Philly Beer Week Top 5: Meet the Brewer
One of the best parts of Philly Beer Week is being able to pick the brains of brewers who travel from far and wide to come here and impart their knowledge. And while many of the local brewers are always around if you know where to look, some rare treats are gracing Philadelphia with their presence this year, so be sure to get out and track them down. A bunch will be making many stops, so we’ve decided to highlight to brewer rather than individual events.
Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
The Tomme will be making four stops for Beer Week, beginning on June 2nd for Nodding Head’s Sunday Sour Happy Hour. He’ll then move on Bishop’s Collar on June 4 for Tubing With Tomme, where you can meet up early-morning to go tubing with the crew, or swing by around 4p to chat with the brewer. On June 5, Tomme will be at Memphis Taproom in the afternoon (around 4p) accompanying a bunch of his beer on draft and in bottle before ending the evening (8p – 11p) at the Belgian Café.
Adam Avery of Avery Brewing Company
The man behind the beers at Avery Brewing will be here for three days, so track him down while you can. He’ll be beginning on June 4 at 11a at our previously-mentioned 5K with Adam Avery, and then he’ll move on to Varga from 4p – 7p and Perch Pub from 7-11p. On June 5, Belgian Tavern will be hosting a lunch with Adam Avery (12p-3p, PAYG) and then he’ll be holding a very special sour beer class at City Tap House for $50 from 4p-6p where he will sample rare Avery sours and barrel aged beers. On June 6, he will be having lunch at Jose Pistola’s from 11:30a-2p before heading out of Philadelphia.
Rob Tod of Allagash
Allagash’s own superbrewer Rob Tod will only be here for two days and three events, so be sure to track him down at one of them. He’ll be starting the week on June 5 at Nodding Head for Beer ME from 4:30p-8p, which will also feature Fava from Oxbow Brewing and beers from Maine Brewing Co. Afterwards, he will be at Pennsylvania 6 for Alla-clash from 8p-12a, where he and Suzy Woods will be tapping some rare Allagash beers. Finally, on June 6, Rob will be at Fergie’s from 4p-6p. Depending on when you head to the first two events, Rob may also be at Bishop’s Collar on June 5 from 4p-7p and BRU Craft & Wurst from 8p-2a.
Michael Fava of Oxbow Brewing Company
Philly’s wayward Fava will be back in town for most of beer week, beginning June 5 with stops at the Beer ME event mentioned above and the Oxbow Homecoming Dance at Jose Pistola’s from 9p-2a. On June 6, Fava will be at Varga Bar from 10p-2a to help send off Casey Hughes, and then on June 7 Strangelove’s will be celebrating Oxbow all evening. BRU Craft & Wurst will be celebrating Maine beers with Fava on June 8 from 12p-6p, and he will finish the weekend on June 9 with a brunch at Kennett Restaurant from 11a-4p.
Jerry Vietz of Unibroue
Jerry will only be here the beginning of Beer Week, so find him while you can! He’ll start on Thursday, May 30 at Devil’s Den from 8p-12a for the 5th Annual Maudite Midnight Madness to kick off Beer Week. He’ll sleep in Friday and then show up Friday night, May 31, at Lucky’s Last Chance in Manayunk from 8p-11p. Finally, on June 1, Jerry will be having lunch at Local 44 from 11a-3p and finally at Belgian Café from 8p-11p before heading back to Montreal.
BONUS
Okay, we lied. There are some events that will gather a few brewers together that shouldn’t be missed. Unfortunately, they’re all on the same day, so you’ll have to choose wisely.
Dogfish Head and Wells and Young at Resurrection Ale House | June 4, 4p – 2a
Resurrection will be hosting not only Wells and Young head brewer Jim Robertson, but also Dogfish Head brewer and beerlebrity Sam Calagione with a great selection of both breweries’ beers. They’ll also have the two brewers’ collaboration, DNA, which is part of our Beer Week Collaboration picture hunt. Get on it!
Funky Buddha at Devil’s Den | June 4, 3p – 5p
This is Funky Buddha’s one event for Beer Week, so don’t miss out. You don’t have a large window with which to see these guys and sample their awesome beers, so be sure you take the afternoon off work and get to Devil’s Den early to stake out your seat.
Brouwerij Dilewyns at Monk’s Café | June 4, 7p – 10p | $75
Monk’s will be hosting one of the more interesting brewers to come to Beer Week in Anne-Catherine Dilewyns, the 26-year-old brewer from Belgium. She is not only one of the few female brewers in Belgium, but also the youngest brewery owner in the country. Monk’s will be serving a large selection of her beers, and Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield from Vanberg & DeWulf will be on hand to introduce Anne-Catherine during the five-course dinner.
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Runs
Every group has it’s weirdos, and if you’re one of those odd people who want to try to stay healthy during Beer Week—or just enjoy running for some reason—there are plenty of events to keep you busy and out of breath throughout the week. These events will help you break out your running shoes and drinking glasses, as well as some confused stares from the insides of bars and breweries across the city.
3rd Annual Fried Chicken Run at American Sardine Bar | June 1, 5p – 8p | $35
The Fishtown Beer Runners will take you on a run from Philadelphia Brewing Company all the way down to American Sardine Bar, where your price of admission will get you a free t-shirt, three beers from PBC, and all the fried chicken you can eat (which sounds like a great idea after a run). The post-run buffet will occur outdoors at ASB and will have a vegetarian option for all those vegetarians who want to partake in a fried chicken run. Tickets are available online or in person at American Sardine Bar.
5K Run with Adam Avery at Hawthorne’s | June 4, 11a – 3p | PAYG
Arrive at Hawthorne’s early for some stretching and the opportunity to talk shop with Adam Avery before embarking on a 5K through scenic South Philly. When you get back to Hawthorne’s post-run, you’ll be able to get yourself some delicious Avery beers as well as a protein-filled lunch and continue your chat with Adam.
Sly Fox Presents Run for Beer at Sly Fox Brewing Co | June 5 | 7p – 9p | $25
Join Sly Fox for a 5K or two-person relay at the brewery. All of-age racers will receive a free Sly Fox beer from the brewery after the race, and have the option to replenish themselves with dinner at the brewery. There will be a live band on the race course to help you push through the pain.
Bermuda Triangle Run at Kite and Key, Bishop’s Collar, St. Stephen’s Green | June 8, 1p | PAYG
This annual relay pits teams of four against each other as they run between the three bars and try to drink a beer at each before any other team. There will be Brooklyn Brewery can specials at each bar, as well as a whole lot of pride on the line. Call either bar for more details.
Dock Street 5th Annual Scavenger Run at Dock Street | June 9, 12:45p – 2p | $20
The annual favorite run of Beer Week consists of a 5K through West Philly/University City, ending at Dock Street just in time for their also-annual free music fest to end the week. Runners will have five stops along the course at which they’ll need to solve Philadelphia beer clues to receive a token. Runners will receive a beer coupon (two if you finish the race), a Dock Street t-shirt, and can compete for prizes. Email dockstreetfunrun@gmail.com to register, and do it soon!
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Random Fun
Beer Week isn’t all about snobby beer drinking and trying to find the rarest bottle or draft of the week. Beer Week is all about having fun and enjoying yourself for 10 days of events that make the city a great beer destination. While beer dinners and meeting the brewers and finding that one rare keg that will be kicked in 25 minutes is a lot of fun, sometimes you need to step back and take things a little less seriously. That’s what these events are here for.
2nd Annual Day of Games with Johnny Goodtimes at City Tap House | June 2, 1p – 5p
City Tap House will be featuring local beers on their expansive draft system while teams come to compete in the second annual day of bar games on their outside patio. Games have not yet been announced—they’re a surprise—but they are guaranteed to “thrill and appall,” and you can’t go wrong there. Teams will need to consist of four and dress in a team theme and should email jmcgarvey@publichouseusa.com to register.
Throwdown in Franklintown at Kite and Key | June 2, 2p – 6p
This yearly event pits local beerlebrities against each other in a series of epic battles that will make the lighthearted weep for mercy. Alongside a full list of great beer, you’ll get to see Tom Kehoe of Yards battle it out with Jim Kirk of Kite and Key, as well as the epic main event of Suzy Woods of Allagash and Wendy Domurat of Dogfish Head.
Dunk Tank 2013 at London Grill | June 4, 4p – 6p
One of the favorite events of Beer Week, you can stop by to dunk your favorite beer rep, beer geek, or brewer—and all for charity! In addition to the mayhem that is the dunk tank, there will be raffles to benefit PAWS, but the real highlight will be the dunking. The lineup will include Don Russell (Joe Sixpack and Philly Beer Week Executive Director), Carol Stoudts (Stoudts), and Steve Mashington (Yards). But the real focus should be sending former Flying Fish brewer Casey Hughes off to Florida with a splash!
Dunkel Dare at Frankford Hall | June 5-6, 7p – 9p
Everyone can once again relive their childhood with the added bonus of being able to drink beer at this returning Frankford Hall event, once again hosted by Marc Summers. My hometown heroes Great Lakes will be back to defend their title against local upstarts Victory, Yards and Stoudts through beer trivia and physical challenges. The Franklin Institute is helping to build props needed to replicate challenges from the original game show, so you know it’s going to be a great time for anyone who grew up in the 90s.
Playing with Play-Do While Pouring Suds at The Institute | June 6, 7p – 10p
Who doesn’t like to play with Play-Do? The Institute will be asking that very question and challenging your beer-fueled creativity on the second floor once again this year. The winner of the best Play-Do sculpture will win not one but two cases of beer from Fegley’s Brew Works as well as a gift card to Allentown Brew Works, and the runner-up will receive one case of Fegleys.
BONUS!
There are just too many fun things to do throughout the week. Here are two more you should check out if you can.
Twitter Hunt at Keystone Homebrew | All week
On May 31, Keystone will release a list of people, places and things with different point values, and it will be up to you from the start of Beer Week until the very end on June 9 to get a picture with as many of them as possible in a Keystone t-shirt (you can tweet at them to get a free shirt). Tweet the pictures to @KeystoneHB and they will keep track of scores on their online leaderboard. The most points at the end of Beer Week will be showered in prizes!
Late Night with Joe Gunn at José Pistola’s | June 4 & 6, 11:30p – 2a
Everyone’s favorite beer personality in Philly will once again be gracing Beer Week with his talk show featuring brewers, drinkers, and other assorted characters. Be sure to swing by for this, as well as the first-ever Halftime Podcast featuring Joe and Beeradelphia’s Michael Lawrence.
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Festivals
If you want to get the most bang for your buck during Beer Week, the best way is to find one spot where there’s a ton of beer and hang out there all day. Luckily, there are plenty of these festivals planned for the week; the hardest part will be choosing which one you want to waste your day at while you continuously eat and drink great food and beer. Unless otherwise notes, all events are pay-as-you-go.
Opening Tap at Independence Visitor’s Center | May 31, 7p-10p | $45
This is how we start Beer Week in Philly. Get here after the HOG Relay and the official first tapping from Mayor Nutter to celebrate with 30 or so local breweries sampling their wares. You can find our official preview of Opening Tap here.
4th Annual Pin-Up Block Party and BBQ at Varga Bar | June 1, 11a – 8p
Varga kicks off their 2014 Varga Calendar Girl Search with a rain-or-shine block party that will feature great beers on draft or in cans, a plethora of food cooked outside on the grill, and even a VIP bottle service tent. There will also be games, prizes, and wing and hotdog eating contests. Come down dressed as a pin-up to be photographed for the calendar competition, or come down to eat and drink yourself silly. Either way, it’s a win-win.
Wheat Beer Weekend and Lobster Bake Tent Fest at Hop Angel Brauhaus | June 1-2, 2p – 10p
If you’re looking for a family-friendly event, this is the one. Hop Angel is kicking off the weekend with a massive two-day tent party. You can take a break from all the high-octane stuff pouring all over the city so you don’t make an ass of yourself in front of your family with tons of wheat beers on draft and brewery specials each day. There will also be lobster specials and games like keg bowling and kan jam.
Craft Beer Day on East Passyunk Avenue | June 2, 11a – 2a
This is going to be a huge blow-out all up and down East Passyunk Avenue, with a ton of bars and restaurants taking part in the festivities. Many will have specials and outdoor events, such as Le Virtu’s outdoor Abruzzesse BBQ, Noir’s beer-infused cocktails, Stateside’s Pork Belly and Beer Baked Bean Happy Hour with Evil Genius, and the P.O.P.E.’s Dogfish Head BBQ cook-out. There will be more than enough going on out here to make a day of strolling East Passyunk.
Fishtown FestivALE near Frankford and Girard Aves. | June 8, 12p – 8p
The second annual tag-team event from Johnny Brenda’s and Frankford Hall will add Fette Sau this year, so in addition to great beer you know there will be amazing food present as well. Johnny Brenda’s will be featuring Sly Fox drafts for the fest while Frankford Hall will have beer specials, and Fette Sau will of course feature some BBQ treats for the fest (the other two will also feature food specials). Frankford will be shut down, so come by and stroll the beer-soaked street and play some games, get your picture taken with the Hammer of Glory, or step up to the dunk tank—all proceeds from which go to the Lutheran Settlement House, which provides many social programs for Fishtown as well as the city at large.
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Real Ale
Throughout this Beer Week, let us not forget the way beer was supposed to be served: near room-temperature and out of a cask. These events will help to remind you about the proper way to drink beer, which also happens to be one of Philadelphia’s favorite ways to serve it. All of these events are pay-as-you-go.
It’s a Firkin Riot at Johnny Brenda’s | June 1, 12p – 12a
For the 4th year running, Johnny Brenda’s will break out their custom-welded rack that holds six firkins of beer atop the bar for a plethora of local casks all day long. They’ll be spinning British rock all day, and the kitchen will be serving up fish and chips and meat pies all day long. Get full or half pints of ale to transport you back to Britain throughout the afternoon.
Real Ale Beer Week Kick-Off at Resurrection Ale House | May 31 – June 1, 12p – 12a
This will be a two-day cask beer extravaganza, with three firkins on the bar at all times, rotated out as soon as they’re kicked. The full tap list can be found on Resurrection’s website, but we suggest just showing up throughout the day and drinking whatever they’ve got available.
Sunday Funday Firkin Event at Fox and Hound | June 2, 12p – 5p
Not many people think of the Fox and Hound when they think of where to go for great beer in Philadelphia, but it will be hard to argue with the 20 firkins they’ll be pouring from. In addition to the firkins (many of which are dry-hopped or otherwise specialized), there will be live music and a $5.99 buffet. Sounds like a solid way to spend five hours to us.
King Pin at Standard Tap | June 5, 6p – 2a
Once again, 10 local breweries will compete to see whose pin is the first to kick. Get there early to vote with your full glass and help your favorite brewery win the title of King Pin. Competing breweries will be: PBC, Sly Fox, Weyerbacher, Yards, Troegs, Manayunk, Lancaster, Dock Street, Free Will, and Flying Fish. Breweries are sure to spice up their firkins to entice you to drink them, so don’t miss out.
All Things Brit with Forest and Main at Kennett Restaurant | June 6, 6:30p – 9:30p
One of Philly’s favorite burbsy brewpubs will be featured at Kennett for a night of cask ale and British-inspired food from Chef Brian Ricci. Dan Ellicot from the brewery will be on hand to discuss the beer, talk about cask beer, and answer any questions you have. This is the only event completely dedicated to Forest and Main all week, so get out and support these guys so we can possibly see more of them in the city! Note: we’ve just received word that F&M will be bringing casks of Dedalus, a 6% IPA described as being akin to Kinch but more aggressive, and Tiny Tim, a dark, dry, hoppy bitter.
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Beer Dinners
One of the requirements of Beer Week is eating enough to offset the great amounts of booze you’ll be taking in. A beer dinner is the perfect way to accomplish this: you’re sitting down for a while, taking time between courses and rounds, and getting plenty of food to absorb the beer in your stomach. If your significant other isn’t a beer drinker, this will also be a great way to see them for a few hours during beer week, or trick them into going to an event with you.
Iron Hill Beer Dinner at Good Dog | June 2, 6p – 10p | $60
Join Good Dog and Iron Hill for their annual beer dinner, which will pair five courses from Good Dog chefs Jessica O’Donnell and Jared Morin with a beer from each of five different Iron Hill locations. Brewers, beers, and courses TBA.
Cooking with Beer Bootcamp at Kennett Restaurant | June 4, 7p – 12a | $50
Kennett’s excellent chef Brian Ricci will not only be preparing three courses with beer as the main ingredient, but he will also be showing everyone at dinner how to prepare each dish. The restaurant is teaming up with Yards for the event, which will feature a cask of Brotherly Suds 4, Karma Factor, Grand Cru, and Love Stout.
Dogfish Head Wine/Beer Dinner at Southwark | June 6, 6p & 9p | $75
If you need to go the extra mile to convince your wine-drinking friend that beer can be just as good, stop by Southwark for this five-course dinner that prepares and pairs courses with Dogfish Head’s beer/wine hybrids. The two seatings will feature Dogfish Head’s Noble Rot, Red and White, Raison d’Etre, 61 Minute, and Midas touch—not to mention the food of Philly favorite Nick Macri.
Dinner with David Walker at South Philadelphia Tap Room | June 7, 6:30p – 9p | $150
SPTR always whips up some great dinners for Beer Week, but this one will take the cake this year. While it may be pricy, it will be a very intimate, family-style dinner with David Walker. There will be plenty of rare and exciting Firestone Walker beers, as well as multiple courses from Scott Schroeder. A portion of the ticket prices will benefit the greening of the West Passyunk and West Snyder business corridor, as well as benefitting your tastebuds.
Beer Dinners at a.kitchen | June 2, 3, 6, 7
a.kitchen is having so many great-sounding beer dinners, we couldn’t pick just one. On June 2, they’ll be hosting a 5-course pairing dinner with Stillwater Ales and guest chef Johnny Mac (6:30p-10p, $60). On June 3, they’ll be hosting a 4-course collaboration dinner with Sixpoint and former Meme chef David Katz (6p & 8p, $55). On June 6 and 7, a.kitchen will be doing their own dinners with Sly Fox and Oskar Blues, respectively, from 5p-10p. Both menus will feature four courses paired with their respective brewery’s beers, and as an added bonus on June 7 from 4:30p-6:30p, a.bar will be featuring four different jerkies from Side Project Jerky.
Philly Beer Week Top 5: Brunches
One of the best parts of drinking is drinking during the day, and a beery brunch is one of the best ways to accomplish this. It’s also one of the few ways to drink at 10 in the morning without getting concerned looks from your friends and family. Luckily, Beer Week has plenty of opportunities to drink before noon and give yourself a good base of food for an entire weekend of drinking. We’ve also split these up between the two weekends and added an extra brunch to make things even. All events are pay-as-you-go.
1st Weekend
Snobby Beer Brunch at For Pete’s Sake | June 1, 10:30a – 4:30p
Live up to what all of your non-beer friends think about you while you have brunch at For Pete’s Sake. They will be serving snobby beers (Allagash Grand Cru, La Fin Du Monde, some Flemish sours, and more to be announced) an encouraging guests to dress as snobby as possible and to drink with their pinkies in the air.
6th Annual Coffee Beer Brunch at Eulogy Belgian Tavern | June 2, 11a – 5p
What better way to wake up than with some coffee, and what better way to drink coffee than in beer? Eulogy will be providing plenty of these brews, including the likes of Peche Mortel, Mikkeller Hop Geek, Peruvian Morning, Speedway Stout, Elysian Split Shot, Twisted Pine Espresso, and plenty more to wake you up to start your beer week or clear up the hangover from the night before.
The Doctor Comes Home with New Holland at Teresa’s Café | June 2, 11a – 3p
Everyone’s favorite DJ/beer rep Dr. Joel is back in town and ready to provide all the New Holland goodness you can handle, so check out his first stop at Teresa’s Café for brunch on the first Sunday of Beer Week. If you wear a bathrobe, you’ll get a discount, but only the good doctor can tell you why.
2nd Weekend
Big Badass Best of the Best Beer Brunch at Varga Bar | June 8, 11a – 3p
Varga will celebrate the end of Beer Week by tapping all the favorite beers from the week for brunch on the final Saturday. Come in for brunch and drink as much as you can, because Varga will be discounting the beer throughout brunch. This is the perfect way to begin the end of the best week of the year.
Sour Brunch at Standard Tap | June 8, 11a – 3p
Standard Tap is pairing their local, farm-fresh brunch with a bunch of local, rare sour beers for what might be the best brunch of the entire week. Beers will include the William Reed and Dock Street collaboration Johnny Berliner, Bullfrog’s Jong Brune, Free Will’s Napoleon Sour Farmhouse, Forest & Main’s Dark Sour Saison, and many more. The Tap always has one of the best brunches in the city, so this is a can’t-lose.
Doggie Brunch at Alla Spina | June 9, 10a – 3p
If you love your dog half as much as you love your beer, you’ll want to take it with you to brunch at Alla Spina to finish out the week. Weather permitting, dogs and humans will be able to eat together at the bar’s outdoor space, where dog-themed beers will be discounted throughout brunch, and the chef will be making up a special menu for your pup.
