Rich Pawlak

Perhaps not in bottles, but it will be tapped on Friday Dec 19 at the Grey Lodge, at, gasp! 10AM!

I fifth that recommendation; I'm by no means an expert or conisseur of chocolate, but the Jubilee chocolates are sensational, as are the ones from Miel and LBF, but Jubilee was just extraordinary, flavor-wise, ESPECIALLY the mint confections.

Aside from the monthly beer dinners at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia, and a less formal monthly one at Waterzooi on Long Island, NY, there are fewer and fewer beer dinners these days, it seems to me. But prove me wrong; tell us about any good beer dinners in your neck of the woods. I was inspired to post this by a menu I received today from Todd Ashman, perennial medal winning brewer when he was at Flossmoor Station in Flossmoor, IL, and now the new brewer at Titletown Brewing Co. in Green Bay, WI. To welcome Ashman, this is what Titletown BC will serve up as an Inaugural Beer Dinner with Todd, for, get this, $17.50 per person. And I hear the weather there this time of year is just special. To wit: Inauguration Dinner Invitation Join us in welcoming Brewmaster Todd Ashman to Titletown Brewing Company. Enjoy a gourmet Wisconsin meal where each course is coupled with the perfect ale to complement and contrast the complex flavors in both the food and brew. Prior to seating Wisconsin Craft Cheeses and Assorted Sausages with Railyard Ale Beer Mustard Beer Pairing - American style Wheat Ale and India Pale Ale Soup Stilton Beer Cheese soup Beer Pairing – Old Fort Howard Pale Ale Salad Baby Spinach and Endive with Wisconsin “Blue” Cheese, Door County Cherries Caramelized with Toasted Oats and Molasses Brown Ale then Topped with Raspberry Honey Ale Vinaigrette Dressing and Walnut Crustini Beer Pairing – “400” Honey Ale Entrée Smoked Pork Chop served on a bed of spent grain stuffing with warm German Potato Salad and fresh vegetables Beer Pairing – Johnny Blood McNally Irish Red and Railyard Ale Dessert Warm Bread Pudding Topped with a Russian Imperial Stout Bourbon Sauce Beer Pairing – Russian Imperial Stout and / or Toasted Oats Molasses Brown Ale Starts at 3:30pm with Tours of the Brewery and Historic Train Station with dinner served promptly at 5:00pm After Dinner: Hang out with Todd and Talk Beer!! Cost: $17.50 plus gratuity For those of you who have never sampled Ashman's beers, they are extraordinary, and I would imagine that will far outshine the decent, starightforward menu they have planned above. So, are beer dinners a dying breed or what?

Oh, it just hurts to read them. I will never be that hungry. Ever.

Maggie, you dont have to wear a thing. Our collective love will keep you warm.

Picked up a sixer of Weyerbacher Winter Ale, from Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA, the other day, and finally cracked one open on Friday night just before our weekly beer chat on Starchat.net , The No Bull Inn (11:00 PM EST). Great label on this one, pilfering snowmen hauling away cases of beer from a beer ambush, hilarious. The beer pours dark brown into the glass, with a pretty thin head that dissipates quickly. Chocolatey aromas abound, and I swear it smells like mole', with a hint of pepper that's hardly subtle. First sip has all that chocolate and more, burnt pie crust and some smoke, and a little peat. Although it says it's only 6.1 ABV, it feels like a lot more, and a after a few sips, it feels like it's going to pack a whallop. It's a malty one, this Weyerbacher, and this winter brew begs for a cigar too. Wish I could smoke in the house. As it warms, hints of orange peel and almonds appear and it leaves a nice chest warmth too, by the time the glass is empty. A very nice winter beer indeed.

You Lucky Bastard. Do provide every luscious detail.

See my notes on this beer in the Winter Beers in the Snow thread.

Since 1997, when I was first invited to participate, a jolly bunch of us in the Philadelphia area have gathered every holiday season to assemble what has come to be called The Christmas Mix. Steered and organized by beer writer Lew Bryson, with help from several other passionate beer geeks, its has been, for us, the ultimate beer Christmas present: 24 winter/holiday/Xmas beers, one per case, a case of joy for 24 lucky people. We are doing the same this year, assembling at the Grey Lodge Public House in Philly(www.greylodge.com) on Monday, December 29 and making up these cases. This is not a money-making venture of any kind, and several of us are already out purchasing the cases at distributorships all over the place, as far away as Maryland, to be ready for Dec. 29. The case price every year has averaged between $32-35 usually, and I expect, from initial purchasing so far, for that price to continue. We have some slots available this year, and I want to open it up to the folks here, especially to the ones within geographic range for pickup on Dec 29. For those interested who live further away, I'm sure we can calculate shipping, but there is always the risk of damage, and, of course the consideranble expense of shipping a case of beer. It's been done, but that's just the caveat. Just to whet your whistle, this is what we have planned for the Christmas Mix, with some possible changes due to availibility etc.: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Troegs Mad Elf Wild Goose Snow Goose Bert Grants Deep Powder Anchor OSA River Horse Frost Bite Harpoon Winter Warmer Victory Old Horizontal Old Dominion Winter Appalachian Susquehanna Stout Monk's Cafe Sour Clipper City Winter Pyramid Snow Cap Penn St. Nikolaus Avery Old Jubilation Geary’s Hampshire Winter Bell’s Java Stout North Coast Wintertime Weyerbacher Winter Pivovar Winter Lager Otter Creek A Winter’s Ale or Alpine Ale Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Harvey Christmas Ale Heavyweight Old Salty Flying Fish Grand Cru Lancaster Winter Warmer E-mail me here for details on payment in advance when possible, and get a case of beer like no other. Joining us all at the Grey Lodge, on December 29, will be (check out their current beer menu!) even more special and fun, if you can.

John, youre not looking hard enough; I'ev already seen it in Joe Canal's and in some of the smaller package stores in and around Princeton. Princeton??? That's like NORTH Jersey!! I'll have to check out Canal's once the roads clear up. There is a new Canal's opening on Rte 130 in Hamilton, in that humongous Marketplace shopping mecca with the Lowe's and the Home Depot and God knows what other big box retailers, you lazy bastard. Yes, get off your ass and head to THAT Canal's if Princeton seems too "north" for you.

Sue, Where in Florida are you now living? I have been able to find Bigfoot in Fort Lauderdale. Also, Big Bear Brewing in Coral Springs (we have been there) took the GABF gold in 2002 for their belgian dubbel. Brewzzi's in Boca Raton won four medals in 2001 and 2002 in real beer cateories. There are also some brewpubs and microbreweries in the Tampa area my brother really likes. If not, I'd be more than willing to ship if I only had beer shipping boxes. I have a few shipping boxes (probably from Frank E. in IL (remember him?) but have surely gotten away from the shipping beer thing. Good enough time to revive that dangerous habit.

Thanks, Craig, I'm looking forward to drinking it, and will toast you and Balex when I do.

Another beer sampled at the Grey Lodge Public House last night was Penn St. Nikolaus, from Penn Brewing Co. Pittsburgh, PA. Deep brown in color with dark orange highlights, this plummy, creamy brew gave up hints of chocolate, almonds, even pears to me, and a finish like slightly burnt pie crust. Nice frothy khaki head, fabulous aroma of coffee and chocolate. Always a winter favorite, and a tremendous version of the dopllebock style. Always great to see every December on tap at the best bars in Philly. A great beer with a cigar, too.

Bobbo! Folks, this is Bob Rescinito, from Oklahoma City, OK (but dont hold that against him), another one of the most passionate beer people I know, an expert homebrewer (wait until he starts chiming in on the Homebrew threads!) and serious foodie. Another of the original Prodigy beer community folks, and a welcome addition here!

Given the very cursive nature of the script on the bottle, yes, it could be Zaccagnini.

Sampled a couple of winter beers tonight at the legendary Grey Lodge Public House in NE Philadelphia. On tap were Penn St. Nikolas from Pittsburgh, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Anchor Our Special Ale and Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout, as well as the return of Legacy (nee Pretzel City) Duke of Ale. First, Anchor Our Special Ale, Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, CA. What a surprise! Silken, smooth and full of plums! There are tastes that you remember all of your life, tastes that never leave you no matter what. One of those tastes, for me, is that of Gerber Plums (that's right, the baby food, so sue me). And this year's Anchor OSA has GOT to have some of those in the brew. Gone is the sometimes strong pine/retsina/pine bark taste that OSA has always seemed to have, replaced by tons of gorgeous, purple plums. I swear. Dark and black as night, with a thick, dense 1/2 inch khaki head, the immediate aroma in the glass was like the leather in a Range Rover, a distinctive, Connoly-like smell, and then a hint of tobacco, But then the first sip: sweet, smooth and plummy, without a trace of harshness, as in previous years, and none of that oily mouthfeel. Oh, my kind of winter beer, and so far this winter, my favorite.

Rich, Blue and Gold shutdown about 5 years ago. Casuality of the owner's divorce Isnt Blue and Gold still in Fredricksville, VA?

Oh ferchrissakes, tell us about the dinner! Nothing is ever as perfect as we want it, and when a dinner seems so, it's just one of life's bonuses. So tell us what you had! And why it wasn't what you were expecting.

I've just received this wine as an early Christmas gift with its clever straw necklace and twig decoration. Can anyone tell me about this wine? I've enjoyed Montepulciano d'Abruzzos for years ( I enjoy pouring these at casual parties and barbeques) but have never seen this one. Just curious about its qualities and suitability. Thanks!

If you enjoyed Goose Island's Bourbon Stout, a very good stout indeed, the Old Dominion would absolutely knock your socks off.

Dressing in an option, gabe. Surprise us.

What is bourbon stout? If it's what I think it is, where can I get some? OD Bourbon Stout has to be one of the finest beers I've ever had, shockingly smooth, with so many terrific flavors layered upon one another, dark coffee, semi-sweet chocolate, bourbon, even cherries. An extraordiary beer.

You have some great beer choices in DC: Old Dominion, Baltimore Brewing, Blue & Gold, Gordon Biersch, Clipper City, Frederick, Wild Goose, Capital Brewing, Williamsburg Brewing , and many more; you dont lack for outstanding beers in DC at all!

Oh, this looks like a good one: THE DANGEROUS DINING CLUB PRESENTS A HOLIDAY TRADITION, DDC- STYLE THIS AIN’T YOUR NONNA’S SEVEN FISHES DINNER ! at: VESUVIO RISTORANTE 736-38 S. 8th St., Philadelphia Monday, December 15, 2003, 6:30 PM RSVP by Friday, December 12 to Katie Loeb at katieloeb@fast.net Or (215) 351-9016 THE MENU First Course Lobster Bisque Second Course - Family Style Crostini Tasting Tuna Grape tomatoes, chervil and balsamic. Marinated White Anchovies Orange supremes, radish and black olive tapenade. Third Course - Served Family Style Salmon Carpaccio House cured Salmon with Seasonal Sprouts, Red Onion, minced Egg. Steamed Mussels Mussels Steamed in Red Sauce, Fresh Garlic & Oregano Calamari Fritti Calamari fried accompanied by Zucchini in a Spicy Marinara Sauce Fourth Course Fettuccini al Vongele Chopped Clams, Garlic & Parsley Fifth Course Biscotti and Fruit Coffee and Tea Pricing is $30 per person, tax & gratuity included. Cash Bar available, with wines by the glass! (and Eagles-Miami Monday Night Football and drink specials after dinner!)

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLoyd! Almost missed your post; welcome! This is a SERIOUS beer geek, folks! Lloyd is from Northern Virginia, and he knows his stuff.