When Two Rivers Collide: Consecration and Damnation

1. Lancaster Brewing Co. Milk Stout (D)

2. McNeill's Brewing Warlord Imperial IPA (D)
3. Russian River Consecration (D)

4. Lagunitas Brewing Co. IPA (D)

5. Southern Tier Harvest Ale (D)

6. Northcoast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner (D)

7. Russian River Damnation (B)

"With impetuous recoil and jarring sound

Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate

Harsh thunder, that the lowest bottom shook

Of Erebus. She opened, but to shut

Excelled her power; the gates wide open stood.

-John Milton: Paradise Lost

Very rarely does both heaven and hell find their way into the same post for me. Surely I have been explicit enough describing the most beautiful brews served in a snifter, but to have the most damned ones served also, well, there must be a story behind that. If there was such a story, I would happily title it, "When Two Rivers Collide."

Let's talk about P.O.P.E. first. The Pub on Passayunk East has to be the darkest beer bar that I have ever been to. The only light that lit the menu came from the room next to where we were sitting. But there must have been a torch somewhere, because low and behold, what was written in pink chalk on the draft board? Russian River Consecration. It was the priciest beer on the list, but I thought back to a few months ago when I was able to indulge in RR's Pliny the Elder and Supplication, both on draft. So when the sour beast is in your face, reach your hand out and make a new friend. There is nothing but fantastic things to note about this brew. It was plum red. It had absolutely no head. It was tart in every sense of the word. There was a bit of vinegar behind it, but mostly I was just pounded by the currants.

This seems like a great place for an except from one of my favorite poems.

MORNING and evening
Maids heard the goblins cry:
"Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy:
Apples and quinces,
Lemons and oranges,
Plump unpecked cherries-
Melons and raspberries,
Bloom-down-cheeked peaches,
Swart-headed mulberries,
Wild free-born cranberries,
Crab-apples, dewberries,
Pine-apples, blackberries,
Apricots, strawberries--
All ripe together
In summer weather--
Morns that pass by,
Fair eves that fly;
Come buy, come buy;
Our grapes fresh from the vine,
Pomegranates full and fine,
Dates and sharp bullaces,
Rare pears and greengages,
Damsons and bilberries,
Taste them and try:
Currants and gooseberries,
Bright-fire-like barberries,
Figs to fill your mouth,
Citrons from the South,
Sweet to tongue and sound to eye,
Come buy, come buy."

-"The Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti

Now onto how "Paradise Lost" found its way into this post and into our other river's channel. Damnation. RR Damnation is a pretty sweet Belgian Strong Ale. Lots of fruity notes, very light in color. I was able to get full view of this brew at the well lit Terrace Taproom. Served out of RR's (tion) cage-corked 375 ml bottles, they also provide you with a novel written down the side. It is a smooth operator with a dry finish.

Cheers for now friends. Happy Fall.

A Poem, A Story, Another Season upon us.

1. Sly Fox Brewing Standard Porter (D)-Handpump
2. Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Double Simco IPA (D)
3. Coronado Brewing Co. Mermaids Red (D)
4. Sixpoint Brewing Co. Righteous Ale (D)
5. Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V. La Trappe Quadruple (D)
6. Brasserie Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelles (D)

7. Avery Brewing Co. IPA (D)

8. Lost Abbey Brewery Avant Garde (D)

9. Ithica Beer Co. Flower Power IPA (D)

10. Victory Brewing Co. Wild Devil Ave (B)

11. Elysian Brewing Co. Avatar Jasmine IPA (B)

12. Founders Brewing Co. Dirty Bastard (B)

13. Cigar City Jai Alai

14. Green Flash Hop Head Red

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields,

the gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth

and you walk under the red light of fall

The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain

The sharp, gentile chill of fall.

Here as we move into the shadows of autumn

The night that brings the morning of spring

Come to us, Lord of Harvest

Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us..."

**Autumn Equinox Ritual

I love the change of seasons, but losing the summer's heat and the hours of light into the 9 o'clock hour becomes harder to do without. Whether it is through the autumn imagery that is ignited by the prose that started this blog post, or just knowing that a pumpkin ale has just been tapped, I guess that you can find bits of love any time of year.

These past two weeks had me sampling some great styles of beer. I often devote entire posts to IPAs and stouts, but, fortunately, family and friendly places offered me their harvest. Porters, Double IPAs, Reds, Ryes, Belgians and Scotch Ales all, thankfully, fell into this list.

Here's the tale of La Trappe. It's big. It's a quad and it's way too drinkable. Jules and I were at Terrace Taproom a few weeks back when this beer was on. It was a Wednesday night. We were only looking to enjoy a beer or two. But there it was. I put down my finished pint of Mermaid's Red, and through the lacing across the glass, the Trappist tap actually smiled at me. I said to myself, "No." And as I was about to order another, and the bartender says, "La Trappe is a bad motherfucker," Jules says, "I'll have one." And that was it. It poured a beautiful dark amber into a pretty sweet chalice. Toasty malts laced with sweet fruits. I figured 10%, I'll sip it for an hour. It's a ten minute walk home and it's early. It was a nice end of the night drink.

There were no dragons slayed that night. Nor were any moats to crossed.

Cheers for now.

Friendship Brew

1. Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Blanche (D)

2. Brasserie St. Feullien/ Green Flash Collaboration: Biere De L'Amite (D)
3. Brasserie St. Feullien Brune (D)
4. Brasserie St. Feullien Triple (D)
5. Green Flash Brewing Co. Triple (D)
6. Lancaster Brewing Co. Cream Ale (D)
7. Furthermore Knot Stock (B)

8. Lagunitas A Little Sumtin' Sumtin' (D)

9. Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA (D)
10.Dock Street Espresso Satellite Stout (D)

11. Sly Fox Brewing Co. Ichor (D)

12. Bells Cherry Stout (B)

How does one recover after a Beercation? Well for starters you can start small. You can start with a flight. I was out in the Oley Valley at the Manatawny Inn and what to my wondering eye should appear...a list full of St. Feullian and Green Flash beer. Yes, it was a night of two brewers who just made an excellent collaboration, Biere de L'Amite. Belgian brewers St. Feullien had three delightful treats as did the U.S's Great Flash. But there was also a fourth and that was their collaborative effort of a Blond Belgian Strong Ale. Spicy, malty and heavily hopped, it was a blend of rye and wheat with St. Feullien's tradional yeast. Delicious.

On the local circuit, I was super impressed with Philadelphia's Dock Street Brewery this past week. We popped by Johnny Brenda's with The Slingluff Gallery owners the other night to one of the best local beer spots in the city. Dock Street's Espresso Satellite Stout is down-right ridiculously rich. Now it didn't say Espresso on the list, but as I raised my glass toward my nose the roasty sensation perked me out of my seat.

Let's interrupt this with a quote: "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock-T.S. Eliot

Okay, back to the beer. Jet black with a tan head it was nice and nutty. It was a bit too easy to drink, although I'm not sure if that is a negative thing. It was nothing like the Bell's Cherry Stout that I picked up from one of the greatest bottle shops west of the Schuylkill, Pinocchio's Beer Garden. If the Satellite Stout was black, then this cherry stout was motor oil. Well, there was a hint of red. Very tart, but enough malt to back it up. Think of cherry chocolate cake, rich chocolate cake that leaves your lips smacking. So let's end with a poem about this.

Cherry-Ripe

BY THOMAS CAMPION

There is a garden in her face

Where roses and white lilies blow;

A heavenly paradise is that place,

Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow:

There cherries grow which none may buy

Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.

Those cherries fairly do enclose

Of orient pearls a double row,

Which when her lovely laughter shows,

They look like rose-buds filled with snow;

Yet them no peer nor prince can buy

Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.

Her eyes like angels watch them still;

Her brows like bended bows do stand,

Threatening with piercing frowns to kill

All that attempt with eye or hand

Those sacred cherries to come nigh,

Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.

Cheers for now.

Philly Beercation 2010: the Other Tippler

So I have had the pleasure of enjoying the first two Beercations put on by our group of friends. The first, in Tampa, FL, had highlights that included an all-day craft beer festival and a visit to Cigar City Brewing, along with a number of excellent beer-pub stops. The second incarnation, this time in Philly, set the bar a little higher. There was no festival this time around, and the brewery visits (Noddinghead and Earth Bread and Brewery) don't quite match up to Cigar City, but we hit some of the best beer houses around, including Monk's Cafe (twice!), Capone's, Eulogy, and Union Jack's on the Manatawny along with many more. This beercation varied too, in that we had friends from out of state (Florida, Texas and New Jersey) join us for various segments. I was lucky enough to stumble through nearly two weeks of this beercation, and I can't wait for our next one!

Here's what I managed to get down as far as the wonderful variety of beers I was able to sample. This covers nearly all of the draught beers I had, but is missing a number of bottles. It makes for a pretty impressive list - one that would be tough to match anywhere else in the world:

Philly Beercation, Summer 2010 (July 22 – August 10)

1. Sargasso IPA (Hand Pump) (D) – Earth Bread and Brewery (7/28)

2. Hill Farmstead Edward Pale Ale (D) - Earth Bread and Brewery (7/28)

3. Chouffe Houblon (D) - Monk’s Café (7/30)

4. Russian River Concecration (D) - Monk’s Café (7/30)

5. Ommegang Zuur (D) - Monk’s Café (7/30)

6. Weihenstephaner Vitus (D) – Brauhaus Schmitz (7/30)

7. Weihenstephaner 1809 Berliner Weiss w/ Shot of Berry Syrup (B) - Brauhaus Schmitz (7/30)

8. Founder’s Cerise (D) – Old Eagle Tavern (7/30)

9. Sixpoint Otis Oatmeal Stout on Nitro (D) - Old Eagle Tavern (7/30)

10. Stillwater Artisan Stateside Saison American Farmhouse Ale (B) - Old Eagle Tavern (7/30)

11. Yard’s Brewing Co ESA (Hand Pump) (D) – Dawson Street Pub (7/30)

12. Dogfish Head Theobroma (D) – Capone’s (7/31)

13. East End Kvass Sour (D) – Capone’s (7/31)

14. Saison du Buff brewed by Stone (B) – the River (7/31)

15. Unibroue Quelque Chose (B) - the River (7/31)

16. Founder’s Red Rye IPA (B) - the River (7/31)

17. Monstre Rouge Imperial Flanders Red Ale (Terrepin/de Proef Brouwerij Collaboration) (B) - the River (7/31)

18. Haandbryggeriet Haandbakk Sour Ale (B) - the River (7/31)

19. Dogfish Head Theobroma (D) – Union Jack’s on the Manatawny (8/1)

20. Stone Imperial Russian Stout (D) - Union Jack’s on the Manatawny (8/1)

21. Lost Abbey Avante Garde Farmhouse Saison (D) – Craft Ale House (8/2)

22. Founder’s Centenial IPA (D) - Craft Ale House (8/2)

23. Southern Tier Mokah (D) - Craft Ale House (8/2)

24. Darkhorse Double Crooked Tree IPA (D) – Old Eagle Tavern (8/4)

25. Sargasso IPA (D) – Earth Bread and Brewery (8/4)

26. Gluteous Minimus Beer Juice - Earth Bread and Brewery (8/4)

27. Russian River Damnation (D) - Earth Bread and Brewery (8/4)

28. Pliny the Elder (D) – Monk’s Café (8/5)

29. Monk’s Café Flemish Sour (D) - Monk’s Café (8/5)

30. La Rulles Estivale (D) - Monk’s Café (8/5)

31. Jandrain Jandreoville IV Saison (D) - Monk’s Café (8/5)

32. Vichtenaar Flemish Ale (D) – Beneluxx (8/5)

33. Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca (D) – Eulogy (8/5)

34. Rodenbach Grand Cru (D) – Eulogy (8/5)

35. Dock Street Rye IPA (D) – Johnny Brenda’s (8/5)

36. Twin Lakes Pale Ale (D) – Johnny Brenda’s (8/5)

37. Philadelphia Brewing Company Rowhouse Red – Johnny Brenda’s (8/5)

38. Victory Hop Devil (Hand Pump) (D) – Dawson Street Pub (8/6)

39. Yard’s Brewing Co Thomas Jefferson Ale (Hand Pump) (D) – Dawson Street Pub (8/6)

40. Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA (D) - Manayunk Tavern (8/6)

41. Yard’s Brewing Co. Brawler Strong Ale (D) – Grape Street Pub (8/6)

42. Prism Tea Party Pale Ale (D) – Old Eagle Tavern (8/6)

43. Ich bin ein Berliner Weiss (D) – Noddinghead Brewery (8/7)

44. Grog: Cask Conditioned English Style Brown Ale (D) – Noddinghead Brewery (8/7)

45. Long Trail Double IPA (D) – the Irish Pole (8/7)

46. Yard’s Brewing Co. Saison (D) – Standard Tap (8/7)

47. Stout’s Brewing Co. Double IPA (D) – Standard Tap (8/7)

48. Victory Brewing Co. Bitter (D) – the 700 Club (8/7)

49. Torrey Pines IPA (D) – the 700 Club (8/7)

50. Furthermore Fatty Boombalatty (D) – City Tap House (8/8)

51. Rogue John John Juniper Pale Ale (D) – City Tap House (8/8)

52. Iron Hill Nut Brown Ale (D) – Iron Hill Brewery Phoenixville (8/9)

53. Dogfish Head India Brown Ale (D) – Farmacia (8/10)

House Beers Drank Throughout the Week (Bottles)

1. Heavy Seas Big DIPA

2. Founder’s Porter

3. Southern Tier Crème Brulee Stout

4. Dogfish Head Namaste

5. Dogfish Head Festina Peche

6. Jolly Pumpkin ES Bam Hoppy Farmhouse Ale (bad bottle)

7. Port Brewing Wipe Out IPA

8. Three Floyd’s Alpha King Pale Ale

9. Green Flash Brewing West Coast IPA

10. Saison du Buff brewed at Dogfish Head

11. Furthermore ThermoRefur – ale brewed with pepper and beets

12. Dogfish Head Wrath of Pecant

Homebrews from Fellow Beer Nuts (Draft and Bottles)

From Jules: Pale Ale (D)

Belgian Blonde (D)

Imperial Stout (D)

Rye Ale (D)

From Kevin: High Five IPA (B)

From Tim: WheatPA (B)

From Ben: Pale Ale (B)

IPA (B)

Wheat Ale (B)

Can you tell that we all love our beer?!?! Thanks to everyone who made it out for this one, and may we all enjoy many more Beercations in the future!

Beercation 2010-The Philadelphia Experience

Earlier this year a group of friends met in Florida and had what they referred to as a "Beercation." At that time I had not been introduced to that term, but knew if anything that I too would go on one. It turned out that most of them were able to meet up again this past week, but this time in Philadelphia and this time I would be included. From the rare Belgians and Sours at Monks Cafe to the big IPAs at the Manatawny Inn we made our way to everywhere in between. Capones, City Tap House, Johnny Brendas, Eulogy, The Irish Pol, The Standard Tap, Olde Eagle, Beneluxx, Dawson Street, Nodding Heads, Earth Bread and Brewery and an assortment of small spots throughout the City of Brotherly Beer Drinking Love were on our list, and we hit them all.

So here is the great list from the past 13 days, a list from an amazing Beercation and giant "Cheers" to everyone that was part of it.

1. Earth Bread and Brewery Sargasso (D)
2. Hills Farmstead Edmond Pale Ale (D)
3. Southern Tier IPA (B)
4. West Coast Green Flash IPA (B)
5. Prism Tea Party Pale Ale (D)
6. Stone Brewing 14^th Anniversary (B)
7. Southern Tier 2X IPA (D)
8. Dogfish Head, Stone, Victory Saison DU BUFF (Stone Version) (B)
9. Founders Cerise (D)
10. Sixpoint Otis (on Nitro) (D)
11. Moylan’s Hopsickle (D)
12. Cigar City Mudaro Brown (D)
13. Petrus Pale Ale (D)
14. De Proef-Terrapin Collaboration Monster Rogue (B)
15. Bells Two Hearted (B and D)
16. Unibroue Quelque Chose (B)
17. Russian River Pliney the Elder (B and D)
18. Russian River Consecration (D)
19. Stillwater Artisinal Farmhouse Ale (B and D)
20. Ommegang Zuur (D)
21. Riverhorse Hop Hazard (B)
22. Dogfish Head 90 Minute (B)
23. Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA (D)
24. Victory Summer of Love (D)
25. Earth Bread And Brewery Sweet Charlotte (D)
26. Victory Baltic Porter (D)
27. Verhaeghe Vichtenaar (B)
28. Brouwerij Smisje Vuuve (B)
29. Twin Lakes Pale Ale (D)
30. Dock St. Rye Pale Ale (D)
31. Philadelphia Brewing Co. Newbold (Handpump) (D)
32. Founders Reds Rye PA (D)
33. Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca (D)
34. Victory Hopdevil (D)
35. Southern Tier Crème Brule Stout (B)
36. Caldera IPA (C)
37. Nodding Head Ich bin ein Berliner Weise (D)
38. Nodding Head Rufus (D)
39. Boulder Brewing Co. Hop Cold (D)
40. Sly Fox Brewing Saison Vos (D)
41. Weyerbacher Brewing Merry Monks (D)
42. Heavy Seas Big DIPA (B)
43. Hitachino Nest Classic (D)
44. Stone, Dogfish Head, Victory Saison DU BUFF (Dogfish Version) (B)
45. Furthermore Thermo Refur (B)
46. Dogfish Head Wrath of Pecant (B)
47. Left Coast Brewing Co. Torrey Pines IPA (D)
48. Iron Hill Brewing Belgian Wit (D)
49. Port Brewing Wipeout IPA (B)
50. Jolly Pumpkin ES Bam (B)
51. Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale (B)

Week 23: What do a bear, a tiger, and a monster have in common?

1. Bear Republic Racer 5

2. Cigar City Jai Alai

3. Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA

4. Voodoo Pilzilla

5. Weyerbacher Fireside Ale

6. Arcadia Hopmouth (Hand Pump)

7. Troegs Sunshine Pils

8. Great Lakes Brewing Lake Erie Monster

9. Troegs Hopback Amber

"Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor."

I wanted an eerie quote. Something campfire(ish) for the monsters on the loose this past week. Somehow, and I don't know how, there was a theme brewing with the names of some of these beers.

The Philadelphia area is finally getting their hands on some Cigar City brews again. A few months back a tale was spun that Tampa brewers couldn't keep up with our drinking. Well they have let their Jai Alai slide up our way. It looks just like a Florida Orange. It's piney and grapefruity with just the right amount of hops throughout. It was not as fresh as from a Florida tap. I need a vacation.

Like most monsters, we shouldn't flee from them, but just make friends. Great Lakes Brewing Lake Eerie Monster should be a very good friend to you. He is a fantastic IPA or Double IPA with a pretty thick head...minus the scales. He must wallow in the fruit groves, because he stank of citrus hops. I also saw some mangoes between his toes, but that might have been my imagination. Once I got to know him I found him to be a just a sweet fellow that could talk you to sleep.

I am in the midst of what some call a Beercation.

Cheers for now.

Week 21-22: "I think it is in collaboration that the nature of art is revealed. "

1. Stone Cali-Belqique IPA

2. Terrapin Rye Pale Ale

3. Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

4. Flying Fish Abbey Double

5. Southhampton Double White

6. Sly Fox Brotherly Suds #1

8. Philadelphia Brewing Co. Pennsylvania Ale

9. Lancaster Brewing Co. Hop Hog

"The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn: the drowsy bee stumbles among the clover tops,
and summer sweetens all to me."- James Russell Lowell

How sweet is summer. Wheats and Whites are always available. Decadent Belgians and floral hopped masterpieces are never out of season. And nowadays, there is always a collaboration beer to be had. That basically sums up the past two weeks of beer tasting.

Most of these brews are good old friends that I have known for years, but like any summer, you are bound to make some new acquaintances. Philadelphia Brewing Co. recently took a crack a Pale Ale of their own, and like their IPA, they like them malty. Pennsylvania Pale Ale or PPA (yes, a nice shout out to the most hated group of city officials). This beer has a huge hop presence at the nose with a toasted malt mouth on it. It's kind-of spicy and bready. They are now bottling it, for now, so I am hoping to hold on to 1 or 2 for summers end. It's a good beer and probably great on cask.

Sly Fox threw a party and invited some of my favorite people.That is basically what it looks like when you see the brewers behind Brotherly Suds #1. This brew was readily available during Philly Beer Week, and with what appears to have some public demand, it has popped up throughout the summer at some great area bar. I spotted this brew at Johnny Brendas in Fishtown and was pretty eager to have it for the first time. A brainchild of Yards, Sly Fox, Victory, Stouts and Troegs. this is a delicious ESB. It's super smooth, fruity and caramely, and very little hopped and will undoubtedly be gone soon.

Other than drinking beer I finally took a shot at brewing too. So many of my good friends have started brewing or have brewed for years. Tasting what they have been mashing has been a huge inspiration. I've started off on an easy extract recipe. I will write about this experience pretty soon. Like most homebrewers, I assume this is going to become an obsession.

The title quote in this post is by the late Jazz Great, Steve Lacy.