Happy Hour @ Southwark- Buy fresh and Buy Local Week continues

There are so many reasons to buy local.

But one of the more selfish reasons is the food just TASTES so much better.
This was reaffirmed once again last night at Southwark.

Blue Coat Gin and Sly Fox were guests in the Southwark house.
Happy Happy hour goers off sly fox beers and BlueCoat Cocktails, and Southwark even tapped a firkin for the first time.

The Pale ale was T a s t y, cascade and centennial hops most present.


A nice crowd came out. Not as crazy as the Buy Fresh Buy Local happy hour of last year. I guess when you don't have "free beer" advertised in the Metro.

I sampled the Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Peach Salad, and Goat Cheese. Every bite was to be savored. If you haven't been to 4th and Bainbridge lately, you should make a point to do so.

Kip, Sheri, George and southwark family are serving up some of finest dishes and drinks in Philadelphia's. And they might just have the nicest Orchids around...

Tomorrow Buy Fresh Buy Local fun continues under the Shambles at Head house square with
the Great Food, Great Beer, and the rest if History annual event.
Beer is complimentary from 10 local breweries, including Sly Fox;)
Food is available through tickets. $22 gets you 3 plates and $30 gets you five.

Full MOONER 7

If you live in the city you should be at Southwark from 5 till 7- then head over to SIDECAR for the porter experience. BUT
if you live anywhere close to Conshy...you should check out the FULL MOONER from 7 till 10 agt TOTARO's.
729 Hector St.

"Funksomethingness!" a Porter night @ SIDECAR

TOMORROW night after a SLY FOX Happy Hour @ Southwark and a stop by the Latest Dish
(they're working on updating their beer list!)

I am off to 22nd and Christian to go to the SIDECAR's Porter night.
Nobody ever needs an excuse to go the the SideCar... I'll say on record that its one of the best bars in the city...but tomorrow night is extra special.
Its all about the Porter...
Playing New Orleans Bass Beaut George Porter of the METERS, feasting on some Southern Fare, and sipping on Flying Fish's limited porter releases.

*Imperial Porter
*Imperial ESPRESSO Porter
*Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter

Thursday Night Come on Get Happy @ SouthWark 5-7 Sly Fox style

Thank Goodness I "stayed in" Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (just so you know...going to the Memphis Tap Room and having two beers and a salad is staying in). Because the next four days I'll be busier than Angelina watching six kids. First there's SOuthWark.

Tomorrow night

SOUTHWARK Buy FRESH Buy LOCAL Happy Hour with Sly Fox Brewing Co. And Blue Coat Gin. Featuring a locally sourced happy hour menu by Sheri. 1/2 off all beers!

Southwarks first ever FIRKIN. Phoenix Pale Ale
ALSO Sly Fox Saison and O'Reillys stout.

701 S. 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA
5-7pm

Happy Birthday DAD!

July 15, 1946 enter Michael C. Woods. My pops.

Yesterday was his 62nd Birthday. I called him around 11 and he was just delighted for his day.
An avid fisherman, a proud father (except for my recent speeding ticket), and a prouder grandfather, he's the greatest guy in the whole world.

Little morsels of wisdom released on me throughout my life remain vivid still.
He taught me about the ideology of communism during the Korean War.
He taught me to get the chip off my shoulder. Life jerks you around and you deal with it.
Seems pretty simple right. But seeing him over the course of the last ten years, he was living proof that you make the best of situations.

I pay parking tickets because of him.
I eat way too many pork products because of him.
I have an affinity for Roy Orbison because of him.
I like a good story because of him. I like his stories best. Lance is a close second. He's a great storyteller.

He taught me the art of driving. Not getting behind the wheel as much as the beauty of a Sunday drive.

He announced that he would retire in September today.
I can't wait to hit Bellmawr and not catch any fish later this summer.

The man with the mostest, I mean scoatstest

Please join me in wishing

the world's favorite lodgemaster, SCOATS,

a belated birthday.

His Birthday was on the same day as Grey Lodge's Christmas in July event, July 11th.
Here's Mayfair's finest sporting his Summer Threads while maintaining one of the colors
of Santa Season.

scoats@greylodge.com

And a time for every BEER under heaven...

Workin' on a project over here...

Think about a "situation" comical, dramatic, absurd, etc...and think what beer should be in your hand during it...

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every b e e r, under heaven

Wednesday for the "anti-Sippers"

Tomorrow night-=-= what to really do instead of dealing with crowds "sipping it up."

*Buy FRESH Buy LOCAL happy hour at Standard Tap with Philadelphia Brewing Co.
A Bluegrass benefit for the White Dog enterprises. 5-7


THEN-=-


at 8- Blue Point pays a visit to Jose Pistolas @ 15th and Spruce
Sip on Blue Point Beers with complimentary oysters...



OR Go visit Joe SixPack and pick a copy of his book up at the Philadelphia Public Library @ 7 pm as he is one of the months guest authors...Joe says it will be free, and there will be beer.
Then At 9 pm a special after-party starting at 9 p.m. at McGillin's Old Ale House (1310 Drury St., Center City).

Join "Joe" for two-buck drafts of featured microbrews and get your copy of "Joe Sixpack's Philly Beer Guide: A Reporter's Notes on the Best Beer-Drinking City in America" (Camino Books, $14.95).

No Mud, plenty of beer, plenty of Stumblin'- Royal Stumble 2008

All lined up....ready to eventually stumble

The Royal Stumble has come and gone...and I think at least a few of us got "mud in our eye."
This year's theme was Mud Wrestling. Actual mud was not permitted- with good reason.
Shakespeare once said," “Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee."

And be grateful Casey Hughes didn't have a hose.


Triumph Hotties...
Troeg's Hottie gettin' it done...

Triumph won the belt with finishing their keg of Saison in 60 minutes. Ian, a bartender at Triumph, was accompanied by 5 lovely ladies that helped pour pitchers. Ian had mentioned that
"Jay would be proud." He would indeed. The program also included some nice words about our friend in brewing that left us last month. Here a few shots of the Triumph...


There was laughter. Lew laugher nonetheless...
And there was rumblin'and there was stumblin'

Nobody really knew who I as....there was a tagteam in G.L.O.W (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling)
called the Housewives...they would come to the ring with mops and mud masks...I was Phyllis Brownwyn was Arlene...
Here's the real ladies...if you can call them that...just hear them rap!
Brownwyn and I will have to work on our Newark accents for Halloween.



Scott Baver came as himself pouring Legacy Midnight Wit...
Above: The Manayunk Brewpub duo Chris Firey and Bill Young and Ron, Firey's best friend.
Below: Wendy( Dogfish Head)-rumored to perhaps wear a singlet to the event, kept it clean while pushing the Festina Peche
Dan Conway- pouring his new brewpub...

Didn't see Fergie there...but apparently he was ...


Corneila, Wynkoop Beer Drinker of the year 2001 made it up from North Carolina to get muddy

Your host..."thank God its over"....until next year on July 11.
Photo Credits : Stephen Lyford

Prom 2008

The prom was rad.
We had so much fun before we even stepped foot on the Moshulu.

We decided dinner would be at Positano Coast...it had much more to do with the illuminated backdrops than the food, although the food was good.

I chose a red and gold number-gold shoes! April -black with a tuxedo shirt ruffle effect with vintage gloves, and Julie went Andie Walsh look alike--- paying homage to John Hughes classic, "Pretty in Pink."

The fellows outdid themselves...Lance pulled out his too small tux, Casey and Johnny visited Old City's best suit store at 3rd and Market purchasing Pastel numbers for $49.95.

We had updos, corsages, lace gloves...All the cheese you could squeeze into prom '08.

Here's is the photo album....Not enough time for commentary right now...
Not so awkward anymore-johnny loosens up after a fancy Positano Coast cocktail...

Apparently things are far from awkward on the dance floor...


Enter Johnny Walker, things get weird...
The crowd...

Should I be jealous...give a gal a best friend charm and she makes a pass at your man...
Looks like I wasn't the only one getting a little salty..apparently Johnny's obsession with Molly Ringwald led him to make the moves on Casey's new girlfriend Julie....either that or a fight over 80s vs 90s hiphop. who will break it up?

Lance to the rescue...
That's it for now.....There was no OMD "If you leave," but there was "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "I've had the time of my life."

Unfortunately we couldn't decide on a king and queen. It was looking like Johnny and April...until April ditched him for her cab driver, I mean limo driver....Johnny was forced to find a new date for the prom post party....the awkwardness starts all over again.

I'll post more on flicker by tomorrow.

Gaslight Brewery and Restaurant in the Garden State. Yet another reason to cross the bridge

A few weeks back, when Lance and I were headed back from Vermont, we took a detour to Orange Co. New Jersey and went to GASLIGHT. In addition to brewing their own beer, they have guest taps as well. Sly Fox even has some time on the tower here and there.

The Gaslight is family owned and operated--= Which is nice. Dan is the head honcho.
His one son was behind the bar, and his other in the brewery.

They had on very well-crafted California Common. They had on a dry stout which was pretty good as well. It through me off because they had a Guinness handle... but Mark assured me it was their own....

Three things really surprised me...
*Until you are about 1/2 mile from the tavern, "things" are a little...interesting. Then suddenly you are by Seton Hall's campus and "things" are- well- normal-- Nice Architecture, standard Starbucks, etc...
* Despite the expansive draught list...many bar goers were drinking bottles of Stone Pale Ale, even thought there was not a sign to be seen that it was a featured special. Just because?

* They had GREAT food.

After a six hour drive, a monsoon at the Connecticut NY border, and a speeding ticket, I was in need on something delicious. Although I am trying to cut down on my pig intake...

I am my father's daughter and I do love me some wiggly.



I wish the Gaslight was a tad closer...New Jersey has a lot of beer lovers...and not enough places for them to love. High ST. Grill, Andy's corner, Cork, Gaslight, and a few others but not many.
Looking forward to reading through Lew Bryson's and Mark Haynie's new Tour Guide of the New Jersey beer scene!

It was a total eclipse of the heart...totally

Today's been non stop between a long bike ride (long for me) and cleaning and still unpacking from moving.

I even missed the Buy Fresh Buy Local kick off at Philly Brewing Co.
I am going to take a break and run to Memphis Taproom to try Lance's keg-conditioned Iron Bound Ale.

Later I should have all the prom and stumble pics posted...but this will give you an idea of what's to come....and the stumble...

Also--- a Look at Buy Fresh, Buy Local week, Christmas in July at the Grey Lodge, IPA club at JONES, GasLight cafe...and some pictures of the Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh.

tonight tonight tonight .oh oh..drafting room

Getting ready for the prom tomorrow...so I needed a Phil Collins title.

Tonight is Jose Pistolas Allagash Lobster dinner. But, I believe reservations closed for that on Tuesday.

If you live in Suburbia- okay if you live in Chester Co... you should go to the Drafting Room in Exton where Sly Fox will be having an IPA night- with at least 5 of our IPA project beers on tap. Brewmaster Brian O'reilly will be there.

And I will be there.

This is different from the time I said I would be at Cork in Westmont for the Founders launch, and then couldn't make it.

B. Frank would approve...let's welcome Kite and Key to the town

Franklintown's got new residents.

And they sure are nice. I once mentioned that I wouldn't make someone a pie for someone....a new neighbor reference of sorts....when they tore down my community garden to build a new house.

I would definitely make these guys a pie...any kind of pie they wanted...
or at the very least make sure they can order a sixtel of saison from me if the want one ;)

Jim Kirk (Bishop's Collar) and Jake Hampson( ten stone) opened the Kite and Key last Thursday at 4. -=-= The crab cake sliders with gazpacho -=-=

I arrived there after two events sometime around 11 to a packed pub with happy drinkers welcoming them to 19th and Callowhill.

Major revamps were done from the former tenant, Savannah's. Barely recognizable actually.

Menu is chalkboard style for now with a high light being fish tacos (with the mandatory maize)

Bar staff is well beyond adept with one of the keepers coming from South Philly TapRoom.

More pics to add inc...outdoor seating, future biergarten, and the fine fellows themselves....

blogger is not currently cooperating...

off to beer club

ho ho hot! christmas in July

Santa Claus isn’t

coming to TOWN…

But still drink good

for goodness sake

THIS FRIDAY, July 11-=-

Join GREY LODGE PUB For Christmas in July.

No carolers or santa.

Perhaps some badger dancing.

Definitely great beer that's been stored away since last December.

Sly Fox Christmas Ale and Troegs Mad Elf.

While supplies last, free Xmas dessert with purchase of dinner. 6pm to 9pm.

On tap

Anchor Our Special Ale, Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux, Sly Fox Xmas Ale, Troegs Mad Elf, and maybe One Guy Seasons Wheatings, if Guy can make down here before Friday.

Bottles

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve 25oz, Scaldis Noel 8oz, Sly Fox Xmas 25oz, Weyerbacher Winter Ale 12oz, Winter Koninck 25oz
Bottles will be available all day. Barrels will be tapped at or before 6pm, hopefully before.