Blogger, home brewer and cupcake baker Melissa Ward fearlessly tasted her way through rivers of local brews in order to cull out those most perfect for wooing. Thanks Melissa, we know it was hard work!
Most people tend to think that it takes a bottle of bubbly from someplace far away to get your sweetheart in the mood for romance. However, we at Philly Homegrown like to think that the best stuff comes from right around the corner and happily, these local brews prove us right. Pair any of these flavor-rich beers with a wedge of runny cheese, or a wee sliver of chocolate, for very delicious results.
Exit 13 Belgian Chocolate Stout (Flying Fish. Cherry Hill, NJ): The latest in FF’s Exit Series, Exit 13 is brewed with Belcolade dark chocolate and aged on cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. Who needs dessert when you have this beer? 7.5% ABV
Orange Truffle (Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. Maple Shade, NJ): One of the newest releases from the brewpub, the Orange Truffle is a rich dark lager packed with chocolatey goodness and finished with dried orange peel and fresh orange zest. 7.2% ABV
Triple (Stoudt’s Brewing Co. Adamstown, PA): This strong, Belgian beer is both fruity and spicy, and an excellent beer for wine lovers. The triple pairs nicely with fruit desserts. 9% ABV
Love Stout (Yards Brewing Co. Philadelphia, PA): Brewed with oysters during the boil, this chocolatey stout tastes nothing like seafood (the oysters actually help with the beer’s head retention). 5.5% ABV
Black Raspberry Reserve (Sly Fox Brewing Co. Phoenixville & Royersford, PA): For the true berry lover, this wheat beer is brewed with 1 lb. of black and red raspberries per gallon of beer. 8% ABV
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 5 from 6-8 p.m. That when the Brandywine Loca’licious lands at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, PA. A fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association’s Brandywine Chapter, this event will feature cheeses from Birchrun Hills Farm, Conebella Farm, Yellow Springs Farm, Shellbark Hollow Farm and September Farm. The wineries include Black Walnut Winery, Paradocx Winery, and Chaddsford Winery. Victory beers will be flowing, as will samples of Iron Hill beer.