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This is in contention for the best Beer Week event of 2011.  It tops the list now, but we still have a few days to go…

From left to right: Deschutes, Russian River, Stoudt's, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head

 AK & I grabbed some pizza at Soho before the event. The guy was not amused by my inability to make a decision and request that he just pick something for me.  There was a line out the door for the event, but fortunately there were a few high seats open.  

The Line-Up

 AK guarded our seats with the instructions to pick out something delicious for her.  I picked out the Deschutes Obsidian Stout for her and went with the relatively rare Bitches’ Brew (9% ABV) by Dogfish Head for me.  I wasn’t sure what to expect due to the use of honey, but it was surprisingly sweet and delicious.  In fact, I used my third ticket for another 5 oz. pour.  AK gasped when I mentioned that Deschutes had another imperial stout on – “The Abyss??” – and so my second ticket was designated to:

Deschutes Abyss

The event started at 3; the brewers set up on stage at 3:30.  The moderator took us on a brief walk through brewing history in Philadelphia then asked the panel a few questions.  They chatted for an hour about operations, brand loyalty, which beer they wish they’d brewed, the fate of “Brewmasters,” the last commercial/”non-craft” beer they’d consumed, followed by opening up the floor to questions.  

I was a little struck by Carol Stoudt’s comment about women who had been “dragged” to beer events by their boyfriends (I toasted AK at this point because of our independent beer appreciation).  She talked about how they didn’t like beer, but she’d change their perception of what beer could be.  I then tried to talk to her after the event, but all she did was compliment my earrings and ask advice for where to shop in Philly… So, my interest in talking about brand loyalty and how these brewers had built reliable brands felt inappropriate.  I retreated to some friends, accidentally running into Mr. Sierra Nevada and only sputtering out that he “looked familiar.”  I was definitely more proactive last year about meeting brewers, getting photos with them, talking beer and their personal recommendations.  This year?  It doesn’t seem necessary.  

For my fourth beer, I tried the Dogfish Head Theobroma (9% ABV).

Dogfish Head Theobroma

It was the right change of pace from the stouts I’d been enjoying.  Not as spicy as I’d expected, but almost like a palate cleanser because of the use of chile.   The fifth ticket was specifically designated for Russian River’s CBC Sour Brown Ale (unknown ABV).

Russian River CBC

 I deliberately saved this one for last.  Sours are the new IPAs to me.  A few years back, I didn’t appreciate the hoppiness of IPAs, just like the tart mouthpuckering appeal of sours. These days, perhaps my palate is evolving, perhaps I’m just interested in something new/different to try.

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