March 2, 2010

Flip, Flip, Flipadelphia. Bitches.


















We have yet to tell anybody about our short trip Philly last week! While we have been before, we decided that this time around we would play the role of tourists, allowing our dear friends to take care of us and show us the sights and sounds of the city. About an hour after arriving we were led to Dalhak bar, which happens to be safely hidden in the back of an Ethiopian Restaurant. In this fun little neighborhood watering hole we got just a mere taste of what the rest of the city would offer us as far as beer choices came. Philadelphia Brewing Co
lined the menu, such as the Walt Wit and Kenzinger. Victory's Hop Devil and Golden Monkey also made an appearance as well as MANY other fine Pennsylvania brews. It is so awesome to see the little bars representing. Thats how it should be... everywhere!
The next day we venture out to the Eastern State Penitentiary. Which by the way is probably one of the coolest things we have ever witnessed in our lives. Seriously. It's kind of awesome. And we will definitely be back for Halloween this year. We swear. After a few hours of wondering the prison yard, we decided to walk around to see if we could find lunch. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to find anything remotely interesting, but then, like a pond in a desert oasis, we came upon The Belgian Cafe. This place is apparently owned by the guys who opened Monks. Lucky us. A "blow your freaking mind" beer list and REALLY good food. Score. And then on to the typical tourist traps. Climb the Rocky Stairs. Check. Look out over the city reminiscent of Paris. Check. Be amazed by the details in the Washington Monument (no not THAT Washington monument). Double Check. After being overwhelmed by all this, we found ourselves in Fishtown. Visiting a fellow homebrewing friend, tasting some of his tasty beers and then off to a pretty fun joint that goes by the name of Johnny Brenda's. By the way, it seems as though all the bars in Philly not only have amazing beer lists, but they also provide really awesome bar food. Not typical by any means....
The next day started with a hang over and ended at the City Tavern. While TOTALLY dorky, this place is quite the site.
Nestled in Ye Olde Town, it is a fun place to get the tasting of Yards "Ales of the Revolution". Be prepared to feel pretty toasty after that flight of beer. So good.
After some thrift store shopping, which barely exists in NYC anymore, it was time to get back on that MegaBus and head home. Fun trip. Thanks Denini. Such a good tour guide you are.
Now that we have that out of the way, we have several more delightful things to talk about. First off, we will be receiving our first shipment of Hop Rhizomes, hopefully by the 3rd week of March. We will have a starter kit with 5 varieties and also several varieties sold separately, Cascade, Centennial, Nugget, Kent Golding, Fuggle and Mt Hood. Hooray! Spring is just about here....
Next on the list, we will be joining forces with Bierkraft to bring you The Brooklyn Rot. The Brooklyn Rot will be a fermentation club for everyone! Beer, Wine, Cheese, Kimchi, Yogurt, ETC. Whatever it is that you enjoy fermenting, come join all of us to share and discuss what we all love to make. It will give all of us a chance to share our things in a welcoming environment. This will also be a chance for many of us to learn about other fermented goodies that we have no clue about! It is very exciting, please join us. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday April 7th at 8pm, at Bierkraft, and hopefully every first Wednesday of the month to follow. We will post more details soon about the club, Homebrew Classes this summer, and even the potential for some Homebrew Competitions. We hope to see everyone at the meeting!
Business is still going strong. Thanks to everyone who is constantly coming to see us. We love to see your happy faces, especially the ones we get to see every week.....