Folks, we've got some news and updates for this coming weekend's Session Beer event at Ortino's Northside in Zieglerville, PA. Now, look: I know this is Memorial Day weekend, the traditional first weekend of summer, and more importantly around here, the weekend everyone heads down the shore to open beach homes, hit the Boardwalk, and start mindlessly regressing to drinking light beer. Let's say it again: "the weekend everyone heads down the shore." Let me just say one word: traffic. Wait, here's another: crowds. And two more: screaming kids.
So...exactly why are you even thinking about going down the shore instead of to Ortino's Northside? That's what I thought! Why not join us and let John Ortino do the barbecuing for you, let Dan and I pour your beers, and relax in the sunny Zieglerville countryside to the beat of the session beer life?
My dinner is Thursday night, May 24 at 6:30p.m. That's the grand premiere of the brand new outside bar. We have a menu: Tomatillo salsa with fresh-made corn chips, steamed clams made with Legacy's Midnight Wit, bar-b-que chicken with some tater salad, and some of Linda Ortino's homemade desserts (don't roll your eyes: Linda's ginger pound cake was a big hit at the first session dinner). We'll be joined by a special guest: Nodding Head brewer Gordon Grubb, who is a strong supporter of session beers and the Session Beer Project. The beers are confirmed: Allagash White, Stoudt's Weizen, Union Barrel Works Kölsch, Nodding Head Berliner Weisse, East End Brewing Wheat Hop and one of the last kegs in the country, so we've been told, of Oud Beersel Framboise. Be prepared to let out your belts: no one ever goes away hungry from one of these dinners. Only $40, and I dare you to find a comparable beer dinner in the area for that price.
Cask-Away Night is Friday, May 25, starting around 6 p.m. or so, also out on the new bar. We have four cask ales confirmed at this point: Legacy's Brown Aled Girl, two Nodding Head beers -- All Night Mild and Pale Ale, and a delicious Belgian Pale Ale from Iron Hill North Wales that I am dying to try on cask. Friday night is pay-as-you-go. Come on out and show these brewers that the suburbs know how to drink cask ale!
THE MAIN EVENT is Saturday, May 26: The Session Summer of Love. Kick off your 2007 Summer with what we believe is the first-ever American all-session beer festival: 30 craft beers pouring, all 5.5% ABV...or less! We have 25 confirmed at this point; the list is below. We also have an all-you-can-eat buffet of summer love barbecue: pulled pork, barbecued chicken and ribs, brisket, corn, taters, pasta salad, and even more side dishes. That's $15 (a gut-stuffing steal), the beers are pay-as-you-go. Everything starts at 1:00.
Saturday Beer List
CHURCH BREW WORKS-PIOUS MONK DUNKEL (rare appearance)
LEGACY-MIDNIGHT WIT
RIVER HORSE-SUMMER BLONDE
APPALACHIAN-PEREGRINE PILSNER
ROCK BOTTOM-tba (count on Brian McConnell for something excellent)
MANAYUNK BREWING-BELGIAN FARMHOUSE ALE
EAST END BREWING-FAT GARY BROWN ALE (rare appearance)
BROOKLYN-LAGER
BARLEY CREEK-ANTLER BROWN
PENN-WEIZEN
FLYING FISH-FARMHOUSE SUMMER ALE
WEYERBACHER-HOUSE PALE ALE (rare appearance)
YARDS-PHILLY PALE ALE
GENERAL LAFAYETTE-PACIFIC PALE ALE (rare appearance)
ALLAGASH -WHITE
STOUDT'S- WEIZEN
UNION BARREL WORKS-KOLSCH
SLY FOX-BRITISH PALE ALE
LEGACY-READING PILSNER (rare appearance)
SOUTHAMPTON-SECERT ALE
DOGFISH HEAD-SHELTER PALE ALE
NODDING HEAD-BERLINER WEISSE
EAST END BREWING-WHEAT HOP (rare appearance)
VICTORY-WHIRLWIND WIT
LANCASTER-SUMMER RYE
TROEGS-DREAMWEAVER WHEAT
10 comments:
Why hells bells, I think I'll go all three days if Lew is pouring me a beer! Now we are off to UBW to pick up the Kolsch! See ya!
cant' wait!!! Count me and Capone in for Saturday's food and brews. I invited alot of other non-BA friends and family too; we'll see if any of them show up however.
Lew we missed you at Media Iron Hill beerfest today!
Rebecca
Hope we can get a good crowd on Saturday, folks: this is going to be a unique opportunity.
Rebecca: wanted to go to the IH fest, but went to Riverdance with the family and had a nice dinner at the Warsaw Cafe after.
I have to ask- what is Lancaster Summer Rye? Sounds tasty.
Harry,
I'm wondering myself, looking forward to that one. Here's what their website shows:
"Extra Pale Ale with a subtle Rye flavor, this beer Pours a light orange-amber color with a thin light beige head. A refreshing summer beer."
Sounds right up the old session alley.
Indeed it does. I'm shocked to see their website is actually updated. I had pretty much given up checking it for new info.
I doubt I'll make it to the Saturday event; the wife is working. But I'm seriously considering the Friday cask beer portion of the weekend. What a great idea. That's the best way to serve beer, in my humble opinion.
Can one choose to forgo the buffet and just go for the beers?
"Can one choose to forgo the buffet and just go for the beers?"
Absolutely! It's all pay as you go: get whatever you want. It's not a festival, per se; it's a bar event, with taps and menu, much like Friday the Firkinteenth at the Grey Lodge Pub.
I'm sold! Can't wait to try East End's Fat Gary Brown and the Wheat Hop. I had some of their beers at last years Harrisburg Festival and they were fantastic. I've heard good things about Rock Bottom lately too so they'll be on my list along with Weyerbacher, UBW and Southampton!
there has been a few changes to the beer list. No Southampton, No Pacific Pale Ale from Gen. Lafayette, instead Chris contributed Churchill's Dark Mild Ale. Also add Yards Philly Pale ale.
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