LEW TV

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a huge Lew Bryson fan. For those of you who DON'T know who Bryson is, he is one of the finest writers with whom I've had the privilege to work, a beverage journalist who specializes in beer and spirits, but really, just a terrific writer. Lew was always my special guest/John Madden for all of the Golden Age of Beer in Philadelphia Tours I conducted during the halcyon days of Philadelphia's The Book and The Cook food festival

Well, it looks like Lew has what it takes for TV, too.

Bryson and producer Rudy Vegliante are shopping a pilot for American Beer Blogger, which Vegliante describes thusly:

AMERICAN BEER BLOGGER is a half hour television series dedicated to all

facets of the ever growing craft beer market. From home brewing, to micro

beer; viewers will experience the very best of the craft beer culture. In each

episode, Lew will visit a different brewer, each of which has their own sets of

quirks and ways of doing things. Lew will talk to these brewers, get to know

them, will show us first hand the various methods and techniques used in

creating a craft beer. From the tiniest bottler to the largest manufacturer, Lew

will get his hands dirty. Topics such as bottling, food pairing, manufacturing,

distribution, history, technique (and so much more) will all be touched upon

as Lew spends a day with these brewers. Some doing well in the business, others not so well. Thankfully, the DIY nature of this business can lead to some pretty unforseeable results as Lew lends a hand and helps out in any way he can. Lew will show us all the kinds of micro-breweries currently out there. From the smallest, hippest label to large manufacturers.

AMERICAN BEER BLOGGER sets out to entertain the viewer as well as educate on this rapidly growing industry. Through humor and a charming, hands-on host, our show will not only be entertaining for the microbeer enthusiast, but also enjoyable for the average viewer as well.

Top Gear with beer... Top Beer if you will.

They've partnered with Kickstarter, an Amazon.com company that helps small businesses raise capital, to raise money to produce the show. I'm a backer, and you should be, too. One look at the trailer for this show, and you'll be hooked. Great production values, as they say in the trade. And Bryson is a natural. Here's what he told me about the filming in a recent e-mail:

We met up at Stoudt's [Brewery in Adamstown, PA ]at about 8 AM on a morning in late May with NOTHING planned or scripted. We knew we were going to tape...something about the brewery. Everything was done seat of the pants, and most of it was done in one take. I hadn't ever done much interviewing on camera before, but it felt pretty natural. Ed Stoudt has a ton of camera time, and has been doing the tours at the brewery for years; he was completely at ease. The stuff in the bar and on the sidewalk (when I'm in the other shirt) was done at Devil's Den during my Philly Beer Week event there, and if anything, that was even less scripted. I walked down the street, greeted some people I knew at an outside table, and on the spur of the moment, stole a sip of their beer. Felt right, did it. That's probably what the whole thing's going to be. Real reality.

So here's a project we can all get a thirst for. I think we may have found our next TV star.

KARMA

I have the privilege during this transition in my life to be the Managing Editor of a newsletter produced by the Professional Service Group (PSG) of Mercer County, which is a free resource for professional networking, training, coaching, support and education for professionals in transition. Its mission statement says that it's a "voluntary, self-managing and mutual support network affiliated with the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center, for professionals who are seeking new employment and contracting opportunities throughout the region."

Next to my extended family, it's the finest group of people with which I've ever been associated.

The facilitator of this group, Craig Jez, is himself a great resource for brainstorming, career counselling, and no-nonsense advice, especially about networking and resume writing. He pens a column for the PSG Newsletter and he calls it The Last Word, and it's always a terrific read. What I like about the column is that Craig writes it in his own voice, and it actually reads like he talks, a mix of salesman/bartender/next-door neighbor that is a delight to experience.

I've had the good fortune of working with many talented and compelling writers as an editor over the years (Lew Bryson, Ken Alan, Jim Tarantino and Katie Loeb among them), but I am particularly enjoying reading Craig's columns from the past 3 years' worth of newsletters, which you can peruse at the PSG website, www.mercopsg.net.

Read them all.

For the July-August issue of the PSG Newsletter, Craig wrote about karma. Here are some highlights, but I encourage you to read the whole article:

"Patience is an attribute you all exercise every day. Patience is responding to the woes of bills due and still smiling at the job interview. Patience is replacing unemployment depression with acts of volunteer kindness. We had a member who recently landed who defined patience as “the positive energy required daily during a 17 month transition period.” Patience is doing for others as a PSG Committee member despite you yourself needing to find a job yesterday."

"Planning your time should include active networking. Persistent and effective networking is important because you never know who the person you are networking with knows. It is like an adult game of whisper-down-the-lane. PSG has experienced a growing history of happy coincidences where spontaneous networking conversations developed a contact that led to an interview that culminated in a hire. The Karma part is the ebb and flow of relationships evolved from networking. PSG members are constantly surprised by who steps up to help them land at the bleakest moment."

"Another concept surfacing in the market is 'relationship recruiting.' Sounds like a cousin to networking, but let me explain. Say you interview with an employer but it does not work. There is no fit, you are not a match for their corporate culture or otherwise it is not going to happen with that company. To keep the corporate contact, you of course thank the company for spending time to meet you and that you greatly enjoyed learning about them. The extra step is connecting them with a candidate from your networking pool. The employer might appreciate the gesture. Perhaps they might be inclined to return the favor by connecting you with others in the same professional network. The maximum response would be if they referred you to other hiring managers as future unadvertised positions open up."

"Whether you call it Karma or making your own good luck, positive things will happen when you get out of the house, get active and help somebody every once in awhile. If you do it now, do it more.

If you do not do it, get out and try it."

Good stuff, universal appeal, endless uses in anyone's daily life, employed or unemployed. I've seen it work in my life and it's hard to deny the power of karma. But Carig Jez said it better. He always does.

THE PICK

(photo courtesy of the NFL)

With apologies to Lew Bryson, who selects a favorite beer from each of the breweries and brewpubs he visits for his beer travel books, Pennsylvania Breweries (now in its 4th edition!), New York Breweries, etc. , here is my take for this year's Bowl of Supe.





I like the swagger of the Green Bay Packers, who played all of their playoff games on the road, and did a convincing job in each one of them, even beating the Eagles. A Birds fan could take some comfort in the fact that they were shoved out of the playoffs by the eventual SB XLV champion.



And yet the Pittsburgh Steelers have the confident cool that perennial champions have. And they are just plain flat out tough, starting with the quarterback of questionable morals, right down to the Head & Shoulders Defensive Player of the Year.



But I think it's the Pack's year.



Cheeseheads by 6. Have a brat on me.

The Christmas Mix

First let me say God Bless Scoats, right off the bat, for keeping a beloved holiday tradition alive. Mike "Scoats" Scotese, owner of the Grey Lodge Pub and Hop Angel Brauhaus, orchestrated the return of any beer lover's holiday fantasy: a variety case of winter seasonal, Christmas and otherwise big beers for 24 lucky beer geeks, including yours truly. Last night we descended upon the Grey Lodge to pick up our most special of Christmas presents.

It was a wintry December night in 1998, bitterly cold and sleeting, and Scoats, my (now dearly departed) friend Gary Bredbenner and I, were hurtling through slush and ice on the Pennsylvania Turnpike toward Downingtown in an old and battered Chevy Suburban that I had borrowed from a housemate. We had been invited to participate in one of beer writer Lew Bryson's early experiments in beer cameraderie, the Bryson Christmas Mix. Bryson had selected 24 winter/Christmas/holiday/big beers and scheduled the assembly of these 24 variety cases for 24 lucky folks at the Victory Brewery and brewpub in Downingtown, on the same night that the brewery would be holding its annual Christmas party, a nifty beer segue of sorts.

I had known Scoats about a year or so by that time, and had become a Wednesday night regular at the Grey Lodge. We had decided to carpool to Downingtown, and Gary, who rarely drove anywhere, asked for a lift as well. It was a scary 90 minute drive in miserable weather.

But we got there, met the group of Christmas Mix participants, and Lew directed traffic as we assembled our variety cases on the loading docks of the brewery. It was a little bit Keystone Cops, but a lot of fun, and the selection of beers for the Mix were, for the most part, new to me, and that made it an extra special adventure.

The Christmas Mix plugged along over the next few years, but began to sputter a few years ago, as schedules got busier, lives more complicated, a lot of different reasons. So that why I heap praise upon Scoats for bringing our little beery tradition back. He, like many of us, can get sentimental that way.

He also worked hard to make this year's Mix really interesting, with classic winter beers that have always been a part of the Mix, and new beers that many of us haven't tried or even seen before.

Here are the beer treasures he assembled for the 2010 Christmas Mix:

21st Amendment Fireside Chat (the first can in the Mix!)

Abbey of Christ in the Dessert Monk's Ale

Anchor Our Special Ale

Breckenridge Christmas Ale

Brooklyn Winter Ale

Cape Anne Navigator Double Bock

Great Divide Hibernation

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Gritty McDuff Christmas Ale

Kumbacher Eisbock

Lancaster Winter Warmer

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome

Saranac Season's Best

Scaldis Noel

Sierra Nevada Celebration

Summit Imperial Pumpkin Porter

Troegs Mad Elf

Victory Storm King

Wachusett Winter Ale

Weyerbacher Quad

Weyerbacher Winter Ale

Yards Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce

Geants Bier de Noelier

Stegmaier Winter Warmer


I can't wait to start sampling.

He Was Gastropub Before Gastropub Was Cool.

Just got an e-mail from Lew Bryson that told of the passing of a mutual friend of ours, the very talented chef Larry Melissen. Larry toiled as a baker for Jamison's Bakery and for the famous chef Paul Roller at Roller's restaurant in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill, and used to join Roller for a late night after work beer at McMenamin's Tavern in nearby Mt Airy, and came to know owner PJ McMenamin and the crew there. Larry was a baker at heart, and eventually, as PJ was refining and upgrading the food at McMenamin's, asked Larry if he could bake some desserts for the place. And when the tavern lost its chef, Larry stepped in and never looked back, taking McMenamin's for nearly 10 years where it never could have imagined itself, upscale dining in a neighborhood tavern setting. We call it "gastropub" food now, but back then there wasn't a term for it. But it was some spectacular cooking. Brilliant, multiple-award-winning hot wings. Deftly done pastas, surprising seafood creations, even petit filet mignon, alongside fish & chips and Irish lamb stew and burgers.

But I remember stopping in one night with our friend Bob Rescinito, who was visiting from Oklahoma City, and there on the specials menu were "Beggars's Purses in Sage Cream," pasta stuffed with wild mushrooms. "Just something I threw together at the last minute with some leftover dough," Larry said when he stopped by our table to chat. They were exquisitely delicate pinched pasta bundles in a light toss of sauce. It was a loud, raucous Friday night in Mt Airy, and the airy pasta played perfectly off the bitter IPAs we were drinking. The juxtaposition made no sense at the time, but it made perfect sense to Larry, and his instincts were spot on. I had one of the most intensely creative, memorable meals I've ever had in a pub that night, several years before it would become trendy. Lew Bryson had a similar, eye-opening experience, and he recalls Melissen's work on his blog.

I wrote about Larry online on Prodigy and eGullet back then, and profiled him and a couple of other chefs for an article in the Philadelphia Daily News in 2006, about chefs who work in tiny kitchens.

But Larry was so much more than a big burly chef who worked in a tiny kitchen (but it was an amazing sight to see, Larry and a staff of 3 dancing in just under 70 square feet of space!). Larry was a quiet, confident visionary. A big friendly bear. And a very generous and talented man.

Godspeed, Larry.

The Rare Plug

Today is the occasion for a very very rare plug from me, and believe me, I don't plug. I try to use this blog to clue followers to events and beers and the important things in my kids' lives, but here is as enthusiastic a recommendation as I can give:

Buy Lew Bryson's book.

This time around, Lew Bryson's book is the FOURTH edition of his landmark first tome, Pennsylvania Breweries, and it's a dramatically revamped and revised version of what has always been one of the best beer reads ever written. Bryson's writing, to me, has always been compelling stuff, and Pennsylvania Breweries proves it with crisp writing, insider info on many of the state's breweries and excellent travel and food tips. And best of all: his beer descriptions will have your thirsting for the brews he writes about. Impressive stuff. And you can follow his book signing travels right on his blog, Seen Through a Glass.

Here's hoping you'll catch one of his appearances and join him for a beer.

KETCHUP

It's been over 5 weeks since I last posted something on this blog, the longest gap between posts I've ever allowed to happen.

I'm sorry, but I have been ridiculously busy.

Beginning with a nearly 14-hour birthday party for the twins (where I grilled almost 200 various kinds of sliders--- a gamble that really paid off--they went over big!), lit and cut TWO birthday cakes, and had lots of 90-degree weather fun watching the twins and their friends bounce and waterslide (thanks Aunt Renee, it was a BIG hit!) themselves crazy, and continuing with a government-related project that I am prohibited to discuss, my days and nights have been full.

In between all that there were a few stops during Philly Beer Week (only McGillin's Olde Ale House's 150th Anniversary was well attended; the others were....much quieter), Ben and Sophie's touching "graduation" from pre-school, a slew of other birthdays (including my mom's 75th!), some BBQ at Sweet Lucy's for MY birthday last week, and some favorite beers shared in our weekly beer chat, the "No Bull Inn," on starchat.net.

My dear friend Lew Bryson lost his dad last week to pancreatic cancer, after a long and courageous fight. His tribute to his dad is another example of how great a writer and son he has been. Don't pass up reading it.

Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium for half a century, passed away Sunday. And today the Yankees' owner, "The Boss", George Steinbrenner, died after suffering a massive heart attack.

So we have a lot to catch up on. And I need to get back into the rhythm of writing again. I missed the interaction, reaction and feedback. I promise I won't wait this long again.

PBW 2010: A Week Like No Other

The momentum has been building since before the beginning of the year, and it is about to reach a fever pitch the likes of which few cities have ever seen. And I'm NOT talking about the Flyers and Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup.

LET'S GO FLYERS!!!

What I am referring to is PHILLY BEER WEEK 2010, far and away the biggest (and likely the best) beer festival ever held in this country.

The schedule is both a beer geek's dream and a beer geek's nightmare. The festival's website boasts 1,000 events at 195 venues across the Delaware Valley. 1,000 EVENTS.

That is beyond impressive.

I would only be repeating the writing of hundreds of others across every medium from newspapers to Twitter, so I'll just encourage you visit the PBW 2010 website, as well as check in with prodigious bloggers such as Jack Curtin (his Liquid Diet is a must-read) and Lew Bryson (Seen Through A Glass will be blogging from all over town, I suspect) and Joe Sixpack (he's the Festival Director, so expect and insider's look at things on his Beer Radar blog).

I am still (mostly) undecided as to which events I'll be able to make, but I'll let you know as soon as I know. But for now, drink it all in, folks, it's gonna be a terrific, extended week!

LET'S GO FLYERS!!!

A Serious Time for Serious Beer, So Let's Get Serious.

If you care even one whit about good beer, serious beer, craft beer, microbrews, whetever you want to call it, the wacko Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)'s Gestapo-like raid on 3 of Philly's better beer bars (Memphis Taproom, Resurrection Ale House and Local 44) should raise some of your hackles. You can read about the initial raid HERE, and the subsequent raid by the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE) on a Philadelphia-area distributor last night HERE.

One of the best beer writers anywhere, Lew Bryson, has started a Facebook group HERE to marshall support and allow some venting, of course, and I hope you'll join and show you raised- hackled beer support. If you needed a reason to finally join Facebook, I hope this is it.

Not a good environment these days in America's Best Beer City. But let's hope the tide can be changed, just a few days before Philly Beer Weekend, and just a couple of months before Philly Beer Week!

YEAR TWO.

Today begins the second year of The Omnivore. Although I haven't been able to write and post at the pace and frequency I would have liked, it has been a tremendous experience so far, a great release from the challenges and stress in my life, and the kind of catharsis that keeps life in general as balanced and fresh as it has been.

I'm glad that I started this thing last year, at the persistent urging of one of my favorite writers and dear friends, Lew Bryson, whose blog, Seen Through a Glass, remains a true benchmark for me and my writing. I'm glad I also started it around Thanksgiving, because it reminds me to be most thankful for the folks that follow The Omnivore--not a lot of you---and keep me on my toes. And to be thankful for my kids, Ben and Sophie, who provide constant inspiration. And it also reminds me to be thankful for the family and friends whose warm embraces and positive energy keep me steady and humble and focused on the future.

A Final Farewell

The early evening was swelteringly hot, but a crowd of us dutifully gathered for a Philly-area memorial to our departed friend and colleague Gary Bredbenner at the Grey Lodge on Tuesday night. Some of his IBM co-workers were in attendance, and a large number of Grey Lodge regulars, beer tour friends and Dangerous Dining Club eaters, all of whom knew Gary from just his comeraderie alone. We framed the picture above in a simple gold frame, sat it next to a big bouquet of zinnias and wildflowers that reminded me of Gary's often wild beard. We all grabbed pints of good beer and slices of rarely-seen Grey Lodge tomato pie, spinach and tomato pie and chicken quesadillas.

We started with a few moments of silence to remember our dear friend. Then I muddled and puddled through a kind of eulogy for Gary, read a surprise letter of condolence from Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, and before toasting him for the first of many times, let everyone know that the framed photo of Gary would be hung in the Grey Lodge, so that everyone could stop in and have a few good brews with him whenever they wanted. Class act that Scoats, keeping our friend's beaming, cherubic memory alive at his place for as long as possible.

Close friend Dan Cosper spoke next, telling a sweet and simple story of how he annointed Gary with the jokey monniker "Evil Fat Man." You could have heard a pin drop.

Beer writer Lew Bryson, read from his online report of Gary's funeral and wake in Danville and Berwick, PA, his voice cracking during the passages that brought tears to all of our eyes, unforgetable emotional moments.

And then we toasted him, toasted Gary for all we were worth, again and again, and ate the very good food of the Grey Lodge, the red curry mussels, red and white fries, cheesesteaks and hot wings, fish and chips and chicken fingers, burgers and fish sandwiches. My twins, Ben and Sophie ate and ran around and lightened the mood, sat on the bar, and even got a few pony rides on Scoats' and Katie Loeb's knees.

There were plenty of warm handshakes, hugs and kisses, and then we left, warmed by the very good food and drink, and especially by Gary's spirit in the Grey Lodge that night.

The Correct Gift for a 13th Anniversary? BEER!

Well, there ain't no party like a Grey Lodge party, 'cause a Grey Lodge party never stops!

Scoats pulled out ALL the stops to celebrate the seminal anniversary of the place, its 13th. With 12 "events" in 13 straight hours. I made it for the tail end of the Victory-Phillies event, with perky Tracy from Victory calling out raffle winners. Then it was on to the Grey Lodge's Bar Mitzvah, with a "Pin The Yarmulke On The Boy's Head" game outside on the sidewalk, cake for everyone (and it was GOOD cake too!), and a decent reading from a fine young man.

Sixpoint beers from Brooklyn appeared at the 6PM hour, I enjoyed a quick pint of their pale ale and I was gone, back to Lawrenceville to rescue my kids from the swim club.

But I did get to catch up with so many folks I just don't get to see enough: the Smithsons, Eric Louden, John Denver Pat, Chaz, Doozer, Lew Bryson, Frank the Tank behind the bar, and so many more. All that was missing was Gary. We all said that.

Congrats Scoats, Pat, Maureen, your hard-working staff, and all your loyal followers (that includes me!). Nobody works harder to make a place more unpredictably fun than you do.

Gary's Philly Memorial

We're putting the finishing touches on the Memorial Service for our dear friend Gary Bredbenner at the Grey Lodge Public House on August 18 at 6:30. Several of us will speak; Lew Bryson will read from his touchingly brilliant telling of Gary's burial and wake, and we'll be enjoying some very good stories, food and drink in Gary's memory. I hope you can join us.

You can RSVP here, or just show up if you'd prefer. Sorta like Gary would.

Our Goodbye to Gary

I was going to write something about Gary Bredbenner's funeral yesterday, his obituary in the Daily News, skillfully penned by John Morrison, and our small wake for him at One Guy Brewing after the burial, but Lew Bryson wrote a poignant piece on his blog, Seen Through a Glass, and quite frankly, I couldn't have said it better if I wrote for a month. This is why I admire Lew Bryson and his writing so much.

We're planning a Philly memorial service for Gary at the Grey Lodge Pub in August, so stayed tuned for the details.

Godspeed, Gary.

THE SESSION WINE PROJECT?

A few weeks back, Eric Asimov, wine columnist for the NY Times, penned a fascinating article that struck a familiar chord. He discussed a growing trend among California vintners that steers away from the "round, ripe, extravagant" pinot noirs and toward lighter, more finessed pinots. Many of the vintners Asimov interviewed sensed a frustration with any style of wine that might not always be food friendly, or casually drinkable. A movement (Asimov calls it a rebellion!) away from total devotion to big wines and toward more readily, easily quaffable ones? He never uses the term "session wine", but he might as well have. he liked the word "finesse".

Sound familiar? To many fellow beer geeks it does, and Lew Bryson has been leading the discussion for a while now on his The Session Beer Project blog. It's nice to see the wine world playing catch up.

Why PHILLY BEER WEEK Worked

Sorry for the ridiculous delay in commentary; I've been more than a little occupied with another business project and just haven't found the time to compose my thoughts on that spectacular week-and-a-half in March, for which I was able to attend a few events. I'm hoping this will be the very last post on Philly Beer Week from anyone for a while (unless of course, beer writer Jack Curtin forms another thought on it, which is always possible). Though I wasn't able to attend any of the truly inspired events at some of the newer South Philly beer bars, I did luck out on some special times: Upsate PA Beers at the Grey Lodge with Lew Bryson; the Klash of the Kaisers pilsner beer event at Triumph Old City; Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em smoked beer and barbeque event at Yards Brewery and the 19th Friday the Firkinteenth at the Grey Lodge. Vicariously I goto to experience many more of the over 600 events in and around Philly, through blogs and tweets from Bryson, Curtin, beer buddy Gary Bredbenner and hilarious blogger/twitter babe Suzanne "beerlass" Woods. I can't remember feeling that much food and drink excitement in the city since the heydey of The Book and The Cook in the 90's.

Which brings me to my point. Philly Beer Week looks like a stunning success. I haven't yet read any numbers yet, from either the city or the brilliant organizers of the event, but I can only guess that they will be impressive. The parallels between Philly Beer Week and The Book and The Cook are obvious: The Book and the Cook also typically ran 10 days, with a large centerpiece event that would attract thousands. Its events were mostly held within the city limits, but soon expanded to the suburbs. The hype was usually pretty impressive in the months preceeding the week of events (and I was a part of that hype machine, doing PR for two different hotels and several restaurants, hosting and escorting a bunch of different celebrity chefs, as well as conducting an annual pair of beer tours), and the events themselves were exciting culinary adventures. I bet Tom Peters, owner of Monk's Cafe and a PBW organizer, might have the best perspective of both festivals, having participated in TBATC over the years. His experiences with TBATC no doubt helped him avoid the many challeneges that have afflicted TBATC over the years.

Here's why I think Philly Beer Week worked so well:

1. Compelling, centralized PR for the event. Jennie Hatton and Profile PR did a bang-up job, hyping even the smallest events and each and every one of the breweries, brewers, beer personalities and venues. And they used the internet, bloggers, et al far better than TBATC has ever learned to do.

2. Brewers without ego. I've handled my share of celebrity chefs for TBATC events over the years, and with nary an exception, brewers are not stuck on themselves as many famous chefs are. You didn't hear a single gossipy word about any behind-the-scenes scenes at any of the PBW events.

3. The product doesn't get bastardized. At TBATC events, it is typically the job of the host chef and his restaurant to make the dishes created by the celebrity chef/cookbook author. And you and I know that already takes the food one level away from its origin. Rarely does the guest celeb chef get behind the line and cook at the restaurant that hosts him. They are typically there to peddle and sign their latest cookbook. At PBW, the beer is the product and the real star, and nobody gets to mess with it.

4. Organizers who loved what they were doing. Tom Peters from Monk's Cafe, Don Russell from the Philadelphia Daily News and Bruce Nichols from the Museum Catering Company; did you ever see three happier guys at beer events than these three? If there was stress in putting PBW together, they never let it show. Pure joy on their public faces, and that's a huge confidence booster.

5. Longevity of interest. After TBATC, there would be an annual summary/post-mortem article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a column from Rick Nichols sometimes, some boldface names in Michael Klein's and Dan Gross' daily gossip columns (or Stu Bykofsky's before that) and that was that. Weeks after Philly Beer Week, people were still talking about Philly Beer Week.

And here's hoping for an even better (if that's possible) Philly Beer Week next year. OK, now we can talk about something else.

How about wine?

KLASH OF THE KAISERS!

The heralded event!

A Flight of 9.....

Triumph Old City Head Brewer Patrick Jones

Pils-Jay's Way

The next event I was able to attend during that glorious time known as Philly Beer Week was the delicious -to-contemplate pilsner festival held at Triumph Brewpub in Old City, the "Klash of The Kaisers." It featured nine local pilsners, lovingly brought together to honor Jay Mission, Triumph's head brewer, a lager afficionado, a mentor to many brewers across the country and inspiration to many more, who passed away last June. Triumph Old City head brewer Patrick Jones organized the event with Lew Bryson, and even brewed a special pilsner in Mission's honor with Flying Fish brewer Casey Hughes: Pils Jay's Way, a recipe Bryson acquired from a from a former colleague of Mission's and passed on to Jones. When I arrived I got a typically loud, enthusiastic greeting and hug from Lew, a big bear handshake from Casey Hughes, and a warm welcome from Jones' girlfriend sitting nearby. She quickly ordered me a flight of the nine featured beers and off I went a-tasting: Dock Street Bohemian pilsner was reliably crisp and bracing, one of my favorite pilsners; a pilsner from Mt Airy brewpub Earth Bread & Brewery was positively weird, but in a good way, smelling of wildflowers to me (Jones' girlfriend---oh I wish I could remember her name!---said she smelled ham), and tasting fairly vegetal, I learned (from the girlfriend) that it was made with a strain of wild, funky yeast, as was the Pils Jay's Way and Triumph's German pilsner served that night. The EBB pilsner didnt really taste like a pilsner, but it was delicious, funky little beer. Next was a pilsner from McKenzie's Brewhouse in Malvern, nice and tight, tart and refreshing (it was my favorite pils of the night).

Nodding Head's offering was a real disappointment, and tasted off in a bathroomy kinda way; I dopped it after one sip. In mid-flight Triumph owner Adam Reshnitz joined our little group of imbibers, and brewer Patrick Jones joined for a while, enjoying a Pils Jay's Way from across the bar. Reshnitz, once himself Triumph's head brewer, asked to taste the Nodding Head brew, sniffed it for a few seconds, took a quick sip and handed it back. Maybe something happened in transit. Manayunk Brewery's Kellerbier was next, and it was very tasty, nuttier than any of the previous beers, with a smooth silky finish. After that I got to sample the Pils Jay's Way and at first, didn't care for it; it tasted a bit like the pilsner from EBB, but a few more sips and I grew to like it very much--my 2nd favorite brew of the night. Sly Fox's Charles Bridge pilsner was next and it was quite hoppy and tart, a good version, but not as good as their flagship Pikeland Pils. Triumph's German Pils was next, and again it had that weird yeast in it, and tasted strange to me, a bit off and vegetal, but subsequent sips had it growing on me too. Victory Brewing's Braumeister Pils finished out the flight and it was quite good, one of the two pilsners that had that bready quality I really like, rich and crusty!

And an added benefit of the night: just as I was about to leave, I finally bumped into Suzanne Woods, the locally famous Beer Lass, whose blog "I'll Have Another Stout" is one hilarious read, and one of my favorite blogs to follow. Someday we'll maybe even get to have a beer together. Well, I guess last Thursday we kinda did, for Jay.

I only met Jay Mission once, at last year's Real Ale Fest at Triumph Old City, but even then he seemed bigger than life, and a lot of fun. I'm glad I could make it for a little while to this lovely tribute to his work, his friends and his favorite kinds of beer.

PUNK'D!!!

There is little hope that I'll be able to make it to more than a few events during Philly Beer Week, but this was one I was not going to miss: Upstate PA Beers with Lew Bryson at the Grey Lodge in NE Philly. And as always, the food and beer did not disappoint; the food specials made for the night were spectacular: an earthy, herb-flecked, half-pound bison burger, rich and moist and cooked perfectly medium, and a sensational basket of Atomic Punk Sweet N Sour glazed wings, bursting with sweet tingles of citrus and bitter hops. These wings could easily convert even a die-hard hot wing fan, and I hope Grey Lodge owner Scoats makes them a part of his regular menu. They were that good, crispy, greaseless and expertly glazed.


Which brings me to the beer I have been looking forward to for almost a year; One Guy Brewing's Atomic Punk IPA, hands down one of the best beers I've had in the last 5 years. Big, ballsy, with an herby, citrusy nose, an explosion of hops in the mouth upon first sip, and a clean, almost silky finish. Guy Hagner, owner/brewer at One Guy is already one hell of a brewer, and Atomic Punk is a magnificent beer, worth the drive to Berwick, PA just to drink it. But not everyone can get to Berwick. Those of us gathered around a big table upstairs at the Grey Lodge (Bryson, Scoats, his friend Marty, good beer buddy and uber-beer geek Gary Bredbenner and his angel-of-mercy designated driver, Traci) were in unanimous agreement: Atomic Punk would rock Philly. Are you reading this, Guy? The other beers served laste evening were also quite good, but the AP blew them all away.

Stegmaier's Oak Aged Spiced Winter Warmer from Wilkes-Barre, was a boozy dessert in a glass, like a bourbon bread pudding with chocolate and attitude; Bavarian Barbarian from Williamsport contributed their Square Feet Wheat Dunkelweizen to this event, and it was a sweet and sour, kind heavy version of the style, but it was a killer match for those wings; Bullfrog's Beesting, a honeyed saison style ale from Williamsport, was nice, though neither Gary nor I could detect much honey in the glass; Elk Creek's Belgian Strong was not to my liking, due more to inexperience with that syle than anything else, but it was a tad too alcoholic for me to enjoy; and Yuengling's brand new Bock was a delight, tasting to me like a roasty version of their fllagship Lager, which, to my palate, is a good thing.

But here and now, let me start my campaign for Atomic Punk in Philly: (repeat after me) BRING ATOMIC PUNK TO PHILLY , GUY! WE WANT ATOMIC PUNK!!!

The Senator From Beer, A Dream Delayed

You have to give Lew Bryson a lot of credit for a graceful exit and a (somewhat) heartfelt concession. It had to be difficult to give up the dream.


It's OK, Bearded One, we were behind you all the way.

Lew Bryson for Senate

Apparently.

According to a post yesterday on his blog, Seen Through A Glass, Bryson is tossing his well-traveled hat into the ring-----in the state of New York. He decided to pen an open letter to Gov. David Patterson, whose task it is to fill the Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Hilary Clinton. In his missive to Patterson, Bryson makes some good ( and appropriately snarky) points:



I understand you have a job opening for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. In light of some of the relatively unqualified people who have publicly expressed interest in the job, I'd like you to know that I am interested and I am available.

I'm doing this booze-writing thing, but with the number of days off Senators get, and the number of aides you get to do the heavy lifting, I don't think it should interfere. It would certainly make it easier to write a new edition of New York Breweries, and require every library in the state to buy a copy.

I'm not just looking at petty perks, either, although unlimited access to that Senate Navy Bean Soup is a draw. I'd like to serve New York and the nation as The Senator From Beer. There are some excellent breweries in New York, and although you've given them the back of your hand lately with talk of putting the beer tax back up (after your sainted predecessor Gov. Pataki lowered it; you should inquire why), I'm sure once you appreciate the employment benefits from increased brewery business you'll be whistling another tune.

I realize it's not a new idea, what with Scoop Jackson having been the "Senator From Boeing," and I think Dick Gephardt was essentially the Representative from Anheuser-Busch, but I'd be more even-handed, and represent the interests of the entire industry. Even that Belgian outfit, you know, the big place up in Baldwinsville. Oh, and those Belgian guys in Cooperstown, too.

Before you dismiss my idea as not having enough to do with representing the people of New York, I'd remind you that Senator Clinton seemed pretty focused on the presidency from the start of her first campaign; the national media certainly seemed to think so, and she didn't disappoint them. She didn't even live in New York until she decided to run for the Senate. My wife's family goes way back in New York, and if Hillary claimed Pennsylvania solidarity based on a vacation cabin in Lake Wallenpaupack, I figure Uncle Johnny's place on Amity Lake, outside of Wellsville should count.

I have no interest in the presidency, either. I'd go so far as to say that if drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve. Sorry, but that's how it goes. I have my scruples. I refuse to run for office, because all that fund-raising you have to do compromises your ethics. I'll only accept an appointment.But part of my appeal is that I'm not part of the paste-up new aristocracy that seems to think it has some kind of right to office. I'm not a Clinton, I'm not a Kennedy, and I'm not Ham Fish XVIII. I'm a Bryson, dammit, and we've never held any office, or expected anything handed to us because of something our father or mother or uncle did.

Really, I think I have every bit as much right to serious consideration as the other "candidates."And, lookie here, I have a blog. Which I understand you were asking about when you talked to Andy-boy Cuomo this weekend. I've been blogging for two years, and a lot of it about taxes and policy. There's some serious thought for you.Think about it, Governor.

I could be your man in Washington. I mean, what the hell? Why not?

Sincerely,
Lew Bryson
Future Senator from New York


Imagine for just a moment the sound of his girlish laugh echoing off the marbled hallways and onto the Senate floor. Imagine!

But The Bearded One's got a point: Why not?