Every summer, it gets more and more difficult to select a vacation destination, because every time we pick somewhere to visit, we always end up weighing it against San Diego. Unfortunately for the hundreds of other possible destinations, we always tend to go back to Old Faithful. If you've read my previous blog about San Diego, then I'm sure by now you already know that I consider the great city my personal "Beer Mecca". It also helps to have a good friend who resides there, one who is always gracious to put us up for a few nights. In this case, about eleven nights! Thanks Dano and Mags! I had read about numerous new breweries and brewpubs opening since our last visit in late June/early July 2011, so Brewslut and I had a pretty hefty schedule by which to abide.
However, I will preface the actual meat of the trip with a quick prelude about making our travel arrangements for this year's San Diego trek. Last year on our flight to Seattle, Brewslut and I signed up for a US Air Mastercard, whereby we were promised 30,000 bonus miles to be used for a free flight to anywhere in the 48 continental United States. Well, unfortunately for us, what ensued was about five hours of hellish conversations with various customer service representatives trying desperately to get our flight booked. On previous trips, we typically fly out of Harrisburg, which is only about thirty minutes from our house, and a friend or family member would drive us to and from the airport as to avoid costly airport parking fees. But since we were using "free miles," we were at the mercy of the airline. We had originally planned to fly out to San Diego on Friday, June 15 and return on Sunday, June 24. But alas, we could not schedule anything on Friday or Thursday, so we had to leave Wednesday evening out of Philadelphia instead of the preferred Harrisburg. So although we had some extra driving and parking expenses, we were able to pre-game in the City of Brotherly Suds.
We arrived at Casa de Spade on Tuesday evening, June 12, and got caught up in some conversation, so we didn't make it out that night. But we did crack open two Left Hand beers I'd brought to share with Matt - Fade to Black and Wake Up Dead - as they are his favorite brewery. It is also noteworthy that both of these beers are named after great songs by Metallica and Megadeth, respectively.
The next morning, we headed down the street a few blocks to one of our favorite breakfast spots in the city, Cafe Lift, for some coffee and morning grub. Then it was off to Memphis Taproom, where we opened the place (as usual). I love Memphis Taproom because they open early and the bartenders are always extremely cool and talkative. While we were there, I enjoyed a Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale and Victory Braumeister Pils. As I've said before, Fishtown may very well be our favorite section of the city, not only due to its abundance of fine craft beer establishments, but also for the free parking. After a double header at Memphis Taproom, we checked out arguably my favorite beer bar in Philly - Kraftwork. This place not only features one of the coolest themes of any area beer bar (think tools and auto gear), but they also have perhaps the most comfortable bar at which I've had the pleasure to sit. The staff is always super friendly, and the food is fantastic. This time, we split a Mediterranean platter, complete with veggies, hummus and baba ganoush. Delicious!
We had time to hit one more spot before we needed to get to the airport, so we decided on Hawthorne's, where I enjoyed Coronado's Blue Bridge Coffee Stout. We hadn't been there since Philly Beer Week 2011 for the Hill Farmstead event. If you haven't been there, they boast a large, varied bottle selection that is meticulously arranged for easy perusal. We also ended up having a nice conversation with one of the young beer managers on duty this particular day.
However, our imbibing for the day had come to an end, as we had to get to the airport for our flight. All in all, it was a very pleasant flight - it was only about 40% booked, so there was plenty of room to stretch out, and it was a direct flight, which meant no timely layovers in another city. We landed in San Diego at approximately 11:10pm, picked up our rental car and headed to Dano's new place, which is only half a block from the beach in Ocean Beach. This would be our home for the next eleven days.
Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon!
Showing posts with label Memphis Taproom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memphis Taproom. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Romancing the Beer
How fortunate for Brewslut and I that our wedding anniversary coincides with the start of Philly Beer Week? To visit the City of Brotherly Love with the one I love to share the drink we BOTH love is, well, fitting to say the least. Beer can be romantic, right? Well, I think so!
We met up with innkeepers Matt and Morgan on Friday evening a bit later than anticipated due to heavy rainfall on the PA Turnpike. It was so bad that we had to admit defeat and pull over at a rest stop for about forty minutes or so. Good old Starbucks to the rescue! It took nearly that long just for the coffee to cool down to a reasonable temperature. At any rate, I feared that we would arrive at Devil's Den too late to ensure getting our pick of the lot. This would be our fourth year in a row attending the outstanding Bella Vista Bash at the aforementioned Devil's Den, home to one of the city's premier craft beer establishments. It is a regular stop for us any time we are in Philly, not only for its fantastic and constantly rotating tap line-up, but also for their top-notch food (especially a great Sunday brunch). It also helps that they open early - 11:30am daily! I had perused the tap list prior to arriving, and it sounded amazing, as usual. Unfortunately, several of the beers we really wanted had already kicked - Cigar City Marshall Zhukov's Imperial Stout aged in apple brandy barrels and Funky Buddha Raspberry Berliner Weiss were both high on the list. Nevertheless, there was still a top-notch selection of beers we'd never sampled. I began with the sole cask offering - Williamsburg Chaka Latte Coffee Stout. I had had this beer before once or twice, but never on cask, and it did not disappoint. Breswslut opted for Exodus, a sour beer from Wisconsin-based Central Waters, which she enjoyed. We followed up our initial selections with a pair of local brews - 50/50 Brewing Company's B.A.R.T., a blend of their Eclipse Imperial Stout and Conundrum Barleywine, and Round Guys barrel-aged Saison. We were just ready to call it a night when we bumped into our buddy Craig (aka corby112 on BA), and we decided to stay for one more, which turned into two more - Half Acre's Chocolate Camaro Milk Stout and Ballast Point's excellent Even Keel, a 3.5% ABV hop bomb! I enjoyed talking beer and old school metal with Craig, who we hadn't seen in quite a while, and it turned out to be a memorable night at Devil's Den.
We didn't have too much on our plate scheduled for Saturday, but another must-visit bar is Memphis Taproom. They regularly host a "No Repeat Beer Week" during PBW, and this year was no exception. We had gotten there at the tail end of a Half Acre tap takeover event, and I was pleased to see Half Acre's incredible Double Daisy Cutter on tap, which I had only had on one other occasion (thanks to Little Wiss, who shared an entire growler at "Imminent Liquidation 2" back in March). Brewslut chose the Big Hugs Imperial Stout, which was also quite tasty. Having eaten at Memphis Taproom on numerous prior occasions, we knew their menu was legit, so we decided to split a veggie burger and wash it down with a pour of the Dripping Saison, a wild Brett-infused Farmhouse ale. While at Memphis Tap Room, we started up a conversation with pleasant guy at the bar who turned out to be Kevin, the owner of 4 Hands Brewing Company based out of St. Louis, MO. In speaking with him, we learned that he and his cohorts were heading over to Monk's at 4pm for an event that would feature an assortment of 4 Hands' beers. After hearing Kevin describe some of the beers (a Saison brewed with pear and pepper and a Rye IPA made me perk up!), we decided to head over. But first, a quick stop at Johnny Brenda's for the "It's a Firkin Riot!" cask beer event, where I was finally able to sample a beer from the fairly new PA-based Free Will Brewing Company. The Citra Pale Ale was a pleasant, sessionable pale ale with quite a bit of hoppy flavor for a straight-up pale ale. Brewslut went with DFH's 75-minute IPA, which may well be our favorite of the "insert-minutes-here" line of IPAs it brews. However, it was a "one and done" visit, as we were heading over to Monk's for the 4 Hands event.
The back room was quite busy, and we actually got to Monk's right as Kevin was welcoming all the beer geeks and explaining some of the brewery's history and available beers. We sampled three of its flagship beers: Divided Sky Rye (yes, named after the Phish song), Pyrus and Prunes. 4 Hands is an up-and-coming brewery that has only existed for about six months, and they are already making a dent in the Midwest beer scene, apparently. Brewslut and I will definitely look for them at Great Taste of the Midwest, when we attend in August. Afterwards, we were lucky enough to snag two seats at the crowded bar, where we enjoyed a pour of Sierra Nevada's Knock on Wood, which is basically its Hell Raiser aged in Heaven Hill barrels for eighteen months. Can you say, "Yum?"
When we informed Matt and Morgan of our itinerary for the weekend, we mentioned an interesting-sounding event at an unfamiliar bar called Woody's. Woody's was hosting an event called "Once You Go Black..." a cleverly named event featuring a bevy of coffee beers. The Blaxploitation classic Shaft movies were also to be shown on the bar's various television screens during the event, which appealed to us, as we've seen the original Shaft more than once! Matt politely pointed out that Woody's was, in fact, a gay bar. I hadn't thought about it (in all my youthful naivety), but it made perfect sense. We were going to a GAY BAR, GAY BAR!!! No matter to me. We were going where the beers (and "insert any politically incorrect plural noun which happens to rhyme with beers that would be somewhat appropriate in this context") were. Unfortunately, the tap list really wasn't all that impressive, so we settled for one beer each and called it a night.
Sunday proved to be a busy day for us and our beer endeavors. First on the agenda was a visit to Eulogy for its Coffee Beer Brunch, an event that we had attended last year. We were lucky to obtain two seats at the small bar again this year, and ran into a few more acquaintances (coincidentally, both of whom we saw at last year's event)! I perused the tap selection and stopped at Ballast Point Victory at Sea, an Imperial Coffee Vanilla Porter, which also happens to be one of my very favorite beers produced in the US. If I was stranded on a desert island and given the choice of either Victory at Sea or Ballast Point's over-hyped (though rightly so) Sculpin IPA, I think I'd have to choose the former. Seriously folks, this beer never disappoints! I love this beer so much that I procured a sixtel for a past Ffej of July (with lots of help from my buddy Dan). If you've never had this beer, go to your nearest specialty bottle shop and buy it immediately! Yeah, it's THAT good!
Across the street from Eulogy is Triumph Brewing Company, a modern brewpub with a varied selection of about eight house-made beers on any given day. One of my favorite Triumph creations is a rye beer called Jewish Rye, brewed with caraway seeds. I had even mentioned to Brewslut earlier that I'd hoped they'd have it on tap during our visit. Well, they didn't have it on tap. But they had it on CASK! Schwing! This beer is like liquid rye bread, and it is definitely one of the most authentic rye beers I've ever tasted. Unfortunately, we only had time for one beer, even though Triumph boasted three-dollar beers all weekend!
We decided to head over to the P.O.P.E. (aka the Pub on Passyunk), where it and a few neighboring establishments was hosting various IPA lineups. However, nothing really struck a chord with us, so I ended up checking out a local record shop on Passyunk, where I picked up two old Yes and Genesis LPs to add to my record collection.
We met up with innkeepers Matt and Morgan on Friday evening a bit later than anticipated due to heavy rainfall on the PA Turnpike. It was so bad that we had to admit defeat and pull over at a rest stop for about forty minutes or so. Good old Starbucks to the rescue! It took nearly that long just for the coffee to cool down to a reasonable temperature. At any rate, I feared that we would arrive at Devil's Den too late to ensure getting our pick of the lot. This would be our fourth year in a row attending the outstanding Bella Vista Bash at the aforementioned Devil's Den, home to one of the city's premier craft beer establishments. It is a regular stop for us any time we are in Philly, not only for its fantastic and constantly rotating tap line-up, but also for their top-notch food (especially a great Sunday brunch). It also helps that they open early - 11:30am daily! I had perused the tap list prior to arriving, and it sounded amazing, as usual. Unfortunately, several of the beers we really wanted had already kicked - Cigar City Marshall Zhukov's Imperial Stout aged in apple brandy barrels and Funky Buddha Raspberry Berliner Weiss were both high on the list. Nevertheless, there was still a top-notch selection of beers we'd never sampled. I began with the sole cask offering - Williamsburg Chaka Latte Coffee Stout. I had had this beer before once or twice, but never on cask, and it did not disappoint. Breswslut opted for Exodus, a sour beer from Wisconsin-based Central Waters, which she enjoyed. We followed up our initial selections with a pair of local brews - 50/50 Brewing Company's B.A.R.T., a blend of their Eclipse Imperial Stout and Conundrum Barleywine, and Round Guys barrel-aged Saison. We were just ready to call it a night when we bumped into our buddy Craig (aka corby112 on BA), and we decided to stay for one more, which turned into two more - Half Acre's Chocolate Camaro Milk Stout and Ballast Point's excellent Even Keel, a 3.5% ABV hop bomb! I enjoyed talking beer and old school metal with Craig, who we hadn't seen in quite a while, and it turned out to be a memorable night at Devil's Den.
We didn't have too much on our plate scheduled for Saturday, but another must-visit bar is Memphis Taproom. They regularly host a "No Repeat Beer Week" during PBW, and this year was no exception. We had gotten there at the tail end of a Half Acre tap takeover event, and I was pleased to see Half Acre's incredible Double Daisy Cutter on tap, which I had only had on one other occasion (thanks to Little Wiss, who shared an entire growler at "Imminent Liquidation 2" back in March). Brewslut chose the Big Hugs Imperial Stout, which was also quite tasty. Having eaten at Memphis Taproom on numerous prior occasions, we knew their menu was legit, so we decided to split a veggie burger and wash it down with a pour of the Dripping Saison, a wild Brett-infused Farmhouse ale. While at Memphis Tap Room, we started up a conversation with pleasant guy at the bar who turned out to be Kevin, the owner of 4 Hands Brewing Company based out of St. Louis, MO. In speaking with him, we learned that he and his cohorts were heading over to Monk's at 4pm for an event that would feature an assortment of 4 Hands' beers. After hearing Kevin describe some of the beers (a Saison brewed with pear and pepper and a Rye IPA made me perk up!), we decided to head over. But first, a quick stop at Johnny Brenda's for the "It's a Firkin Riot!" cask beer event, where I was finally able to sample a beer from the fairly new PA-based Free Will Brewing Company. The Citra Pale Ale was a pleasant, sessionable pale ale with quite a bit of hoppy flavor for a straight-up pale ale. Brewslut went with DFH's 75-minute IPA, which may well be our favorite of the "insert-minutes-here" line of IPAs it brews. However, it was a "one and done" visit, as we were heading over to Monk's for the 4 Hands event.
The back room was quite busy, and we actually got to Monk's right as Kevin was welcoming all the beer geeks and explaining some of the brewery's history and available beers. We sampled three of its flagship beers: Divided Sky Rye (yes, named after the Phish song), Pyrus and Prunes. 4 Hands is an up-and-coming brewery that has only existed for about six months, and they are already making a dent in the Midwest beer scene, apparently. Brewslut and I will definitely look for them at Great Taste of the Midwest, when we attend in August. Afterwards, we were lucky enough to snag two seats at the crowded bar, where we enjoyed a pour of Sierra Nevada's Knock on Wood, which is basically its Hell Raiser aged in Heaven Hill barrels for eighteen months. Can you say, "Yum?"
When we informed Matt and Morgan of our itinerary for the weekend, we mentioned an interesting-sounding event at an unfamiliar bar called Woody's. Woody's was hosting an event called "Once You Go Black..." a cleverly named event featuring a bevy of coffee beers. The Blaxploitation classic Shaft movies were also to be shown on the bar's various television screens during the event, which appealed to us, as we've seen the original Shaft more than once! Matt politely pointed out that Woody's was, in fact, a gay bar. I hadn't thought about it (in all my youthful naivety), but it made perfect sense. We were going to a GAY BAR, GAY BAR!!! No matter to me. We were going where the beers (and "insert any politically incorrect plural noun which happens to rhyme with beers that would be somewhat appropriate in this context") were. Unfortunately, the tap list really wasn't all that impressive, so we settled for one beer each and called it a night.
Sunday proved to be a busy day for us and our beer endeavors. First on the agenda was a visit to Eulogy for its Coffee Beer Brunch, an event that we had attended last year. We were lucky to obtain two seats at the small bar again this year, and ran into a few more acquaintances (coincidentally, both of whom we saw at last year's event)! I perused the tap selection and stopped at Ballast Point Victory at Sea, an Imperial Coffee Vanilla Porter, which also happens to be one of my very favorite beers produced in the US. If I was stranded on a desert island and given the choice of either Victory at Sea or Ballast Point's over-hyped (though rightly so) Sculpin IPA, I think I'd have to choose the former. Seriously folks, this beer never disappoints! I love this beer so much that I procured a sixtel for a past Ffej of July (with lots of help from my buddy Dan). If you've never had this beer, go to your nearest specialty bottle shop and buy it immediately! Yeah, it's THAT good!
Across the street from Eulogy is Triumph Brewing Company, a modern brewpub with a varied selection of about eight house-made beers on any given day. One of my favorite Triumph creations is a rye beer called Jewish Rye, brewed with caraway seeds. I had even mentioned to Brewslut earlier that I'd hoped they'd have it on tap during our visit. Well, they didn't have it on tap. But they had it on CASK! Schwing! This beer is like liquid rye bread, and it is definitely one of the most authentic rye beers I've ever tasted. Unfortunately, we only had time for one beer, even though Triumph boasted three-dollar beers all weekend!
We decided to head over to the P.O.P.E. (aka the Pub on Passyunk), where it and a few neighboring establishments was hosting various IPA lineups. However, nothing really struck a chord with us, so I ended up checking out a local record shop on Passyunk, where I picked up two old Yes and Genesis LPs to add to my record collection.
We knew Monk's Funky Buddha Berliner Weiss event was going to be a madhouse, and our assumptions were indeed accurate. Even as we walked in, a few guys at a nearby table said, "Don't even bother!" Amateurs! I had all four Berliners inside half an hour. We also had the good fortune of running into Al (of the Hampden variety) and his cohorts, who came down in a rented limo bus. While I stood in line, I was able to sample all four of the Berliners - key lime, raspberry, peach and (easily the cream of the crop) passion fruit. While all were indeed top-notch takes on the style, Brewslut and I both agreed that the passion fruit was the best of the lot. We were able to snag a table while Brewslut went to feed the meter, and we all made plans to head up to Woody's (coincidentally where we were parked) to get another hyped Funky Buddha concoction - Maple Bacon Porter. Now, most people who know us know that neither Brewslut nor I no longer eat red meat or pork products, but we couldn't resist trying this beer! Unfortunately, there were only two pours left when we arrived, so we shared amongst the group of of about six or seven of us. Afterwards, our collective pangs of hunger led us to a detour to South Street for pizza at Lorenzo Brothers, easily my favorite pizzeria in the city! Our final stop this year was at Standard Tap, for the Troegs Scratch Beer Throwdown between two avid beer writers - Lou Bryson and Jack Curtain, both of whom I had met previously, courtesy of my beer compatriot, Deuane. However, it was a long day, and we didn't even try either of the Scratch beers - Bryson's Zwickle Licker and Curtain's Beer de Grouch. I did, however, grab the much-anticipated and now year-round Troegs Perpetual IPA, which I must admit was drinking rather amazingly on this particular Sunday evening. After wielding the Hammer of Doom (or whatever it is called), we bid a fond adieu to the City of Brotherly Love and made our way back to Annville. Romancing the beer, indeed!
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| Hammer of the Ffej! |
Friday, April 6, 2012
A weekend even Zappa would be proud of!
The weekend of March 23 proved to be the perfect time to get away for a trip to one of the best beer cities in the nation - Philadelphia. Lucky for us, Philly is only but a short hour-and-a-half drive from Annville (pending any unforeseen nightmarish traffic patterns on the Schuylkill Expressway - definitely not a rare occurrence, especially on a Friday evening). Equally lucky for us, we made it into the city unscathed by perils of urban traffic. This bodes well for us and the upcoming weekend activities. A good omen, indeed!
The reason for our visit was two-fold. First, one of my best and oldest friends, Matt, is finally taking the plunge and getting married later this month, and this was the weekend of his bachelor party. Secondly, since I had no gigs, Brewslut tagged along, and we made it a long weekend filled with beer, including visits to some of our most loved beer destinations as well as some new favorites that I'm sure we will visit again sooner than later. To quote one of my favorite musicians of all time, Frank Zappa: "I'm only interested in two things, and that's Titties and Beer."
You know what I mean?
We arrived at Matt's apartment at 8:30pm, and Brewslut dropped me off for an evening of debauchery, and she headed back to the hotel to enjoy some TV and a bottle of Kasteel Rogue. I was surprised to find that my good buddy Chu, who was in charge of the beer for the evening, used his better judgement and selected a keg of Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale. Additionally, I had a growler of the brand spankin' new Troegs Scratch 60 in tow, a Spring Fest Lager that was pretty tasty. Actually, I found myself drinking more of the Yards, although I almost single-handedly polished off the growler solo. Hey, its a session beer! All drinking aside, it would be ungentlemanly of me to go into more detail as to what went on at the aforementioned bachelor party. Let's just say that a good time was had by all, especially the groom-to-be!
After an impromptu lunch at a great local Thai restaurant, day two of the bachelor party extravaganza continued. Wait a minute! When did this become a multi-day event? When I got married back in 1999, I had one lone evening of drunken shenanigans. At any rate, we needed to fill up before our hour-long workout with Matt's personal trainer, Sgt. Nate, a retired Army drill sergeant. This was actually a pleasant deviation from the typical weekend beer jaunt, as both Brewslut and I are avid gym-goers and also work with our own personal trainer. Needless to say, we got our asses kicked over the next hour. All I can say is this: If I ever do another burpee again, it will be too soon for me!
After a quick shower back at the hotel, we were ready to begin the "beer" portion of the trip (although I probably drank enough beer for an entire weekend on Friday night alone)! Our first stop was the much-anticipated Barcade, which recently opened in the Fishtown section of the city. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep and profound love of classic 80's video games. When I first heard of this amazing concept (craft beer and video games), I thought, "Man, if they just played Rush songs all the time, I'd never leave!" I definitely could have spent many hours here, as they had a veritable cornucopia of games from my childhood that I loved and pumped full of quarters in my younger days: Spy Hunter, Paperboy, Gauntlet II, Track & Field, Frogger, Golden Axe and many more. Best of all, the games are still only a quarter! The beer selection was extremely heavy on Victory selections, as they had a tap takeover event the previous night. So unfortunately they didn't have the selection I was hoping for. Still, I was able to try a new Victory beer - a chocolate lager on nitro! I must admit it sounded weird at first, but it was delicious. I also had a Headwaters Pale Ale, which has recently become one of my favorite go-to session beers. It's got a nice citrusy hop bite for a straight-up pale ale. Brewslut was a good sport while she read her kindle and enjoyed her beer while the 10-year-old in me took over for an hour or so.
Our next stop was another Fishtown favorite - Memphis Taproom. Unfortunately, it was almost elbow to asshole when we entered, but we quickly snagged a corner table in the bar area. Since we'd eaten there on a previous visit, we knew the food was stellar, so we made plans to get dinner here. I opted for a vegan Shepherd's Pie (something I miss since becoming red meat-free), while Brewslut chose an apple salad. Beer-wise, I chose another session beer, this time a cask conditioned bitter from England called Bluebird bitter. It was fine, but didn't wow me. Brewslut went for the delicious Lost Abbey Deliverance, a blend of Brandy Barrel Angel's Share and Bourbon Barrel Serpent's Stout. Hot damn! This was one amazing beer!
After our visit at Memphis Taproom, we decided to swing by a place we hadn't visited before. Kraftwork is a modern beer bar also in the Fishtown district that may very well be my favorite beer bar in the city... and that's only after one visit! We grabbed two seats at the bar, which was actually a slightly lower than usual bar in the shape of a squared off letter "U". The decor at Kraftwork is modern with an industrial flair. Exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and metal tools posed as artwork decorated the establishment. The tap selection was varied and well thought out, with just about every style of American craft beer represented. The beer menu was laid out well and easy to read, with name, style, ABV, prices, etc. listed. The service was superb. Both of the bartenders on duty were extremely friendly and attentive.
For our first beer, we both opted for Russian River Pliny the Elder, a favorite DIPA amongst all hopheads. Afterwards, we selected a flight of 5-oz. pours that included North Coast Old Rasputin on nitro, Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, Darkhorse Blackbier and the Three Floyds/Mikkeller collaboration Boogoop. I can't give this place enough praise. This will be a must-visit on all future trips to Philly.
A quick stop to The Foodery was up next, and I picked up a mixed six-pack from a well-stocked selection at this fantastic but extremely cramped bottle shop. I was happy to find a bomber of Great Divide's excellent Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, as well as Maine Beer Company's Peeper Ale (a favorite pale ale of mine) and a few other 12oz. bottles that I haven't tried yet.
Our final stop of the evening was Dock Street, one of our favorite brewpubs in the city, not only for their fine beer, but also for their amazing wood fired pizzas. Brewslut and I shared a small vegan pie, topped with an assortment of veggies and tofu. For our beer selections, I went for my old Dock Street standby, Rye IPA and Brewslut chose the Prince Myshkin's Russian Imperial Stout. The vegan pie really hit the spot, and it was a good way to end a long day of imbibing!
After a good night's sleep, we awoke on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. First on the agenda was to hit up Cafe Lift for breakfast. We first visited Cafe Lift with Matt and Morgan during a recent visit to Philly, and we liked it so much that we wanted to go back. With a flair for fresh, unique specials and a varied menu that includes several vegetarian options, Cafe Lift is worth a stop just for the coffee and turkey bacon! Plus, they've got a hip European vibe and an ample waiting area (the latter of which is nice because they tend to get quite busy on the weekends).
First up on the drinking activities for the day was to hit up The Farmer's Cabinet in Center City. With a penchant for rare beers from Europe and pre-Prohibition cocktails, as well as a gourmet menu, The Farmer's Cabinet is also new home of Terry Hawbaker's beers. While the atmosphere is indeed quite awesome, its Terry's beers that keep me coming back. This is a must-stop for us when we visit Philly. On this particular occasion, we enjoyed a line-up of beers inspired by Joy Division songs. I must admit that I never got into any of the pre-Goth 80's alternative bands (such as Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, etc.), so I don't know much about the songs after which there beers were named. Brewslut and I each sampled 5-oz. pours of all four beers. First up was Exercise One, a Grisette brewed with peppercorns and Citra hops. This was pretty damn tasty, but the peppercorns were overshadowed by the citrus character of the hops...no complaints here, though. Second on the bill was New Dawn Fades, a dark Saison with lemongrass and peppercorns. This was quite a diverse and complex brew. Terry is know for brewing some exceptional Saisons, and this one is no exception. Up next was Heart and Soul, a Farmhouse pale ale brewed with chamomile and citrus peel. Think orange tea. The fourth and final beer was No Love Lost, a Farmhouse IPA (yeah... that's what I said) brewed with a Saison yeast. I must admit that this was a pretty damn delicious beer with an assertive piney, citrusy hop character and plenty of dark roast, not to mention the earthiness of the yeast. Another complex gem from Terry's brain. Next time, we'll be sure to hit up the new American craft beer-focused establishment owned by the same folks called The Boiler Maker. And its just around the corner from The Farmer's Cabinet.
Afterwards, we took a short walk to Nodding Head Brewing Co. for lunch and a beer before our trip back home. We both opted for the interesting-sounding Tasman, a low ABV pale ale brewed with organic Pacific Gem hops from New Zealand. I have enjoyed many beers brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops (most notable Alpine's Nelson), a hop variety indigenous to New Zealand, so I was anxious to try this beer. The hops imparted a berry-like sweetness that was odd at first but eventually grew on me. Unfortunately, Brewslut didn't respond favorably and therefore took a while for her to deplete the contents of her glass. Difference of opinions aside, we both enjoyed our lunch selections: her, the Moroccan Mussels and Frites, and me an interesting take on Huevos Rancheros, a brunch special that was not a regular menu item. We also shared the hummus of the day, which was an olive Tapenade. The first time we ever had hummus was at Nodding Head, so we always try to squeeze in a portion when we visit. Our meals were tasty and quite filling, leaving no more room for beer, unfortunately. Which brings us to the end of another trek to Philadelphia.
All in all, this was a perfect weekend for me: beer, food, video games, nudity and a little bit of fitness on the side!
The reason for our visit was two-fold. First, one of my best and oldest friends, Matt, is finally taking the plunge and getting married later this month, and this was the weekend of his bachelor party. Secondly, since I had no gigs, Brewslut tagged along, and we made it a long weekend filled with beer, including visits to some of our most loved beer destinations as well as some new favorites that I'm sure we will visit again sooner than later. To quote one of my favorite musicians of all time, Frank Zappa: "I'm only interested in two things, and that's Titties and Beer."
You know what I mean?
We arrived at Matt's apartment at 8:30pm, and Brewslut dropped me off for an evening of debauchery, and she headed back to the hotel to enjoy some TV and a bottle of Kasteel Rogue. I was surprised to find that my good buddy Chu, who was in charge of the beer for the evening, used his better judgement and selected a keg of Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale. Additionally, I had a growler of the brand spankin' new Troegs Scratch 60 in tow, a Spring Fest Lager that was pretty tasty. Actually, I found myself drinking more of the Yards, although I almost single-handedly polished off the growler solo. Hey, its a session beer! All drinking aside, it would be ungentlemanly of me to go into more detail as to what went on at the aforementioned bachelor party. Let's just say that a good time was had by all, especially the groom-to-be!
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| The Last Soupie |
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| The guys (and Brewslut) with Sgt. Nate |
Our next stop was another Fishtown favorite - Memphis Taproom. Unfortunately, it was almost elbow to asshole when we entered, but we quickly snagged a corner table in the bar area. Since we'd eaten there on a previous visit, we knew the food was stellar, so we made plans to get dinner here. I opted for a vegan Shepherd's Pie (something I miss since becoming red meat-free), while Brewslut chose an apple salad. Beer-wise, I chose another session beer, this time a cask conditioned bitter from England called Bluebird bitter. It was fine, but didn't wow me. Brewslut went for the delicious Lost Abbey Deliverance, a blend of Brandy Barrel Angel's Share and Bourbon Barrel Serpent's Stout. Hot damn! This was one amazing beer!
After our visit at Memphis Taproom, we decided to swing by a place we hadn't visited before. Kraftwork is a modern beer bar also in the Fishtown district that may very well be my favorite beer bar in the city... and that's only after one visit! We grabbed two seats at the bar, which was actually a slightly lower than usual bar in the shape of a squared off letter "U". The decor at Kraftwork is modern with an industrial flair. Exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and metal tools posed as artwork decorated the establishment. The tap selection was varied and well thought out, with just about every style of American craft beer represented. The beer menu was laid out well and easy to read, with name, style, ABV, prices, etc. listed. The service was superb. Both of the bartenders on duty were extremely friendly and attentive.
For our first beer, we both opted for Russian River Pliny the Elder, a favorite DIPA amongst all hopheads. Afterwards, we selected a flight of 5-oz. pours that included North Coast Old Rasputin on nitro, Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, Darkhorse Blackbier and the Three Floyds/Mikkeller collaboration Boogoop. I can't give this place enough praise. This will be a must-visit on all future trips to Philly.
A quick stop to The Foodery was up next, and I picked up a mixed six-pack from a well-stocked selection at this fantastic but extremely cramped bottle shop. I was happy to find a bomber of Great Divide's excellent Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, as well as Maine Beer Company's Peeper Ale (a favorite pale ale of mine) and a few other 12oz. bottles that I haven't tried yet.
Our final stop of the evening was Dock Street, one of our favorite brewpubs in the city, not only for their fine beer, but also for their amazing wood fired pizzas. Brewslut and I shared a small vegan pie, topped with an assortment of veggies and tofu. For our beer selections, I went for my old Dock Street standby, Rye IPA and Brewslut chose the Prince Myshkin's Russian Imperial Stout. The vegan pie really hit the spot, and it was a good way to end a long day of imbibing!
After a good night's sleep, we awoke on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. First on the agenda was to hit up Cafe Lift for breakfast. We first visited Cafe Lift with Matt and Morgan during a recent visit to Philly, and we liked it so much that we wanted to go back. With a flair for fresh, unique specials and a varied menu that includes several vegetarian options, Cafe Lift is worth a stop just for the coffee and turkey bacon! Plus, they've got a hip European vibe and an ample waiting area (the latter of which is nice because they tend to get quite busy on the weekends).
First up on the drinking activities for the day was to hit up The Farmer's Cabinet in Center City. With a penchant for rare beers from Europe and pre-Prohibition cocktails, as well as a gourmet menu, The Farmer's Cabinet is also new home of Terry Hawbaker's beers. While the atmosphere is indeed quite awesome, its Terry's beers that keep me coming back. This is a must-stop for us when we visit Philly. On this particular occasion, we enjoyed a line-up of beers inspired by Joy Division songs. I must admit that I never got into any of the pre-Goth 80's alternative bands (such as Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, etc.), so I don't know much about the songs after which there beers were named. Brewslut and I each sampled 5-oz. pours of all four beers. First up was Exercise One, a Grisette brewed with peppercorns and Citra hops. This was pretty damn tasty, but the peppercorns were overshadowed by the citrus character of the hops...no complaints here, though. Second on the bill was New Dawn Fades, a dark Saison with lemongrass and peppercorns. This was quite a diverse and complex brew. Terry is know for brewing some exceptional Saisons, and this one is no exception. Up next was Heart and Soul, a Farmhouse pale ale brewed with chamomile and citrus peel. Think orange tea. The fourth and final beer was No Love Lost, a Farmhouse IPA (yeah... that's what I said) brewed with a Saison yeast. I must admit that this was a pretty damn delicious beer with an assertive piney, citrusy hop character and plenty of dark roast, not to mention the earthiness of the yeast. Another complex gem from Terry's brain. Next time, we'll be sure to hit up the new American craft beer-focused establishment owned by the same folks called The Boiler Maker. And its just around the corner from The Farmer's Cabinet.
Afterwards, we took a short walk to Nodding Head Brewing Co. for lunch and a beer before our trip back home. We both opted for the interesting-sounding Tasman, a low ABV pale ale brewed with organic Pacific Gem hops from New Zealand. I have enjoyed many beers brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops (most notable Alpine's Nelson), a hop variety indigenous to New Zealand, so I was anxious to try this beer. The hops imparted a berry-like sweetness that was odd at first but eventually grew on me. Unfortunately, Brewslut didn't respond favorably and therefore took a while for her to deplete the contents of her glass. Difference of opinions aside, we both enjoyed our lunch selections: her, the Moroccan Mussels and Frites, and me an interesting take on Huevos Rancheros, a brunch special that was not a regular menu item. We also shared the hummus of the day, which was an olive Tapenade. The first time we ever had hummus was at Nodding Head, so we always try to squeeze in a portion when we visit. Our meals were tasty and quite filling, leaving no more room for beer, unfortunately. Which brings us to the end of another trek to Philadelphia.
All in all, this was a perfect weekend for me: beer, food, video games, nudity and a little bit of fitness on the side!
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