Hey Tazio, what's in the Beer Meister?

Well, let's see...Realizing that the Bavarian Barbarian Hammerin' Ale was in it's death throes after we had to tag-team to ax and broadsword it to its knees last week, I anticipated this revolting development quite nicely and procured a backup keg of Victory Prima Pils. Just in case expiration came at an inconvenient time and all...

Well when the Hammerin' Ale honorably kicked over the weekend (may ye rest in peace, valiant warrior), it was a simple matter to switch to the Prima Pils. And what a primo delight that was!

Still on tap two is ITHACA Beer Co.&trade Apricot Wheat--it's going as fast as a hound dog passing Apricot pits. But really, it's going steadily, but subject to a foaming issue. My pressure only shows 8 lbs--I'll dial it back a wee bit to see if that helps!

Rerun of Citizens Yuengling

If you didn't catch it the first time around, catch this week's episode of WVIA's Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal.

This week's episode airs Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. and will feature in-depth interviews with Citizens Dick and Wendy Yeungling. His fifth generation name is on a beer once brewed and enjoyed only in Pennsylvania Coal Country. Today his is a respected boutique beer sold in 12 states along the East Coast. Dick Yuengling is now teaching the business to his four daughters to preserve the 180 year legacy. Meet Wendy Yuengling and her father and learn the fascinating business history of the Yuengling brewery.

I saw it the first time it showed and it was very interesting.

CO2 Refills

In PA and perhaps other areas, CO2 tanks have to be inspected for condition and pressure-worthiness every five years. The date of manufacture, or the last inspection date, is on the crown of the tank.

My 5# tank has never been inspected as I have only had it since 2003. So lo and behold on trying to get it refilled, I discovered it needed an inspection which required it be sent off-prem from Beer Solutions. :O(

Should have it for the weekend though! :O)

Hey Tazio, what's in the Beer Meister?

When summertime's come and I need something to keep me cool, my faithful Beer Meister always comes through without protest to supply just what's needed. Never complaining, steadfastly delivering the chilling elixir that makes everything juuussttt right...

First up is one for the ladies: ITHACA Beer Co.™ Apricot Wheat. This is a mellow easy-drinking beer with just a hint of apricot. Wheat is a bit of a stretch as the beer is actually a combination of barley and wheat malts giving it a unique twist. Not one too much for sweet beers, still, I find this very drinkable at an easy 4.9% ABV. I did have a sip of this from S's glass, once before at Marty's Blue Room.

Next up is a really local beer which is new for me, from the Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company in Williamsport and called Hammerin' Ale. This is another very easy-drinking beer weighing in at a light 4.5% ABV, but is a bit darker amber ale. This beer has a unique, clean flavor, that is a nice switch from a lot of the stronger beers that have kissed my lips lately. Another nice summer brew.

On deck for the dog days, we have Victory Prima Pils. That is, if I'm victorious in scoring a sextel... Wish me well.

Beer Holster

Still looking for that primo Father's Day gift? Look no further, your prayers have been answered.

Introducing the Beer Holster.

This custom-made beauty is sure to keep you quick on the draw and able to shoot down that thirst that builds when you're say, grilling in the backyard and there's no where to set your beer.

I wonder if it'll holster a bomber?

Ask and ye shell receive.

Maple Bacon Latte

Gotta try this!

Barmaid, Bartender, or Barkeep?

My good friend J and I were discussing the appearance of the mainstay barmaid and the ghostly disappearance of the bartender. About how this seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon--perhaps in the last 20 years or so. Why is this?

Hey Tazio, what's in the Beer Meister?

Well, I'm moving up in grade a little this week. What we have here is perhaps the first growler of One Guy Brewing ever tapped in a private beer meister. Inside is the fantastic I.P.A. that get's better every time I taste it.

Beer Tax

C sent me this link that briefly describes a proposal to increase the tax on beer to pay for health care.

Tell your representatives how you feel about this.

Freeland Mountain Pub "Fun" Run 2009, Monday May 25th

Gee. I almost forgot about the Freeland Mountain Pub "Fun" Run 2009, that's coming up this Memorial Day, Monday May 25th. It starts downtown Freeland (you can't miss it) and the gun goes off at 3:00 pm.

There are team prizes for top pub teams (10 members per team) and I do know that in the past, you could run unaffiliated. If you're interested follow the link above for the entry form and more details.

You must be 21 or over to run and there are other PLCB rules that apply.

I understand that this benefits the Freeland Chamber of Commerce which uses the monies to put on Santa Claus comes to town, Easter Egg hunts for the kids, and other endeavors.

Not certain of the distance and number of pubs participating--maybe 5.5K and 10 or 11 pubs. It's hard to imagine that many pubs in Freeland, but yeah, there's that many. Coal miners had big thirsts.

...with a Happy Ending at Marty's Blue Room in Sheatown

It may be sacrilegious to speak of Cooper's as becoming old-hat but yes I'm gonna say it.

So with adventure in mind, S and I were looking for something more or at least a break-from Cooper's, for after-show Saturday. I spotted a place over at mybeerbuzz (thank you Mr. MyBeerBuzz you can always be counted on to serve up tasty mugs of beer information) that seemed interesting so I thought we'd hop on 81 south and charge into Sheatown to try out Marty's Blue Room.

It's been a long time since I've visited Sheatown and it brought back many memories for me of visiting my Dad's cousin, wife, and kids when I was a youngster--as a matter of fact, they live just off the main street beyond Marty's Blue Room. I still remember the delight of visiting to see their famous Christmas lighting displays which were always gigantic and magnificent, yet designed in a tasteful way....

Anyway, we parked on-street just after five and went inside. I was forewarned that reservations were strongly suggested for weekend dinner, but thought to myself: Hey! How busy can this place be in an out-of-the way place like Sheatown? Well. I thought wrong and it took all of the Polish charm I could muster to wrangle a table, even at this early hour!

Proceeding past a long bar with a back bar display boasting a cache of ammunition casings and a few guns that would have made Charlton Heston envious, we walked to the back where we were seated in a booth in the intimate dining room that was already half-full just after opening. This is always a good sign.

Of course, beer being necessary for proper digestion, that was our first stop: The Beer Menu. I knew ahead of time from Mr. MyBeerBuzz that Troegs was in the house and yet my eyes were magically and mysteriously drawn as they always are to the delectable taste feast described on the menu. With the onset of Summer, there was really no questioning anything beyond Troegs Sunshine Pils--a fine brew that I had enjoyed many times before from the famous Tazio Beer Meister--last summer perhaps, a simpler and more carefree time for certain. S chose the Ithaca Apricot Wheat which I sipped and also consider a fine and sweet Summer nectar.

For an appetizer, I had heard some murmurs of fondness for the corn and crab chowder, which, by golly, turned out to be deserving of not murmurs of faint praise but shouts of joy. This is a real gem here--where the roasted sweet corn and sweet crab morsels combine into perfect complement. One plus one equals three with this one.

Personally, I was hankering for steak and quickly settled on the 16 oz choice center cut strip special (medium rare). S went for a regular cut Delmonico (medium). Sides of Cole slaw were on tap for both of us, and I being something of a Cole Slaw connoisseur (in addition to sausage, bacon, and beer), found the serving to be ample, chilled, and just the right coarseness (not finely grated, thank you). Semi-sweet, semi-tangy, semi-creamy. The way it should be.

When the chops arrived, my center cut was almost hanging over the sides of the plate with the vegetable of the day, green and yellow string beans and baby carrots arrayed alongside it occupying almost the remainder of the plate. A small hibiscus flower adorned, graced, and colored our plates. I admit to being no horticulturalist; it may have been something else but hibiscus sounds nice to me! S had a side of creamy mashed potatoes, Cajun Tater I think it was, that disappeared before I had a chance to sample it.

The steaks were perfectly prepared and mouth-watering tender. My side of vegetables were fresh, slightly firm, and not overcooked into a sodden morass of limpness (as they sometimes are when not attended to properly in the kitchen).

This is a casual restaurant with bar that provides a pleasant ambiance. There are many framed photos adorning the walls with probably many great stories behind each and every one.

The wait staff was attentive but got busier and busier as our dinner progressed. As we left there was a short line of people waiting for a table.

I would like to see a few more beers on the menu, something a bit spicier to stand up to the beef menu items. But I always ask for more beer choices, so what else is new?

All in all, a worthwhile experience. I will be back to savor some Cajun delicacies next time.

Three fingers up for A Bronx Tale and Marty's Blue Room.

A Bronx Tale...

Alas, Christmas 2008 ended with a bang-up matinee performance of A Bronx Tale written by and starring Chazz Palminteri, Saturday, at the Scranton Cultural Center.

If you haven't seen the movie, in a nutshell this is the coming of age story of Calogero 'C' Anello, growing up in the 1960s in an Italian-American neighborhood near the corner of East 187th Street and Belmont Avenue in the Bronx.

C's is befriended by the local don Sonny (Sonny had five fingers, but he only used three.) and his world begins to be colored and pulled by the gravity of many new and interesting characters but at the same time resisted by the pull of his own father Lorenzo who serves as his moral compass during this tumultuous period. In the course of the story, C finds himself faced with all sorts of funny situations like The Test to see if a girl can be trusted, and at times serious grown-up situations like crime and racism, that try his burgeoning passage into adulthood and make him question right and wrong.

Mr. Palminteri plays all the characters, perhaps three main and 12 minor characters, and effortlessly slips between each in conversation and physicality. In addition the character of C provides ongoing narration that puts you into his mind and feelings as he grows up.

The play was without intermission and lasted about 95 minutes and made me appreciate the craft of acting and what is possible with a good story and great acting.

This was a rare and tour de force performance people, the likes of which I've never seen before. If you get a chance to see it and unfortunately this is only playing a small number of cities, by all means do so--you will not go away disappointed.

Bacon, Beer, and Sausage

Well, here it is. The Bacon Explosion in all it's portly porcine BBQ glory.

When looking for a brew that could stand up to the intenseness of this savage lovefest, I knew I needed something that would hold its own up against the most vicious of flavahs. I opted for a Troegs Hopback Amber Ale which suited me and the pig just fine.

Hey Tazio what's in the Beer Meister?

Well, in light of the recession and all, I have been consuming the best I can afford lately. At these gravities and taste, 48 ounces lasts a long time for me.