PHILADELPHIA, May 30, 2011 — Beer history has long been brewing in the Philadelphia region. From colonial era brewing through the turn of the 20th century's boom to the craft beer renaissance of the past 25 years, Philadelphia-area brewers, bar owners, and distributors have justly earned the reputation as an elite beer market in the United States.
Many brewers of the region are firmly rooted in traditional German brewing methods. Stoudt's, Victory, and Sly Fox are three of the leading breweries that today produce widely-acclaimed and award-winning lagers in the German spirit of brewing.
But for as rigid as some might purport German-style brewing to be, it is fortunate that commercial brewers — as well as the extensive network of homebrewers — of the region are just as enterprising and willing in their brewing to break outside of historical norms to introduce beers and styles to the market that had previously gone unknown or unappreciated.
Philadelphia's role in worldly beer, though, is not limited to just German-style beer. Local publican Tom Peters, of the famed Monk's Café, is credited with bringing the first kegged Belgian beer to the States to be served on draft. With Philadelphia's well-known affinity for great beer, many of this country's and Belgium's beers make their way in to the Philadelphia beer market.
Therefore, local brewers, importers, and distributors have created more educated consumers who have demanded more experimentation and innovation. The circle of supply and demand remains unbroken in Philadelphia.
This extremely high-level, and perhaps unfairly too high-level, overview of the Philadelphia regional beer market serves as the basis for understanding the groundwork that existed prior to the creation of Philly Beer Week in 2008.
The Emergence of Philly Beer Week
While watching the annual The Book and The Cook become wildly successful and enjoy a run of over 20 years in Philadelphia, it had the wheels of Philly Beer Week (PBW) co-founders Bruce Nichols (dec'd 2010), Tom Peters, and Don Russell rolling.
Nichols was responsible for hosting the legendary beer writer Michael Jackson, who had passed away in 2007, at the University of Pennsylvania during the annual food and beverage event.
Russell, an award-winning author who doubles in the beer world as Joe Sixpack, recalls that the desire to "evolve a multi-day beer-centric festival from The Book and The Cook model" was given additional momentum with Jackson's passing to "do something as special as possible". The more Russell, Nichols, and Peters discussed the concept, the more they became convinced that it could become a viable venture.
At the initial gathering of brewers, publicans, publicists, and distributors, Russell notes that many were initially skeptical. But, as they discussed how the establishments and the breweries would themselves create the events and the marketing organization behind Philly Beer Week would take care of promotion, the future participants warmed to the idea.
Peters provided concrete examples of how establishments that he had interest in (Monk's Café, The Belgian Café, Grace Tavern, and Nodding Head) would create special dinners and tastings further convinced other business owners that they could join the party and put their own unique stamp on a successful Beer Week event.
Philly Beer Week was the first such 10-day celebration of beer of its kind in the country. But, why ten days, you might ask? "Having two weekends bookending the 10-day festival seemed natural right from the beginning," Russell said. The first weekend's keystone event was the Philly Craft Beer Festival. The annual Michael Jackson Tasting continued in Jackson's honor with a new host and became the anchor event for the second weekend.
In between, Russell and his founding partners determined that if the participating bars and breweries could put together "around 50 events, it would be pretty cool and deemed a success."
On a rainy Friday night in March 2008 in East Falls at The Marketplace, Mayor Michael Nutter showed up to wield a mallet and drive a tap home into the ceremonial first keg of Philly Beer Week beer, Yards Extra Special Ale. He is due to repeat the performance for the fourth consecutive year on June 3 during Opening Tap at the Independence Visitors Center to kick off PBW '11.
(Want to know more about Don Russell/Joe Sixpack? Mark Lisheron has a great article archived at American Journalism Review.)
Philly Beer Week, three years later
With three years under its belt and, by some reports, several dozen imitators across the country, Philly Beer Week is preparing to release its fourth annual installment this coming Friday, June 3.
The day will begin with a "parade" that is all at once a spectacle and a unique celebration of the City's brewing and bar scene. The Hammer of Glory, or HOG as it has become known in the Twitter-abbreviated era, will take an eleven hour tour of the city, making stops along the way at interesting bars and being delivered by all sorts of Philadelphia beer-related characters and devices. It truly is a site to behold, if only for just a few of the twenty-plus stops.
The HOG will eventually be delivered from consummate Philadelphia publican Mike "Scoats" Scotese (Grey Lodge Pub and Hop Angel Brauhaus) to Mayor Michael Nutter at the Independence Visitors Center in historic Old City. Nutter will tap the ceremonial first keg of beer, the collaboratively-brewed Brotherly Suds 2, and the ten day celebration will be in full swing.
To compare Philly Beer Week to any of the numerous other Beer Weeks that have sprung up around the country would not be fair to any one of them. Each has a local component (or flavor, so-to-speak) and the sheer size and scope varies from one to the next.
Something for everyone
Many would argue that what makes any Beer Week successful is the focus that the events bring to the local breweries, bars, and people that make it happen year-round.
With the rich Philadelphia fabric of brewers, distributors, and bar owners, it makes sense that it has grown to such an overwhelming size. Over the course of June 3 - June 12, nearly 1,000 events are scheduled to take place throughout the region.
The diversity of the scheduled events nearly guarantees that anyone who likes to drink beer outside of their own living room will be able to find a venue hosting an event of their liking. The 2011 PBW calendar includes events at numerous prototypical Philly bars, high-end restaurants, a cruise terminal, a strip club, a cemetery, a gay bar, a wine bar, a martini bar, and a grocery store.
There will be meet-n-greets, free samplings, $100+ dinners, food trucks, competitions, and spectacles of almost every stripe.
Year-round beer enthusiast, Rob Dougherty of Philadelphia, commented on the diversity of the beer and the accompanying events. "As great as it usually is, it gets even better during Beer Week with special versions of beer that you can't usually get (e.g. dry hopped, wood-aged versions). The real ale events are also nice, something you don't see that much of throughout the year."
Likewise, suburban-based beer traveler Greg Gaughan describes "the large variety of event types that are offered at many different establishments. It is also nice that if there is a brewer in town (e.g. Shaun Hill from Hill Farmstead in Vermont), they usually make appearances at several different venues on different days which gives an opportunity to a good number of people to try their beers."
There are bicycling events, running events, arm wrestling, quizzo, homebrewing challenges, bar "olympics", and other games for those that like to take a more active role in their Beer Week. Then there is the ultimate PBW consumeer competition, that for the title of Philly Beer Geek. After two grueling rounds prior to PBW, six finalists will endure two hours of being under the spotlight where they must demonstrate a mastery of the Philadelphia beer scene and history. Stephen Hawk, 2010 champion, will be serving on the panel of illustrious judges.
Outside of industry conferences, there may not be a greater gathering of industry luminaries in one place than in Philadelphia during Beer Week. Attendees of PBW events will no doubt cross paths with Philadelphia area brewing personalities, but also from New England to Southern California and in between. Casey Hughes is the Flying Fish Head Brewer and Director of Brewing Operations and avid participant in Beer Week on both sides of the tap handle. He remarks that "I always looks forward to hanging out with brewers from out-of-town who I don't see often."
Numerous Belgian breweries will be represented, as well, with owners, brewers, and representatives that view Philadelphia and its Beer Week as an important place to be.
An accomplished local homebrewer supports this notion and mentions that "PBW's most appealing aspect is access. The consumer gets unfiltered access to the producers of some pretty special products. I also feel that PBW is a kind of reward for the consumers in the Philly area for being so receptive to the beer industry."
Finally, when participants have had enough, there is always that last drink. That is where the T.U.D. comes out to play. One of the last events on the last day of PBW is called T.U.D. at Fergie's Pub. As events begin to wind down across the region on Sunday, June 12, the industry's players (brewers, bartenders, owners, reps, and writers) will descend upon the Sansom Street bar to unwind and take part in event that is all about them.
After months of planning and too numerous events to count for all, a little party and a Totally Unnecessary (last) Drink is just what everyone will need.
For more information about Philly Beer Week 2011 and a full event calendar, visit their website (PhillyBeerWeek.org), Facebook (Philly-Beer-Week), and Twitter (phillybeerweek).
---Read more of Bryan's work at After Hours in the Communities at the Washington Times.
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