When people ask me why I think Philly is America’s Best Beer-Drinking City, I usually cite our local beer tradition, brewers and taverns. But one of the things that gives us a leg up is the excellent beer wholesalers who bring us all those great suds.
You know some of the names: Shangy’s in Emmaus, the world’s largest beer store. Stockertown Beverage and Bella Vista are bringing in lots of new American micros. Origlio Beverage has been doing a helluva job sorting out and marketing its massive craft portfolio. Penn Beer in Roxborough, who continues to widen its craft selection, is a great friend despite my constant jabs at its No. 1 product, Bud Light.
And then there is Gretz Beer in Norristown and Muller Inc. in the Far Northeast. Earlier this month, the National Beer Wholesalers Association named them as two of its 15 finalists in its second annual Craft Beer Distritributor of the Year awards, recognizing the distributor who does the most to market, promote and sell craft beer. (Click Wholesale Distributing of Seattle, Wash., won the award.)
Yeah, I realize this is inside baseball. And I know Pennsylvania’s byzantine beer laws are a hassle that often leave us frustrated at distributors. But every local beer drinker should know that we wouldn’t be enjoying all these great beers without these folks.
Congrats especially to Tom Buonanno of Muller and Jane Dempsey of Gretz, who deserve kudos for their behind-the-scenes work in promoting the beer culture in the city and suburbs.
By the way, unless I’m reading this list wrong, Philly is the only metropolitan area that can boast TWO finalists in the competition.
With the Phils on the verge of their first world championship in 28 years, I’m already looking to the next sports season, the NBA.
Hard to believe, but the 76ers’ season starts on Wednesday. Then, on Friday when they play the Knicks, I’ll be on hand as a special guest at the Sixers’ Oktoberfest. The team will open a special Beer Garden at the Wachovia Center, where they’ll be pouring a selection of world-class beers.
Join me and the brewmasters as we chat about two of my favorite pastimes: beer-drinking and watching hoops. What do you think - Is Elton Brand going to lead this team to the city’s next championship? Also: Who should I draft on my fantasy team (my league doesn’t draft till Sunday)?
Tix are a great deal: $47 gets you into the upper level with access to the beer; $75 will put you downstairs, closer to the beer! Bring your kid (under 12) and he/she gets in free.
I’ve been meaning to write something about Sarah Palin’s exploitation of my good name in her debate with Joe Biden, but I’ve been just too damn busy with more important things. Like sitting around and mindlessly sucking down lager. But others have written about it. Here’s a bunch of links from folks who wondered what the REAL Joe Sixpack thinks about the Republican candidate for vice president.
Memphis Taproom (2331 E. Cumberland St., Port Richmond) is offering a helluva incentive for Phillies fans. If you’re in the bar when the team clinches the World Series, the owners, Brendan & Leigh, will break out sixpacks of exceedingly hard-to-find Westvleteren 6 & 8.
F— the fans. What the bar oughta do is call up the Phillies and promise Jimmy Rollins a Westy if he gets a freaking hit.
Meanwhile, you may have heard that Brendan & Leigh are opening a second joint in West Philly, at the site of the former Kelliann’s (44th and Spruce streets). The bar, Local 44, expects to open by the end of November. They’ve already got their inaugural tap list lined up:
Here’s a bunch of stuff I’ve been meaning to post - events, web sites, other cool things.
I met Chris Poh during my bike trip to Ommegang. He’s a bartender at the Indian Rock Inn in Upper Black Eddy Bucks County on the Delaware. He’s also the editor of American Public House Review, an excellent web site devoted to tavern culture that I’ve been enjoying lately. The photos alone are worth the visit.
Sly Fox is running its Oktoberfest tonight. I think its version of the fall beer is one of the very best in America, holding true to the spirit of the original. But what caught my eye about this event is that brewer Brian O’Reilly will be debuting his new Berlinerweisse. What is about Philly and this unusual style? Nodding Head, of course, brews the definitive version, but Dogfish Head and Bethlehem Brew Works it, too.
Beerheads.com is serving FREE BEER tomorrow night (10/25) at the Marketplace at East Falls (3747 Ridge Ave., East Falls), from 5-8 p.m. Yards, River Horse, Oskar Blues, Ballast Point, Lakefront and Iron Hill.
“Does My Butt Look Big In This Beer?” That’s the title of Bob Skilnik’s latest book, a reference with nutritional values of 2,000 worldwide beers, including calorie and carbohydrate contents, alcohol by volume and Weight Watcher Points. More info here.
Tuesday (10/28) is Philadelphia Blue Day. Local taverns will be donating 10 percent of sales to Local 5 FOP for its Survivor Fund. Among the participants: The Institute (549 N 12th St., Brandywine) and The Ugly Moose (443 Shurs Lane, Manayunk).
Also on TuesdayPostponed - new date: Nov. 4th, Devil’s Den ( 1148 S 11th St. at Ellsworth, South Philly) is hosting its first beer dinner. This one features Ommegang, Duvel and Maredsous. Tix for the five-course dinner are $50. Info here.
Manayaunk has a rep for beer-swilling yutes and suburban wine snoots. I can’t promise you won’t find them at Cooper’s Brick Oven Wine Bar (4367 Main St., Manayunk), but the joint’s beer list is looking pretty good: Troegs, Gaffel, Sly Fox, Atomium, Boulder and Ballast Point on tap; bottles of Dupont, Hitachino Nest, La Chouff, Chimay and Sammy Smith, Voodoo, Eel River, Stone, Yards, Brooklyn, Dogfish Head and Stoudt’s.
Shiner Beer from Texas forwards a fun story about out-foxing one of the big boys at the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival. Though Austin is best known for Shiner Bock, the festival turned its back on the local beer and instead served Heineken (no doubt after the company shelled out big bucks for vending rights). But that didn’t stop Shiner. It designed beer koozies that looked like Shiner’s distinctive yellow can and handed them out to festivalgoers. Instead of Heineken, it looked like everyone was enjoying Shiner. Pretty smart.
Hard to believe while we’re knee-deep into Halloween and the World Series, but Christmas is right around the corner. In a matter of days, you’re going to start seeing the likes of Anchor Christmas, Troegs Mad Elf and Sierra Nevada Celebration on the shelf.
You can get into the spirit early with a special Mt. Airy Learning Tree class on Christmas Beers & Winter Warmers that I’ll be conducting on Nov. 12th at Earth Bread + Brewery, the new brewpub on Germantown Avenue. I’ll be talking about the incredibly long and curious history behind the most special ales and lagers of the season, made as a gift to beer drinkers around the world. With plenty of flavorful examples of the style, the course examines the history, culture and techniques behind these exotic beers. We’ll discuss everything, from whether Santa Claus belongs on a beer bottle to the unusual, secret flavors in your glass.
There are still a few seats left, but you have to reserve them now. Just click here.
By the way, I stopped by Earth Bread + Brewery last night for a few drafts and caught up with brewer Tom Baker, who was busily making pizzas the entire time I was at the bar. He tells me his inaugural Biere d’ Earth is about to kick, which means he’ll be moving an abbey dubbel into the rotation. Also headed to the taps: an alt.
Wondering who Dick Yuengling is rooting for in the World Series? Philadelphia is Yuengling Lager country, of course. But Pottsville-based Yuengling also has a brewery down in Tampa, about 30 minute from Tropicana Field.
Does the owner have divided loyalties?
“No way,” Yuengling told me. “I’m with the Phillies all the way. I’ve been a Phillies fans since 1955, when the A’s left town.”
Yuengling, who will attend Saturday’s game, noted that his beer is one of the top-selling brands noted that his beer is one of the top-selling brands at Citizens Bank Park. By comparison, his beer is available at only a handful of stands at Tropicana Park. “We’re not unknown in Tampa, but we’re not nearly as well known as we are in the Philadelphia market.”
Yuengling predicts a Phillies championship, of course. And he’d like to see his beer in the locker room for the celebration. “Spraying a can of beer is a lot more fun than Champagne,” he said.
The Eagles have a bye, the Phillies are off till Wednesday. So this Sunday (10/19) is a good opportunity to head up to North Jersey for the inaugural Garden State Craft Brewers Guild Oktoberfestival. The event features fall favorite’s from the guild’s 14 members, plus the debut of several cask-conditioned ales. (The only downside of this event is you’ll have to endure Giants fans who will be tuned into the game, to be broadcast on the stadium’s big screen. Just remind them about the Mets.)
Don’t care for the long drive? The Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia is celebrating Biketoberfest at Dock Street Brewing (50th and Baltimore, West Philly) on Sunday afternoon. It’s an afternoon of of bikes, brats, music and beer with three bands, two DJs, valet bike parking and a special Biketoberfest brew from Dock Street.
I’ll be pouring samples and reading from my book(s) Monday night at the Haverford Township Free Library. (Details here.)
This will be a walk down memory lane for me, as the library was where li’l Joe Sixpack got his start (writing, not drinking). I remember spending many afternoons sitting at the library’s wooden tables, studying books and writing reports. I recall one night, probably when I was in 8th grade, hurrying down to the place with a homework assignment on poetry that was due the next day. My topic: Ogden Nash. (”Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”) In about an hour, I had the entire thing written; my teacher gave me an “A” and remarked that it was evident I’d put a lot of work into the project.
Either I had her fooled or I was a pretty decent writer. Either way, I figured, it didn’t matter. That philosophy and something Nash once said:
People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.
…ultimately led to my career as a newspaper reporter.
I’ll have more sober insight in Friday’s column, but here’s the rundown on Philly-area awards at the Great American Beer Festival. Local brewers won 17 medals, the most ever (topping last year’s record of 14). Iron Hill led the way with 6, giving it a total of 27. That’s one more than Stoudt’s. Of course, IHB has 7 locations, and Stoudt’s has just one.
Where do we fit in with the rest of the country? You can get a pretty good idea from this map, which tracks all the award winners through ‘07. Looks like you’re S.O.L. if you live anywhere between North Dakota and Oklahoma.
