Best of Philly Awards Show

Tuesday night was Philly Beer Scene's first annual, red- carpet Best of Philly awards show, and what a fun night it was! Held at World Cafe Live, beer lovers of all sorts - brewers, writers, distributors, pushers (sales reps), and drinkers - were present.

Being treated like celebrities

As soon as you arrived, you knew something special was going on. Photographers waited outside to capture your image as you walked in on the red carpet. More photo opportunities were afforded by the Philly Beer Scene/ Best of Philly Awards back drop immediately inside.

The emcee with the mostest

Philly Beer Scene, and Mat Falco in particular, should be congratulated on pulling together such a great show. Joe Gunn of Jose Pistolas was the perfect emcee. He was funny, engaging, and extremely entertaining, as were the presenters. Some had skits planned, some didn't, but regardless of how they presented, everyone did a really good job. The band, Swift Technique, was fantastic (and funny, especially when Joe asked them if they wanted something to drink).

Swift Technique

Since the theme was giving the best in the Philly beer scene their due props, you can imagine there was some tasty beer flowing. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of the Victory Ranch Double R IPA, but was disappointed that the Forest and Main IPA had already kicked when I finally got around to asking for one.

"Who cares about all that?", I can hear you saying. "I just want to know the winners!"  I'll be honest, I tried to capture as much as I could, but then long periods of time would go by and I'd realize that I hadn't written anything in a while and I'd be lost trying to remember what else had been presented. So, without further ado (and probably some missing) - The Winners (that I remembered to write down):

Best Brewery Rep: Mike Lubieski, Weyerbacher
Best Distributor in Philly: Bella Vista 
Best Belgian-style beer: Weyerbacher Merry Monk's
Best Bottle Shop in Philly: Craft Beer Outlet
Best Wholesaler: Origlio
Best European Beer Bar: Monk's
Best Beer Writer: Lew Bryson
Best Place to Watch Sports: City Tap House
Best Home Brew Store: Keystone
Best Dark Beer: Victory Storm King Stout
Best Pale Ale: Yards Pale Ale
Best Bourbon-barrel aged: Weyerbacher Insanity
Best Brew Pub: Iron Hill
Best Beer Bar: Standard Tap
Best New Bar in the City: Barcade
Best Brewery: Victory
Best Brewmaster: Chris Wilson, Weyerbacher

Forgive yourself if you didn't make it out to this year's event, but don't miss (what will hopefully be) the next one!

PS. check out the latest issue of Philly Beer Scene, which has the complete list of winners, including some not announced at the awards show.

Photos are courtesy of Stephen Lyford. You can see more here.

Italian Market Festival

Three years ago I moved from the Fairmount section of the city to South Philly (Bella Vista). I'd lived in Fairmount for 5 years and I was ready for a change and excited to experience another part of the city. I moved in the weekend of the Italian Market Festival, something I'd never attended, let alone heard of. I couldn't go on Saturday, because of the move, and awoke early on Sunday, eager to see what the event would be like.

And what an event it was! Everyone, everywhere dancing and singing, eating and drinking. It didn't matter the person's age, gender, or ethnicity. Everyone was having a great time. I was almost in tears with happiness over the great luck of having moved to such an amazing, vibrant area.



This past weekend marked the 9th annual Festival, which takes place on 9th Street between Fitzwater and Federal Streets. I went, and was reminded of that first experience 3 years ago. The street was packed with people having a great time. The weather cooperated beautifully, giving us festival-goers sunny skies and a light breeze to ensure we didn't get too hot.

A main focus at the Festival, is, of course, the food. And not just the pizza, pasta, and meatballs with gravy you'd expect to find at an event called the Italian Market Festival, although there was plenty of that to be had. In keeping with the diversity of the neighborhood, you could also find Mexican and Vietnamese vendors offering treats like sausage and peppers, grilled corn on the cob, cured meats, and more. There was no shortage of pastries and other delectable sweet treats, either.

No street festival is complete without music, and there was no reason to be disappointed here. Between the DJ set up at 9th and Christian, to the live bands that played at 9th and Washington, and the other DJ stage at 9th and Federal, no matter where your stroll took you, you were sure to be rockin'. The best part for me has always been seeing everyone dancing through the streets, especially as the day gets older and the beer takes hold (more on that in a minute).

As if food and music weren't enough, there were plenty of artists set up selling everything from jewelry, to prints, to paintings, to clothing.

Of course one of my favorite parts is the drinking. While many restaurants were selling limoncello shots and Peroni, 12 Steps Down appealed to me with their craft brew offerings, including Troegs Sunshine Pils and Bells Two Hearted. So much fun to be able to walk down the street, cup of beer in hand, along with hundreds of other people. Wish we could do it every day!

Although it's too late to enjoy the festivities this year, be sure to set your calendar for 2013. Given that it's the 10th anniversary, I'm sure they'll have something planned to make it an even more spectacular event than it already is.

Philly Beer Week is coming!

14 days. That’s all you have left to get ready for the biggest, best week of the entire year – Philly Beer Week. I’m not kidding when I say it’s the biggest week of the year, since the event actually runs for 10 days.

The official press conference took place Wednesday night in the beautiful gardens at The Four Seasons hotel, home again this year to the With Love Beer Garden. The beer garden will be open 5 – 9pm Monday, June 4 – Friday, June 8 with the following featured each night:
Monday, June 4 - Victory
Tuesday, June 5 - Philadelphia Brewing
Wednesday, June 6 - Prism, Evil Genius and Round Guys
Thursday, June 7 - Sly Fox
Friday, June 8 - Dock Street

Beer Week kicks off on Friday, June 1 with the day-long Hammer of Glory relay. Join the fun as the HOG makes its way through the streets of Philadelphia (via several bars) on its way to Opening Tap. This year there’s a free shuttle bus from Sugar House Casino, so there are no excuses for not being able to keep up.

Opening Ceremony, held on Independence Mall, is free and starts at 7 pm with Mayor Nutter tapping the first official, collaborative keg of the week, Brotherly Suds 3. Things really get under way with the Opening Festival at the Independence Visitor Center. Tickets are available for the VIP session ($75) from 6:30- 7:30pm, and the general session ($40) that starts at 7:30pm. VIP passes get you a special selection of beers paired with complimentary beer-friendly food, a souvenir drinking glass, and a gift bag. Either way, you’ll be treated to samples, including seasonals and one-offs, from the region’s best brewers.

Throughout the week there will be hundreds of events, including chances to meet the brewers, tap takeovers, festivals, classes, tours, food pairings, and more. And it’s not just Philly that gets shown the love; events are being held in the ‘burbs and New Jersey. You can find all the information at the Philly Beer Week website, and even more exciting, the PBW app, which lets you search by events, and set favorites and reminders.

Whether it’s your first time attending or your fifth, you’re sure to find plenty of opportunities to try great brews, meet great people, and make memories that you probably won’t remember because of said great brews.

Happy New Year!

The holidays are clearly over. I took the tree down yesterday. My neighbors have taken down their lights. Now we're just in to the swing of winter, and I have to say, there's no room for complaints. Yesterday it was nearly 60 here in Philly. I was outside in a t-shirt and pants and felt perfectly comfortable. I was complaining about the warm weather in December, saying it didn't feel like the holidays to me. Now that the holidays are over, I say bring on the warm weather! The only reason I need it to be cold at least one weekend day is because I bought a supercool, super heavy sweater that I can't wear to work (it's more casual than what I'd wear to work) and I'd really like to wear at least once!

I'm excited for the new year. Contrary to what a lot of my friends were posting on Facebook on NYE, my 2011 was a very good one. I had many good times with friends, John and I got even closer, we took a couple of fun trips, my job was stimulating and fulfilling. There were a couple of hiccups, but for the most part, it was a damn fine year. I'm looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer.

2012 is also the year I hit a milestone birthday. I'm going to be 40 in August. I can't believe it, no matter how often I say it or think about it. I'm not worried about it - I've always believed that age is just a number, and you're as young (or old) as you feel and act. I'm also fortunate that I don't really look my age. People are always surprised when I tell them how old I am. I bless good genes for that! However, hitting an age like 40 does get you thinking. I've never been one to plan out my life, and through all the ups and downs, I've been pretty happy with how my life is going.

This year, though, I think I'm going to take it up a notch. I've always been fairly healthy - despite my frequent Untappd posts about what I'm drinking. This year I'd like to be even better about my health. Take things a bit more seriously. My mom is dealing with some serious health issues right now, and I'd like to do what I can to make sure that the same doesn't happen to me. I really do enjoy running, and I want to make sure I keep up with that. I want to prove to myself that I can be healthy and still enjoy the things I enjoy (a big part of which is drinking). I've defined myself by my drinking for such a long time - hell, I even have this blog, Philly Beer Girl, which sums it up pretty well. This year I want to expand that definition to include all the other parts of Helene that help make me who I am.

I hope that as this new year kicks off, you set aside some time to decide what this year will mean for you. Who do you want to be, how can you add to who you are, to make sure this year is your best year yet? I believe we all have the answer inside of us. Good luck!

Midwest Road Trippin'

This past weekend was a great one. Last Wednesday John and I went out to the Midwest - Iowa and Minnesota. I mentioned in a post last year that John is from Iowa. His parents recently moved back to the East coast, and we knew we wouldn't have many reasons to go back to Iowa, at least not on a regular basis. A friend's wedding in Minneapolis provided us just the opportunity we needed.

We flew in to Minneapolis, and drove down to Ames, where John went to college at The Iowa State University (as I was told more than once is the proper name). An incredible downpour forced us to hole up in Cafe Beaudlaire for hours - just like John used to do when he was in school. He got to show me around campus the next day, under a beautiful fall sky. It was so much fun walking around with him, having him point out to me all the places that helped him become the man I love today.

We spent the night in Des Moines, where I was able to find more than one place that served up some great craft beers. El Bait Shop, was a great place to spend a few hours - they have 105 taps! And I think their bottle/can list is even larger. One of the revelations I came across was Peace Tree Brewing, out of Knoxville, IA. I had a couple different beers - the Hop Wrangler, Hop Sutra, and Red Rambler. All were delicious. Right now it's only distributed in Iowa, but I'm going to start lobbying the guys to distribute here in PA. Try the beer, and you'll be lobbying with me.

The Hop Sutra is a fabulous double IPA. You have to try this beer! I wanted to drink it all day long, but it's a big beer and we had many things to do that afternoon. I had the Hop Wrangler at The Gas Lamp, where we went to see one of guys from the band The Nadas, performing solo.

Thursday had us heading back to Minneapolis. While there I had the Surly Furious. Talk about delicious! Extremely easy to drink. Another one that needs to be here in Philly.

I won't lie, though. One of the best parts of the trip was the awesome ride we got. John was able to upgrade us to a premium car for free. You can see our sweet ride at the top of the screen. That's right - we got to tool around the Midwest in a baby blue Crown Vic. Life doesn't get much better than that.

The most wonderful time of the year

Today is the first day of autumn. My favorite time of year! The leaves change colors, the air gets cooler, sweaters come out. It's also Oktoberfest - and more importantly, to me - pumpkin beer time. I know some people complain about the fact that pumpkin beers are available at the beginning of September, saying it's too early. I don't feel that way at all. Bring them out in July and I'd be happy!

A couple of years ago, someone told me about Southern Tier Pumking, saying it was one of the best beers they'd ever tried. I had one and couldn't believe how good it was. It's become an all-time seasonal favorite for me. I think I have about 5 bottles waiting in the fridge right now. And one that I'm cellaring for next year, to try against the 2012 batch.

Last week at Hawthorne's I bought a bunch of pumpkin beers, so that I could try some new ones and enjoy some old favorites. It was quite the haul and I've been enjoying them nightly.

The ones that have really stuck out to me include Brooklyn Brewery Post Road, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Fegley's Devious Imperial Pumpkin, and Uinta's Punk'n. and the Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

Luckily, the season is far from over. So if you've been waiting for the right time to try a new beer, now is it! And if you have a recommendation on a beer I should try, I'd love to hear it.

It's a little dusty in here

Hard to believe, but it's been just over 8 months - 8 months!! - since the last time I posted anything. Where did the time go? I wish I could say that I was backpacking through Europe, or studying with Tibetan Monks, or even gestating a baby (hey, it's been almost long enough), but none of that is the case. Somehow I just got out of the habit of writing. Life took over my life. Or something like that. I do see that I started to write three posts (they were saved as drafts, and never published. One was pretty good, and I question why I never hit the "publish post" button. I didn't do it now because it was a seasonal piece and would have made no sense. The other two were just a couple of lines along the vein of "I can't believe how long it's been since I've written!") but even the last of those was back in April.

If I'm honest with myself, I know that some of it was that I lost the focus of what I wanted this blog to be about. Judging by the name alone, I'd say beer. And probably Philly. But I didn't want to just write reviews - not that there's anything wrong with that, but there are so many people out there who do it - some well and others, well... - that I wasn't sure what was setting me apart from everyone else. People have told me they like my reviews because I just write about what I taste and smell. I don't use terms that only someone with an advanced degree in beerology can understand. But I wanted this to be more. When I started this blog a little over two years ago, I had big dreams of being THE beer girl in Philly. I did some online research and didn't really see anyone that was filling that niche in the area. What I learned is that my online searching skills needed some serious work, because there are a ton of girls (women, if you prefer) who love beer in and around the Philly area. Some of them have made careers of this, and one in particular has made quite the name for herself. I felt like I couldn't compare, and maybe I also felt like if I couldn't be best, I didn't want to be in it at all.

So why am I writing now? Maybe it's because the format of Facebook changed today, making me less enthused about spending hours on there every night and I need something else to fill my time. Maybe it's because I've missed the creative outlet that writing this blog afforded me. Maybe it was my conversation with John where I told him I need a hobby, preferably a cheap/free one, and he brought up my writing. Whatever the reason, I fired up the old computer and sat down to write this post. I'm not sure where it's going to go. I'm not sure I'm how often I'll write. And I'm seriously not sure exactly what I'll be writing about. For now, though, it felt good to blow some of the cobwebs out of the way and just tap fingers against keyboard without it being work-related, or on Facebook, or for an email.

Hopefully I still have some followers who will be happy to read something from me. And if you've missed me, hopefully you'll stick with me as I figure this out.