Philly Beer Week Hits the Northwest Starting Friday

Can you hear that? The sound of hundreds of bars being prepped? Thousands of pint glasses being cleaned and stocked? Kegs being rolled onto trucks and into pubs?

Yep, you guessed it, Philly Beer Week is almost here!

That’s right folks, the annual 10-day celebration is back and begins on Friday and lasts until June 12.

Philly Beer Week, now in its fourth year, boasts on its website that “it’s the largest beer celebration of its kind in America, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights to area bars, restaurants and other locations throughout Greater Philadelphia.”

For local residents who want to get in on the action in “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City,” PBW offers plenty of events to check out in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Manayunk and Roxborough, including a number of specially crafted beer-inspired menus, happy hours featuring local and out of state breweries, late night happy hours, competitions, giveaways and the chance to try some exceptional brews.

In Chestnut Hill, the Valley Green Inn is hosting a number of events, including three three-course beer pairing dinners, all for $35.00.

On Wednesday, the Valley Green Inn is partnering with Brooklyn Brewery where it will serve shrimp custard and green mango salad with lime dressing, Thai chilies and cilantro foam (paired with Brooklyn Pilsner); New York strip steak and parmesan bone marrow with wilted watercress and polenta cake (paired with Brooklyn Pennant Ale); and cherry mocha ice cream with bing cherry, espresso and Callebaut dark chocolate (paired with Brooklyn Chocolate Stout).

The Inn will feature Delaware’s own Dogfish Head Craft Brewery on Thursday where it will serve pan seared diver scallops with green papaya slaw and a spicy curried buerre blanc (paired with Dogfish Head Midas Touch); braised and glazed beef short ribs with Dubliner cheese boxty potatoes (paired with Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron); and crispy beignets with candied mango, orange and honey (paired with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA).

Then, in its last event of the week, the Valley Green Inn will serve a Magic Hat Brewery inspired menu: rock shrimp cocktail with avocado, habanero aioli, saffron consommé and shrimp foam (paired with Magic Hat Wacko Summer Seasonal); “Five” spiced Mahi Mahi with authentic Ethiopoan berbere spice mix, ginger, chili, toasted pine nut Israeli style cous cous risotto (paired with Magic Hat Single Chair Ale); and salted caramel bananas foster with Himalayan pink salt, homemade vanilla bean and dark rum ice cream (paired with Magic Hat Blind Faith IPA).

Not too far away, the Trolley Car Diner will also host a beer dinner on Thursday. Partnering with Weyerbacher Brewing Company, the Mt. Airy staple will serve a five-course menu for $50.00 created by award-winning chef Dwight Forrest. Followed by a beer, fruit and cheese reception, customers can look forward to pan seared diver scallops with asparagus risotto, lightly breaded lollipop lamb chops paired with a sweet potato gratin, or a vegetarian option, and a trio of desserts served alongside Weyerbacher’s Tiny Stout.

“This year, we’re going for the gold,” said Trolley Car Diner owner Ken Weinstein in a press release. “We know people don’t expect a diner to do this kind of event. But we are used to walking on the wire and coming up with creative ways to bring people to the diner.”

In Manayunk, virtually every restaurant and pub is getting in on the fun. Residents will have the chance to try a number of locally brewed ales every night of PBW, as well as participate in beer dinners at Bourbon Blue, (Dock Street Brewing), Cactus Restaurant and Bar (Lion Brewery), Cooper Brick Oven Wine Bar (Fegley’s Brew Works), Derek’s (Weyerbacher Brewing Company), Kildare’s (Victory Brewing Company) and Manayunk Tavern (Philadelphia Brewing Company).

Some other noteworthy events include Old Eagle Tavern’s pre-bike race party on Saturday featuring Bavarian Barbian Brewing Company’s wares as well as its race-day party on Sunday featuring Philly’s own Yards Brewing Company. The highly anticipated annual Philadelphia International Championship cycling race, which features “the Manayunk Wall,” takes place on Sunday. The tavern will also host beer and bourbon writer Lew Bryson on June 10.

For more details, read the listings below or visit phillybeerweek.org.