August 28th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
- Griffin’s Mild firkin @ Gen. Lafayette Inn & Brewery (Lafayette Hill), today, 11:30 a.m.
- Bear Republic Racer 5 cask @ Kite & Key (Spring Garden), today.
- Scotty Karate @ TJ’s Restaurant & Drinkery (Paoli) Dark
Lord Horse special, Saturday (8/29), all day.
- Russian River Publication @ Monk’s Cafe (Center City), all weekend.
- McGillin’s 1860 IPA @ McGillin’s Old Ale House (Center City) author series featuring novelist William Lashner, Monday (9/1), 6 p.m.
- Long Trail Coffee Stout @ Beneluxx (Old City) Long Trail tasting, Tuesday (9/2), 7 p.m.
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August 27th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Philly Oktoberfest ‘09 is shaping up nicely. I’ll post later about the beer we’ve got lined up, but first the entertainment.
We’ll be hoisting mugs and tapping toes to the sounds of Heimat Klaenge, which translate roughly as “Music from Home.” It’s a six-piece band that you might’ve heard at other Oktoberfest celebrations, including at the sadly departed Ludwig’s Garten.
They’ll be joined by GTV Almrausch Schuhplattler, an outstanding German folk dance group. They’re talented and a lot of dizzy fun.
The festival is Saturday, Sept. 19th, at the 23rd Street Armory in Center City - all indoors with two sessions. We dropped ticket prices this year and added more port-o-johns. Tickets available here.
So grab your lederhosen and dirndls… it’s time to roll out the barrel!
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August 26th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Pete Brown’s new book, “Hops & Glory: One Man’s Search for the Beer That Built the British Empire.” I’ll be devoting a column to it soon, but in the meantime here’s something that jumped off the page at me:
In the 1870s… “brewing was the second-biggest industry in Britain, behind cotton.”
Now, while that statement is impressive, it’s Pete’s footnote observation that really struck me:
“The fact that you almost certainly didn’t know this (I didn’t until just now) is perhaps the most significant victory of the temperance lobby. I clearly remember studying Victorian industry at school. We learned all about cotton, coal, steel, steam and railways. Brewing - which at this stage was contributing over a third of the Exchequer’s total revenue and employing 1.5 million people - wasn’t mentioned once.
And, I’m thinking, yeah - I don’t remember a single lesson about the American beer industry in any of the history classes I ever took, either. We all learned about Louis Pasteur, for example, but it wasn’t until 20 years after I graduated that I realized that one of his most important works was “Etudes sur la Biere.”
I don’t know if the temperance movement is to blame, but I can’t believe every one of my teachers was a teetotaler. God knows I gave them enough reason to drink.
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August 18th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Who’s idea was it to schedule a hops harvest on the hottest week of the year? I’m heading up to Long Island to pick buds with the crew from the Southampton Brewery on Thursday. The harvest will go directly into Phil Markowski’s wet hop brew. Should be fun and I’m hoping to learn a bit about our friend, Humulus lupulus.
Here’s hoping they’ve got plenty of cold Alt for the farmhands.
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August 14th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
- Dock Street Triskaidekaphilia Dunkel Weisse @ Grey Lodge (Mayfair) 13th anniversary, Saturday (8/15) all day. Details here.
- Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout @ Capone’s (Norristown) Saturday (8/15), 11 a.m.
- Oud Beersel Framboise on tap @ Devil’s Den (South Philly) Pucker Up Sour Beer Fest, Saturday (8/15).
- Blithering Idiot @ Iron Abbey Gastro Pub (Horsham) Weyerbacher dinner. Wednesday (8/19). Tix: $35.
- Flower Power IPA @ Rembrandt’s (Fairmount) Ithaca Brewing tasting, Wednesday (8/19), 6-8 p.m.
- Saison @ Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant (West Chester) Saison-a-thon employee brew-off, Thursday (8/20), 6:30 p.m. Tix: $5 for sampling.
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August 13th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Although, to be fair, this happened at Wrigley Field, so it was probably Old Style. If this happened in Philly, you wouldn’t hear the end of it.
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August 12th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
One of my favorite local buildings is the Mercer Museum, that strange-looking, concrete castle up in Doylestown. The place is packed with all kinds of hand tools - the kind of stuff that Roy Underhill uses on “Woodwright’s Shop.”
Which makes it a fitting location for the brewing historian Rich Wagner to offer a presentation on early Philadelphia brewing techniques. It’s part of the 4th Annual Brew Night program on Friday (8/14) @ 6:30 p.m.
The evening will also feature a tutored tasting with Keystone Homebrew and Yards Brewing. Tix: $27. Call for reservations: 215-345-0210, ext. 123.
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August 10th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
Attention beer-drinking Scorsese wannabes: The Short Pour Film Festival at the Monterrey Beer Festival in June 2010 is looking for submissions.
It’s being billed as the first-ever film fest devoted to beer (not counting that weekend I watched “Animal House” at the Brookline Theater 5 consecutive times).
The festival features four categories:
- Live action short films
- Animation short films
- Music Videos
- Commercials
You’ll notice the emphasis is on short. Films must be 3 minutes or shorter.
More info, rules and the entry form here.
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August 7th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
- Sly Fox Palisade Pale Ale @ Earth Bread + Brewery (Mt. Airy) Sly Fox Hops Project night, today.
- Weyerbacher Reserva 2009 @ Weyerbacher Brewery (Easton, Northampton) release party, today, 5-7:30 p.m.
- Appalachian Hoppy Trails @ Township Line Beer & Cigars (Drexel Hill, Delco) tasting, Saturday (8/8), 1-3 p.m.
- McGillin’s 1860 IPA @ McGillin’s Old Ale Houe (Center City) 150th anniversary countdown, featuring author Lew Bryson, Tuesday (8/11), 6 p.m.
- Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye @ Union Jack’s on the Manatawny (Boyertown, Berks) Bear Republic vs. the East showdown, Thursday (8/13), 5-11 p.m.
- Brooklyn Sorachi Ace @ Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge (Center City), Thursday (8/13), 6-9 p.m.
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August 5th, 2009 Joe Sixpack
From last night’s kick-off to the 150th anniversary of McGillin’s Old Ale House. (Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon for the Courier-Post.)
Going into last night’s party, I had been a little worried that this crew might’ve breached the keg of the tavern’s new 1860 IPA (brewed by Stoudt’s) before Honest Abe and I could have our way with it. But the firkin we tapped last night was still virgin and spectacular.
This firkin was actually oak-aged, and it gave me an appreciation for the ale that old Pa McGillin must’ve been pouring back in the 1800s. It showed mellow woodsy notes which complemented the earthy Amarillo hops, then it finished with a soft, creamy vanilla caress.
And, yes, that’s a bottle of the IPA that Abe is holding. Owner Chris Mullins, who was strangely absent from the event, advises that bottles will be available for sale at local distributors this fall, pending label approval.
Here’s more photos from the Courier Post of last night’s fun. There are many more events coming as part of the anniversary, including book readings by local authors who’ve written about McGillin’s. The full lineup is here
And if you missed last week’s column, here’s my ode to McGillin’s and its wonderful history as an authentic Philadelphia original.
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