Hello everyone, December marks the our first anniversary here at hereforthebeer.com. We want to thank all of the wonderful people that we had the opportunity to meet this year. We hope that you enjoy our montage (the first good use of the song as far as we are concerned)! We look forward to an even more interesting and exciting 2010 on here for the beer … Cheers!

Related Posts:

• 2009 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO
• Day 4 in Denver for the 2009 GABF
• Craft Brewers Conference – Boston, MA
• I am (not) a craft brewer – but they are…
• Slow Fest – A Celebration of Session Beer

VIDEO – Friday the Thirteenth is anything but unlucky for those of you who live near the Philadelphia Northeast.  That’s because on every Friday the 13th for the last 11 years, the Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philadelphia has held what they call “Friday the Firkinteenth” and being able to try 20+ cask beers is certainly good luck.

Friday the Firkinteenth started in 1998 as a “gimmick” to get a budding beer audience to understand and appreciate cask conditioned beer.  Scoats, the founder of Grey Lodge and the Firkinteenth event explains that in it’s early days the event had only one or two casks.  Today the event has grown to include 24 casks of beer from a variety of breweries.  The event is held on every Friday the 13th so it is at the mercy of the calendar – in 2010 there is only 1 and it’s in August – so it promises to be a big one…

In this video we talk to Scoats about the event and get a rundown on what is cask beer from Nodding Head Brewery’s Brewmaster Gordon Grubb.  We also get the privilege of chatting with some great folks attending the event.  Including Joe Sixpack from the Philadelphia Daily News and one of our favorite beer writers, Lew Bryson – who has been covering beer in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area with his blog and books and trying his best to rid Pennsylvania of the PLCB for years now.

We would be remiss to not mention that Grey Lodge is open year round and when we lived in the area, was one of our favorite pubs.  They have 11 draft lines that they dedicate to great craft beers, a great bottle list and good cheap food.  For more about Grey Lodge check out their website.  They are located at 6235 Frankford Ave in Northeast Philadelphia (215) 825-5357.  They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

We had a great time and have already marked our calendar for August 13, 2010.  Enjoy the video and we will see you next time on here for the beer!

Related Posts:

• 2009 Here for the Beer – Year in Review
• Good Beer at the Airport – Philadelphia International – PHL
• Yuengling
• Cask Night at the Craft Brewers Conference 2009
• Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA Simul-Cask at the Sierra Grille Northampton MA

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In this episode, we are at Cask Night hosted by Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA. Cask Night was the last of the many hospitality events offered at the Craft Brewers Conference. This event featured 60 different cask conditioned beers, some that have never been brewed before and others that were making there premier, such as the Imperial IPA by Otter Creek Brewery (a must have for all of you fellow hopheads out there at 135 IBU this beer was like a great dream).

This event was also my personal favorite as you can see in frames 1:29 and 2:22. I enjoyed myself so much that I forgot to change the setting on the microphone, so I must apologize that most of the interviews are difficult to hear. I promise to do better next time.

Listed below are the beers available at this event.  By the way,  I actually typed that all in for you guys – do you feel the love??  I hope so!  We will see you next time on Here for the Beer!  Amy

Allagash Brewing in Portland, ME

• Allagash Burnham Road a Belgian Style Smoked Strong Ale (IBU:35 OG:1.065 ABV:7.4)
• Allagash CBC Barrel Blend a Blend of several barrels from their Wild Barrel Room (ABV:8.5)

American Flatbread Burlington Hearth in Burlington, VT

• London Calling an Original Bitter (IBU:26 OG:9.8P ABV:3.7

Amherst Brewing Company in Amherst, MA

• Graduation Ale a Dry-hopped Golden Ale (IBU:40 OG:14P ABV:5.8
• Super Stout a Cocoa infused Stout (IBU:33 OG:15.5P ABV:6)

Berkshire Brewing Company in S. Deerfield, MA

• Imperial Stout (IBU:30 OG:20P ABV:8.5)
• Lost Sailor IPA (IBU:40 OG:15P ABV:5.9)

Bobcat Cafe in Bristol, VT

• Lincoln Lager (IBU:25 OG:1.043 ABV:5)
• Ripton Red (IBU:30 OG:1.056 ABV:5)

Boston Beer Company in Boston, MA

• International IPA (IBU:47 OG:15.5P ABV:6.13)
• Ungespundet Pils (IBU:30 OG:13.5P ABV:5.27)

Boston Beer Works (Canal St) in Boston, MA

• The Big Gouda a Smoked Lager (IBU:28, OG:18P ABV:7)
• Splendid Splinter a Golden Ale (IBU:25 OG:12P ABV:5)

Boston Beer Works (Fenway) in Boston, MA

• Old Ironsides an English-Style Old Ale (IBU:35 OG:1.064 ABV:6)

Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, MA

• The Colonel a “Vatted Ported” (IBU:55 OG:15P ABV:6.5)
• Spring Training IPA (IBU:40 OG:14.5P ABV:6.3)

Cambridge House Brewpub in Torrington, CT

• Cambridge House IPA (IBU:60 OG:15P ABV:6.4)
• Three Steve Stout (IBU:30 OG:12.5P ABV:4)

Cape Ann Brewing Comapany in Gloucester, MA

• Fisherman’s Tea Party a Barley-wine made with 3 styles of tea (IBU:86 OG:1.089 ABV: 9)

Gardner Ale House in Gardner, MA

• Chair City Pale Ale (IBU:32 OG:11.5P ABV:4.8)
• Chocolate Porter (IBU:35 OG:12.5P ABV:5.5)

Gritty McDuff’s in Portland, ME

• Black Fly Stout 2001 Gold Medal Winner at the Real Ale Festival (IBU:16 OG:1.045 ABV:4.1)
• Gritty’s Best Bitter 2000 Gold Medal Winner at the Real Ale Festival (IBU:25 OG:1.050 ABV:4.9)

Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA

• Harpoon IPA (IBU:42 OG:15.8P ABV:5.9)
• Harpoon Summer Beer (IBU:26 OG:12.8 ABV:4.8)

Haverhill Brewery/The Tap in Haverhill, MA

• Merrimack Mild an English Dark Mild (IBU:19 OG;9.4P ABV:3.8)
• Scapegoat Bock a German Dunkel Dark Bock (IBU:26 OG:16.4P ABV:6.6)

John Harvard’s Brew House in Manchester, CT

• The Dark Bootlegger Ale a blend of a traditional Brown Porter and Barley Wine aged in a Thomas Tew rum barrel for 7 wks (IBU:37 OG:16.8P ABV:6.7)

Kennebunkport Brewing Company in Kennebunk, ME

• Taint Town Pale Ale the local favorite (IBU:32 OG:1.048 ABV:4.75)
• Vintange 2008 Prelude Holiday Ale a traditional strong Enlish Ale (OG:1.078 ABV:7.5)

Lowel Beer Works in Lowell, MA

• Bohemian Pilsner made with all Moravian malt & dry-hopped with whole Czech Saaz (IBU:25 OG:1.050 ABV:5)

Martha’s Exchange in Nashua, NH

• Dr. Hoppenstein’s Double IPA Hopped thoughout the entire brew process from mash-in to cask (IBU:93 OG:1.091 ABV:9.1)
• Revolution Red a medium bodied red brewed with beets and carmalized malts. (IBU:42 OG:1.056 ABV:5.5)

Mayflower Brewing Company in Plymouth, MA

• Mayflower Golden Ale the moderate mineral content in there water is perfect for this style of beer (IBU:18 OG:10.5P ABV:4.2)
• Mayflower Pale Ale made with Victory Malt, Caramel Malt, East Kent Golding Hops, and Nugget Hops (IBU:40 OG:11.9P ABV:4.9)

Mercury Brewing Co. Ipswich, MA

• Ipswich Dark Ale (IBU:40 OG:14.1P ABV:5.8)
• Ipswich IPA a cross between an American and English style IPA (IBU:60 OG:14.3P ABV:6.3)

Moat Mountain Brewing in North Conway, NH

• Moat Pale Ale an American Style Pale Ale with a firm bitterness (OG:11.5P ABV:4.5)
• Moat Spruce Brown standard session Brown Ale both malty and bready in body, medium bitterness (OG:12P ABV:5)

Opa Opa Brewing Company in Williamsburg, MA

• Opa-Opa IPA (IBU:55 OG:14.7P ABV:6)

Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury, VT

• Imperial India Pale Ale has a generous supply of hops throughout the entire process providing an enormous hop flavor (IBU:135 OG:24.5P ABV:11)
• Russian Imperial Stout brewed with double the malts and four time the hops of a regular stout (IBU:65, OG:24P ABV:10.6)

Pennichuck Brewing Company in Milford, NH

• Chief’s Imperial IPA unfiltered and dry-hopped with Centennial, Cascade, and Simcoe (IBU:106  OG:23.3P ABV:10)

Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth, NH

• Baltic Porter dry-hopped with Warrior (IBU:38 OG:19P ABV:7.5)
• Saison Prentemps dry-hopped with Rose  Hips and pepercorns (IBU:32 OG:16.75P ABV:6)

Redhook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth, NH

• Triple Nelson made with Candi sugar, Crystal malts, and dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin in the cask (IBU:40 OG:20.5P ABV:9.6)
• Saturnaleia Double Red rich malty notes of a traditional red and dry-hopped with Amarillo and Centenial (IBU:71 OG:19.5P ABV:8.1)

Salem Beer Works in Salem, MA

• Customs House IPA full hop character, Cascade & Amarillo, with a supporting background of solid malt (IBU:56 OG:12.5P ABV:6.25)

Sabago Brewing in Gorham, ME

• Boathouse Brown Ale brewed with Caramel, Chocolate and Black malts and hopped with American hops (IBU:24 OG:11P ABV:4.8)
• Full Throttle Double IPA featuring Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Simcoe hops and has been dry-hopped for over a month (IBU:85 OG:20P ABV:8.2)

Shipyard Brewing in Portland, ME

• Chamberlain Pale Ale featuring Pale Ale, Crystal and Chocolate malts and Fuggles, Cascade and Tettnang hops (IBU:37 OG:1.050 ABV:5)
• Old Thumper Extra Special Ale from the Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, England (IBU:35 OG:1.060 ABV:5.8

Smuttynose Brewing Co.  in Portsmouth, NH

• Smuttynose IPA includes Simcoe, Amarillo, Warrior and Centennial hops (IBU:70 OG:15 ABV:6.6)
• Star Island Single spicy, light bodied with drinkablity (IBU:30 OG:13P ABV:5.5)

Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield, CT

• Liberator Dopplebock, chocolaty with notes of figs, raisins and brown sugar (IBU:45 OG:20 ABV:8.4)

Trinity Brewhouse in Providence, RI

• Scotch Ale oak aged in barrels for 8 months (IBU:32 OG:21 ABV:9)

Tuckerman’s Brewing in Conway, NH

• Tuckerman Headwall Alt a German style brown ale (IBU:32 OG:12 ABV:4.75)
• Tuckerman Pale Ale (IBU:39 OG:12 ABV:5.5)

Watch City Brewing Co. in Waltham, MA

• Bitter (and Jaded) ESB in honor of their original beer from 13 years ago (IBU:40 OG1.04)

Willamantic Brewing Co. in Willimantic, CT

• Well Read Ale an English Red Ale (IBU31.5 OG1.057 ABV5.7)

Woodstock Inn Brewery in North Woodstock, NH

• Pemi Pale Ale (IBU:56 OG:1.057 ABV:5.7)
• Pigs Ear Brown Ale (IBU:25 OG:1.054 ABV:4.3)

Related Posts:

• 2009 Here for the Beer – Year in Review
• The Brewers Plate 2010
• Hefeweizen vs. Witbier
• Blue Moon
• Finally A Practical Use For A Case of Corona

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We attended the Dogfish Head 75 Minute Simul-Cask aka Johnny Cask at The Sierra Grille in Northampton, MA.  At precisely 7:50pm the beer began pouring.  The 75 Minute IPA is a mixture of the ever so popular Dogfish Head 60 and 90 Minute IPAs with a special whole leaf cascade dry-hopping session.  After hopping, the beer was transferred into firkin’s where fresh yeast and Maple Syrup were added.  What a fun event this turned out to be.  We love the creative ways that Sam and the Dogfish Head team bring beer lovers together.

We were invited to this event by the owner of The Sierra Grille, O’Brian Tomalin.  Though we went for the beer, we left with a great first impression of The Sierra Grille.  The food was excellent, served in a tapas style.  The menu offered a wide variety of reasonably priced small plate options ,  including $3 desserts.  Don’t worry if you have a big appetite the menu also offers about 8 full entrees.  The beer selection was top notch including, among others, HE’BREW Jewbalation Twelve and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.

We would like to thank The Sierra Grille for hosting this event and look forward to stopping in again.  We would also like to say hello to all of the awesome beer lovers who attended, we enjoyed meeting you all.  If we do not see you at The Sierra Grille, we will see you next time on Here for the Beer!

Related Posts:

• Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas 2009
• 2009 Here for the Beer – Year in Review
• Brick Store Pub – Decatur Georgia
• Harpoon “Chapionships of New England” BBQ Championship in Windsor, VT
• Northampton Brewery Grand Re-Opening – Northampton, MA