Philly Beer Week 2013 is on its way

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I am so woefully unprepared for Philly Beer Week...and it starts in less than 48 hours!

The fun all starts on Friday at 9:30 AM out in Fox Chase at the Hop Angel, where the Hammer o' Glory begins its amazing route to Opening Tap, all the way down at Independence Mall, where Mayor Michael Nutter will tap the opening keg (no word on whether he'll be charged a 15% by the drink tax). The map below (from Danya Henninger's blog at Zagat), shows all the spots where the HOG will change hands: it travels by roller skaters, cargo bike, kinetic sculpture, through the Free Library of Philadelphia by book cart, horse carriage, wheelbarrow, and whatever insane and personally hazardous conveyance William Reed comes up with at Standard Tap this year. It's a crazy way to start the week, and you're free to join in at any point.


View Philly Beer Week Hammer of Glory Relay Route in a larger map

Once you've followed the HOG to Opening Tap and hobnobbed with the cream of Philly's beer scene (like Mat Falco, of PhillyBeerScene),where do you go next? Well...damn near anywhere in Philly and the immediate surroundings. Seriously, there is stuff going on almost around the clock; check the website or download the free (and excellent, adaptive, useful, quick, constantly updated) app for iPhone or Android.

Use the app to do things my favorite way: no planning, just head into town, get off the train/bus/trolley/bike/designatedly-driven car/truck/motorcycle, fire up the app, and find out what's going on nearby. I guarantee, you cannot lose. This is not like the other "beer weeks" you'll see elsewhere; this is immense and overflowing, it takes over almost the entire city, and there are not a few events every day...there are an overwhelming number of events every day.

Believe me when I say that Philly Beer Week is too big for any one person to encompass, experience, or comprehend. Kinda like American craft beer, of which it is a great representation: it's diverse, it's fun, it means very different things to different people, and it goes really well with food.

Where There's Smoke, there's Lew

Wanted to get in a plug for an event I really thought would cut through the noise of Philly Beer Week, if only because so many people being repulsed by it: Scoats and I, with chef Kevin McDevitt, are putting on an all-smoked dinner at Hop Angel Brauhaus tomorrow night. The menu is below, and you'll notice: everything is smoked, even the dessert. I know a lot of you don't like smoked beers, but for those of you that do...this is smokin', baby. Please note the seafood course, where we have a beer that is technically not smoked (Schlenkerla Helles uses no smoked malt, but picks up smoke hints from the brewing system that otherwise does exclusively smoked beers), and the return of Unibroue Raftman, the best peat-smoked beer I know of. We've got some beauts here, and if you've never had Bruder Basil cheese...you're in for a treat.
Come out tomorrow night. PAYG starts at 5, we'll have a more formal served dinner at 7 for $50 that includes all the beers and all the foods (at a significant savings).

Smoked Beer Dinner with Lew Bryson

1st

Three smoked cheese plate served with apple and raison compote and lingonberries

paired with: Roy Pitz Ludwig's Revenge, Sly Fox Rauchbier

2nd

Smoked mussels and Trout salad

paired with: Schlenkerla Helles, Unibroue Raftman

3rd

Choice of Hungarian and smoked whip with an onion gravy and sauerkraut or rolled Roulade with gravy and mashed potatoes

paired with: Stone Smoked Porter, Victory Scarlet Fire

4th

Carmel covered vanilla bean ice cream and a smoked salt

paired with: Schlenkerla Oak Smoke

Philly Beer Week 2011: I'm All In

Here we are, only three days from opening tap...and I've finally nailed down my Philly Beer Week events. Sigh. I was ready to publicize these last week, then Blogger went down (I did throw them up on Facebook, but...it's like writing on water), and then it was the holiday weekend and I had no computer access, then the volcano erupted and the dogs ate my homework...

Anyway... here we go! (No, no Bud Light at my events. I promise.)

FRIDAY, June 3, I'll be signing books at Opening Tap: see you there!

SATURDAY, June 4: The popular Wheat Beer Breakfast -- which was ridiculed as far away as Texas last year, I'm so proud -- moves to Hop Angel this year, 10-2. We've got great wheats of all types lined up, and beer-appropriate breakfast and brunch chow. Wheat beer: Breakfast o' Champions, and an awesome way to start your big First Saturday of Philly Beer Week!

SUNDAY, June 5: I bring Pennsylvania Breweries home to the Grey Lodge for the UPstate PA Beer Trek, 7-9. We've got SEVEN kegs from far-flung and tiny PA breweries: Otto's, Elk Creek, Old Forge, Marley's, Benny Brew, Breaker, and Kutztown Tavern, of which I'm pretty sure two of them are making their Philly debut; Benny Brew and Marley's are less than a year old. Why drive 470 miles, like Scoats and I did? Just come to the G-Lodge!

MONDAY, June 6: Actually, I'm not doing anything Monday night. A guy's gotta recharge!

TUESDAY, June 7: Do you like smoked beer? Do you like it a lot? Join me at Hop Angel, starting at 7:00 for an all-smoked beer/all-smoked food dinner! (PAYG option, too) SEVEN smoked beers (including the return of Unibroue Raftman!), smoked meat (including Rieker's awesome triple-smoked bacon), smoked fish, smoked cheese -- I am not blowing smoke up your ass, this is gonna be SMOKIN'!!! (Rare sideways plug: If you don't like smoked beer -- and I don't get that, but I know you're out there -- consider the event I'd be at if I weren't here: a B.United Importers dinner at Resurrection Ale House. I don't know if the name rings a bell, but Matthias Niedhart has been bringing in amazing beers for years, and does crazy things to keep them fresh on the way. You should come to my dinner! ...but if you don't, you should go here.)

WEDNESDAY, June 8: I'll be co-hosting a non-Philly Beer Week event on Long Island with Marnie Old (standing in for Sam Calagione...better bring my A game).

THURSDAY, June 9: Not all of Philly BeerWeek is in Philly! Join me for a PAYG pub crawl in Doylestown, starting at 7:00 (more info on which bars, but you can be sure that Stephanie's and Mesquito Grille will be on the list) and get to know this town's burgeoning bar scene; bet it's bigger than you knew! Brewers, reps, PA Breweries signings, and great times, Bucks County-style!

FRIDAY, June 10: Bonus day: I'm doing two events! First, blow off Friday afternoon -- like you're working hard during Philly Beer Week anyway -- and join me at City Tap House for a Pennsylvania Breweries tap takeover lunch, 11:30-1:30. A ton of PA beers, PA Local food, and plenty of the latest dope on what's happening in the PA beer scene.

After we've recovered, join me at the Old Eagle Tavern for a bourbon and beer dinner. Good bourbons -- you can bet Eagle Rare will be there! -- good bourbon-aged beers, and the cozy confines of the Old Eagle...and the booming laugh of yours truly. Ask anyone who was at my Percy Street bourbon dinner: this is going to be so much fun you'll barely notice how much you learn about bourbon.


SATURDAY, June 11: My final event is at Devil's Den, and it's called Big Wood with Lew Bryson. We'll be sampling wood-aged beers of many types, enjoying the many ways wood brings flavor to beer. Be careful; you just might learn something as I bring my whiskey-led beer knowledge to bear!

More details available at the Philly Beer Week page, on the Philly Beer Week app (iPhone and Android), and at the individual venue websites. I do hope to see you at one of these, at least!