And They Still Fall Down

It hasn't been this crazy around here since, oh yeah, last years LCB debacle. So let's keep the ball rolling, shall we? First up from our friends at Foobooz this nice little nugget:

An Update to the Update: Yesterday afternoon, Mark Sherman — the East Falls developer who owns the Fork & Barrel bricks — got in touch with Foobooz, contending that the F&B owners left suddenly and without warning or, as Sherman put it, “tearing out in the middle of the night.” He says he intends to take legal action. Swartz has not responded to an interview request. Guess we’ll let you guys sort it out in court.

Not to mention all the nice replies to the editor.
Then we have some more details from our friends in the Lehigh Valley at The El Vee who have done quite a nice job with this, kudos to you.

And to think this all started back on September 5 (Before Labor Day mind you) with a little notice on Facebook that they were closing The Atlantic Jazz Yard for the summer and 12 hours later they cleaned everything out and left town. What happens once will almost always happen again.

And They All Fall Down

  With all the blogs a flutter about todays news that the Fork and Barrel, Tap and Table, MAYBE even The Bookstore closing, and The Farmer's Cabinet holding on, for a lack of better words, I only had this thought. What took so long? Maybe that's being a smart ass, but let me explain. I've been to the Tap and Table, it was great. Food great, beer great. I also went to the one they had in Rehoboth Beach last year. Same thing, food great, beer great. So, when the one in Rehoboth closed down right before Labor Day with a post on Facebook saying "We're closing for the winter" I knew something was up. Nobody at the shore closes before Labor Day weekend. After some checking around it seemed that they were in constant trouble with local LCB for selling beer that wasn't registered in the state, among many other things. But then they turned right around and opened two more places in Philly. All our wonderful beer media apparently didn't do their homework to find out what the real reason was why the one at the beach closed, they just got excited about the two new ones opening up. My question was simple. Where is all the money coming from to do this? Was this bank money or investors's money? And no matter which one it was, did the lenders find out about what happened at the beach?

So, let me just say this once again. I am not happy that any of them closed. They had a great concept, but they sure did pick a bad time to try and sell it to the public. The beer community likes to splurge, but not every day. It can't afford to. Not in this economy. And to keep those kind of places open, you need a pack house almost every night. Let's hope that I am way wrong, after all, I have no problem apologizing.

Spring Cleaning

       Howdy kids! I've slowly been dusting off all the cobwebs on this blog over the the last several days and I still got a few more to take care of. Or as Archie Bunker once said "Patience is a virgin".  Spring is in the air, finally, ( I hope) and with it comes some much needed sprucing up around here. Cleaning out some old links and putting in a couple of new ones, changing the font, changing the titles of things, writing some new blurbs, yada, yada, yada. I also have some GOOD serious news later in the week. Unlike the DFH story, which by the way, in two three years will come true, mark my words on it.

Barrel Of The Lost Souls

 A couple of weeks ago,  a bunch of us went down to Rehoboth Beach for the weekend. We did what we usually do, eat and drink, followed by more drink, than eat. So, on Saturday night as the others needed 4 more drinks to finish their night, I behaved myself and started walking back to the hotel room. So, who do I run into? The one and only Sam. Now, Sam being Sam, he has already had a few adult beverages and he asked me if I wanted a nightcap with him. Twist my arm a little harder why don't you? The last time I sat down with him was a couple of years ago when Vinnie from Russian River was there  buying the old DFH brewery. So after some chit chat and a beer, he leans over and says "You got to keep this a secret until April"  Keep what a secret I ask? He then pulls out a photo of what looks like a bunch of people in hazmat looking suits floating in the Palo Santo barrels. Are they cleaning the barrels or something I ask? Sam starts whispering, "It's a test batch of a new beer I'm making called Barrel Of The Lost Souls. I was reading about this ancient tribe's very first big batch of beer they ever made in a large barrel. The brew master would crawl in it as the beer cooled down and would filter out the ingredients. The locals would say that whoever was the brewer that day, they could feel his presence when they drank his beer." I have now heard it all and even seen it to boot. So, sometime later this month, some 10 lucky people will be choosen to be the "Lost Souls" as they float in the beer for about 15 minutes or so in those crazy looking hazmat suits. Then sometime around Thanksgiving or Xmas the bottles will be released to the brewpub only and those lucky floating folks will have their names engraved on the bottles and they will each will receive a case.

How in the hell is this going to work? Wouldn't the health board or something step in? I didn't have the chance to ask him that important question as he was whisked away by his wife to go home. But if I was a betting man, I would be foolish to bet against him.