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Drinking Our Way Across Pennsylvania
Nothing breaks up a long car trip like good food and drink, so we were looking forward to trying some new places on a trip to Erie over the Fourth of July weekend. The detours added at least three hours...
Brewing with Glacier Hops
So what did we do with all those hops? Well, in the spirit of Sly Fox’s Hop Project, we decided to brew a single-hop pale ale. We picked a simple pale ale recipe (“Gone Fishin’” from The Complete Joy of...
Jenkintown’s Jazz and BrewFest This Sunday
The tenth annual Jenkintown Jazz and BrewFest is this Sunday, September 13 (I will be one of the orange-shirted volunteers). I have been coming to the Fest even before I moved to Jenkintown and always had a great time. It’s...
Philly Beer Week 2009: Winding Down and Wrapping Up
I promise this will be the last Beer Week post until next year—because Beer Week is over. *sniff* My Beer Week ended with a whimper rather than a bang. For the last three days of Beer Week, I strayed rather...
Philly Beer Week 2009: Summit at Bridgewater’s Pub
I knew I wanted to support one of my favorite haunts, Bridgewater’s Pub in 30th Street train station, by showing up at least once during Beer Week. They were holding tastings almost every day, and I pass through 30th Street...
Philly Beer Week 2009: Ithaca Beer at Teresa’s
Since “discovering” Ithaca Beer at the 2008 Craft Beer Festival, I had been waiting for them to be distributed in southeastern Pennsylvania, which happened sometime last summer. The first sign I noticed was that McGillin’s began serving Apricot Wheat in...
Philly Beer Week 2009: Session Beer Project
Beer Week festivities continued last night with a visit to The Tiedhouse in the Franklintown (Fairmount) section. (The Tiedhouse is "tied" to the General Lafayette Inn, a brewpub in Lafayette Hill. Despite the alliance, they also serve beer from other...
Philly Beer Week 2009: Opening Tap
I wasn’t planning on writing a separate post about Opening Tap, but after writing up the Craft Beer Festival, I realized that even after sampling 29 beers, there wasn’t one I would single out for special mention. In contrast, the...
Philly Craft Beer Festival 2009
We survived Philly Beer Week’s Opening Tap last night at the Comcast Center (and according to a friend, we were “on the news”). It was a lot of fun—Mayor Nutter showed Olympian form tapping the first keg, there were lots...
Philly Beer Week “Plans”
Last year I posted my Philly Beer Week schedule a month ahead of time; this year, only a day ahead. That’s simply a symptom of my state of mind this year. Beer Week has grown so much in just one...
These Kids Today: Thanksgiving 2008
Is it too late for a Thanksgiving recap post? I think not! After all, you’re all still eating leftovers, right? We went to my brother’s house on Thanksgiving (armed with only a coconut cream pie) and discovered that my niece...
Neologism: Beershopping
A friend sent me this fake Miller beer ad earlier this year: Now I have a term for it. Just as “photoshopping” is the use of Photoshop to make a photograph of a person more attractive, “beershopping” is the use...
Rename the Phillies for What Philly Does Best
Back to work after a wonderful week in Maine. During the ten-hour ride home yesterday, our conversation covered a lot of odd ground. (Perhaps it was the low barometric pressure of Hurricane Kyle.) I'd like to tell you all about...
Dinner at Mary’s Fish Camp
Although I haven’t written much about lobster rolls this year, a lot has been happening—and we haven’t even been to Maine yet. Most recently, Gothamist linked to my lobster-roll map of New York. Then New York Magazine’s Grub Street picked...
The Active Blogger Meetup RIP
<Maurice Chevalier accent>Ah, yes, I remember eet well: my first blogger meetup—in fact, my first meetup of any kind.</Maurice Chevalier accent> I had been blogging in isolation since early 2002 and, amazing as it seems to me now, only reading...
Bridgewater’s Pub After Beer Week
My only regret regarding Beer Week was not being able to attend all 150-odd events (kidding!). Especially painful was missing the Beer Week happy hours at one of my favorite joints, Bridgewater’s Pub, a haven of good food and drink...
Beer Week 2008: Michael Jackson Tutored Tasting
As a newcomer to beer, I basically learned who Michael Jackson was when he died last year. He started the Tutored Tastings series at Penn almost twenty years ago, and it looks as if the event will continue without him...
Beer Week 2008: A Bitter Bite with Joe Sixpack
In February, when I was planning my Beer Week schedule, I had decided to avoid “all the dinners featuring multiple courses and beer pairings,” because I just don’t have the capacity to eat and drink that much. The description of...
Beer Week 2008: Schmidt’s History at Triumph Brewing
Tuesday the 11th was my next outing, and this time I dragged my wife along to one of the many “Meet the Brewer” events, this one featuring local beer historian Rich Wagner and Jack Ehmann (formerly of Schmidt’s) at Triumph...
Beer Week 2008: Extreme Beer Homebrew Challenge
It’s going to be all beer all the time for the next few days here at mere cat as I wrap up my adventures during Philly’s first-ever Beer Week. I had hoped to start Beer Week right on its opening...
Philadelphia Flower Show 2008
I always enjoy the Flower Show in part because we work in a nice pub dinner either before or after. Back in the day (before I got into beer), we used to go to Independence Brew Pub. I am mildly...
Philly Craft Beer Festival 2008
Another beer post, and Philly Beer Week is still a week away! Saturday we went to second Philly Craft Beer Festival (last year’s festival was so much fun). This year, I didn’t have much of a strategy; about all I...
Philly Beer 101
On Tuesday, we attended “Philly Beer 101,” a beer-appreciation class taught by Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack) at the Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy. “This thirst-quenching course takes you through the confusing choices with a focus on the best...
Beer Week Schedule
Philly Beer Week is less than a month away. There are well over 80 events, and I have been struggling to decide which ones will best advance my malty education. Some decisions were easy. For example, I have avoided all...
Blogger Meetup Recap
A couple of meetups I attend are on life support, including the Philly Blogger meetup, several of which at the end of 2007 had attendance of exactly one person. No problem, as worst case I still get a delicious sandwich,...
Bridgewater’s Pub Hot Lobster Roll
Stop the presses—hot lobster roll action in Philly. Tonight I was planning to check out Sláinte Pub (I know, I know, yet another Irish pub. I’m Irish, OK?), New Deck Tavern’s little sister. I had to walk right past Bridgewater’s...
Teresa’s Next Door
Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne opened in June, but I wasn’t able to visit for a meal there until last week and then ended up eating there twice. I’ve been working my way through the restaurants on North Wayne Avenue...
Philly Photobloggers Doylestown meetup
I recently began working through a backlog of unprocessed film and put up a set shot in early August. The occasion was a Philly Photoblogger meetup organized by Robin Odland to shoot headshots of the actors of Town and Country...
National Toast to Michael Jackson
The National Toast to Michael Jackson is tomorrow, September 30 at 9:00 PM EST (search Upcoming for “MJBeerHunter” to find the location nearest you). Proceeds from most of these toasts benefit the National Parkinson Foundation. I have wanted to go...
Teresa’s Next Door
Finally made it to Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne, after a company party at the always-excellent Christopher’s. Wow, do they have a lot of beer here. Twenty-four taps, half of which were Belgian and two hand pumps (currently dispensing Yards...
Michael Jackson Dies
I’ve been away for two days and just beginning to catch up with the outpouring of tributes and reminiscences following “Beer Hunter” Michael Jackson’s death on August 30. I came to beer very late in life, and in fact, I...
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
I have to say that Victory HopDevil is my current favorite IPA, but I love trying new ones. Next on my list was one from Stone, but this brew was unavailable, so I ended up with a case of Bell’s...
What a Week, Part the First
I will have to re-read this post come Thanksgiving to remind myself how much I have to be thankful for. It was a great week. (Last week, I mean. I know it's Wednesday already. Being busy is just another thing...
Do You Want Fries ON That?
I had heard that PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, had begun serving lobster rolls this year, and Anne was interested in the Pirates anyway, since they were her home team growing up in western Pennsylvania. We were able...
Do They Call Them “Buellers”?
Even though the cornerstone of my retirement plan depends on me winning the lottery, I don’t hold out much hope of retiring early, because I’ve never won anything substantial. I have a theory that the reason why may be more...
Sly Fox Royersford
The last time I visited Sly Fox (Phoenixville) and had their beer sampler was a while ago, and it was time for another visit. Besides, we needed to visit Martin Motorsports in Boyertown to pick up helmets and gloves before...
I Can Has Lolbee?
I confess that lolcat fever has struck mere cat, which is usually meme-free. It started when I happened upon a few amusing examples, but didn’t fully understand that it was a full-fledged movement until I read Scott’s explanation of the...
Blogger Meetup Time Again
March’s Philly Blogger Meetup is tomorrow and looks to be a bittersweet celebration as it will probably be my last one for a few months. You never know who’s going to be there, but I am hoping to buttonhole Colin...
60 Minute IPA at Bridgewater’s Pub
I didn’t expect to post a followup to the Philly Craft Beer Festival quite this soon, but I happened to grab dinner at Bridgewater’s Pub in 30th Street Station tonight on the way to the OWASP meeting and had an...
Philly Craft Beer Festival Recap
We had a great time at the Philly Craft Beer Festival yesterday. Whether it was worth $40+ is another story to be explored below, but it sure was fun. The Philadelphia Cruise Terminal hosted the Festival. After recent rains, it...
Philly Craft Beer Festival
Just learned about the Philly Craft Beer Festival yesterday, but Saturday was already a busy day. Then the Mac programming meeting was postponed and my plans for Saturday night were canceled, so suddenly it looks like we're going. It was...
Shootout at McGlinchey’s
Friday was the first meetup of the Philly Photobloggers in almost a year. Thanks to Geoff for getting the ball rolling and Kathleen for suggesting a theme. Why was I there? I’m not really a photoblogger, but I couldn’t resist...
Susan Werner at Puck
Susan Werner is one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, so I’m banging the drum for her new CD, The Gospel Truth, due for release March 6. Although she lives in Chicago now, the album was recorded here in the suburbs...
Blogger Meetup Time Again
I list my regular appearances in meatspace over on the sidebar (courtesy of Upcoming), but other than that, don’t single any of these meetings out for special attention except for the Philly Blogger Meetup. I do try to promote the...
Best Wishes to Dan Rubin
Best wishes to Dan Rubin, now-erstwhile alpha blogger at the Philadelphia Inquirer, who will be writing a column in the paper. But it will have hyperlinks! Well, maybe not, but if anyone can do it, Dan can. I'll never forget...
On Pronouncing Smithwicks
We had a great time visiting Anne’s sister and her husband over the weekend. I met their newest kitty, Logan, who although shy around strangers, consented to sit for his portrait. (If you click through the cats you can see...
Lobster Roll Mashup
I have always been fascinated by maps and overcompensated for my lack of a sense of direction by buying a lot of them. I never thought I would be able to customize my own maps until Google Maps came along....
Jenkintown Jazz Festival
Here’s something to do today if you like jazz and beer: the Jenkintown Jazz and Brewfest. The jazz is free; click the link to see the lineup of outstanding musicians. $20 buys you a cup that will runneth over with...
Live from Beaver Stadium!
Greetings sports fans! Live blogging from Beaver Stadium for my first-ever Penn State football game. Let’s go right to the pictures.. We’d like to thank some of our sponsors... Weather brought to you by Ernesto. Parking lot. Considering the amount...
I Feel the Need for Mead
When I think of mead, I think of a beverage so antique that it was last quaffed by Robin Hood and his Merry Men or maybe King Arthur and his posse. Mead is old, supposedly older than wine, but it...
Vacation, Part The First: Oil City
We’re back from Oil City. Actually we’ve been back for a week now, but all posts on mere cat are aged for a full seven days then dry-rubbed in a scintillating blend of herbs and spices for enhanced flavor. Aren’t...
The Vegetable Adventure Begins
I haven’t had to work the last two Saturdays and have been taking full advantage of the time off. Last Saturday was the Blogger Meetup, which I believe broke all attendance records. Other than drinking some weird beer that tasted...
Let Us Now Praise Famous Dave’s
Had lunch at Famous Dave’s yesterday. That makes three BBQ chains I’ve visited so far, Smokey Bones and Dickey’s being the other two. I wonder if BBQ is a hot, new sub-genre of chain restaurants, or if they are just...
Chimay is Belgian for Expensive
One more tale from the weekend. Last weekend. (Real-time blogging this ain’t.) This is about beer, which has become one of my favorite subjects in the last few years. I’ve seen Chimay beer offered at various places, and I’ve always...
Back to School
We headed down to the University of Pennsylvania yesterday so Anne could finalize her online account for a course she is taking. I went along for the ride, hoping to renew my alumni card, which expired two years ago, but...
I Drank Many Beers
Six to be exact. No, I haven’t suddenly taken to the bottle. I was just "sampling" beers at Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery in Phoenixville where Anne and I had lunch on Saturday. I ordered a sampler of five Sly...
Sixes and Sevens
Speaking of beer, I read in the Inquirer that RateBeer.com’s list of the 100 best craft breweries in the world included 10 local ones. The Sly Fox is one of these, located in Phoenixville. I vetted the place by checking...
Cathedrals and Church Keys
Over the weekend, we were working on the “ham shack” in the attic, when we discovered an old church key from Ortlieb's brewery. (Funny, we don't drink much beer, but we'd just bought a case of Corona that morning.) I...
Old News
CNN reported the “discovery” today of a large waterfall in Whiskeytown National Recreational Area near Whiskeytown, CA. The falls are twice the height of Niagara, although only half the height of the tallest falls in the world. Still, they're big....
John Scofield Trio
Last Friday night we headed downtown to see John Scofield (my favorite guitarist) at the Zellerbach Theater. The show didn't start until 8:00, so we had time to work dinner into our plans. Anne thought we should try Cavanaugh's, which...
Smushed Boxen
Even though Anne and I are both mostly Irish, neither of us makes a big deal out of St. Patrick's Day. About all we did to commemorate the day was drink some decaf green tea. Do we know how to...
Never Quit Smoking Continued
We tried a chain restaurant that was new to us last weekend. It's called Smokey Bones, and is located on Route 30 in York, Pennsylvania. They have about 50 other locations so far, all but a handful east of the...
Never Quit Smoking
The Smoked Joint is a new barbecue, uh, joint in downtown Philadelphia. Last week was our first opportunity to check it out. It's an interesting mix of country cookin' and big-city rock and roll with a funky feel tempered by...
Moving Day
So, we’ve moved. Whew! I could really use a beer after lugging all those pixels. When I changed homegrownsystems.com from, uh, the empty void it was (2000 to 2002) to the lively, thriving... well, at least somewhat less empty site...
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