Looking Back at 2011: The Beers We Enjoyed Most (Haiku-Style)

10. Hitachino Nest White Ale
Intriguingly crisp.
Interesting spiced finish.
And world's best label.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Lagunitas IPA

Lagunitas IPA
The best brewery currently churning out beer in the states? Stone could make a decent case. Rogue has myriad wonderful selections. Yards holds it down from a Philly perspective. North Coast? Avery? Great Lakes? All deserving dark horse candidates. I'd have to go with Lagunitas though. Their IPA? Simply majestic.

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King of the Case: Yards Brewing Company

Wherein I will buy a variety case and decide what the best beer in it is.

Yards Brewing Company

Extra Special Ale
This amber-colored beer features a strong, bold flavor with hints of cocoa and caramel. It is an English-style ale, but it seems a little more drinkable to me than the usual concoction from the United Kingdom.

Philadelphia Pale Ale
This beer is a revelation from first sip. As soon as you bring it near your nose, you pick up a powerful, citrus scent. When you take a drink, fruity, pungent hop flavor jumps out at you like a mugger near an ATM. It's got session-beer ABV (4.6%), but a complexity that you usually don't find in such an easy-to-drink varietal. It's a crisp, interesting beer whose layers of flavor can simply be reveled in. Reminded me of the first time I drank Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin, which is to say I feel like I need to get a case of this alone.

Brawler Pugilist Style Ale
With its brownish coloring, this beer actually reminds a lot of the Extra Special Ale. The only difference is that this one has a bit of a smoky Rauchbier-type feel. This being said, I am not a huge fan of smoky beers. If made to choose, I would go with the Extra Special.

India Pale Ale
Yards does hops well. This one features well distributed hops and distinct flavor. It's not going to blow you away like some of the more spectacular West Coast IPAs, but it isn't run-of-the-mill either. Almost feel like I would have enjoyed it even more if I had not consumed it twenty minutes or so after knocking back the Philly Pale.

The LabelsFor the look of its labels, Yards shoots for a classic, dignified feel. However, by using vibrant color combinations, they are able to ensure that the bottles are never boring. I was tempted to declare the Extra Special Ale the winner simply because the green-and-yellow color combination appeals to me. I feel like I could drink this at a bar and it would communicate that I am a man who enjoys simple pleasures, like a manly beer, a novel by Hemingway, a film by John Ford. In the end though, I give the nod to Brawler. The blue-and-orange color combo, while it is the color of the New York Mets, has always been a favorite of mine. Plus, I enjoy the art of the fighter facing off against the demonic figure. I like to imagine that the fighter is Yards and the demon is the beer brand that believes it needs to put a "Super Cold" stripe on its cans to get idiots to buy it. Buffoonish saps! Keep fighting that fight, Yards!

The WinnerThese are all solid beers that I would not mind spending way too much money on while out at a fancy-schmancy night spot with my friends. The Brawler is probably the only one I would place as a "B" beer, and that is because I am not a major proponent for smoky beers. Still, in this battle of the beers, there is only one winner and it is undoubtedly the Philadelphia Pale Ale. Just an incredible specimen of beer craftsmanship. If you see this on a menu, order it immediately as it is one of the best beers I have tasted all year. One note of interest: Even if you buy it in a bottle, pour it in a glass. The open top releases all sorts of flavors upon your senses and it makes for a way-more-delectable experience.

New Jersey's Pour House is Enjoyable, not Award-Worthy

In the June/July edition of the very entertaining magazine, Beer Scene, the publication named Westmont's The Pour House as the "Best Classic Bar" in the states of New Jersey and Delaware. Being that I was in the area yesterday, I decided to stop by and find out if their choice held water. The answer unfortunately was both "Yes" and "No."

First, the Yes. There is simply no denying that this place has a very impressive beer list. The following is just a sample of some of the luminaries they are featuring in bottles: Avery. Hitachino. Stone. North Coast. Ommegang. I imagine you could sit here for days and you wouldn't run out of interesting beers to sample. You would probably have to get your stomach pumped, but that is another matter altogether. The draft list also has plenty to savor. As of this writing, they have, among others, Anderson Valley Bootlinger Weiss, Green Flash West Coast IPA, and Stone Ruination IPA. You get the idea: It's a quality lineup. In the interest of full disclosure, the beers I had during my stay were a stellar Weyerbacher Verboten, a Sly Fox Chester County Brown Ale (more on that later), and bottles of Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale and Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale (both wonderful).

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Yards Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale

Yard's Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale
Incredibly distinctive beer. Tastes like no other. Literally tastes like a spruce tree flew in your window and landed in your beer. That was before Hurricane Irene caused an actual spruce tree to fly in my window and land in my beer. They brewed it that way, in other words.

Hittin' Up Philly Beer Week: Memphis Taproom

Props out to Memphis Taproom, the hipsterish refuge in Fishtown, for putting together a Beer Week event that was perfect for that most underappreciated of beer enthusiasts: the one with kids. This past Saturday, we attended their ingenious Tot Lot festivities, a get-together that put their spectacular beer garden to great use.

Parents who wanted to take part in the Beer Week fun were invited to bring their kids to an event that featured a generous selection of canned beer (the better for tricking the kiddies into thinking it was just a normal old sodie pop), many different hot dog varieties from their lunch cart, and a host of activities for the kids, including assorted toys, healthy socialization, and a lively guitarist singing diddies and devising dance maneuvers for the youngins while their parents cheered them on.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Yards Saison

Yards Saison
Went to Maple Shade Pizzeria Uno. Ordered a Yards Saison. They gave me the wrong beer. It was a little more Belgian-influenced, but terrific so I drank it without complaint. Copped a sixer of the real thing. Turned out they gave me the right beer. Sorry I doubted you, Uno.