BROG

Its Hot Out There...

2011-06-08T11:13:00.001-04:00

...make sure to hydrate

image via old chum

2011 Vintage Beer Brunch, in pictures

2011-06-06T20:23:00.005-04:00

Memphis Taproom's 2011 Vintage Beer Brunch

Salmon Roe

watercress, rye, brown butter, dill, chicken skin

Brasserie de la Senne X-Mas Zinnebir 2009

Fried Pie

Sour cherry, green apple, cherry smoked brie, strong-ale syrup

Allagash Odyssey 2010

Jumbo Lump Crab

Truffled asparagus, burnt grapefruit, bibb, pickled egg vinaigrette

Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille 2005

Wild Maine Blueberry Bread Pudding

Grade B maple syrup, juniper whipped cream, Calva-blueberry preserves

't Smisje Calva Reserva 2010

Aged Cheese: Goat, Cow, Sheep

Cave-aged Intercourse, Lagrein, Fiore Sardo

Rosemary ash, herb salad, lard fried fig

Rodenbach Grand Cru 2008

Beer

2011-05-11T23:53:00.000-04:00

Find more David Vandervelde albums at Myspace Music

Beer Garden

2011-04-06T18:33:00.000-04:00

Sounds like Memphis is hiring. Who wants to slang dogs and cans?

A Song & A Beer

2011-03-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long

+

St. Louis Gueuze (on tap @ Resurrection Ale House
_____________________________
FUNK

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image credit

A Beer Makes You Feel Good

2011-03-04T11:24:00.002-05:00

True statement.

image source

A Beer & A Song

2011-02-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

Hill Farmstead Edward on tap at Memphis Taproom

Radio Dept - Heaven's On Fire (Live at Kexp)

image credit: Dan Cassaro

Kennett Restaurant

2011-02-11T22:08:00.014-05:00

Last night brother Mal and I met up at Kennett Restaurant to begin work on our nanobrewery business plan, and we made some good progress on that score. Mal's lovely bride joined us for brainstorming and along the way we did some barnstorming of the menu.

Apropos of today's Meal Ticket feature on the new wood-burning oven at Kennett, we sampled the "porchetta" pizza: pulled pork, farmer's cheese, whipped lardo and herbs. The crust was nicely blistered and the lardo disappeared into the other toppings, lending them a salty, piggy perfume.

Porchetta pizza

Business planning can give a man an appetite. So despite the pizza's richness, we sampled a few other items: the puy lentil salad, brussels sprouts, and roasted parsnips, in addition to the burger.

Puy lentil salad

Roasted brussels sprouts and sunchokes with bacon and crushed coriander

Roasted parsnips with parmesan

The burger is topped with bibb lettuce, pickled onion and anchovy mayonnaise. The latter lends a rich and savory counterpoint to the onion. Our specimen was cooked to a perfect medium-rare; the addition of bone marrow to the beef means that cheese isn't necessary.

Burger with bone marrow, pickled onion and anchovy mayonnaise

In addition to all the great food, the beer list is impressive. We sipped on Yards Love Stout (a fine choice when served on nitrogen), Left Hand Fade to Black Smoked Baltic Porter and Long Trail Hibernator Ale.

The nattily dressed staff was cheerful and attentive, the dining room cozy from Edison bulbs and the glow of the pizza oven. Kennett is one of those spots that make me wish I lived in the neighborhood. I look forward to returning soon to sample more of the menu.

Kennett Restaurant

848 S. 2nd St.

Philadelphia, PA 19147

267-687-1426

This Week In Whisky

2011-01-21T12:00:00.010-05:00

New Whisky in the News: According to the UK's Daily Mail, Panamanian-based Scotch Spirits has begun selling their whiskey in a 12 oz. aluminum can to their South American and Caribbean markets. The CEO stated, "The can is the perfect size to be shared between three people who can mix it with other things like cola." That was definitely the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought of a can of whisky. The dram may not be long for the grocery shelf, however, as the Scotch Whisky Association is looking into a ban of the product. Full story here.

Old Old Whisky in the News: In the early 1900s, Ernest Shackleton and his crew attempted to reach the South Pole. They didn't make it. So like any pioneers would, they left a few cases of spirits, including whisky, brandy and port, behind. And up until last year, the cases went unnoticed and stayed preserved in the Antarctic Ice. They were discovered and returned to Scotland and are set to be drunk for science's sake. Distillers are interested in learning about the whisky distillation process in the 19th century and are looking at possibly recreating it for mass consumption. Watch whisky blender Richard Paterson get his nose all up in a glass of the 100+ year old dram.

I spent last weekend with my friend Dennis in New York. He had a hankering for a flight of bourbon, so we looked around the interwebs for a suitable establishment. We settled on the Whiskey Ward, which by name alone seemed quite appropriate. Located in the Lower East Side, the bar lets you choose 3 spirits for 1 oz. tastings each. We chose 2 bourbons- Pappy Van Winkle 12 year and George T. Stagg- and a rye- High West. Both of the bourbons are distilled by Buffalo Trace, a fine maker of all things whiskey. The Pappy Van Winkle was a clear favorite for both of us. It had a deep red, amorous coloring and it had just the right amount of smoke in the finish. The George T. Stagg was heavier, both in look and in taste, and it lingered long in the palate. The High West Rye was a nice subtle complement to the more complex bourbons. I would recommend any of these spirits on a cold night, and I would readily return to The Whiskey Ward.

Finally, here is a video of a giant puppet ~~walking~~ stumbling around Dromore West, Co. Sligo, Ireland. I am almost positive whisky has something to do with this.

Number One Gastropub in Tri-State Area

2011-01-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

Came across this listing for an executive chef on craigslist...

If you are the greatest thing since fermentation, if your food can outpace the world's greatest beers, we have a professional position for you.

You will head up the restaurant back of house operations preparing award winning food at a fair price with speedy courteous service. You will develop half the menu and the other half of the menu will be our proven successful recipes you will perfectly execute. You will manage kitchen P&L and get perfect scores on Health Inspections.

You can get in at the very beginning helping select the perfect equipment for an already built out location to ensure we are the number one Gastro pub in the Tri State Area.

Wonder who's behind this project...and where the "already built out location" is...
And also what the heck does "food that can outpace the world's greatest beers" mean?

Saint-Sylvestre 2010, or NYE @ Bibou

2011-01-05T19:18:00.011-05:00

Lori and I had the great fortune of getting seats at Bibou's New Years Eve dinner last Friday. It happened quite spontaneously. I was lunching with Brother Tim when he got a Twitter alert that they had a last minute cancellation. I was told it would be an 8 course meal with seatings at 5:30pm or 9:00pm. I opted for the 9pm, which turned out to be the better choice in my humble opinion.

It's difficult to choose standouts from an entire meal of incredible dishes. The amuse-bouche of hamachi, paddlefish caviar and creme fraiche was a great start. Followed very well by foie gras terrine with persimmon chutney. My favorites of the night, though, were the perfectly seared venison with mushroom fricassée, chestnut and celeriac puree, and the pumpkin bread, blue cheese and dried figs Mille-feuille for dessert. A full menu of the night is right below.

As 2011 approached, Charlotte brought out festive noisemakers and hats as well as complimentary champagne for everyone in attendance. The whole room rang out in cheers and celebration, the end to a night of true conviviality. But the night was only half over.

We took our time paying the bill and the room slowly emptied. Before we knew it, the restaurant was closed and we were still inside talking to Chef Pierre, Charlotte and the wait staff. I have never met such an honest, hardworking and hospitable group of people in all of my dining experiences. I had a hard time not gushing to Pierre about how much I loved everything. I think I used the word fantastic a few dozen times.

By the time we did leave it was well into the morning and we had to walk a bit to find a cab ride home. But we left with our spirits and stomachs full. Quite a way to begin a new year and a new decade.

MEATBALLS.COM

2010-12-29T13:56:00.001-05:00

Walking past the now defunct Spaghetti Warehouse (I was sure that it would be the next ironic place for people to go for cheap drinks, alas) I saw one of them bright orange liquor license placards in the window. The name on the transfer read "Union Transfer LLC." Couldn't find anymore info on teh intertubes, but I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the new owners do something a little more interesting than a family feedbag establishment. Perhaps the building could be restored to its former usage as a farmer's market; or perhaps a brewpub could take advantage of the ample space and high ceilings. Lord knows that Spring Garden east of Broad needs something. Let us pray.

UPDATE: Union Transfer LLC shares a registered address with 4 Corners Management, the company behind such establishments as Lucy's Hat Shop and the assorted Drinkers Taverns. So Spring Garden east of Broad will be getting something ... just probably not something interesting.

Tonight: DBBD Firkin at Fork n' Barrel

2010-12-16T12:11:00.001-05:00

Holy crap! This collaboration between Dogfish + Del Borgo + Baladin sounds amazing! I'll let the folks from Fork & Barrel tell the rest of the story:

We have one of 5 FIRKINS that came into the country from Italy. This is a special collaboration brew between dogfish head, baladin, and del borgo. It is a sample of what is to come (March) in the brewpub in Manhattan called EATALY. $6 a glass.

Oh and they're also doing a food drive for Philabundance.
Nice! Now I need to check the bus schedule out to East Falls...

Check out the rest of the details after the jump.

BIG NIGHT!

Food Drive for Phillabundance, Tapping of a rare Dogfish Head collaboration Firkin, LIVE JAZZ, 4 xmas beers on tap, 5 casks upstairs, and tapping a gravity keg of Mahr's Christmas Bock!!!

FOOD DRIVE:

Bring a canned food item and receive half off your first draft! OUR GOAL is to reach 120 cans. If we do, TOM KEHOE of YARDS will match that donation as well as an anonymous East Falls couple. That makes 120 cans quickly become 360!!! The canned goods will go to the non-profit Philyabundance which helps to feed the homeless.

DOGFISH HEAD FIRKIN:

We have one of 5 FIRKINS that came into the country from Italy. This is a special collaboration brew between dogfish head, baladin, and del borgo. It is a sample of what is to come (March) in the brewpub in Manhattan called EATALY. $6 a glass.

Dogfish fans will not want to miss this!

4 CHRISTMAS BEERS CURRENTLY ON TAP!

TAPPING A GRAVITY KEG OF MAHRS CHRISTMAS BOCK

5 CASKS UPSTAIRS IN THE CASK SALOON

LIVE JAZZ w/ Michelle Lordi

Luna di Miele

2010-12-01T14:25:00.013-05:00

I was married on October 16th. The next evening my wife (still feels novel to type that word) and I boarded a plane to Rome. We spent two weeks in Italy traveling by train and bus. We ate our way from Rome to Turin (where we somehow survived a seven hours long gorge-fest at Slow Food's Salone del Gusto); from Turin to Bologna; Bologna to Montella (including a marathon lunch prepared by Amanda's relatives); Montella to Abruzzo; and finally from Abruzzo back to Rome. We encountered so much good food/beer/wine/hospitality. Here are some pictures (food/beer/wine related) from our trip. Cheers!

A small beer bar in Trastevere called 'Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa' ("What the hell are you doing here"). Owned by the same people who run Bir e Fud and the Domus Birrae bottle shop and home brew spot in the Monti.

Bock & Pils from Birrificio Italiano. The Italians really make some great pilsners.

Tris Suppli from Bir e Fud (Carbonara, Amatriciana, Gricia - the holy trinity of Roman pasta dishes re-imagined in fried rice ball form). Unfortunately I can't recall the names of the beers. But those suppli!

Arancini with meat and peas and ricotta di pecora and spinach.

Thou shalt not covet thy father's gelato.

At the Salone del Gusto - the North American Brewers Association was mobbed by Italians trying Dogfishhead and Victory, among other American craft brews.

Also at the Salone - I tried a tasty Brew Dog Hardcore IPA. So Hoppy. So Necessary.

Jamon Iberico. I loitered around this stand for a long while.

Wine and olive ascolane at the Enoteca at the Salone.

Homemade tagliatelle (alla chittara). Made by Amanda's cousin for us!

Steaming bowls of tagliatelle.

Wild fennel in the Abruzzese Appenines.

The flock of sheep with whom we toured the Abruzzese countryside.

Brew Masters of the Universe

2010-11-18T12:22:00.014-05:00

A friend sent us a heads up about this new show, Brew Masters, on Discovery Channel. Here's the description from the website:

Join Sam Calagione, craft beer maestro and founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, as he and his partners in suds travel the world searching for exotic ingredients and discovering ancient techniques to produce beers of astounding originality.

Kind of makes it sound like it will be a cross between Ace of Cakes and No Reservations. I'll definitely be tuning in!

Brew Masters premiers this Sunday, November 21 @ 10 PM on the Discovery Channel.

Belated Weekend Review

2010-11-15T12:34:00.005-05:00

Friday

Checked out Fork & Barrel.

Saturday

Got in some late season wiffle ball on a glorious Saturday afternoon then biked over to Johnny Brendas for their "Wet Hop Rodeo." Had a Weyerbacher Harvest Ale, a Brewworks Harvest Ale and a Troeg's Wet Hop. Then a drunk girl from the craft beer express knocked our outdoor table over (glasses and all). Check please!

Sunday

New Job Celebratory Brunch for the Wife at Amis - Buffala ricotta bruschetta, carbonara, raviolo all'uovo. Washed down with a Victory Yakima Glory (Black Double IPA). Not the best choice for a breakfast beer but tasty nonetheless. Then we accepted a random invitation to Mazowsze at the Kimmel, which was described to me as the Polish version of Riverdance - though that is a little unkind to Mazowsze. It was pretty amazing. The show featured colorful costumes, acrobatic dancing and an impressive 15-piece band that played selections of music representing the different regions of Poland . After that we went home and did laundry and cooked Spaghetti all'Amatriciana (because the pork jowl in the carbonara wasn't enough) with guanciale from La Quercia. Num nums.

An Open Letter to Fork & Barrel

2010-11-13T09:00:00.006-05:00

Dear Fork & Barrel,

I want to live behind your handsome bar. I'll find a dark corner (there are so many thanks to your abhorrence of electric light) and I won't bother anyone. I can even scrape the wax drippings from the many candles off your floor and bar. I think all that wax scraping will leave me with a terrible thirst, so naturally I'll have to have some of your amazing and rare draft selections (Grado Plato Strada Felice, IT; Porterhouse Oyster Stout, IR). And I hope you won't mind if I have some salt potatoes while I'm at it. Those whole roast spuds with the bleu cheese mustard dipping sauce are addictive. Anyway, let me know when I can move in.

Awaiting your reply,

Malachy Egan

----------------

Fork & Barrel

4312 Ridge Ave

Philadelphia 19129

Khyber Pass Pub Preview

2010-11-09T10:27:00.016-05:00

Last night the brothers Egan were fortunate enough to score an invitation to a preview of the Khyber's newest, most southern-fried incarnation. Walking up 2nd St. we saw the old black and white Khyber signage being removed.

Upon entering the newly re-renamed Khyber Pass Pub it appears as though not much has changed. Still the same old beautiful bar with lots of great craft beer tap handles. It's a little cleaner and the bathrooms have (mercifully) been made over and now feature locks and functioning plumbing.

Really, it's when one turns the corner and enters the old performance space that the work that Steve Simons and co. put into the place becomes apparent. The long narrow room features banquettes on both sides and beadboard wainscotting. The formerly flyer'd over windows have been cleaned and the woodwork repainted. The new wood floors and the roughly finished tables looked fantastic in the dimly lit room. The space still feels a bit raw - the tin ceiling may yet get a paint job, some of the light fixtures were not installed - but overall it's remarkably inviting given its prior state. (Check out Mealticket's pictures from last night as they remembered to bring a camera that is not also a phone. Whoopsie Goldberg)

While perusing menus, we snacked on bacon fat popcorn with cajun spices. The glistening popped kernels packed some heat and were well salted. This brown bag snack might rival the truffled version from chef Mark McKinney's sister kitchen at the Royal Tavern.

We tried a few things from the regular menu as well. The fried chicken was far and away the favorite. The salty, crispy skin concealed some incredibly moist, succulent meat, and the collard greens were a surprise hit with a generous amount of smokey bacon. We also tried the gumbo and the fried oysters, which were solid choices.

Needing something sweet to counter all the fried food, we tried three desserts: chocolate pecan bread pudding (a must-have), bourbon-maple creme brulee (as awesome as it sounds) and vegan red velvet cake (a little dry with overly sweet icing).

Some beer highlights from a really interesting and diverse list of taps:

Ballast Point "Even Keel" - A generously hopped session ale. Maybe the most memorable beer of the night. Incredible grapefruit/citrus aroma, juicy and herbal (notes of hibiscus) and wonderfully refreshing.
Two Brothers "Heavy Handed" - A delicious harvest ale. Hoppy, straw colored with a nice foamy head. A nice counterpoint to the spicy bacon-fat popped kernels.
Dock Street "West of Center" - On hand pump. Due to the malt character of this dark brew we mistook this for a bitter; but according to Dock St. it is a ("Not-So") Pale Ale. Great beer for a blustery, rainy Monday.
Philadelphia Brewing Co. "Harvest from the Hood" - Neither overly sweet nor hoppy. Well-balanced with a roasted malt character. Possibly the best beer PBC has ever put out.

Overall the Khyber felt like a comfortable extension of the Royal Tavern in appearance, food and vibe. We look forward to trying more of the menu and seeing how the beer program develops.

Thanks to the folks at the Khyber for hosting and treating us.

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The Khyber Pass Pub

56 S. Second St.

Philadelphia, PA

Night Market Fever

2010-10-08T14:43:00.003-04:00

Checked out the Night Market at Tasker and Passyunk. It has been written up here and much hyped throughout the philadelphia food blogoverse. I'm not as down on the outcome as some commenters seem to be. While I definitely think there is room for improvement (serving size, price point, lines, running out of booze/charging too much for booze) there was also so much good to take away from it all. Most impressive: the mass of people what came out on a school night for an event that focused on promoting local food businesses. The walk from the BSL to the Sinatra fountain felt a little like the walk from AT&T Station (nee Pattison) to Citizens Bank Park (minus the corporate sponsorship). One final thought: The Food Trust should make this a regular event. Great European cities have outdoor night markets all year - even through the winter months. We can do it too! Philadelphia obviously wants - NO! NEEDS - more night markets.

Intriguing

2010-10-05T09:49:00.004-04:00

Is "great southern food" the new concept for the Khyber?

As seen on Craigslist.

baking with beer yeast

2010-09-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Martin Lersch at Khymos.org has a cool post on using hefeweizen yeast for bread-baking. It's inspiring me to get back to baking, now that fall is approaching. Martin found that beer yeast didn't change the flavor of the bread in any appreciable way. I think I'll try substituting some fermented beer for the liquid ratios in my next loaf -- I'm thinking rye bread made with our rye pale ale.

crawl before you walk

2010-09-02T23:19:00.002-04:00

My friend Lou (not Barlow, see infra) and I are doing a little beer-focused bar crawl through Philly tomorrow. I may or may not send twitter updates. Keep an eye on the widget to your right. (Prediction: like this blog, updates will start off strong and then become sleepy.)

If all goes according to plan, we will find ourselves at Johnny Brenda's in time to enjoy the last of their Pils Picnic before heading upstairs for Wye Oak (below, covering the Kinks) and Lou Barlow.

Wye Oak covers The Kinks

Belly

2010-08-08T16:34:00.007-04:00

At Whole Foods today, I noticed some lovely slabs of fresh pork belly in the butcher's case. Since they rarely carry fresh belly, I took this as an omen that it was time to cure some bacon.

The pork was from Simply Grazin' Farm in Hopewell, NJ. The skin had already been removed and the belly cut into smaller slabs, but the overall quality of the meat and the lean-to-fat ratio looked ideal. (You'll have to take my word for it, because I forgot to snap a photo of the pork after I unwrapped it.)

I used the savory bacon recipe from Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn (a version was published in the NYT a few years ago).

My pantry and garden yielded a few additions to the basic recipe. Pictured above, clockwise from top left, are coriander seed, herbs (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary), black and pink peppercorns, dry cure mixture (kosher salt, sugar and pink salt), garlic and brown sugar.

I toasted the coriander seeds and peppercorns prior to cracking them with a mortar & pestle. The fragrant coriander reminded me of Froot Loops cereal when I cracked the seeds.

After crushing the garlic and tearing up the herbs, I mixed all of the cure ingredients with the pork belly in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag, shaking the bag until the meat was well-coated on all sides.

It will cure in the fridge for the next week or so, at which point I will smoke it over apple or pecan wood. Something to look forward to...

Handmade Memphis

2010-07-16T09:41:00.004-04:00

i'll be selling some wares at "thee most righteous" memphis taproom's handmade market this saturday from 11am - 3pm. the taproom is located at memphis and cumberland streets in the richmond section of philadelphia. if you've never been they have some awesome food and a great/ever changing beer selection. buy art & drink beer. thats a good proposition for a saturday.

hope to see you there!

Go on, you deserve it

2010-06-12T14:57:00.003-04:00

You and your liver have been working hard for Beer Week. You should treat yourself to the Three Pigs in Blankets on the Memphis Taproom's brunch menu: hearty pork sausages robed in puff pastry, served with spicy house-made maple mustard. So good.

It don't hurt that their No-Repeat Beer Week is still going strong... beers on today include Lost Abbey Serpent Stout and Coronado Idiot IPA, both worthy pairings with the aforementioned pigs.

yes, they can

2010-05-24T20:53:00.003-04:00

This is the best news I've heard since ... well... this.

[Now drinking: this.]

Rumours and sundries

2010-05-21T14:40:00.008-04:00

Amanda and I went to Girard Avenue's Kraftwork for lunch last monday. We happened to sit next to the owner, manager and head chef as they were discussing how to get a 2-bell review out of Laban. Judging on the quality grub we lunched upon I don't think that will be too difficult. The "BL...Trout" was awesome, 'specially if you love rainbow trouts like I do. The Lefthand Polestar Pilsner paired perfectly. ALLITERATION!

For Papa Egan's 65th we went whole hawg and got bbq pulled pork and chicken from Bebe's BBQ in the Italian Market. On Sunday, Austin and I waded through a sea of humanity (also known as the Italian Market Festival) to the 9th St. shop. While we were waiting for our 4 (!) pork shouders and 5 (!) whole chickens (way, way too much for a bunch of yanks but so damned good) we were treated to complimentary pork sandwiches and this delicious tidbit: Bebe's is getting in on the food truck game. They've purchased an old Tastykake truck and are in the process of tricking it out. No word yet on when/where it will be rolling.

Also, we've been steady brewing some damn good beer. We supplied some of our Pale Ale and our Coffee Stout for an event at a local urban farm. The brews went over pretty well and we're hoping to do a couple other parties or events this summer. Next up is a Thai-inspired wit beer. Its our first time adding spices and fruit to the mix. Hope it turns out!

A Serious Burger

2010-05-19T20:15:00.007-04:00

Resurrection Ale House is justly celebrated for its top-notch beer list and its inspired kitchen. But on a menu full of ambitious bistro fare, the hamburger stands out for its simplicity: a beef patty on a challah bun with pickled red onions and, if you want, Swiss cheese. A generous pile of fries sits alongside, flanked by a ramekin of curry ketchup. Compared to some other burgers around town, this plate is audacious in its austerity. No fancy bacon. No mushrooms. No lettuce or tomato.

And this burger doesn't need any of that stuff. It's so damn good, just as it is. The beef is clearly of high quality, even if Resurrection doesn't brag about its provenance on the menu, and perfectly cooked to order. The cheese adds richness, the bun is pliant but sturdy enough to sop up the juices, and the pickled onion brings the finishing touch of sour depth. The fries are nicely cooked. The curry ketchup -- I need to find a recipe. It's addictive.

With a Lagunitas WTF and Bell's Oarsman to wash down the burger, I was in heaven on my last visit. This is indeed a Serious Burger, worthy of your consideration.

Manhattan v2

2010-04-17T10:08:00.003-04:00

Wild Turkey Rye, Vya Sweet Vermouth, Angostura, orange twist

New brew

2010-03-16T23:12:00.004-04:00

Over to the right, we've added a section to the sidebar listing our current beer production. Chronicling our homebrewing was ostensibly the whole inspiration for this blog, but for some reason we haven't written about it much.

Anyway, on Sunday we brewed a 10-gallon batch of a "SMaSH" (single malt and single hop) beer, made with 20 lb. of Crisp Maris Otter 2-row pale malt and 6 ounces of Willamette hops. (Thanks to Suburban Brewing for the idea.) As always, ingredients were purchased from John Reynolds at Brew Your Own Beer.

Original gravity was 1.055 and we are expecting final gravity of 1.013 for 5.6% ABV. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up higher since we were a little short in our pre-boil volume. We are using White Labs 007 Dry English Ale yeast (reusing the yeast cake from our previous brew), pitched at 64°F. Ambient temperature in my basement is closer to 60°F, so it should be a clean tasting beer without many fruity esters.

We plan to keg and force carbonate this beer, which should be ready for drinking around April 10.

free beer

2010-03-10T21:57:00.005-05:00

All you food bloggers

2010-03-09T07:21:00.001-05:00

Bourdain's "Obsession" episode last night: I thought the bit on food bloggers was spot on. Equal parts sardonic bemusement, ironic distance and feigned-reluctant attachment. In other words, classic Bourdain. I know it was one of those cheap compilation episodes but I enjoyed it.

I feel like I oughta be tweeting this. Isn't that what all the kids are doing these days?

When things should work but don't work

2010-03-08T22:18:00.001-05:00

That's the work of ... the PLCB.*

I don't have a lot to say about the Memphis Taproom/Local 44/Resurrection Ale House raids, that hasn't already been said. You should read what Joe Sixpack said here, what Lew Bryson said here and what Bryan Kolesar said here. And, of course, I can't forget the estimable Mr. Jack Curtin's Liquid Diet post on the topic.

So in case all, like, 19 of you haven't heard about this already -- check out those links above, and revel in the glory of Pennsylvania's Kafka-esque bureaucracy.

If you read this Brog you know that we are big fans of what Brendan & Leigh are doing at their bars. Although we don't know Brendan & Leigh except as satisfied customers of their fine establishments, we wish them the best.

* Apologies to the Evens

Romesco sauce is awesome.

2010-03-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

That is all.

Meet me in Manhattan

2010-03-04T19:52:00.005-05:00

What does one drink when he come homes from work and there's no cold beer in the fridge?

Jim Beam Rye, Tribuno vermouth, Angostura bitters, twist of lemon.

I would be much obliged if you, gentle reader, would submit recommendations for rye and vermouth in the comments, for I am new to this drink.

Pinocchio's Beer Garden

2010-03-01T19:06:00.005-05:00

Our friend Geoff sends word of a new bottle shop in Media, PA, boasting over 500 varieties of beer. Pinocchio's Beer Garden boasts labels such as Abita, Affligem, Allagash and Avery -- and that's just the A's!

Located on Baltimore Pike in Media, it's on my way home from work and dangerously close to Zac's Hamburgers. Looking forward to checking it out.

Pinocchio's Beer Garden

131 E. Baltimore Pike

Media, PA 19063

610-566-7767

Two Things. Things that are books. Two Books.

2010-02-27T22:45:00.006-05:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

Two great books by Swedes to enjoy in this, our most Nordic of winters.

Actually, technically Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finn. She's also the creator of those awesome Moomin characters. The True Deceiver is a short but engaging work about art, the creative process and basic human interaction. Jansson creates an incredible amount of tension with very little. Read this book now, while there's still snow on the ground.

Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo similarly ratchets up the tension but in more of a noir-ish detective novel style. I won't ruin anything of the plot for you. Suffice it to say that I've already read the sequel The Girl Who Played with Fire and hope my fiancee quickly finishes the third and last installment (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) soon. Also, it made me want to drink endless cups of coffee and eat lots of sandwiches. But what doesn't?

I learned of both these books on the awesome radio show "This is the Modern World" with Trouble on thee most essential WFMU. Check it out sometime. You will be rewarded with great recommendations and, also, bird sounds.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN

2010-02-27T22:40:00.002-05:00

What We're Reading: The Big Machine

2010-02-05T12:15:00.002-05:00

This post from Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic is only tangentially related to food (specifically food systems and obesity), but like most of his writing, it's well worth reading.

Catching up

2010-02-03T19:35:00.007-05:00

Autumnal hiatus turned into winter break. It's snowed a bunch of times since we posted anything here.

We've been thinking that the tag line above --on the brewing, drinking and culture of beer-- is too limiting for the things we want to talk about. Not just beer, but food, wine, pop culture, music and so on. So we're working on some changes that will hopefully open things up a bit creatively, and get us posting more than once a quarter. More to come on that soon. We've also added comment moderation because we've been getting some spam.

That said, we've been brewing some pretty great beer recently. We brewed a Belgian dubbel in October that was ready for Christmas, but tasted pretty rough -- lots of alcohol heat without much body. It's smoothed out nicely in the last few weeks as the malt has come forward. It should taste even better in another month or two.

Our last beer was a rye IPA, pictured above. We clogged up our plate chiller on brew day and I was afraid the resulting emergency measures would compromise the beer. But it turned out great, with a huge nose from being dry-hopped with several ounces of Amarillo.

My one problem with both of these beers is lack of body, which I think is due to not hitting the right mash temperatures. I'd been using a cheap remote thermometer, and it's probably just not accurate enough for brewing. So that should be an easy fix.

We'll be drinking the dubbel and rye on Sunday, as we get together with friends to play music in the afternoon before cooking up some great food and retiring to watch the Superbowl. This has become a bit of a tradition the last few years and we'll document the proceedings here.

Here's to a new year of brewing, drinking and eating well.

Sláinte!

The Atlantic visits Vetri

2009-11-19T10:51:00.004-05:00

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, who writes the "Everybody's a Critic" column for the Atlantic Food Channel but is better known as the Special Advisor for Health Policy to the White House Office of Management and Budget, visits Vetri. Aside from some quibbles with bland gelato, he raves about the service and Vetri's signature sweet onion crepe:

The second proper dish was a crepe over-stuffed with golden sweet onions caramelized for 10 hours. The circular slice of the crepe resting in a white truffle foundue was nothing short of phenomenal. The caramelized onion was brown and mushy, like mole, and had this wonderful sweetness. The white truffle sauce added complexity without being overpowering. This caramelized onion crepe may well be one of the top 10 dishes I have ever tasted.

A Restaurant Lives Up to Its Hype [The Atlantic Food Channel]

Comfort food

2009-10-21T19:21:00.010-04:00

Sunday dinner. Sometimes, a simple roast chicken is all you need.

Today I got a shipment of pork belly from Flying Pigs Farm (a gift from my in-laws -- how cool is that?), which will become pancetta over the next few weeks. I might have to set some aside for braising... I can't wait to try this pork.

A look at Village Whiskey

2009-09-08T21:35:00.003-04:00

Mal and I, along with our friend Lou, checked out Village Whiskey on Friday. It was opening day and we arrived around 2 for a late lunch (Lou and I were on a joint birthday barhopping excursion, but that's a story for a different post).

There just happened to be three open seats at the bar, so we sat down, ordered a round of beers and took in the scene.

The space is gorgeous, with a long slate bar and tile on the floors and some walls. The dark wood backbar frames row upon row of whiskey bottles - most of which I'd never heard of. Black leather booths surround circular marble-topped tables beneath large windows painted with the restaurant's logo. The whole room is bathed in light. Past the bar toward the kitchen and bathroom are two marble drink rails, one wider for seated eating and the other narrow.

The draft beer list is short but strong, with a half-dozen selections of American craft brews. I chose the Sixpoint Righteous Rye, Mal ordered the Lagunitas Pils and Lou had the Founders Dirty Bastard. I'm a sucker for a good rye beer and the Sixpoint was righteous indeed (in fact, I think our next brew session will be a rye pale ale); it was malty with a dry, almost astringent quality from the rye. No whiskey or cocktails for us; Mal was on lunch break from work and Lou and I needed to pace ourselves for a long afternoon.

Beers in hand, we moved onto food. Mal and I split the famously expensive ($24) Whiskey King: 10 ounces of farm-raised Angus beef on a milk stout potato roll with applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese, bourbon glazed cipollini onions, and a healthy slice of seared foie gras. Lou ordered the black bean veggie burger, which came on a sesame roll topped with guacamole and pickled cabbage. We also ordered the duck fat fries with Sly Fox cheddar sauce and the soft pretzels.

Soft pretzels (there are 5 to an order but I was slow on the draw with my camera)

The pretzels came out first - piping hot, studded with salt and resting in a bowl of the best mustard ever. $3 buys five of these little fluffy sticks. I could've eaten these all day.

Duck fat fries with Sly Fox cheddar cheese sauce

The skin-on fries arrived in a paper cone with the cheese sauce on the side. They were much bigger than I expected -- not too many places serve steak fries in Philadelphia, and these were even larger than your typical steak fry. Flecked with herbs and salt, they were perfectly cooked and incredibly tasty -- and despite being cooked in duck fat, not at all greasy or heavy. The Garces restaurants probably go through a lot of ducks, and I'm glad their rendered fat is being put to good use. The cheese sauce was great -- it would be amazing on a cheesesteak.

But on to the main course. This was what we came for: the most decadent burger in the city (with a price to match). Did it live up to the hype?

I am the Whiskey King, and I can do anything...

I think the answer is a qualified "yes." $24 for a burger in Philadelphia seems absurd on its face. But the Whiskey King's ingredients are all top-notch, especially the beef, and foie gras isn't cheap. It's also huge - 10 ounces plus all those toppings makes for a big burger. If you split it with a friend, the price and the sandwich are much more manageable. For me, half a Whiskey King is just the right size. My biggest gripe is that none of the burgers come with fries; you have to buy them separately ($5 and up).

Mal and I agreed that the burger was delicious. It was perfectly cooked to order, incredibly juicy and intensely beefy. With so many high-grade toppings it was inevitable that a few would get lost in the shuffle, and I thought the onions and bacon were overshadowed by the cheese and foie gras. Speaking of which, the slice of foie was larger than I expected but didn't overwhelm the beef.

Veggie burger

I didn't try Lou's veggie burger, but as the picture shows, it sure is pretty. Lou said it was tasty, too.

The staff were smooth, polished and attentive, as one would expect for a José Garces establishment. Our bartender said there were the usual opening day glitches, but aside from a malfunctioning beer engine, none were apparent to us.

I won't be making a habit of ordering the Whiskey King, but I do look forward to trying a few more items on the menu (Kentucky fried quail and housemade pickled vegetables in particular) and a few of cocktails next time.

Whoa!!

2009-09-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

In a post this afternoon, Shola Olunloyo announced plans for a new incarnation of Studiokitchen: 30 seats, dinner only, 5 nights a week. Talula's Table and Momofuku Ko are his points of comparison.

No doubt, foodies in Philly and beyond are already salivating...

Sunday dinner

2009-08-30T21:29:00.007-04:00

Sly Fox Royal Weisse; salt grilled shrimp; kale sautéed with onions, white beans and balsamic vinegar; pan-seared striped bass. (Not shown: potato & sweet potato salad.)

...and we're back.

2009-08-25T22:40:00.002-04:00

We're working on a few backlogged reports from summer travels, tastings, meals and brew sessions. In the meantime, check out this very interesting Meal Ticket article explaining Chimay's relative scarcity on local taps.

Where have all the Cinq Cents drafts gone?

Resurrection Ale House

2009-07-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Jack Curtin had the news first, and we're way late to be posting this, but it's exciting nonetheless.

Two of our favorite publicans, Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft of Memphis Taproom and Local 44, are preparing to open Resurrection Ale House in the building formerly occupied by Yello'bar (Catherine St. at Grays Ferry Ave.). Klein says they'll have 12 taps and 50 bottles; otherwise this one will be a little more food-focused than Memphis & 44, which bodes well for the new place indeed -- 'cause the food at those joints is pretty great. (We previously wrote about our dining and drinking experiences at Memphis Taproom here, and Local 44 here.)

They are shooting for September, maybe just in time for this Brogger to sip a birthday beer there...

A First Look at the Swift Half

2009-06-09T00:16:00.009-04:00

This past Friday Amanda and I met our friend Bekah at her new apartment which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the new Piazza at Schmidt's. The Piazza is pretty impressive and worth a post of its own at some point. The developer claims inspiration from Rome's Piazza Navona, but its best not to compare the two. Granted I haven't been back to the Eternal City in a few years but I think its safe to say there isn't a permanent jumbotron broadcasting sporting events in Navona. What Schmidt's does have in common with its Old World brethren is that its a great public space. There are interesting shops, art galleries and some intriguing new entries in Philadelphia's restaurant world.

Amanda, Bekah and I walked the few hundred steps to The Swift Half, which is a pub run by the same folks behind The Good Dog in Center City. The name refers to the last half a drink you say you're going to have on your way home (which, more often than not, turns into a bender). The space is handsomely appointed with a faux-tin drop ceiling above the bar and comfortable booths lining one side of the dining room. The beer list is similar to Good Dog's: American Craft Beer.

The menu is, for the most part, typical pub fare. The three of us decided to share a few dishes to maximize our sampling potential. Our first course was the the combo plate, which consists of any 4 selections from the cheese and charcuterie sections of the menu. It comes with cornichons, mustard, pickled beets, candied almonds and olives. We chose the molinari salami, the duck prosciutto, keen's farmhouse cheddar and the moliterno sardo bianco. Both meats and cheeses were great. The duck prosciutto was tasty. The color of the meat itself was darker but the flavors were remarkably faithful to the real thing, with only a hint of gami-ness that suggested "fowl-play". Waka waka.

We were a little underwhelmed by the portion size of this combo plate, however. For $17 we expected a healthier serving of cheese and meat. Also, the olives were oddly terrible. They seemed to be half frozen and I could barely break through the oddly fluorescent green skin with my chompers.

The burger was ordered medium but came closer to well. It was tasty though (topped with our choice of provolone) and still juicy, despite the overcooking. The fries were a disappointing pile of soggy ends. I suspect we got the bottom of the basket. Good Dog's fries are also similarly greasy and broken down into tiny bits, not sure why this is or how the kitchen can rectify the situation.

The fish and chips was our favorite dish of the night. The batter was cooked to a delicious, well-done crisp hiding the tender, flaky morsels of fish inside. Doused with malt vinegar and ketchup this is pub fare at its finest.

The chips (nee fries) were of the same ilk as the soggy pile that accompanied the burger. That didn't stop us from finishing most of them though!

As for beers I had a Flying Dog Doggystyle IPA and a Sly Fox Dax Maibock. Both beers held up well with the food. The IPA being of the milder, less smack-you-in-your-face-with-the-hops variety. Not too familiar with the maibock style but the Sly Fox Dax was very quaffable indeed.

Service at The Swift Half was pretty great overall. None of the condescension you get at other gastropubs in the city.

I'm sure The Swift Half will iron out the inconsistencies in the kitchen, and when they do I will be back.

Art + Beer = Weekend

2009-06-08T21:07:00.010-04:00

There are two very cool arts-and-beer-related events going on this weekend in Olde Kensington and Northern Liberties.

First, brother-Brogger Malachy is one of the many talented artists selling wares at Inliquid's 10th annual Art for the Cash Poor, 1-6pm Saturday at the Crane Arts Building, 1400 N. American Street, Philadelphia. (Check out Mal's Flickr stream here.) All art is priced under $199, with most pieces under $100. To sweeten the deal, there will be live music, DJs, food from local restaurants and beer from Philadelphia Brewing Company. AFTCP also runs on Sunday with the same hours (but sans Malachy).

The other event, if you're in the mood for a little exercise, is First Person Arts' Edible World Food Tour: Joe Sixpack's Northern Liberties, wherein Daily News beer columnist Don Russell leads a group of lucky folks on a walking tour of past and present beer landmarks in NoLibs. Stops include the Foodery, Standard Tap, 700 Club and Ortlieb's. The tour runs from 2-5:30pm on Saturday, starting at the Swift Half (1002 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia). The cost is $75 person or $140 per couple ($65 per person for First Person Arts members). Advance tickets required.

Duck-Rabbit Redux

2009-06-05T17:38:00.000-04:00

Just when I was starting to think that the Atlantic didn't care very much about craft beer, Clay Risen pens a great writeup of the Duck-Rabbit Brewery in Farmville, NC, whose brown ale I recently enjoyed at Amada. As a homebrewer, I admire founder/brewer/former philosophy professor Paul Phillippon's desire to do one thing really well: brew dark beers. Judging by that pint of brown ale (an admittedly small sample), he's doing just that. For you philosophers out there, the article explains the Wittgensteinian origins of the brewery's logo.

As I mentioned the other day, Duck-Rabbit has only recently started showing up in the Philadelphia area. If you hurry it may still be on tap at Amada; bottles are available at the Foodery and by the case at the Beer Yard in Wayne.

Now boarding: Catalan Express

2009-06-01T22:35:00.002-04:00

What happened to May? Birthdays, Mother's Day, weddings, graduations, Memorial Day cookouts, and lots of post-lawn-mowing Kenzinger...

And now it's June. Your Broggers will try to be more attentive this month.

On a recent day off from work, I spent the afternoon in Center City. I decided to have lunch at Amada, where the "Catalan Express" is one of the best deals around -- a soup and salad or sandwich for $12.50. Not to mention that Amada has a good draft list. Their rotating seasonal beer was the Duck-Rabbit Brewery's Brown Ale: yes please. After a few sips I ordered the Salmorejo soup (Cordoban gazpacho with Serrano ham, olive & egg) and the Skirt Steak Pepito sandwich. I noticed chef/owner José Garces at the other end of the bar, eating lunch and holding court with the afternoon staff.

Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale, framed by Amada's artful plate storage

The beer was light-bodied for a brown ale, but just heavy and malty enough for the chilly weather outside. Very nice. Duck-Rabbit, from North Carolina, is relatively new to the Philadelphia area and I'll be on the lookout for more of their offerings.

Salmarejo: Cordoban gazpacho, Serrano ham, olive & egg

The day was really too cold for gazpacho, but as I came in near the end of lunch service, they were out of the heartier white bean stew. Despite the chill, the gazpacho was really delicious, and the shmear of fruit (strawberry purée?) added a nice sweet contrast.

Skirt Steak Pepito: Caramelized onions, Cabrales, sliced tomato & olive oil

Where the soup was better suited for warmer weather, the sandwich totally hit the spot: hearty and full of big, bold flavors. The classic combination of beef, caramelized onions and blue cheese (queso de Cabrales), served piping hot on a crusty baguette, was the very definition of upscale comfort food. The fries were great too, dusted with paprika and drizzled with a tangy aioli.

The Catalan Express runs weekdays from 11:30am to 2:30pm.

Fried chicken, ramp risotto, Oskar Blues

2009-05-06T22:05:00.004-04:00

It was cold and rainy on Sunday - perfect for spending the whole day in the kitchen making decadent food. I'd decided on Saturday to make Sukhamvit Soi Five Fried Chicken, courtesy of Jarrett Wrisley and the Atlantic Food Channel, and it was marinating happily in the fridge. HM had brought home some beautiful bunches of ramps from Reading Terminal Market; I used half to make compound butter and reserved the rest for risotto to go with the fried chicken.

All the rich food called for a crisp beer. I chose Mama's Little Yella Pils by Oskar Blues, Longmont, Colorado. Oskar Blues had a big presence at Philly Beer Week, and their line is rather new to Pennsylvania. Along with Sly Fox, they are part of the small-but-growing segment of craft breweries that use aluminum cans rather than glass bottles for retail sales. Sunday was the first time I'd seen their cans at my local distributor.

Now, as some people know, I have a serious jones for fried chicken. For years my go-to recipe has been the Bon-Ton style (Gourmet via epicurious), which is unbelievably juicy, crunchy and nicely spicy. Jarrett Wrisley was definitely speaking my language in his account of fried chicken on the streets of Bangkok. The man worked hard to get this recipe!

Chicken marinated for 18 hours in coriander root, pepper, garlic, etc.

While the frying oil was heating up, I set to work on the risotto. With our absurd bounty of ramps, I doubled the recipe.

Ramps, cleaned and ready to use

Risotto ingredients

Finished risotto

Once the oil was ready, in went the chicken...

Almost-fried chicken

The chicken was just as crispy and juicy as promised, and the garlic and coriander lent a subtle tang to the crust. I thought it could use a bit more heat, so next time I might double the amount of hot pepper flakes, or maybe include some finely chopped Thai chiles in the marinade/batter. A nice big dollop of Sriracha sauce is essential for dipping. I'll definitely be trying this recipe again in the future.

On a normal day the risotto would be too heavy to complement fried chicken, but with Sunday's weather, it just seemed right. The pungent yet delicate flavor of the ramps melded nicely into the rich rice. And Mama's Little Yella Pils was a good choice to cool the Sriracha heat. I wasn't blown away by this beer -- while it's appropriately bitter for the style, a little more emphasis on the flavor and aroma hops would really put it over the top. Next time I'll stick with Sly Fox Pikeland Pils if I want pilsner in a can.

2009-05-05T16:51:00.008-04:00

I'm trying hard to withhold judgement about the upcoming Varga Bar that will be opening in the former Azul Cantina spot. After all, it will have Victory Brewing's root beer on hand pump (Root beer. On. Hand. Pump.), as well as 22 beers on tap - eschewing the Coors/Miller/Bud triangle for "hard to find" American craft brews. Sounds fantastic. The menu - described as something called "comfort food", topping out at $22 - isnt quite as exciting but looks to be at least solid.

I guess the thing that troubles me is the driving theme behind the operation: it is a bar designed around the pinup girl artwork of Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chavez. I realize they're from different eras but theres something vaguely 1990s/swing dancing/Reel Big Fish about the fashioning of a gastropub around Vargas' purdy lady drawings.

Like I said, I'm not trying to judge (I guess I am...a little). But if I see one Vince Vaughan or Jon Favreau silk-shirt-wearing wannabe I'll head elsewhere. After I finish my root beer of course.

Gland Slam

2009-04-28T22:49:00.006-04:00

Tonight I paired homemade pizza (potato & margherita; dough courtesy Sarcone's) and a Kenzinger with the Phils 7-1 victory over the Nati'nals. Beer, pizza and 7 Philadelphia runs make for a most pleasant fake summer evening in '09.

Also, got to enjoy a Kenzinger (or two) at the homerun derby/game against the Nats on Monday. One of the best games I've seen in person. Ra-oooooooooooooooooool!!!

NYT ♥ Pennsylvania Pilsners

2009-04-28T20:09:00.004-04:00

Eric Asimov, wine/beer/spirits critic at the New York Times, reviews pilsners and fully half of the top ten were born in PA. First place went to Victory Prima Pils, Pennsylvania Brewing's Kaiser Pils came in 2nd, and Troegs Sunshine Pils rounded out the top three. Sly Fox Pikeland Pils (#7) and Stoudt's Pils (#8) also made the top ten.

Travelbrog: New York & Atlanta

2009-04-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

Last weekend HM and I celebrated our anniversary in New York. Lunch at Per Se was phenomenal and filling, though beerless (I had hoped to try the Blue Apron Ale by Brooklyn Brewery but decided to let the sommelier choose a few wines for us). I may write about it another time, but suffice to say it was superb in every way.

After a long walk around Central Park that afternoon, we ate dinner at the Fatty Crab in the West Village. It's a tiny Malaysian-inspired place with a small but thoughtful beer list. At the bartender's recommendation, I had the Pork Slap Pale Ale from Butternuts Beer & Ale in Garrattsville, NY. It went well with our shared appetizer of steamed buns (pork for me, veggie for HM), and with the spicy eggplant and sepia entrée. Butternuts is one of the few microbreweries to use cans instead of bottles (along with Sly Fox and Oskar Blues). Too bad they don't distribute to Pennsylvania - I'd like to try their other brews.

On Thursday, I had a quick trip to Atlanta for work. I stayed in the Buckhead neighborhood and had a great dinner at Holeman & Finch Public House. It's a hip little restaurant with a serious commitment to meat and charcuterie, as well as a decent beer list. Naturally, I loved it.

Photo: Eat It, Atlanta

With rustic-modern decor and mostly young, tattooed (and very knowledgeable) waitstaff, H&F would fit right into the Philly beer bar scene. The draft list included import staples like Guinness, one local brew (Terrapin Rye Pale Ale) and surprisingly, two Philly-area beers: Victory Prima Pils and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. They were out of Terrapin, so I settled on a bottle of Shipyard Brewery's Old Thumper from Portland, Maine.

From left: lonzino, smoked lardo, bresaola

The menu was a collection of appetizer-size plates, with a few larger dishes meant for sharing. To start, I sampled three of H&F's charcuterie offerings: bresaola (cured beef ~~shoulder~~ eye of round), lonzino (cured pork loin) and smoked lardo (pork fatback, cured and smoked). The bresaola and lonzino were good but on the dry side, both enhanced by the house-made spicy mustard. The lardo, however, was simply sublime. I think it might be the best lardo I've ever had -- slightly sweet, meltingly fatty and a hint of smoke that lingered on the palate.

Pork belly confit, because the lardo and lonzino just weren't enough...

I followed up with pork belly confit, served with collard greens and chow-chow. I'd never heard of chow-chow before -- it's a Southern condiment, a sweet relish of pickled vegetables. This one was slightly spicy as well, and the sweet and spice helped to cut the fattiness of the pork belly. The confit was delicious, with a crispy exterior and rich, yielding interior.

The cheese stands alone... except for the bread, horseradish and honey

The cheese board was my final course: Humboldt Fog, an English farmhouse cheddar and a semi-soft cow's milk cheese whose name escapes me, all served with nice crusty bread, spicy horseradish and a dish of honey. A satisfying end to a very good meal. I highly recommend Holeman & Finch to anyone visiting Atlanta.

What We Brew Is Secret #1: British "Pub Ale"

2009-04-11T16:00:00.007-04:00

Today your Broggers set to bottling a batch of beer we brewed on February 28. This was a second attempt at the beer of January 17: originally meant as a Boddington's-inpsired "cream ale," it ended up stronger and hoppier than its Mancunian forebear. On February 28, we tried to re-do the recipe to tone down the alcohol and get a little closer to the "Cream of Manchester."

The January 17 beer is on the left; February 28 on the right.

Did we succeed? Perhaps -- this version seems lighter in color, body, bitterness and hop flavor. It comes in around 4.9% ABV, about 0.9% less than our first batch. (By comparison, Boddington's is 3.5% ABV in its canned version.)

While we didn't nail the ABV, we did get close to its flavor profile: malty and somewhat fruity at first, with a hop finish and a very distinctive roasted-malt aftertaste. The January 17 attempt also had these characteristics, but with more malt and hops and less residual sweetness. With the added alcohol, that beer was closer to an India Pale Ale than we intended. We'll taste our second version again in a couple of weeks, once the bottles are conditioned.

No comment.

Troegs Wins!

2009-04-07T13:51:00.001-04:00

Villanova may not have made it to the finals this year, but Troegs did. Hopback Amber Ale beat Ommegang Hennepin to win this year's Washington Post Beer Madness!

Congrats to the team at Troegs and to the panel at the WaPo for having such good taste.

MangoMoon

2009-04-06T22:41:00.011-04:00

Last Thursday I had a hankering for spicy food. I had errands in Center City, so I stopped by José Pistola's and enjoyed their fish tacos with a Troegs Nugget Nectar for lunch. The tacos were really good, with a spicy mayonnaise, but I needed more. Intrigued by reports of MangoMoon in the City Paper and Inquirer, I called up Mal and we agreed to meet in Manayunk for dinner.

For a place that got a very positive two-bell review from Craig Laban the previous Sunday, the resatuarant was curiously empty on what seemed to be an otherwise busy Manayunk night. After the meal we had, I can only assume this is more due to the (lack of) adventurousness of Manayunk restaurant patrons than due to the quality of the food.

Seated next to floor-to-ceiling windows by the third-story bar, beneath a dramatic ceiling tapestry, we ordered a round of beers from Japanese craft brewery Hitachino Nest: Red Rice Ale for Mal and Real Ginger Brew for me.

Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew

I expected a sweet, fruity beer heavy on the ginger, but was pleasantly surprised that the Ginger Brew wasn't sweet at all, and the ginger was quite refreshing. The Red Rice Ale was much richer, with some earthy, funky overtones.

MangoMoon seems to specialize in small plates, with their more interesting items offered under that section of the menu (rather than the entrees). We ordered four to start, thinking we might need more, but the portions were generous enough that four was plenty.

Baby octopus salad

First up was baby octopus salad with plenty of cilantro, lemongrass and chilis. The baby octopi were tender and plentiful, and the peppers added the heat I'd been craving. This was by far the spiciest dish of the night (though my heat tolerance is limited, so maybe I'm not the best judge).

Crispy taro and tofu

Next was a plate of crispy slivers of taro and tofu -- sort of a Thai adaptation of french fries. The tofu were superior, I thought - crisp on the outside and molten inside, while the taro seemed a bit soggy outside and mealy inside. They were served with a sweet chili dipping sauce studded with bits of peanut. I forgot to take a picture before we attacked it -- hence the rather empty plate above.

Northern Thai style sasuage

After reading Trey Popp's rave, I knew I had to order the sausage. It was indeed delicious, cooked to a nice outer char and still juicy inside. I could see loading a hoagie roll with one of these along with some onions and cilantro and a spicy mayo.

Grilled pork neck

Our final dish was marinated and grilled pork neck -- little nuggets of pork with a chili-peanut dipping sauce. These were very tasty but probably the least interesting plate of the evening. By this time I'd finished my Hitachino and ordered a Chang, Thailand's native beer. It reminded me of Yuengling in both color and taste. For an industrial lager, I thought it was rather well done.

Too full for dessert, we headed to our respective homes. Next time I need spicy food, I know where to go.

Photo credit: MangoMoon

Shola Olunloyo Dinner @ Blackfish

2009-04-06T20:51:00.011-04:00

Here's another extremely tardy report from Philly Beer Week. Actually, this wasn't officially a Beer Week event, but since beer was drunk at dinner I think it counts.

I'd read a lot over the years about private chef Shola Olunloyo, and his now-legendary Studiokitchen dinners in West Philadelphia -- but never had an opportunity to try his food. Food bloggers and eGulleteers raved about his modern cuisine, and Shola's own Studiokitchen blog - featuring his considerable photographic skills - fueled the fire. When Phoodie announced that Shola would be cooking a 4-course meal at Blackfish restaurant in Conshohocken, I scrambled to score a table.

So the night after the Vintage Beer Brunch, Mal and I found ourselves at Blackfish with a bomber of our own British-style ale and a bottle of 2005 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Pinot Blanc Rosenberg.

Carrot soup, miso applesauce, aromatic milk

We drank the beer with the first course, switching over to wine during the second course. The beer, a British-style session ale somewhere between an ESB and a pale ale, was a good but not inspired pairing to the carrot soup. The soup set the tone for the meal, with a combination of familiar and novel flavors that was interesting in a thoughtful way: rich and sweet, pungent and perfumed at the same time.

Hiramasa, spicy yuzu glaze, peanut-cauliflower, brown butter

Next up was the fish course, featuring hiramasa (also known as yellowtail amberjack). This dish was more subtle than the soup, and the "spicy yuzu glaze" didn't seem all that spicy. But the fish was perfectly cooked and the peanut-cauliflower purée was so delicious that I found myself using bread to mop it up off the plate.

Veal breast and ravioli, celeriac-apple purée,

black trumpet mushrooms, hazelnut sherry jus

The meat course followed. A single ravioli, cooked al dente, rested atop a round of veal breast and the whole assembly was crowned with trumpet mushrooms and a pair of veal sweetbreads. This course was the night's highlight -- though the ravioli didn't seem to add much, the veal breast was outrageously good and the sweetbreads were crispy on the outside and molten on the inside. And again, the purée was so good that I mopped it up to savor every last bit. The wine was a perfect complement to this course, nicely rounding out the savory portion of the meal.

Yogurt sorbet, berries, elderflower, yogurt powder

The dessert course was right up my alley. I can usually do without sweets at the end of a meal - just a good espresso. I wish more desserts were like this one: easy on the sugar and with a bit of sourness from the yogurt. The yogurt powder was the most interesting aspect of the plate - when it dissolved on the tongue, it released a burst of intense, pure yogurt flavor. The berries were lightly dusted with it too. With some La Colombe coffee, it was a nice end to the meal.

During the meal, we watched as Shola worked the room, stopping to pose for pictures and chat with his fans. Several other diners were taking pictures of their meals, and we saw Phoodie doing the same as we waited for our table.

After all the internet hype from Shola's fans, I'm not sure if the meal met my expectations -- I wasn't blown away by culinary fireworks, but certainly charmed by the obvious creativity and attention to execution. I think that says more about my assumptions than it does about the meal and I look forward to eating Shola's food again.

I highly recommend Shola's website and blog - both are chock full of creative thinking, cooking and photography.

Vintage Beer Brunch @ Memphis Taproom

2009-04-06T19:02:00.001-04:00

This is way, way late but I've been meaning to write about the highlight of my Philly Beer Week 2009, the Memphis Taproom's Vintage Beer Brunch.

The day's moving had worked up the thirsts and appetites of your humble Broggers and the MTR did not disappoint. The concept for the brunch was to serve two vintages of a particular beer, paired with a dish from Chef Jesse Kimball.

I've always enjoyed eating at Memphis - the kitchen turns out some great comfort food. But for this brunch, Kimball really stepped up in a big way and delivered a killer 5-course tasting menu to complement owner Brendan Hartranft's beer selections.

1. Orval. Mini pancakes with speck, maple syrup and crumbled cheddar.

2. Cantillon Gueze. Smoked salmon terrine with red onion compote, fried capers and tomatoes.

3. Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter & Stone Oatmeal Stout. Shirred egg with braised beef short rib.

4. Rochefort 10, 2004 & 2008. Asparagus salad with goat cheese and blood orange.

5. Weyerbacher Lunacy & Westmalle Dubbel. Mixed cheese plate: Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper, Bear Flag Aged Monterey Jack, and Capra Sarda.

All the beers were excellent (sadly I neglected to write down the vintages of the first two courses). The Rochefort course stood out in particular; the older 2004 bottling had an appealing roundness and deep malt character that the newer bottle only hinted at, its alcohol heat overshadowing more delicate flavors. The Flying Dog Imperial Porter was also fantastic; if I remember correctly that bottle was also from 2004. The 3rd and 5th courses paired two different beers rather than a true vintage tasting, though they were similar in style.

As I mentioned above, the food was great -- showing not only a knack for creative flavor combinations, but also an eye for visually appealing dishes. (And naturally I forgot my camera.) The second course, smoked salmon terrine, was the most visually dramatic and also the most surprisingly tasty dish for me. I'm not normally a fan of smoked salmon, but in chef Kimball's hands, the fishiness of the salmon blended with creamy goat cheese, fried capers and sweet onion compote to create a harmonious whole. The Cantillon paired well, with its bracingly sour notes.

While the terrine was my favorite individual dish, the best pairing of the afternoon was the third course: the dark, velvety Flying Dog Gonzo with luxurious braised short rib and shirred egg. After such a rich course, the asparagus salad refreshed us with its bright goat cheese and vibrant blood orange. A cheese plate rounded out the meal with three generous cuts of artisanal goat, sheep and cow cheese and tasty house-made condiments.

The brunch was so good that Mal and I will be attending chef Kimball's upcoming gastropub cooking class at Fosters. Maybe we'll see you there.

Thanks to MTR co-owner Leigh Maida for helping me out with the menu information.

SBP Logo

2009-03-30T14:15:00.002-04:00

Lew's got the logo finalists up for comment at Session Beer Project. Go vote for your favorite! I'm not telling you to vote for mine (the 2nd one shown) or anything. But do take a look and let your voice be heard. Cheers!

PILZ N BALLZ

2009-03-27T12:37:00.004-04:00

Joe Sixpack has the skinny on the starting lineup (of beer) at Citizens Bank Park - home of the 2008 WFC of Baseball, your Philadelphia Phillies. Appropriately Victory Prima Pils has been added to the mix. I have no doubt it will fit right in with the other pilsners on the concourse: Sly Fox Pikeland and Troeg's Sunshine. Oh, man. First pitch of the '09 season is almost a week away! I think I'm going to go get some tickets. Ahem.

*The image above is of a T-shirt available from the phine pholks at Birdland & The Fightins.

Johnny Simulcask

2009-03-26T12:36:00.009-04:00

As has been reported ad infinitum (here, here and here) there will be a "Simulcask" (I love puns!) tapping of Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA firkins tonight. Guess what time this simultaneous flowing forth of brew will take place. 7:50pm! 75 minute, 7:50...Get it? Good. The list of participating bars in Philadelphia is below. Get thee to a taproom!

Standard Tap
Monk's Belgian Cafe
Memphis Taproom
Devil's Den
Grey Lodge Pub
Jose Pistola's

Beer School

2009-03-25T15:16:00.008-04:00

For St. Valentine's Day m'lovely lady got me a gift certificate to the recently founded Beer School (Tim wrote about it here). They have a number of interesting classes lined up for the spring. I'm thinking about signing up for the "IPA & Beyond: Hops Class":

Americans love hopped-up beers like India Pale Ales. Now it's time to learn (and taste!) how different hops affect the taste of beers. Tastings will include the difference between American and British hops, wet versus dry hopping, and a multitude of hopping styles. You may not know the difference between Cascade and Centennial hops, but after this class, you will!

I love me some bitter beer. But I could stand to learn more about this amazing plant and its place in beermaking...

Right now the Beer School is offering a discount (of almost 50%!) if you purchase tickets to any of their classes online. See the full schedule here. And educate yourself.

Beer Madness Update: Troegs Makes the Finals!

2009-03-25T11:08:00.003-04:00

The Washington Post has revealed its Beer Madness finalists: It comes down to Troegs Hopback v. Ommegang Hennepin. Last year Troegs made the Final Four but was shut out of the chamionship.

Spring Classes at Foster's

2009-03-23T11:34:00.003-04:00

There are some cooking classes in the next few weeks at Foster's Homeware that will put a springtime spring in your step. We're looking forward to these:

Tonight, March 23 - Michael Solomonov of BROG favorite Zahav leads a culinary tour of Israel.

Wednesday, April 15 - Jesse Kimball of Memphis Taproom (Mal's new neighbor) demonstrates how to turn out gastropub fare at home. The three course menu will include beer pairings.

Saturday, May 2 - Brad Spence, chef de cuisine at Vetri, instructs on the dark arts of charcuterie: sausage and salumi (a subject near and dear to this Brogger's heart).

I'll have a scrappletini

2009-03-18T16:14:00.004-04:00

Meal Ticket points us to Scrapplefest this Saturday, March 21 from 10am-4pm at the Reading Terminal Market.

First Beer Week, now this. I love this city, but it must be trying to kill me (with delicious pork).

Beer Week 09 is Over. Long live Beer Week.

2009-03-18T12:26:00.011-04:00

Had to take a few days to decompress and assess after the whirlwind that was BW 09. In between hauling large pieces of furniture to Fishtown (thanks Jim and Tim) and giving myself a blister putting together Ikea furniture I managed to get to a few events and sample some amazing beers.

Sunday after moving a couple carloads to our new place on Memphis St., Amanda (along with Julie and Christy), Tim & I just made it to Memphis Taproom in time for the Vintage Beer Brunch, to which we had reservations. My physical exhaustion gave way to elation as each course trumped the previous (salmon terrine! shirred egg with short rib!). And the beer...Oh! the beer! ('04 flying dog imperial porter! rochefort old and new!). I think Tim is trying to cobble together a more coherent post on this event so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Also, made it to Caribou Cafe for a happy hour sampling of some Bieres de Garde as well as some tartines. We tried the Ambree from Brasserie La Choulette, which the menu described as being a classic representation of the style. It was malty sweet with hints of caramel and nuts; delicious, but I think I preferred Olivia's Gavroche.

They also had a couple beers from Brasserie du Mont Blanc. Neither the blanche nor the blonde from Mont Blanc were Bieres de Garde but I decided to try one anyway. I am glad I did. The blonde was delicious. Light in body and in color, it had the crispness of a helles or a pilsner. It was the surprise of the afternoon and a beer that I will definitely be seeking out this summer.

Let's see...what else? Oh, yea there were the random nights, after rearranging furniture for hours, that Amanda and I decided to hit our new local for dinner and their 'No Repeat Beer Week'. Really enjoyed the Fuller's they were pulling from the cask, as well as the Great Divide Wee Heavy. And Amanda had a chance to savor an Obamagang just before the last keg kicked.

See also: Tim's eloquent account of our harrowing journey into the belly of the Great Northbeast.

In short, it was a crazy 10 days. Im glad the moving is done. Sad that I have to wait 12 months til PBW 2010. But that sadness is tempered. For, in this Greene Countrie Towne of ours, every week is beer week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T17:31:00.001-04:00

Have a Guinness! Better yet, support your local brewers & publicans, and have a Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout or a Victory Donnybrook.

Sláinte!

Blog Watch: The Atlantic Food Channel

2009-03-15T11:30:00.005-04:00

The Atlantic magazine has launched a new Food Channel (to accompany its Politics and Business Channels). Curated by senior editor and food critic Corby Kummer, it's packed full of excellent writing from the magazine's own staff as well as contributions from such luminaries as Alinea chef/owner Grant Achatz, health policy expert Ezekiel Emanuel (brother of Rahm) and rancher Bill Niman. The Atlantic's food writing, like its politcal and cultural commentary, will be thought-provoking for sure.

Friday the Firkinteenth and Yards "Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em"

2009-03-14T10:28:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was Friday the Firkinteenth at the Grey Lodge: every Friday the 13th, the Lodge lines up dozens of beers and pours cask ale until the firkins are empty. Yesterday's Firkinteenth was extra special since it fell during Beer Week, and starting at 9:00 am they had about 30 firkins on hand. I had taken the day off and took the El up to the Lodge where I met Mal, Amanda, Julie and Lee. Over the course of the morning, we sampled almost everything tapped thus far:

Arcadia Sky High Rye (my 2nd favorite - I love rye beers)
Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA (at 12% the strongest I tried, but it was like drinking syrup)
Iron Hill (West Chester) Irish Red
Sierra Nevada Stout (my favorite of the day - smooth, creamy and slightly sweet)
Sly Fox Standard Ale
Dock Street Hop Garden (which had bits of hop in it)
Voodoo Wynona's Big Brown Ale

The atmosphere was great - even though the place was packed, the wait for beers wasn't too long and everyone was in a good mood. Every time someone would walk into the bar, the place would erupt in a cheer (and conversely, people would get a good-natured "boooo" when they left -- it is Philly, after all).

The glorious Beer Week Hammer of Glory was in the house, and making the rounds for photos (we sadly forgot our cameras, but Mal got a pic of this guy on his camera phone). There were plenty of local beer mavens in attendance, including Lew Bryson, William Reed and Brian O'Reilly.

We rolled out around 1pm, aiming to hop the free shuttle to the Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em smoked beer and barbeque event at Yards Brewing. After waiting a while for the shuttle, we decided to hop the 66 bus and the El over to Yards. Like the Grey Lodge, Yards was crowded but not oppressively so. The new brewery is very impressive - high ceilings, huge spotless kettles and fermenters and at the rear, a giant tasting bar where they were pouring 18 smoked beers from various breweries. Around the perimeter of the tasting room, local restaurants had set up tables offering smoked meat in all its glorious forms: ribs, brisket, pulled pork and so on.

Hungry from standing around drinking all morning, we hit the tables with gusto. Victory's pulled pork was excellent and Tommy Gunn's wasn't too bad either (and their corn salad was good). Some of the other tables weren't as well marked so I can't give props to whomever made the awesome ribs. On the beer side, I tried offerings from Oskar Blues ("Smoke on the Water"), Sierra Nevada (Smoked Imperial Porter) and Sly Fox. Stuffed and sated, we wound down the day at Mal and Amanda's place watching the replay of the World Series.

It was a really fun day and I'm already looking forward to the next Firkinteenth in November.

Hush, puppies

2009-03-10T23:07:00.007-04:00

We have some Beer Week backlog to get to -- namely, Memphis Taproom's Vintage Beer Brunch and the Shola Olunloyo dinner at Blackfish (which was not an official Beer Week event, but we made it unofficially so). All in good time.

I stopped in Local 44 tonight for a late dinner, and to check out their "East Coast vs. West Coast" beer special. Tonight it was Rogue's I2PA v. Brooklyn Brewery's Blast Ale -- both double IPAs. I was tempted, but had to drive, and those 9% beers would have been trouble. So I opted for a Duvel Green to start -- it was crisp and hoppy, quite different from Duvel's signature ale. Very refreshing.

For dinner, I ended up choosing the fish & chips, for one reason: hush puppies included. I am a sucker for cornbread in all its forms, but deep-fried might be the best of all. I've loved hush puppies ever since I was a kid, when our family would go on vacation down south. You don't see them too often in these parts so I jumped at the chance. Local 44 didn't disappoint, either -- the hush puppies were piping hot, springy and slightly sweet. The fish and the chips were fine, but those fluffy spheres of cornbread made my night.

With my meal, I drank a Laurelwood Workhorse IPA, which had been recommended by multiple people at the bar. Good choice. For an IPA, it was surprisingly light-bodied and appropriately hoppy. Austin enjoyed his Laurelwood in Portland back in January, and I can see why -- they make great beer. I hear Local 44 is one of the only establishments in the area to serve their beer. So get down there and get some, before it's all gone. And have some hush puppies while you're there.

Deep Thought

2009-03-06T20:27:00.006-05:00

Standard Ale is back!

Update 3/9/08:

And it's delicious. Stopped by Johnny Brenda's on Sunday en route to Mal's old apartment to help him move a few things. Nothing like a Standard Ale fresh from the cask before lifting heavy furniture.

Boyz II Men, ABC, BDG: Biere de Garde Week

2009-03-05T11:38:00.010-05:00

In the months and weeks leading up to Beer Week (which starts tomorrow!), I watched as the number of events swelled from a few dozen to (as of today) 130,000. Ok, that's an exaggeration. But! There really are a ton of events to sort through. And a goodly number of those events come with a hefty price tag. So far I have reservations for only one fully-sanctioned, ticketed PBW event (the Vintage Beer Brunch at Memphis this Sunday!) and I am okay with that. One of the great things of having so many participating bars, restaurants and breweries is that I can stumble upon interesting events without much effort or the immense cost.

One place I plan to stumble to, upon and from is Caribou Cafe. For BW theyre highlighting Biere de Garde. Biere de Gardes are farmhouse style ales that are cellared for a period of time (the name means "kept beer"). They are generally malt forward and light brown or copper in color, typically darker than a saison.

All week Caribou will have a selection of different BDG's on tap; and their cooler will be stocked with bottles peculiar to the Pas de Calais region of France (the birthplace of BDG). They'll also have a tasting menu of three courses. Each paired with a different biere.

Take a look at Caribou's full schedule for Biere de Garde Week.

Beer Madness

2009-03-04T19:36:00.006-05:00

The Washington Post unveiled their annual Beer Madness competition this week -- it's a tournament competition modeled on NCAA basketball's March Madness. The lineup is usually a curious mix of craft & macro, regional & national brands, and this year's bracket runs the gamut from Bud Light Lime to Ommegang Hennepin. Beers are initially paired according to style, and then the bracket proceeds to mix styles as it progresses.

The Pennsylvania beer scene is well represented, with Troegs HopBack Amber Ale, Stoudts Scarlet Lady Ale and Yuengling's Lord Chesterfield Ale. In the first round, HopBack and Scarlet Lady advanced, while Lord Chesterfield fell to the unfortunately named Honker's Ale from Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago.

Last year Troegs HopBack made it to the Final Four, and I'll be cheering them on along with Stoudts this year.

(Hat tip: JR)

Steak on a Snow Day

2009-03-02T19:09:00.010-05:00

Today's second beer-free post. Since HM is drinking flat whites and otherwise enjoying the 70° weather in New Zealand, and I spent a goodly portion of the day shoveling snow, I treated myself to a ribeye tonight.

I seared the steak in a cast-iron pan and finished it in the oven to a nice medium-rare. While the steak was in the oven, I added some butter, shallots, tarragon and red wine to the pan juices, and reduced them until the sauce coated the back of a spoon. (One of my favorite Mark Bittman recipes.)

For the sauce, I used a 2006 Domaine Taluau St. Nicholas de Bourgueil "Cuvée l'Expression" Cabernet Franc, procured from Moore Brothers, my favorite wine merchant. From the shop's description: This is real wine: all black fruit, bell peppers, violets, and minerals, with a long, moderately tannic finish and plenty of fresh acidity. In the glass the wine was a fine accompaniment to the steak, along with sides of crispy potatoes and green beans with basil and shallots.

I know, that plate is a mess. Gotta work on the whole "presentation" thing.

Snow!

2009-03-02T08:57:00.004-05:00

Bryn Mawr, PA, 8:28 am.

Celtika Amber Beer

2009-02-25T20:32:00.008-05:00

While France is better known for its wine than its beer, there is a deep history of brewing that goes back to the pre-Roman Celtic (or Gallic, or even Gaulish if you prefer) inhabitants of the country. Wine was the tipple of choice for Greeks and Romans, but the more northerly Celts liked their beer - and they bequeathed that love of beer to us through their descendants in Britain, Belgium, Germany and France.

Tonight I dipped into my dwindling beer cellar for a Celtika Amber Beer from Brasserie Celtik, a French brewery in Brittany - a region where a Celtic language, Breton, is still spoken. This corked & caged 750mL bottle was a 2007 Christmas gift from my friend Mark.

The beer poured a cloudy caramel, with a viscous cream-colored head that dissipated quickly but left behind significant lace. I could tell from the banana and malt aromas that this would be a sweet beer. It tasted overwhelmingly of toffee and plum, with a backbone of yeast that softened the sugars. Not much in the way of hops, just enough bitterness to keep the beer from being cloying. Despite the overall sweetness, the body was quite light at 5.8% ABV.

While it's not a superlative brew -- too sweet -- I did enjoy it. Brasserie Celtik doesn't have much of a web presence, so I have no idea where to find it locally. Thanks, Mark, for a lovely and apparently rare bottle!

drawnk: Session Beer Project Logo

2009-02-16T17:30:00.003-05:00

Beer scribe Lew Bryson has a blog dedicated to session beers:

"SBP was started in January of 2007 by beer writer Lew Bryson for two reasons. First, to spread the word about session beers so more people could enjoy them. Second, to better Lew's chances of finding good session beers to drink."

What makes a session beer?

under 4.5% alcohol by volume
flavorful enough to be interesting -- no light beers, please
balanced enough for multiple pints
conducive to conversation
reasonably priced

A couple weeks ago he sent out an open call for a logo design for the movement. Now, I love me some session beers (Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout, Yards Brawler, Kenzinger, Philly Pale, etc) so I decided to give it a go and these are the results:

Preliminary sketches:

These were my original ideas. I submitted the second one and Lew got back to me and gave me some feedback; which resulted in the final version below:

Lew still hasn't chosen a logo yet (I think he's still receiving submissions). I had fun working on this and I'm happy with the final result. Now it's up to the fates (i.e. Lew himself) to decide.
Check out his facebook group for SBP...if that's what you're into.

Amada

2009-02-15T08:57:00.013-05:00

In Spanish, amada means "beloved," so it was fitting that HM and I celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner at Amada, chef José Garces' Spanish tapas restaurant in Old City Philadelphia.

Having been to Amada twice before, we were really looking forward to the meal, but this post on Foobooz added a new layer of interest for me: a chance to try Inedit, a beer from Spanish brewery Estrella Damm produced in collaboration with famed El Bulli chef Ferran Adrià. It's described in the Garces press release as "a lager and Belgian wheat beer blend with hints of orange and spice."

At $30 for a 750mL bottle, or $7 for a 5 oz. glass, Inedit is priced lower than similar volumes of wine, but higher than Amada's other beers. Naturally, I ordered a whole bottle. The presentation was beautiful: the bottle is uniquely shaped, with a single gold star (estrella) on the front and a booklet hanging from a red string around the bottle's neck. The beer, pale yellow and cloudy with a pillowy white head, is served in a white wine glass.

The taste - at first, anyway - was less impressive. The beer was served very cold, as you would expect for a light lager. But a Belgian-inspired brew? That should be served at cellar temperature (55°F), which brings forward the aromatic spice aromas and fruity flavors associated with many Belgian beers. As the meal progressed, the beer warmed up and so did the aromas and flavors.

We embarked upon their special Valentine's tasting menu, which offered a few plates absent from the regular menu, including jamón ibérico de bellota, wagyu beef flatbread, olive oil poached halibut and a positively luxurious combination of sea urchin, bomba rice and scallop. Dishes from the menu included a cheese plate, stuffed peppers, a lamb chop, and our favorite dish of the evening - pulpo a la gallego, Spanish octopus grilled with smoked paprika and lemon. They served us so much food that we left with a bag full of leftovers. Service was excellent and a reminder of why Amada is one of the city's best restaurants.

Back to the beer: it did go with all of the dishes, but not in the complementary way that a good beverage brings out subtle and new flavors, where the combination can be revelatory. Even when it warmed up, Inedit always took a back seat to the food. On its own, it's a perfectly acceptable beer. But compared to a funky Belgian beer or a serious pilsner, it was really underwhelming given the internet hype and the breathless prose in the booklet ("Inedit is the first beer specifically created to accompany food..."). It's very cool that chef Garces has brought this rare beer to Pennsylvania, and I'm glad I tried it. But I think next time I'll opt for some good Spanish wine.

Yards Love Stout

2009-02-14T12:03:00.005-05:00

Absolutely delicious, served from the hand pump at Prohibition Taproom. More stouts should be poured this way. The warm temperature, light carbonation, and foamy head bring the sweet malt flavors forward. This might not work for a dry stout (Guinness or Sly Fox's O'Reilly's, which really benefit from nitrogen) but for a maltier, sweeter variety like Yards Love Stout, it's pure romance.

drawnk: Valentine's Edition

2009-02-11T13:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to a new feature here at the BROG: DRAWNK. Drinking and Drawing. Drawing and Drinking. Get it?
For the first installment here's a V-day card for the beer-loving lover in your life. Print it out. Cut it out. Forward it. Forget it. Whatever. Happy Ballantine's Day.
Here's the full version. Just click the image below:

Update: Stout also goes well with blue!

Behold! The Khyber's "Get Outta Towner" Sandwich!

2009-02-08T18:54:00.007-05:00

The Khyber had a most exceptional sangwich on special today. Take an ordinary cheesesteak. Add to that a couple long hots, a few strips of bacon, some home fries and a fried egg. There you have the "Get Outta Towner." It is as decadent as it sounds. Wash it down with a crisp, refreshing Rogue Kells Irish Lager. Hang out and watch some horrible sci-fi movie on HD. Its a recipe for an awesome Sunday.

*sorry i dont have any pics. but i do have this ridiculous infomercial to distract you:

Higher Education: Beer School!

2009-02-04T16:02:00.007-05:00

The wonderful people who brought you the Wine School of Philadelphia have started a companion Beer School, headed by Wine School founder Keith Wallace and Dean Browne, the "Pastor of Fermentation" at Philadelphia Brewing Company.

Something tells me that this will be a lot more enjoyable than law school.

Hat tip: Phoodie

I'm moving to within spitting distance of Memphis Taproom!

2009-02-03T12:47:00.010-05:00

In Mid-March (or "Middle March" or "The Ides" or however you call it) Amanda and I will be moving to a 2 bedroom rowhome in that section of the Kensington District of Philadelphia known by some as Port Fishington.

In short time I'll be able to walk a half block to the Taproom and order a half-pint, or maybe even a whole pint if I feel like it. We hope to be moved in sometime during Philly Beer Week. Woot!

Speaking of Memphis Taproom: we were there last week for a late dinner and I noticed a change on the menu. The Kielbasy Hoagie has morphed into a Kielbasy Grinder. It now comes with gruyere, sauerkraut and russian dressing on a long roll. It was no less delicious and I was no more able to finish it than before. Sampled the Twisted Thistle IPA from Belhaven. Thistle was not used in the brewing of this cloudy, golden beer. They did use hops and malt though. The hops gallop out at first sip but then the malt catches up. A well balanced beer.

I'm thinking I should look into direct-depositing some of my paycheck each week straight into Memphis Taproom's bank account. That would save the processing fees...and some paper.

Zahav: Restaurant Week Report

2009-01-27T22:01:00.021-05:00

Philadelphia's Restaurant Week is on. The semi-annual promotion means you can eat at some of the city's best eateries at the set price of $35 for 3 or more courses.

Tonight, HM and I ate at Zahav, an Israeli restaurant in Old City owned and run by Michael Solomonov, an alum of Vetri and Marigold Kitchen. We agreed that it was the best Restaurant Week meal we've ever had, thanks to the kitchen's excellent cooking, the attentive service, and what we think was a case of mistaken identity.

We started off with drinks: HM with an "Adon Rimon" (Absolut Citron, pomegranate and rose) and I with a Ballast Point IPA (San Diego).

First course: Hummus with oven-hot laffa bread, and a sampler of 8 different cold salads. The tabbouleh, beets with tahini and the carrot with mint were particular highlights.

Second course: Mezze - small plates meant to be shared by the table. Crispy haloumi cheese with dates and nuts; bourekas (pastries) stuffed with mushrooms, feta and chard; fried kibbe (diced raw lamb) with bulgur wheat and pine nuts in a yogurt sauce; and stuffed baby peppers with rice, walnuts and feta. Our waiter also brought, "compliments of the kitchen," an order of burmuelos: crispy leek and mint fritters. This was an absurd amount of food -- I really think one mezze would have been enough for each of us (or maybe we ate too much laffa).

The Ballast Point IPA's bitterness and hoppiness was the perfect compliment to the "three C's" (coriander, cumin and cardamom) that spiced much of the food. One of the busboys saw me checking out the Ballast bottle (no draft beers at Zahav) and struck up a conversation about beer. He was a fan of the IPA, but also recommended the lone Israeli beer on the list, Goldstar. In his words: "It's like Yuengling, but it doesn't totally suck." Classic.

Third course: skewers. Monsieur Merguez (lamb sausage and cous cous) for me and the Galil (baby eggplant, pomegranate) for HM. By this point, we were so full from laffa and mezze that we only ate about half of the skewers and had the rest packaged up.

I should've taken the busboy's advice on Goldstar, but instead I ordered a River Horse Double White -- a good beer, but too soft for the aggressively spiced merguez. The crisp lager would have been a better choice.

After the skewers came our second treat "compliments of the chef" -- glasses of arak served with water and ice on the side. Arak, explained our waiter, is an anise-flavored liquor similar to ouzo or Sambuca. Like ouzo and absinthe, it pours clear but turns cloudy when mixed with water. I've never had ouzo, but I liked arak much better than Sambuca -- it's less sweet and syrupy. Enjoying our arak, we marveled at how Zahav was going all-out for its Restaurant Week patrons: Extra mezze! Free drinks! It was about to get surreal during dessert.

Fourth course: dessert. Lemon-poppy cake and chocolate-pistachio konafi. While we were eating, the chef/owner, Michael Solomonov, came to our table to introduce himself and asked how we were enjoying everything ("excellent!" said we). When he asked "if we were going to any of José's places this week," we knew something was up... assuming he meant José Garces, he must have thought we were high rollers on a first-name basis with one of Philly's hottest chefs. Not us! At first we thought he was making the rounds to all the tables, but he just went back to the kitchen.

I wonder who they thought we were?!?! I mean, we'd never eaten there before, we didn't drop any names, we're not in the business, we don't know José Garces, and we certainly don't eat out that much. We are not important people. It was a strange (and hilarious) end to a great, great meal. All that amazing food for $70 (not including tax, tip, and drinks). I feel like we got away with something.

Phillyskyline on Yards

2009-01-26T10:59:00.008-05:00

Brad Maule over at Phillyskyline has a nice post about the rebirth of Yards Brewery on the Delaware River. It had been rumored that Yards would have a brewpub on site at their new location on Delaware Ave, but plans seem to have changed a bit:

"...a much anticipated brewpub at the new Yards facility won't quite be a full-time brewpub, as Kehoe doesn't want to cut into the nearby bars in Northern Liberties and Fishtown who sell his beer. "But really, we don't want to be here until 2 in the morning," Mashington (pictured at left) says with a laugh.

But they will be selling beer there -- by the pint, by the sixpack, by the case -- and soon. "Philly Beer Week is coming, and we'd like to have the place presentable by then," Kehoe says."

This is fantastic news! Philly Beer Week starts in March, so that means in a little over a month's time one can tour the brewery and stay to sip a Brawler.

Southampton Publick House Altbier

2009-01-25T16:44:00.003-05:00

I picked up a case of Southampton's altbier at the local distributor yesterday. Last year, my friend and fellow homebrewer Lou treated me to a class at Tria Fermentation School on farmhouse ales, taught by Phil Markowski, head brewer at Southampton Publick House. It was a great class, especially since Phil literally wrote the book on farmhouse ales. (Thanks Lou!) Southampton beers are often on tap at beer bars in Philadelphia -- usually the delicious Double White. Having enjoyed Phil's takes on saison, bier de garde and Belgian wit, I was eager to try his altbier.

Altbier is a German ale, traditionally brewed with dark malts and noble hops, associated with the city of Düsseldorf. Its name means "old (style) beer," as it is one of the most ancient styles in Germany, brewed largely unchanged for hundreds (if not thousands) of years in the lower Rhine region. In the days before refrigeration, the mild climate there did not allow for the formation of enough ice to produce lagers. Now, on to the tasting.

True to style, the Southampton alt poured a deep amber, with copper and orange highlights. More carbonation than I expected, with creamy foam that left very little lacing on the glass. (Not much head retention after the first sip, either.) The aroma was full of malt with hints of baked bread and caramel, offset by slightly citrusy hops. The beer followed through with deep malt and caramel flavors, medium body and a nicely balanced hop finish.

The label didn't reveal the alcohol content, but it tastes like a session beer - I'd guess around 5%. Southampton needs to update their website, as this beer was nowhere to be found. The label did indicate that the bottle was produced in Wilkes-Barre, PA -- perhaps by Lion Brewery?

All in all, a solid altbier that I would buy again, and would love to try on draft.

Obamagang Follow Up

2009-01-22T00:21:00.004-05:00

Tim & I made it to Tria (Washington West) yesterday to sample Ommegang's Inauguration Ale.
Here's what Tim had to say:
"I found it very well balanced, and as not a huge fan of cherries, was
pleasantly surprised that there was just the barest hint of cherry,
and sourness, to balance the richness of the chocolate and roasted
malt flavors."
Here are my thoughts:
Very dark in color but surprisingly light in body. It was pretty easy going for an imperial porter/stout. Very smooth and, as Tim mentioned, just a bit of that sour cherry bite at the end.

I heard that some bars are hoarding kegs of this stuff (possibly to haul out for Philly Beer Week!) and I don't blame them.

Ommegang Inauguration Ale

2009-01-19T11:27:00.010-05:00

Brewery Ommegang is bringing out a limited-edition, draft-only beer to celebrate tomorrow's inaugural festivities.

From Ommegang's press release:

Inauguration Ale (a.k.a. Obamagang)
January - February
6.2% ABV - Draft only

The TTB won't let us call the beer Obamagang on the keg label. So it will be known legally as Inauguration Ale 2009, but the tap handles will be more...um...direct. The style lies between a porter and stout, with a bit of Kriek and a touch of chocolate blended in. It will be on draft only, beginning with the inauguration - in limited areas including DC, NYC, Syracuse, Philly, Chicago and Boston. We will donate a percentage of sales to charities in the respective cities where the beer is sold, and we've asked our distributors to match our donations and pick the local charities. (Also please note that the beer is not an endorsement of Obama.)

I was going to ask you, dear reader, to help us find bars pouring ~~Obamagang~~ Ommegang Inauguration Ale in Philadelphia tomorrow. But the Brew Lounge already did! I need to learn to use the Google better.

Not on the Brew Lounge list is Tria Café, who will be pouring Ommegang Inauguration Ale starting at 4pm tomorrow.

If you know of any other bars to add to the list, let us know in the comments.

Update: The Femme Fermental reports that Teresa's Next Door in Wayne and TJ's in Paoli have it too.

The Art of the Well Poured Pint

2009-01-18T10:42:00.016-05:00

It is our belief that Philadelphia is the best beer city on the eastern coast of these United States. It seems that every other week a new beer bar opens in a different neighborhood. But just because we're the best doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. We've been to quite a few ale houses, taprooms, saloons, birrerie and brewpubs in this fair city. We've encountered our fair share of headless pints, overfilled to the point of spilling. It's always a shame to witness the waste of all that tasty foam. On the other hand we've also seen an impatient draftsman completely ruin an Irish stout (the resultant pint consisted of more head than pint and the unlucky patron was forced to give the bartender a crash course in pouring a nitro beer). But we broggers are not here to denigrate. We are for to celebrate the best this city has to offer. To those who cannot pull a pint, who do not let their Guiness settle to perfection: allow us to put you on the road to recovery. Go to these establishments to learn how the professionals do it. We hereby present an incomplete, entirely informal and utterly biased guide to "The Best Pints in Philadelphia."

The Bards - a religious Guinness experience.
Grace Tavern - Reese (aka the best bartender in the city) will have you "covered like a blanket," which is a good thing.
Memphis Taproom/Local 44 - They pull the handpump to great effect.
Standard Tap - Consistently excellent. Check out their firkin wednesdays.
The 700 Club - Knowledgeable staff and delicious beer served properly in the appropriate glassware. Also, there's futbol on the telly.

We will be adding others to the list as they come to mind. In the meantime, we put it to you: where do you go for the perfect pint?

I just flew in from Portland, and boy is my beard tired.

2009-01-17T16:32:00.008-05:00

Along with being one of the “greenest” cities in the U.S., Portland, Oregon is also our nation’s brewpub capital. You can’t throw a keg without hitting a fine drinking establishment. While it may be winter and the middle of the rainy season out in the great northwest, it was still about 30° degrees warmer than it is here on the east. I sampled some fine beers and since I’ve returned to this frigid weather I’d like to focus on the wintrier of the fermented libations that touched my lips (and sometimes my moustache). They are listed below in the order in which they were consumed.
1) McMenamins Terminator Stout – I was slightly surprised to find this stout served so cold, but that didn’t really detract from its taste. It is a very smooth, dark stout that holds its own. Perfect when escaping the rain.
2) Laurelwood Moose and Squirrel Imperial Russian Stout – At 8% ABV, this Imperial Stout really packs a punch. It has a real coffee aroma, but is not overpowering to the palate.
3) BridgePort Ebenezer Ale – This was one of three BridgePort ales available from the firkin, and it paired perfectly with a cottage pie. It is very smooth and has a good balance of malt and hops. Might be my favorite of the four.
4) Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine (pictured)– Rogue describes this as “the cognac of beers,” and I couldn’t agree more. It’s malty, slightly acidic, and drinkable. At 11% ABV, one or two will do you just fine.

I will leave ye with a quote (the last line of which was found in Rogue’s beer binder) on drinking from Edgar Allan Poe:

“Filled with mingled cream and amber I will drain that glass again. Such hilarious visions clamber Through the chambers of my brain -- Quaintest thoughts -- queerest fancies Come to life and fade away; Who cares how time advances? I am drinking ale today.”

Brew Sessions: British Pub Ale

2009-01-17T15:41:00.015-05:00

We've been working at this for six hours. So what the hell have we been doing? Mal started us off with a couple of glorious breakfast sangwiches from Shank's & Evelyn's: eggs, cheese, potatoes and Italian sausage on the loveliest roll these hands have ever held. Our hunger sated, we set to the task at hand: brewing ten gallons of British pub ale.

Did we say ten gallons? It ended up closer to eight. This was our first all-grain brew in almost four years, a situation necessitated by our living arrangements. We've been warming up with extract brews, but it's comparing boxed cake mix to your mom's from-scratch orange sponge cake: there's nothing like the real thing. Anyway, it'll take us a few sessions to get back into the swing of things. In the meantime, we'll be anticipating our first beer of the new year: British pub ale. Here are some pictures from the day, courtesy of Brother Mal.

The mash temperature: just right

It's a-boilin', all right. The neighbors must love us.

The rather elaborate chilling apparatus

Let the yeast run free!

The beer is now nestled all snug in its beds...

transPORTER

2009-01-15T11:08:00.001-05:00

transPORTER
Originally uploaded by st.art.

breweries: dont steal this idea, please. i has copyright.

Self starter

2009-01-14T21:18:00.004-05:00

This Saturday your Broggers will be brewing a 10-gallon batch of British pub ale. Tonight I made a yeast starter in preparation -- a brew session in miniature. Mix dry malt extract with water, boil, cool, add yeast. By Saturday the yeast will have multiplied many times over, and we'll have plenty for our 10 gallons.

cooking with beer vol. 1: "its a family affair...chili"

2009-01-14T13:57:00.012-05:00

"Its a family affair...chili"
Ground beef, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, cumin & coriander, shiracha chili sauce, kidney beans, home brewed wee heavy, a jar of Grandmom's homemade tomato sauce, a large piece of smoked pig skin.

The last three ingredients are the key to this chili and from whence the name derives. Allow me to explain: The pig skin comes courtesy of Brother Tim, who has taken to smoking his own bacon (as well as curing pancetta). The tomato sauce is from Amanda's Grandmom (whose last name is Pizza, so I think she knows a thing or two about a thing or two about tomato sauce). Finally, the wee heavy was home brewed by your humble broggers (perhaps our best brew thus far). The smokiness of the wee heavy and the pork skin imparts such a richness and depth of flavor. Grandmom's tomatoes proved to be rather versatile, providing a great base for this dish. I'd like to thank everyone involved. As they say: "It takes a village to raise a chili."

CHOCARRUBICA

2009-01-12T18:07:00.015-05:00

The other night I decided to grab a pint at The Standard Tap, as is my wont. On such nights its a struggle not to ogle the floor to ceiling refrigerators at The Foodery nearby. I succumbed to my urges and purchased an Italian beer from Birrificio Grado Plato located in Chieri, IT (which is close to Torino). Chocarrubica is described as a "dark ale brewed with carob & cacao beans". I was unfamiliar with the taste of carob so I guess I was expecting the flavor of chocolate to be more noticeable. Instead it was sweet, then sour and finally gave way to a hint of chocolate-y smoothness. A peculiar beer that will definitely appeal to fans of the sour style. It retails for $30.25 for 1 pt 9.4 fl. oz. and has an ABV of 7%.

Wake me up when the wings get here

2009-01-11T20:09:00.006-05:00

That would be Local 44's sticky wings: meaty miniature chicken limbs sticky with a sweet, spicy glaze. No dipping sauces offered and thankfully not necessary. A real hot-wings lover would probably be disappointed, and even my Irish tastebuds could've handled some more spice, but after a long afternoon of football and beer, the wings hit the spot. Your humble Broggers worked our way through a solid third of the draft list: the beer highlights of the day for me were the Sly Fox Pale Ale on cask, and Elysian's Immortal IPA. This cold weather is getting me back into getting back into big beers.

bluebird of happiness

2009-01-11T18:59:00.014-05:00

Perhaps that should be E-A-G-L-E-S of happiness. Spent a lovely Sunday afternoon in Spruce Hill at the newly opened Local 44. Sampled the food as well as a few of their 20-odd draft selections. Thoroughly enjoyed the Coniston Bluebird Bitter. Its a light bodied, slightly hoppy session beer from Britain. I noticed some citrusy/fruity aftertastes that were altogether enjoyable.
Also, I heard the Philadelphia Soul won a big game today...