Cathy's away at an all-day meeting, and the first hot day of the summer's upon us. Thomas mowed the lawn yesterday, and we're pretty well caught up on chores, so I took the kids down to Memphis Taproom for lunch. We went there because Spanky was tapping a firkin of Sprecher Black Bavarian at noon. The food -- we all got cheeseburgers -- was good as always, the beer was excellent (perfect condition/carbonation, deeply malty, but with that roasty/dark malt edge, and eminently drinkable), and I ran into an old colleague and friend, Craig Sheffler-Collins, who I have not seen since 1994. Great to cross paths.
Spanky waxed philosophical. He's not simply trying to have different beers than other folks in the city, he said, he's following his passion for beer. That is not, as a look at past tappings will show, the same ExTRemE! beer passion so many others have hared off after. He told me he's looking for brewers that are making good beer that don't market it that well. Penn Kaiser Pils would be an excellent example, he noted, and he'd have it if the supply were steady. I like the way he thinks. I get really bored seeing the same great beers everywhere I go.
5 comments:
Lew - I sat at the bar as you came in today--always a pleasure to hear the wall of laughter that heralds your arrival.
I have to say, the more I go, the more I'm really loving the bar. Aside from being nice and nearby for me, and having outstanding food and beer, the food and atmosphere, for me, are top notch. They play good music, but it's not so loud that you can't carry a conversation. They keep the TV on whatever somebody wants to watch in there--it's not always dedicated to ESPN, like so many other bars. And the entire staff is outstanding, which, for me, is the real dealbreaker. Give me some bartenders and waitstaff who know what's going on, and can chip in on my conversation, and I'll keep coming back. And they're even dog friendly over there.
I don't think I can ever move out of Fishtown. I can't leave that bar...
Memphis taproom is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, however, I sure wish they had some Kenzinger on tap or in bottles.
Lew,
Just an update to pass along regarding your comment on Kaiser Pils:
I attended the Penn Brew Fest this past weekend and spoke with the Penn Reps. I had inquired about the availability of Kaiser Pils and they had indicated that they are going to make this a year round beer now instead of seasonal. They are also going to re-introduce/market the beer much more heavily than they did in the past. They just introduced this in a new 22oz bottle.
Just an FYI...
Hey Lew, it's spring, not summer. Summer doesnt start until June 21. Just imagine how hot it will be when summer actually hits. Although nowadays we have 70 degrees in January, but that's a whole nother issue that we foolishly allow our politicians rather than our scientists to address...
Memphis Tap Room is a wonderful neighborhood bar and Spanky knows beer!
I hope to see many football (soccer) games there during the European cup - and meet other fans like Craig SC. Excellent beers, conversations, and games - who says that there is no heaven on earth.
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