Saturday, May 5, 2012

Beer and dinner with the family? No problem...

As a mother of two young children and an active work life (my commute exceeds an hour each way...I know, I know), I don't get out too much. Date nights are important but don't happen as much as we would like. Taking the family out for a meal then becomes the defacto date and if you are like me, and enjoy good beer, you want to find a place that has it all -- food the kids will eat (they are still picky eaters), food the parents will eat and good beer. We are lucky in West Chester to have some great places to go. Each have different things to offer:

Iron Hill...a great place, of course. Food that ranges from good pub food to upscale choices. Love the apps! Their beer choices are excellent and they have as many as 20 of their own brews on tap at a time. The kids love it there, too. There is always something for them to eat, and the atmosphere is really kid friendly.

Four Dogs...a great place in the summer. The kids love sitting outside and so do we. The beer selection is not vast, but you can count on a local craft beer to complement a delicious meal.

Station Taproom...We took the kids just recently and at noon on a Saturday, this intimate spot across from the train station in Downingtown offered several seats to choose from and friendly service. Our kids, like I said, are still rather picky, so the menu choices for them were not as appealing. They did settle on the edamame and hummous and were very happy. I selected the grilled cheese, which was just to die for.

PJ Whelihan's...we just took the family to the new location in West Chester. The old Bennigan's is hardly recognizable. The new place looks like a smaller version of the Downingtown location. It is open and airy and filled with families at the tables and men at the bar. There is a large craft beer selection (I had the Yard's Saison, which I love) and the standard big beer selections. The food was basic bar food, but tasty and it appealed to the whole family. Lots of TVs playing every sport show imaginable was a little distracting for my husband but overall, a good time.

Next up for us has to be Libery Union. I haven't been there yet but need to get there soon.

What other locations are good for a low-key, low-cost family lunch or dinner out (with good beer)?

We are always looking for suggestions!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

West Chester Beer Ladies Brew at Iron Hill

West Chester Beer Ladies Brew at Iron Hill West Chester


The West Chester Beer Ladies with Brewer Larry (back right) and Brewer Mike (front left)

On Saturday, April 14, The West Chester Beer Ladies woke up, donned their most appropriate rain boots for the job, and met at Iron Hill West Chester to brew the honey saison that will be released on May 10 to benefit the Home of the Sparrow. Aptly named, Sparrow Saison will be a perfect seasonal beer, with a light color, a hint of honey...and a unique flavor that can only come from the loving touch of the ladies as we carefully stirred and measured with Larry and Mike brewing the beer.

The Beer Ladies have met several times since group was formed in 2010. We've had tastings, food and beer pairings and other meet-ups aimed at having a great time focused on craft beer. But never have we brewed. Sure, we have some home brewers among us, but the opportunity to work with professional brewers in a commercial setting was something we couldn't resist. And it all started with an email.

One day, while traveling in Pittsburgh (the home of our Western PA outpost -- the Pittsburgh Beer Ladies), Colleen Perrin received an email from Larry Horwitz, who is the regional brewer for Iron Hill Restaurants. As an aside, for those who may not be familiar with Iron Hill, this is a fantastic brewpub in the Philadelphia area with amazing food and world-class beer. He offered the Beer Ladies and opportunity to collaborate -- something related to brewing and meeting at the restaurant. Let's talk, he said.

So we did. And from that discussion one evening over a freshly brewed and poured Iron Bound Ale, we came up with the plan. We would invite the Beer Ladies and the female members of the Iron Hill Mug Club to an event where we would announce the type of beer we will brew together. We would also decide upon a charitable organization where we would donate proceeds from the beer. Next, we would brew the beer...together. And finally we would release the beer with another event for the Beer Ladies.

Prior to embarking on this three-phase plan, the Beer Ladies met at The Flying Pig in Malvern, a great little bar with a comfortable atmosphere and excellent beer selections, to decide upon the beer we would brew.Then on March 28, the ladies met at Iron Hill to announce the beer type, and to meet Larry and his wife Whitney (who by the way, was a brewer and Quality Assurance manager at Victory Beer...imagine their dinner conversations, not to mention beer selections!)

Finally, a small group (above) took part in the brewing on April 14 and had one of the best beer experiences we could imagine. We took part in each process of the brewing, including one of the most important and fun.. drinking tank beer. Ok, perhaps that wasn't essential to the brewing process. I mean, it wasn't even the beer we were brewing. It was not-quite-ready versions of Iron Hill's delicious Vienna Red Lager and their Maibock. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun and it certainly enhanced our experience by mingling the smells of the process with the tastes of the beer.

Now we wait. Well, we can also visit the bar and look through the glass at fermenter #4 where our beer will rest until it is released. I can tell you, I just may do that.

Be sure to come and taste our Honey Saison, which will be released on May 10 at 6pm at Iron Hill West Chester. If you are a lady in Chester County or nearby, and would like to join our club or just check it out at the release event, feel free. Information about our group can be found here or on our Facebook page.