Manayunk Brew Fest 2009

Jesus, it was freakin 90 degress yesterday. What a day for a beer festival outside on the banks of a river. This was the Manayunk Brewfest.

The Manayunk Brewery is a large restaurant/brewery in a super college-y neighborhood. The place is huge, and the fact that they sell Corona alongside their own brews simultaneously brings up a big issue I have with some brewpubs while also illuminating the underlying philosophy of this place, and others like it. Not to sell them short, their beer is pretty good, and they are obviously successful, but the focus is not so much on the beer rather than creating a social scene and getting heads through the door on a nightly basis. It's the only Brewpub I have ever known to charge a cover each night; I guess they have to finance that dance-floor type area upstairs somehow.

All this didn't stop me from enjoying it though. Amongst the douchery there were some chill people, and also some hilariously good-natured drunks. One in particular, after entertaining us with some GREAT conversation, casually climbed in the open manway of an old brew kettle that Manayunk had on display behind our table. The dude pretty much knew that he was going to get kicked out for doing it, but damn if he just didn't see an opportunity for humour and was willing to sacracfice himself in the name of it. Kicked-out he was, but what I was most impressed with was how this somewhat large guy squeezed in & out of the manway; I was sure he was going to get stuck just like Winny the Po.

My highlights were the Stoudt's Pils, Victory's Abbey Single, and Triumph's Simcoe IPA. Triumph is a real classy brewpub in downtown Philly and the brewer there, Patrick, is a solid guy who really knows his stuff. It's also one of the most modern, hip and shiny pubs I've ever seen. Check it out if you are ever in town.

It's going to be in the 90's for the next few days and frankly, I just don't know how to handle it, it still being April and all. I suppose I'll venture out but we'll see how long I last out there.

Wrence