Start with this:
Dock Street Brewing Co and Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia Announce
“A Beer Four All Seasons”
Truffled Old Ale is first in a series of four collaborative beers
Dock Street Brewing Co. and Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia are proud to unveil the first in their new “A Beer Four All Seasons” collaboration series.The Truffled Old Ale debuts on January 30th, 2012 and is the first of four seasonal beers to be jointly brewed. The beers will be produced in limited quantity and available exclusively in the Swann Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.
Then check out Craig LaBan in this morning’s Inquirer:
The mere mention of a truffled beer is enough to incite shudders and raised eyebrows. Even accomplished brewer Scott Morrison conceded that the “terrible” task of melding such a powerful savory flavor with beer brought trepidation: “How am I going to pull this off?” But with his recent return to Dock Street Brewing Co., he knew this first of several planned seasonal collaborations with the Four Seasons Hotel had to be ambitious. So Morrison didn’t hold back, crafting a sturdily malted English strong ale, then sending it off to the hotel to be aged in used chardonnay barrels, after which it was blended with a measured dose of truffle-steeped vodka. The result, once married, stunned most everyone who took a sip. The rich, moussey head did not smell like the garish cologne I expected. It tasted more like black coffee, dark chocolate, and figs on the first well-rounded sip. The barrel oak lent structure, and then the truffle appeared, subtly opening a trapdoor to a deep, dark earthiness that lingered, until we all took the next sip.
I write a lot about how brewpubs are often the linchpin which helps revitalize an old neighborhood or get a new one off the a running start, and the current day version of Dock Street surely fits that pattern to a T. But there is another side to that coin. The establishment of good, flavorful beer as a high-end product worthy of respect at fine dining venues is an aspect of brewing which helps grow the customer base which makes those old neighborhoods come alive again.
In the big picture, you gotta work the penthouses as well as the row houses. And I continue to be very impressed by what’s happening on S. 50th St. in West Philly.
Plus also, you know, The Dude, forgotten but not gone.
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