(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfood.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)
Saturday, June 11th, marked the date of another great event for Philly Beer Week 2016. Deschutes Brewery, based out of Bend, Oregon, has been touring cities across the nation with a street pub / block party, and the HeadHouse Plaza district on South Street hosted the Philadelphia version.
The entire area was arranged with numerous wood crafted bars, with over 40 taps of Deschutes beer. The Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA, River Ale, and the Big Rig were favorites that we sampled. Also presented for consumption were some of the brewers “Reserve” series, like The Abyss and The Dissident. Pub fare was also offered for culinary samplings…
A true city block party offers endless options for entertainment, and this was no exception. Local bands Boy Wonder, Nik Greeley and the Operators, Swift Technique and CRUISR all took their turns on the main stage. Games and swag were offered to attendees, who all seemed to enjoy the free flow spirit of the party.
It is unique for one brewer to undertake such a massive event, not only for one city but to tour the entire country. Deschutes has their gig down to a tee, and the program was smoothly and efficiently run. Entry to the event was free, with patrons able to purchase token chips for the products they wanted to try. There were no long lines, cold beer flowing and hot food fresh from the grill and ovens. It is my belief that more breweries should attempt this type of strategy, which can only spread goodwill amongst the craft beer community, as well as provide great brand awareness and marketing for a good product.
More events to come, all summer long and beyond, “around town”…
BlueJeanFood 