Mad Mex Willow Grove: Now Open For Your Drinking Pleasure

There a few things that I can't get enough of. Obviously a tasty brew is one of those things but Mexican food also makes that prestigious list. Naturally with an affinity for such things I was a happy to hear that Mad Mex would be opening a new restaurant in Willow Grove which is much closer to my house than University City, their next closest location.

The only Mad Mex I had ever been to was the one in State College while visiting Mer but I knew that they all prided themselves in having an extensive draft list. It seems a bit strange but I can even remember being shocked and excited by seeing Great Lakes Nosferatu on special the first time I had been there for dinner, not something I had expected from any sort of chain-type restaurant.

The lady and I had the opportunity to check out the new spot over the weekend while we got some Christmas shopping done. Much like the State College location, the decor and atmosphere have a great 'Day of the Dead' theme. The place seemed busy but we were seated right away without a wait, wasn't expecting that from a new restaurant on a Saturday during the holiday shopping season. Once we got seated in our really-excessively-large-for-two-people-but-I'm-not-complaining booth I grabbed the beer menu which featured a great deal, $5 Sierra Nevada Celebration 22 oz drafts! Not something I would normally pass up but when there are 23 other beers beers on tap I can't in good conscious go with something so familiar.

The rest of the 'Mad Draftos' consisted of a variety of microbrews, primarily of the hoppier variety, including a few surprises like Avery's 16.8% Belgian Strong Dark Ale, The Beast. I wasn't feeling that ambitious so I went with Stone's 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale which was a Belgian Strong Ale brewed with chilies and cinnamon which seemed fitting given the food. This was supposed come in a smaller 12 oz glass but I was pleased to see our waiter bring me out a full shaker full, nice move guy. There was unique dichotomy between the Belgian yeast esters and the pepper flavors but somehow they worked together in what I thought was a fine beer. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did and it paired quite nicely with my meal.

With such an impressive draft list I had a hard time choosing a follow up but the lure of Firestone Walker's Double Jack proved once again unavoidable. I hope everyone out there understands my adoration for this beer, it is one of if not THE best Imperial IPA around if you ask me. The beer is a thing of beauty for hop-heads but it is incredibly well balanced and smooth considering. Get it, drink it, love it.

While the beer selection is what really made the evening stand out for me, our meal didn't disappoint either. I'm no foodie and usually end up sounding like even more of an idiot when I start talking about food so I'll spare you. I do have to say that if you like your queso super spicy than this is the place to get it, lot's of heat in there. The whole experience was really quite pleasant, our waiter was great, the food came out at just the right time, and the music was fantastic...what more can you ask for? Thanks to Monica and Jordan for setting the whole thing up, I really appreciate it and will definitely be back for some more!

Mad Mex is one of the few chains that have full embraced the world of craft beer and offers something for every kind of drinker. Options for a good beer for suburbanites like myself can sometimes be quite hard to find so I'm going to go out to a restaurant like this I want there to be some interesting beers on tap and not just your typical macro choices. I can't always have my way and go to a real beer bar for dinner so alternatives like this are a must. In this day and age I think it is just embarrassing when a restaurant has a lazy beer selection but luckily, more and more are grasping the fact that we want some variety. Mad Mex Willow Grove is just the latest to do so, here's to many more.

Mad Mex Willow Grove

2862 W Moreland Rd
Willow Grove, PA 19090

¡Salud!

HOPZ: A Cigar For All Your Drinking Needs

The latest issue of Philly Beer Scene hit the streets last week and while I was thrilled to see my own  Drachentöter Dunkelweizen recipe in the Homebrewer's Corner, I was even more excited by the "Not Beer" feature on HOPZ cigars.

At first glance I said to myself, "There's no way these cigars are made with hops." After actually reading the article I was pleased as punch to be wrong, that these HOPZ Craft Beer Cigars from Ted's Cigars are in fact seasoned with a helping of Centennial hops. The idea seems too good to be true and I couldn't believe it hadn't been done on a large scale before. I know there is quite the niche group of craft beer drinkers who enthusiastically pair their favorite beers with a complimenting cigar, just like cheese pairings. Now I don't claim to be any sort of cigar aficionado by any stretch of the imagination but do enjoy them from time to time. This marriage of hop and cigar was irresistible to me so I set out to find a shop that carried HOPZ and after 10 or so phone calls I found my prize at Tobacco Leaf in Lawrenceville, NJ...conveniently located just a short walk from a Joe Canal's.


Once I got back home I scoured my stash a big IPA with some Centennial in it. After a bit of research which included calling Sierra Nevada's taproom to ask about their Estate hops, I realized that Firestone Walker's Double Jack fit the bill perfectly with Centennial used late in the boil as well as part of the dry hop. And so I was poised for an epic pairing.


My oh so understanding girlfriend was well aware of the gravity of the situation and conceded to an evening of porch drinking while I geeked out over the night's festivities. I picked up a bottle of Spire Mountain's Dark & Dry Cider for her, got the perfect summer night playlist going, settled into the rocking chair, and then got out my cigar.


This baby smelled fresh. The hop presence was most definitely there, adding to the wonderful and earthy roasted aroma. I usually find Centennials to be a bit more citrusy but the pine aspects really stood out here. The ceremonial first drag was shockingly smooth, I was expecting it to be much more harsh and intense given the circumstances. The cigar had a pleasantly subdued sweetness to it to compliment the floral and woody flavors. Just like a good beer, this cigar was really well balanced and did not go overboard with the hops in order to make a point or appease the beer geeks out there.

I figured pairing this with such a fine DIPA like Double Jack could only enhance every aspect of each product. This beer has a big aroma, fresh and grassy with a pretty heavy helping of oranges and pine. There's just a bit of a sweet note that comes through, mainly the aroma just prepares you to be hopped up. It is a fine looking pour, clean white sticky head and a really clear orange-amber body. The taste is a little breadier than you would think given the nose but obviously the grapefruity and bitter orange peel kind of hoppiness dominates here. A spicier note of pine along with a bit of warmth from the alcohol accompany the citrus and end up with a really dry finish that leaves you wanting more. The cigar really did enhance the beer, the spicier flavors of each worked wonders together and the beer's more aggressive citrus characters helped bring out the hops of the cigar itself.  This was the first time I really sat there and thought about a cigar while I smoked it and now I can see how people could fall in love with these sorts of pairings. It was definitely an experience that I hope any lover of big IPA's can indulge in because it not only makes you appreciate what's in your glass but it is also an easy transition into another affordable luxury.

From what I've gathered from talking to different shop owners, supply on these puppies is pretty limited but Ted's is trying to boost production so I would assume that they will be a little more readily available in the near future. For now you can order your own HOPZ on their website along with some swag or any number of their other intriguing cigars, the Maker's Mark may be next on my list.

Cheers!

Washington Crossing Brewfest Recap

This past Saturday marked the first annual Washington Crossing Brewfest held to benefit the Friends of Washington Crossing Park who promote and support the park as one of Bucks County's historic landmarks. The weather left much to be desired but with just over 50 breweries represented I for one was not concerned with a little bit of rain sprinkled throughout the afternoon.

As if there was any doubt that I was going to have a good time, as we were waiting for the gates to open there were a few gentlemen dressed in their Colonial best acting as sentries and helping directing cars. This pleased me to no end. Everyone got their little sampling glass and the four hour free for all had begun. The event was held right along the Delaware River in a heavily wooded area of the park, not what I had imagined but it ended up being a great location. The breweries were set up in a long line of tables with food carts, tables, and plenty of water stations throughout the rest of the event area. Of course there was the obligatory porta-potty compound at the far end that got progressively more crowded as the day went on. I was glad to see the band set up on a stage totally separate from the rest of the tents and what not, they were a little more than background noise. The whole layout of the event really made for a great day, everything was so spread out and lines never got to be unbearable. There was plenty of space for everyone to hang out if they weren't getting more beer, I was worried it was going to be handled like the Yardley Beer Fest under one large and inconvenient tent. They really seemed to be very well organized and knew what they were doing with an event of this size and I say kudos to everyone who put it together.


As I've said before, the list of breweries represented at this festival was really impressive. It's a testament to the Philadelphia area that a first-time-out festival like this was one was able to get such a variety of breweries. Sure you had your usual suspects and local favorites but there were some breweries like BrewDog, Firestone Walker, Dark Horse and Cigar City that aren't always represented at these smaller events. Luckily with a distributor like Bella Vista, this is changing and won't be as uncommon as it may be now. There was one brewery that I missed out on trying, East Coast Beer Company. One of the region's newest breweries coming out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey wasn't set up right away and once they were a huge line formed to try this new brewery's Beach Haus Classic American Pilsner. I just didn't feel like spending that much time waiting around for 2 oz. of it and I'm sure it'll find it's way into my glass at some point in the near future.

There weren't too many beers being served that I hadn't had before but that doesn't detract from what was available. I got to share some of my favorites with others who hadn't ever had them and got to give some other beers another shot. I was also able to check off Nebraska on my Red, White, & Brew page with Nebraska Brewing Company's EOS Wheat, a hefeweizen I would love to try again. Things always get a bit blurry towards the end of these things and your tastebuds end up working overtime trying to sift through all the different beers.

All in all this was a pretty successful beer fest, one that Bucks County is lucky to have and will hopefully stick around for years to come. The crowd seemed to be relatively idiot-free as well with the short, stout, and slurring Rangers fan who was a little too enthusiastic over the sight of a dark beer in some folks' glasses. There's always gotta be that guy.

If you're in the area and missed out on this, make sure you get your tickets early next year!

Cheers!