So I haven’t posted in a while…the Beer Week stuff was just keeping me running like you wouldn’t believe! I started out vowing to schedule nothing. That means I ended up doing about 20 things, which seems about right. I’ll be updating over the next few days but you can expect reports about the following:
Wednesday, March 4thOpening Tap
Last year this event was at the Market at East Falls. This year was just a tiny but more up-town. The Comcast center had more security than a presidential luncheon! After some trouble getting to our booth it was a really nice time. Tons of people came out and it was really great to see Mayor Nutter tap the firkin and actually drink a beer. There is hope for the future. Items of note: Tom Kehoe’s hand swelled up so much he couldn’t take his watch off after the Mayor whacked him with the Hammer of Glory.
If you just passed over that link without clicking it go back. Trust me, you deserve to see the video! William Reed of Standard Tap and Mike Scoates of The Grey Lodge Pub had an idea that may be hard to top. I LOVE this town! The night ended at The Good Dog….again. I’m not sure how Dave got to be the center of Brewer World, but I like it!
Thursday March 12th Philly Beer Geek
Ding, ding, ding. Round 2. After a quick visit to the Valley Forge Convention Center for the annual wine maker’s trade show (we need wood for beer aging) and the rest of a regular work day I headed to the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant for round one of Philly Beer Geek. The crew that runs this event is great and I had a great time (even if I was, perhaps, overserved by my friend and Manayunk Brewer Chris Firey. It couldn’t possibly have been MY fault!). Put this one on your list for next year. Good times. Ended up at the Falling Rock pub. The Falling rock used to be my local when I lived in Manayunk…it seems to have fallen just a bit photos,
Sunday March 8th Brewer’s Plate
This festival took the place of the old Michael Jackson tasting at the University of Pennsylvania museaum. That fest was a drunk-a-thon at times. This year was a home run! Food was incredible, the crowd was well behaved… as was the museum staff. Another one for the list next year
Monday March 9th Beer School
We’ve started a new and cool thing here in North Wales that I will be coninuing for sure. Beer School classes are small educational classes focused on beer appreciation. We scheduled our debut class during beer week which I thought was going to be a mistake. It was packed! Our first class was Yeast and beer and we tasted 5 beers whose character is defined by the yeast used to make it. Watch for this again! Did NOT end up at the Good Dog…not sure how I missed a night.
Beer School, Smoke ‘em, Real Ale, too many Good Dog events (but I like!), Pen and Pencil, Firkinteenth, tour de philly brew, pub crawl in Downingtown, Brewer’s Plate, and Beer and cheese. Cheezzzz that’s a ton! I have photos too!!!
Wednesday March 11th Brewer’s Pub Crawl
After a night off (don’t tell anyone) we hit the town hard. Drink, drink, drink, bar, bar, bar, Pen and Pencil. Ouch.
Thursday March 12th Philly Beer Geek Finals
Now the week is starting to blurr…weren’t we just here?
Friday March 13th Friday the Firkinteenth, Smoke ‘em if You’ve got ‘em
Drive, Drive, Drive. See Scoates, drink firkin beer. Drive, drive, drive, see Tom and Mashington and everyone else, drink smoked beer (Yum!). Good Dog, head check, train home.
Saturday March 14th Phoenixville Pub Crawl
My liver hurts. I’ll have a Coke…and a beer, and some, food, and a beer.
Sunday March 15th Real Ale Fest
Uncle. I didn’t go. I slept.
All and all the week was a roaring success! I think if we keep up this pace our place as America’s best beer drinking city will be secured. Thanks to all of the bars and restaurants that hosted beer events all week long, and to all of our brewer friends who help us to drink great beer in great places all week long. Super thanks the Jenny Hatton of profile PR!
