For those who care, and for that matter, for those who don’t give a shit, I’m Mike Deger. I brew with Brandon and I will be trying to provide writing that is interesting, appealing, and most importantly honest. Enough with the introductions and on with the story.
On November, 11th Brandon, a couple of friends, and I went to a concert at a venue in Philadelphia called the Tin Angel. There’s a bar downstairs, complete with a fireplace so warm it will singe your ass hair, and a number of tables to order a meal. The stage is upstairs and has the dimensions of a decently sized area rug. Tables that seat four are strewn about the narrow room and there’s a small bar in the back. The Tin Angel, when crammed, can probably hold about 150 to 200 people, and that might be pushing it.
We enter Philly around 8:15, park the car, and make our way to the Tin Angel. The White Buffalo opens the door the exact moment we reach it, as if he was the resident door-man. The only thing I will say is that this man’s voice will slice through your soul and instead of attempting to describe the awesomeness that is The White Buffalo; you should check him out at www.thewhitebuffalo.com. So, Brandon and I recognize the living legend and follow him to the bar. I’m a firm adherent to the first impressions edict, and I obstinately believe that a man’s beer says a myriad of things about his character. That being said, the Buffalo made his choice in the form a Pennsylvania standard and staple, LAGER. Perusing the limited draft selection I went with a beer that’s never let me down, the 60 minute i.p.a. from Dogfish Head. After hearing my selection, the man himself was intrigued and started to inquire about my beer. I gave him a brief description of Dogfish Head, slid the beer his way and told him to smell the glorious hop aroma that emanated from the glass. I can’t specifically remember what the Buffalo said, but it was most certainly favorable.
As I previously stated the fireplace was unacceptably hot, so I decided to go smoke a cig with The White Buffalo. We discussed the variety of treasures which Philly has to offer and pointed to places like Eulogy, Triumph, and Monk’s. Of course a beer discussion was started and Brandon asked the bearded man what type of brews he fancied. Pabst Blue Ribbon was the response and all three of us concurred that for the quality, quantity, and most imperatively the money, PBR is an excellent choice.
I finished my cig, wished the Buffalo luck and headed upstairs to grab the first of many Yuengling’s. Twenty to thirty minutes later, the man stepped on stage, and filled the tiny room with crisp bravado notes that split the air for the next hour or so. After the concert, we purchased a t-shirt from the Buffalo, wished him well, and made our way to Eulogy.
Every time I step into Eulogy, I always forget about the immense and thorough selection of their bottled and draft beers (about 300 different bottles). I complemented the bartender on her Toronado t-shirt and ordered Eulogy’s Busty Blonde. This beer is brewed in Belgium specifically for Eulogy by the La Binchoise Brewery. The Busty Blonde is classified as a Belgian Pale Ale and at 7.0% abv is fairly drinkable. Served in a chalice, this beer has a light personality, with a light golden yellow body, light hop and citrus aromas, and a light mouth feel. In my opinion, this beer is a decent representation of its style and worth a tasting, but has a bit too much spice for me to use as a session beer.
Once we finished our beers, we left Eulogy and returned to the car. While walking, Brandon and I discussed the prodigious and monumental greatness of our evening. However, when we reached the car I realized that it was “just another night in Philly”, as I placed the $76 parking ticket in my console.
