Beer in the Land of Pleasant Living

Feeling like we don't seem to get that much time together these days, the girlfriend and I took a long weekend in Baltimore to relax, do some sightseeing, and check out the beer scene in Land of Pleasant Living. The last time either of us had been down there was for a field trip during our senior year of high school so we though it was a good choice, far away enough from home for it to be a trip but close enough to get there quickly.

We checked into our Inner Harbor hotel early Friday afternoon and immediately made our way down the National Aquarium because that's what you do when you're doing the whole tourist-thing in Baltimore. After a couple hours of wandering around in the dark, checking out the creatures of the sea, and trying to block out the hoards of hyper-active children running around the place a beer was simply necessary. We decided to just grab quick bite to eat on our way back to the hotel at a small and unasuming place called Peter's Pour House which was one of a few bars we found on Water Street. The place had the dive vibe going for it with a few rowdy regulars who seemed to have gotten their weekend started even earlier than us. I was quite excited to see Natty Boh on tap everywhere down there, we used to get cases of the stuff for $8.99 at Temple so it has a special place in my heart. The rest of the taps were your standard domestics except for a Flying Dog and New Belgium Fat Tire, the legendary amber ale out of Colorado that I had never had before. After years of build up and hype the beer was bound to fall flat for me the way it did. It was by no means a bad beer, lots of sweet caramel malts with a sublte citrus hop finish to round things out, but it's not something would really stand out to me if it weren't for its reputation. I was still excited to check this one off my beer-bucket list so I ordered another before we headed out.

Walking back to our hotel we made the miraculous discovery that our hotel was located directly next to the Pratt Street Ale House which happened to be home of Oliver Breweries, Baltimore's oldest running brewpub. You can imagine my delight. The weather was perfect for walking around but once we sat down the chilly wind picked up and it quickly became clear that this was going to be a one-and-done since we grabbed a table outside. With the chill in their, big dark beers were in order. I went with the S.O.B., a smoked Belgian porter brewed with Stillwater and The Brewer's Art. Despite the reptuation of brewers involved I wasn't all that thrilled with this unique brew. I just didn't find the Belgian yeast character to go well with the porter body at all, lot's of conflicting flavors that ended up being pretty sweet with little to no noticeable smoke. Meridith ordered herself The Bishop's Indulgence, a Russian imperial stout brewed with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. This was beer I was looking for, lot's of sweet milky chocolate notes and bit of roasted coffee flavors to mix things up. The vanilla bean smoothed things out and made for a phenomenal stout that was definitely BIG without being overbearing, there was a whole lot going on but remained well balanced. Needless to say I snuck a few sips out of her glass before we finished up.

For dinner we headed over to Fell's Point which seems to be the "super-hip" part of town with too many bars to count. After many a recommendation, I knew I wanted to hit up Max's Taphouse but by the time we got there it was already packed with the Friday night crowd so we grabbed some food around the corner at Sláinte. The place had a really welcoming atmosphere and I enjoyed myself thoroughly but their draft  list left something to be desired. After a surprisingly great dinner for an Irish place we found ourself back at Max's Taphouse, a place that just has to be seen to be believed.

Boasting a ludicrous 102 beers on tap, 5 of which offered on the hand pump, Max's could be a bit intimidating to someone unprepared. By the time we got back the crowd had grown even more but I bellied my way to the bar to retrieve a draft list, this was going to take a minute to decide. My eyes wandered immediately to the list of New Belgium brews available and decided on their Clutch Dark Sour Ale. Mer really had no choice once she saw DuClaw's H.E.R.O. Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. Clutch turned out to be all sorts of interesting, a strange blend of rich mocha flavors with a sneakingly sour finish. I didn't quite know what to make of the roasty/sour combo but it didn't turn me off completely and I was glad I ordered it. Next up was Liefmans' Oud Bruin, the true sour I was craving after being teased with the Clutch. Pleasant tart cherries and sweet brown sugar flavors but with a wonderfully oaky body that rocked my world, went down real easy so the 5% ABV was quite welcome. Mer went with another sour, the  Hopfenstark Berlin Alexanderplatz Epilogue which was a mouth puckering raspberry berliner weisse. I tried to order Dupont's holiday saison, Les Bons Voeux, but ended up kicking the keg half-way through the pour. Luckily the bartender let me have the glass for free but I hadn't though far enough ahead to know what I what I wanted as a replacement.

After brief consideration I couldn't help but order another undeniably unique sour from New Belgium, this time going with Kick which is brewed with cranberries and pumpkin. Quite acidic and funky, the cranberries definitely stood out the most along with some subtle holiday spice. The pumpkin was pretty mild, I don't know if I would have noticed if I hadn't been looking for it. I remember being surprised that it wasn't too sweet despite how much fruitiness was going on. I'd call this experiment a success. Of course there were countless other beers that I wanted to try but it had been a long day and I was feeling pretty good at that point. For some reason, the girlfriend let me go up to the bar alone to get out tab but left to my own devices I was powerless to resist the lure of New Belgium's Ranger IPA and snuck that one in before closing out. I don't know if it was just because my tongue wasn't ready for the shock of hops that night but I thought this beer was somewhat to fairly awesome! I in no way needed that last pint but I'm glad I went with my instincts despite having a rude awakening the next day.

Going against vacation protocol, I set an alarm to wake my sure-to-be-hungover-sorry-ass up in the morning because we did have a schedule to keep, Heavy Seas was expecting us for the 11 am tour which you can read all about right here. Before driving off to the tour we did get some breakfast at the hotel bar/restaurant and I normally wouldn't comment on it but it was the worst meal in recent memory. They didn't have any grapefruit which I woke up hankering for so I was immediately pissy about that. That breakfast held the title for the worst meal until later in the day when we made the rookie-tourist mistake of having lunch at the "historic" Lexington Market. Bad idea.

The rest of the day consisted of a whole lot of walking, wandering in and out of the shops and bars that make up the more...errr...civilized downtown areas. We found ourselves back in Fell's Point for dinner at Riptides By The Bay where I experienced two firsts, some Atlantic oysters and a pint of Goose Island's IPA. I was more enthused about the idea of having my first Goose Island beer than the beer itself but the food made up for that. We thought about heading back to Max's for a good nighter but I was not about to pay the cover for just one beer so we decided to minimize risk and stick to something we knew, Sláinte. Mer saw their Guinness Chocolate Creme Brulee on the menu the night before so she had her dessert with an appropriate pint of Guinness while, in a strange move by myself, ordered some whiskey. Who knows.

Not quite ready to call it a night, we got our cab to drop us off at Pratt Street Ale House before going back to our room for a real good nighter...or two. The lady went with The Bishop's Indulgence once again while I tried out their Smoke Break Porter on cask which was apparently quite tasty, it disappeared from my glass far too quickly. Seeing how Mer was still working on her's I really had no choice but to order something else so I asked for a pint of their Draft Punk which I believe was a wet hopped IPA of sorts. At this point in the night I wasn't exactly keeping notes.

Before heading home on Sunday we were planning on having lunch at The Brewer's Art but failed to realize that they open late and thus we missed on of the Baltimore landmarks that I had heard so much about. This just gives me another reason to plan a trip back down though. On our way home we stopped at State Line Liquors to pick up a hefty selection of bottles that don't make their way to Pennsylvania including some Maui Brewing Company cans!

I know this has been an obnoxiously long winded post but that is just a testament to Baltimore and their surprising (to me at least) beer scene. We never encountered any of the sort of snobbiness that often plagues this sort of travel and that alone made it a success. If you find yourself down in Baltimore be sure to look past all the great beers that come into the city and make certain that you partake in some of the fantastic beers that are being made right there.

I'll shut up now.
Cheers!

Mancation 2011 Recap: Part 2

We awoke Sunday morning in great distress with the realization that we aren’t in college anymore, this weekend’s sort of behavior isn’t as regular anymore and our bodies were in revolt. I knew we had some plans for the rest of the day but I was ready to cancel everything but after a bit of rallying, food, and a glass of my Mancation Maple Bacon Porter I felt relatively good considering the circumstances. I always find a beer to be a sure fire way to beat an intimidating hangover.

After taking down our tent and cleaning up our site it was decided that we needed to stop at a bar or even better, a brewery. Luckily Stoudt's was on our way back to to the Turnpike and the obvious choice. I'm sort of proud to say that this wasn't the first time I had arrived at a brewery only to find that they weren't yet open as was the case this day so we wandered around the grounds and the Wonderful Good Market to grab some food. My breakfast sandwich was just what I needed, eggs and Stoudt's own three cheese blend on fresh beer bread. I was content. I totally bypassed the market on my previous visits but will be sure to check back in to sample more of their rather tempting cheeses. After a bit of stalling, the bar finally opened at 11:30...about time.

Being familiar with Stoudt's regular lineup I knew I would order any limited batches they had to offer. The first was the Smoked Helles Lager, it was a weekend of all things smoked so why stop now. Served in a tall tulip, this one was a clear golden straw color with a bright white head that faded quickly. A strong grainy aroma was accompanied by a strong smoke presence but nothing too obnoxious. The toasted biscuit malts and smoke flavors lingered on the tongue but didn't have that "shoveling hot coals into your mouth" thing going on. This was a slightly sweet and light bodied smoked beer, just well balanced and well made.

The only beer on tap that wasn't one of their usual suspects was a Vanilla Almond Porter, not exactly what I was in the mood for but not something I was about it pass up since these limited Stoudt's batches aren't too plentiful here around home. This porter had a lighter brown body and cream colored head with a rich aroma of vanilla coffee. There were some dark chocolate flavors but mainly a roasty coffee profile accented by and dose of vanilla bean to smooth things out. The almond came through only (luckily) slightly, offering a nutty and earthier profile. Medium bodied and real smooth, I definitely thought this a good beer but just not something I'd go for again, for whatever reason it's just not my bag. We wrapped things up, settled up with our oh so patient waitress, and hit the road for home.

Or the Hulmeville Inn. I'm always happy to take out-of-towners to my favorite local bar and they were more than happy to take me up on the offer. Sunday afternoons at the Hulmeville is one of my favorite times to stop by because of the $3 cheesesteaks but also because it's just so damn laid back. I spotted Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Grand Cru on the bottle list and immediately knew that that's what I would be drinking. I had this blend once before on tap and enjoyed it just as much this time around. The combination of oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration, and the good old Pale Ale sounds a little wacky to me but it really works wonderfully. Citrus hops, rich toffee, spicy, bitter, smooth vanilla/oak, and a pleasant bit of booze make for one awesome beer. I just might have to grab a couple to take home and stow away for a while. This was a one and done visit though, the Mancation had finally come to an end.

Sort of. I had to rush home to clean myself and get ready to head to a fundraising event for my friend Jeff's brother who passed earlier this year which was being held at Yards. Not only was it great to be able to support the National Alliance on Mental Illness but it was also a chance to catch up with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. It was a private event but the Yards tasting room was packed with friends and family, the brewery was a perfect setting for the night. Yards' Smoke Em If You Got Em event was just a couple days before so they still had one of the beers they brewed for it on tap, their McDouglas Scotch Ale. I have strained relationship with this style, I rarely find one that I really love, but will give anything Yards brews a shot. This was one of the tamer interpretations I've had but not in a bad way, it was just a more balanced and approachable version. Sweet and caramel maltiness followed up by a subtle smoke flavor that lingered. I've had some scotch ales that are cloying and over the top which made them unenjoyable but this was definitely a nice change of pace. They offered a couple tours throughout the night and even though I had been on the Yards tour too many times to count I took advantage which I'm glad for because it was one of the best brewery tours I had ever had. It's always nice to actually learn something new despite having heard the same old lines countless times on other tours. Our guide doesn't normally give the tours so I think he was trying extra hard but I hope he starts getting to do some because it was really engaging. Eventually it was time to go but there was no way we were all ready to part so we all met up at the Standard Tap for a night cap.

At this point I was just ready to get my hops on, not really in the mood to commit to something new I went right for a Weyerbacher Harvest Ale. After picking the hops for that beer I feel obligated to get it whenever I see it. I followed that with Manayunk Brewing's California Dreamin Double IPA, a delectable West Coast Style DIPA that never fails to please. They also had Dogfish Head's Black & Red on tap which I had heard was so undrinkable that many bars were returning their kegs to wholesalers, I had to get a sample. This a confusing beer, it pours a deep and dark ruby red color and smells of roasted mint...and it's a stout. I nervously sipped at the sample, a minty bitterness along with a strange raspberry tartness and a bit of an alcohol burn. What the hell was that? It reminded me of carbonated Robitussin, not something I would ever want in my glass. I could definitely why see why bars would be returning this, I bet it's still on tap down at the Standard Tap because I can't really see anyone drinking a whole glass. You can't win em all I guess.

Finally after a very long and exhausting weekend I got back home to retreat into my bed. I do believe that hitting four breweries in one weekend is a personal record so I was quite pleased with that accomplishment as I prepared to enter back into the real world the next morning. The weekend reaffirmed what we all already know which is that beer can be much more than just a drink but instead something much more important. Over the course of 2 days it brought so many different people together and was the catalyst for a slew of great conversations and new memories that won't fade quickly.

Now that I got all deep there I will finally stop typing and move on.
Cheers!

Mancation 2011 Recap: Part 1

This past weekend was the 5^th Annual Mancation, a camping trip that my male family members started and has now spread to include some friends as well. It’s no surprise that beer is a crucial part of a weekend where a bunch of guys spend majority of the time sitting around a campfire and playing ladder golf. While my Uncles are usually content with their Yuengling and Moosehead bottles my friends and I have always taken advantage of the Lancaster area’s eclectic beer scene but of course are not above grabbing a case of Schaefer and Smithwick’s, the two beers we brought on the first Mancation when we were poor college students without a clue. It’s a tradition that lives on but we now make sure to bring along some more…errr…respectable beers.

My Maple Bacon Smoked Porter was brewed specially for this weekend and was a big hit, especially with the mountain man breakfast that my Dad cooked up Saturday morning. I am more than pleased with how this batch came out given the great chance for failure. The maple is a bit stronger than I had hoped and I would have liked a little less sweetness to come through but that’s a small nitpick. If I were to brew it again I would try and get it a bit smokier with more smoked malts and maybe even a little more bacon. The smoke is really subtle on the finish but comes out much more noticeably as it warms up which doesn’t take long in front of a roaring fire. It’s nothing too offensive which was the point since I knew some of the guys wouldn’t be used to smoked beers and it ended up being pretty well balanced with a great mouthfeel. It even has some decent enough head which proves that you can put a fatty meat into your homebrew and still keep some head so take that homebrewtalk.com!

A few Mancations ago we were given a tip at Lancaster Brewing Company that there was a small start-up brewery nearby in Conestoga in a guy’s barn which had a small tasting room in the loft. We obviously had to check the place out so we put the address into the GPS and forty minutes or so later we found ourselves at Spring House Brewing Company. We spent the whole afternoon talking with the owner, Matt, who offered up endless samples of his beer and walked us through his whole story. That visit was one of my favorite brewery memories, there were no other visitors and Matt was more than willing to just hang  out for the day. The barn/brewery is literally a stone’s throw from his house and you definitely got the feeling that the brewery was Matt’s baby. Every following year we made sure to stop by to see what new brews the barn was churning out and every year the place got a little busier with locals coming in to fill their growlers. That all stopped this year though, the barn is no longer open to the public because they have a much more hospitable spot in downtown Lancaster, the relatively new Springhouse Tap Room.

We stopped by for lunch on Saturday, the bar was packed and majority of the tables were filled. Oh how they’ve grown. The beer list had some intriguing choices like the Mango IPA but I was quickly disappointed when I was told that it had actually kicked. My second choice was their Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout, something that wouldn’t normally be up my alley since it sounds awfully gimmicky but I’m glad I went with it anyways because it ended up being one of the most memorable beers I’ve probably ever had. With a nitro pour it is a deep and dark brown with a chocolate milk looking head that just oozed over the sides of the glass (which should be noted are nonic pint glasses, one of my favorites). On aroma alone, this beer delivered, it smelled like some sort of Reese’s milkshake with a bit of a roasted kick, just pure decadence. It was just as impressive to taste, milk chocolate and slightly roasted peanuts coat the palate with a sweetness that never became too overbearing. A more bitter dark chocolate flavor started to take over towards the end but it was still creamy and smooth to the last drop. It was really a very unique beer but it never became too much for me despite being so rich in all aspects. Following up this behemoth was virtually impossible so I went with the Imperial Ray Gun, their red ale, to go along the BBQ chicken wings and we hurried out of there before our parking meter expired.

Next up was the Lancaster Brew Pub just a short drive away. Now I rarely ever go for a Lancaster beer when I see them at home but I always find myself appreciating them more and more with each visit. The bar itself is a really low-key and charming spot with a very friendly staff ready to pour you a beer or two. I went straight for their Gold Star Pils which they don’t bottle, I’ve seen some pretty harsh reviews of but they must have changed the recipe because I really enjoyed it. Clean and crisp, a little more caramel and sweeter notes than most pilsners but still a solid beer. We all ordered a round of their Oktoberfest which is nothing spectacular but decent enough when you’re in the middle of a weekend like this. It’s got a bit of spice and roasted malts, real smooth finish with no hop presence to speak of, just the kind of beer I was in the mood for. Knowing we had a long night ahead of us, we removed ourselves from the copper plated bar and headed back to the campsite.

The rest of the evening faded into a bit of a blur as plenty of different beers were poured and shared. The most notable beer of the night was most definitely Stone’s 15^th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA which I enjoyed the large spread of impeccably smoked BBQ that we devoured for dinner. This one is absolutely pitch black with a frothy head and an incredibly inviting hop aroma, some earthy spice and heavy dose of Citra. The taste followed suit with some sweeter and fruitier flavors coming out as well. There was much in the way of roasted malts, the hops are obviously the main attraction. It’s velvety smooth mouthfeel and warm alcohol finish hit the spot as we feasted like kings in front of the fire.

Later in the night, after what some people would call one too many beers, I popped open my bottle of Elysian Night Owl because I couldn’t go through a whole weekend of camping without at least one pumpkin beer. This beer may have been the one to encourage us to go out and “borrow” a couple of paddleboats around 1 am or so but I’m guessing that would have happened anyways. Somehow we got back to our tent without incident and rested for what would surely be a painful Sunday morning. More on Sunday in the next post.

Cheers!

Adventures in Homebrewing: Dry-Hogging

After 2 weeks of going buck-wild in the primary fermenter it was time to rack my smoked porter to the secondary where things would get more exciting. This is where I would dare to introduce meat to my precious beer. Appalled? Get over it.

In the hopes of imparting a pleasantly smokey-bacon flavor to this porter already brewed with smoked malts I decided to give "dry-hogging" a shot. It is essentially the same as dry-hopping but with bits of crispy bacon instead. I have a hard time deciding which smells better.

I also wanted to throw some maple syrup in there to balance out the possibly overpowering smokey characteristics with some sweetness and maybe even boost up the alcohol a bit. Oddly enough I was more nervous about this addition since I would be messing with the chemistry going on.

After some lengthy research on brewing with bacon I got my technique all laid out for this experiment. I preheated the over to 350 degrees and cooked 5 strips of bacon until it was very crispy but not burnt, which is a slippery slope.

Once the desired level of crispiness was achieved I took the the bacon out of the oven and started to ardently dry them with paper towels, trying to get as much grease off of them as humanly possible. The online homebrewing community seems to be split on just how dangerous this bacon grease would be to your beer so I figured it's always better to be safe than sorry. 

After drying I picked off the best looking bits, discarding the fattier parts, and gathered 5 oz. or so in a sanitized nylon hop bag. I was all ready to get my dry-hogging on.


Before racking the beer I poured about 6 oz. of the 100% pure maple syrup into the secondary and spread it around the bottom evenly. After I finished racking on top of the syrup I lowered the bag-o-bacon into the dark abyss which was already smelling fantastic. That wasn't so hard was it?

Four and a half days went by before I tasted a sample which I was pretty damn pleased with. The smoke wasn't as aggressive as I was thinking it would be which is a bit disappointing but it has a well roasted flavor to it. If I brewed this recipe again I would probably used more smoked malts to begin with and would even considering throwing in more bacon but seeing how this brew is meant to be shared with less adventurous drinkers than myself I suppose this is a good first road to take.


If all goes as planned I'll be bottling this one at some point this weekend and enjoying around a campfire in just a few more weeks. Stay tuned to see if it ends up being totally rancid or delicious.

Cheers!

Adventures in Homebrewing: Maple Bacon Smoked Porter Brewday

It's strange to be thinking and brewing in preparation for the quickly approaching colder months but it must be done. Last year I waited until it was actually Fall to brew my Blazing Pumpkin Ale (I still have some that I'm excited to try after a year) which wasn't at it's prime until months later. Hopefully by brewing this dark and smokey brew in the dog days of Summer it will be good and ready by the time those crisp Autumn nights come around and demand such a beer.

The brewday for my not yet named Maple Bacon Smoked Porter was quite normal, the strange stuff won't happen until I add the bacon and maple syrup to the secondary. That's when I'll be nervous. The only set-back here was that I was missing a bag to steep my grains. I was used to Joe at Princeton Homebrew automatically putting the cracked grains in a steeping bag without even asking. When I went to get everything ready to brew I realized that the grains were just in a plastic bag so I had to improvise. One of the benefits of living at home is having a few pairs of nylon stockings somewhere in the house which work just as well to steep the grains!

Steeping the grains for 30 minutes or so I cracked open a bottle of my Front Porch Pale Ale while enjoying the fantastic aroma of the smoked malts. It was almost like lighting a campfire right there in the kitchen, who doesn't love that smell?

Everything else went along with little to note. I ended up with an OG of 1.045, a bit lower than expected but nothing that I'm concerned about. I was surprised by just how rapidly my yeast started going to work and how aggressive it began fermenting. Within 12 hours it was reeking havoc in my carboy, probably the most forceful fermentation I've seen in my own brew. Let's just say that the blow-off tube was a good choice this time around.

I'll be racking and adding the bacon soon along with a cup or so of pure maple syrup that I will be picking up from a local farmer's market. Let's hope the addition of the bacon doesn't ruin this batch!

Cheers!

Adventures in Homebrewing: Maple Bacon Smoked Porter

I'm always up for visiting a new homebrew shop...especially when I have a gift card. Part of the prize for winning the homebrew contest at The Draught Horse during Philly Beer Week was a $100 gift certificate for Wine, Barley, & Hops in Feasterville, PA and seeing how I'm all ready for my next batch I figured I would swing by on my way home from work. The store is small but well stocked and organized, a little more put together than my usual Princeton Homebrew but lacks the character of Joe's shop in Trenton...not that that matters. The shop is run by Paul Romanowsky and his wife Liz, I didn't get to meet Paul's better half but he was quite helpful with everything and was enthusiastic about fine tuning my recipe without wanting to change the whole thing which isn't a good trait of a homebrew shop owner.

Although I'm still trying to stretch out summer for as long as I can, a brewer must plan ahead and know that those crisp Autumn nights are right around the corner. Fall also marks my favorite camping season and the annual Mancation, a weekend of camping in the woods, BBQ, bacon, and of course beer. I decided I wanted to brew beer for this year's trip, something to have with a Mountain Man Breakfast or sitting around the campfire at night. After combining all of those elements into a beer I came up a recipe for a Maple Bacon Smoked Porter and am already drooling at the possible outcome.

Specialty Grains
1 lb - Crystal 80L
1 lb - Chocolate Malt
1/2 lb - Black Patent
1/2 lb - Smoked Rauch Malt
Extracts
6.6 lb - Briess Amber LME
Hops
1 oz - Northern Brewer (60 min)
1 oz - Fuggles (15 min)
Yeast
White Labs WLP001 - California Ale
Misc.
8 oz - Pure Maple Syrup (secondary)
5-10 oz - Crispy Bacon (secondary)

The cracked smoke malt smells fantastic already so I'm hoping to the bacon will only add to that but not be too overpowering, I still want this to be enjoyable and not just for the sake of bacon. I think I will also try using some of the maple syrup as my priming sugar. I've still got plenty of reading to do on the bacon so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to be using it but as of right now my plan is to cook it in the oven until it is crispy but not burnt. Then I'll get it as dry as possible, removing any fat and grease before putting the bits into a nylon bag as if I were dry-hopping. I'm a little nervous about introducing meat to the beer in the secondary but the way I see it, the possible reward is worth the risk.

If you have any experience with brewing with bacon and/or maple syrup please let me know what you think of the method I'm planning on using. Any tips from experience is always appreciated, hoping to brew this one within a couple days.

Cheers!

PBW Recap: East Meets West: Deschutes Dinner at London Grill

Getting to have my birthday in the middle of Beer Week sure does have some perks. My ever so generous girlfriend told me I could pick a beer dinner to go to for my present, really a win-win for both of us. The Deschutes Brewing Co. dinner hosted by London Grill stood out to me as I was browsing the PBW website and so my decision had been made. This sought after brewery is only available in the area during beer week so I figured I couldn't pass it up.

After making the foolish mistake of attempting to find street parking off of Fairmount Ave., we eventually ended up in the parking lot. We had arrived an hour before the dinner for what was billed as the 'reception' which featured some small appetizers and the like but the place was packed with regular happy hour folk and we didn't get to indulge in everything. Getting a beer became quite a chore as well but working in a six-pack shop I've made some friends with some people in the industry so luckily a Muller guy was able to get us a couple beers but even he had some trouble.

Now Ex-Deschutes Brewing Co. Brewmaster, Larry Sidor

My first taste of Deschutes was their Inversion IPA, a wonderfully subtle take on the style. Boldly hoppy without being overpowering or overly bitter, just a really well balanced beer. We did manage to snag some of the smoked salmon schmear going around at this point, after a long day at work we were both pretty content with just this. Before dinner got under way I had a smaller glass of their Twilight Summer Ale, a light and refreshing beer with a strong malt backbone. I remember it being pretty crisp with just a bit of citrus hoppiness to round things off. Pleasant enough but just not something I would usually go for. At this point I got to meet Jason who runs the brewery's Twitter account, an amusing encounter since he had falsely informed me earlier in the day that tickets for The Forum of the Gods were still available when in reality they had sold out a few days before. But enough schmoozing, onto the dinner!

Everyone settled into their seats and the big-wigs of the event were introduced, mainly Deschutes' brewmaster, Larry Sidor. Oddly enough he announced he was leaving the brewery to start his own just a few days after this event. I'm thinking he didn't want to miss out on all the Beer Week fun so he held off on the announcement but that's just my theory. First up on the menu was a locavore salad with a passionfruit vinaigrette made with their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Now I have no idea what 'locavore' actually means but I don't really care either, I'm a salad kinda guy and this was one of the better ones I've had. This was of course served with a Mirror Pond Pale Ale, a full-bodied and piney pale ale that works that delicate balance between hops and malts just right. At the start of a big meal like this it was just mild enough.

Next on the menu was a soft shell crab, something I've never had before and still don't fully realize why some people "freak out" about. I didn't find it that odd to be eating the whole thing, in fact it was delicious and could have had another. Served on top of some coconut jasmine rice, I was a big fan of this dish. This was paired with two beers, the first being their Obsidion Stout. While I'm no sommelier by any stretch of the imagination, this pairing seemed a bit odd to me. No matter though, the beer was so fantastic it could have been paired with Easy Mac and I wouldn't have said a word. Dark roasted coffee is the prominent player here with an emphasis on the roasted part. A very deep stout with just enough hops to give it a bitter finish but nothing too aggressive, the chocolatey espresso flavors were the focus here and I loved it. They also brought out Hop In The Dark, Deschutes' "Cascadian Dark Ale" or a black IPA or whatever you call it in your neck of the woods. I don't care how popular this style might be right now, I always look forward to trying a new one. This one had a fantastic nose to it, lots of tropical fruits and grapefruity hops. The flavors pretty much followed suit but with a well rounded chocolate malt presence as well. These two beers were my definite favorites of the whole evening.

The next course however was the standout amongst the food, Black Butte braised Goat Mole served on top of a corn arepa and a dollop of goat cheese to top it off, paired with a Black Butte Porter. I have to say, my ladyfriend really has to walk me through food like this, I had no idea what I was getting into in that department. Basically this was the most savory version of pulled pork I've ever had, although it was goat...not pork. If you know me well then you are well aware of my affection for such dishes so I was clearly in a good place throughout this course...I don't think I said too much during it. Not to be completely outdone, the porter was richly sweet and creamy. I got some cocoa and brown sugar out of it which worked wonders with the mole, another food word I don't understand. I could go on about the wonders of goat but I'll spare you.

Last on the menu was of course, dessert...and a little beer called The Abyss. I wasn't a huge fan of the dessert, ginger gelato with Abyss caramel and a lychee berry on top. It was so rich I had a hard time enjoying it, I'm sure I'm offending some foodies out there but I honestly didn't eat very much of it at all. The beer, however, more than made up for it. The Abyss lives up to its name, pitch black with oak and chocolate dominating the aroma, with a hint of booze coming through as well. Dark fruits and molasses, smoke and wood, coffee and bourbon...this imperial stout has it all! Luckily for me Meridith isn't the biggest fan of this style so I basically got two helpings of it which I gladly took advantage of. This was the only way the dinner could have ended, a top notch beer that lived up to the hype.

This was most definitely one of the best beer events I have been to. Despite the confusion in the beginning, everything else fell into place and I'm pretty sure everyone had a great time. Even the fact that there were people whom I had interviewed with in the past (obviously not very successfully) could not deter from the night. Getting to talk to Larry Sidor for a few moments was also a real treat, a very friendly and down to earth guy who clearly loves what he does...who wouldn't? Of course the question of coming to Philadelphia was raised and was shot down with the skill of someone who had surely been asked the same question hundreds of time but when that time comes I'll be ready for it.

Cheers!

PS: I have to mention that even when London Grill isn't hosting a beer dinner or other event, it's an awesome corner bar with a very nice selection of rotating taps. They've also got some rather handy happy hour deals as well so if you are ever in the Art Museum/Fairmount area be sure to stop in!

Also, I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I did not come home with a Deschutes glass of any kind. I suppose I just was not on my game. I did however get a pretty cool leather Deschutes coaster which I had never seen before. It'll do.