Yo, it’s Philly.

~ Meg

Week 8 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously!

Rye beer is here.  Before you get all up in my face about Thomas Jefferson being from Virginia, let me explain.  Yards Brewing Company is a local Philadelphia microbrewery with a collection of beers called “Ales of the Revolution” which (supposedly) follow the tradtional recipes created by the Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson being one.  The brewmaster at Yards worked with along Philadelphia’s famous City Tavern, which dates from pre-Revolutionary times, to come up with the recipe for Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale.  It’s a golden ale, crafted with rye as one of its malted grains.

51fffcpqPZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_According to Jeff’s book:  “… it was fairly common for brewers to supplement barley malt and other grains with rye during colonial times.  It was more about what was available to them at the time, than it was about a particular flavor profile they were pursuing.”

If old Tommy’s recipe has been authentically reproduced, then this is a really great ale.  And at 8% alcohol, it’s a butt kicker!  The brewmaster recommends pairing the tavern ale with a rich, fatty meat like roast duck.  I drank mine with “locally sourced” potato chips.  I found the pairing to be quite enchanting.  The saltiness of the chips was subtly complimented by the liquidity of the ale.  That tangy rye flavor added a little zing to the otherwise bland potato.  And chips are fatty, right?  It’s kind of like roast duck, in that sense.

I am disappointed that Yards doesn’t give John Adams some love.  He is my favorite Founding Father.  Mostly because of David McCullough’s book “John Adams” and the HBO miniseries it spawned.  John Adams and his wife, Abigail, were the nation’s first power couple.

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Image via the New Republic

Abby was a force in her own right – my kind of lady!  The letters they wrote to each other are eloquent, intelligent and absolutely beautiful.  They called each other “my dearest friend” which I find oddly romantic.  I cried at the end of the book when Abigail died.  Oops – spoilers!

Oh well, perhaps Adams wasn’t the party animal Jefferson, Franklin and Washington were.  But since he “paired” so well with Jefferson, perhaps we could at least name a roast duck dish for him.

Don’t forget to stop by and see what Lula drank this week!

Published by Meg

Easily amused, never bored and constantly distracted. My creative pursuits include writing, drawing, painting and photography.

28 thoughts on “Yo, it’s Philly.”

  3. Texas is behind the curve on Micro Breweries, but the few we have are pretty darn good. I haven’t gotten sophisticated enough to enjoy a hoppy IPA, but give me a good dark Bock, and I’m a happy princess.

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  4. Never have been a big beer drinker, but I agree with you on John Adams. It is pretty good. And I am curious about the taste of the brews freom the times of our Founding Fathers. Good to know they concerned themselves with things other than revolutions.

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    1. I think you might like this one. It was a really nice flavor, full bodied, just a hint of sharpness without the bitterness of an IPA. I am seriously thinking about brewing a red and calling it Rodan Red! You are invited to come for a visit! Freckles!

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  6. I’m not much of a beer person. The famous beer here is Tusker, and I can never get past a second sip. Is that the general taste of beer? Or I should try other options.

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    1. I’ve never tried Tusker. I’ll have to see if it’s available here. Not all beers taste the same, I can tell you that! Some are dark and sweet like a chocolate or coffee stout. Some are strong and bitter like an IPA which stands for India Pale Ale. Definitely try other options!

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  8. Locally sourced potato chips? The liquidity of the ale? I don’t know. You sound a little high brow for my tastes. Somehow though I don’t think my hotel bar will have a riye beer for me tonight. I will check your entry from last week and try that.

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  9. Obviously British hard line beer drinkers didn’t think much of Rye beer. Here’s a line from an article I read
    “Once mocked by beer-drinking connoisseurs for being largely commercial and lacking credibility, American beer is enjoying something of a revival.”

    How rude!

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