Brewer's Plate 2011 Wrap-Up
Philadelphia demonstrated once again its place at the center of American beer culture with one of the signature events of the connoisseur's calendar, the Brewer's Plate. Set against a backdrop of Ankhs and sarcophagi at Penn's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, this festival fell squarely at the intersection of some of Drink Philly's favorite things: the best food in town, awesome beer (and other drinks) from the extended region, and sustainability. Fair Food Philly hosted the seventh annual iteration of this marquee food and beer pairing fundraiser, in which every exhibitor shared the criteria of independent ownership and a location within 150 mile radius of Philadelphia.
Some of the best local beer was represented at the event, including past Drink Philly First Friday sponsors such as Triumph and Victory (Drinker's Choice winner for best brewpub). However, at this brewfest, the 'Plate' took center stage, with the 'Brewers' playing more of a supporting role. Whether your poison was ice cream made with beer (Troeg's Nugget Nectar made an especially delicious peach sorbet by the Bent Spoon), Bar Ferdinand's spectacularly refreshing gazpacho, or raw milk cheese (Birchrun Hills' Fat Cat was a definite winner), there was something for everyone. Neither vegetarians nor carnivores walked away hungry. Some more of our favorites included Rembrandt's hand rolled gnocchi in braised lamb ragu, JG Domestic's potted duck foie gras and more variations of alcohol-inspired chocolate treats than you could stuff into your gullet between chugs.
Even if the food was the star of the show, this was truly an ensemble cast with some great beer representation, both common and obscure, but all within the larger neighborhood. Prism's limited Jalapeno Strawberry ale was probably the most interesting, and Dogfish Head's Midas Touch was the most apropos for the hieroglyphic setting, brewed from a 2700-year-old Turkish recipe in collaboration with the UPenn anthropology department. Upstart breweries Boxcar and Boaks represented the spirit of small breweries with extreme gusto. Southampton Publick House provided a very rare treat for those of us who arrived early by cracking a 2008 bottle of Abbott 12, their very authentic and complex take on the Belgian quad style.
VIP ticket holders had additional access to two tents outside of the museum. In one, local celebs of the fermented beverage scene, Marni Old and Lew Bryson, conducted a seminar on the difference between ales and lagers featuring a spectrum of Victory beers. This included a steam-brewed Bavarian pale ale that straddled the distinction between the two types. In the other tent, the Hoppin' John Orchestra provided Philly's most authentic NOLA vibe while you sampled some of Sansom Street Oyster House's freshest shucks.
Without a doubt, the Brewer's Plate is one of the classiest beer festivals that Philly has the honor of hosting, and sells out well ahead of time each year. At Drink Philly, we'll have you covered with a heads up well ahead of time for next year's event, but we definitely recommend you act with haste, because you don't want to miss this next time.
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Beer Geek Steve spends as much time as his wife will let him tracking down rare beers and trying to analyze the intersection between quality beer, hype, and viral marketing. When he's not reviewing beer for Drink Philly, he writes about his adventures in chasing bottles and taps at his blog, Beer Geek Steve. You can also follow him on Twitter, where he tweets about happenings in the craft beer industry and often locates some of the best barrels in southeast PA.
