Last night’s meet and greet at Monk’s Café with Father Isaac, prior of Abbey De Koningshoeven in the Netherlands, turned up one news tidbit: the monastery’s brewery is close to getting its “La Trappe” name back on bottles of its abbey beer sold in America.
The only Trappist brewery outside of Belgium has had its ups and downs over the years. At one point its beer was made by Artois. In 1999, it lost its rights to use the iconic “Authentic Trappist Product” logo when the International Trappist Association decided the monks were not as active in the brewery business as required under the association’s bylaws. (Its Koningshoeven Brewery is actually a subsidiary of Bavaria-Netherlands, another, private brewing company.) It regained its certification in 2005 after making a few changes and strengthening its relationship with the brewery.
(Just as an aside here for those who imagine robed monks stirring boiling kettles of wort: forget it. All the other Trappist breweries – Chimay, Westmalle, Orval, Achel, Rochefort & Westvleteren – employ professional brewers and a sales force. Monks brew less often than Oliver Wendell Douglas farmed.)
Even after the imbroglio was settled, however, American Trappist monks objected to the Dutch monastery’s marketing of its beer with “La Trappe” on its label. That’s why bottles sold in the U.S. are labeled as “Koningshoeven” (which Google tells me means either King Farmhouses or Royal Hooves)
Which brings us to Father Isaac’s visit to America this week.
He was here mainly to promote the brewery’s 125th anniversary, which is being marked by the release of a celebratory one-off, La Trappe Isidor. (Proceeds from the sale of the beer will help the monastery rebuild a sister monastery in Uganda.) It’s a 7.5 percent amber ale that’s been bittered with hops grown on the monastery’s grounds. I enjoyed one of the first samples poured in the U.S. last night; it was light-bodied, distinctly hoppy and – unlike most ales from this brewery – exceptionally dry.
Notably, Isidor is labeled with the “La Trappe” name, following a compromise with U.S. members of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.
Seeing an opening, Father Isaac met over the weekend with the American Trappists at their New Melleray Abbey in Iowa. After speaking with the members, he told me, “I’m very hopeful they’ll approve our La Trappe label” for the remainder of the abbey’s line of beers.
As you might expect at the crossroads where religion meets business, this is all very byzantine stuff involving weird distribution rights and pain-in-the-ass lawyers , not to mention cloistered characters who happen to produce some of the best beer in the world.
Yards Brewing is close to taking a giant step across the Delaware, with a new brewpub in the Camden County borough of Merchantville, N.J.
The brewery, Philly’s largest, is in talks with the borough to open the pub in the old PNC Bank building (below) at 9 S. Centre St. The borough purchased the 80-year-old building earlier this year through a $1.2 million bond issue, and holds a liquor license for the property.
“We felt that we’ve got a nice, older building with a lot of character,” Merchantville Mayor Frank North told me this morning. “A brewpub would be the right thing for that building, and the right thing for the town… We have a lot of young families and a lot of young professionals coming to Merchantville. This would be a place for them to have dinner and relax and help vitalize the downtown.”
For Yards, the brewpub would be an effective means of spreading its brand to New Jersey - a big priority as it expands production. The Northern Liberties brewery is currently working to open a pub in its production facility on Delaware Avenue.
No word on how long this project will take to come together. Talks over financing and lease negotiations are underway. The big plus is that the borough holds the necessary liquor license, which is always a huge impediment for would-be restaurant and tavern developers.
For Jersey beer lovers, the development would be one more step in the region’s slow but positive evolution as a decent beer destination. Merchantville is just 10 minutes down the road from the soon-to-open Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Maple Shade. And the borough itself is already home to the Blue Monkey (2 S. Centre St.), which pours 24 taps (including Founders, Stoudt’s, Sixpoint, Weihenstephan, Maudite, Flying Fish, Chimay, Corsendonk…)
A couple weeks ago, I put out a call on Facebook for beer recipes for the grill. Yesterday, for Father’s Day, I tried a simple one offered by Chris Leonard from Gen. Lafayette: flank steak marinated in Chocolate Thunder Porter.
I didn’t have any porter, though, and substituted Samuel Adams Longshot Traditional Bock plus a bit of teriyaki. Soaked overnight, the steak was absolutely superb. I don’t know if it’s the cut, but the flank totally sucked up all that malty goodness.
And now I’m going to try a couple of these delicious-looking recipes (click on the PDF files below) submitted by Meghan Maguire of Ommegang. The plum pork spareribs with Witte sounds tremendous.
Before you go off complaining about the damn Pennsylvania Supreme Court and its ruling last week against sixpack sales in convenience stores, realize that what was required to enable those sales in this case was an activist court.
Quick recap: Sheetz, kind of the Wawa of western Pa., sought a retail license - the type that’s available to delicatessens (the Foodery) or even supermarkets (Wegman’s), as long as they maintain a separate seating area inside the store where customers can consume the beer. Sheetz had made no such provision, and wanted to sell beer for takeout only.
I know, stupid rule - the whole idea of sixpacks is they’re handy for taking home. The PLCB must’ve been on the same page, because it granted the license.
The state’s beer distributor association appealed the decision and won in Commonwealth Court. Sheetz was joined by the PLCB in the appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The high court rightly rejected the licensing because the PLCB clearly ignored the explicit intent of the law.* Namely, that there are two basic licenses:
R-retail. Permits consumption of beer on premises and sixpack sales to go.
D-distributor. No requirement to maintain seating on premises, but must sell beer by the case.
Sheetz, the court noted, wanted it both ways: sales of sixpacks without the obligation to maintain a separate seating area. Allowing an R licensee that right would be patently unfair to those who paid substantial fees for their D license, the court said.
Yes, the wording of the rule is a bit dodgy (see below), and the dissent rightly pointed out that the R licensees have to purchase their beer from D licensees, so what’s the big deal? But the majority opinion noted (and this is hugely important to any discussion about state liquor laws) that “the purpose of the Code is to restrain the sale of alcohol and to protect the public welfare, health, peace, and morals of the citizens of Pennsylvania.” So, on any close calls, beer lovers are going to be on the losing side.
Outdated concept of beer? Hell, yeah. But the court stated that “…it is not our role to sanction such a momentous transformation.” In other words, if you supported sixpacks in this case, you need an activist bench.
“Retail dispenser” shall mean any person licensed to engage in the retail sale of malt or brewed beverages for consumption on the premises of such licensee, with the privilege of selling malt or brewed beverages in quantities not in excess of one hundred ninety-two fluid ounces in a single sale to one person, to be carried from the premises by the purchaser thereof.
The lousy weather failed to put much of a damper on yesterday’s N.J. Brewers Guild festival aboard the Battleship New Jersey. The event was held under a tent, so while everything was a bit soggy, the turnout was very good and the beer was excellent. The biggest complaints I heard came from the brewers themselves; because they had arrived early to set-up their gear, most of them were forced to unload their trucks in a downpour.
The payoff, as I said, was tremendous beer. I always look forward to this festival because most of the breweries that attend are not local, giving me an opportunity to sample foreign brews without actually traveling. I think this year might’ve been the best, with an outstanding range of both classic styles and unusual varieties. And with all honesty, I tasted only one disappointing sample: a crappy fruit beer from a brewery whose name I’ve already forgotten. Meanwhile, here are my highlights:
Triumph (Princeton) Sour Tripel. I had a feeling this would a good one when I saw a bunch of local beer geeks huddled near the keg. Very tart and way too easy to drink, despite its 11 percent abv.
Pizzeria Uno (Metuchen) Porter. Served on cask, it was quite mellow and very nicely balanced.
Harvest Moon (New Brunswick) Saison. Light, spicy, very refreshing. I haven’t visited HM’s brewpub in years; I’m going to have to stop in next time I travel I-95 in North Jersey.
Basil T’s (Woodbridge) Smoked Pale Ale. I’m used to smoked lagers or porters, so a smoked pale ale was a first for me, and they nailed it. Not overly smoky, very enjoyable.
Iron Hill (Maple Shade) Pig Iron Porter. IH’s new joint hasn’t cranked up the brew kettles yet (brewer Chris LaPierre told me that should happen later this week), so this was actually brewed by Larry Horwitz (I’m guessing in West Chester). What a freaking excellent beer. Rich, chocolatey, with a perfectly bittered edge. IH should send this one out to Denver for the GABF.
This week’s spot with Anthony & Glen focused on beers from the Far East. If you were listening and didn’t have a pencil handy, here’s what I recommended. All are available in the Philly vicinity.
Hitachino Nest Red Rice(Japan) - almost anything from this small brewery is superb, including its Belgian-style White and XH, aged in sake casks.
San Miguel Dark(Philippines) - basically a Munich-style dunkel. Sweet and pairs well with food.
Asahi Black (Japan) - Very hard to find. Full-bodied and somewhat malty, plus - unlike Kirin - it’s actually brewed in Japan.
Harbin(China) - Basically a pale Euro lager. I mentioned mainly as an alternative to the far-more familiar Tsingtao.
Craft beer drinkers always seem to be in search of the next, best thing, a trend that’s reflected in today’s column. But sometimes we forget about old standbys.Yards ESA comes to mind because it’s been around for years.
I enjoyed a fresh sixtel at a friend’s party a couple weeks ago, and I have to say it was the best ESA I’ve tasted in 3 years. I think Yards is nailing that style in its new brewery.
There’s even better news coming down the road. The brewery’s Tom Kehoe tells me Yards is close to getting its hands on a bunch of Hoff-Stevens kegs with Sankey hookups. Why is that important? Because the old-style kegs (mostly extinct) are equipped with a side bunghole, which would allow the brewery to dry-hop the cask-conditioned ale, as it was originally designed.
The acquisition would mean more work at the brewery: insertion of hop pockets (basically a mesh sock filled with hops) and separate cleaning. But it will also produce a more aromatic, fresher-tasting bitter when served on a handpump.
Stay tuned, I’ll have more details on where you can find the old and improved ESA. And there’s more news about Yards coming later today.
Saturday is the last full day before the summer solstice, and it’s packed with more beer events than I’ve seen since Beer Week. Sunday is Father’s Day, providing a perfect opportunity for everyone to sleep it off.
The stars must be in perfect alignment. Check out Saturday’s events:
11 a.m.-8 p.m. - 2nd Street Festival in Northern Liberties. Food, music and suds from the neighborhood’s many great beer destinations. 60 vendors, bring the kids. PAYG.
11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. - Saison Lunch @ Johnny Brenda’s (Frankford & Girard, Fishtown). 10 Saison/ Farmhouse Ale/Biere de Gardes plus traditional brunch with French country specialties. PAYG.
Noon-3 p.m. - Southern Tier Beer Lunch @ High Street Grill (Mt. Holly, N.J.). Four courses paired with the beers of Southern Tier, including Cherry Saison. Tix: $45.
Noon-6 p.m. - 6th Annual Asian Festival @ Penn’s Landing. I doubt there will be much in the way of beer, but there’s plenty of Asian food. Wash it down with a cold one in nearby Old City. Free.
1 p.m.-midnight - Wheat Beers of Summer Festival in the beer garden @ Blue Ox Bistro (7980 Oxford Ave., Fox Chase). 20 different wheat beers PAYG, $4/glass.
1-11 p.m.- One-year anniversary of the Institute (12th & Green, above Spring Garden). Primo taps (Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, He’brew Lenny R.I.P.A. Aged in Rittenhouse Rye barrels) with free buffet (till 3 p.m.). PAYG.
3 p.m. - BBQ @ the Ballpark. Beer from Sly Fox and River Horse, food from Sweet Lucy’s. (Sold out.)
Still thirsty? If you’ve got room for more, join City Food Tours’ Craft Beer & Artisanal Cheese tour in Old City on Sunday afternoon. Tix ($45) here.
The tour begins on Saturday July 25th and arrives at the brewery Friday, August 1st for the VIP Dinner and two nights of camping on the brewery grounds. It’s a bit of a grind, but yours truly managed it after just 6 weeks of training. There’s great food and beer and very comfy hotels every night and, the ultimate payoff is, without a doubt, one of the top 3 beer festivals in America.
The price will be $1250 (double occupancy + $400 for single), which includes accommodations and most dinners and breakfasts (alcohol & lunch not included) PLUS VIP tickets for the Belgian Beer festival along with 2 nights camping. Transportation of camping gear & clothing to the festival is provided, and with return transportation for you and your gear back to Philly. You will also receive a DVD video diary of the trip as well as a cycling jersey.
For more info, drop jeff an email: bicycleja at yahoo.com
In the meantime, check out this itinerary that Jeff sent along.
Sunday, July 26th we ride about 38 miles to Delaware Water Gap with an optional afternoon ride of 20-25 miles to visit 2 breweries. We’re staying at the Deer Head Inn where we’ll eat dinner and enjoy an evening of Jazz. Breakfast is included the following morning.
Monday, July 27th we have a spectacular ride through Delaware Water National Recreation Area to Milford, PA (about 40 miles) where we stay at the beautiful Hotel Fauchere. In the afternoon riders will have the option of riding to the top of NJ, in High Point State Park with dinner back at the hotel that evening. Breakfast is included the following morning.
Tuesday, July 28th we ride to Hawley, PA (about 40 miles, there will also be an optional afternoon ride) where we’ll be staying at the The Settlers Inn, a fabulous Arts and Crafts style inn with an excellent dinner which includes a great beer selection. Breakfast is included the following morning.
Wednesday, July 29th we ride about 70 miles to Hancock, NY where we’ll stay at the Hancock House Hotel. Dinner is on your own but we recommend the Bluestone Grill.
Thursday, July 30th (breakfast at the hotel on your own) we ride 50 miles to Andes, NY and stay at the Andes Hotel for a special meal and more great beers.
Friday, July 31st-(breakfast on your own, restaurant across the street) we ride the last 50 miles to the Ommegang Brewery where we’ll set up camp before the VIP dinner that evening.
Saturday, August 1st - Before the Festival we plan to ride around Lake Otsego which is about 35 miles. There will be time to shower and get something to eat before the festival begins at 2pm and goes until 6pm. That evening we’ll enjoy a BBQ hosted by Iron Hill Brewery. Food is available for purchase day of the festival as well.
Sunday, August 2nd – Break down camp, pack up and return to Philadelphia around 11am.
