January 6th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
NBC10, or whatever it calls itself these days, is running a “Best of the Best of” series, compiling the winners in various “best of” awards. This week, it’s doing the best beer joints of Philly
I suppose beer drinkers should be grateful that a local TV station devoted some web space to the craft beer scene. And you certainly can’t complain about the list of bars it singles out: Teresa’s Next Door (voted No. 1 by Philly mag), the Grey Lodge Pub (Fox Philly), Monk’s Cafe (City Search & AOL) and the Foodery ( Around Town).
My problem is the damn photograph that accompanies the report.
Now I know what you’re saying: Those are some nice taps!
But they’re obviously imported - from Britain, I’d guess from the “Axe the Beer Tax” emblems. Instead of illustrating a story about Philly bars with an actual photograph of a Philly bar, NBC10 grabbed a generic shot from Getty Images.
Lazy or just more evidence of newsroom cuts? Does it matter?
Posted in Tavern | No Comments »
January 5th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Just got word that Brewery Ommegang will produce its first official Christmas/winter beer next season. The brewery hasn’t decided on a style, yet.
This year, Ommegang marketed its Chocolate Indulgence Stout as its winter seasonal; a keg of it made a surprise appearance at the Philly Christmas Beer Fest (despite my mis-tapping, which left me soaked with the sticky stout).
Ommegang Minister of Propaganda Larry Bennett reports the beer will probably “fit somewhere in the range of a high-gravity Belgian-style winter warmer, with an Ommegang twist.” He adds, “Feel free to send ideas, recommendations and samples of Noel beers you love. We promise to use for educational purposes only.”
Meanwhile, look for kegs of Inauguration Ale 2009 to make their appearance this month. The brewery wanted to call it Obamagang, but the feds frowned on that. Bennett describes it as somewhere “between a porter and stout, with a bit of Kriek and a touch of chocolate blended in.” A portion of sales will benefit local (as yet named) charities.
Posted in Christmas beer, Beer etc. | 2 Comments »
January 2nd, 2009 Joe Sixpack
If you ever wonder whether something is legal under the Pennsylvania Liquor Code, you can easily fire off an email to the staff attorney, and she’ll get back to you in a couple of weeks with an advisory opinion. For educational purposes, the opinions are posted here.
Most of the opinions have something to do with the distribution of alcohol - fairly dry stuff. And then there’s this one posted last spring, spurred by a question sent in by someone identified only as “Nicole”:
RE: “Coyote Ugly” Practices
ISSUE: This correspondence is in response to your e-mail, dated April 1, 2008, in which you state that the bar at which you are employed would like to have “a coyote ugly thing” on Friday nights. You ask what you can and cannot do in this regard. More specifically, you ask if you can dance on top of the bar and pour shots into patrons’ mouths.
OPINION: Since you do not explain the meaning of “a coyote ugly thing,” this office cannot provide you with information pertaining to that type of activity. However, with regard to dancing on the bar, please be advised that section 493(10) of the Liquor Code [47 P.S. § 4-493(10)] prohibits liquor licensees from permitting any lewd, immoral, or improper entertainment in a licensed premises or in any place operated in connection therewith. [See also 40 Pa. Code § 5.32(b)]…
With regard to pouring shots into patrons’ mouths, please be advised that the Liquor Code prohibits any person from providing any alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person. [47 P.S. § 4-493(1)]. Please also be advised that the Board’s Regulations prohibit allowing for an unlimited amount of alcohol for a set price and restrict discount pricing practices of alcoholic beverages. [40 Pa. Code § 13.102]. A retail liquor licensee is permitted to give one (1) free alcoholic beverage to adult patrons on its premises, provided the giving of the alcoholic beverage is not contingent upon the purchase of any other alcoholic beverage and is limited to one (1) standard-sized alcoholic beverage per patron in any offering. [40 Pa. Code § 13.53]. A standard-sized alcoholic beverage is twelve (12) fluid ounces of a malt or brewed beverage, four (4) fluid ounces of wine (including fortified wine), and one-and-one-half (1½) fluid ounces of liquor. [Id.].
So, if I’m reading this right, the behavior illustrated below is basically legal in Pennsylvania, assuming:
- That’s exactly 1.5 fluid oz. of Jack going down the dude’s gullet.
- The babe’s tramp stamp doesn’t say, “Lick Here.”
Posted in Regs | Comments Off
January 2nd, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Michael Klein is reporting that Brasserie Perrier bit the dust. New Year’s Eve was its last night. I always liked the place - great place for upscale dates and a good steak.
I mention its demise because here’s an opportunity for someone to create a high-end craft beer mecca on Walnut Street. The property already has a very nice bar and its tap system was just upgraded this spring.
What I’d like to see is a swanky Center City restaurant that thinks about beer (not wine) first. Think of a place like XIX or the Fountain or Prime Rib, but with the beer sensibility of Tria Cafe. The kind of place where out-of-town businessmen can pad their expenses, where you’d take your parents for their 25th wedding anniversary, where the chef pairs a plate of sweetbreads with Kwak, where the restaurant critic at Esquire leaves happily and finally writes something about lambic or India pale ale instead of Bordeaux. A maître d’, white tablecloths, superb service and a cellarman who knows how to tap a cask of ale.
Wait a second… What the hell am I talking about? I’d probably get kicked out for not wearing a jacket and tie.
Posted in Tavern | 1 Comment »
January 1st, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Check in tomorrow when I unveil my six favorite beers of ‘08. They’re not necessarily the best beers I tasted, but the circumstances - the people, the places, the events - that surrounded the brews made them all very memorable.
In the meantime, several other bloggers have handed out their annual awards:
Jack Curtin’s Liquid Diet says that little bike ride I took to Cooperstown with a bunch of friends was the “Grand Beer Adventure of the Year.” He also named Joe Sixpack “Beer Writer of the Year,” awarded, I suspect, because I hauled my ass out to Phoenixville to hand-deliver the sickly gentleman his copy of “Christmas Beer.”
Rick Sellers, Draft magazine beer director, agreed, Philly is America’s best beer-drinking city.
The Madison Beer Review (Wisconsin) named New Glarus its brewery of the year. Unfortunately, you can’t get New Glarus in Philly, which means only one thing: road trip.
Jay Brooks rates the 10 top news stories of ‘08. Philly Beer Week is No. 7, just behind the unveiling of Budweiser American Ale. Shockingly, the list does not include the death of Zima.
Pete Brown has a nice rundown on all things beer on the other side of the Atlantic. Orkney’s Dark Island Reserve is his beer of the year, followed by Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse. I wouldn’t kick either of ‘em out of bed.
William Brand calls Russian River Pliny the Elder the best beer of ‘08, another beer I’d gladly gulp. Chicagoist says its best beer was Bosteels Deus (Brut des Flandres), which is just fine, but completely overpriced at $40 per bottle.
Hoosier Beer Geek declared Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper the year’s best. Mikkeller is one those trendy Scandinavian brewers with a decent but pricy portfolio; curiously, though, this Christmas beer was actually contract-brewed by DeProef in Belgium. To be honest, I enjoyed S.L.H. from Port Brewing even more.
The Beer Rover doesn’t mince words: The worst beer of the year was the house brew at some place called the Venetian Restaurant in Point Loma, Calif., made by Karl Strauss. The best beer of the year: Stone Vertical Epic 08.08.08, with another vote for Pliny the Elder.
Posted in Beer etc., Philly Beer Week | 1 Comment »
