It's Not Your Grandfathers Micro Brew Anymore

           October 14th 1978, President Jimmy Carter signs H.R. 1337 essentially legalizing homebrew. Not long after that, New Albion Brewing opens. The first new brewery in forever. And if you were of drinking age then, please don't forget to get a Medicare Part C plan to save you money on your health care. Or maybe you came of age during the mid 90's brewpub boom. Don't worry your AARP card is in the mail as we speak. I hate to say it out loud, but there are people BORN in this century that can now legally drink. Let that sink in for a few moments. Okay. I definitely need a beer after that last statement. Time sure does fly when you're having fun or complaining about pastry stouts or schmoojees or ultra hazy IPA's doesn't it? So it starts to get easy to understand some of the many problems in the craft beer business. The business model says chase the 21-50 crowd, but all these old folks keep showing up scaring all the youngsters away. I mean lets face it, when you were young, did you want to hang out where your dad or grandfather did? If they were buying, maybe for a bit, but not for long. It's just way things work. That will never change. How do you make all these generations happy at once? How do you make beer that everybody wants? It's the million dollar question that every bar and brewery owner has to figure out. Almost daily it seems like sometimes. So we will begin to look at some of the problems and hopefully a few of the answers in the coming weeks. So crack open a cold one, you're going to need it.

May The Schwartz Be With You

      No folks, it's not this great movie. Instead it's all the delicious versions of Schwartz bier that has been showing up at all the local breweries lately. From East Branch and Troubles End to Bier Hall and Von C,  one of my favorites styles for fall and winter, has been in great abundance lately. So, this past Saturday the 3rd, we took a ride out to the wonderful town of Skippack to pay a visit to Brothers Kershner. We were there for some leftover beer from the Dark Days event which was held on the 31st of January.  And we were not disappointed. Our server Miss Lexy brought out a mug of their Schwartz for me and a mild for my partner in crime. We were quite happy with our choices. That is until I saw a tray of sample glasses filled with nothing but darkness. How could I refuse to have one of them for myself?  So after twisting my own arm, I preceded to enjoy them one by one. The Imperial was one that kept trying to fool my taste buds and after talking to one of the fine people working that day, they also agreed with me. It had quite a anise taste in the beginning, but that slowly disappeared over time. And he confirmed that no anise was in the brewing process. He also filled my heart with joy by giving two small samples of the firkins. Moon-the mild and the imperial stout. But I think I felt even better when he said that the event was crazy busy that night. Proving once again that good beer and good service never goes out of style.

The Updates Are Slowly Beginning

                    When you don't update places to go in 6 plus years, you may be in for a rude awaking. The amount I had to remove was the toughest. Lots of good times in a bunch of them. But soldier on we must... Much more to come as hard as it is to believe.

The Beginning Of The End

                  Well that's a mighty fine fine way of starting off your first blog post in 6 and a half years. Sorry folks, but the TLBL swimsuit issue just wasn't ready yet. One of the reasons I've been thinking about this for quite some time in the old noggin was two things in particular. One- the constant stories of the problems in the craft beer business that I've been reading about and seeing first hand for awhile now and second- what seems like the never ending early demise of people who are, for the most part, much younger than me. To say it gives me pause would be an understatement. I mean let's face it, Father time is undefeated. And I don't see that streak coming to an end anytime soon, despite Mick and Keith's best effort. Let's put it another way, in 25 years I'll be turning 90. 25 years ago I would have turned 40. The odds of either one of them happening are the proverbial slim and none. Hence the title of this post. Now, to the best of my knowledge I'm not going anywhere soon, but what do say we cause a little commotion on way out?

The Walking Dead Blogger

                                                             Hidy ho neighbors!!

        Mr. Dan here to tell you a couple of quick things. Number one is, I have begun updating various web sites on TLBL. Number two, the Axis of Evil is getting WAY too evil. These are places that are roughly half hour to 40 minutes away from the mountaintop. And every time I think I am done, another three open up. It's madness I'll tell you!! Number three, revamping and tweaking the other fine stuff on here to help bring you an experience akin to 2007... Hey, it's all for you!!

Only The Strong Survive

    This will be the longest post ever, which is good for you folks because I ain't writing much of it. Pro Bowl or pre Super Bowl weekend has become a beer lover's dream or nightmare depending on how your liver and wallet feels. So, let's take a look at a few of the events going on. First up is Bru on the 31st.

AMERICAN SOURS
Allagash Nancy
Allagash Tiarna
Almanac Farmer's Blueberry
Almanac Truthful Statement
Avery Raspberry Sour
The Bruery Gypsy Tart
Captain Lawrence Cuvee de Castleton
Firestone Walker Sour Opal
Jolly Pumpkin Rojzilla
Jolly Pumpkin Forgotten Tales
Russian River Supplication
Russian River Consecration
Russian River Temptation
*One more American waiting on delivery... will post when here!

BELGIAN & IMPORT SOURS
BFM - Bière des Franches-Montagnes Square Root 225
BFM Abbaye St Bon Chien (2014)
Birrificio del Ducato My Blueberry Nightmare
Brasserie Cantillon Kriek
Hannsens Artisinal Oude Lambic
LoverBeer BeerBera
LoverBeer BeerBrugna
Mikkeller SpontanMango
Mikkeller SpontanWatermelon
Birrificio Torrechiara-PANIL Barriquee
Rodenbach Caractere Rouge
Rodenbach Special Foederbier
Gueuzerie Tilquin a l'Ancienne
Wild Beer Co. Sour Blend 2015

IPAS (BRU)
DC Brau Alpha Domina Mellis
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Half Acre Gone Away
*One more TBD

14x STOUTS (for U-Bahn)
AleSmith Speedway/Hawaiin
AleSmith Speedway/Vietnamese Coffee
Almanac Barbary Coast
Anderson Valley Huge Arker
Ballast Point Victory at Sea/Peanut Butter
Deschutes Abyss
Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout (2013)
Founders KBS
Half Acre Big Hugs
Hoppin' Frog BORIS The Crusher
Ninkasi Ground Control
Perennial Abraxas
Pizza Boy Sunny Side Up
Terrapin Cinnamon Roll Wake & Bake


My liver goes shake, shake,shake at that. Next up is City Tap House  on the 30th

Loverbeer BeerBrugna
Russian River Supplication
Evil Twin Sour Bikini
Alvinne Wild West
Alvinne Cuvee Freddy
Evil Twin Justin Blabaer
Stillwater Gose Gone Wild
Almanac Farmer's Blueberry
Almanac Mandarina Sour
Bullfrog Kriek
Great Divide 21st Anniversary
Bruery Oude Tart
Two Roads Geyser Gose
Loverbeer BeerBera
Deproef Flemish Primitive
Allagash Nancy
...and more!

Weyerbacher gets into the act on the 30th and 31st

First Down
Insanity
Our big malty, sweet bourbon barrel aged barleywine, Blithering Idiot, highlighted by notes of sweet toffee, caramel and vanilla. Finishes with a dry oak and warming bourbon back.

Big Woody
Woodford Reserve Aged Insanity
Aged in 8 year old Woodford Bourbon barrels.

Extra Point
Insanity Aged in Oak for 1 Year
Aged longer for extra smoooooooooooothness. Our Insanity given an extra dose of time to ice the kicker!

Blindside
Dads Hat Vermouth Barrel Aged Insanity (Oak Aged 15 months)
Sweet sherry, vanilla and grape must on the nose with a warming, oakey, subtle spice and caramel raisiny finish.

Flag on the Play
Heresy Aged in Oak for 1 Year
Extended aging softens some of the roastiness in this retired veteran, but in its age it shines with a myriad of flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, and notes of oak and tobacco.

Halftime Show
Sunday Morning Stout Aged in Oak for 10 Months
Dark roasted espresso and toffee aroma. Followed by a rich, sweet dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla flavor with a dry warming finish of bourbon. An iron fist in a velvet linemans glove…

QB Sneak
Coconut Insanity (2015/2016 Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged Insanity)
Caramel, toffee, soft toasted coconut, vanilla nose with similar flavors that are sure to sneak up on you as you sip!

The Red Zone
Fireball Cinnamon Insanity
Hot cinnamon, toffee nose with a sweet caramel, vanilla, subtle oak and a sweet hot cinnamon bourbon burn at the finish.

Hail Mary
Blasphemy Aged in Oak for 8 Months
Blasphemy with some sherry notes.

The Wildcard
Prophecy (Merry Monks on Oak)

Our Belgian tripel, Merry Monks, made a surprise trip into a bourbon barrel. Notes of banana, apple/pear, vanilla and spice, and a dry, oakey finish are apparent in this lucky addition to the lineup.

And last but not least, the grandaddy of em all Iron Hill.


Belgium Comes to West Chester Multi-Tap
Saturday, January 30
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Join us as we team up with regional breweries 
to showcase the best locally craft-brewed, belgian-style beers.
BEERS ON TAP
Iron Hill Phoenixville – Lavender Tripel
Iron Hill Chestnut Hill – Brett Lappy New Beer
Iron Hill Media – Tawny Port Barrel Aged Brett Old Ale
Dock Street – Nino's Prickly Pear
Boulevard – Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Tired Hands – Saison Hands
Stewart's – Stumbling Monk
Yards – Belgian Golden
Levante – Twin Spires
Duvel Moortgart – Duvel
Iron Hill Lancaster – Bourbon-Aged FE10
Iron Hill Media – Kriek
Iron Hill West Chester – Van Damme
Forest and Main – Melange de Jour
Sterling Pig – d'Hiver
3rd Wave – Hang Ten
Finn's Big Oyster – Black and Blue
Vault – Belgian Golden Ale
Coppertail – Weesquash
Ommegang – Rosetta
Iron Hill Chestnut Hill – Wild Cannibal
Iron Hill Media – Raspberry Torte
Brooklyn – Lord Sorachi
Mckenzie's – Saison Vautour
Denizens – Bocho Bandito
Boxcar – Belgian Tripel
2SP – Dead of Night
Troeg's – Mad Elf 2014
Victory – V Twelve
Allagash – Tiarna
Dogfish Head – Higher Math
Firestone Walker – Opal
Brouwerij Rodenbach – Grand Cru
King of the Hill Rewards Club Exclusive

12:00pm start time for club members.

For more info, click on those links. Good luck and may the force be with you.....

SOUR ON '16

01/30/16 Events

 fo

Get Stuck With The Stickmen

     For those folks who grew up with WXPN in the 80's, you definitely remember that phrase. But we aren't talking about the band today, no kids, we are talking about a new brewery. Stickman Brewery is located in the old Sly Fox building in Royersford. The front of the building became the Lucky Lab, which turns out wasn't that lucky after all. This Saturday afternoon at 1 however, Stickmen will open it's doors to a thirsty public. But if you try going in the old Lucky Lab doors, you're still out of luck. Here is a brief synopsis from this morning Facebook chat about a few things you need to be aware of.
" Hey there! Entrance in the back where the ramp and brown awning are. Eventually beer will be to go, but due to us experimenting (and still working out the kinks) with some champagne style carbonation in some of the bottles, and a general lack of inventory produced we can't do take out just yet. Cash and cards are both good for us! Thanks for the interest, we'll see you this weekend!"

       For those who haven't been over that way,  it will be on North 10th Avenue side .Next to the workout center. Beer distributor next door, with Primos and Veekoo nearby, this place is going to be a hit.

 PS Damn that Santa, looks like he came through this time....

 PSS Looks like anonymous owes me a beer or two

Clean Up In Aisle 5

     The very, very, very, very long overdue cleanup and additions have begun. Oh and that posting thing too. According to a New York Times Bestseller author , 2016 will be the return of the blogger. I was hoping for my liver and some foolish pride. I guess beggars can't be choosers. So, here I go once again, trying to be irrelevant in a relevant world, or something like that. The Axis Of Evil tab is ready for your inspection. Mostly local places from Kepler Mountain to Reading and onward to the Main Line. The thought of adding a Philly tab just scares me half to death.

Bad, Bad, Bad Santa

     There comes a time in life when you have to stop believing in childish ways. I have learned that lesson once again. Never trust a childhood idol. Especially one who was drinking too much and talking too much. The cold hard truth, The Fork And Ale will be open in January 2016,  with fingers and toes crossed. This guy however won't make it

Thanks to Buzzfeed

Beery Claus Comes To Douglasville

     So the other night I was talking to Santa, and he was ho, ho, hoeing and all that stuff, which got me to thinking, doesn't the Green Giant do that too. Have you ever seen the both of them in the same room? Is this the giants vacation job? Or does Santa lose a lot of weight going on a vegetable diet after pigging out on cookies and milk all winter? Anyway, so I  asked the big guy what I would get for Xmas. I guessed a new Lexus, cause I see that damn commercial every 15 minutes. He said ho,ho, ho, no. Then it must a BMW right? He said ho, ho, ho, no. If it's not a car, how bout Toyota Jan then? She looks like she would fit down my chimney right nice. Santa belched and said HO, HO, HO, NOOOOOO! You're not getting any presents, you have been naughty for the last 30 years! Say what Santa fucking Claus! Maybe Mrs. Claus would like to hear about that lost weekend in Belgium, which you claimed was a "new sled finding mission". Okay, okay, I was only kidding. Drinking this Mad Elf makes me a little crazy at times. But I am giving something really big this year, a present for a whole town.. A present for a whole town? Who gets a present for a whole town? But, they can't open till spring he says drooling over his suit. Santa, I hope Rudolph is driving, cause you are talking some crazy shit. And by the way, why in the hell do you have a sack full of forks and ales in your sleigh? Santa just smiled and said you'll see. You'll see. Just then his cellphone buzzed and I heard him exclaimed as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and don't tell Mrs. Claus about tonight

Santa Blogger Came To Town

  Can you believe it? No really, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? That's right boys and girls and other assorted beings, The Last Bottle Left is back in business! Blogging Santa dropped off a brand new computer to the famed Kepler Mountain Resort and Casino, and let me tell you, this machine is faster than Superman, (unlike me of course).  The old Gateway is no more. She served me well for most of those 12 years, but all the blogging I did just wore her out.  :) So, hang on to your beers, cause I'm coming to get them!

I Can't Drive Like I'm 55

     It's time to begin the 30th anniversary of turning 25. For those of you that skipped math class for those 12 long years in high school, that means I'm turning 55 or I as like to call it, fifty fucking five. Now I know if I said it once,  I've said it a thousand times, but it sure beats the alternative, an eternal dirt nap. So, with all that being said, I am pleased to announce the beginning of Bengel Beer Week. Or BBW for short. What does that mean for you, the beer geek, the average craft beer consumer, the bloggers and young attractive women with deep ties to breweries around the world? Absolutely nothing! But I did get your attention, if only for a moment or two. Besides, I a have a double date scheduled for next week on my birthday anyway with Kacie McDonnell from Fox 29 and Sheena Parveen from Channel 10. Cause I like my traffic and the weather on the fives. I'll be here all week ladies and germs. Seriously folks, it is always nice when everybody in the biz  schedules beer events for me. It's a lot less work for me, and I am all about that at birthday time, and hell,  for most times after that too. Just take a quick look of what be happening.

Last night a trip to Whole Foods in Devon for some much needed food and a Duclaw Black Lightening and a taste of PBC Blackzinger. Tonight a trip to ye olde CAH,  Friday a trip to Bistro on the Bridge for a Neshaminy Creek tap takeover. Sunday the granddaddy of them all, the goat races at Sly Fox or the beer and pee races, you make the call, then an late afternoon trip to Union Jacks for a Smuttynose event  Yep, it looking like one fine old time in the beer city and the weather couldn't be more perfect. But what about my birthday on Wednesday? What should I do, what should I do? Go to the city? Go to the suburbs? Go to someplace new or someplace old? Decisions, decisions...
                                                                     UPDATE!!
Crapola, I was misled, yeah, that's it. It looks like a doubleheader of fun on Sunday

Lazy Is As Lazy Does

     I have come to the conclusion that I don't blog much. I know this may come as a complete shock to most of you, but it's true. I do that Facebook and Twitter thingamajig enough, okay, sometimes, but blogging with real fancy words and such, well, it just ain't happening much anymore. By the time I come up with an idea about a story I want to write, it is so far in the past, I end up scrapping it.. But enough about me, and more about me. It's spring cleaning here at TLBL. Time to get all the links fixed and update all the others. Out with the old and in with older, I mean new. Yeah new, that's the ticket.

                                                         Coming up next on TLBL,
Is 55 the new 70?
Does heaven really have no beer, that's why you must drink it here?
Do goats dream of lamb chops?
If someone buys you a beer and you say thanks and they say no problem, should you keep asking for more beer until it becomes one?

And now I leave you with a long lost picture of Beauty and the Beer Beast from Railroad's Evolution Night. Thanks Mr. Roberts for taking this. P.S. If she has to take pictures with the likes of me, I sure hope she gets paid really, really well.

Bow Wow Wow, Yippee Yo Yippee Yay

                                                                         "Sick as a dog"

     I take great pride in not getting as sick as much as everybody else does out there in beer land. When I even think I'm getting a scratchy throat,  I got my Zinc lozenges on standby along with my Vitamin C. But this year,  something was different. It felt like I had something for a long time, but it was just chilling out, waiting for the right moment to strike. It found it. After another long and grueling holiday season, which taxed my very soul, I awoke on January 2 feeling quite good. It was a fucking trap. That night I went to bed and awoke in the middle of the night with the chills and fever. Morning came and my head felt like 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. But overall, still kicking it, so I thought,  I'll be a good boy and stay home from TNSC so I can finish beating this. And after a normal night, I thought I had the upper hand. That is till Friday night where I sweated more than most people do in a sauna. On the surface of the sun. In a month. It's kinda hard to get a good nights sleep when you feel like you're in a waterbed that has sprung several leaks. And the crazy thing is, I was lucky, a lot more lucky than some of the horror stories I heard and read about. (Thanks Probiotics!!) The worse of all was even more crazy. An occasional cough that was coming from the lowest depths possible in the human body. The result? It blew out lower back out and left me crawling around on the floor. Hence my post on Facebook about beating myself up.

     The chills and fever are long gone and Mr. Chiropractor is helping me get on the right track. Just a matter of getting my strength back more than anything. You want keep some resolutions that you always don't keep? Just get the flu, no beer since the 31st .

Breakfast Of Champions

     In my world, there are two kinds of people, those who eat breakfast and the sorry sacks who don't. Now,  I can already hear the screams all the way up here on top of old Kepler Mountain. "But I don't have time for breakfast, I got to go to work" Well stop the presses!!! Get that Action News Van here stat! People have to get up and  go to work in the morning? Where is the damn liberal media for a story like this?
     Yes boys and girls, believe it or not, at several times in my life, I had to work for the man (or woman) and punch the clock. I first punched the one by my bed and then later I would punch the one at work. It sucked. No, really it did. I wouldn't lie to you. But I still managed to get my lazy, sometimes drunken ass out of bed and make myself some breakfast. And by breakfast, I don't mean some nasty ass microwave sandwiches or just as nasty fast food crap. Real food baby, pancakes, waffles, eggs etc. Stuff to make your body go yum. Well tomorrow you can make your body go yum along with your friendly liver, when my good friend Mr. Sunflower himself, cooks a beer breakfast at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville in honor of their 17th Anniversary. To say it will be one of the best breakfast's you will ever eat would be an understatement. That you get the chance to add Sly Fox beer to it, priceless.

The Railroad Evolution Update

     Don't even get me started. If you don't know by now, how lazy and disorganized I can get at times, well, you don't know me. There has been a few things on my plate since the last time we chatted, but this last week has been a royal pain in the....  It started off with a last minute trip to the Doctor's last Friday and I ended up with my once every 10 year bottle of antibiotics . There goes Mr. Drinking, cause the last time I tried that, I turned several different shades of color down at Dogfish. This Tuesday morning I decided to jump up and run up the stairs from a basement to shut off some water that we were working on. Opening of stairs 6 feet. My big head, 6 and a half feet. Winner by a knockout, the 2x6 in the opening. In the background I could hear Howard Cosell screaming "Down goes Bengel!"  The next 12 hours I spent in my lazy boy with bags of ice on top of my swollen head. Ah yeah, living the dream.
     But enough of that sob story, let's start a fun one, shall we? This Saturday at the Railroad Street Bar is one fine event you beer geeks don't want to miss. Evolution is making their big splash locally with a tap takeover. The Railroad is going to match these beers up with some of their famous grilled cheese sandwiches. Hence the name of the event "The Evolution Of The Grilled Cheese" The question is, how am I going to pull this off? Sampler only and pray it's still on Thanksgiving Eve looks like the best bet. It is also the chance to meet Evolution new sales rep, Megan Moore. She is promising a hell of a lot of goodies, like;

Menagerie 8
Wandering Monk
Firkin of Holy Mole
Lot 3 IPA
Lot 6 DIPA
Primal Pale Ale
Exile ESB
Secret Spot Winter Ale
Spring Migration
Jacques Au Lantern

     Now in case you don't know by now (Pt2) I am a big fan of these guys. I have gone as far and said they are the Baby Odells of the East. Nice solid lineup of regulars and one hell of a nice touch with the barrel stuff. So, when you see me at the bar slowing crying into my beer sampler, you'll know why.

P.S. Any updates on taps and sandwiches to be posted as soon as they come in

Start time is 12 o'clock and Lucky 7 Porter wasn't ready from the brewery along with Rise Up Stout. Secret Spot Winter will take their place.

Can You Smell What They Won't Be Cooking?

From our good friends at Foobooz today, it looks like it will be "the last bottle left"



Ernesto Anastastio III Says: 
September 21st, 2012 at 10:34 am

For your viewing pleasure
“Greetings-

Sadly, I am writing to inform you that Bella Vista has ceased doing business in any capacity with the people behind the Farmers Cabinet/Boilermakers
retailers immediately. Bella Vista has dealt with them before they were in Southeastern Pa with their failed restaurants in the Lehigh Valley; Tap and
Table in Emmaus, PA, and The Bookstore Speakeasy in Allentown, PA. Bella Vista has received worthless check issued from the group for years, but they
always made good on the bad checks after reporting them to the PALCB as per state law.

Fast forward to Farmers Cabinet and Boilermakers after a short stint with the Fork and Barrel in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, PA. The group promised to make good on all purchases and were to maintain an escrow balance to cover all deliveries to both locations. None of this ever came to fruition. They forged relationships with some of our more popular suppliers directly against our wishes, which complicated things further.

Bella Vista continued to deal with the NSF checks and The Grainery Group would make every excuse in the book to keep stringing us along. My family was fed up, and gave them an ultimatum requiring having 2 corporate cards
accountable (debit) as a fail safe or we would no longer be involved with supplying them with beer.

Bella Vista had a meeting with The owners of the group, Matthew Schwartz and Matthew Scheller regarding the ultimatum. This was the final warning, and
they left the meeting understanding the outcome, had the fail-safes in essence were to fail. Sept, 7, 2012 they failed.

Bella Vista’s office instructed the driver to head back to the Farmers Cabinet to retrieve the beer that was unpaid. While the driver was taking the beer back, Bella Vista’s office was informed that The Farmers Cabinet had tapped one of the kegs and the manager asked our office to try and run
the debit card for the value of that keg. By some miracle, the transaction for the amount was approved. The driver was instructed to leave the tapped keg and return all the other items that were not paid for to Bella Vista’s
warehouse. These situations are truly saddening, and as a small family company we understand financial hiccups and we dislike having to be the enforcer, but when it comes to the financial stability of Bella Vista, we must act. Rarely do we do this, but when we do it is because the account has
left us no other choice but to comply with state law after so many attempts to maintain a positive relationship for all parties involved.

Later on that night, I was in our warehouse late and one of the owners, Matthew Schwartz stormed into our retail floor, and darted for our office, entered unannounced and unwelcome. He later stepped out into the retail
floor near the bank of cashier stations. He yelled at me (fortunately no customers were nearby during the engagement, however the driver that returned the product, a cashier, our office assistant, and one of our sales reps were witnesses to the entire scene), I noticed him leave the office and wondered what he was doing in there as I had not been made aware that he was even in the building, let alone our office. Matthew Schwartz had raised his
voice and looked like a rabid dog, yelling pointing his finger, threatening to beat me up, saying he was this close to beat me up. Yelling at me, “How could you do this to us? You didn’t even call!” I told him he had been warned and that we could no longer hold their hand to help them limp along in paying their bills. It was obvious he was everything I heard about him:
Acting like an animal, lashing out, and threatening in a manner as to having no regard for the situation around him. I told him to leave the property or I would have the police called to remove him from and have him arrested for threatening me.

Compounding this, there’s another situation I need to write you about regarding the owners of the Grainery Group. Last year they purchased Shenandoah Brewing Company located at 652 S. Pickett Street – Alexandria, VA
22304. Bella Vista maintains the franchise rights to Shenandoah Brewing Company and all of its beers. The agreement as per state law made with then owner, Anning Smith is still in effect today and enforceable by franchise
law. Matt Scheller, the partner in this business, was completely uneducated in franchise law, and concluded to sell beer to another wholesaler in our market to distribute the beers to The Farmers Cabinet and Boilermakers
exclusively. We were not aware that when they did choose to have another wholesaler work with them, that the brewers notice and the trade name remained unchanged, as Shenandoah Brewing Co. We were notified that they re-registered the original four beers that were registered back in 2009-2011 to somehow make the state believe they were
being compliant with registration law, without naming a successor wholesaler. The wholesaler they were using ( I believe and hope the wholesaler has stopped working with them at this point) had no written agreement, and acted out of compliance, by picking up the beer from Virginia and having it shipped to their warehouse, and then putting it on their trucks and delivering the beer to The Farmers cabinet and Boilermakers. The beers were being renamed as Farmers Cabinet or Cabinet Artisanal beers on the keg collars, however they have always been and are still brewed under the brewers notice of Shenandoah Brewing Co. According to the TTB and COLA approved research, nothing under the Farmers Cabinet or Cabinet Artisanal comes up, in any form of search as approved COLAS or brewers notices. I have heard of an even worse offense by this brewer: With good authority, I know for a fact that Shenandoah Brewing/Cabinet Artisanal was self distributing its own beer.They were/are crossing state lines from VA to PA in an non bonded, non licensed truck. In fact it was a rental box truck they would rent for the day from Philadelphia, drive down to VA, pick up beer and take directly to the Farmers Cabinet and Boilermakers,

The state of Pennsylvania is not the wild west when it comes to liquor law, there are strict rules and regulations that we all must abide by. I am writing to inform you that Shenandoah Brewing Co, can not “shop around” for wholesalers, and at this point I don’t think anyone of you who I respect tremendously and dearly would even consider working with them in any capacity. Bella Vista is reaching out to you to hopefully protect yourself from taking a financial loss by working with them on the retail end, and if you risk doing so, tread lightly.”

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

                                                        I drank good beer. The end.

Mr. Bengel, you get back in this classroom and write a proper post or you will be sitting in the principals office until winter!

Yes Mrs. Dingleberry, I promise I will get right on it......

Beer Morals Part 2

                                           What would you do, if you got this opportunity?

"The Crazy Ass Bar and Grill,  is proud to announce that on Labor Day weekend, for the first time ANYWHERE in the world, we will be pouring every Trappist beer, ever made, ON DRAFT!  Yes, that includes all three Westvleteren beers! It is first come, first served. Cash only! DO NOT MISS THIS!
*Please no women, minorities, gays or disabled people."


                                                    Your response would be to this:
A--Hell no to that ignorant shit
B--I wonder if I could just get a taster of some of them.
C--It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I hate what they are doing, but, come on!
D--I would make damn sure that nobody went to this place at any time.

I have the sneaking suspicion that they just might have a nice crowd that day. Not crazy busy, but busy none the less. The usual excuse for being there will be, "I didn't know nothing about their policy,  I am too drunk to give a fuck and of course, everyone's favorite, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity." Now I have stated many times, that we can't investigate every place we have a beer. It would be nearly impossible,  not to mention what parameters you would set for a pass/fail grade. But. when something becomes so obvious to everyone and is talked about everywhere, those poor ass excuses just don't hold up. Not even a little bit. Not even in any twisted way you can think of. People make mistakes, I am more than happy to forgive those who admit them and try to fix them. I give no remorse to those who lie about them and try to pass the buck to someone else.

Beer Morals

     Once again I sit at my very cramped desk, with the same damn thought that I have had for quite some time now. Why are these idiots still in business? Why oh why do I have to carry the torch of common sense? And trust me folks, that is saying a lot right there. Where are the pitchforks and vigilantes? Where is the holiest of all beer folk rising up to stop this madness once and for all? Where is the outrage in the beer rags? How many times can one person get drunk to try and forget all about this?
   On second or third thought,  I do know the reason why. Lack of morals. No, I ain't talking bout my hands are too short to drink with God, I'm talking about the beer geeks extraordinaire. The "I'll run your mother over to get these rare beers" folks. The " Their problems have nothing to do with the beer" folks. Nobody really gives a rats ass as long as there is some great rare beer for them. And that just might be where the problem is. Of course somebody is going to say, "Dan, are you going to investigate every place you go into?" Probably not, but when something like this hits you over the head and over the head and yeah, over the fucking head, maybe, just maybe, its time to look up. Or in this case look down, way down, bottom of the barrel that is sitting over a open sewer hole down.
   I'm sure some people think that is being too rough, that people make mistakes. Yes they do, but smart ones find a way to correct them, quickly. You are in a business, not a beer geek frat party. Being cool is all well and fine, paying your employees and vendors on time, priceless. This show has been going on now for way too damn long. Just search my own site or Foobooz for more fun stories about these clowns
     So on that note,  today I would like to announce two very important things.
 First up: To anybody who has been screwed over by them, drop me a line. I want to start a forum to tell your side of the story. Please try to keep the discussion at least Judge Judy level.
 Second: I wish to start a "Get the hell out of town gas fund" I would start things off with a $25 Wawa gift card. Once we have enough gas money, we can all decide for them, where they can go to, say like Mexico. I hear the drug cartel likes great beer.


                                   Remember, it's nothing personal, it's just business.