Friday, March 8, 2013 | Troegs, Winter
Tröegs is releasing Nugget Nectar in draft form, which will continue to be available through March. This extra, extra hoppy beer has been a mid-winter seasonal favorite for a number of years, released every February. Tröegs is increasing production of the beer this year due to positive feedback.
This golden beer has a sweet piney, citrusy aroma with hints of other fruit underneath. The taste is quite hoppy and bitter, but with a slightly sweet malty finish and tones of citrus. With a medium body and moderate carbonation, this beer is extremely drinkable, especially for those of us ready for spring. 7.5% ABV
Friday, March 8, 2013 | Bars
Do you miss the dark rooms and flashing lights of old-style arcades? Did you ever wish you could get delicious craft beers in that environment? Well then Barcade in Fishtown, Philadelphia might just have what you’re looking for.
This bar is larger than your average arcade, with over 40 vintage game cabinets lining the walls of the general dining area. With old favorites like Ms. Pac-Man, Gauntlet II, Smash TV and Tron, every gamer is certain to find at least a few games they enjoy, and each of them is only a quarter. Between each cabinet is a small surface to set your beers, so you never have to choose between drinking and getting the high score.
And that brings us to the beer selection. Their drafts change day to day, but there is always a large variety of craft beers to be sampled, including beers from such brewers as Rogue, Victory, Long Trail and Troegs. A list of the drafts being offered on any given day can be found on their website home page. They also have a moderately-sized food menu including a variety of sandwiches, soup and sharable platters.
On Friday and Saturday nights, Barcade can be packed with people looking for indoor entertainment in these colder months, but there’s enough turn around that you’ll certainly be able to play your favorite game by the time you finish your first beer. During the week days, you can find some people milling around in the game room, but it’s mostly free for those intense gamers looking to feed the machine until they get to the final stage. The fenced-in outdoor patio provides more space, and an outdoor oasis for when the weather warms up.
If you’re looking to entertain a handful of friends for an evening, Barcade is a great choice for those in the Philadelphia area.
http://barcadephiladelphia.com/
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 4pm-2am
Friday-Sunday: 12pm-2am
Kitchen Hours:
Sunday: Until 10pm
Monday-Wednesday: 5pm-11pm
Thursday-Saturday: Until Midnight
Friday, March 8, 2013 | Bars, Restaurants, Uncategorized
In Levittown, there’s a place that brings people all the way from Philly with their Roast Pork Italiano, and brings them back with their great craft beer selection. Pasquale’s offers foodies many options, including over-sized wings, ½ lb burgers, giant quesadillas and ribs. Soon, they will be offering all-you-can-eat crab legs on Tuesday nights.
Pasquale’s also offers a lot in the way of beer, with 14 out of their 20 taps being craft brews, including Goose Island IPA, Rouge’s Dead Guy, and Magic Hat Pistol. And they’ll be adding Hoegaarden and Stella to that list soon. On Tuesday, it’s $1 off all craft drafts, and fifty cents off bottles. If you’re not sure what to try, Pasquale’s has $7 flights with four samples, which are a dollar off on Tuesday as well.
With lots of events and specials every day, there’s always a reason to drop by Pasquales.
Pasquale’s Sports Bar
Facebook Page
Friday, March 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
Bellerose from Brasserie des Sources is a corked blonde ale with a complex flavor and golden amber color. The nose suggests citrusy hops, herbs, grass and floral notes, which is similar to the taste. The flavor also holds bread and black pepper qualities, with some tannic essences. The finish of this French beer is dry, more like a wine than the usual hoppy dryness you find in many beers, and the feel is crisp and smooth. This beer pairs well with many foods, especially French cheeses. If you want a complex, refreshing beverage with some American influence, give this a try.
Friday, March 8, 2013 | Breweries
Soon, Pennsylvania will welcome Full Sail Brewing Company’s line of beers. This Oregon-based brewery has been bringing beer lovers refreshments since 1987, and now Pennsylvania residents will be able buy their beers within the state.
Full Sail started fifteen years ago at the beginning of the craft beer movement in picturesque Hood River, where an abandoned fruit cannery stood. The beautiful countryside and windsurfing craze taking root there inspired them to take the chance with the old factory and create great beers in it. They packed the old cannery with new, state-of-the-art brewing equipment, and were up and running by September of that year. The next year, they were doing the unheard of—bottling their microbrew. Since then, this independent brewery is doing their best to bring no harm to the environment that brought them to Hood River all those years ago, and bring a variety of delicious brews into the world.
Full Sail has an amber ale and IPA under their belt, along with ever-changing lines of limited addition lagers and pub ales, meaning that they’re always bringing fresh tastes to their lineup. They offer Brewer’s Share series, a line of unique beers crafted by individual brewers. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this series goes to the local charity of the brewer’s choice. They also carry Brewmaster Reserve and Brewer’s Experimental in their arsenal, with a variety of flavorful beers under each category.
Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Ingredients
When someone mentions barrel aging, you generally think of wine or whiskey, but beer can be barrel-aged as well. More and more brewers are using this method to imbue beers with the aroma and flavor of the wood and whatever occupied the barrel in the past. The taste of the barrel-aged beer is more complex, and as the beer is aged, it becomes more mellow.
Brewers generally use barrels that have housed another alcoholic liquid in it before. The most common types of barrels used are probably bourbon barrels. Widmer’s Barrel Aged Brrrbon takes advantage of the sweet flavor from the bourbon, which adds to its sweet malt flavor. Many of the beers chosen to be aged in bourbon barrels are stouts or porters. Rye Whiskey also makes a good choice, as can be tasted in Goose Island’s Bourbon County Cherry Rye.
Both white and red wines can be used, too. Victory’s new White Monkey was aged in a Chardonnay white wine barrel from Wente’s vineyard, and Moa’s Imperial Stout uses a Pinot Noir. It’s not uncommon for lighter beers to be aged in red wine barrels, either. Sour beers, like lambics, are suited well for wine barrel aging, too.
A less common choice is Gin, like Rogue’s John John Juniper, which showcases a fresh, piney flavor. Tequila might seem like a strange choice, but it complements the agave and fruity flavor in Golden Road’s El Hefe Anejo well.
Some brewers prefer to use unused barrels to add a woody taste, which can be overpowered if using a barrel that once housed spirits. The flavor of aging in a new barrel comes from microbes and tannins in the wood. Usually, French or American oak barrels are used, inspiring the term ‘oaking’ as an idiom for aging beer in a barrel. However, sometimes chestnut and redwood are used.
The history of aging beer in barrels is a bit muddled and hard to confirm. The use of barrels to store wine began with the Gauls of ancient France, but the idea of aging beverages on purpose didn’t come about until after the 17th century. The first beers to be aged in wine barrels were sour brews in Belgium. If other beers were stored in barrels, they were generally lined with pitch to prevent any flavor being passed on to the beer. However, in 1992, Goose Island was one of the first—perhaps the first—to age beer in a bourbon barrel with its Bourbon County Stout, starting a trend that other brewers have expanded on.
Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Uinta
Uinta’s Cockeyed Cooper is a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine with a sweet taste and and dark reddish amber color. With fruity aromatic notes of dried cherries, raisins, and plum, this beer also has warmer flavors, including vanilla, caramel, roasted malt, and brown sugar. There is some alcohol flavor, as to be expected with barleywine, especially one aged in a bourbon barrel. The whiskey and barrel flavors really shine through in this brew, found in a corked bottle or on tap. Part of Uinta’s Crooked Line, this beer is great for those who like sweeter brews, especially barleywines or bourbon-aged beers.
Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Beer News, Breweries, Events, New, Victory
Victory Brewing is building on a solid foundation, introducing White Monkey as a limited edition release on March 2nd. This new brew is a twist on an old favorite, Golden Monkey, enhanced by aging the fan favorite in white wine barrels from Wente Vineyards for three months.
To celebrate this release, Victory Brewing will be holding breakfast that morning at their Downingtown brewpub from 9a.m.-11a.m. where the new beer will be served. They say it’s best to call in for a reservation if you’re planning to visit during this time.
Menu:
Stuffed Cornflake French Toast with Blackberry Compote, Butter and Maple Syrup
Quiche — Spinach, Mushroom and Feta
Scrambled Eggs – Bacon or Sausage, Home Fries, English Muffin
Sticky Buns
White Monkey ($2.50/taster, $5.50 for 12oz. pour), other Victory beers or Prima Mosas
Contact/Visiting Information:
420 Acorn Lane
Downingtown PA 19335
610-873-0881
Victory Brewing Company
Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Uncategorized
Temperance House in Newton, PA is old. Like, founded in 1772 old. This old inn, which was once a lodging for a revolutionary war general, has gone by several names over the years, and was once a oyster and ice cream bar. Now, it serves a full menu including burgers, soups, sandwiches, steak, and seafood. It also has a wide variety of wines and a decent-sized beer list, including craft beers from local breweries.
With rooms that overlook beautiful farmland, a selection of cigars, and a special St. Patricks Day menu, there’s a lot to be offered at the Temperance House.
Hours:
Lunch
Tuesday-Saturday 11a.m.-3p.m.
Sunday 12p.m.-3p.m.
Dinner
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 4p.m.-9p.m.
Friday and Saturday 4p.m.-10p.m.
Five South State St
Newton, PA 18940
215-860-9975
Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Beer News, Old Dominion
Old Dominion Brewing will now be offering two of their favorites, Double D and Morning Glory, in 12oz six packs and on draft. Previously offered in 22oz bombers, these two brews have been emblazoned with a couple of pin-up girls matching the personalities of the beer inside. Both will now be offered year-round.
Double D is an Imperial IPA with aromas of guava, mango and tropical fruits from dry hopping with Citra, Zythos and Crystal hops. Brewed with light toasted malt and Bravo bitter hops, it’s smooth with a bittersweet finish. 9% alc/vol.
Morning Glory is a dark espresso stout using locally roasted coffee beans, and delighting drinkers with chocolate and creamy coffee flavors. This ultra-smooth beer is moderately sweet with a silky texture. 9% alc/vol.
Here are the lovely ladies of the labels:
