A few Sundays ago, Ray and I headed into Philly to go to Tria’s “Sunday School”, a wonderful promo that the restaurant runs every Sunday. The premise is simple: A wine, a beer and a cheese are showcased and priced at least 50 percent off. There is also a substantial write-up for each Sunday School item, drawing people in that might otherwise not have made the trip. Such smart marketers.

We were enticed by the innovative offering of Cape Ann Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout. Cape Ann is located in Glouchester, MA, and its pumpkin stout weighs in at 6.75 ABV. The cherry on top was the appearance of Cape Ann’s brewmaster, Jeremy, making the rounds at the tables and talking to anyone interested about Cape Ann and their funky little beer. Score!

The stout was an opaque dark brown with a thin head and Tria’s bartenders served it at the appropriate temperature. As we sipped, we noted that the beer went through a number of flavor stages, beginning with a stout start, then pumpkin coming out a little later. Pumpkin was prevalent in the nose, and the beer overall was very balanced, with just enough bitterness.

Mid-way through our tasting, brewmaster Jeremy stopped by our table to talk about the brewery, their flagship beers, and the stout. He was friendly and very knowledgeable, chuckling when Ray asked how much pumpkin should be used in the mash on a homebrew level. “You’re going to make me pare down to a homebrew recipe?” he asked with a grin. He wasn’t about to do the math, but he did share with us that Cape Ann uses 50 pounds of pumpkin to produce a 20 barrel batch of Pumpkin Stout. Fair enough. Jeremy also reminded us that “a little goes a long way” when it comes to spices, something that every homebrewer should remember.

We also ordered the Sunday School cheese, a Weinkase Lagrein from Alto Adige, Italy. The rind of the cheese was deep purple due to a 4-day garlic and pepper bath in Lagrein wine. I overheard one of the hostesses comparing it to Havarti. We both enjoyed the cheese, which was coupled with crisp bread slices and dried cherries that were soaked in Allagash beer to refresh them.

But that’s just the beginning of our little gastro journey…stay tuned for Tria’s Sunday School Part II.

Craft Beer, Restaurants 2 Comments »