The Grape Room

I've only lived in Manayunk for three years, so I did not know about the original Grape Room in Manayunk. I'm not sure why it shut down, but the new version opened earlier this year and it is a really chill place. I think having a live music venue in the neighborhood is a huge plus. And although craft beer plus local live music is usually a good equation for an influx of hipsters (no one wants that), Grape Room seems to be a place void of overwhelming pretentiousness and skinny jeans.

I was there last night for an open mic night and discovered that they had a good amount of craft beers on tap and several more in bottles. From what I remember these are the beers they had on tap;

• Troegs Dreamweaver
• Magic Hat #9
• Victory Pils
• Dock Street Pumpkin Ale
• One or two more that I am blanking on
• They also had Lionshead and Dogfish Head in bottles

I ordered a Magic Hat #9 and bellied up to the bar where I could see the small stage. The open mic night was relaxed, and the crowd seemed to be a lot of regular open mic-ers because a lot of the people knew each other and it seemed like I was the only one in there that wasn't performing at some point during the night. There was pretty good music all around, mostly originals, including a good dose of folksy stuff. They have the open mic night every Monday, and it started around 9:30; it's definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a low-key atmosphere. They also have regular shows, usually with a $5 cover almost every other day of the week. For a list of shows go to their website, http://graperoommusic.wordpress.com/

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Beer 101 - Basics of the Brewing Process

I've been drinking beer for a while now but only recently did I really start thinking about how it is actually made. I'm going to be brewing my first batch of homebrew fairly soon (I'm starting with a Nut Brown), so I've trying to take in as much as possible about how beer is brewed.

It's really a pretty basic overall process. Plants are made of complex carbohydrates, which can be broken down into sugars, which are simple carbohydrates. Under the right conditions, yeast consumes the sugars and the byproducts of the chemical reaction are carbon dioxide and alcohol.

The main grain for brewing is barley but other grains such as wheat and rice can also be used. The process that extracts the usable sugars from the grains is a topic for another day but the main idea is to convert the complex carbs to sugars. The sugars are then mixed with water (creating what is called the wort) and boiled. The boiling kills bacteria so that only the yeast will be able to attack the sugars. Once the wort has been properly boiled, it needs to be quickly cooled to a temperature that is advantageous for whatever type of yeast is being used, generally between 60 and 70 degrees F. The yeast is added and the fermentation begins. Usually some extra sugars are added for carbonation purposes. Wait a couple of weeks and you will have drinkable beer.

There is a lot more to each step than I just mentioned but I will probably get into each of them at a later date. But if you want more information right now you can check out this website;
http://www.howtobrew.com/sitemap.html

On the music front, if you get a chance, put Bob Schneider on your playlist. His latest album is Lovely Creatures. I saw him live about a year ago and it was an extremely entertaining show. The trumpet player did the entire set in a bunny suit. Just how they roll. He is a talented musician with a distinctive voice but his strength is his songwriting. His lyrics are clever and meaningful and he always tells a compelling story. Give him a listen. And let me know what you think. Comments are always welcome.

Hebrew - Messiah Bold

Last weekend while watching the Notre Dame football team lose to Michigan, I cracked open a He'Brew Messiah Bold, perhaps subconsciously looking for some fermented divine intervention. It is after all, as noted on the upper label, "The beer you've been waiting for."

This is labeled as a Dark Brown Ale from San Francisco, but both of those claims are a little misleading. It is a dark beer for sure, with a good weight to it, but it has a sweeter, more subtle taste than I was expecting for a dark brown ale. Also, He'Brew is a line of beers conceived by Smaltz Brewing Company, which is based in San Francisco. However, Messiah Bold is actually brewed at the Mendocino Brewing Company (based in CA) facility (which is actually the Olde Saratoga Brewery) in Saratoga Springs, NY. It has 5.6% ABV and is the first certified Kosher beer that I can remember trying.

Looking back, it is interesting to me how much the beer mirrored the game. ND started off with a first drive touchdown and looked great in the process. I was getting my hopes up for a romp. The beer had a dark brown color, with only a slight head, a strong malty aroma and a sweet but malt forward first taste. I could also smell some hints of chocolate or coffee as well as a little bit of nuttiness. So, my first impression was very optimistic.

Then, the starting quarterback got hurt and the performances of the back-ups were entirely forgettable. Messiah Bold had a slightly bitter hop finish to it, but the aftertaste went away very quickly, leaving me reaching for another drink because I felt like I was missing something. The starting quarterback came back in the game (another sip), he started the scoring again (that malty, quality brown ale taste), I got my hopes up with a go-ahead 4th quarter TD (the slight hoppy finish), but in the end Michigan scored a TD with less than a minute to go and I will be waiting for another year for a shot at those smug Michiganders (the nonexistent aftertaste.)

So overall, I enjoyed the flavors while they lasted, but the football game and the beer left me feeling bittersweet about what could have been. The only difference between the beer and the ND game is that I will be back watching the Irish week in and week out, knowing that most likely I will be perpetually disappointed. The Bold is a serviceable brown ale that has great initial flavors, but I won't be waiting for it to show up again in my fridge anytime soon.

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Staying with the post-related music recommendations, check out Matisyahu. A lot of people have probably already heard his music, but it's worth a re-listen if you have. If you haven't, he has a unique reggae style that seems to crossover to people who generally don't like reggae. His lyrics have meaning and his beats catch you and keep you interested in what he has to say.

Craft Beer Experience

There is a pretty interesting craft beer event coming up in Philadelphia on September 25th. I'm sure there have been others, but it's the first beer event that I've noticed that is being used as a fundraiser for a worthy charitable cause. 

The Craft Beer Experience is taking place on Sept. 25th at the City Tap House in University City at 39th and Walnut. It is sponsored by Philly Magazine and it is billed as an "upscale tasting event." They will have beers from 26 breweries, including many from here in the Philadelphia region. There is not too much information available online, but it seems like the plan is for the event to be a more educational beer tasting than most straight up "drink a lot" beerfests, with brewers available to speak with and food pairings. It's slightly pricey at $80, but proceeds benefit SafeHome Philadelphia, which is a program run by the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness that helps families find affordable housing and starts them off by paying two months rent up front. Their website is http://pceh.org/.

You can also go to the City Tap House website for a little bit more info. http://www.citytaphouse.com/events.php 

Or check out the Philly magazine website for the breweries that will be attending. 

http://www.phillymag.com/craftbeer/index.html

If you go, let me know what your favorite beer was. 

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