Before I begin, just letting you know, I will keep this article completely G Rated. I shall refrain from using some of DuClaw Brewing Company’s naming conventions to avoid offending any Dish readers. Hey—I was raised Catholic. I get it. I know the drill. And DuClaw, I mean no disrespect to you whatsoever! I have no problem shouting to the Heavens of your sweet, delicious, Chocolate Porter! That being said, I included the full list via a photo for those interested in scouting their awesome lineup.
Alright! Let’s get Tappin’!
Bistro on Bridge has been a heavy hitter in the craft beer community for quite some time. They have a dozen micro brews of the rare variety on draft and 120 plus bottle selections stocked in their fridge. The only thing lacking the last three years was a Tap Takeover.
When I asked Zach Hoffmann, owner of Bistro on Bridge, why the sudden interest in a Takeover? Zach responded, “this is simply the natural progression for us and our evolution in the craft beer scene. Adding taps, bottle increase, samplers, and now, takeovers. There’s a lot of great breweries and a lot of craft beer enthusiasts out there. This is just a positive thing to get everyone together who loves craft beer. This presents the opportunity to try an array of different offerings by some awesome breweries!”
Well put and hey, better late than never!
For those who may not know what consists of a Tap Takeover, well, shame on you if you haven’t read my past Takeover articles. Kidding! Basically a Tap Takeover entails a bar swapping their regular tap selections and replacing them with a number of varieties from a specific brewery. Bistro on Bridge hosted their first ever, January 17th and showcased Maryland’s very own and finest, DuClaw Brewing Company.
Now, many of you probably never heard of DuClaw and that’s mainly because they haven’t really made a huge impression yet in Pennsylvania. Their operation is based out of Maryland, but according to their sales rep, they’re also found in DC, Virginia, Philadelphia Metro and Southern-Central Pennsylvania. Locally, you can find them at Frank A. Smith Beverages, a distributor in Pottstown, which sells a number of varieties, but other than that, these guys are hard to track down. That is, of course, unless your local craft spot happens to have Bella Vista as their Beer Distributor.
Adam Crockett is a representative of Bella Vista and a huge contributor to the many awesome selections you’ll find at Bistro on Bridge each week. He’s mainly responsible for getting DuClaw into Bistro on Bridge for Thursday night, with the help of DuClaw Sales Representative Brad Klipner. With both parties working in conjunction, everyone was in for a Tap Takeover! This Craft Beer extravaganza consisted of nine selections (including a Firkin), t-shirts, pint glasses, buttons and even a retractable beer koozie.
Throw in some live music from the Whiskeyhickon Boys and this, my friends, was near perfect!
The line up from DuClaw consisted of the following and take in mind, this is a G Rated list:
- Bare (Tushy) Blonde Ale
- Venom Pale Ale
- (Heck)razer IPA (and a Firkin with Simcoe Hops)
- Serum Double IPA
- Euforia Toffee Brown Ale
- Devil’s Milk
- Sweet Baby Jesus
A last minute addition was the eXile-6, a Winter Warmer Wit. This complex brew tackles the palate with smoked coriander and citrus flavors. Welcome the eXile-6 with open arms because this is its first trip to our beloved home and it booked a room at the Bistro on Bridge.
With so much to try, no beer was left behind that night. The most talked about brew of the evening was of course the Sweet Baby Jesus, a Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. And what wasn’t to like? Roasted rich chocolate with a hint of peanut butter? Think Reese Cups. Think awesomeness. Think….oh geez, now I’m craving one. Well, even though it was the most talked about beer of the night, everyone found their personal favorite by night’s end.
Zach Hoffmann, owner and Milkman for the evening, as he wore his Devil’s Milk T-shirt proudly, courtesy of DuClaw, enjoyed the Firkin, while Adam Crockett raved about the Devil’s Milk, DuClaw’s Barleywine. I made my way to a table filled with good friends of mine along for the ride. Obviously they all loved the Porter, but the Venom Pale Ale and Blonde Ale were enjoyed as well.
With nine selections and ABV percentages all over the place, how does one enjoy them all? Easy and with three words: Craft Beer Flights. This gave equal opportunity to sample several DuClaw selections while both Adam and Brad made their way around Bistro, educating customers on the beers.
You’re probably wondering, “Kevin? What was YOUR favorite?” Well, I’m so glad you asked my fine Foodie friend! I found everything to be fantastic! The Firkin, the Porter and the eXile-6 stood out with its complexity, but at the end of the day, I love me a stellar IPA, and DuClaw’s Double, the Serum, soared in my book. This bad boy was aggressive, flavorful and balanced with malts and hops. My veins were infused with this Amber colored gem. Mmmm!
So as I write this, with my souvenir pint glass from DuClaw in one hand and the other wrapping this article up, cheers to Adam Crockett with Bella Vista, Brad Klipner with DuClaw Brewing Company and Zach Hoffmann, with the rest of his staff, for making this one Heck of a kick Tushy Event! I can’t wait to see what else Bistro on Bridge has in store this year. I heard through the grapevine of a Dogfish Head event coming in March. Until then! Clink!
Photographs credited to Kevin Dragone.
