Almost Forgot About Sunday

I almost forgot about Sunday.  I was at the Exton Mall doing a little shopping by myself.  Naturally, on the way home I stopped in for a quick one at the Drafting Room.  Looking at the chalk board I was sure I was going to get a cask-conditioned Racer 5.  But then I noticed a firkin sitting on the bar.  "What is that?", I asked.  Troeg's Nugget Nectar was the response.  That did it.  Nugget Nectar it was and at cellar temperature this was a great choice indeed.  If you like Nugget Nectar, try one from a firkin.

Just Never Happy

I went to the Drafting Room in Exton this evening after work.  Imagine my excitement when I saw they had Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing Company on the chalkboard.  Then imagine my disappointment when after placing my order and waiting with great anticipation for my beer to be delivered I was notified that the Wipeout just kicked.  I had to "settle" for a cask-conditioned Nugget Nectar from Troeg's Brewing Company.  "Settle" is in parenthesis because this beer is no slouch either but I really looked forward to that Wipeout.  After finishing the Nugget Nectar the next best thing on the chalkboard was a Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery.  This too is a really nice IPA but it is on the Drafting Room's "Usual Suspect" list which means you can pretty much be assured that it will be on tap at any given time.  So there you have it.  I had two really good beers after work tonight and I was still disappointed.  Some people are just never happy.

Flying Pig, Flying Dog, Flying Fish...Whatever

I stopped in at the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern after work this evening.  First up was a Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA from Flying Dog Brewery.  I have always maintained that this is a dumb style.  Belgian beers are great.  IPA's are great.  But that doesn't mean that if you combine the two styles you will end up with something great automatically.  I did however enjoy this beer.  For now I am going to credit that to the fact that it was my first beer on a Friday night and almost anything would taste good.  After that I had a Nugget Nectar from Troeg's Brewing Company.  This was a safe choice.  I knew I would love it.  I am a little disappointed in myself because there were other more adventurous beers I could have tried.  Maybe I should have tried that Exit 1 from Flying Fish Brewing Company, I don't know.  I left the Flying Pig and ordered a pizza on the way home.  I had a couple of minutes to spare so I stopped in at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville.  They had something new and unfamiliar on.  It was called McBanes Sly PA.  To be honest, it tasted like Rt. 113 IPA to me but what do I know.

I Get Around for an Amateur

Saturday afternoon the weather was so miserable (high winds, heavy rain) that I thought it would be great to go out and have a nice beer or two.  I went to the Craft Ale House in Limerick where I found many folks with the same mindset...lousy weather, go out for a good beer.  I ordered a Curieux from Allagash Brewing Company.  This was described on the menu as a tripel with notes of coconut and vanilla.  No kidding.  Both flavors were well represented.  It was a very nice tripel albeit American.  When I got out to the car the kids were still asleep so my wife suggested I go to Union Jack's Congo Hotel for another beer.  As usual I followed my wife's recommendation.  I got to the Congo Hotel and like the CAH it was busy.  I managed to get a seat at the bar and tasted a Legbiter Irish Ale from Strangford Lough Brewing Company which I believe are out of Northern Ireland.  I suppose it was on because of St. Patty's day.  It was a nice enough beer but not what I was in the mood for.  Now Troeg's Nugget Nectar was just right.  Does anyone know why Troeg's doesn't have this as a year-round offering?  It is such a nice beer.  I would have loved to stay longer but suspected the kids would be waking up any minute and in fact they were awakening just as I got to the car.

On Sunday my wife was out of town visiting her parents with my oldest daughter.  That left me with my 1 year-old and my 4 year-old daughters.  Since my wife was out of town my mother volunteered to sit in the car with the sleeping kids while I went into Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  I only stayed in long enough to enjoy a Hopsecutioner from Terripan Beer Company.  I like this American IPA and I really like this brewery out of Athens, GA.  My mom did a great job filling in for my wife while she was away.  Thanks mom.

So summing up my weekend I visited the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, the Sly Fox in Phoenixville, Craft Ale House in Limerick, Union Jack's Congo Hotel in Barto and Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny in the middle of nowhere.  All in all it was a good beer weekend.