It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

It was a dark and stormy night.  Actually that's how I expected this night to be after heavy snowfall for the first half of the day here in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.  Instead, the afternoon was quite nice and the sun even  made an appearance.  My wife had the driveway shoveled.  Actually she was still shoveling the last little bit as I came home from work.  You know, that bit at the end of the driveway where the snow plows always dump mounds of hardened snow onto your freshly shoveled driveway.  I volunteered to finish the rest but she insisted on completing the job.  As a reward for a job well done, I went inside and ordered a pizza.  Not only did I order the pizza, I went back out into the night to retrieve the pizza.  On the way to pick up the pizza I stopped at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville for a beer as time permitted.  I had a Pikeland Pils which went down so quickly and smoothly that I decided to have a Pughtown Porter.  I enjoyed this porter quite a bit but it was time to get the pizza and head on home.

Well after dinner and once the kids were settled in for the night I made a run to the grocery store.  On the way to the grocery store I stopped in at Ron's Original Bar and Grille in Exton.  I knew they had Pliny The Elder from Russian River on tap and I couldn't help myself.  The Pliny was awesome as usual.  I followed this with a Lagunitas IPA.  I expected to be disappointed after that Pliny but a funny thing happened.  I actually enjoyed that Lagunitas.  That's not to say that I think Lagunitas is a bad beer.  Quite the contrary.  But any beer would have a hard time following Pliny The Elder. 

After all of that hop goodiness, I was ready to leave but then I thought, "Why not follow that up with a nice malty barleywine"?  I ordered a Czar from Avery but was told it had just kicked.  I spontaneously ordered an Old Ruffian from Great Divide Brewing Company.  Now this is a really good barleywine.  Despite the malty goodness the hops somehow managed to come through.  Well done.  Off to the grocery store and finally home for the night.

Home or Hulmeville?

I was in New Jersey on business today.  After all that work I developed quite a thirst but unfortunately, like I said, I was in New Jersey.  I felt like I had to get back to Pennsylvania to get a nice beer but where?  Could I wait to get back towards home or should I take a chance on a place out that way.  I remembered that I heard good things about the Hulmeville Inn as far as beer selection is concerned and more importantly...it is not far from the NJ-PA border.  I found my way to Hulmeville.  A sign on the door warns that this is a smoking establishment, a fact not lost on most of the patrons at the bar.  They had Man Full of Trouble Porter from Dock Street Brewing Company on the hand pump.  I did enjoy this beer quite a bit.  It was nice and roasty like you would expect a from a porter.  I suspect I wouldn't enjoy a regular draught of this one as much but you never know.  That is an experiment for another day.

Still A Beautiful Day If Only Average Beers

It's Saturday afternoon and we are out for a ride hoping the kids will fall asleep.  As we pass by the Craft Ale House in Limerick I have two sleepers and one wide awake.  I continue down the road and as we approach Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny things get worse.  Only one sleeper.  I went in anyway because at this point I am pretty thirsty.  I finally tried the Wheat Wine from Founders Brewing Company.  It was an interesting spicey beer but not really my style (with the exception of the 10% abv).  Union Jack's also had a California Dreamin' IPA from Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant.  Manayunk beers have disappointed me in the past but it is usually my practice to continue going back to give disappointing brewers a second, third, fourth...shot at redemption.  I must admit this beer was better than I expected...from Manayunk.  Still though, it is not one which I will go out of my way for.

Later in the evening I slipped out to pick up some fast food to bring home for dinner.  But first...a stop at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville.  I had a Route 113 IPA.  It was unremarkable (i.e. not great but not bad either).  I also had a sample of the Gang Aft Agley that was pouring from the hand pump.  This was a sweet and malty Scottish wee heavy.  It would be a really nice beer if that is your style.

Just Another Friday Night

So I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern tonight.  Actually, what happened is that the other great beer bars in the area that actually list their lineup on the internet were not showing that great a lineup.  Since the Flying Pig doesn't list their lineup on the internet (that I know of) I thought I would take my chances.  What a great choice.  My first was a cask-conditioned Dogtown Pale Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  I had this beer on draught before and it was really good.  So was the cask-conditioned version.  With Bell's Hopslam on the list I had no choice but to order one.  It was awesome as usual.  Next up was a Mojo Risin from Boulder Beer Company.  It was good but I didn't give it a fair shake as I tried it after that big Hopslam.  I will say this.  It poured awesome.  It was creamy and thick with a great mouthfeel.  It was time to leave and pick up a couple of pizzas for dinner.

As it turns out the pizza was going to take longer than expected.  That's why I get it from Rocco's.  As they are located next to the Sly Fox Brewing Company in Phoenixville I wasn't too concerned.  I went in for a quick Pikeland Pils and then next door to get the pizza.  Life is good.

Sweet Wipeout and Sour Consecration

Saturday afternoon we were traveling through Limerick and I had two sleepers in the car.  My wife agreed that I could go into Craft Ale House provided I take the remaining awake daughter in with me.  So in we went.  I got a Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing Company.  It was awesome as usual.  My daughter got a lemonade which was apparently awesome as well.

We got a little farther down the road and since the two kids were still asleep I got the great idea of stopping in at Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  I was unaware that they were having an event at the time.  It was a Strong Ale Fest.  All beers were over 10% abv.  Shortly before getting there the kids woke up.  What could I do?  We already committed to going to Union Jack's so I convinced my oldest daughter to keep the other two entertained while I go in.  These are the little things I do for my wife.  She shouldn't have to worry about keeping the kids entertained while I am at the bar.  I ordered a Consecration from Russian River Brewing Company.  I am a little leary about ordering Belgian style beers (i.e. beers in the Belgian style but not brewed in Belgium).  It is hard to make a beer as good as the Belgians.  And this particular beer is a sour ale which I would imagine is even more difficult to reproduce.  Russian River has done it with this one.  The taste was a lot like a Rodenbach except that the Consecration was probably more tart and definitely higher in alcohol content.  This is an excellent beer and particularly impressive is the fact that it was produced in California and not Belgium.

Beer at the Grocery Store

My 5-year-old was invited to a birthday party last night.  That's not unusual but the party was at the Plymouth Meeting Mall in a place called Krazy City.  We live in Phoenixville and the party was in Plymouth Meeting.  Now that is krazy.  I volunteered to take her and left my wife with the other 2 kids at home.  I figured while my daughter was having her fun I might head down the road to the General Lafayette Inn and Brewery for some fun of my own.  Unfortunately, due to the snowy roadsides and the fact that it was rush hour on a Friday night it took well over an hour to get there and we were late.  I wouldn't have time for the General Lafayette.  I did remember that Whole Foods opened up at the mall and they had a pub with supposedly some good craft beers on tap.  So after my daughter settled in at the party I went to the grocery store. 

It's not like Union Jack's or TJ's or Craft Ale House have anything to worry about.  I really don't see any reason to go to the grocery store to drink a pint of beer but I would do it again if for no other reason than to support the idea of being able to buy beer at locations other than the traditional.  It's well past time for Pennsylvania to grow up and allow beer purchases at Wal-Mart, convenient stores et al. 

Back to Whole Foods.  The pub is actually called Cold Point Pub at Whole Foods Market.  You go into the store and the first thing you notice is that grocery store smell.  You know the smell I'm talking about.  I don't know what it is but all grocery stores have that smell.  I think it is a mixture of over-ripe fruit and stale milk.  Anyway, the pub was not immune to the smell.  I ordered a Yard's ESB.  It is malty and fruity but I don't get the bitter and I'm not sure why it is called an Extra Special Bitter.  In a weird way I kind of enjoyed sitting there drinking a pint of beer and watching the people bag their groceries.  Maybe it's because the cashiers were working, the customers were working and I was sipping a craft beer.

If only I wasn't working today...

I had to work from home today because my daughter was sick and could not go to school.  Luckily she was better by noon so we went to the Sly Fox for lunch.  In case someone from work is reading this I did not have any beer with my lunch but if I did I would have started with a Chester County Bitter from the hand pump.  After enjoying this one I would have ordered a Route 113 IPA because I haven't had one in a long time.  I remember these as being kind of harsh with alpha acids.  I'm glad I gave it another chance...errrr...I should give it another chance.  I'll bet I would like it better now as it seems a little more mellow than I remember.  FYI, I hear they are canning this beer now.

Super Sunday???

I wasn't able to make it to the West Coast Brewery Night at the Drafting Room in Exton on Friday but the good news is that many of the beers were still available on Sunday.  I guess technically they were available on Saturday but who would know?  Nobody could get out of their house with a couple of feet of snow dumped on the area.  But today (Sunday) I made it to the Drafting Room.  I only had time for one (as is often the case) but I decided to have the Idiot IPA from Coronado Brewing Company.  This is a pretty good IPA with a well hidden 8.5% abv.  So far I have had some Coronado beers that I like a lot and some that are just OK.  I guess I will need to continue my research. 

I understand there is a good football game on tonight.  Ah...who cares?

Snow and Prima Pils

About 2 feet of snow.  That is what fell overnight last night.  So I spent pretty much the entire day shoveling snow.  I did manage to do a little sledding with the kids down the driveway and of course, I did manage to have a beer or two.  The Prima Pils from Victory was good...and cold (see photo below).  This was just a little incentive to keep on shoveling even when I just wanted to go inside and warm up.

Beer and Elk...a Nice Combination

I was out in Lancaster County on business today.  It was close to noon and I was not far from Reamstown so I decided to have lunch at Union Barrel Works as I often do when I am in this part of the state.  I am not a big fan of the beer here only because they tend to make styles of beer I don't particularly care for (i.e. never enough hops for me).  Imagine my delight when I saw they had an IPA on.  It is called Hop Knockers IPA.  If I didn't know the name I would not have classified this as an IPA.  It was more like a darker pale ale if that makes any sense.  It was however a very nice beer.  It left a nice Vienna lace all the way down the glass.  Speaking of Vienna, up next was a Double Barrel high gravity Vienna style lager.  I only had a small glass but this was a fabulous beer.  The bartender told me it was 11% abv but you would never know it. It's aged for 6 months and it was smooth.  Now I have a reason to return in the very near future.  This time I'll get a big glass of that Double Barrel.  Another reason to return is for the Elk meatloaf sandwich.  That is what I had for lunch and it was really good.