July 14th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
I stopped in last night at Megan’s Good Grub & Pub, Atlantic City’s first so-called “American gastropub.” It’s on the Boardwalk next to the huge empty lot where the Sands stood (and where the $1 billion Pinnacle casino was to be built till the economy took a dive).
The good news is the food is excellent. I had a plate of shrimp and grits ($13) that was outstanding. It reminded me of a dish of savory polenta, only nuttier. I’m going to ask Mrs. Sixpack to try her hand at it.
The place bills itself as a pub, but it has less warmth and character than a TGIFriday’s. It’s decorated with the kind of wacky decor that seeks to be ironic but comes off looking like the owner gave the company credit card to his girlfriend and sent her to the Rt. 70 Flea Market.
And the beer? It’s all crap on tap, which means they’ve likely cut themselves a nice deal on kegs. As for bottles: lots of Bud stuff, plus Magic Hat #9 and Sam Adams Boston Lager - nothing unusual there. Also, no Jersey microbrews, which means the distributor has his head up his ass.
But then it takes a weird turn: I actually had to ask the bartender what that bottle was behind the bar, next to the SNPA.
“Um, you mean the barleywine?”
“You’ve got Bigfoot Ale in bottles? Who the hell drinks barleywine on the beach?”
A closer look at the bottle lineup also revealed S.A. Imperial Stout and Ommegang Three Philosophers. That’s three bottles in the range of 10 percent alcohol.
When they’re still sitting there, untouched, 3 months from now, the owner’s going to say, “See, nobody drinks good beer at the shore.”
I finished up and headed down the Boardwalk to Firewaters (inside the Tropicana on the lower level near Hooters), where they’re serving no fewer than 4 German hefes on tap. Now, that’s beach beer.
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July 10th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
- Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve @ Grey Lodge Pub (Mayfair) Christmas in July, tonight, 6-9 p.m
- Black Mamba Belgian Dark Ale @ Blue Dog Pub (Lansdale, Montco) Bear Republic night, today, 6:30 p.m.
- Legacy Midnight Wit @ Pints for Pups Reading Phillies game/Human Society fund-raiser, Saturday (7/11), 6 p.m. Tix: $30.
- Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout @ Rembrandt’s (Fairmount) Bell’s beer/food pairing, Wednesday (7/15), 7 p.m. Tix: $35.
- Flying Fish Exit 11 @ Varga (Wash Sq. West) & The Swift Half (Northern Liberties) simultaneous release parties, Wednesday (7/15), 7-9 p.m.
- Troegs Mad Elf (3 vintages) @ Ortino’s Northside (Zeiglersville, Montco) Christmas in July, Thursday (7/16), 7 p.m.
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July 8th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
The old Rolling Rock facility has had its ups and downs since Anheuser-Busch bought the label in 2006 and abandoned the small western Pennsylvania town for Newark, N.J. City Brewing of Lacrosse, Wis., owns the plant now, and has run through several different deals, brewing/bottling various labels, including dreaded malternatives.
Until last fall, it had been brewing Sam Adams products. But that deal ended when Boston Beer purchased the former Schaefer plant in Lehigh Valley. The Latrobe facility had been mostly dormant ever since and was forced to lay off workers.
Last month, Pittsburgh’s Iron City - saddled with unpaid bills and an aging faciity - announced it would pack up and move 40 miles west east to Latrobe. It was a move that was viewed with a bit of shrug. Iron City’s labels are, in a word, dying; not much future in them for Latrobe.
The good news, though, is that the Rolling Rock plant has a 1.3 million bbl/year capacity - well more than what Iron City will produce. That excess capacity means it can handle new contract deals with small (mainly east coast) brewers looking for an alternative to FX Matt of Utica, N.Y., and the Lion of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Small brewers like the rapidly growing Southampton Ales & Lagers. Head brewer Phil Markowski told me today Southampton is splitting from the Lion and will move production of its flagship sixpacks (Double White, Double IPA and Altbier) to Latrobe. He said he’s headed there next week, to brew this season’s first batch of Pumpkin Ale, which will also be available in 12-ouncers. (Southampton’s popular 750s will continue to be bottled at Sly Fox in Royersford.)
Ironically, this marks a return to Latrobe for Markowski. In 1997, he designed a short-lived variety of craft beers for the brewery: Latrobe Bavarian Black, Latrobe Bohemian Pilsner, and American Pale Ale.
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July 8th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Word arrived today that the Brewers Association has decided to cancel its annual Michael Jackson Beer Journalism awards program this year. The 5-year-old program was named in honor of the Beer Hunter following his unexpected death in 2007.
The award, sponsored over the years by Sam Adams and Rogue, was presented annually to three writers during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
Julia Herz, the B.A.’s craft beer program director, explained, “After 5 years it had grown to a level that was difficult to execute as the number of entries was ever increasing…”
Here’s a 2008 piece from Andy Crouch that provides some excellent background - and concerns - about the awards.
Just for the sake of posterity (and as a shout-out to All About Magazine, which dominated), here’s the full list of winners. (Philly writers bfc.)
2004
- James P. DeWan, Chicago Tribune
- Lisa Morrison, Internet Broadcast Systems network
- Stan Hieronymus, All About Beer magazine
- Michael Jackson, Distinguished Service Award
2005
- Ken Wells, Wall Street Journal
- Sandy Riesgraf and Mike Reidel, Fox 13 News, Salt Lake City.
- Fred Eckhardt, All About Beer magazine
2006
- Joe Sixpack, Philadelphia Daily News
- Carolyn Smagalski, BellaOnline
- Tony Galea, Yankee Brew News
2007
- Marnie Old, Santé magazine
- Roger Sherman and Jesse Sweet, Florentine Films
- Julie Johnson Bradford, All About Beer magazine
2008
- Lew Bryson, All About Beer magazine
- Mark Marion, ??
- Adem Tepedelen, Imbibe magazine
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July 5th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
I’m down the shore for two weeks, which - other than Tun Tavern and Firewaters - is fairly devoid of quality beer. Maybe I’ll make it down to Irene’s in Wildwood, but I’ll spend most of my time on the beach and the front porch.
Naturally I packed a bunch of stuff from home plus made my obligatory stop at Circle Liquors. Here’s what I’ve got in my fridge. If you can find me on the beach, you’re welcome to share:
- Weyerbacher Merry Monks
- Elysian Avatar IPA
- Long Trail Brewmaster Series Double Ipa
- Ommegang Rare Vos
- Weltenburger Asam Bock
- Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
- Two Brothers Prairie Path Golden Ale & Domaine DuPage
- Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve
- Widmer Drifter
- Avery Karma
- Bell’s Amber
- Schneider Weisse
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
- Anchor Steam
- Sam Adams Boston Lager
- Terrapin Sun Ray, Big Hoppy Monster & Coffee Oatmeal Imp Stout
- Great Divide Denver Pale Ale, Titan IPA & Hades Belgian,
- Abita Jockamo IPA, Restoration, Wheat, Amber & Purple Haze
- Lindeman’s Peche.
- Troegs Scratch 18.
For cocktails: Ron del Barlito rum.
It looks like my brother-in-law left behind some Coors Light. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll get to that.
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July 3rd, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Word arrives this morning from Leigh Maida and Brendan “Spanky” Hartranft, the folks at Memphis Taproom and Local 44, that they’ll be opening their third joint in September. They’re moving into the space formerly occupied by the Yello Bar (Grays Ferry Ave and Catharine Street).
Their new bar will be called Resurrection Ale House, a beer-centric bistro. (No indication whether this is Spanky’s dream of a cask ale-only tavern. Interestingly, Leigh reports he’s planning to round up a keg of Brewer’s Art Resurrection - currently unavailable in Philly - for the opening.)
Sez Leigh:
We’re hammering out a menu now that we think fills a gap in the neighborhood, casual, beer-centric, someplace you can feel like a grown up, and be catered to with care, but not have to spend a ton of money to feel like you got some real value out of your experience. We’re focused (as always) on a stellar craft beer list, but we’re equally focused this time on the dining side of things too. For now we’re sort of working under the term “beer bistro” as a guiding principle, for the menu, the decor, the over all vibe of the place. We’re hoping for the same kinds of laid back, food and beer savvy, mixed-bag of cool guests that we get to meet at Memphis and Local 44.Â
According to Leigh, Yello closed last night.
Here’s the website, where you can sign up for a mailing list to get first word on opening night.
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July 2nd, 2009 Joe Sixpack
The buzz around town this week was over the opening of Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street. Meanwhile, an hour and a half up the Jersey Turnpike, the new Zeppelin Hall opened, and it sounds like a monster: 144 taps and a massive outdoor garden with seating for 800.
I haven’t had the chance to visit, yet, but here’s a guy with a new blog who’s committed himself to trying every one of the taps.
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July 2nd, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Since it opened in ‘07, Florida’s tiny Saint Sylvester brewery has built a quick and well-deserved rep for bottle-conditioned farmhouse ales. Founder/brewer Bob Sylvester reports he’s going to start keg-conditioning some of his beer for the New York market, where his distributor helpfully provided the necessary barrels.
Which, in my not-so-subtle hint to St. Sylvester’s distributor in Philly (Bella Vista) to track down more kegs!
In other Somewhere news, Sylvester expects to debut his new Pays du Soleil (Sunshine State) at a craft brew festival in Florida on July 18th. It’s a saison flavored with whole hibiscus and palmetto berries, the latter of which Sylvester says tastes like a cross between roasted peanuts and black patent malt.
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July 1st, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Center City finally has a German restaurant once again. Brauhaus Schmitz (718 South St.) is the new baby from Doug Hager and his wife, Kelly Schmitz-Hager. IÂ stopped in yesterday for a bite and a gulp.
Two things to note right up front:
- There’s an informational picket line on the sidewalk, by the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters. They say the owners used non-union labor. I confess I crossed the line - mainly because I have a job to do. I have mixed feelings on this because I’m a union member, but in this economy I want to see a new business succeed. Also, the pamphlet calls Dough and Kelly “rats,” which is just bullshit intimidation. In any case, I think I’m going to wait till it’s gone before I return. You make your own decision.
- On a more pleasant note, the waitresses are wearing dirndls. Of course, I support this as a matter of authenticity and not merely eye appeal.
As for the bar itself, it’s beautiful. Handsome oak details, old German touches, a wall full of old apothecary boxes, a giant plaque with the Reinheitsgebot in German.
The taps are well thought-out, a nice group that’s nearly equal to the now-closed Ludwig’s at its finest. Among the notables: Schneider Aventinus, Franziskaner Dunkelweisse, Schlenkerla Helles (!), Kostritzer, Uerige Sticke Alt, Bayerischer Berliner Weisse, Ayinger Brau-Weiss, Reissdorf Kölsch, plus a house beer from Stoudt’s. Can’t complain about that, though as I sat there I tried to think of an alternative to its doppelbock (Optimator, Salvator) selection. Is Weltenburger Asam available of draft?
Food-wise, you’ll find many classic German dishes. Potato pancakes and roll mops as appys; house-made knackwurst and other specialties from Rieker’s Meats; and, of course, schnitzel. And try a pretzel with spicy mustard; Doug says they get their characteristic hard crust by soaking them in food-grade lye.
Bottom line: Like all new joints, give the kitchen and staff a chance to get up to speed. Enjoy the superb beer (yes, you can buy a full liter), and thank god we’ve got an authentic German tavern back in our very German town!
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