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Friday, March 16, 2007

Penndemonium

Got an e-mail from Tom Pastorius out at the Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh. Tom's an old friend, and I am a solid fan of his beers, loved them for years. Tom was yanking my chain (and sounding like he was channelling Dan Bengel):

I know, you writers love the new stuff, very strong and very bitter. It gives you something new to write about. But we make smooth, drinkable beer. Beer that you can drink a lot of. And that is lager beer.

So you want something new from us to write about? We’re not just the same old, same old. We make new beers too sometimes, but German style of course. I’ve heard it rumored that Penn Brewery is putting out a Mayday alert. Something went crazy in the brewhouse (must have been one of those new brewers) and a super beer emerged. It has put our whole company in a state of pandemonium.

We don’t know what to do. A strong beer from Penn Brewery??

Hell, let’s just go with it. We’ll call it Penndemonium, to be introduced on Mayday in draft and 22 oz. bottles. (This is our first 22 oz. product, We put in a new filler.) You can try it here at the Penn Brewery Restaurant on May 1st or come to the Pennsylvania Microbrewers Fest on June 2nd and try it.


You know...the whole Extreme Beer Massacree Feenomuhnon might have been worth it, just to get a "super beer" from Penn Brewing. I gotta try this stuff.

7 comments:

Loren said...

DAMN! I was just there! My guess? An extra strong (OOPS! how'd double the malt get in the mash tun? Ah well...) Maibock.

Question for you, to relay to Tom perhaps? Why are the new bottles not dated? Didn't they just convert to a larger, more efficient system? It doesn't include a dating system?

My only gripe with Penn. As I HATE seeing their beautiful beers getting ripped because of no doubt oldness. And I don't myself like buying old beer.

My case purchased direct from the brewery was beyond pristine, FWIW.

Prosit!

Eli said...

How exciting, thanks for the news!

That guy said...

I just got a call from my Penn rep about 2 hours ago about kegs of their Weizenbock that will be available in about a week or two. The May date doesn't work for that thought.

Lew Bryson said...

Hart,

That's the cool thing: Penndemonium is a second strong beer, in addition to the Weizenbock. Go Penn!

Anonymous said...

Loren

There IS alot of old Penn stuff out there...in fact, at the places I purchase beer, it's almost all out of date. A real shame, because when fresh, Penn has some of the best lagers in the country.

jakester

Loren said...

jakester,

That's why I wonder why the new Penn bottles are undated. Unless I'm blind as a bat?

Weizenbock? Draft only I assume. Guess we'll have to book one more, one last trip to Pitt.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Penn Weizenbock tapped at Bocktown this past week I also saw it down at Fathead's and it was a hit at this past Sunday's T.R.A.S.H. meeting where I poured a couple pints for each of the Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers. Great Weizenbock Penn just makes great German bier.

Later

Tony aka WVbeergeek