If you know anything about me (besides my love of beer, video games, and Philly sports teams), it is that I love lists. And when Draft magazine (http://draftmag.com/) came out, they had two lists that caught my eye. The first was the Top 25 beers of 2008, and I was happy to know that I had tried 10 of them:
- The Brewery Orchard White: I saw this beer at the Foodery last month. I love Belgian Whites, and I chose this beer over several others. For the sake of the list, I’m glad I did.
- Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16: This beer is their Olde Engine Oil that has been matured in different aged whiskey casks. I preferred the 30 myself.
- Weyerbacher Blasphemy: An oak-aged quadruple that I had at Mahar’s.
- Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale: An excellent beer that I tried at one of the most beautiful brewpubs in the country.
- Russian River Pliny the Elder: A double IPA, and the only brew from Russian River that Mahar’s has had on draft.
- Westmalle Triple: A 4 star example of a Belgian Triple. Definitely a top choice year after year.
- Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: A strong ale aged in tanks lined with palo santo wood. Very nice!
- New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red: Over a pound of cherries goes into every bottle.
- Hair of the Dog Adam: Another excellent example of a Belgian Ale.
- De Struise Pannepot: A Belgian dark ale with spices.
All excellent beers, but I’m not sure what made them so special for 2008 especially when new beers were mixed in with long-time classics. The other list was the top 200 beer bars in the US to have a beer. This list is more useful, since it will be one that I refer to before travelling to somewhere else in the country. I’ve only been to 24 (need to work on my percentages), but I was happy to find out that when I did travel I chose some of the top establishments. For instance:
- In 2003, I went to Chicago and tried the Map Room and the Clark Street Alehouse.
- In January 2007, my brother and I went to Brooklyn and went to the Barcade and Spuyten Duyvil.
- In April of 2008, Jenn and I went to Portland Oregon and hit Belmont Station, Horse Brass pub, Henry’s 12th Street Tavern, and Higgins.
- Last month, the one place in Phoenix I had to go to was Papago Brewing.
- Over my numerous trips to Philadelphia, I always to try to return to the Grey Lodge Pub, Monk’s Café, or McMenamin’s Tavern.
There are standouts that I always plan to go to (Capital Ale House in Richmond, the Brickskellar in DC, Sunset Grill in Boston, Sharp Edge Creekhouse in Pittsburgh, Great Lost Bear in Portland Maine and Mahar’s here in Albany), and places that I make sure I drop by and checkout when passing through (Clark’s Ale House in Syracuse, Eli Cannon’s Taproom in Middletown CT, and the Moan & Dove in Amherst MA). The point is, knowing ahead of time where you can find great beer is part of the fun of planning. I’m surely going to follow my own advice as I get ready to go on a business trip to England next month. Real Ale, here I come!!! - 5042
"A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation." – William Blake
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