Beer Week Event: SPTR with Firestone Walker

The other night before the Phillies game, my wife, friend and I went to The South Philadelphia Taproom for their Monday Beer Week Event.  Firestone Walker is a central California brewer that is new to our region.  They are famous for their pale ale styled beers, and have a "fascination with wooden barrels," according to their website.  The Taproom had several of their beers, bottles and drafts, available and their chef cooked up a few menu items using the beers.  I had the New England Style crab roll using Pale Ale 31.  It was solid, as is almost everything I've ever had to eat there.  The beers themselves weren't jumping out at me from the glass, but they were decent.  The Pale Ale 31 had a great aroma but then was a little flat in the delivery for me.  But it could be that it was a bottle rather than draft.  I don't really like drinking bottles at beer bars--especially 12 oz bottles--when I am surrounded by folks drinking creamy, bubbly tapped beers.  But the bottle selections called my name this time.  The porter on tap was good, and I liked the Double Barrel Bitter, too, even though that was a bottle, too.  Their double ipa (Double Jack) from their reserve series was our last beer, strong at close to 10 percent and very good.  The fun part was that one of the owners of Firestone Walker was there, and he chatted with us about the beer.  He said that Pale Ale 31 won't be distributed out here, as it's too "subtle" to make the journey.  The regular IPA, Union Jack, will be though.  He said their bitter is what "keeps the lights on" at the brewery.  He was a friendly guy and though the beers weren't standouts at first taste I would definitely give them another try, especially as I am a pale ale guy. 

Another great event from SPTR.  I'm planning to close out Beer Week at their extreme beer brunch on Sunday; hoping to get a taste of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout.