We went down to New Jersey for several reasons. The first was that my niece Sarah was dancing in a dance competition in Wildwood. We went on Thursday to see her perform and she was excellent. Jenn and Jessica went back on Friday to see another number. The second reason was a surprise baby shower for my sister Dana. Dana is expecting her first child (she calls it “bug” now) in November, and Karen, Jenn, my mom and Nana help pull it off. My selfish reason was going to the Grey Lodge, and I was able to go over for a couple of hours. Time to do something for me, and I’ll have to say it was a lot of fun being around so many beer geeks.
A firkin is another name for a cask, and the Grey Lodge decided a while back by celebrating Friday the 13th by tapping special casks from local brewers. They had 19 different brands this year, and they put 7 up on the bar at a one time, replacing the cask with another when it kicks. They were supposed to start at noon, and I was surprised to see no line when I arrived at 11AM (I had heard that it got busy early).
They had actually been open for an hour and I was able to get the last seat at the bar (a front row seat, kind of like a Gallagher show). I met a guy named Dave that worked over at Yards brewing, and nursed a Founders Red Rye on draft until the real show began. The handed out doughnuts, and had signs up all over the place saying, “Please be careful and drink lots of water.” The seasoned veterans brought their Gatorade and had taken public transportation. One guy was determined to stay the whole day.As promised, they started tapping a little before noon.
The line-up was pretty good, and I was determined to try one of each. They served the beers in 6 oz glasses, allowing me to sample more. Of the first seven casks, I had already had the Lancaster Milk Stout, so I decided I didn’t need to try that one again. The other beers were as follows:- Porterhouse Lager: The lager was a nice way to start. This was the first cask tapped and I got the third glass. If I recall correctly, I sipped and then finished it. 6 oz doesn’t last very long.
- General Lafayette Hefe-Weizen: I had tried this one at their brewpub on draft, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to try the cask version.
- Legacy Brown Aled Girl: As a Van Morrison (and Jimmy Buffett) fan, I liked the name of this beer. As a fan of brown ales, I was happy when the bartender turned and offered me the first glass. That was the benefits of front row seating (plus I got soaked when the cask was tapped).
- Clipper City Hang Ten Weizen Dopplebock: This beer was the most potent of the initial offerings (it was listed at 10%). And there is no shame that I sipped my glass, my last beer of the day, and gave the rest to Dave who wasn’t driving.
- Iron Hill Belgian White: I love this brewery, and I love the style. It was a perfect match.
- Weyerbacher Slam Dunkle: This beer was really nice, and I had the pleasure of sipping it slowly.
I need to make better plans for the next Friday the 13th, which will be coming in June, 2008. I’ll be the geek with the Gatorade, and stay all day. - 4231
"The mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer." – Egyptian Proverb
PS - The Phillies didn't get their 10000 loss tonight (it actually was 7/15, losing to the Cardinals 10-2). The local radio station came up with a gimic to show the number 10000. Go ahead and take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw1AKCcbMaQ.
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