Square Feet Wheat. Fast-forward to the present, and Mike now has his own 9,000 sq. ft brewery. I arrived at the brewery shortly after noon, and Mike invited me in to a cavernous, dark warehouse, only lit by the sunlight seeping in through the door way behind me, and a few colored stage lights reflecting off of the brewing tanks. I was greeted by Luke, a friendly and playful beagle, and Mike's brewing assistant. “He loves it here,” says Mike. “He just loves the hot spent grain. I pull it out of the tank, and he just starts eating it.” This now has Mike

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mike hiller showing off his bavarian barbarian axe.

considering making spent grain dog biscuits. I would think that a brewery would keep you busy enough, but if I had a dog as kick-ass as Luke, I'd consider making dog biscuits as well. We headed over towards the right side of the warehouse, where Mike and Kira have positioned a tasting room. A simple set up with a drink rail, bar stools, and a few couches, Kira has claimed ownership of that aspect of the brewery. “That has been a bit of an arm wrestling match,” says Mike. “When Kira isn't working part time at the community theater in town, she's here running the tasting room.” Mike has been focusing on the brewing, usually working 75 hours a week between brewing and delivering his beer. He chuckles and tells me, “She can have it. I keep pretty busy with the brewing of the beer, I'll leave the tasting room to her.” The wall running the length of the tasting room is painted an interesting shade of mustard yellow, with a huge Bavarian Barbarian logo painted in the middle. On a shelf close to the ceiling, almost used as a border, are the empty bags from the grains used to brew the beers. We sit down at the drink rail, and I start asking Mike questions about his brewery. Shockingly, he tells me that since opening the brewery in January of 2008, he has yet to receive a paycheck. “I keep breaking even,” he says to me. “The profits end up going to buying more grain, or more sixtels or half barrels. I hope to start turning a profit soon. I just bought some 22oz bottles, and my good friend Terry Wallbacker from Otto's in State College, is giving me a table-top bottler. I'll have to pay them back later.” I am starting to see that this is a labor of love for Mike Hiller. Mike gets up and pours us a beer. I opt for the Steel Drivin' Stout, a beer that Mike hasn't started distributing yet. I take a sip, and find it rather enjoyable. It finishes with a mild sweetness that I like in a good stout. “I'm working on a farmhouse ale right now. I'm thinking about calling it Hard Times Farmhouse Ale,” Mike tells me with a laugh, referring to the current state of the economy, and what he told me about not receiving a paycheck yet. “It's really interesting. I borrowed Saison yeast slurry from Bullfrog Brewery right down the road. This Saison yeast is just nutty,” he tells me, “It's just been bubbling. It got hot as balls in the brewery about a week ago, and it starting fermenting again. It's in its third fermentation right now.” After he tells me that he's been experimenting with the Saison yeast slurry, I ask him what he thinks about the current conditions of the craft beer scene, which seems to be getting crazy with unique spices and higher alcohol content. “I definitely brew simpler beers. I don't go over the top with spicing my beers. I try to brew solid styles that appeal to everyone.” I must agree that Mike's beers are excellent examples of the traditional styles he brews. “There are a lot of brewers out there that are getting really creative and inventing new styles. That makes for some great beers that you can pair with foods, and you are seeing that happen a lot more with beer tastings and beer dinners.” Mike then adds, “I just want to brew beers that anyone can enjoy. I want to see people take my beers outside. That's why I really want to get into canning. Not only for the ‘green’ aspect of canning, I want them to take it fishing, camping or to a concert. I want my beers to be paired with life. I want people to associate my beer with experiences; enjoying life and good times with their friends and family.” I agree with Mike about canning his beers. We are seeing it more and more from the craft breweries because it is very affordable, less waste, aluminum is highly recyclable, and there is no use of paper for the labels you would use in bottling. I then asked Mike what he thought about “Big Beers” and their higher alcohol content. He tells me, “I want people to have more than one. There are some great big beers, but you can only have one because the alcohol is through the roof. It goes back to what I was saying about camping or fishing; I want people to be able to have a few of my beers with the experiences that make life great.” This really impressed me. Mike

august/september 2009

works so hard to keep the brewery operating, and he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make the big bucks, nor will he sacrifice his solid styles just to be the latest trend in the craft brewery market. After being in the brewery for about an hour, Mike informs our photographer, Jordan Hayman and I that he has to run out to do a quick delivery. We all agree that we will meet at the Bullfrog Brewery for a pint after he drops off his delivery. As Jordan and I head over to Bullfrog, he turns to me and says, “Man, I hope that guy makes it.” I couldn't agree more. Mike is passionate about what he does, and yet he has such a simple approach. He works hard to be successful in a craft market that some might consider flooded. Mike is the type of brewer that does it for the love of brewing. While still in the brewery, Mike told me that his line of work feels like “one big weekend project” that he never gets to clock out of, and that he is constantly thinking about the brewery, and what he can do to forge ahead. As we headed over to Bullfrog to meet Mike for a pint, I too am thinking about how I want Mike to be successful. He has an impressive business plan that I hope blossoms into what he aspires his brewery to be. Jordan and I sit down at Bullfrog and order a pint, and shortly after, Mike joins us after returning from his delivery. I ask him how he came up with the name for his brewery. He tells me, “After my grandfather passed away, I started doing some family research. I knew my grandfather was of German descent, and traced our family name back to Bavaria. While I was doing the research online, I was having a few beers, and at the time, I had long hair, and a big crazy beard. I was rather rough looking, and it just popped in my head--Bavarian Barbarian. I liked the sound of it, and that was it.”

above: bavarian barbarian’s new warehouse features brand new fermenting tanks, mash tons and other essential brewing equipment. Right: the tapside view of the tasting room.

beerscenemag.com

august/september 2009

The interview quickly faded as Mike, Jordan and I enjoyed a few pints at Bullfrog Brewery. We all grew up in different parts of Pennsylvania and the conversation moved from life experiences to music preferences, back to beer and finally to what Mike wanted as far as the philosophy he has about his own product. I didn't realize it at the time, but we were doing exactly what Mike wanted—sitting around as friends, enjoying life with a good beer in our hands. Mike is doing it right. He has taken a simple approach to brewing, and has turned that into a phenomenal product. He isn't just brewing beer. He’s brewing an ideology—circling his product into what he wants it to be—simple, friendly, and enjoyed by the masses as a catalyst for good times with the ones we love. Mike has given me a new perspective on beer, brewing and the way it should be enjoyed. I am proud to say that I have gained a new friend in Mike Hiller, who is fighting daily in the craft beer scene to bring what he calls “the people's beer” to the people, all with the mentality of “brew softly... but carry a big axe.”

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august/september 2009

The Art

of the Tap Handle

What is the first thing you look at when you step into a bar? Is it the craftsmanship of the wood or copper bar top? How about selecting which stools have the best, cleanest looking cushions? No, chances are that you, like many of us, head straight to check out the selection of beer in the establishment. Sure, many good bars will have a (sometimes slowly updated) board listing the choices but where is the fun in that when we can check out all the cool-looking tap handles? By John Galster courtesy tap handles, inc. 28

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It is funny when you really think about that. Why would someone who drinks craft beer and knows the difference between good beer and bad beer with good marketing really give a crap about a tap handle? A tap handle is basically just a rod or knob that is pulled back, it doesn’t need to be ornately decorated. They don’t list ingredients, alcohol content, or anything resembling the tasting experience. Why not just ask the bartender for their recommendation or look around for the aforementioned board or a beer menu that will generally give you a lot more information? I suppose the straight answer would be that the best looking taps would be more likely to catch your eye first if they were something you hadn’t yet tried. Or maybe, seeing the tap for a beer helped give you visual recognition of the IPA or Stout you were about to try. The answer I like better seems to be that creating a unique tap handle for your brand is something a brewer might enjoy as well as something that a customer might enjoy while relaxing at the local watering hole. Even breweries and bars that spend very little on advertising still need a well designed brand, and that extends from the image of the company to the bottle labels to the tap handles. This idea goes beyond simply what is available on tap and in bottles. You may have seen places where tap handles, cans, and bottles are used to decorate shelves and adorn walls rather than dispense any actual drinks. It is because of this love for the design culture which surrounds beer that tap handles have left the realm of simple utilitarian devices and entered the realm of art. I was fortunate enough to get in touch with Alan Newman, founder and “Conductor of Cosmic Symphonies” of Burlington, Vermont’s Magic Hat Brewing Company and Performing Arts

Center (yes, Philly, I’m serious) for a little insight into some of this world; his wisdom will be interspersed throughout. Let me say right now that this is a guy who loves his tap handles. “We’re always trying to reflect the brand, we wanted something hand crafted and distinctive,” Alan told me. I would have to agree because Magic Hat has designed and produced some of the greatest, most unique, crazy tap handle art I have ever seen. Some of the more familiar taps include Rogue Dead Guy which features the titular skeleton hunkered down on a barrel of his ale, Dogfish Head’s standard tap handle; a vertical representation of their logo, and Oskar Blue’s can tap handles. Of course— there is stuff even wilder than this out there, there are taps made to resemble boots, fire hoses, animals, pirates, mythical creatures and just about any shape and form you can imagine. This art has to start somewhere. A brewer, owner, designer or generic creative person will usually begin by establishing a name and branding for either the brewery or a specific beer. This branding will often show up on everything including the labels, cases, tap handle, promotional items, etc. and reflects the ideas and effort that went into the brew. Magic Hat’s branding is the perfect example of this. “I started with my own art department and didn’t find out until much later that this was unusual,” Alan told me. Magic Hat’s labels and packages are known to be wild and unique. Their tap handles for beers like the #9, Lucky Kat IPA, and Circus Boy Hefeweizen seem to have been pulled right off the labels on the bottles. The thin metal #9 handle curls around into its namesake, the Lucky Kat lets you yank its tail to dispense beautiful amber ale, and the Circus Boy peers out from his cage atop his respective handle.

magic hat’s #9 metal tap handle is a famous favorite. some dumbasses look at the handle from the wrong side and think it’s the “e” beer.

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some of philly beer scene’s favorites, including alan newman’s first magic hat tap handle (pictured right). When I asked if Magic Hat had a strong relationship with any particular tap handle company Newman replied, “We have used tap handle companies, but we have no rule on how our tap handles are produced. By and large our tap handles are not through a company. We do almost all our design in-house.” Many breweries, however, do use companies like Tap Handles Inc, AJS, or Chrislan Ceramics for their design and fabrication needs. These companies have teams of designers and artists to imagine and develop a tap handle from scratch. Beginning with a completed design, brand, name, or even just the most basic ideas, they can take it anywhere. Starting with sketches, threedimensional renderings, sculpted clay models and finally a full prototype follow before they are transformed into the finished product. The methods of getting those ideas to the shapes we all recognize and seek out are about as varied as the types of beer we drink. I asked Alan if he had a favorite tap handle out of all the Magic Hat examples. He said his favorite was the very first one they made and proceeded to describe a complex tap handle with a blown glass ball, a wrought iron rod supporting it, and hammered and engraved copper banding with the Magic Hat name wrapped around the glass. “If it wasn’t properly aligned, it would open up and pour beer all the time. They broke in massive numbers. It was just a fantastic piece of art.” Not only was it beautiful, it was complicated, “We had one guy hand blow the glass, we had another do the wrought iron shaft, a third guy worked on the copper band, and then a fourth guy just to put it all together.” He also explained to me that Magic Hat just uses the

beerscenemag.com

person or company best suited to fabricating the design, but I get the feeling that he really likes using the little guys. The methods the handle companies use are no less complicated. Shops can turn handles on lathes, laser cut, scrape and bevel a variety of shapes if a tap crafted from wood, bamboo, or even metal is what is called for. Alternatively, they could be molded from plastic or urethane or even cast from stoneware ceramics. Like with the original Magic Hat handle, they could be hand blown from glass. They are then decorated which could include decals, hand painting, pad printing, metal plating, and even laser etching. Of course, none of this elaborate construction or crazy art would be around today if there wasn’t that practical reason I mentioned before. Tap handles originated simply as a knob or rod a bartender had to pull or twist to open a valve and let gravity dispense the beverage out of a cask nothing fancy there. It became a handle when gravity wouldn’t cut it and a beer engine was needed and has remained a handle despite the fact that it is more or less just an on/off switch once again. In fact, many brewpubs and a few bars today still use plain black knobs with simple markers on them to open the pressure from their kegs. Alan told me, “it was really very simple when we started, everyone was doing very dull, very mundane tap handles. We started in ‘94 and it was already a crowded market. We started with an unusual name and different packaging and handles. We saw it as our primary point of sale. You can have all kinds of signs and banners but they won’t always be there. Tap handles are always there, and they are

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one of the best ways to sell beer. Period.” Studies have suggested that about a third of purchase decisions are made at the bar after the handles are seen and that an attractive handle can bump draft sales by as much as 10% in the short term. Drinkers who like to constantly try new things will find it easy to remember unique tap handles and gravitate towards the best ones. Additionally, tap handles provide a relatively low cost form of advertising for smaller breweries that may not have a substantial advertising budget. People who drink what the big guys are offering usually walk in knowing what they are going to drink already. The small guys have to get the people who haven’t made up their minds yet. Since craft beer breweries and brewpubs began popping up like crazy in the late 80’s and onward, the need for elaborate and fun tap handles has ensured that those designing and fabricating them have enjoyed the growth as well. Tap handles may have no actual effect on how we taste the beer and we will always have our favorite beers despite how the tap handle looks− a tap might draw your attention to try a beer but if the beverage isn’t up to snuff, you probably won’t be coming back for a second look. Of course, no one says you can only appreciate one thing in life. Just as a great beer is a delicious work of the brewers’ art, tap handles are another form of beauty - ideally a visual match for a brand or product - or maybe even just a crazy idea the brewmaster’s assistant had. Tap handles are no longer just knobs and rods - they’re an artistic experience worthy of being enjoyed with our favorite brews.

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august/september 2009

Bar & Restaurant Review 32

Puck Craft Beer and local music by mat falco There is absolutely nothing better than sitting outside on a nice summer evening enjoying a fine beer, except, sitting outside drinking that beer while listening to great live music. Thanks to Puck Live in Doylestown, this is a nightly occurrence. Located down a little side alleyway right off of Main Street, Puck Live is one of the premier outdoor music venues in the Philadelphia area. They also have an indoor venue, but during the summer the outdoor patio is the place to be. Having room for large capacity, an outdoor bar, and an outdoor stage, Puck can provide for many entertaining and relaxing evenings. Also, unlike many music venues, they serve up some quality craft beers at much lower prices than the other places. Why spend $8 for an unsatisfying light beer at the Wachovia Center during an overpriced concert, when you can spend $3 on a pint of River Horse on a Wednesday and listen to local artists perform all night? Puck Live may not have the most extensive beer selection in the area, but at the same time, they’re not trying to compete with the local beer spots like Stephanie’s. Puck’s desire is to put quality before quantity and try to keep all their clientele happy. They do have 12 draft lines though, and aside from Landshark and Amstel Light, they are all quality craft beers. You can find options such as imported crafts Belhaven Scottish Ale and Tetleys English Ale, to the local selections, River Horse ESB and Troegs Sunshine Pils. Being that they have such an outstanding outdoor seating area, they also have a selection of wheat beers that includes Ephemere Pom and Franziskaner HefeWeisbier. Along with the tap beers, they also have a selection of about 22 craft bottles

beerscenemag.com

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that are made up of a variety of Belgians and local brews. Puck also has its own unique summer beer cocktail which is a Franziskaner draft with a shot of Combier; a newly imported, hard to find orange liquor along the lines of Cointreau that gives the Franziskaner and nice orange bite. To make the night of music and drinking complete, Puck also serves up a variety of food options. The menu is made up of a selection of various casual food items like sandwiches and unique appetizers. You’ll find original items such as Puck’s homemade potato chips, veggie fries and lemony hummus, but you’ll also find the classics such as buffalo strips and corn dogs, just with Puck’s own distinctive twist. The menu is designed to be enjoyed outside under the sun and it definitely works to help make the experience even better. Between the music, the beer, and the food, the people at Puck Live have really put everything together to give this music venue a nice craft beer bar feel. Being able to sit outside and enjoy live music really brings a pleasant change to the usual beer destinations. Sometimes sitting in a bar listening to a jukebox gets old after a while and you need a break. Puck Live really brings a great alternative for beer lovers. There are always a variety of acclaimed artists performing, so there is bound to be an artist you’ll enjoy frequently. They also have open mic nights where you can bring your own guitar and take a break between drinks to entertain your fellow beer lovers. So next time you’re going out for a night on the town, take a trip up to Doylestown and sit under the stars and enjoy a quality pint and a quality band.

Old City’s hidden gem by mat falco Hidden behind one of the very few trees in Old City capable of hiding anything is a quaint little café that unfortunately seems to get left out. Amongst the glitz and glamour of Old City that is places like Cebu and Buddakan, and the mainstay legends such as Eulogy and Plough and the Stars; The Race Street Café does not get its due recognition. Being on the corner of Race Street and 2nd Avenue, it is also not the most commonly walked section of the area, unless you’re in the market for a wide variety of bar stools and restaurant supplies. Race Street Café however is on par if not superior to any of the local spots. Race Street Café sets itself apart in that it can be appreciated equally in regards to being a bar as much as it can be as a café. Race Street is not your typical bar by any means. If a regular of a local sports bar/Miller Lite headquarters happened to walk in, they would most likely feel lost. It’s definitely not the size that would make them feel lost either. There is a very unique, relaxed vibe when you walk into this over sized hole-in-the-wall. The small size is part of the reason for this, but it’s also the clean, classic look and feel of the woodwork throughout and the lamppost situated in the middle of the room. There is a single television, but this isn’t the kind of bar you go to just to watch a game. The TV isn’t even located behind the bar. It’s more the type of bar to go to converse with friends and have the game on in the background. Or, it’s the type of bar you bring your parents to when they come to visit and you need a drink but want to impress them at the same time. My favorite feature of the place is the large chalkboard in the back with a wide selection of

Bar & Restaurant Review

The Race Street Cafe

daily culinary specials, along with another chalkboard behind the bar updating the wide variety of ever changing draft beers. As far as beer goes, Race Street also has a selection comparable to almost any beer bar in the city. They don’t have an extensive bottle list in the hundreds, but they have 15 quality draft lines of which most change on a regular basis and a hand pump included. The lines also aren’t dominated by the typical selection of the larger micro brews such as Stella, Sam Adams and Hoegaarden. They actually do something that I think more bars should do and put Allagash White on tap instead of Hoegaarden. It’s the little things like that, that I believe sets a place apart and shows that they are doing things the way they want them to be, because they appreciate the quality over popularity and are willing to sacrifice a few sales in doing so. Putting on the beers you love instead of the ones that you know will sell to a broader audience, I think, is one of the keys to really putting together a quality beer bar in this area. You can also expect to find a wide array of drafts from throughout the country and even a few Belgians. Beer isn’t the only option here as well; they also have a book filled with signature drink selections and a small wine selection. The food also makes Race Street a special place. They don’t serve typical bar food here by any means. This is more of your upscale dining, bar food. The printed menu on the table has options ranging everywhere from lamb and beef sausage sandwiches and fried calamari to London broil and roasted vegetable lasagna. Like I said earlier though, they also have an extensive chalkboard menu with constantly changing specials. Having this chalkboard menu brings a fresh new feel to eating there every time. This is not one of those bars you will get tired of eating at after a few visits and have had everything. Some of the chalk board options include chicken marsala, spinach and sausage stuffed ravioli with a roasted red pepper cream sauce, and a personal favorite broccoli rabbe and sausage. Race Street also provides a special brunch menu, which makes for an even better excuse to take the parents out for a drink. All in all, Race Street Café is not your average bar. It’s everything you’d want in a quality beer destination and everything you’d want in a quality dinner destination all at the same time. Upscale dining without having to sacrifice your beer options or spending the extra money should be the motto for this place. Next time you’re in Old City, walk the extra block up to Race Street and look for the place hidden behind the lone tree in the neighborhood. You’ll be very impressed with what you find.

august/september 2009

The Tasting Room How Philly Beer Scene Reviews Beer Every issue the four founders of Philly Beer Scene, Scott, Neil, Mat and John get together with a notable guest for a small, private, tasting session called the “The Tasting Room.” Approximately a dozen beers are chosen that are new, seasonal or just interesting. Rather than presenting an overly-detailed single perspective review, “The Tasting Room” serves to be a brief written account of key points made between the tasters. Each taster designates a rating from zero to five stars, justifying it in their own way. The scores are then averaged and always rounded to the nearest half star for a final rating.

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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When you think of a good night to go out and drink a ton of great craft beers, you probably aren’t thinking of a Sunday. At Philly Beer Scene, we’ll go out any night of the week to get the job done. For this particular session of The Tasting Room, we sampled 20 different beers, including the Samuel Adams Sample A and Sample B (pg. 9). Of the 18 beers facing compliments and criticism by 6 young beer lovers, these are the 12 that we felt were the best examples of craft beers found throughout the area.

Our notable guest(s) This month, we broke the rules a little bit and reviewed our beers with two guests— Johnny and Dave of Two Guys On Beer. Their site, www.twoguysonbeer.com, traffics thousands of people who are checking out their video blog on a daily basis. Each week, they review two beers or beer-related products for an approximately 10 minute video segment. You can also find Johnny and Dave’s video series on Philly.com. For this session of The Tasting Room, we visited the setting of all their reviews, National Mechanics in Old City, Philadelphia.

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

Flying Fish Exit 11

(2008 Sample A) Using a classic English ale yeast, and a trio of By using a mix of blackberries, orange and coriander,

Pacific Northwest hops, Exit 11 is brewed with 50%

Sam Adams delivers a subtle sweetness that balances

Belgian pale malt and 50% white wheat. It combines

the traditional citrus flavors from the witbier. Along

Columbus, Palisade and dry hops with Amarillo for a

with the malt character and spiciness, the result is a

citrus-like bouquet. ABV%: 6.2

finish that is sweet and tart. ABV%: 5.5 Johnny

Dave 4

Sweet berry smell and a strong flavor, with a hint of wheat—dry and bitter at the same time. Nose like blackberry sherbet, but the hops do a decent job of keeping it from being too sweet.

Mat 3

A shockingly decent fruit beer with an intense blackberry aroma. Finished dryer than expected.

Scott 3

Strong fruit smell, which is overpowering. Like a non-sweet wine cooler with a mild tartness.

John 4

Really strong sweet blackberry smell, but not overpowering. The bitterness at the end is good.

Neil 3

Smells of berries, with subtle wheat smell also. It has a very strong, dry finish.

Ithaca Ten

Johnny

Fabulous hop nose. This is what a summer beer should be.

Dave 5

Fantastic hop summer wheat balance, clean all the way around.

Mat 5

Flying Fish is really on a roll. Fuck you New Jersey Turnpike for trying to shut this series down.

Scott 5

Super hop nose with a sweet initial flavor, which is then washed away by the hops.

John 2

A mix of flavors that I didn’t want to taste. I would love the hops in another beer, but not this. Great citrus, smells like an IPA, but finishes like

Neil 5 wheat. Perfect summer beer.

Stone 13 The hops are balanced with the malty, toffee-like

Ithaca’s anniversary beer, TEN, is brewed with too

flavors contributed from the blend of crystal and

many malts to list and an excess of American hops,

amber malts used in the brew house. The finish is

including several additions during fermentation.

deliciously bitter, with a touch of warmth provided

Enjoy the russet color, hoppy aroma and flavor, rich

by the alcohol. ABV%: 9.5

body and fiery finish. ABV%: 10 Johnny Johnny

Dave 5

Spicy nose, like a fine spiced layer cake. Has a head forever. Really nice bitter malt nose. It’s a malt and hop dance.

Mat 4

My favorite Imperial American Extra Strong and Special Double Red Ale ever.

Scott 5

There’s a scent of molasses and chocolate, with spices. The hops give it a balanced taste.

John 5

Very sweet, but yeasty. Lots of head, aggressive bitterness, I’d be interested

Neil 4 to see how it cellars for a few more years.

Dave 3

Bitter basil scent, and is extremely dry with an acidy basil quality. Hops come in too strong killing off a wonderful starting flavor.

Mat 3

A let down for sure. The hops bite is just too much. Great aroma though.

Scott 4

Tear-jerking hops in the nose. Hops meet molasses. The flavors are undermined by the hops.

John 4

Aroma is piney. Balance of malty, toffee, and chocolaty flavors.

Neil 3 Very bittersweet aroma. Aggressive taste.

Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale

Dogfish Head Sahtea

This unfiltered beer is medium bodied with no harsh

Brewed with rye and caramelized the wort with white

bitterness. It has flavors of honey and orange balanced

hot river rocks, then fermented with a German Weizen

with a nice medium-sweet malt character. ABV%: 5

yeast. The spicing is subtle and balanced, making it a

Citrus focused nose. Includes a really nice flavor that is perfectly bitter with pepper.

Dave 4

Great balance with light flavor. The honey keeps this beer tame.

Johnny

Mat 3

Not what you’d except from Rogue, but for a summer it has a nice hop characteristic.

Scott 4

Very sweet orange nose. The honey mellows out the tartness. Solid beer.

John 4

Light and full of sweetness with a sort of a shifting taste from beginning to end.

Neil 3

Clean finish with a great touch or orange, but the honey gets lost.

truly-unique brew with a full mouth feel. ABV%: 9 Johnny

Dave 5

Wow! What a fantastic specimen of brewing. Sam has another winner! This one hides its heat. Chai and Rye. Insane.

Mat 4

Perfect full beer. It’s like drinking a cup of chai fresh from the coffee shop.

Scott 5

F-you hippies who like Midas Touch (kidding!). This is a granola eatin’ hippie’s Tru Bru.

John 5

Very strong in the tea and spice flavor. Warm and sweet, with loads of vanilla and cinnamon. Chai is overwhelming, clean flavor. The smell alone

Neil 5 makes me love it. The flavor blows my mind.

august/september 2009

General Lafayette Chocolate Thunder Porter

Anchor Summer Beer This all malt beer is fermented with a Triticum

Dark, sweet, full bodied and chewy, this is one robust

aestivum that produces clean flavors and a light

Porter. Imported English malt, as well as plenty of

crisp style of American wheat beer. Ideal for beer

black, chocolate, and crystal malts make for a great

lovers who appreciate tradition, but also seek a

dessert beer. Chocolate and coffee flavors dominate

lighter style, perfect for warm weather. ABV%: 4.6

this tasty brew. ABV%: 6.7 Johnny

Decent chocolate nose, but fails on the mouth feel. Nice crystal malt and chocolate profile.

Dave 3

Wonderful cocoa on the nose. Burnt flavor and weak body.

Mat 3

Nice burnt cocoa taste. Lacking on body, otherwise a great beer.

Scott 3

Malty coffee and toffee nose, along with molasses and burnt cocoa. Thin sour acid finish.

John 3

Slightly astringent towards the end, but not bad.

Neil 4

Great chocolate aroma, delicious dark malts, great slightly burnt flavor—needs a heavier weight.

VooDoo Love Child

Lemony nose, with a crisp, sharp flavor that dissolves at the right time. Nice mouth feel.

Dave 3

Great head. The malted wheat stands out. It’s slightly sour but not dramatically so.

Johnny

Mat 3

More flavor than most summer beers.

Scott 2

It has a very carbonated mouth feel, with wheat, earthly flavor. I’d order this at a ballpark.

John 2

I want bitter, but am getting sour. Good head retention, subtle sour taste. It’s refreshing

Neil 3 and sticks with you.

Sly Fox Black Raspberry Reserve An unforgettable wheat ale brewed with German Pils,

This Gran Met is aged for three months on passion fruit,

wheat malts, traditional hops, and includes 1 lb. of red

cherries and raspberries. This ale is inspired by fun,

and black raspberries per gallon of beer. This beer

flavor, and a passion for brewing. ABV%: 9.5

features a tart finish and a sugary sorbet aroma. ABV%: 8

Johnny

Dave 4 Mat 4

Decent Lambic quality, nice passion fruit flavor. Nice entry to Lambic. Careful, the 9.5% ABV is too well hidden. Great flavor for a fruit beer. Really nice beer quality, for a fruit beer.

Johnny

Dave 2

Tastes like watery, carbonated raspberries. No malty flavor, and the wheat gets overpowered.

Mat 4

Tastes like pure raspberry. Awesome raspberry aroma.

Scott 5

Mild fruit salad nose. BIG fruit flavor, like a passion fruit. The alcohol is masked very well.

Scott 2

John 3

Cherries tie the strong raspberry taste to it. Sour, but tastes like fruit in a glass.

A TON of raspberries hit the tongue and it expands to foam. There is no alcohol flavor.

John 2

Not overly sweet—needs something at the end because it trails off to a seltzer-like taste.

Fruity accent, subtle alcohol heat. Great separation

Neil 4 of fruit flavors.

De Proef Cuvee Mystique This traditional Belgian style dark ale is full bodied; yet,

Beautiful pink head, but the beer gets lost because of

Neil 2 the tart raspberry watery finish.

Weyerbacher Unfiltered Double Simcoe IPA

well balanced with notes of candied fruits, chocolate,

Consisting of a more pronounced hoppy flavor and

and roasted malts. This beer comes highly carbonated

aroma due to being unfiltered than the popular Double

leaving great lacing on the glass and a smooth finish.

Simcoe. Also, carbonation will be a bit higher as is usual

ABV%: 8.5

in the cork and cage series. ABV%: 9.5

Johnny

Dave 5

Superbly balanced beer; sweet in the beginning and bitter chocolate at the end. Smooth until the cows come home. Magnificent malt characteristic and very balanced.

Flowery hop nose with an extremely resin mouth feel.

Dave 4

First time I’ve had sweet hops. This is a massive hops bomb, with a great, smooth body.

Johnny

Mat 5

Not a big Belgian fan, but this really impressed me. Nice dry finish that with malty sweetness.

Mat 3

Scott 5

Smokey up front, with a mild sweetness, but nutty throughout. Finishes dry, hoppy at the end.

Scott 4

I would drink this if I’m having a hop craving. Balanced with a mild sweetness, just right.

John 5

Smells like barley wine right away. Very nutty from beginning to end.

John 5

Sticky, delicious and hoppy, but not bitter. The difference between the unfiltered isn’t much.

Neil 4 Fine nuttiness, chocolaty sweet toastiness.

The nose is all raspberries. This is a girl beer!

beerscenemag.com

august/september 2009

Spoiled by a firkin at the launch party.

Pour carefully and beware of head. It’s like a hops

Neil 3 juice.

Weird beer #2

The Final Picks After some long discussion and debate over the twelve craft beers that were sampled, our panel along with Johnny and Dave from Two Guys on Beer, are ready to reveal their favorite picks for August and September.

Johnny’s Final Pick: De Proef Cuvee Mystique: It’s so good! This beer is a beautiful example of the Belgian craft. The malty sweetness is exactly what I look for and there is such a depth of flavor throughout the entire tasting experience.

Dave’s Final Pick: Ithaca Ten: I’m just impressed. There isn’t a better way to put it. I like a beer that challenges that boundary between sweet and bitter and I think Ithaca did it well. This beer definitely is the boldest and will be the one I remember of this tasting.

Mat’s Final Pick: Flying Fish Exit 11: Rather than saying why I love this beer I would rather tell all those still attacking Flying Fish for their series’ naming scheme to go to a Wine & Spirits Shoppe and see how many liquors and wines are named after roads. Get a life.

Scott’s Final Pick: Ithaca Ten: Until today, the only beer that has really impressed me by Ithaca is their Cascazilla. Their other beers are okay but not generally to my palette. After having this, I am really looking forward to trying other beers in their Excelsior Series.

John’s Final Pick: Dogfish Head Sahtea: This just has so much going on. I mean, to me there isn’t really a bad Dogfish Head beer but this took me by surprise. The chai has such a great dominant aroma and once again, they pulled off something completely unique.

Neil’s Final Pick: Dogfish Head Sahtea: I’m the guy that drink’s hot chai lattes pretty regularly during the winter and the iced variation throughout the summer. So now I can have my chai as an alternative on one of those hot summer days. It really is the perfect summer beer.

Cave Aged Beer Last issue we brought you beer brewed with weasel shit. This month, we really couldn’t top that as far as a weird ingredient goes. So instead, we are bringing you a new unique aging process thanks to our friends at Ommegang in upstate New York. Rather than just letting cases of beer sit in their basement and age for a few years, Ommegang decided to take things one step lower and enlist the support of a local renown cave called Howe Caverns which is located 45 minutes from the brewery. One day in the middle of each winter, when it is absolutely freezing up there, 280 cases of beer are transported to Howe Caverns. The beer is then left there, 40 meters underground, for 9 months. Due to the constant cave temperature of 52 degrees, even though the beer is being aged for 9 months, it will still taste fresher than a beer that was just cellar aged for the same amount of time. In addition, it will have that mellowed, complex flavor that makes aged beer so great. 52 degrees is also considered to be the perfect temperature to bring out the most complexity out of the aging process. This process is one that has been used in regions of France for centuries to age fine champagnes. Ommegang cave ages three of their beers; Abbey Dubbel, Hennepin, and Three Philosophers. The easiest way to obtain these beers is by making a road trip up to New York and visiting the brewery, as they are not commonly distributed beyond the gift store. If you do find a bottle, be warned, they are not the prettiest, as they have good amount of cave mold covering them. It will get you dirty, but it’s well worth it once you try them.

august/september 2009