Ramsayings

Helen and I spent a quiet evening in our neighborhood. We ate a delicious dinner at Memphis Taproom — short ribs on a seafood grits bed — and I had a flight of Gift of the Magi, Port Santa’s Little Helper, and Nøgne Ø’s God Jul. The beer was amazing as well. Our second New Year’s Eve dinner was just as great as our first.

We can’t say enough how much we love that place and the people who work there. It’s like an extension of our living room and kitchen. It’s our Cheers. We get great service, great food, and great beer. It’s hard to believe it’s been open less than two years. It feels like it’s been there forever.

We spent the rest of the evening at home, watching movies, drinking beer, waiting for Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest to count down to the New Year. It’s a minor miracle that Helen and I were able to stay awake to see the ball drop. Charlie’s usually waking us by 4:30 in the morning!

The start of 2010 was much more comfortable than where we found ourselves on Y2K. As Helen and I sat on the couch, watching television, I couldn’t help but think how lost we were last year after we boarded the R5 in the wrong direction, jumped off at Wayne Junction, and found ourselves stranded there until Helen’s aunt and uncle picked us up. We didn’t even have cellphones back then!

To add insult to injury, we ended up there after going to see G. Love at the Electric Factory. No further comment necessary.

As we start 2010, we’re thankful for our friends and family who’ve been there for us all along. We feel very lucky in these trying times. Here’s to a great 2010 and the decade ahead!

Delirium Noël, originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay.

I drank my way to the perfect Christmas. No, I didn’t drink myself into a stupor, only to spend the holiday in a soporific haze. I think I actually drank the perfect amount of beer to enjoy myself and still be helpful with Charlie.

I shared a bomber of Delirium Noel Christmas night, but the real surprise was a sixer of Lagunitas Brown Shugga I picked up at Wegman’s. Delicious! If you see any at your local distributor, be sure to pick it up. It’s a perfect beer for the holidays, and it’s deceptively easy drinking, even at 9.8% ABV. Watch out!

I found myself just a tad disappointed in Bell’s Winter White Ale. I am all for a lighter beer around the holidays, but this felt more like a summer beer with a new label slapped on the bottle. I think it was a mistake on my part to expect a delicate winter warmer at 5.0% ABV.

If there’s one resolution I managed to keep this year, it was my effort to broaden my palate when it comes to craft beer. I think the days of me hoisting IPA after IPA are behind me. I’m trying subtler flavors (and lower ABVs.) I’d like to take a class next year to figure out the finer points of beer, rather than just pretend I know how to identify anything that isn’t a massive hops flavor. Can anyone recommend a good one in the Philly area?

Last, but not least, I’d like to thank the great Philly beer writers for introducing me to new and different brews throughout 2009. I don’t know where or what I’d be drinking were it not for Lew Bryson, Jack Curtin, Joe Sixpack, and Suzy Woods. Plenty of people say — rightfully so — that Philly’s a great beer city. They’re right, but they’d be mistaken if it weren’t made better by the people I’ve listed here.  If you live in Philly and like beer and you’re not reading their blogs, you’re probably missing out on some great stuff. They’re all invaluable to the Philly beer scene. If you see them out, be sure to buy them a pint!

Bøgedal 146, originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay.

My friend Tommy told me that Bøgedal and Mikkeller were the two must-have Danish beers. I managed to tuck a bottle of the former into my luggage on the trip home and I can assure you that this dark Christmas beer didn’t disappoint.

I need to find a way to get more of this stuff!

My first Troegs Sunshine Pils @ CBP

Originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay

The Phillies start their title defense as they play host tonight to the visiting Atlanta Braves in the season opener at Citizen’s Bank Park. Helen and I didn’t get tickets to tonight’s game, so we decided to catch the first of two On Deck preseason matchups against last year’s World Series runners-up, the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was an amazing, if blustery, night. We sat under the overhang in section 137 and watched Pat Burrell warm up on his old left field stomping grounds. It was an emotional moment for Helen and me. We both felt that we really got to “know” Pat in his last season as a Phillie, and supported him in our customary seats in section 143 with raucous cheers. We did the same for him last Friday, even though he now wears a Rays uniform.

The Phillies honored Pat’s career with a pre-game montage that started when he signed with the team in 1998 right up until he spoke at last fall’s World Series celebration. It was chock full of great memories, both good and bad. Pat walked out of the dugout and doffed his cap at the Phillies faithful. Pat may not have the greatest reputation, but on the field, he’s a true class act.

On a lighter note, I was able to enjoy one of three new additions to the Citizen’s Bank Park beer selection, pairing a Troegs Sunshine Pils with one of Hatfield’s finest processed meat products. Delicious! I figure if you’re either paying nearly double for Budweiser swill, or you can get one of Pennsylvania’s finest craft brews for $6.75. I figure it’s a great rationale for choosing the good stuff when you’re out at the ballpark!

Last Thursday was a banner night for this beer lover. I met my friend Adam and we strolled on over to Memphis Taproom to enjoy a great Dogfish Head stunt tapping for their 75 Minute IPA. We got there a little early thinking we might have to twiddle our thumbs for a minute before they tapped the cask, but no, we were just in time to knock down a few pints of this great IPA.The 75 Minute IPA blends their trademark 60 and 90 Minute IPAs, resulting in a remarkably smooth IPA that will still knock you flat if you’re not careful.

Adam and I ended up having a wonderful conversation with my friend Derrick, another Memphis Tap regular and amateur beer aficionado like myself. We discussed the merits of Dogfish Head’s approach to brewing and how great it is to be sandwiched between so many great breweries, all of which are doing different, distinctive things. Dogfish Head really does a great job of brewing signature IPAs, complemented nicely by great seasonals. I think their spring and summer beers, both of which feature great fruit flavors, are among the most refreshing I drink, without being sickeningly sweet.

As an aside, I wanted to take this opportunity to mention Jay Hinman’s great beer blog, Hedonist Beer Jive. Some of you may recognize Jay from his legendary music blog, Agony Shorthand. Now, instead of debating issues of race with Black to Comm, he’s telling you why he won’t pony up for expensive bombers of Russian River Consecration (and I don’t blame him!) Jay’s always been a great read, and his beer writing is just as fun and engaging as his music writing ever was.