N’Awlins is by far my favorite city in the U.S…great food, great atmosphere and great music. Though I’ve never been there for actual Mardi Gras I could only imagine the debauchery and good times, especially combined with the Saints’ Super Bowl victory.
In celebration of Mardi Gras and the tastes of the Crescent City (no mention of the Saints’ win, though), Iron Hill is offerin’ up some gator gumbo and a schwarzbier (black beer) named Voodoo in honor of New Orleans’ own Dixie Brewing Company.
According to Iron Hill Head Brewer Tim Stumpf, Dixie “produced a very dark beer as their core product in a time that all other American beers were of the fizzy, yellow variety. This beer revived their brewery in hard times, but then they were ravished by Hurricane Katrina.”
The gator gumbo features authentic Creole seasonings and has hints of subtle herbal notes from German Hopes. Stumpf explains that the darkness of the Voodoo brew mixes nicely with the soup’s dark buttery roux. The gumboshould be ready by tomorrow (Weds.) and free samples of the beer and soup will be given out then as well.
Recovery from Mardi Gras never sounded so delicious.
Calling all Iron Hill Mug Clubbers: have you gotten tired of lookin at that same old 2009mug, with its’ black and blue façade? Well, get ready because now’s the time to renew your membership. Next Thursday, Feb. 4, Iron Hill is hosting its Mug Club Renewal Party from 6 to 8 p.m.
For those of you who don’t know about the Mug Club, it’s $35 beans per year and your account is instantly credited with 200 points. Upon reaching 300 you earn a $25 gift card. How are points accrued, you ask? Simple, by enjoying Iron Hill beers and food (both of which are quite tasty). You earn a point for each dollar spent (tax, tip and purchase of gift cards not included). On top of that, you get to keep your mug, which is a 24 oz bomber, at the time you sign up, and every time you flash your card you get your mug filled while paying the price of a pint, depending on the alcohol content of the beer (trust me, you may not be able to handle 24 oz of some of their Belgians). That’s an extra 8 oz of beer people!! What’s more, you also get an invite to Members-only (not the jacket) events where you can get a taste of new and specialty brews before Joe Schmoe.
Take it from me, if you regularly visit Iron Hill, this Mug Club card is a deal.
The Hill is currently featuring its Belgian Pale Ale, a light and refreshing brewski with the complexity of an Abbey ale.
MAXIM is certainly not the authority on “all things cool”, but they sure know their beer. In the February issue, MAXIM prominently featuresSly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale as one of “The 25 Best New Beers in America”.
In addition, Philadelphia is named MAXIM’s “Favorite Beer Burg”, and both Iron Hill and Sly Foxget shout outs (in addition to Victory, Stoudts, Nodding Head, and Triumph).
A’right there mates and mods, prepare yourself for a lesson all things related to across-the-pond brewskis this Saturday during Iron Hill’s British Invasion from 12 until 5 p.m. which will feature EIGHT English-style beers ranging from nut brown ale (think Newcastle) , regular and cask-conditioned, to ESBs (think Fullers). The first team squad includes the aforementioned nut brown ale and ESB as well as an oatmeal stout, anvil ale, barleywine, pig iron porter and English strong ale. There will also be some guest appearance beers, according to the Web site.
English fare will be featured on the menu, too, so grab some fish n’ chips or a meat pie and wash it down with some tasty beers.
Maybe the Hill will put some soccer on the telly so we can all get pissed and fight over which Premie team has the better squad (look out Man U supporters) or which band is the best to come out of England. Play up Pompey!!
Oh, and to get us in the mood to be a hooligan, the Hill is giving away pint glasses to the first 50 mug clubbers! Who doesn’t love limited quantity giveaways!?
Ahh, ye ole pub crawl… A time-honored tradition of intoxicated jackassery. And what better town to perform such a ritual than the pub-peppered streets of Phoenixville?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term (including variations like “gin crawl” and “beer crawl”) has been in use since the late 19th century. The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English defines ‘pub crawl’ as both a noun and a verb, with the noun (dating from 1915) being defined as “a drinking session that moves from one licensed premises to the next, and so on”, and the verb (1937) meaning “to move in a group from one drinking establishment to the next, drinking at each.”
One must first determine an ending point for the crawl. The perfect placement of Phoenixville’s imbiberies on Bridge Street makes this task a cinch. You’ll either end up at the Pickering Creek Inn, or PJ Ryan’s (since the Moon Saloon is closed until further notice). If feeling ultra-wacky, one could add Prima Lounge to the mix (not encouraged).
Just got an e-mail from Tim at Iron Hill informing me that THIS THURSDAY June 25, the Hill is offering a sneak preview of some of its summer witbiers and new menu items (some of which are made with the delicious brews). The new beers on tap are the Belgian Witbier and Hefeweizen.
On Thursday night, the bar will be offering free samples of its lobster spring rolls and tastings of said beers. According to the e-mail, the summer menu, which will start being offered in July, will feature more seafood, such as mussels simmered in their Belgian Witbier. If you’ve never had their seafood bisque, I STONGLY ENCOURAGE you to do so. Probably one of the best soups I’ve ever had…rich, buttery and loaded with chunks of shrimp, scallops and crabmeat.
Being a mug club member definitely has its advantages. For $35, you get your own mug (that you can take home with you that night!), a 22 oz monster that costs the same to fill as a pint and 200 points. After 300, you get a $25 gift card. Since I love their beer, I go often and have already racked up my first $25 and am just dollars away from my second. It’s already paid for itself!
N’Awlins is by far my favorite city in the U.S…great food, great atmosphere and great music. Though I’ve never been there for actual Mardi Gras I could only imagine the debauchery and good times, especially combined with the Saints’ Super Bowl victory.
by Washington Washington
by Washington Washington
