Thankful for Dessert Beers

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew (B)

Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale (B)

North Coast Brewery Brother Thelonious (D)

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (D)

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock (D)

Bells Brewery Double Cream Stout (D)
Rogue Brewing Dead Guy (D)
Yards Brewing Co. ESA (D)
Bells Brewing Co. Kalamazzo Stout (D)
Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout (D)
Copper Crow Chocolate Thunder Porter-Cask(D)
Yards Brewing Co. Love Stout (D)
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout (D)

The Son of a Gambolier

-Charles Ives (1895)

I'm a rambling rake of poverty
from Tippery town I came.
'Twas poverty compelled me first
to go out in the rain.
In all sorts of weather,
be it wet or be it dry,
I'm bound to get my livelihood
or lay me down to die.

Then combine your humble ditties
as from inn to tavern we steer
Like every honest fellow
I drinks my lager beer.
Like every jolly fellow
I takes my whiskey clear.
For I'm a rambling rake of poverty
And the son of a gambolier.

I was was tall and handsome,
and was so very neat.
They thought I was too good to live,
most good enough to eat.
But now I'm old, my coat is torn
and poverty holds me fast.
And every girl turns up her nose
as I go wandering past.

Not a Pale Ale of any sorts was in sight of making this list. My palate had malts-a-callin'. It had stouts as dark and sweet as can be making decisions for my normally hopped out appetite. These brews kind of made me feel like the song I chose to include. It sounds a bit dark, but when I hear the lyrics I think about the Dan Zane's children's version where a bunch of kids belt away the words away. Maybe they were drinking chocolate milk (stouts). When this time of year comes around I get a hankering for stouts. Some would say that I have a love interest (Yards). There is nothing like choppin' some chicory while listening to Miles Davis (DFH) to help someone forget that winter is on its way.

Most of us in Philadelphia know that The General Lafayette is no more. The beautiful historic inn off Church Rd and Germantown Ave lays empty of thirsty folk. For a while they were hosting Prism Brewing while they were getting their beehive brewhouse finished up. If you happened to find yourself at The General over the past year, even as a fair weather patron, you could feel something in the works. In a nut shell, the restaurant side of the biz was in decline. The brewing side just so happened to operate under a different name. And although I am not hip to what is going on with the food, Copper Crow Brewing Co. is what we will find ourselves drinking. The website isn't up and running yet, but stay tuned. I was at The London in Fairmount the other night and what I heard was 2011 is the year of The Crow. And by the way, The London has their chocolate porter on cask right now.

Crow Goes Hunting

-From Crow by Ted Hughes

Crow
Decided to try words. 

He imagined some words for the job, a lovely pack-
Clear-eyed, resounding, well-trained,
With strong teeth.
You could not find a better bred lot. 
He pointed out the hare and away went the words
Resounding.
Crow was Crow without fail, but what is a hare? 
It converted itself to a concrete bunker.
The words circled protesting, resounding. 
Crow turned the words into bombs-they blasted the bunker.
The bits of bunker flew up-a flock of starlings. 
Crow turned the words into shotguns, they shot down the starlings.
The falling starlings turned to a cloudburst. 
Crow turned the words into a reservoir, collecting the water.
The water turned into an earthquake, swallowing the reservoir. 
The earthquake turned into a hare and leaped for the hill
Having eaten Crow's words. 
Crow gazed after the bounding hare
Speechless with admiration. 

Cheers until December.