I just wanted to let you know that the reason I left all the comments on the last post unmoderated over the weekend is that we went to see my son compete in the state-level forensics tournament at Susquehanna University. Thomas, a sophomore, made the finals round in Persuasive Speaking, which we arrived in time to watch, and "scored big points with the judges" (a quote from his speech) with his original presentation, "An Abridged Speech." He took first place, which was actually the first competition he'd won this year; good time to shine. He's also qualified for nationals in the Catholic Forensics League, and he's first alternate (third place in PA) for nationals in the National Forensics League. We're very proud of him.
We celebrated with lunch at Selin's Grove, a very convenient four-minute drive away. I got a glass of cask-conditioned Organic Baltic Porter, perhaps excessively estery, but delicious nonetheless, and got some local cheese, too -- the Monterey Jack was outstanding. We made much of Thomas; well-deserved!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Time to retire "Beer Geek"?
Is it time to stop calling each other "beer geek"?
"Beer geek" goes back a loooong way. I did a quick 'n' dirty Google search, and the earliest reference I found was 1992. That might surprise some of you -- some may think it's not that old, and some -- like me -- may be shocked to think that's the earliest reference. I'm suspicious of it, myself. There are references in USENET newsgroups and Homebrew Digest that make it plain that the term had been in use earlier; it was familiar to at least some of the people discussing it. Some of you remember Barleycorn, the first mid-Atlantic beerpaper: they had an "Ask the Beer Geek" column back as early as 1993, which argues an earlier familiarity.
"Geek," as numerous incensed beer...lovers have pointed out, is not exactly a term with a great history. Here's what the American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed.) has to say.
Hey, great, that's what I wanna be. Some "geeks" don't mind, they 'embrace their geek' and flaunt it. Some people who I think are completely comfortable socially will declare themselves "beer geeks" and don't give a hoot. I don't mind it myself. I've called myself a beer geek. (There are all sorts of 'geeks' these days, though it was kind of unsettling to find out that the Wikipedia entry on geek doesn't make any mention of "beer geeks." Why is that unsettling? Damn...) No big deal.
Maybe. Maybe it is a problem, though. It is an inherently denigrating term, given its history (though some have argued that, like "gay," the word has changed so thoroughly that it has left its origins behind. I don't agree), and it has that air of annoying dipshit about it, the kind of beer drinker who obsesses over note-taking and rarity and process to the point of missing the whole reason that the beer is in their glass. As one whisky-maker brilliantly commented to a rabid collector: "We make the stuff to drink, you know."
The term does damage to us. It separates us from a growing number of craft beer drinkers who just like to drink the stuff -- and, I believe, many of us mainly like to drink the stuff. We talk about it, here and other places, but I can't pretend that most of us do that because it's our job: the number of amateur sites by far out-numbers sites of guys like me and Stan and Jack and Stephen and Jay and Don and so on, who do this for a living, let alone all the brewers who have blogs and often think deeply about beer. There are enthusiasts who do that, who know the minutiae of beer, who travel constantly for new beers, who take their beer very damned seriously. Rightly so, for while beer isn't as important as world peace or economic recovery, it's certainly as worthy of one's time as watching sports or following bands.
I don't think they should be branded as "geeks" because of that. I know some of these people, and they are intelligent, personable, warm and friendly, good friends. But there is a class of these people -- most of you reading this blog belong to it -- and I often find myself looking for a label for that group, so I can refer to them briefly as a group. I don't want it to be too general -- "beer drinkers" -- or branded -- "BeerAdvocates" -- or inherently denigrating -- "beer geeks."
We don't have a good term, and that's why we're still using "beer geek." There have been suggestions: beer snob, beer aficionado, beer connoisseur, beer enthusiast, ale conner, beer lover, beer guy. All of them fail on various points: snob is no better than geek, connoisseur and aficionado are considered "hoity-toity" by many (and can be a bitch to spell for some), enthusiast is too dry, ale conner is too arcane, beer lover is too stupid, and beer guy, well, it doesn't do much for the women who like beer, does it?
I'm open to suggestions, although I'm not optimistic. Names thought up by committee rarely work too well. Please, no acronyms. It's got to be something that you wouldn't hesitate to anoint yourself with, something that doesn't denigrate, and something that doesn't need to be explained. Tall order, which is, of course, why we don't already have it. I just hope we're not stuck with "beer geek" the rest of our lives.
I'll throw out the first one: beer fan. It's an Americanism, "fan," originating in baseball, short for "fanatic." It's mellowed a bit over the years, to the point where a fanatic is referred to as "a true fan." Science fiction has fandom, the truly devoted, there are music fans, fans of television shows. What do you think?
"Beer geek" goes back a loooong way. I did a quick 'n' dirty Google search, and the earliest reference I found was 1992. That might surprise some of you -- some may think it's not that old, and some -- like me -- may be shocked to think that's the earliest reference. I'm suspicious of it, myself. There are references in USENET newsgroups and Homebrew Digest that make it plain that the term had been in use earlier; it was familiar to at least some of the people discussing it. Some of you remember Barleycorn, the first mid-Atlantic beerpaper: they had an "Ask the Beer Geek" column back as early as 1993, which argues an earlier familiarity.
"Geek," as numerous incensed beer...lovers have pointed out, is not exactly a term with a great history. Here's what the American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed.) has to say.
1. a. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
b. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
2. A carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken.
[Perhaps alteration of dialectal geck, fool, from Low German gek, from Middle Low German.]
Hey, great, that's what I wanna be. Some "geeks" don't mind, they 'embrace their geek' and flaunt it. Some people who I think are completely comfortable socially will declare themselves "beer geeks" and don't give a hoot. I don't mind it myself. I've called myself a beer geek. (There are all sorts of 'geeks' these days, though it was kind of unsettling to find out that the Wikipedia entry on geek doesn't make any mention of "beer geeks." Why is that unsettling? Damn...) No big deal.
Maybe. Maybe it is a problem, though. It is an inherently denigrating term, given its history (though some have argued that, like "gay," the word has changed so thoroughly that it has left its origins behind. I don't agree), and it has that air of annoying dipshit about it, the kind of beer drinker who obsesses over note-taking and rarity and process to the point of missing the whole reason that the beer is in their glass. As one whisky-maker brilliantly commented to a rabid collector: "We make the stuff to drink, you know."
The term does damage to us. It separates us from a growing number of craft beer drinkers who just like to drink the stuff -- and, I believe, many of us mainly like to drink the stuff. We talk about it, here and other places, but I can't pretend that most of us do that because it's our job: the number of amateur sites by far out-numbers sites of guys like me and Stan and Jack and Stephen and Jay and Don and so on, who do this for a living, let alone all the brewers who have blogs and often think deeply about beer. There are enthusiasts who do that, who know the minutiae of beer, who travel constantly for new beers, who take their beer very damned seriously. Rightly so, for while beer isn't as important as world peace or economic recovery, it's certainly as worthy of one's time as watching sports or following bands.
I don't think they should be branded as "geeks" because of that. I know some of these people, and they are intelligent, personable, warm and friendly, good friends. But there is a class of these people -- most of you reading this blog belong to it -- and I often find myself looking for a label for that group, so I can refer to them briefly as a group. I don't want it to be too general -- "beer drinkers" -- or branded -- "BeerAdvocates" -- or inherently denigrating -- "beer geeks."
We don't have a good term, and that's why we're still using "beer geek." There have been suggestions: beer snob, beer aficionado, beer connoisseur, beer enthusiast, ale conner, beer lover, beer guy. All of them fail on various points: snob is no better than geek, connoisseur and aficionado are considered "hoity-toity" by many (and can be a bitch to spell for some), enthusiast is too dry, ale conner is too arcane, beer lover is too stupid, and beer guy, well, it doesn't do much for the women who like beer, does it?
I'm open to suggestions, although I'm not optimistic. Names thought up by committee rarely work too well. Please, no acronyms. It's got to be something that you wouldn't hesitate to anoint yourself with, something that doesn't denigrate, and something that doesn't need to be explained. Tall order, which is, of course, why we don't already have it. I just hope we're not stuck with "beer geek" the rest of our lives.
I'll throw out the first one: beer fan. It's an Americanism, "fan," originating in baseball, short for "fanatic." It's mellowed a bit over the years, to the point where a fanatic is referred to as "a true fan." Science fiction has fandom, the truly devoted, there are music fans, fans of television shows. What do you think?
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy New Beer's Day!
Ah, Repeal.We're celebrating 75 years since the return of sanity in America this year, and it starts on April 7: New Beer's Day. Beer got a jump on the actual repeal of the 18th Amendment, which didn't happen until 8 months later: Congress, with the willing blessing of FDR, jiggered the Volstead Act to classify 3.2% ABW beer as non-intoxicating, making it legal for sale, and the nation -- well, 20 forward-looking states and the District -- whooped it up accordingly.
The folks at Tröegs have made an occasion of it, and they are doing it up right: beer, beer, and more beer -- some of it under the 3.2 limit, oh sweet Session Beer -- and they've asked me to come up and open the celebration with a short lecture on how we got into the whole Prohibition mess, and how we got out of it.
It's at the brewery on Friday, April 11, beginning at 7:30. Tickets are $25 in advance, $40 after April 8 (and at the door), and all proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Dauphin County. (The cost of the ticket covers the food, entertainment, and the benefit: beers are $3 for the regular Tröegs lineup and $5 for the specialty beers; more details here.)
Come on up and join me in a toast to the moderate, healthy, wonderful joys of beer!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
Whew. It's been a long busy week of singing and work. I had a rehearsal with my church choir Tuesday night that went exceptionally well, we sang Holy Thursday, I sang late prayer with the choir director Thursday night at 11 (all a capella, almost entirely dark in the church, and I volunteered to do it again next year), sang an all a capella Good Friday service with our small chamber choir, Easter Vigil last night (big service, and I carried the five-foot Paschal candle into the church), then 10:30 mass this morning... I'm bushed, but spiritually charged.
Workwise, I did my next Portfolio column (beer festivals) and the final edits on the one that's up now on Düsseldorf and Köln and three short pieces for a new project you'll hear about soon. Then Wednesday I had to run upstate to take back the kegs from the Upstate Beer event at the Grey Lodge two weeks ago. A weird day, weatherwise, with rain, and a bit of snow, fog, cold and wind, but things went like clockwork -- "One" Guy Hagner was nice enough to meet me right off an exit on I-80 and saved me the climb over the ridge in Berwick, I got a quick "hey, I'm here" call from Mike "Bavarian Barbarian" Hiller at the last minute before leaving the Bullfrog, where Terry had graciously agreed to hold Mike's keg for him (and we'd sampled Terry's delicious "Unique", a singel that was excellent, and a 'kegs gone wild' sour apricot that rocked) -- and I was an hour ahead of schedule when I came zipping over the ridge into Millheim to return the last keg to Elk Creek.
Tim Bowser wasn't in, but he'd told me to get a sample of the Trout Stout they'd debuted on St. Pat's. I walked in, and saw two guys I'd met when I picked up the keg -- the assistant brewer and a friend of Tim's (and I obviously missed both their names, and I do apologize!) -- having lunch: a couple chunks of cheese, a loaf of fresh bread, a rough-looking ring bologna, and two pints of stout. What a great-looking lunch. I was handed a pint of stout -- excellent: bitter, refreshing, and tasty, hope it joins the lineup -- and we talked about how things had been pretty damned busy on St. Pat's. I finally had to ask: is that a local ring bologna? Yes, it was, from the meat market down the street, they made their own bologna, jerky (got some of that, too!), hams...yum. I got a ring, jerky, fresh-roasted peanuts, and a drink, and headed on down the road.
I was going to stop at Russell's in Bloomsburg for lunch, but when I called to make sure they were open, I was told that they were closed till 4:00...the place was being sold, and they were in closing; they would re-open at 4 with new owners. Yow! Hope it stays largely the same. I wound up stopping in Lewisburg at the Towne Tavern for a chili cheeseburger and a Sam Adams Lager. There were Landshark Lager signs everywhere. Kinda odd; we don't see any of that down here around Philly. Interesting. Good burger, but far from phenomenal; the onion rings were pretty great, though.
Anyway, Friday dawned and Cathy finally gave in and realized that ham was the way to go for Easter. Bang! I got right on the phone and reserved one at Rieker's Meats (thanks again, George and Nancy). I donated platelets (and actually did; I've been having a bad string of failed donations, bad sticks, etc., glad we snapped that), and whipped over to Rieker's: what a beautiful ham! Went home, got a really interesting interview with Jon Myerow of Tria, did the Good Friday service, and then had a great fast-breaking dinner with the family at Florentino's in Newtown (eggplant parm that was more like an eggplant Napoleon: no breading on the eggplant, and it was sliced thin and piled high); split an excellent $15 bottle of red Zin with Cathy. I even finally got on my regular Friday night chat with some old beer buddies for our annual "Good Friday Catlick Beer Night" and drank a 750 of Church Brew Works Triple 2000 and a Rochefort 10.
Yesterday was spent shopping, getting haircuts, doing interview prep for my upcoming work week, and cleaning. Today after mass I made up a glaze for the ham with brown sugar, apple cider, dry mustard, ground Valencia orange peel, and ground cloves. Cathy made scalloped potatoes and roasted cauliflower, and family came for lunch. The ham was magnificent. The Rieker's ham cost about twice as much as the plastic-wrapped, perfectly edible hams from the supermarket, and it was fully worth it. Wow, what a good ham. I can't remember the last time I saw my dad eat so much meat. I'm really looking forward to ham sandwiches. I had my last bottle of Tröegs Scratch #6 (the 'Dortmunder'), a Reading with my mom, and a Sea Hag IPA. Now I'm getting ready to have...something. Not sure what. Might go with whiskey, I've got the bottle of Weller Antique out, and it seems a shame to put it away without having some...
Happy Easter, folks. Sorry I've been away so long.
Workwise, I did my next Portfolio column (beer festivals) and the final edits on the one that's up now on Düsseldorf and Köln and three short pieces for a new project you'll hear about soon. Then Wednesday I had to run upstate to take back the kegs from the Upstate Beer event at the Grey Lodge two weeks ago. A weird day, weatherwise, with rain, and a bit of snow, fog, cold and wind, but things went like clockwork -- "One" Guy Hagner was nice enough to meet me right off an exit on I-80 and saved me the climb over the ridge in Berwick, I got a quick "hey, I'm here" call from Mike "Bavarian Barbarian" Hiller at the last minute before leaving the Bullfrog, where Terry had graciously agreed to hold Mike's keg for him (and we'd sampled Terry's delicious "Unique", a singel that was excellent, and a 'kegs gone wild' sour apricot that rocked) -- and I was an hour ahead of schedule when I came zipping over the ridge into Millheim to return the last keg to Elk Creek.
Tim Bowser wasn't in, but he'd told me to get a sample of the Trout Stout they'd debuted on St. Pat's. I walked in, and saw two guys I'd met when I picked up the keg -- the assistant brewer and a friend of Tim's (and I obviously missed both their names, and I do apologize!) -- having lunch: a couple chunks of cheese, a loaf of fresh bread, a rough-looking ring bologna, and two pints of stout. What a great-looking lunch. I was handed a pint of stout -- excellent: bitter, refreshing, and tasty, hope it joins the lineup -- and we talked about how things had been pretty damned busy on St. Pat's. I finally had to ask: is that a local ring bologna? Yes, it was, from the meat market down the street, they made their own bologna, jerky (got some of that, too!), hams...yum. I got a ring, jerky, fresh-roasted peanuts, and a drink, and headed on down the road.
I was going to stop at Russell's in Bloomsburg for lunch, but when I called to make sure they were open, I was told that they were closed till 4:00...the place was being sold, and they were in closing; they would re-open at 4 with new owners. Yow! Hope it stays largely the same. I wound up stopping in Lewisburg at the Towne Tavern for a chili cheeseburger and a Sam Adams Lager. There were Landshark Lager signs everywhere. Kinda odd; we don't see any of that down here around Philly. Interesting. Good burger, but far from phenomenal; the onion rings were pretty great, though.
Anyway, Friday dawned and Cathy finally gave in and realized that ham was the way to go for Easter. Bang! I got right on the phone and reserved one at Rieker's Meats (thanks again, George and Nancy). I donated platelets (and actually did; I've been having a bad string of failed donations, bad sticks, etc., glad we snapped that), and whipped over to Rieker's: what a beautiful ham! Went home, got a really interesting interview with Jon Myerow of Tria, did the Good Friday service, and then had a great fast-breaking dinner with the family at Florentino's in Newtown (eggplant parm that was more like an eggplant Napoleon: no breading on the eggplant, and it was sliced thin and piled high); split an excellent $15 bottle of red Zin with Cathy. I even finally got on my regular Friday night chat with some old beer buddies for our annual "Good Friday Catlick Beer Night" and drank a 750 of Church Brew Works Triple 2000 and a Rochefort 10.
Yesterday was spent shopping, getting haircuts, doing interview prep for my upcoming work week, and cleaning. Today after mass I made up a glaze for the ham with brown sugar, apple cider, dry mustard, ground Valencia orange peel, and ground cloves. Cathy made scalloped potatoes and roasted cauliflower, and family came for lunch. The ham was magnificent. The Rieker's ham cost about twice as much as the plastic-wrapped, perfectly edible hams from the supermarket, and it was fully worth it. Wow, what a good ham. I can't remember the last time I saw my dad eat so much meat. I'm really looking forward to ham sandwiches. I had my last bottle of Tröegs Scratch #6 (the 'Dortmunder'), a Reading with my mom, and a Sea Hag IPA. Now I'm getting ready to have...something. Not sure what. Might go with whiskey, I've got the bottle of Weller Antique out, and it seems a shame to put it away without having some...
Happy Easter, folks. Sorry I've been away so long.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
"It Drink Pretty Good, Don't It?"
Look. I don't like to ridicule people. We all do what we do, we try, and all that, and well, I wouldn't want to be ridiculed for something nutty I said.
But this is just beyond the pale. This is audio clips of the Alabama House debate on the "free the hops" bill, legislation to lift the cap on beer from 6% to 13.9% ABV, supported by the Free The Hops Foundation, beer lovers like you and me. Some of the comments are offensive (like Rep. Richard Laird, who says the bill is just sponsored by some people who want to "get rich off alcoholic beverages"), some of them are uninformed, but one of them is just insane.
That's Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery. He starts at 5:33 on the clip, and he's... Oh, hell, I'll quote: "Yeah, what's wrong wit de beer we got? I mean, the beer we got drink pretty good, don't it? Now, I ain't never heard nobody complain about the beer we have. It drink pretty good. Budweiser... What's the name of some of them other beers? Budweiser and what else? Miller? Coors, huh? It drink pretty good, don't it?"
I would submit to you, folks, that this kind of ignorant crap is downright unAmerican. In a land dedicated to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and the by God freedom of the press...we damn sure ought not to have the government denying us freedom of choice. And certainly not when the government is such a freakin' dope. I mean, dude, get some elocution lessons!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Philly Beer Week: the Fork brunch
More a quick note than anything else... The dim sum brunch I hosted at Fork was a very good time. We sold out (43 guests in the private back room), and, well, somewhere along the way, things changed, and beer was included in the price.
We all sat at long, communal tables, the food was on large plates we served ourselves from, and the beers were all set in the middle of the table. I encouraged folks to try anything they wanted with anything they wanted, and to pass the word on good and bad pairings. My first discovery: Weyerbacher Merry Monks Ale went very well with the pickled soy sprouts, it really picked up the sweetness in the vinegar-laced greens. Tröegs Nut Brown Ale, as suspected, was beautiful with the braised ribs (and the braised chicken feet as well).
We had two pitchers of draft: PBC Kenzinger and Dock Street Rye IPA were both quite well-received by the diners. The surprise hit was a late addition: Reading Premium! Their Bucks County distributor, Banko, dropped off a case at Centre Beer in Newtown, I picked it up and hand-carried it to Fork because I thought there might be some less beer-savvy folks at the brunch who might appreciate something that wasn't quite as assertive, and I like the stuff, it's a well-made American lager with some guts to it. They loved it! And it went really well with the Chinese Broccoli and Oyster Sauce.
The food was exciting, plentiful, and delicious. Well...okay, the tripe was maybe a little too exciting for me. I was iffy on the tripe. But the rest of it: velvety fish congee, silky rice noodles with shrimp, the puffy chicken buns, braised ribs, pickled soy sprouts, crispy Shanghai spring rolls... excellent, and plenty to eat. Working with Ellen Yin was a delight, an energetic and cheerful woman who had a beautiful rapport with her customers.
Good time had by all, I think I can say. There were a lot of nice compliments from the guests (which included Scott Bowser and his wife, the man who owns and runs Swashbuckler Brewing at the PA RenFaire, which I understand he also now owns...I think I got that right...I'll be doing beer presentations for them at a food event they're doing at the Faire Memorial Day weekend; more on that soon). And I did walk over to the Real Ale Festival at Triumph afterwards, which was excellent.
We all sat at long, communal tables, the food was on large plates we served ourselves from, and the beers were all set in the middle of the table. I encouraged folks to try anything they wanted with anything they wanted, and to pass the word on good and bad pairings. My first discovery: Weyerbacher Merry Monks Ale went very well with the pickled soy sprouts, it really picked up the sweetness in the vinegar-laced greens. Tröegs Nut Brown Ale, as suspected, was beautiful with the braised ribs (and the braised chicken feet as well).
We had two pitchers of draft: PBC Kenzinger and Dock Street Rye IPA were both quite well-received by the diners. The surprise hit was a late addition: Reading Premium! Their Bucks County distributor, Banko, dropped off a case at Centre Beer in Newtown, I picked it up and hand-carried it to Fork because I thought there might be some less beer-savvy folks at the brunch who might appreciate something that wasn't quite as assertive, and I like the stuff, it's a well-made American lager with some guts to it. They loved it! And it went really well with the Chinese Broccoli and Oyster Sauce.
The food was exciting, plentiful, and delicious. Well...okay, the tripe was maybe a little too exciting for me. I was iffy on the tripe. But the rest of it: velvety fish congee, silky rice noodles with shrimp, the puffy chicken buns, braised ribs, pickled soy sprouts, crispy Shanghai spring rolls... excellent, and plenty to eat. Working with Ellen Yin was a delight, an energetic and cheerful woman who had a beautiful rapport with her customers.
Good time had by all, I think I can say. There were a lot of nice compliments from the guests (which included Scott Bowser and his wife, the man who owns and runs Swashbuckler Brewing at the PA RenFaire, which I understand he also now owns...I think I got that right...I'll be doing beer presentations for them at a food event they're doing at the Faire Memorial Day weekend; more on that soon). And I did walk over to the Real Ale Festival at Triumph afterwards, which was excellent.
Philly Beer Week: After-action report
I'd like to know: what is your evaluation of Philly Beer Week?
Were there enough events? Too many events? Did you expect events that you didn't see: maybe breweries or venues missing, types of events, pet ideas you have?
How about event pricing: too high, about right? Did you prefer ticketed events so you know how much you were spending going in, or the pay-as-you-go events?
Was there enough publicity, early enough to plan your trip, or was it hard to find out what was going on?
Did any of you travel more than 50 miles? Did you stay over? Would you do it again next year?
Did Philly show you a good time? Were people friendly, was the food good, was the beer excellent?
What can we do better next year? What should we drop, and not do next year?
Please feel free to either comment or e-mail me with responses.
Thanks to everyone who came out for these events, and who helped make this very first Philly Beer Week such a success!
Were there enough events? Too many events? Did you expect events that you didn't see: maybe breweries or venues missing, types of events, pet ideas you have?
How about event pricing: too high, about right? Did you prefer ticketed events so you know how much you were spending going in, or the pay-as-you-go events?
Was there enough publicity, early enough to plan your trip, or was it hard to find out what was going on?
Did any of you travel more than 50 miles? Did you stay over? Would you do it again next year?
Did Philly show you a good time? Were people friendly, was the food good, was the beer excellent?
What can we do better next year? What should we drop, and not do next year?
Please feel free to either comment or e-mail me with responses.
Thanks to everyone who came out for these events, and who helped make this very first Philly Beer Week such a success!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Philly Beer Week: One for the books
Philly Beer Week 2008 is over, and by almost every measure it was a success. A surprisingly solid success, actually; most of the people involved who I talked to were surprised at just how well it did go. Events were largely sold out: there were people standing in line at the Grey Lodge wheat beer brunch, my Tria tasting -- all the Tria tastings sold out, the Italian/French beer dinner I hosted at Chick's Cafe Monday night was all but sold out, and my brunch at Fork today sold out (thanks to everyone who came to my events). Even the events that didn't sell out did well. I only heard of two or three events that largely crashed out, but with the number of events that took place, that's not too surprising.
There's obviously room for improvement. We're hoping to see more folks from farther out of town next year (and planning how to do that). We'd like to see a bit more planning on participation with brewers/importers and venues. We hope to get more partnerships with larger groups and sponsors. It would be good to get more press, further in advance (which was tough, admittedly, given no track record and people not even being sure what PBW would look like).
But everyone was impressed, and the city's beer credibility has sky-rocketed. As one brewery rep from New York (who will remain nameless to protect what's left of his reputation) put it, "Beer has one name on the East Coast: Philadelphia!"
There's obviously room for improvement. We're hoping to see more folks from farther out of town next year (and planning how to do that). We'd like to see a bit more planning on participation with brewers/importers and venues. We hope to get more partnerships with larger groups and sponsors. It would be good to get more press, further in advance (which was tough, admittedly, given no track record and people not even being sure what PBW would look like).
But everyone was impressed, and the city's beer credibility has sky-rocketed. As one brewery rep from New York (who will remain nameless to protect what's left of his reputation) put it, "Beer has one name on the East Coast: Philadelphia!"
Friday, March 14, 2008
I hear St. Patrick's Day is coming soon...
Earlier this week I was talking to a Philadelphia bar owner. We were both in the midst of Philly Beer Week, and it was pretty crazy, and pretty great, and the guy turns to me and says, "You know, I just realized that it's St. Patrick's Day next Monday, and I haven't done a damned thing to get ready." Philly Beer Week has kinda taken things over here.
But in the rest of the country, we're in countdown frenzy. I did two pieces for Massachusetts Beverage Business for March, one on Irish beer, one on Irish spirits. I'd like to make a correction right here on the spirits piece: I said that Jameson/Midleton uses bourbon barrels to age their whiskey. They do, but they also use sherry casks. My error, I was writing too fast, and I apologize.
There's also another error in that piece, but it's an editing issue: there's some bitched type in the opening, which is too bad, I really liked it. So...here's how it was supposed to be (mainly because it's right out of the research for New Jersey Breweries):
And away I went from there. I am loving some Irish whiskey lately; shared some Jameson 18 out of my flask with a bunch of folks at the Lager Gala at Triumph last night, and made some serious friends for that beautiful drop.
But in the rest of the country, we're in countdown frenzy. I did two pieces for Massachusetts Beverage Business for March, one on Irish beer, one on Irish spirits. I'd like to make a correction right here on the spirits piece: I said that Jameson/Midleton uses bourbon barrels to age their whiskey. They do, but they also use sherry casks. My error, I was writing too fast, and I apologize.
There's also another error in that piece, but it's an editing issue: there's some bitched type in the opening, which is too bad, I really liked it. So...here's how it was supposed to be (mainly because it's right out of the research for New Jersey Breweries):
I was recently out on the road visiting bars in, of all places, central New Jersey, for a drinking book I'm working on. I drive on these trips, but I drink a lot of water, and I usually only drink about a third of the lower alcohol session beers I order. I also keep a personal breathalyzer in the car. I'm careful and responsible. I take it easy.
Then I walked into a bar called Tierney's, in Montclair: not an "Irish pub," but a workaday neighborhood bar. The quick mid-day conversation reminded me so much of the craic in Irish pubs, and the worn but clean look of the place was just so true, that when the bartender asked me, with a bit of the smiling Irish lilt itself, what I was having, my drinking brain shoved my writing brain out of the way and blurted out, "Guinness and a shot of Powers, please."
As I shook my head in wry self-amusement, sipping a measure of the warm, sweet glow of the Powers followed by its dark countryman, I thought about the strength of the Irish mystique, the Irish 'brand.' There was no Irish music playing in Tierney's, no "Erin Go Bragh" or "Cead Mille Failte" signs,none of the bric-a-brac that says "You're in an Irish place now, boyo," be it authentic or bought out of a catalog to "theme" the place.
But when I settled in at the bar and right away felt at home, the first thing that came to mind was how good a glass of Irish whiskey would taste.
And away I went from there. I am loving some Irish whiskey lately; shared some Jameson 18 out of my flask with a bunch of folks at the Lager Gala at Triumph last night, and made some serious friends for that beautiful drop.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Me and Sam Adams: looking good
Thanks to Stan Hieronymus, who sent me this link to a Reuters report on how Boston Beer blew away analysts' predictions for profits last quarter.
He sent me the link because of this piece I wrote for Portfolio, in which I took a look at Boston Beer's prospects and concluded that "Boston Beer looks pretty good." The market, I said, had it all wrong. Today, looking at that Reuters story, I'm feeling pretty good. Validated. Probably not as good as Jim Koch feels, though.
He sent me the link because of this piece I wrote for Portfolio, in which I took a look at Boston Beer's prospects and concluded that "Boston Beer looks pretty good." The market, I said, had it all wrong. Today, looking at that Reuters story, I'm feeling pretty good. Validated. Probably not as good as Jim Koch feels, though.
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