I wouldn't wish this on my worst Enemy

Imagine waking up one day and not enjoying the taste of beer. After years of enjoying beer, you now can't even stand the smell of it. For beer lovers like me, that would be my ultimately nightmare. One that I NEVER want to experience, nor wish upon anyone. I went to dinner with my Grandmother the other night at the Tortilla Press Fajita Night and found out she no longer loves beer, and thinks it taste like a "bar floor." For over 30 years she drank her 6 ounce Budweiser's from a can. While some drink tea before bed, my grandmother considers a small beer her treat. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. Whenever I go to the Tortilla Press I always ask the server what they have on tap, wishing one time she'll mention something that spikes my interest. As she was listing the beers I noticed they had a Summer Seasonal that wasn't Sam Adam's. I thought for sure I would go with this beer until I learned it was a Bock beer. Because I was enjoying Mexican food I went with the Modelo Lager which is a nice fine dark Mexican brew. It was then that I learned of my Grandmother's "condition." While enjoying my beer, she asked to take a sip, but didn't enjoy it. Although she didn't enjoy it that doesn't mean I didn't, and thankfully I went another day enjoying beer.

A Price I could not Refuse

The past few days I've been craving a Yards IPA. The Yards IPA is one of the better IPAs I've had and I feel it's is an underrated beer. In my opinion Yards Brewing Company is not as mentioned and popular as some of the other breweries in the Philadelphia/NJ area. I went to PJs Maple Shade Saturday night and thought I was going to squash my craving when I saw Yards was on tap. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Yards IPA, but the Yards Pale Ale. Although their Pale Ale is another one of my favorites, I enjoy their IPA much better, and this is a beer I can get at the next ballgame I go too. After thinking it over, I planned on ordering a draft of the Pale Ale, however when I saw they had $2.75 Blue Moon drafts, how could I pass up such a good deal. I love microbeers, but at times I find the prices of these beers a bit high. Having to pay $5 to $6 for a draft seems a bit high when I see products like Miller or Bud going much cheaper. I understand these smaller breweries produce much smaller batches than larger beer companies, but I always enjoy a bar that had draft microbeer beer specials. The Blue Moon was delicious and having it at such a low price was great (even if I wasn't paying). Does anyone know of a good bar that sells Microbeers at reasonable prices - even if it's just for happy hour.

If your wondering, I ended up squeezing the orange into the beer.

Two Brews at the Ballpark

Earlier this week I decided I would sell my Phillies tickets for Friday, June 24. With my furniture being delivered Saturday, and attending this upcoming Thursday game against Boston, I figured I could use the night to get my place set up. This season, I've sold a lot more of my Phillies tickets than I've done in years past. I guess this is the sacrifice that many say you have to make when you become a homeowner. For games I've listed for sale this season, I never had an issue unloading the tickets. But somehow I had a difficult time selling these tickets. Once 2 PM Friday hit, and I still had the tickets I decided to would go to the game regardless of what I originally planned. I got down to the stadium, and wanted to limit the amount of beer I would drink considering I would be driving home. I ended up drinking two beers: Shocktop without an Orange, and Bud Light Wheat. I've had the shocktop at the game before and mentioned this is a great beer to drink on a hot summer night, however I never had the Bud Wheat. One of the things I enjoy about the Phillies games is the large aluminum cans Bud and Miller products are sold in. These bottles are kept in ice and keep the beer so cold. My only complaint would be that I wish they sold some of my favorite microbeers in these bottles. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the bud wheat, but there's not much to say than this is an average wheat beer. I've had better, but it was solid and enjoyable. It was extremely cold and had more taste than a Bud Light. I was surprised I went with this beer choice, however this was served in one of the shorter beer lines, which factored into my decision.

No, I didn't stop drinking

It's been some time since my last post, and with many asking me why I haven't posted I wanted to clear the air. No, I haven't given up drinking and become sober, however I've been very busy with moving into my condo. Plus, I don't have cable or the Internet set up, and I haven't figuredout a way I can blog on my Iphone. My lack of blogs this past week was also in relation to my lack of beer drinking I've done. I did manage to drink some beer this weekend despite not having a drink since the week before. Although I still do not have Internet access I will try to get several blogs the next few days most likely posting during my lunch break, or stopping by my parents place. In the meantime, keep drinking and check back.

Yours Truly,
H Loves Beer

A Steakhouse Without Steak

This past Sunday was Father's Day, and I'm sure many of you decided to take your father out to dinner. My plans that night were no different and I had made reservations at Haddonfield's newest steakhouse Ralic's as most dads love steak. For the past month I've heard much about this place, and even noticed there were articles on Philly.com about the opening. I was especially intrigued to try the food as the chef, Ed Battaglia, was one of the finalists from the show Hell's Kitchen. I believe Haddonfield is considered a "dry" town and although this restaurant did not have a bar, they did allow for BYOB. Earlier that day I had stopped at the Wilco to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner, and yes I even planned to drink some. I doubt I would have had a full glass, but I would have tried it, and absolutely reviewed it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you how the restaurant was as they were out of steak. Let me rephrase, they were out of the Fillet and Porterhouse, which eliminated several items from their menu. Yes folks, a steakhouse was out of steak. When I was in High School I did work at a Lone Star Steakhouse and do understand at times restaurants run out food, especially if it's Father's Day and a much publicized restaurant's opening weekend. I was disappointed that they were out of the more popular cuts, however my real disappointment derived from the lack of communication we got from the restaurant and it's staff. It wasn't until we were seated and being served water that the manager or owner came over to inform us of the bad news. My thought is that if I make reservations through Open Table, you have my phone number listed, and perhaps as a courtesy you can give me a call regarding the shortage. Or, perhaps they could have told us that they were out of certain meats when Lauren called to inform the hostess we were running late. Or, maybe when we walked into the restaurant, and prior to being seated we could have been told then. My point is there were plenty instances where we could have been informed, and being notified after you've read the menu and made a choice is frustrating.

When we found out they were out of steak, my life quickly turned into an IPhone commercial as I pulled out the phone and made reservations at Seasons 52. Thankfully we were able to get reservations on such short notice, and within minutes we were at the restaurant being seated. I've only been here once before, and remembered drinking Flying Fish; I don't remember the kind of beer though. Although they did offer Flying Fish, as I glanced over the menu I saw one of my favorite IPAs: Yards IPA. The color of the beer, and the smooth hoppy taste goes down well. Almost of smooth of Keith Stone (for those Keystone light drinkers). Despite this beer being poured from a bottle instead of a draft, I couldn't tell the difference, which is a plus. I did notice they had a Samuel Smith Organic Lager, which I would have tried if they didn't offer Yards. An organic beer seems like a cool concept, especially with the restaurant being so health conscious. I do want to point out that we had remarkable service at Seasons, and I was quite surprised how a night that started off poor became an awesome one. If you don't go to Season's for the beer, definitely go for the food.

Crabs and a side of Yeungling

The one benefit of living in New Jersey is you're never too far from getting Maryland Blue crabs. I first experienced blues while attending college in York, PA. Because of York's close proximity to Maryland, we had many student's from Baltimore who LOVE sharing crabs; that sounded dirty. Regardless, eating crabs isn't just a meal, its an activity, and when eating them nothing goes better than a cold beer to wash it down. Especially when they are covered with Old Bay.

When I was at school and ate crabs I would drink a beer called Natty Boh. Natty Boh is a Baltimore based beer that honestly tastes horrible, and ranks at the near bottom of beers. It reminds me of a Natural or Milwaukee light but much worst. Despite this beer being disgusting, Baltimore residents have such pride and find this beer amazing. I guess if it's brewed in your own backyard you have no choice but to enjoy it? As a marketing plan, the Natty Boh logo knows everything that has to do about Maryland. The next time your down at the harbour look for the t shirts of this beer. You'll notice them by the winking face that will remind you of a pirate, and have the famous saying Boh knows best. Boh apparently knows everything from O's baseball to Maryland Terps.

Last night, I ended up getting All-You-Can-Eat-Crabs, not in Maryland but in New Jersey. Where? I'm not really sure of the town, but know the name of the bar is called Babes Village Inn. This bar is truly unique as it has a tribute to Sally Starr next to the bathroom, and has a wicked velvet Willie Nelson painting. After our hour drive we were finally able to park in the dirt lot to meet up with the rest of the group. Although this place serves food, it's mainly a bar, and I noticed the group ordered pitchers of Yeungling lager. The Yeungling paired well with the crabs, and even if they had an IPA or some microbeer on tap, I don't think I would have strayed from the PA brewed beer. Eating the crabs covered in Old Bay will dry you out so you need to make sure you are drinking plenty of beer.

Through the course of the night we devoured buckets of crabs, and several Yeungling pitchers. By the time we were done I was bloated and exhausted when all the salt, and decided to end the night. I didn't drink any other beer Saturday night.

Was I that Thirsty or was the Beer that Good?

By the time I went for lunch, I was so thirsty. I'm not sure how, but I didn't have anything to drink Saturday morning, and by the time I went to lunch I felt like I've been walking the Sahara for days. I was that parched. Because I'm a great grandson, I decided to visit and bring my grandmother lunch. Afterwards, I needed food myself, and Laur and I ended up at an authentic Mexican restaurant in the Northeast: Las Margaritas. No disrespect to Chef Mark and The Tortilla Press in Pennsauken, but going to a traditional Mexican restaurant is always a great meal. After being seated I needed a frosty beer and saw they had Dos XX Amber on draft, which is the beer I usually drink at the Press. My first beer came with a nice head, and I was shocked to see a lime on the side. Normally, when I see a lime it's because I'm drinking a Corona or a light beach beer, not a dark Amber beer. Feeling the lime, I decided to flick the lime into the beer and watched the lime bubble up or carbonate my beer. I mentioned being thirsty because I drank my first beer like water. Yes, I drank it that quick. It reminded of the saying I saw on t-shirts in Mexico: Save Water Drink Beer. As I was looking to do a light lunch, I really only wanted one beer, but the beer was that damn good I ordered a second. Or maybe I was really thirsty. As I was leaving the restaurant I did notice a really cool Coor's light Neon sign that I've posted below. Many of the sports bars I've been too have the same Coor's light sign that has the NFL logos. However, as this was a Mexican bar that must enjoy soccer, their Coor's light sign had all the soccer teams. I'm not much of a soccer fan, but I was impressed with this neon.

H Loves Tea.. What?!?

Between work, the house, and life I've been fairly busy. Since Monday night, I haven't gotten to drink any beer. As I am going another night without a drink I decided to do a different approach for my blog. As much as I love beer, one of my favorite non beer drinks is an Arnold Palmer. The Arnold Palmer got it's name after a young golfer who would order a drink of half lemonade and half ice tea. This drink quickly became a hit, and even has an ESPN commercial about it. Depending on the location, the kind of tea and lemonade may vary. This past Christmas I was introduced to a keurig machine. For those who never used one of these machines, you are truly missing out. Although mainly used for brewing coffee within the past 6 months this machine has branched out to offer hot chocolate and ice teas. I recently stumbled upon one of their new lines: an Arnold Palmer line! To use this machine, it's quite simple. You first want to make sure you have enough water to fill your cup, and choose your K cup to put into the machine. When your tea is ready to be brewed, the blue button will light up and it's ready to pour a delicious Arnold Palmer. The tea comes out fresh and has the sweetness of the lemonade in each sip. Poured over ice this is quite refreshing, and is something I enjoy regularly. The keurig brand has done an excellent job at making the perfect balance of lemonde and ice tea out of a K cup. My only complaint is I will it brewed larger cups.

Chicken Parm and Beer?

I was fairly aggravated Monday night. After a stressful eye exam that lasted over two hours I was needing a beer, desperately. On a night like this, I would imagine I would head to the brewery or some micro brew bar to drink some beers, and take the stress off the day. Instead, I met up with my parents at Maggianos. The last time I went here for dinner I was disappointed by their beer menu, or lack thereof. I guess I can't really complain or say that I'm surprised as most Italian restaurants I've been to only serve wine. Heck, a few years back I went to Italy and realized they don't drink much beer. I also understand that Italy is the wine capital of the world, but I wish they would spend more time on their beer. The server listed the draft selection and I went with the safe bet: Sam Adam's Summer Ale. For a second I considered to go with the Peroni or even Stella Artois, but decided to go with a light beer I know I would enjoy. The beer was good and definately relaxed me, however Summer Ale doesn't really pair too well with Chicken Parm.

It's Been a Good 6 Months

My last beer of the month club arrived today. For the past 6 months I've gotten a box of beer delivered to my house at the start of each month. I've had some beers I've really enjoyed, and some I will never drink again. Many of the beers I've received, I never even heard of before. Although I do enjoy this club, I do not expect to have my membership reinstated. The price of the club isn't cheap and sometimes it might be cheaper to hit up your local brewery or beer store and pick up some beer. Hope you enjoy the pictures of my last shipment.

There's an App for that

This is quite possibly the coolest thing I've seen in some time. The IPhone proved yet again it is the best phone on the market with an app that allows you to buy your friend a beer. Better yet, your friend doesn't even have to be at the same bar to benefit from this! I will be buying this app so if anyone wants to buy me a brew, I will gladly accept.

On a side note, I did see a news report that anti-drinking groups are against this app because they feel underage drinkers can use this to get beers. I know quite ridiculous, considering the bars will still check IDs.

H Loves Beer: Zoo with Roy Edition

Since I started this blog I've made it clear that I love beer. One of my favorite places to drink is the Iron Hill Brewery. As much as I love beer I also love sports. More specifically, I love baseball and the Philadelphia Phillies. You can say I have a man crush on the team, and most certainly Chase Utley. To keep up with the Phillies, I read different Phillies blogs, and one blog in particular I read is I want to go to the zoo with Roy Halladay (www.zoowithroy.com). As an avid reader I was aware that the Iron Hill Brewery in North Whales reached out to the writer of the blog and asked if they can brew a beer in honor of his blog ( I know awesome, right!). If someone offered me to the opportunity to brew a beer after H Love Beer I could never turn it down, so how could he.

Because I love beer, and think his blog (or should I say bolg) is awesome I decided to make the trek out to North Whales. Honestly, it wasn't that far from Jersey considering I left from work in Conshohocken. Before going, I knew Zoo with Roy was holding a tailgate party down at the stadium for today's Phils game and they tapped a keg of his beer last night at the brewery, but due to work, I couldn't attend either. Instead, I decided I would visit the North Whales brewery Saturday night. I decided to call ahead and make sure they had this beer on tap. The person who answered the phone assured me that I will have no problem getting this beer tonight. This was my drive during work.

I made reservations for 7:30, assuming the Phillies game would be over, and got there a few minutes before. As we got seated the Phillies were still playing but unfortunately I didn't get a seat by the bar to watch the outcome (just like the Maple Shade location, the bar is first come first serve). The server came over, and I ordered a draft of the So Cuttered Hoppy Wheat without even opening the beer list.  I knew what I wanted to drink.

The server brought my first beer in a Iron Hill mug (I am a mug club member) so I couldn't see the color of the beer. Reading the description I knew it was a hefeweizen , and after my first sip it reminded of the Magic Hat Circus Boy with a punch, a big punch. When I first drank my beer I was greeted by sweet burst of flavor, and was soon after hit by the hops its brewed with as an after taste. My kind of beer! I guess you can say it was a Circus Boy on that Jason Giambi - Steroids.

Because I was drinking from a mug, I couldn't see the color of the beer. As a weird question proposed to the server, I asked if I can get a sample, which was no problem. The sample came in one of their flight glasses and the color reminded me of an orange; I could consider it to a darker Blue Moon. There was no way you could see through this beer, but it wasn't as dark as a stout of porter.


I'm not 100% sure, but I can only assume this beer is on limited  availability considering it is only on tap at the Iron Hill in North Whales. Normally, I don't venture far from Jersey to drink, but I knew this was one beer that I could pass on. I don't think this is one beer you should pass on either as it was enjoyable to drink. Heck, I had three. Do yourself favor and take a drive out to the brewery and try this beer prior to the keg being kicked.

If you need directions - Let me know. I'll go with you.

A Saturday Update

I've gotten a lot done today, and its only 3 PM. With my work schedule I never sleep in anymore, which I find to be a good thing. There is nothing more satisfying then having done all your errands before noon. I caught breakfast at Hathaways and found out today they now have Flying Fish on draft. I considered ordering a draft but didn't think it would pair well with my eggs and scrapple. I mentioned the other day about the Iron Hill in North Whales, PA brewing a beer after one of the Phillies blogs I read. I've been wanting to try this beer, and tonight I will. I'm heading to the Iron Hill in North Whales tonight around 7:30 to get a mug of the So Cuttered Hoppy Wheat. Sounds tasty, and but tonight I should be thirsty. If any of my readers is in the area, please stop by.

Luck of the Irish

Before the storms rolled through the area, I was drinking at what felt like an authentic Irish Bar in Conshohocken (or one of the neighboring towns). Needing to break from the norm, I decided I would go to a place I've never been before, as I knew I could find a place that would offer a different beer experience than what I've had this past week. The result, I ended up at Brittingham's Irish Pub and restaurant. Sounds cool, right? We walked in and I knew immediately this place was for the Irish beer lovers as plastered throughout the bar was signs, and mirrors for Guinness and Irish beer products. Looking over their June/July seasonal beer list (which mostly contained summer drafts/bottles) I noticed the Smuttynose IPA on draft. As all drafts were $3/pint how could I pass up an IPA I never had before. Unfortunately, the bartender informed me he had a keg of Blue Moon that won't kick, so at this time the Summtynose is not available. Understandable. Had I not have to drive home, I might have considered helping kick the keg to get to an IPA.
Being that I was at an Irish Bar, I went with an Irish draft beer. No, I didn't order a Guinness, but I did order a Harp Lager. This crisp beer is much lighter in taste than the lager I'm use too, such as Yeungling or Sam Adam's. Going off the color and taste, I would consider Harp much closer to the lager Budweiser. While drinking my beer, I did consider ordering a black and tan, but decided to hold that off until next Saint Patrick's Day. For those that don't drink, a Black and Tan is half Guinness Stout and Harp Lager; worth trying if you never had. It's been some time since I last had a Harp, as honestly I'm not much of a Guinness/Irish Beer drinker. When I was younger, I remember visiting Ireland on a school trip and going into the Guinness store. I purchased a really cool beer poster that I no longer have.

I realize lately I've complained about all the summer seasonal I've ordered, and haven't tasted one that really stood out. That changed last night, when I tasted a Newcastle Brown Ale Summer seasonal. Yes, that's right folks, Newcastle makes a Summer seasonal. I know, I never knew Newcastle brewed seasonal beers, but I figured to give it a try. I ordered a draft that was served in a cool Newcastle summer seasonal glass. The beer had that Newcastle brown color and taste. When drinking the beer I don't know if I would have considered this a seasonal summer beer, or more like a lighter version of the beer. Had I not known it was a seasonal I would have assumed this was the Newcastle Brown Ale light

While I was drinking my last beer, I did overhear the bartender and other patrons talk about the Smuttynose IPA. I'm guessing the Blue Moon finally got kicked and they had tapped the desired keg of IPA which was the talk of the bar. You know it's a decent IPA when the bartender states "I'm not much of an IPA drinker, but that's good." This is just another reason why I will need to get back to the Irish Pub. That and the food was delicious.

Beer: A Great Lullaby

I slept like a baby last night after drinking two large drafts at dinner. I went to Houlihan's Bar, and ordered an old favorite: Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat. Needing a big drink I asked for a tall draft, but must say I was disappointed with the beer choice, and I'm not sure why. Drinking the Cherry wheat just didn't sit well, and I felt like I wanted more out of my beer. It seemed off, and although I could taste the cherries, for some reason my beer tasted tart. Regardless I finished the beer, so it couldn't have been too bad. Then again, maybe I was just thirsty. For my second choice I went with another old favorite: Blue Moon. No, not the summer seasonal, Honey Moon, but the regular Blue Moon. The one with the orange, and no, I didn't squeeze the orange. The Blue Moon was refreshing, but again I wanted more out of my beer. Lately I've been craving something different than the normal beers I drink. I like drinking a micro beers, but want something other than a summer seasonal. I am disappointed that I had not gotten to drink any Sam Adam's White Ale as no place I went to had that on tap for the spring seasonal. Most places had the Noble Pils, which is not at the White Ale level. Because I was in bed by 10, I must say when I woke this morning I felt great!

Iron Hill Stepping It's Brewing Up

It's been a few days since my last blog. This past week most of my time has been spent working on the house, and I just haven't had the chance to do much writing. I did manage to drink some refreshing/cold/tasty/fill in the blank beers Friday night at Iron Hill. Now that I live across the street, I'm thinking I will go there to drink when I need a beer (assuming I have extra money). If you haven't gotten the chance, get over to the brewery soon as they have an extensive seasonal list of beers on tap. I was actually surprised by the amount of seasonal on the draft list that I asked the server if the brew master was doing this because of Philly Beer Week. She said they were aware of PBW, but that wasn't the reason for the extensive selection. Apparently the brew master has been doing a great job, and had a lot of kegs that needed drinking so he put them on tap. Thankfully for him, I came to drink.

Glancing over the list I saw my favorite Iron Hill beer: Rising Sun; If it was up to me this beer would become a staple at the Iron Hill. This IPA is brewed with Japanese Hops that has such a smooth taste. I ended up drinking three beers as it was a Friday night. Being that I am now a Maple Shade resident there was a beer called the #100 which was brewed specifically for this location. The description stated it was brewed 100 lbs of sugar, malts, corn, etc. I had a sample of this beer, but since this was Friday I don't remember taste. I do remember thinking I wouldn't order a draft of this. The other beer on their seasonal list that I would have tried (assuming Rising Sun wasn't on draft) is the Apricot Wheat. For some reason I have been craving the Aprihop By Dogfish Head.

Getting off subject, not sure if any of you read the blog ZoowithRoy.com. aka I want to go to the zoo with Roy Halladay. Iron Hill has teamed up with this blog and if brewing a beer after this blog. I'm hoping to get to try a sample of this beer as I find the concept great. Maybe Iron Hill can make a beer after H Loves Beer... maybe?

Beer you Know at BYOBs

One of the advantages of going to a BYOB is the fact you get to bring your own beer. The other night I went to a BYOB hibacchi and I brought a 6 pack. In the past, the habiccahi I use to go to had a liquor/beer store right next door which I figured I could visit and get an unique 6 pack from a brewery I never heard. However, this store was long gone as it has gone out of business. Instead of going to a store, I decided to grab a few brews from my fridge: mostly Blue Moon Honey Ale and one of the Flying Fish I had. It was good, especially with my sushi. I also moved into my house in Maple Shade the following Day. While most people will stock their fridge with food I had craft beer for my visitors to drink.

To Squeeze the Orange or Not Squeeze, that is the question

I like to drink Blue Moon. Whenever I drink Blue Moon I really enjoy the orange slice in my beer. I can't really say if the orange makes a difference in the taste, but drinking a Blue Moon without an orange, it just doesn't seem right. It's like Peanut butter without the Jelly, or Spaghetti without the meatballs. Whenever you go out to a bar or restaurant you always get a nicely cut orange that's put on the side of the pint glass. I usually just flick the slice into my beer and have it float around. Last night was different. I decided to cut up the orange and squeeze the juice into the beer, and threw the remaining pieces into the beer like it was a stew. The taste of the beer was really good, however after a few sips I tasted no more orange. Next time your drinking a blue moon try squeezing the juices from the orange into the beer and let me know which way you prefer.