July 10th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
The World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut St., University City) is hosting a pretty cool series of beer dinners in August. It’s three shows featuring the jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter and his trio, along with dinner by chef Matt Babbage and beer. Dinner is $40 and tix to the show are $18. Or you can go a la carte and enjoy free beer samplings from 7-8 p.m. each night.
The dates:
- August 2: featuring Lost Abbey Brewery.
- August 8: featuring Riverhorse Brewery.
- August 15: featuring Bear Republic Brewery.
Info: 215-222-1400 or here.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 13th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
I’ve been a bit light on blogging lately, but I’ve got a good excuse: I’m helping out my better half with her new business. Mrs. Sixpack - formerly a fellow hard-as-nails reporter at the Daily News - has gone soft on me and opened up a (gasp!) yoga studio.
It’s Yoga on the Ridge in downtown Roxborough. Here’s the link.
I told her my main goal in life, now, is to convince nearby Coyle’s Cafe (directly across the street) to actually serve some decent beer so I can hang out there until she’s unfolded herself from Downward Facing Dog. In the meantime, you can find the two of us bending elbows (that’s yoga, right?) at Dawson St. Pub or the Old Eagle.
And what kind of beers do yogis drink? Ommmmmegang!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 13th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
I’m going to turn off comments until I can can the ringtone spam. Sorry.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 7th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Warm weather like today’s always gets me thinking of Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale. You can get a taste of this season’s batch during Happy Hour over in Jersey this Friday (5/9) for a fun beer-drinking session at Flying Fish Brewery (1940 Olney Avenue, Cherry Hill). Gene, Casey and the crew promise they’ll be pouring something special, and I’ll be signing copies of Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide. Stop in from 5-7 p.m.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
March 17th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
Sunday - It’s over. I’ll admit, I coasted on the last day and only attended the final beer dinner at Monk’s Cafe. Owner Tom Peters and chef Adam Glickman, as expected, pulled out all the stops with dishes from previous Michael Jackson dinners:
- Scallop w/ Duvel burre blanc. Duvel
- Smoked sweetbread dumpling w/ truffle sabayon. 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze.
- Foie Gras & Port Salut cheese phyllo with apple compote. Grottenbier.
- Pan-seared red snapper with watercress sauce. Saison Dupont.
- Roddenbach Osso Bucco with spring vegetables, duchesse potato. Rodenbach Grand Cru.
- Belgian chocolate ckae, mini blood orange cheesecake. Westvleteren 12.
Tom had several of the diners speak about their memories of Michael, which was a nice tribute. I pointed out how Philly (and I, personally) had benefited from Tom’s long friendship with Michael. The city’s unparalleled Belgian city is at least partly due to Tom’s efforts to host Michael on many occasions with spectacular beer dinners.
Also on Sunday, Mrs. Sixpack attended the Belgian Cafe Yak Fest (otherwise known as the Ladies Beer Tea). Here’s what us guys missed:
- New Belgium Eric’s Ale.
- Pancake topped with smoked duck, shrimp croquette, summer roll, fried mussels. Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux.
- Tea sandwiches. Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap.
- Chocolate mousse tarts, grilled fruit kabobs, sugar cookies, lemon bars. Rogue Chocolate Stout & Lindemans Framboise.
Y’know, that doesn’t exactly sound like chick beer…
Anyhow, all that’s left to PBW is empty kegs and post mortems. After 10 solid days of beer-drinking, this will be my dryest St. Paddy’s Day since 1973.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
March 9th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
I intended to start this on Friday, but the pace of events and a lousy cold have pushed things back. So on this cold, sunny Sunday I’ll try to catch up.
Friday, 7 a.m. - The first day of PBW starts off early when I find myself behind the bar at London Grill, pouring a pint of Phila. Brewing’s Kenzinger for a promo shot on Fox-29. A live interview follows in which host John Anderson implies it might be a little early for drinking beer.
11 a.m. - After heading back home for a breather, I get a call from my publicist - now CBS-3 wants to do an interview down at the Manayunk Brewery. The camera guy is working alone and asks the questions, too. The taping last 20 minutes - that night, about 15 seconds make it onto the air.
1:30 a.m. - I promised my partners I’d be at the Marketplace at East Falls by 1, but now I’m on the side of the road in my ar, doing a phone interview with CNN.
2:00 p.m. - Five hours till Joe Sixpack’s Philly Favorites and just 2 kegs are on site at the Marketplace at East Falls.
3:00 p.m. - A reporter from a Chinese news agency arrives from Washington, D.C. Yo, buddy, we tell him - you’ve got a long wait till there’s any beer.
5:00 p.m. - We finally start clearing tables and chairs and hang the banners. Shackamaxon Catering shows up and is all business. About half the 23 promised kegs are on site.
6:00 p.m. - An hour before showtime and we’re missing 3-4 kegs. Everyone’s running around looking for handtrucks and serving tables.
7:00 p.m. - I get a call from someone on the mayor’s staff to meet out on the loading dock. Uh, the mayor’s running late, he tells me.
7:05 p.m. - I grab the mic and tell the crowd, “This is Philly, we don’t need no stinkin’ mayor to drink beer. Philly Beer Week starts now!”
7:25 p.m. - Two TV news crews are shooting video, a van full of 15 out-of-town beer writers just showed up, there’s a guy dressed up like Ben Franklin (no, not Woody), 23 breweries are pouring my favorite beers, the band is starting to rock… and Mayor Nutter is in the building. You’ll pardon my smile - it was a great moment. We hustle Tom Peters of Monk’s Cafe, Bruce Nichols from Museum Catering, Jeff & Lisa Baskins from the Marketplace and the mayor onto the stage for the official opening cermony. I tell the mayor we couldn’t wait for him and he tells the crowd that, since he hadn’t formally announced the start of Philly Beer Week, they were all going to start drinking all over. Big roar. Then Nutter surprises everyone with a formal city proclamation that officially declares Philly Beer Week, reading it like he’s a standup on Leno. He caps it off by tapping a firkin of Yards ESA with two blows with his hammer. Ninety seconds later, there’s a pint of leaving a beer ring on the proclamation - classic Philly.
The rest of the night is a whir. Lots of signed copies of my book, lots of beer (the Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout mixed with Bananas Foster from Shackamaxon was a killer), lots of friends, lots more beer, and a final cleanup. Philly Beer Week was underway.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
February 9th, 2008 Joe Sixpack
I don’t think they’re talking about the beer.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »