Beer Week, The Brew Off and other Successful Shenanigans

The last six weeks have been exceptionally busy.  I’m pleased to report that all our endeavors were successful both in terms of fun and funds raised.

All the brewers and brewsters at the end of the night

The 3^rd installment of the Biblical Brew Off saw our biggest crowd yet.  There is no doubt that the women of Team Eve helped to bring many of their own fans which swelled the crowd.  Those present got to sample the seven brews, dine on BBQ and bid on the silent auction while team of judges (Theresa Conroy, Danya Henninger, George Hummel and special guest Jay Brooks) ranked the offerings.

Team Jesus took back the crown but Team Eve took the People’s Choice with their Saison d’Eve.  But the real winners were the charities who split an all-time high of over $2700.

Beer Week was just as fruitful.  Sarah Weissiger joined Rabbi Eli and myself at Fergie’s for the latest iteration of A Priest, a Minister and a Rabbi Walk into a Bar.  Sarah’s knowledge and humor blended perfectly.  Together we shared our thoughts and mused theological.  The crowd was wonderful and posed heartfelt questions.

A few days later I took my first turn working behind the bar at the Old Eagle Tavern.  Lew Bryson and I poured beers for a big crowd some of whom were regulars but many of whom came out to support us and the good work of North Light Community Center.

Note which side of the bar Lew Bryson is on and which side I was on. Thanks Nancy Rigberg for the pic!

I have to say that it’s a lot harder than it looks.  Thankfully Ryan (the regular barkeep) was a good teacher and the patrons were patient (although I was occasionally heckled for being too slow).  Between keeping orders straight in my head and dealing with foamy taps, I was ready for a beer myself by the time it was all over.  All told we raised $275 in tips and Erin kicked in another $200 from the house’s take which meant that North Light Community Center got $475!

I know- I on the wrong side of the bar yet again but trust me I really did work hard and pour a lot of beers.

The money we raised for charity is great but what is even more important about these events is that they bring people, who otherwise might never meet, together in a way that fosters conversation and helps build common bonds.  There is real power in coming together over a beer and I am truly grateful to have friends that help me harness that power in new and creative ways.

Look out! It’s Philly Beer Week!

Beer Week 2016 is just hours away.  As usual I won’t be able to make nearly as many events as I would like.  This is particularly true since this year we’ll be away at our 25^th college reunion for the latter half of PBW.

But of course one must have their priorities. You can find me at the following:

 

A Rabbi, a Priest and a Minister Walk into a Bar                                                            Sunday, June 5^th at Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St) starting at 8 pm.

Join Rabbi Eli, Pastor Sarah and yours truly as we talk about the surprising intersection of beer and faith. Bring your questions, sense of humor and a thirst to learn more about the ways in which God and beer interact to make our lives both more meaningful and enjoyable.  Event is PAYG

 

Extreme Homebrew Challenge                                                                              Monday, June 6^th starting at 7 pm Jose Pistolas (263 S. 15^th Street).

A staple of PBW this is the brainchild of George Hummel and Nancy Rigberg of Home Sweet Homebrew.  Some of the area’s best homebrewers put on their thinking caps and get a little crazy.  A few years ago someone thought it would be a good idea if I helped judge and I’m honored to continue to do so.  Tickets online or at the door.

 

Holy Beers with Father Kirk                                                                                         June 7th at the Old Eagle Tavern (177 Markle Street in Manayunk)

From 6 till 10 pm I’ll be guest bartending alongside my friend, fellow philanthropist and man of faith, Lew Bryson.

Erin from the Eagle has put together a very special list of beers guaranteed to give you a religious experience.  It includes the debut of “Old Fashion Gingerbread Jesus” which is a whiskey barrel aged version of the Christmastime favorite.

Other drafts include:
Mispilion Holy Crap
Mispilion Not Today Satan
Lost Abbey Devotion
Original Sin Cider
Avery Salvation

But best of all, all of our tips will stay in Manayunk and go to support  the important work of Northlight Community Center.  So come on out, let me pour you a beer and be a generous tipper!  Event is PAYG

So there you go.  Not a full week but a fun one.  Hope to see you out there and have a safe and happy PBW!

Help Wanted

So a priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar….

It’s the start of many jokes and for the last three years has also been the title of our informal symposium on beer and faith.  We had every intention of bringing it back to Philly Beer Week this year but then we found  out that our compatriot and the minister in the equation, Bryan Berghoef, will be away on a pilgrimage to Iona.

Once Rabbi Eli Freedman and I got done calling him names behind his back, we set our minds to trying to find another person to take his place.  For a while it looked like we had someone lined up but unfortunately they will be away for Beer Week.

And so we turn to you, our friends and kindred spirits.  We’d love for one of you to join us this year at Fergie’s Pub as we wax poetic about beer, God and faith and the ways in which they all tie together.

Of course we have some standards.

To make sure we don’t wind up like the Mystery Men, here is what we are looking for.

The ideal candidate will:

#1 Be a person of faith

#2 Have extensive knowledge about their faith and its history

#3 Be comfortable talking to a crowd and taking questions

#4 Have a sense of humor

#5 Live in the Philly Metro area

#6 Be free on the afternoon of Sunday, June 5^th

#7 Love beer (duh)

In order to broaden our perspectives special consideration will be shown to those outside the Judeo-Christian tradition and to women.

If you’re interested in exploring this further please contact me through the blog or Facebook.  We hope to hear from you!

 

The Countdown to Philly Beer Week: Sometimes there’s just too many choices!

Once when I was in first grade my grandparents took me to NYC.  I don’t remember many of the details but one thing that still stands in my mind was going to FAO Schwarz.  For those of you too young to recall, FAO was simply the greatest toy store on the planet.  Back before the net, the FAO catalog that would come before Christmas was pure crack for us kids.  But to actually travel to the Mecca itself- to walk in through those glass doors was like entering Nirvana.  The experience could be quite overwhelming, making it hard to know where to go and what to gawk at first.

That’s kind of how I feel now as I am poised on the eve of another Philly Beer Week.  For the next ten days our city (and metro region) will be deluged with amazing beer some of which is appearing here for the first time or is a one-off brewed just for the occasion.  There are chances to meet some true luminaries and to indulge in carefully paired beer dinners.  There’s also the chance to have some fun doing things like racing to assemble IKEA furniture after chugging two high proof beers and other such creative nonsense.

The problem is that it is actually overwhelming for me to try and assess what to do.  There are after all, only so many hours in the day, so much time I can take away from work and from family and of course only so much abuse my poor liver can endure.

Four or five years ago it used to be easier.. pick a few premium events featuring world class opportunities to taste or talk and make the time.  Now I feel like the first grade me all over again… I look at the PBW schedule and have no idea where to begin.

Look- I am not asking for a pity party here.  As problems go, this is a good one to have.

The best thing for me to do is to admit from the start that no matter how hard I try simply cannot do everything I want to.  Welcome to adulthood, Kirk.  In years past this would have driven me nuts. I would have lost sleep trying to figure out how I can be in two places at once or how I can skip out early on some critical meeting in order to try and get a taste of Super Dooper Barrel Aged Monkey Butt Ale with Brett (on the off chance that is actually a beer name I apologize for infringing on your IP).

But you know what, somehow it doesn’t matter quite so much anymore.  I’ve tried a lot of beers and I will get to try a lot more and even though I may miss out on some amazing brew that I will never get to taste again, what really matters is that my life is still pretty well complete and quite fulfilling anyway.

And so this year I will get out to the Brew Off and together with a Rabbi and a Minister I will again walk into a bar, but beyond that I may only get to a few other events.  And you know what- I’m OK with that.

But, if you’re in the area, do yourself a favor and go to something- anything- cause its all pretty good and this week is something that Philly does better than any place else on earth!

Thanks for indulging me and allowing me to use the blog as my confessional and who knows… maybe I’ll see you out there for Philly Beer Week.

 

PS-  I just learned that the iconic FAO in NYC is closing 😦

Walking back into a bar….

Philly Beer Week is now upon us.  For those of you who aren’t familiar its a ten day festival celebrating all things craft beer.  You can meet brewers, get to sample special one-off brews and take part in so truly amazing and sometimes even insane events that cover beer trivia, music, dunk tanks and even seeing who can assemble Ikea furniture the fastest after down several pints in rapid succession.

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For the second year in a row I am pleased to be an official part of it.  On Monday, June 2nd  I will reunite with Rabbi Eli Freedman and Pastor Bryan Berghoef to present “A Rabbi, a Priest and a Minister Walk into a Bar…”    I hope you can join us as we share stories and perspectives on how we have found that beer is not simply permissible in religious life but in fact has sacred potential.  It all takes place at Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St) at 5 pm.  The event itself is free and beer is pay as you go.

A shot of last year’s packed house at Fergie’s.

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On Thursday Rabbi Eli and I are honored to be part of a special event at Impact Hub Philly.   This Brew Ha Ha fundraiser will benefit their community kitchen and is designed to support food justice initiatives in the city as well as to provide a space for entrepreneurs to try their hand at food innovation.

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I hope to see you at these events and who knows, with so much good stuff going on this week there’s a good chance you might see me lots of other places too.  I’ll be the one in the collar.

A Rabbi, a Priest and a Minister Walk into a Crowded Bar…

So again, it sounds like a joke right?  I can imagine that some might feel that their clergy could drive them to drink, but this was different… on a beautiful Saturday afternoon more than 60 people filled the upstairs room at Fergie’s to come and listen to what these three  clergy had to say about beer and how it fit into a spiritual world.

What makes this number significant was not just the fact that it was the capacity for the room, it is also very close to the average Sunday attendance in The Episcopal Church.

So what does it say when about as many people are willing to come to a bar to listen to clergy talk about beer as will come to church on a Sunday?   They came from all over the Philadelphia area, some travelling for as much as an hour.  A few even came from DC.

Also of note was the fact that we had many folks from the beer industry including Suzanne Woods from Allagash, Doug Marchakitus from Manayunk, Patrick and Tracy Mullin from Sly Fox and Luke Bowen from Evil Genius.

For them to take time during the 12 hour work days that are the reality of Beer Week is a significant statement.  During those few moments when they can break away from their grueling schedules they either try to rest or drop in at an event that is boasting a rock star from the beer world or a really rare beers. Although the draft selection was wonderful we could not claim such a draw.  But, they came anyway.  One told me that when he was looking over the list of dozens of events scheduled for that afternoon and came across ours, he knew right away that there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

But on to the event itself.  After a brief introduction Bryan started us off with an explanation of his Pub Theology model and how it is helping to redefine what it means to be a church and how we go about connecting with the community.

Eli was next and took the crowd through references to beer and brewing in the Talmud, including passages from a Rabbi who was himself a brewer.

I tackled some of the theological and cultural assumptions that lead to the divide that has arisen between beer and G-D. 

But it was the Q&A that followed that proved to be the highlight of the day.  For more than a hour we were asked about matters both theological and practical such as, “How does hosting this at your congregation affect members who might be struggling with addiction?”  “What are the implications for pot or other drugs?” and “How can I sell this idea to my church board?”

After the formal Q&A wrapped up we mingled with the crowd for more questions and conversation.  As you can see from the pics, everyone was in good spirits and the mood was joyful.

In the weeks and days that led up to the event the worries gnawed at confidence.  What if the we have hecklers?  What if we fall flat?  Or worst of all, what if no one shows up?  But thanks be to G-D the day exceeded our wildest expectations.  Because on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, when there were lots of other wonderful things to do, a packed barroom showed us that the world is full of people who love G-D and love good beer and are thirsting for a way to connect the two.

My thanks to Eli, Bryan for helping me concoct this notion, to Fergie for offering the space without a moment’s hesitation, to Luke and Evil Genius for the beer, to all the good people from St Tim’s who came out to support it and to everyone who encouraged us along the way- we couldn’t have done it without you.

Here’s to doing it again next year!

A Rabbi, a Priest and a Minister Walk into a Bar…

As you may have read in this previous post, I have been working on my first truly public beer and faith event as part of this year’s Philly Beer Week.  Working with friends and fellow clergy, Rabbi Eli Freedman and Rev. Bryan Berghoef, we will be talking about different ways in which we see confluence where so many others see schism and, more importantly, how we create opportunity where others choose to see threat.

The event will be upstairs at Fergie’s Pub.  After some introductory remarks we plan for each of us to spend about 10-15 minutes talking about how we came to see beer, not just as something to enjoy but as something that can enhance our spiritual lives.  We will then take questions and encourage discussion.  The event is very laid back so if you can’t be there spot at 3 pm please do still come.

Thanks to publican and philanthropist extraordinaire Fergus Carey for hosting us!

Details on the event are as follows                                                                          Where: Fergie’s Pub   1214 Sansom Street, Philadelphia                                      When:   June 8th,  3 pm till 5 or later if the discussion is still going

We hope to see you there and I will be reporting on how it all went next week.