Category Archives: Spirits

Our Favorite Day-Drinking Spots

DRINK

Because the summer’s too fleeting to squander on work and socially acceptable drinking hours.

By Mike Madaio

Happy hour, pre-dinner apéritifs, post-dinner digestifs, a marathon pub crawl that lasts until last call (and then some). We don’t refer to any of those experiences as night drinking. Yet, we feel pressed to qualify any imbibing done before 5 p.m. (even though it’s always five o’clock somewhere) as day drinking, such is the stigma that stems from the “Mad Men” era, when the men drank themselves under the lunch table and the women, under the coffee table, neither supposedly the wiser. Clearly, we’re a much more restrained culture now.

Day drinking these days is more about taking advantage—of a rare couple of quiet hours among old friends, of a gentle breeze on a July afternoon, of a setting that’s far too cool for our likes come nightfall—than blacking out. (Though blacking out’s still on the table. We’re not Mormons.)

Summer itself is practically an open invitation to ditch the to-do list (and the kids) and rustle up a spur-of-the-moment BYO gathering by the pool, at the park or the beach. But there’s also something about sliding into a dimly lit booth on an ideal afternoon that feels deliciously rebellious. Neither way’s wrong. There are, after all, no rules for day drinking. Other than postpone the errands for another day altogether, not simply until later in the afternoon. That’s a viral video waiting to happen.

On that note, allow us to introduce you to a few of our favorite day-drinking spots.

Paramour (at the Wayne Hotel) | Wayne
When the sun’s shining bright and the humidity’s lightened up, the sidewalk seats along North Wayne Avenue are highly coveted, naturally. But the savviest among us know to seek out the 110-year-old Tudor Revival veranda, complete with ceiling fans and ample views of the surrounding gardens. Either way, order the Parisian Spritz, a light, bright sparkling wine cocktail spiked with a dollop of peach puree.

World of Beer | Exton
The franchise is comprised of 75 locations spread across 21 states, yet this one, which opened in May, is Pennsylvania’s first and only (because control states rarely get to have nice things). A thousand-square-foot patio holds more than enough table seating, as well as several outdoor sofas and a cornhole court. It’s what your backyard would look like if you had room for a thousand-square-foot deck, 60 rotating taps and a 600-bottle menu.

Martine’s RiverHouse | New Hope
People watching can be overstimulating. And sometimes—most of the time—the whole point of day drinking is to step out of your routine and dive headfirst into your company. On such occasions, there is no more tranquil setting (with a well-stocked bar and a well-versed bartender at your disposal) than the riverside deck at Martine’s. Main Street bustles on the other side of the restaurant, but it may as well be miles away.

Pag’s Wine Bar | Doylestown
Stuck home when, really, you should be using your vacation days more wisely? Head to Paganini. Between the deep (and reasonably priced) wine cellar, the small-plates menu and the just-out-of-the-way location, it’s an honest facsimile of a European square experience. Sip, nosh, repeat. No hurry.

Mas Mexicali Cantina | West Chester
If there was an official drink for day drinking, it’d have to be the margarita. Mas Mexicali obliges with 11 varieties. Paired with the rooftop deck, there may be no better place around here to watch a hazy sun set with a drink in hand (and a taco in the other).

Va La Vineyards | Avondale
Sidle up to the bar to try one (or four) of Anthony Vietri’s authentic, Italian-style field blends, each paired with a locally made artisanal cheese. From there, grab a bottle of your favorite and head for the deck out back, where it feels more like Tuscany than Chester County.

Tired Hands Fermentaria | Ardmore
The large picture windows (ideal people for watching), tall ceiling and the skylights make for one airy space. But unlike the saturated suckers walking by on the other side of those windows, you’re savoring your house-brewed session beer (a beer made for day drinking) and whiskey dills at a lovely 70 degrees with no hint of humidity.

X Marks the Spot
Legally, we can’t advise you to head for your secret-but-public spot with a bottle or a sixer in tow, but they’re the places that spring to mind first when you hear “day drinking,” are they not? No table, no chairs. Maybe a blanket. Definitely a spectacular view. We won’t tell if you won’t.

Local Flavor

SPIRITS

Bob Barrar is the champion of beer nerds everywhere. Given the chance to finally go out on his own, he promptly returned to his humble roots and staked his claim as a brewer for the hard-working people of Delaware County.

By Mike Madaio

I’m in Aston, sitting in the tasting room at 2SP Brewing Company, the latest craft brewer to join what has become a prolific scene across the Philadelphia region. From the outside, the building looks like a warehouse, like a lot of the other buildings around this blue-collar part of Delaware County. The tasting room, though, is smartly decorated and plenty comfortable.

It’s immediately clear that they’re catering foremost to local tastes. A rack stands by the door loaded with T-shirts stamped with MADE IN DELCO across the chest. Perhaps a bit heavy-handed, but civic pride runs deep here. And their flagship beer is the amber-colored, smooth-drinking Delco Lager, which evokes another lager that’s popular around these parts.

“Bob is total DelCo through and through,” says Michael Contreras, 2SP’s sales and marketing director. “We looked into other locations, but Bob insisted that we land in DelCo. And Bob’s the key. I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t onboard.”

2SPBrewing-7

Barrar, far right, with his 2SP crew.

Bob is Bob Barrar, 2SP’s co-founder and head brewer. He spent the last 12 years manning the tanks at Iron Hill Brewery’s Media location, racking up serious acclaim the way the rest of us accrue empties—20 Great American Beer Festival awards, 10 World Beer Cups. A Delaware County native, Barrar looks the part: bald head punctuated by a wizard-length, salt-and-pepper beard (brewer) and stain-mottled Eagles hoodie (DelCo local).

“Bob has all these accolades, but he’s been contained in Media for so long,” Contreras says. “So when I go into places like Memphis Taproom, Standard Tap, bars that cater to the beer nerds, and tell them who our brewer is, they immediately say they’ll take whatever we can give them.”

The Delco Lager, it turns out, is Barrar flexing his muscle, the way a chef impresses the sages by turning out a dish with three or four ingredients that produces impossible depth and nuance.

“You can’t hide anything. It’s all right there in front of you,” Barrar says. “And not many breweries are willing to do that style, especially for their flagship.”

Flagship makes it sound way too formal in the context of the chummy atmosphere of 2SP. Really, it’s more of a gateway beer. Every beer drinker’s familiar with lagers, the same way every coffee drinker knows what a medium roast tastes like. And then you drink a cup of Rival Bros. Revolver and wonder what the hell you’ve been drinking all this time. Barrar expects the same epiphany with his lager. And then, “once we bring you in,” he says, “we can educate you, show you all sorts of other styles and flavors.”

Among the beer nerds, Barrar is best known for his Russian imperial stout. But now that he’s got his own brand to consider, he’d rather be thought of as more approachable than that. The stout, after all, is not for the lighthearted. “I’m a traditionalist,” he says. “I like brewing to a specific style and trying to stick close to that.” His proficiency at doing so is obvious in an English IPA called Cold Cock. The hops are laidback, the texture, creamy. It’s almost as crushable as the lager.

Andrew Rubenstein, who goes by Ruby, tends to be more unconventional, which Barrar appreciates. Ruby is the head cellarman. Basically, he’s responsible for the fermentation and the aging. “We’ve done a bunch of different saisons, and we’re building up our barrel-aging program,” Barrar says.

I try their most recent iteration, Stigz Imperial Porter, named after 2SP co-founder Michael Stiglitz (of Two Stones Pub fame). It’s both traditionally brewed and bourbon-barrel-aged, the latter served on nitro. It’s warm and boozy and silky smooth from the nitro pour.

Baby Bob Stout is the one I like the most of any I’ll taste today. Barrar pared down his Russian imperial stout to create the easier-drinking—but still delicious—American-style stout. I brought a growler filled with it home with me, and even after the fizz mostly subsided, the hits of coffee, raisin and caramel were still as vivid as they were back at the tasting room.

Kegs are only available wholesale, but plans to go retail with 750ml bottles and cans are in motion. For now, head to the Aston tasting room to work your way through the entire 2SP portfolio. You’ll sit shoulder to shoulder with beer nerds and lager-drinking blue-collars, both sets perfectly at home.

2SP Tasting Room, 120 Concord Road, Units 101-103, Aston.

Photos by Matthew J. Rhein

Sunshine in a Bottle

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DRINK

Thanks to some inventive craft brewers, forget drinking with the seasons.

It may be gray and cold outside—coldish, at least—but we’re thinking white sand beaches and lush, humid afternoons when we reach into the fridge for an adult beverage. Citrusy hops are nothing new to IPAs and saisons. A handful of local craft brewers, though, started upping the ante and tossing in actual fruit, too, layering easy-drinking beers with strong sweet and tart undercurrents.

Victory Agave IPA with Grapefruit is the first installment in the brewer’s Blackboard Series, a riff on ingredient-inspired restaurant specials, which rolled out earlier this month. It’s a crisp-drinking ale that’s mellowed out some by the sweet syrup.

Not so much a fan of tartness? Fear not. There’s a fruity beer for you too. Coriander takes the edge off the orange in Do Good Kenzo Sour, and then a hit of honey smoothes it out even more. In Tired Hands Citra/Citrus, calamondin orange puree is folded into an already-fruity blend of hops.

The mango in Free Will Safeword lulls you into a false sense of security before the habanero kicks in at the end. The sweet fruit also plays a central role in Evil Genius Ma! The Meatloaf! (where it’s complemented by orange peel and coriander) and Boxcar Mango Ginger Pale Ale. Bucks County Pawpaw Saison uses a little-known, but native, fruit, which comes across as a mango-banana-kiwi hybrid.

The sun hasn’t gone missing, exactly. It’s just not hanging out in its usual spot. For the next couple months, thanks to these beers, we’ll have better luck finding it in the bottom of a can. —Scott Edwards

Photo credit: Courtesy Victory Brewing Company

What I’m Drinking Right Now

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I came up with the Hot-Buttered Rumkin to warm me up on cold nights. Turns out, it’s also an incredibly effective hangover remedy. The headline ingredient, pumpkin, is high in vitamins A and C, which feed the immune system. The holiday party circuit can be brutal. A mug of this stuff should square you faster for the next occasion. Maybe make it two on New Year’s Day.

Mix together ½ cup of softened salted butter, ¼ cup pumpkin puree, ¼ tsp. orange zest and ½ tsp. warm spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg). Whether you do it by it hand or with a mixer, make sure everything’s fully combined. Then, leave at room temperature.

In a mug, combine 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 2 ounces Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and 2 tbsps. pumpkin mixture. Top with boiling water and stir well.

ADAM JUNKINS

Partner/Sommelier

Sovana Bistro

(Kennett Square)