We started doing the Styles Sessions events to learn about beer styles that we may not normally drink and to force ourselves to try new things. There is a beer style for every occasion and we love to discover a new beer style we like for an expanding number of occasions. Our next event on Monday April 13th will be different. We will be bringing it back to my favorite style of beer that I drink all the time…

The IPA. The reason I love beer so much. The IPA showcases the amazing flavors and aromas of the hop plant. Expect the beers to be bold, hoppy, bitter, and include some curve balls that you won’t find in any bars in NYC.

Join us for 8 IPAs picked by Maggie and me paired with Chris Munsey’s cheese picks.

Learn more and buy tickets

On April 16th at 8PM, there will be a one-night screening of the movie Beer Wars, which takes you “inside the boardrooms and back rooms of the American beer industry” examining the relationship between the giant beer corporations and the small craft breweries. “Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers.”

Watch the trailer

I encourage you to buy tickets in advance so you don’t miss this unique event. Look at the complete list of theaters screening this movie here

Tonight @ 7:50PM there will be a ‘simul-cask’ event where the new Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA will be tapped at the same time at a very select group of bars on the east coast in NYC, Philly, Boston, and Dogfish Head Brewery hometown Rehoboth. In NYC you can find this beer at East Village Tavern, Barcade, Downtown Bar & Grill, Blind Tiger, and Lazy Boy Saloon.

From Dogfish Head: “We’ve retrofitted a 15 barrel tank to perfectly produce a very special cask conditioned ale (so, we have a little time to play around during winters at the Delaware coast). This beer, known as Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA is a blend of 60 and 90 Minute IPAs with a special whole leaf cascade dry-hopping session. Post-hopping the beer gest transferred into firkins and dosed with fresh yeast and maple syrup from the ole family homestead (actually the first batch will be re-fermented with maple syrup from the farm up the road from ours since ours won’t be ready until late March.”

Lookout for some free glasses and the Dogfish Head lineup at Barcade with the new Dogfish Head Rye Porter, among others. Details

Tonight at 7PM I will be meeting up with Maggie Fuller of Beer Ethos, Chris Sheehan, brewmaster at Chelsea Brewing Company, and Chris Munsey, of Murray’s Cheese and The Pairing Zone to drink a flight of 8 different stouts paired with several cheeses. We will discuss the history of the style and decide which of the stouts we drink are our favorites. Join us for this flight of 8 Stouts and several cheeses, and meet our special guests Chris Sheehan and Chris Munsey. Tickets for this event cost $30 and must be purchased in advance online.

The Beers:

A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Sixpoint Otis (cask)
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
Chelsea Tsar’s Revenge Imperial Stout
Allagash Black
Hitachino Espresso Stout
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Stout

Learn more and buy tickets

This weekend at Chelsea Brewing Company, there will be about 45 casks tapped. From noon to midnight each day this weekend starting today, you will be able to drink a huge variety of great beers, all cask conditioned real ales. All casks will be tapped at the beginning and will be available until they are kicked. There is no entrance fee and the prices are really good. Beers I am looking forward to trying: Chelsea XXX Blackhole Stout, Stone Ruination, Oscar Blues Gordon, among many others.

From the Gotham Imbiber Definition of Cask Ale: Unfiltered, unpasteurized beer brewed only from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide. Cask Ale is also known as ‘Cask-Conditioned Beer’, and ‘Real Ale’.

A special thanks to Alex Hall for co-organizing this event.

Official Site

On Thursday March 19th, head over to the East Village Tavern to drink some great beers from Allagash Brewing Company. Owner and brewmaster Rob Tod will be there to tell you the story behind each beer. The first 50 people will get to keep their Allagash Brewing Company glasses. Beers will cost $5 from 4-8PM. See you there.

The list:
Allagash Fedelta
Allagash White
Allagash Black
Allagash Interlude
Allagash Tripel
Allagash Grand Cru
Allagash Four
Allagash Odyssey

In a recent article in the New York Times titled “The Few, the Proud: Pubs That Still Resist the Pull of the Television Screen,” Glen Collins discusses the evolution of TVs in bars and whether or not TVs belong in bars. According to the article " televisionless bars in the five boroughs are a vanishing species" and “television is the standard.” However, some say having tvs in bars is anti-social and does not conform to the pure bar environment where conversation is the most important thing. What do you think about TVs in bars? Read the article here.

View bars with no TVs

With almost 700 events planned, Philly Beer Week really shows how serious Philly is about beer. Every night this week you can find dozens of events with rare beer offerings, brewmasters present, and crowds of fellow beer lovers. A short ride down to Philly is well worth the trip to see how Philly celebrates beer and how many people appreciate the hard work of the small craft brewer.

The organizers of Philly Beer Week boldly proclaim that Philadelphia is “America’s Best Beer Drinking City.” Thoughts?

Our next Styles Session is on March 23rd at 7PM.

Stouts. Often falsely thought to be heavier, more filling, and stronger in alcohol than other beers. We encourage you to get over your fear of dark beer and try our 8 favorite stouts that represent the full spectrum of stouts available. From Milk Stout to Chocolate Stout, Russian Imperial Stout to Belgian-style Stout, Oatmeal Stout to Oaked-Stout, and maybe a Coffee Stout.

We are also privileged to have Chris Sheehan, brewmaster of Chelsea Brewing Company, on hand to discuss in further detail what makes stouts so great.

Let us know your favorite stouts or learn more about the event and buy tickets

“2008 was a historic year for beer with the large brewers consolidating and imports losing share, while the top ten selling beer brands dropped in sales. At the same time, small independent craft brewers continued to gain share and attention,” said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association.

From 2007 to 2008, estimated sales by craft brewers were up 5.8 percent by volume and 10.5 percent in dollars.

Read more

Here is the list of the barleywines we will be tasting tonight:
Gales Prize Old Ale
JW Lees Harvest Ale
Thomas Hardy’ Ale
Victory Old Horizontal
Nogne #100 Barleywine
Lagunitas Brown Shugga
Schafly Oak-Aged Barleywine
Sierra Nevada Big Foot 2009

Join Maggie Fuller and me in a discussion of these fine barleywines. This event will once again include 8 barleywines as well as a meat/cheese/bread plate and tasting notes.

Buy tickets and learn more