Phoenixville Pub Crawl 2010 – Saturday March 13

by Washington Washington

For those of you who haven’t seen that big ass banner on Bridge Street, the Phoenixville Pub Crawl is happening this Saturday March 13th from 1-5pm. Aside from the banner, there’s a website devoted to the event, a grassroots marketing campaign (postcards in bars), and various other attention grabbing mechanisms… So what does this all mean???

It means that Phoenixville knows how to party, dammit!

Where else is excessive mid-day drinking so heartily encouraged? I mean, other towns host pub crawls (such as Manayunk, etc), but they aren’t advertised and promoted like this one is… And they aren’t as organized either.

It’s a great thing that the local bars all came together on this, as they should all do a ton of business on this day. Each location will be will be offering a different micro brew(s)… here’s the rundown and my personal preferred crawl order:

Sly Fox Brewery – Sly Fox Beer

Epicurean – Ithaca, Lagunitas, Spring House

PJ Ryan’s – Longtrail

Bistro on Bridge – Heavy Seas, Rogue, Brooklyn Brewery

Molly Maguire’s – Victory, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale

Iron Hill Brewery – Iron Hill Beer

Baxter’s 101 Bridge – Stoudts Brewery

Pickering Creek Inn – Founders, Weyerbacher, Cigar City

Of course there are more bars in Phoenixville, the bars above are only the ones that chose to participate. These additional bars could easily be worked into your crawl (see our story, Pub Crawlin’ Comes a-Callin’ This Thanksgiving Eve).

Have fun, rock hard, and be safe!

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admin, March 7th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Craft Brew Night @ the Pick: Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Co. (2/25)

by Third Ave Hooligan

Cleveland was recently deemed the nation’s most miserable city (see http://tinyurl.com/yldp7oa), maybe it’s because they haven’t hosted MTV’s Real World yet. Personally, I don’t know why they could be so miserable, I mean, its got King James, Shaqtus (despite his new crappy Comcast commercials with the humungous head of Ben Stein) and Antwoin Jamison on the Cavs, who can make a serious run at the NBA crown, the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the Drew Carey show and it was the birthplace of the Cleveland Steamer.  Regardless, the Pick will be featuring three brews from the Forest City’s finest Great Lakes Brewing Co. this Thursday night (2/25) starting at 6.

The featured trio seemingly runs the gamut with n lager, an IPA and a porter.  Great Lakes’ Dortmund Gold Lager is the brewery’s flag ship beer and is made in the same manner as beers in 19th Century Dortmund, Germany.  The beer’s name “reflects the unprecedented accolades and recognition it has earned in major worldwide beer tasting competitions” and is neither too hoppy nor too malty, according to the brewery.  More specifically, the company describes the 5.8 % ABV Dortmund Gold as “a smooth lager that strikes a delicate balance between sweet malt and dry hop flavors.” Ziggy zaggy ziggy zaggy oy oy oy!!!

The Commodore Perry IPA is described by Great Lakes as a pale ale that was exported to the multitude of British soldiers, colonial administrators and settlers in India. This pale ale style was a strong candidate for shipping due to the high potency and high level of attenuation.  With an ABV of 7.5 %, this sounds like a tasty brew if you’re a fan of IPAs.

Lastly, the dark selection is the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.  For those of you who don’t know about the Edmund Fitzgerald, the freighter sunk while in Lake Superior in November 1975 without first sending a distress signal.  According to Wikipedia, the vessel’s crew of 29 perished with no bodies being recovered and when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. The ship was also immortalized in a 1976 song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Canadian folkie Gordon Lightfoot. The Fitzgerald beer is a British-style porter with a 5.8 % ABV.

Well, depending on how Great Lakes’ selections taste, Cleveland could at least have good beer to drown their sorrows.  Hopefully the snow blizzard won’t interfere with this bi-monthly event.

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admin, February 24th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Painted Blue Returns To Pickering Creek Inn (2/5)

By Washington Washington

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Painted Blue will return to the Pickering Creek Inn with a whole new lineup this Friday, February 5th. OneNineSixFourZero was unable to acquire details on these changes, so we’ll just have to go to the show to find out (we would have anyway).

Painted Blue’s skilled brand of folk and bluegrass (or “newgrass” as those in that genre call it) is a nice change of pace, making them a much welcomed monthly musical addition to the acts playing around town.

Tim Dodson (guitar and vocals) leads the group through songs about old-timey topics, train travel, and a myriad of emotions. As the master mood maker, Dodson’s gentle demeanor lends itself well to the overall vibe of the band. His guitarmanship is mega-legit and establishes the professionalism of the band.19460

As strings set the tone, Nichole Campanale definitely delivers on the fiddle. Not to be outshined, Mike Spillane makes magic on the mandolin, and Jerome McCaffrey is bangin’ on the upright bass. The chemistry between them is charming… It’s heartwarming drinking music.

Painted Blue conjures up images of fun in autumn. Even their songs with a more somber aesthetic seem to feel comfortable and warming. It’s the kind of thing that never gets old, even if it’s not modern.

Their first release Time Rolls On (2007) displays their skills wonderfully, but they’ve progressed as a band since then. Hopefully, they’ll record and release a new record soon.

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admin, February 4th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Pickering Creek Inn Craft Brew Night With Rogue Ales (1/28)

by Washington Washington

This Thursday Pickering Creek Inn will host their popular Craft Brew Night at 6pm, this time featuring Rogue Ales. There will be pint specials and giveaways as always.

The Pick will pour three different brews…

Double Dead Guy Ale (9.00% abv) – Deep amber copper color. Buttery peanut brittle, orange blossom tea aromas follow through to a rich chewy and fruity full body with nice notes of caramel drizzled dried apricot and roasted grains and spice. Finishes with a long, tangy grilled grapefruit and chocolate fade.

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout (6.00% abv) - Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish.

Mogul Madness (6.25% abv) - Hoppy, caramel aroma, dark burgundy in color with an off white head. Intense flavors of citrus hops, and complex notes of nuts, berries and mocha. It finishes long and lingers for at least 15 seconds.

In case you forgot, karaoke starts at 9pm,  so be sure to put down a few Double Dead Guys and perform the perfect tribute to your new favorite beer…

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admin, January 26th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Pickering Creek Inn’s 1st Annual “Coney Island” Craft Brew Night & Hot Dog Eating Contest

by Washington Washington

Pickering Creek Inn will host their 1st Annual “Coney Island” Craft Brew Night & Hot Dog Eating Contest tonight at 6pm. In the Coney Island tradition, hot dogs will be sold for $1.00 and a hot dog eating contest will begin at 7pm ($5.00 to enter the contest and the winner gets a $50.00 cash prize). There will be pint specials and giveaways as always.

The Pick will pour three brews from Southampton Brewery…

Double White (abv: 6.8) – A ‘double’ version of traditional Belgian White Ale spiced with coriander and orange peel.

Imperial Porter (abv: 7.5) – An extremely dry light-medium bodied beer with average co2, feels quite thin on the palate.

Saison (abv: 6.5) – A farmhouse ale with stunningly complex with tropical fruit overtones of pineapple and passion fruit. Imported malt and hops create a smooth, earthy flavor on the palate.

So come on out, drink and few brews, eat a few dozen hot dogs, and sing your ass off at karaoke afterwards…

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admin, January 14th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Firebird Festivities – PART II “The After Parties”

by Washington Washington

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So what happens after the bird burns down to the ground? Your buzz fades to black like the soot left behind by the phoenix. Your feeling like the night can’t end, not now… Not ever. It’s time to strut your sweet ass over to Bridge Street where the real party is about to start!

According to www.firebirdfestival.com, there will be legions of street performers up and down Bridge, called buskers, performing for tips. While I don’t condone giving any street people money, the buskers may actually amuse / surprise / entertain you. Please support these local artists by tossing them a few duckets / cigs / bagels / whatever.

Iron Hill Brewery has created a spiced holiday ale, called “Winter Warmer” which will be tapped on tap Saturday to celebrate the festival. The Winter Warmer was brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, vanilla, galangal, and mahlab. Tim Stumpf (Head Brewer) said, “It tastes like a gingerbread cookie!” Others beers available that day / night include: Nut Brown ale, Chocolate Stout, Forbidden Fruit, Imperial IPA, and Peach Wheat.

There have been mumurs on this website of a special “celebrity” guest performing at the Pickering Creek Inn. While this cannot be confirmed or denied, it does appear that they will have live music by Left Foot First and a $3.00 well drink specials, starting at 8:00pm.

At Molly Maguire’s, you can usually count on a rawkus time and Saturday night is no exception. Midnight Social takes to the stage at 10pm.

So you have options. I’m sure there are many more, but most of my queries to bar managers went unanswered. In any case, go out and party. Celebrate your town, your burning mascot… Rise from the ashes, rise to the occasion!

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admin, December 10th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Thirsty Thursday: Craft Brew Night with Troegs Brewing at Pickering Creek Inn (12/3)

by Washington Washington

Tonight, Tröegs Brewing of Harrisburg will be the featured Craft Brewery at the Pickering Creek Inn. The event starts at 6:00pm and there will be a great line-up of locally crafted brews on tap (and hopefully some giveaways).

Troegs means alot to native Harrisburgians, especially Aaron Margolis, Director of Game Entertainment for the Harrisburg Senators Baseball Club…

“Despite Troegs early entry to the state capital’s craft brew landscape, it remains at the head of an ever-growing pack,” said Margolis.  “In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a bar in South-Central Pennsylvania that didn’t have Troegs on tap.  But don’t think this is a cater to the masses, run-of-the-mill beer, Troegs can go toe-to-toe with the best the nation can offer (and if you’re not careful, the seductive taste of their Mad Elf will happily send you under the table).”

The Pick will be pouring three different Tröegs treats:

The Mad Elf (11% abv) – The Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. The Mad Elf, a jolly and delicious beer for the Holidays.

Dead Reckoning Porter (5.8% abv) – Dead Reckoning is unfiltered and weighs in at 5.8% abv and 53 IBU’s. It features Pilsner, Caramel, Chocolate and Roasted malts along with Chinook and Vanguard hops.

Dreamweaver Wheat Ale (5.4% abv) – Combining four wheat types with Munich and Pils malts, noble Saaz hops, and a yeast strain that imparts a spicy, peppery, clove taste with a slight hint of bananas, Dreamweaver Wheat is an unfiltered blast of spicy, mouthwatering joy.

So pipe down a few Mad Elfs, and by the time Karaoke is all set (8pm), you can bust out your favorite mad elf’s hit song! Mine is Rick Astley “Never Gonna Give You Up”…

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admin, December 3rd 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Pub Crawlin’ Comes a-Callin’ This Thanksgiving Eve (11/25)

drunk_turkeyby Washington Washington

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).

Here’s our suggested route and links to each bar:

1 )  PJ Ryan’s

2 )  Bistro on Bridge

3 )  Molly Maguire’s (Live music by Funzaluv)

4 )  The Fenix

5 )  Columbia Bar and Grille

6 )  Iron Hill Brewery

7 )  Baxter’s

8 )  Pickering Creek Inn (Live music by Arianne Rox)

Happy boozing, and remember to walk or your last stop could be the holding cell!

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admin, November 23rd 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Thirsty Thursday: Craft Brew Night with Victory Brewing at Pickering Creek Inn (11/12)

by Washington Washington

This Thursday, November 12th at 6pm, Pickering Creek Inn will host a Craft Brew Night featuring Victory Brewing Company. In typical fashion, if you buy a pint, you keep the glass! Also, for each pint you put down, you’ll earn a chance to win a beautiful Victory gift basket featuring more than a dozen select brews and several pieces of Victory glassware.

The Pick will be pouring three different selections from Victory:

Yakima Twilight ( 8.7% ABV) – A fantastic seasonal brew with a big juicy hop aroma and dark roasted malts.

Braumeister Pils (5.4% ABV) – Dry quenching character with signatures of great hop varieties.

Golden Monkey (9.5% ABV) – Strong and sensual Belgian-style ale. Gets you ripped right quick.

Come on out, drink a few Golden Monkey drafts, and then you’ll have all the courage you need to belt out your favorite Michael McDonald song when karaoke time rolls around (8 pm)…

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admin, November 10th 2009 | Tags: , , , ,
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Halloween Craft Brew Night – Thursday at the Pickering Creek Inn (10/29)

Halloween_Pickeringby Washington Washington

The next Craft Brew Night at Pickering Creek Inn will be this Thursday, October 29th at 6pm. This time, they’ll feature a ghastly line-up of Halloween-ish brews such as the ominous Eel River Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout, Gritty McDuff’s Halloween Ale and Dark Horse “Percolator” Coffee Doppelbock.

There will also be a FREE BUFFET from 6 till 8. The components of this have yet to be announced, but I am predicting Halloweenies, Edible Eyeballs, and other creepy cuisines.

Leave your best guesses in the COMMENTS section!

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admin, October 27th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , ,
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