"It's only fitting that Dupont make its first collaborative beer for Philadelphia," said Wendy Littlefield, of New York beer importer Vanburg & DeWulf, which helped organize the collaboration. "Philly was the first American city to really grasp the Belgian scene."
Indeed, the area has no fewer than a half-dozen Belgian-themed bars, and nearly every local brewery makes a Belgian-style ale, including abbey dubbel, witbier and funky Flemish sour beer. The city's Belgian rep is so solid, it's known among some beer fans as Brussels on the Schuylkill.
As happened last year, when Philly Beer Week collaborated with Belgium's DeProef brewery, one lucky beer-lover will be chosen in a random drawing to accompany an area brewer on a free trip to Belgium in March. They'll spend the day at the farmhouse brewery in Tourpes, Belgium, brewing in early 20th-century copper kettles.
The beer will be available during Philly Beer Week, June 1-10, 2012.
The drawing will be held at City Tap House (3925 Walnut St., West Philly) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30. Beer lovers can enter the raffle there ($5 per ticket, five for $20, with proceeds benefiting Philly Beer Week). Entrants will also be eligible in a drawing for a Philly Beer Week's "Beer-Stravaganza," which includes a pair of tix for the June celebration's Opening Tap festival, the Forum of the Gods brewers roundtable and a beer sampler.
Can't make it to the drawing? Tickets will be available at City Tap House, as well as this weekend at stops along the Craft Beer Express (see next item).
Get on the bus I
It's looking like a crisp fall weekend ahead, a perfect day for a pub-crawl. Or in the case of Saturday's Craft Beer Express, a bounce on the bus to a dozen of the city's best beer bars.
