On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most unique new draft beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Broadcaster Brown Ale, Philadelphia Brewing Company
Where: Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon, 108 W. State St., Kennett Square, PA
I had the rare opportunity this week to sit at the bar with David Dye, the legendary host of WXPN’s World Cafe and a serious beer lover. Twenty years ago, David Dye started the critically acclaimed music show, which now can be heard on over 230 stations nationwide. He has conducted almost 4,500 interviews with internationally known artists such as the Black Keys and Joni Mitchell. Dye has set the standard for introducing listeners to creative independent music, and his show is beloved throughout the world.
To celebrate the show’s twentieth anniversary, Philadelphia Brewing Company teamed up with WXPN to create Philadelphia Broadcaster Brown Ale. They claim “just like World Cafe, Broadcaster Brown Ale is both satisfying and contemplative.” I have to agree. This ale is as deep and smooth as Dye’s calming voice. During the event, the ale was served in a commemorative pint glass too. The brew comes in at 5% ABV, so you can pour a second draft as you listen to World Cafe, which airs locally Mondays through Fridays at 2pm on WXPN 88.5.
When asked how this idea of commemorating the show with a beer came about, Dye credited Kathy O’Connell, the host of WXPN’s Kids Korner. “We were in a meeting, brainstorming ideas, and she suggested we do something with beer. We had a relationship with Philadelphia Brewing Company and they suggested a brown ale, which happens to be my favorite. Someone suggested other ideas, but I just thought beer is the way to go.”
I asked David how he would describe Broadcaster Ale using music. He laughed, “That’s a good question!” After a moment of reflection, he said, “I’d say this has the body and soul of Glen Hansard and the Swell Season, and the effervescence of the Old 97ers.”
In real beer terms, David describes the beer as “a malty brown ale with, not overpowering but a refreshing level of hops.” Broadcaster Ale is limited to 150 barrels. Their Beer Tour Week is taking Dye and the Philadelphia Brewing Co. Team to New Hope, Princeton, and Downingtown. The beer is available in fifty bars.
Philadelphia Brewing Company created a humorous video that suggested David Dye had actually created the recipe and brewed the brown ale himself. You can watch the video below.
