All posts by geekybeergal

Crime & Punishment

March 15, 2016Beer Tastings, Brewpub ReviewsBrewerytown, CandPBrewingCo, City of Brotherly Beer, Crime & Punishment, PA, PA Beer, Philadelphiageekybeergal

Crime & Punishment
Facebook Twitter @CandPBrewingCo

If brewing excellent beer is a crime then Crime & Punishment is guilty. What a wonderful surprise C&P was. I had heard good things about the brewpub but still didn’t know what to expect. Located in Brewerytown – Yippy beer is finally being brewed again in Brewerytown – Crime & Punishment is nestled among a various row of storefront businesses and can easily be passed by. Seek it out! It’s much smaller than I imagined and laid back which made me very happy. For some reason I thought it might be more of a hoity-toity place but was pleased it’s really has the atmosphere conducive of kicking back with some friends or making new ones like this Gal did on my recent visit. Offering a very down to earth welcoming vibe and a staff that’s outgoing, knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk to.

The tap list consists of 7 diverse beers available in full or half pours. Flight aren’t available but if you go for half pours and have a friend with you willing to share a taste or two of their beer you have the list covered. The food menu has something for everyone as well and leans towards the ethic character of the neighborhood with homemade dumplings and locally produced meats. It’s surprising what quality homemade food they are serving considering the tiny size of the kitchen which is located behind the bar. It’s local artisanal at it’s best.

How good is the beer – REAL GOOD. So much so that the God-father of the Philly Beer Scene sat down on the stool next to this Gal and enjoyed a couple of C&P’s finest selections. I for one was impressed with diverse selections from a Beet Beer (yes, beets) to an AMAZING English Brown Ale.

My friend and I decided to approach the list in a way so that we could try all the beers and I could still be responsible to drive back to NJ. Key was tastings, half pours and food. We started with one of the 3 food specials of the day a meat, cheese & pickle plate which complemented the Disturbing the Beets American Wild Ale and Bad Haircut English Brown Ale perfectly.

For the next food pairing we ordered the Farm at Doe Run Cheese Plate with the 100 IBU’s to Life IPA and the Nightingale the Robber English Barleywine. Both beers matched nicely with various cheeses on the board. However, the match up of the Nightingale and the creamy cheese and honey was outstanding.

The final pairing for this Gal was the Behemoth Oatmeal Stout – you know I had to go for the stout – with the homemade Mushroom Pelmeni. The richness of the stout and the earthiness of mushrooms were made for each other. My friend went for the homemade Pork & Beef Pelmeni and the Bad Haircut English Brow Ale which made for attractive match.

No worries I also had taste of the Indecent Exposure Pale Ale and the Baikal Insurrection.

The beers shine on their own or go great with the various C&P food selections. One can tell a lot of thought goes into both menus at Crime & Punishment so that the best of the old and new world combine to create a community of amazing flavors.

C&P is a 7 barrel/8 tank system and shortly will be distributing to 3 Philly Bars including one of Brendan Hartranft establishments. C&P with one of Brendan’s bars is a match made by the beer gods.

For only being opened 8 months or so Crime & Punishment has an amazing establishment with a strong following that’s growing daily. The only crime would be for you to miss out on enjoying the fine beers and delightful food they have to offer.

Indecent Exposure – Signal Hop Pale Ale 4%
Hoppy crispness nicely accented by various malts – makes for easy drinking

Disturbing the Beets – American Wild Ale 5.7%
The beets are present but the sourness meshes to keep the beets from overwhelming. Bonus you feel healthy while drinking it!

Bad Haircut – English Brown Ale 5.8% (so good companion had it twice)
Yes! So happy to see a Brown Ale on tap. Love this style and C&P brews a fantastic rendition. Great coffee nose and combo of bitter and malts leaves you feeling more than satisfied.

100 IBU’s To Life – IPA 7%
Yup, this Gal went for the IPA and thoroughly enjoyed. I find IPA to be one of the best beer styles for pairing with various foods. The West Coast hops let themselves be known and enjoyed while the malt helps tone them down so you can taste all the other wonderful complexities of the beer.

Behemoth – Oatmeal Stout 6.5%
Soft velvety mouthfeel with cocoa, fig and the roasty bitterness this Gal loves.

Nightingale the Robber – English Barleywine 11.2%
I heard someone say it’s not Barleywine season?! Get over it you can drink them anytime of the year and am glad to see one still on the menu. Besides it’s still March perfect time for a barleywine and the Nightingale is one to savor and enjoy. Has that great underlying whiskey tone with subtle hints of butterscotch and earthy goodness.

Baikal Insurrection Belgian Strong Dark Ale 10.2%
Loved this and wish I could have had more than a taste but at 10.2% it wasn’t meant to be, at least not on this visit. The yeasty maltiness with hints of dark fruits and toffee undertones combined to make a very enjoyable Strong Dark Ale.

Fat Tire or Flat Tire – would you say it?

March 11, 2016Beer Articles, UncategorizedHeady Topper, New Belgium Brewing, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Youngergeekybeergal

Most of you have probably heard New Belgium Brewing beers will now be available in New Jersey. Some folks have wondered why I’ve been so quiet about this news when most in the beer world are clammering about it. Ummm, because I don’t think it’s that big a deal. There I said it. Boy does it feel good to get that off my chest.

Now don’t get me wrong I think New Belgium brews very good beer but so do numerous other breweries. Which leads me to ask is everyone really that excited or are they feeding off each other?

New Belgium has been available in Jersey’s neighboring state of Pennsylvania for several months now and since this Gal’s go-to-beer store, Trenton Road Takeout, is located in PA I’ve had access to New Belgium since the early fall and have tried various styles. I did enjoy them but not to the point that I understand why people are tripping over themselves in their quest to do the happy dance about the Jersey release. Mind you most of the folks doing the tripping have tried it before so I wonder do they really think it’s incredibly awesome or do they feel that they have to say that?

Let’s look at some of the Holy Grails of the beer world. You know the ones I’m referring to Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger and Heady Topper. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying 2 out of the 3 – eventually I’ll try the Younger. Yes, Elder and Topper were both very good. No, I did not wait in line for hours, fight my way through throngs of humans nor did I pay some ridiculous price. I tried them for free via kind individuals. A bottle of Pliny the Elder was left on my desk by a client as a thank you for helping him with a project. I was excited to finally get to try it but thankful I didn’t knock myself out doing so. A good friend was given a can of Heady and chose to share it with me one night while enjoying dinner at a BYOB establishment. Very enjoyable indeed. BTW – if forced to pick I enjoyed the Heady more but both were wonderful. I would love to try the Younger and feel it will happen one day but nope I’m not going to great lengths to do so.

The whole thing of making customers jump through hoops to get these Holy Grails has become increasingly annoying. “Watch for our post of when it goes on tap so you can rush like a mad person to get here and wait in line for hours for the golden ticket”. Have fun and I’m sure some wonderful beerships will be formed from the experience but this Gal will be chilling with a good beer elsewhere.

But seriously do folks really think the beers are worth all the hoopla, is it bragging rights to say you had them or does one feel pressure to says it’s good? Would one dare say they didn’t think Pliny was all that?!

So yes, New Belgium is now available in Jersey. I’m happy for the brewery expanding their market and for my fellow beer lovers who can’t wait to try it but I’m not jumping on the band wagon doing the happy dance because I don’t feel it’s dance worthy.

March Beer Crawl

March 3, 2016Beer Bar, Pub Crawl@APBiergarten, @Beachhausbeer, @DarkCityBrewing, @kanebrewing, @LittleDogBeer, Asbury Park, Beach Haus Beer, Jersey Shore, Kane Brewing, Little Dog Beer, March Beer Crawl, NJ Beergeekybeergal

March 2016 – Jersey Shore
5 Stops Totaling 18 minutes travel time and covering a mere 6.5 miles.

For March we’re headed to the shore. I’m a Jersey Gal so it’s shore not beach. I love the shore in the Spring before the crowds start swarming so it’s a perfect time to visit for a beer crawl. Stop one is Kane Brewing – Kane happens to be not only one of this Gal’s favorite NJ Breweries but is working it’s way up the list of favorite national breweries. I have yet to have a beer I didn’t like from them.

Next we’re headed to Dark City Brewing followed by a food stop at Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten. I’m curious to see how it stacks up against the beer halls I visited in Germany. No pressure.

Then it’s onto Little Dog Brewing – by now you know how this Gal feels about anything to do with dogs & beer. Gretchen is always brewing up something fabulous and what better way to place to follow up a German beer hall than a brewery that brews great German style beers?! The fifth and finial stop is Beach Haus Brewery which I’ve heard is a fun place to hang out.

Let me know how you enjoy March’s Beer Crawl!

Kane Brewing – 1750 Bloomsbury Ave, Ocean, NJ 07712
Dark City Brewing – 801 2nd Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten – 527 Lake Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Little Dog Brewing – 141 Steiner Ave, Neptune City, NJ 07753
Beach Haus Brewery – 801 Main St, Belmar, NJ 07719

I’ll personally be enjoying this beer crawl March 19!

Backward Flag Brewing

February 14, 2016Uncategorizedgeekybeergal

Backward Flag Brewing
Facebook Twitter @BackwardFlag

Backward Flag Brewing is a much welcomed addition to Forked River, NJ and I for one am thrilled that it’s located a mere 4 minutes from this Gal’s parent’s home. The owners are active military personal who decided to follow their dream and open a brewery. I honestly don’t know how they do it all but they do it well.

Torie, one of the owners, was kind enough to allow me stop in one week night even though they technically weren’t open. She took a chuck of time out of her crazy schedule to chat with me about the brewery, beer in general, and their beer. One can learn a lot from her about beer and I truly appreciated the time and knowledge she shared with me. I also greatly appreciated be given the opportunity to tastes all the beers they currently had on tap. I have to say they brew great beer! Everything I tasted was top notch. This isn’t a fluke they have worked hard to get their brewing to where it is today. They’ve only been open for a few months and yet the beer didn’t have the new brewery beer – still needs tweaking – taste to it. It’s clear they really have taken the time, effort and energy to brew the beers how they were meant to be brewed. Sure they have mis fires but they recognize them and dump rather than serve them it to their customers.

The brewery is small but they already have plans to increase the brewing capacity and, sit down for this one, plan on brewing sours in the near future! Woohoo! The brewery offers a family friendly environment with a laid back atmosphere with a beautiful handcrafted bar to hang out at and I admires the clever use of pallets for seating and decor. While there feel free to pick up a piece of chalk and do your best Picasso impersation on the floor.

As you might have guess it’s also community oriented and very military friendly. If you have a patch from your unit bring it in for their wall of patches.

Backward Flag Brewing should be placed near the top of your New Jersey Breweries to Visit List and a brewery to keep your eye on. I suspect we’ll be hearing and drinking a lot more from them.

Xmas Edoris Porter 8.5%
brewed with 25lbs candy cane because of the candy cane I was a bit leery since I’m not a fan of peppermint but this beer was amazingly good and refreshing

Forked River Mountain Stout 5.2%
cocoa nibs & vanilla – smooth rich nose, overall a lovely beer

Bamber Brown 5.1%
English Style Brown – old school
loved that they had a brown on tap and this one had hints of caramel & earthy toasted bread.

Belgian Style Pale Ale 5.3%
True to style – citrus, floral and yeasty goodness with a hint of banana.

Baymen’s Brew Sweet Stout Nitro 5.1%
Beautiful stout with chocolate, lactose & shook cascade hops -delish.

Seven 62 DIPA 7.6%
Well done – great nose that lets you know up front the hops are there but the malt undertones help balance everything out.

The Damn Few Pale Ale 9.8%
Their flagship beer and it’s dam good. Smoot and at 9.8% it can sneak up on you. The hops scream to be pared with spicy food.

This Gal happily went home with a growler of Damn Few Pale Ale and the knowledge that I would be back soon, very soon.

Strangelove’s

January 23, 2016Beer Bar, Beer Tastings@Strangelovesbar, City of Brotherly Beer, Local 44, Memphis Taproom, Philly, Strangelove's, The Brewer's Artgeekybeergal

Strangelove’s
Twitter @Strangelovesbar

Finally this Gal made it to Strangelove’s. This place has long been on my list of beer establishments to try in Philadelphia and it’s the sister establishment to Local 44 and one of my top 3 Philly Favs – Memphis Taproom.

Strangelove’s is located in center city Philly which means either garage or street parking. I purposely chose a Sunday to visit with hopes center city wouldn’t be over crowded meaning traffic would be minimal and parking a bit easier. Nailed it! Found a parking spot right across the street from Strangelove’s. Yes, this Gal can parallel park thanks to numerous visits to the City of Brotherly Beer.

From the street nothing particular stands out about Strangelove’s but I was excited just the same. Strangelove’s definitely has a more upscale center city feel to it than it’s sister establishments but still very welcoming. The place is small with a long full service bar to the right with a beautiful marble surface and tables along the wall to the left. Overall it has a slight industrial feel to it while offering up a warm atmosphere. I would suspect when crowded it could be a bit loud but on this particular afternoon there were just a handful of patrons enjoying a bite to eat while sipping on some fabulous beer.

This Gal was meeting a friend who had already taken up residence at the bar and enjoying his first beer. I happily perused the tap list that offers a variety of styles on tap and was delighted to see out of the 19 beers offered 2 were engines and 5 were beers brewed especially for Strangelove’s by various breweries. One particular brewery leaped off the list at me – The Brewer’s Art – this brewery has been a long time fav of this Gal and it’s been forever since I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying one of their beers.

First up:
Strangelove’s Brewer’s Art Porch – Belgian-Style Pale Ale 4.5%
I was very pleased with this beer which had a yeasty floral quality to it that was balanced out by the malts and fruits.

ShawneeCraft Session IPA 4.5%
A bit more malts than hops overall a good session ale that’s refreshing and easy to drink.

2SP Baby Bob – Stout 6.5%
Indeed a wonderful beer. Rich roasted coffee and toffee accented by a bit of vanilla and rich creamy chocolate.

Roy Pitz Sour Hound – Sour Brown Ale 5%
This Gal was intrigued by the fact that it’s a sour brown. I love a good brown ale and wish I would see more of this style on tap list. The fact that it was a sour too was a bonus. It did indeed make for a unusual but enjoyable ale. Earthy bread quality with hints of sour from the tart citrus fruits.

Free Will + Strangelove’s Eden – Saison 4%
This was not your typical saison, in fact it was so different I questioned whether or not the correct beer had been served – it had. The citrus was there as were some white pepper notes but something was odd and not in a bad way but in a way that I can’t wrap my taste buds around it.

Tastes of:
Nodding Head Monkey Knife Fight – Lemongrass Spiced Lager 5%
Surprisingly wonderful. You can really taste the lemongrass but it doesn’t over power. This would compliment Thai food perfectly.

Stranglove’s Manayunk Minor Brett – All Brett Belgian- Style Pale Ale 5%
Tart! The edge is taken off the tartness by a hint of citrus.

Conshohocken Brewery Puddlers Row – ESB 5.4%
Had a young taste to it with a mix of grass, malts and citrus. Not a favorite but very drinkable.

To accompany the beer we ordered some much needed food. The food menu at Strangelove’s is eclectic and certainly offers something for everyone. This Gal went for the Smoked Tempeh Muffaletta which was out of this world good. My friend had the Oyster Po’Boy and said it’s one of the best he ever had. Now we have both visited New Orleans’s a couple of times so we know what a good Po ‘Boy and Muffaletta should taste like and these ranked up their with the best NOLA has to offer.

The same owners recently opened two other establishments in Philly, that this Gal needs to check out, Clarkville and Coeur. In the mean time I’m happy I finally got to spend a fun afternoon at Strangelove’s.

January Beer Crawl

January 21, 2016Pub Crawl, Uncategorized@BrokenGobletPA, @DogandBullHouse, @NCBCBeer, @newportvilleinn, Beer Crawl, Broken Goblet Brewery, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., PA Beergeekybeergal

Starting this month and each month to follow this Gal will be making a Beer Crawl recommendation.

Looking for something to do? Try January’s Beer Crawl…

January’s Beer Crawl takes place in Bristol/Croydan, PA
Start at Newportville Inn with a bite to eat and some fine German beer, then it’s on too one of this Gal’s favorite spots Broken Goblet Brewing were you can enjoy a variety of brews including this Gal’s favorite Ying Yang Stout, next stop Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company where you can show off your pool playing skills while kicking back with a beer, then it’s on to the final stop Dog and Bull – Brew and Music House for snack, some beer and tunes. Enjoy!

Jimmy’s No. 43

December 21, 2015Beer Bar, Beer Reviews, Uncategorized@JimmysNo43, Black Hog Coffee Milk Stout, Jimmy's No. 43, NYCgeekybeergal

Jimmy’s No. 43
Facebook Twitter @JimmysNo43

Something you should know about this Gal, if you already haven’t figured it out, I can be stubborn when I want to be. Although, I like to think of it as more determination that stubbornness. That being said way back in the late spring/early summer a friend and I ventured into the city for a self made pub crawl. One of the places I wanted to try the most was Jimmy’s No. 43. I kept hearing how great the beer selection is and it has appeared on many top beer places in NYC lists. Needless to say I was beyond disappointed when I arrived to find them closed. Ever so determined to check out Jimmy’s No. 43 for myself I once again trekked back to the city and voilà found myself at Jimmy’s No. 43 and it was open!

You have to go down a flight to enter Jimmy’s and when you do you feel you’ve been transported back in time to the catacombs of Old World Europe either that or a vampires lair. Jimmy’s is small and cozy with arched brick ceilings, lots of wood and carved cathedral style openings. Over all a very inmate setting. The bar is in front of you when you first walk in and is smaller than I thought it be maybe seating 9 or 10 people. I loved the marble bar top and all the old wooden barrels around the ceiling perimeter.

Besides wanting a beer my friend and I were in need of some food too. Jimmy’s offers a small but interesting menu so we were looking forward to enjoying something different. That being said as we scoped out the joint I asked the bartender if they were serving food. Normally they would be but since things seemed pretty darn quiet I figured I better ask. Sadly they were not, the kitchen wasn’t ready yet. Ummm, OK. So we took a seat at the bar and scanned the area for the tap list. Not spotting one I asked the bartender what was available. She pointed to the clipboards near the entrance said the tap list was on that but she hadn’t had time to update it. Alrighty then.

The list consisted of 12 beers on tap and a rather extensive bottle list. The tap list was indeed good but not as impressive as I thought it be giving all the hoopla I’ve heard about Jimmy’s. Although, I feel spoiled with the wonderful tap selections in such close proximity to home. Heck, this Gal is just 30 minutes from some the best tap lists the City of Brother Beer (Philly) has to offer.

I had finally decided on my beer request but the bartender was busy behind the bar doing I’m not sure what. So I waiting patiently for her to take my beer order. Instead she announced she had to go check on her food, grabbed her purse and left. I looked at my companion and said,”did she really just leave?” She sure did. So we sat and waited because no matter what I was having a beer at Jimmy’s No. 43 . Upon her return I requested the Greenport Harbor Black Duck Porter but unfortunately, that was one of the beers they were out of. Instead I opted for the Black Hog Coffee Milk Stout (Nitro). It was lovely how it cascaded into the glass and I was looking so forward drinking it but it sat and sat and sat and then sat some more while, once again, the bartender did – God knows what behind the bar. Seriously, we were sitting at the bar and I do not for the love of anything sane understand what she was occupying her time with but it certainly wasn’t attending to her customers. I was to the point that I was ready to reach over and grab the beer when she finally served it to me. I will say it was worth the wait.

Coffee Milk Stout, Black Hog, CT (Nitro) – 5.5%
This pours beautifully leaving gorgeous rings on the glass as you sip it. Rich roasted coffee, bitter on the backside with the silky smooth creaminess of a milk stout. Velvet silk in a glass.

By the time I had been served the Black Hog I pretty much figured I would only be having the one beer and moving on. I don’t have a whole lot of patience for bad service and the service or lack there of at Jimmy’s was getting increasingly bad. Wait…it gets worse.

The beer was $8 and I put on $10 on the bar next to my glass. As the glass became empty I figured at some point the bartender would acknowledge the empty glass and I could settle up my tab. Yeah, that wasn’t to be the case. It really became very clear that she didn’t care about her customers. So my companion and I got up to leave with the $10 clearly sitting next to my empty glass. I was first up the stairs when I realized my companion was still inside. Turns out our leaving FINALLY got the bartenders attention and she yelled at him about leaving without paying. I find it curious that her first reaction would be to accuse a customer of not paying instead of perhaps nicely saying something to them or looking on the bar first to see if they left money. She was informed the money was indeed on the bar next to the EMPTY glass and her response – “oh”. Not ok, thank you or sorry about that – just Oh.

As a former bartender I completely understand one can have an off day but by the end of our visit I really just got the feeling that this type of service was the norm at least for this bartender. As someone who lives on a budget and carefully chooses when and where to spend my money I much rather spend it somewhere that truly appreciates ones customers. That being said there are plenty of bars in NYC with great tap list and good service that appreciates the business their customers bring. Sadly this was not the case on this visit.

2nd Street Brew House

December 7, 2015Beer Bar, Beer Tastings2nd Story Brewing, 2nd Street Brew House, @2ndstbrewhouse, City of Brotherly Beer, Philadelphia, top 5 beer barsgeekybeergal

2nd Street Brew House
Facebook Twitter @2ndstbrewhouse

Don’t you just love when you discover a gem of place by accident? That’s exactly what happened to this Gal – I was looking up 2nd Story Brewing when I came across the website for 2nd Street Brew House. I had never heard of 2nd Street Brew House but what I saw online I now had a new place to check out. So I recently made plans to meet up with an old friend to see whats what at 2nd Street. 2nd Street Brew House is located, well on 2nd Street in a South Philly neighborhood which means street parking but no worries there seemed to be plenty around. The Brew House is located on a corner and looks like it was once a row home. Inside it’s very much a bar in fact just about all bar. When you enter the bar is to your left and goes into the back room area which also hold a few tables plus Ms. Pac Man and a pinball machine. The establishment is dark and has a friendly warm atmosphere to it with lots of dark wood, old tin ceiling and fairly lights that add some twinkle. Of course, I was completely won over when I saw a metal Star Wars lunch box sitting on a shelf. Any place that displays Star Wars memorabilia scores major points with this Gal.

2nd Street Brew House is very much a neighborhood bar with a top notch beer selection that consists of 14 beers on tap and a generous listing of bottles and cans. They also serve wine and liquor and offer a food menu that is small but has something for meat lovers and vegetarians a like. I was happy that their full menu was still available during brunch. Sometimes this Gal just wants lunch not brunch on a Saturday.

The bartender, Chris, provided great service, conversation, good music and was very accommodating with pouring tasters. My taster selection between taster pours for myself and trying my companion beers were as follows:

Exit 15 Coffee IPA – Flying Fish 7.5%
I’ve been hearing a lot good buzz about this beer and happy to say it’s worthy of the buzz. The coffee and hops help to balance each other with hints of pine and fruit. This Gal loves that breweries are brewing different styles with coffee.

United Ale – Do Good Brewery 5.8% Never thought I see the day that this Gal would enjoy cream ales so much. Citrus and hops add a floral quality to the beer that is smoothed out by the malts.

Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter – Boulder 5.9% Holy molly this beer is smooth and chocolaty. Reminded me of chocolate milk but the adult version with alcohol. It was delish but reminded me more of a dessert beer so the taste was enough this time around.

Full Pours:

Patina Saison – 2SP Brewing Company 7.5%
This Gal is super stoked that saisons are rising in popularity. It used to be rare to find one on tap and now it’s rare not to. Yippy! Good yeastiness with strong fruit qualities in the taste and nose. Very refreshing and pleasing to the palate.

Chocolate Sombrero – Clown Shoes 9%
Imperial stouts oh how I love you. The bittersweet chocolate is counterbalanced by the vanilla, chilies and cinnamon which all contribute to making this a black beauty.

Almanca Ginger Gose 5.0%
I understand the gose style isn’t for everyone but it is for this Gal. The coriander and ginger are alive and well in this gose. This beer has a nice wheat/malt earthiness to it and was great way to cap off my visit to 2nd Street Brew House.

Tap turn around is quick at 2nd Street Brew House so what’s there today may not be tomorrow which also means there’s always something new to try. I was also informed that the owners make sure to keep a stout and porter on during the summer for us stout lovers. THANK YOU!

2nd Street Brew House was a great accidental find and is the perfect place to spend an afternoon or evening hanging out with friends playing scrabble or just conversing while enjoying some fine beers. For this Gal it’s everything I look for in a bar a welcoming warm and cozy atmosphere that begs for you to sit back and relax. I’m placing 2nd Street Brew House in my top 5 beer bars to visit in the city of Brotherly Beer. That’s how much this Gal enjoyed 2nd Street Brew House.

Newportville Inn

November 22, 2015Beer Bar, Beer Tastings@BrokenGobletPA, @newportvilleinn, Broken Goblet Brewery, German Beer, http://neshaminycreekbrewing.com/, Newportville Inn, newportvilleinn.net, Paulaner, ww.brokengoblet.comgeekybeergal

Newportville Inn
Facebook Twitter @newportvilleinn

This Gal has been to the Newportville Inn numerous times over the years but it had been a while since my last visit and thought it time to see what’s what. Glad to say nothing much has changed. It’s still a German place through and through. With an outside beer garden, German food and excellent selection of German beers on tap along with a few craft beers too. Oh and let’s not forget the German music playing or the complimentary pretzel nuggets accompanied by the house made mustard on each table. The mustard is wonderful and was a perfect accompaniment to the Paulaner Weiss I enjoyed.

The Inn sits in a large old stone building that seems like it was once someone’s homestead and has that wonderful old world feel to it. You first step into an enclosed porch area that now serves as the waiting area on crowded nights and I believe it’s safe to say they utilize this spot quiet often. From the porch you walk into the bar area. The bar itself is a good size and sits in the middle of the room with fireplaces and tables on either side. The room is very dark and cozy to begin with add in lit fireplaces in the winter time and you have a perfect spot to sit back, relax and stay warm. There’s a long porch/dining area on the other side of the bar and another dining room across from the bar as well. The Inn can hold a lot of folks but because of the lay out is able to maintain a warm personable feel. The one drawback is parking. Even on not so crowded nights parking can be a bit of a challenge but don’t let this sway you from visiting Newportville Inn. The German beer selection alone is worth a visit with 17 German beers on tap plus a hard cider if that’s your thing and the beer is dispensed via ceramic German beer towers.

Keeping in mind this is a German establishment the menu is heavy on German selections but does offer a few vegetarian options as well. My companion and I decided to go full German on this particular evening with both beer and food. Food: Turtle soup, pierogies, potato pancakes and Schweine Braten.

Paulaner Weiss 5.5% – crisp and refreshing with hints of orange to accent the wheat.

Paulaner Salvator Doppel Bock 7.9% – Yes, yes, yes! There’s a reason this Gal named one of her cats after this beer – Salvator – because it’s an amazing! Truly a favorite that I rarely see on tap. I love the combo of caramel roasted malts with hints of chocolate and hops. This beer has been brewed for over 375 years so you know their doing something right.

Next time you’re in need of some time away but your wallet says otherwise spend and evening visiting Germany at the Newportville Inn.

If you’re looking to make a day of it two of this Gal’s favorite breweries are just down the street from Newportville Inn – Neshaminy Creek Brewing and Broken Goblet Brewery.

2nd Story Brewing Company

November 9, 2015Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Brewpub Reviews, Uncategorized2nd Story Brewing, @2ndStoryBrewing, Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Khyber Pass Pub, PA Beer, Philadelphiageekybeergal

2nd Story Brewing Company
Facebook Twitter @2ndStoryBrewing

2nd Story Brewing Company is a welcome addition to the Philadelphia beer scene and with so many great beer options in the city of Brotherly Beer to choose from you might skip over one of the newer kids but I recommend you stop and check them out.

2nd Story has a rustic industrial feel to it with a long bar that takes up most of the wall to the right and multiple sitting areas throughout the downstairs. Something I absolutely loved (besides the beer) is the space between tables. Yes, the owners could have fit in several more tables but instead chose to leave lots of breathing room between tables which gives each group/table a sense of privacy. Such a welcomed retreat from overcrowded dining areas.

There’s also an upstairs which is where the brewing takes place hence the name 2nd

Story. ; ) There’s also a smaller bar and some dining table upstairs which makes for a perfect spot for a private party. On this particular night the area was empty and all the action was taking place on the main floor including a birthday celebration for a special someone – my awesome nephew! So happy my brother chose 2nd Story to celebrate his son’s 23rd birthday at.

2nd Story is a full service restaurant/bar with a diverse and tasty food menu and excellent service provided by Kelly. The beer selections are diverse as well and really offer something for everyone’s beer taste. During this Gal’s visit there were 10 beers on tap and one can do a flight of 4 5 oz pours for $8.50 (pints and growlers are also available) Naturally, this Gal chose to go with a taster round.

Who Dunnit American Pale Ale 4.5% Hops, with odd after taste, sort of a dank funkiness mixed with herbs.

Pickers Pride Wet Hopped Ale 5%
One can taste the cascade hops in this nicely brewed ale. More and more this Gal is enjoying wet hopped beers.

Berliner Weisse 3.8%
Sour German wheat beer with a good amount of tartness that is counterbalanced by a saltiness. You have a choice of it being served with raspberry or pomegranate syrup.

Fest Beer Oktoberfest 6.4%
A true classic Oktoberfest beer with earthy and sweet malts, hints of toffee and hops.

After the taster round was drained and the dinner consumed the group chose their dessert choices. Dessert for this Gal was a full goblet of Great Pumpkin Porter.

Great Pumpkin Porter 7.3%
This is a great combo of pumpkin spices, malt, vanilla and hints of a rum flavoring. Very clean, smooth and subtle pumpkin. The house-made doughnut dessert is served with a small taster of the this porter and compliments the dessert nicely.

Small taste of Adsultium IIPA American Double IPA 8%
Yup, lots of hops and rightly so. Although, the honey helps to balance the hops.

Great Pumpking Porter — Great Pumpkin Porter

Overall 2nd Story Brewing Company is a great addition to the Philly Beer Scene. Located in Old City one could easily make it a stop on a beer crawl since it’s located across the street from Eulogy and around the corner from Khyber Pass.