What are you drinking?

By all news reports, the New Jersey area will become quite interesting within the next few hours. Regardless of what will or will not happen, this is always an excuse to drink beer. Some love drinking voldka, or whiskey, where others like me love drinking brewskis. Often, we focus too heavily on milk, cheese, and bread but honestly we should think about beer. Or maybe water.


I've been getting supplies the past few days. I'm not sure what to believe on how bad the storm will be. It seems unreal when your seeing events unfold on television.

I picked up a case of miller light, and 12 pack sample fall from magic hat at the wilco. I then went to the Iron Hill Maple Shade to get a growler of Rising Sun. I knew before they were holding a special event teamed up with Flying Fish to serve Iron Fish and Flying Fish #13(don't know if I got the numbers right). I was told this was the ONLY keg available in the world!. Crazy, but no, I didn't drink this beer. I ran into the brewer of Iron Hill, Chris, whom was talking to me about the event and even let me try a taste of Iron Fish, which looked like a black IPA with a nice taste. I should have gotten a growler of that, but the Rising Sun is one of my favorites beer.

Watching the news, make sure you stay safe and drink good beer.

Iron Hill Second Anniversary Party: Glad I went

A few weeks ago, I learned of the 2nd anniversary party at Iron Hill Maple Shade from my father. Although I'm a mug club member, he gets the majority of the emails from the brewery about different events, but knowing my love for beer he is kind enough to forward them. Thankfully, he his son well, enough, that he decided to make reservations for Saturday to attend the party and the taping of their keg Second Rising. Prior to going, I decided to get more involved with my twitter account and tweeted a message to the Iron Hill CEO asking him if he would be there. I also felt the need to tell him about my excitement to try Second Rising. Or should I say #SecondRising. To my surprise, he answered my tweet and even re tweeted what I said. Pretty cool, right.

We ran a later than we originally planned as I had to order the valance that goes with my curtains at Bed, Bath, Beyond. And you wonder where my beer money is going? We picked a table in the bar area, and despite the event wrapping up I knew I would still get to drink fresh beer. I've blogged before about my love for Rising Sun, so I was anxious to try what the brewer was calling it's "Big Brother" Second Rising. This beer, which is also brewed with Japanese bred Sorachi Ace Hops, is considered a double IPA. I don't normally enjoy double IPAs, so I was a bit sceptical and thought it might be too much of a heavy, big bite beer. Even with my concerns, I knew I had to try this beer, as these hops it's brewed with give this beer an unique flavor. I also found it cool that they had brewed a keg of Christmas in July beer which they tapped earlier in the day. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the bar it had already been kicked.

I ordered a draft of Second Rising, which was served in one of the Iron Hill mugs. As much as I love drinking my beer out of these mugs, I sometimes forget how beautiful a finely poured beer looks. Especially when its a fresh craft brew. To my surprise, and thankfully for my blog my dad ended up ordering a draft that wasn't poured in a mug. The beer had a nice dark color that reminded me of the Dogfish Head 60 minutes IPA. The beer was poured perfectly and produced a perfect head. Getting head on a beer needs to be an exact science as too much can make the beer drinking experience a negative one. I do regret not getting a nice smell of the beer, however I was just too damn excited to try this beer that I took a huge gulp with my first sip. Despite it being a beer I never tried, I immediately knew the unique taste, and could see how this beer is considered the Big Brother of Rising Sun. Honestly, I do enjoy Rising Sun much better, and as this beer was 7.5% alcohol drinking a few of these beers can take it's toll on you.

While doing what I do best (drinking beer), I did get a chance to meet the brewer Chris. As often as I've been to the Hill I've never actually met him but have seen him plenty of times. I can even say I read his blog. Being that it was the anniversary party and he wasn't creating beer (or should I say working), I got the chance to talk to him about beer, and share my love for it. He was even kind enough to take me and my dad to the back and show us the beer tour and answer all my beer related questions. Because I wore my Zoo with Roy Beer shirt, I even discussed with him about the So Cuttered Hoppy Wheat Beer I tried at Iron Hill North Whales

We stayed later than we planned, and I somehow talked my parents into getting me a growler to go. Instead of the Second Rising I went with the Kryptonite, which I haven't really gotten to enjoy yet. With everything going on in my life, I haven't been drinking as much beer as I would like. However after spending an afternoon at the brewery I have fallen back in love with beer....

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.

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?

May: The month of burgers and beer

It's been at least a month since my last visit to the Iron Hill Brewery. The last mug club email I received from the brewery was about May being National Cheeseburger month and to celebrate they were creating a new burger each day. Definitely an awesome concept since I love burgers.

The main reason I love drinking at breweries is that the beer is fresh, and depending on the season and what the brewmaster wants to brew the beers can vary and always seem to rotate. If I go to the Iron Hill in Maple Shade I might have different choices than if I go to the Iron Hill in Media.

During my Sunday night visit, I saw two beers on their rotating list that intrigued me: The Situation, which is a double IPA named after the Jersey's Shore star, and the Saizanne, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale recommended by my friend Steve. Since I wasn't sure if I wanted a full draft, I asked for a sample of each. Because the Situation was a double IPA, I sampled the Saizanne first which Steve mentioned being the "Champagne of Belgians." The beer was light but had a spicy aftertaste that I enjoyed but didn't think I could drink a full draft. I tried the Situation and realized this was a strong beer that had me feeling buzzed after the sample. Although I could find myself drinking this beer, I felt I would be drunk off one draft with an alcohol content of over 10%.

Instead of going with a beer from their seasonal list and something I never had, I made the safe choice and ordered an Inbound Ale, which is an Iron Hill staple. I've had this beer before, and think this might have been the first beer I ever tried at the Iron Hill. The Inbound Ale is your typical Pale Ale, which pairs well with many of the foods they serve.

For my second draft, I decided to try a beer I've never had: Raspberry Wheat, which tastes exactly like it's name. The fruit taste was present in each sip, however this wasn't overwhelming. Thinking about this beer now, I can't stop thinking about the Blueberry Wheat Manayunk Brewery brews. Although one tastes like blueberries and the other raspberries it's great to see brewers take risks and use ingredients you wouldn't think you could use to brew beer.



Note: I've been trying to get this posted the past week however the blog site was down a few days, and I actually thought I lost my saved draft.

A Cold Night in South Philadelphia

Last night was cold. Actually, it was freezing. I can honestly say I now know what Jack felt in Titanic as Rose was floating on the wood while they waited to be rescued in the middle of the ocean. I cut out of work at 6 and my drive down to the stadium took a little over a hour. Despite the traffic to the stadium my drive was relaxing and I rode with the windows down believing it not to be that cold. By the time I got to the stadium and parked the game was about 10 minutes in, and being stupid I didn't grab my jacket. Heck, I thought I could easily put a beer coat on.

It wasn't until I got inside the stadium that I realized how cold it was. I immediately knew I should have grabbed my jacket, and had to resort to the giveaway t shirt and my long sleeve phils shirt to keep warm. I needed a beer, so me and Rich ended at the first hometown brewery we saw to order a beer. Although there were 4 micro brew choices, I had to go with one of my favorites: Flying Fish Summer Ale. Unfortunately the beer didn't make me believe I was in the summer months. I think a better choice would have been Sam Adam's Winter Ale.

I got to my seats, and didn't worry about my beer becoming warm and unenjoyable. In fact, I thought the complete opposite and figured my beer would freeze. It was so cold that I didn't want to drink, and I couldn't even move. A few times I found myself going to the bathroom not because I had to use it, but because I thought I could get warm.

As cold as it was, and because of the poor performance the Phillies put on I only drank my one beer, and left by the 6th inning. The one benefit of that was I hit no traffic leaving. It was still early in the night, and because I had to drive Rich to Media we stopped at the Iron Hill Brewery in Media Square. Again, I feel like I should be a spokesperson for this place, but I love this brewery and they are everywhere. If anyone that works at Iron Hill reads this please consider me for a position that allows me to drink your beer and write for you guys.

I ended up drinking a Rising Sun, but noticed a beer on their list called Hopalicious. I can only assume this was a hoppy beer. I should have ordered this beer, but as I blogged previously I have a love affair with the Rising Sun.

There's two things I want to mention about Iron Hill: the Iron Hill in Maple Shade is holding a fundraiser this Friday to raise money for the people of Japan. For those that are going to this location, please order a draft (or two) of the rising sun as 100% of the proceeds are going to help the people of Japan. I do plan to work late that night, but I might have to stop by to support the cause. The second thing I want to mention is that the Iron Hill in Media is doing their annual brewfest on May 14. I went last year and drank beers from over over 25 breweries. Not to mention they serve food, and have live music. The weather was perfect last year, and it was a great time. I'm still undecided if I'm attending this year, but this is one event that's completely worth the money.

As for the Phillies, I determined today that any tickets (other than opening day) I have during the month of April I will end up selling.

Call Me a Regular Joe

I was going through past blogs and realized I've frequented the Iron Hill Brewery enough times to consider myself a regular. The fact that I will be moving close enough to walk to this place makes believe I will be blogging about my favorite brewery even more. I apologize in advance. The last few times I've been to the Iron Hill in Maple Shade I've been told by a friend who serves there that I need to try the India Black Ale. If I remember correctly, I think I tried this beer in a flight I ordered a month back, but then again, it was a Saturday afternoon and I did have a few of their Rising Suns so I might have not tried this beer.

I've been to this place enough times that I can tell you the beers they always have on draft. Because I can always get their red lager, inbound ale, or porter I can't remember the last time I actually ordered one of those drafts. Instead I always find myself looking at the rotating list they offer. Wanting to try and blog about a beer I never tried, I went with the India Black Ale. Although the beer was dark in color, it wasn't a thick or heavy beer that I expected it to be. It had a roasted hop taste that went down smooth. Smooth enough that when it came time to order another I ordered the same draft.

I was glad I ordered this beer. When I saw my friend Steve I was sure to tell him I took his suggestion and agreed with him that this beer was delicious. I also learned that every first Tuesday of the month they have a home brewing meeting where local brewers come to the brewery to discuss their beer and let others try it. I'm not sure if I will be able to make it to next weeks meeting, but I will definately have to see about attending one in the near future. Steve also shared that he was brewing his own beer, and I suggested to him that if he would allow me to try his beer I would blog about it. 

Beers of the World

Unlike most of you my Saturday didn't consist of waking up and heading into Philadelphia for the Erin Express. Instead I woke up and began packing for CT before meeting up with the Realtor to continue our house search. After a busy and successful morning we needed to get lunch prior to our drive and ended up at my favorite place: Iron Hill Brewery. In a previous blog, I mentioned my urge to get to the brewery but due to the timing I had to select another restaurant. As it was close to noon when we walked I didn't think we were at the right place because there was a light crowd, and we were easily able to grab a seat in one of the empty booths in the bar area. Because of our three hour drive to CT, I knew it would be a terrible idea to drink a strong and multiples. Needing an enjoyable lighter beer with taste I picked the Inbound Ale which is considered a staple in their beer menu as it's always on tap. I couldn't help but think how happy I was that Iron Hill decided to open up a brewery in Maple Shade.

The drive to CT was uneventful, but long. After sitting in the car for over three hours we were hungry and decided to on Chinese Food. Normally we would order take out, but for some reason we were in the mood to go to the restaurant to enjoy our dinner. I didn't plan to order a beer until I saw the table across from me order a round of Tsingtao Beer. From memory, I think I've had this beer only once. I'm almost certain the one time I did have this beer was when we found it in someones trunk who probably had it in there for several months. I don't remember it tasting that great. As I poured the beer into the glass provided, I noticed the beer had a yellow shade comparable to Miller or Coors light. However after my first sip I realized it was much different, and it's crisp taste paired well with Chinese food, and I'll leave it that. I can't see myself ordering this beer being at any other place than a Chinese restaurant.

After dinner we entered the beer store that was in the same complex of the restaurant. I quickly realized we weren't in the Philadelphia area as many of the neon lights hung in their windows represented the Boston sports teams. The store was small but offered wine, liquor and of course beer. I walked to the beer cooler and saw the row of sampler packs they had on the ground that lined the coolers. Lauren pointed a pack out that also caught my eye: Brewers Dozen Boulder Beer. This brewery located in Colorado reminded me of Magic Hat as their beer packaging and names had a Hippie vibe. When I got home and opened the sampler pack I immediately feel in love as their were three types of IPAs. Of the the beer in the sampler pack: Mojo India Pale Ale, Flashback India Brown Ale, Sweaty Betty Blonde Ale, and Hazed and Confused, I found the Hazed and Confused to be my favorite while the Sweaty Betty was on the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

The main reason to go to CT was that there was a Portuguese baptism we needed to attend. Knowing there would be foods from the Portuguese culture, I was praying Portuguese beer would be offered. GOD must have heard my prayers as I was able to order a Sagres mini beer. I wasn't sure what this beer would taste like and thought for sure I wouldn't like it especially after being tired from the night before. To my surprise the beer was delicious and I was told countless times it was similar to Heineken Light.

My weekend consisted of trying different beers that I never had before. Since I started this blog I'm really trying to branch out of my norm and experience all that beer has to offer. If anyone has any suggestions on what beer I should try next I would love to hear from you.

A Saturday Afternoon at the Brewery

I had every intention to blog yesterday, but after drinking a little too much I didn't get a chance too. My apologizes for that. Yesterday was an early day, after waking up at 7:30AM to run errands. By the time I got home it was around 1:30, so I headed to the Iron Hill brewery for some beer and grub. I mentioned the other day about my excitement that their seasonal beer Rising Sun was back on draft. Not wasting anytime I ended up ordering that for my first beer, and when that was finished I ordered another draft. The Rising Sun is my favorite beer, and was as good as I remembered.

Since I started this blog I've been trying to branch out with my drinking. When I go to a bar or restaurant I find myself ordering something I'm comfortable with. To counter this, I ordered a beer flight of their current seasonal samples. The 4 ounce samples included:

India Black Ale - Similar to their porter but hopped up. I enjoyed this, and would order again

Orange Trufle - Tasted like a chocolate covered orange. It was good, but not something I would order.

American Brown Ale - Reminded me of Newcastle Brown Ale, but was better. Perhaps it might have been better since it was brewed in the same building and was fresh.

Abbey Dubbel - I'm really trying to enjoy Belgian beers, but I'm having a hard time. Although light in color, I just can't seem to enjoy these types. I did manage to drink the full sample for the sake of this blog, but just find these beers aren't for me.

American Tripel (Their seasonal Belgian) - Same as above

Rising Sun - My favorite beer they brew. I can never have too much of this kind.

By the time I left the Iron Hill I was feeling the effects of the beer, and had to pass the car keys to the GF. I'm not sure if it's because the beer I've tried has higher alcohol content but I often leave this place happy.

Thank you Iron Hill Brewery

I got some EXCITING news from the Iron Hill Brewery! The beer, Rising Sun will be back on tap at the Maple Shade location, and I'll definately need to get my butt in there to enjoy several drafts. They did mention that for Valentines Day they will be releasing the Cherry Vanilla Porter which sounds interesting, but with only one keg I doubt I will get there to try it before it's kicked.

The mall makes me drink at Iron Hill Brewery

I hate the mall. Actually I REALLY hate the mall. The only time I'll agree to go to the mall is if I need to, and I have to know exactly what I need to buy. I ended up at the Cherry Hill mall tonight, and could have sworn Christmas was only a few days away. The mall was so packed with all forms of life. When I first woke today I decided I would drink, but after the mall I REALLY needed a drink.

All day I've been craving beer, and not just any beer, I wanted fresh brewery beer.  I ended up at the Iron Hill Brewery in Maple Shade after my stressful evening at the mall. I'm going to be honest, I've had a few issue with this place regarding customer service and feel most of the time it's unorganized. Tonights service was fine, but I feel the service and restaurant at other Iron Hills in the Philadelphia area run much smoother. Despite the service the beer and food is excellent.

I ended up drinking two of their Inbound Ales, and although they quenched my beer thirst, I wouldn't consider it my favorite. I've drank many of their beers, and the one that sticks out most was their seasonal beer, Rising Sun. It was an IPA (go figure) that was brewed with California Hops, and had an awesome flavor. Unfortunately it's no longer on tap.

I do need to point out their beer menu is extensive and they take a massive amount of pride brewing their beer. I can't think of a time that I felt their beer was unsatisfactory.