Here’s my Valentine’s Day article that was in print, but didn’t make it out to the interwebs….

THE BREWHOLDER:  After Valentine’s Day, Don’t Give Up Hope – the Beer of Your Dreams is Still Out There

Ticket to Entertainment, February 19, 2016

Once again Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and maybe you did not meet the beer of your dreams.  Even if you tried but could not find the right Valentine’s beer for you, don’t worry – there are still many local beers available and looking to give beer lovers that Valentine’s spirit!

Based on its name alone, Yards Brewing Company’s “Love Stout” is a good first step when attempting to find your beer soulmate.  This dark stout smells like coffee and has wonderful flavors of coffee and chocolate.  It is hard not to fall in love with Love Stout;  and be careful when drinking it for the first time – Yards refuses to “apologize for any amorous affairs resulting from the consumption of this beverage.”  http://www.yardsbrewing.com/signature-ales

What is better than a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day?  Beers with chocolate flavor, of course!  A beer that is truly playing hard-to-get is Victory Brewing Company’s “Java Cask.”  Picked as The Brewholder’s Favorite New Beer of 2015 (http://www.tickettoentertainment.com/blog/2015/12/31/the-brewholders-2015-beer-year-in-review/), this limited special release, barrel aged imperial coffee stout is quickly disappearing. Like drinking liquid dark chocolate and bourbon, Java Cask impressed many beer aficionados.  Chris Steltz, host of beer review website beergeeknation.com, gave Java Cask an “A+.”  When asked why he rated it so highly, he explained, Java Cask is “…the true definition of what a barrel aged imperial coffee stout should be.  Massive chocolate and dark fruits balanced out by sweet vanilla and oak from the barrel.  All tied together with a finish of fresh pressed coffee flavors.  It is a phenomenal beer!”  Check out his Java Cask review (and 900 more!) at http://www.beergeeknation.com/admin/victory-java-cask-imperial-barrel-aged-coffee-stout-beer-geek-nation-craft-beer-reviews/

If you like assorted chocolates in a big red heart-shaped box, then maybe you are also a fan of chocolate covered cherries? If so, then you need to get to Iron Hill Brewery as soon as possible – the beer version of that confection was crafted by their brewers for Valentine’s Weekend.   Each Iron Hill location served a special a la carte dinner menu and brewed a “Cherry Vanilla Porter,” which is their award-winning Pig Iron Porter dressed up for a date with whole vanilla beans and concentrated Michigan sour cherry juice.  Just like Victory’s Java Cask, this is sure to go fast; it may not even be available by the time this article is published!  http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/valentines-2016.htm?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=valentines-day-2016

Even if Iron Hill’s Cherry Vanilla Porter has left with someone else by the time you get there, you can still get the flavor of cherries in Barren Hill Tavern and Brewery’s “Good English.”   This “gooder than average dry stout” has the flavors of  “roast coffee & chocolate covered cherries.” It is currently on nitro draught, which ensures that this will be a smooth – and flavorful – beer. http://www.barrenhilltavern.com/menu/

Finally, if you are just bored of your predictable beer, Prism Brewing Company’s “Love is Evol” is a brown ale brewed with strawberries and jalapeño peppers, which adds just the right amount of heat to spice up your beer and your taste buds.  As explained by its description, “Some say that Love is evil. We say if you spell love backwards it’s evol. This brown Ale represents that notion with the love of strawberries and the evil nature of Jalapenos.”  If you want more heat, then head to Free Will Brewing Company for their “Safeword,” an imperial IPA brewed with mango and habanero peppers, currently available on draft at their tasting room in Perkasie.  http://freewillbrewing.com/index.php/beer/

Maybe Cupid’s arrow missed its mark on a beer for you this year.  But don’t worry – our local brewers will melt your heart with their Valentine’s concept beers.  So get out there and mingle – you never know when you’ll meet the beer that steals your heart forever.  Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2016 – all rights reserved

The 12th annual Brewer’s Plate will be held this Sunday at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.  I was able to get a sneak peak at the pairings list – read about the five I’m looking most forward to on Philly Beer Scene Online Exclusives!

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2016 – all rights reserved