Introducing Team Eve!

We’re just two weeks out from the Biblical Brew Off. Team Moses and Team Jesus are all tied up going into this third year of competition. Just when things seemed set for the showdown a wildcard appeared.  Both Rodeph Shalom and St Tim’s count many women among the beer geeks at our congregations.  No longer content to leave the brewing to the guys, they joined forces to form Team Eve.

In early April, under the expert guidance of Nancy Rigberg, they gathered at St. Tim’s to brew a saison, the name of which is so secret that even yours truly doesn’t know it yet.

 

Not only will their presence liven up the competition, it is fully in keeping with the ancient tradition that brewing was solely a feminine art.  Even today among some of the indigenous peoples, it is women along who brew the chicha since it is common knowledge even allowing a man to walk into the brew house will spoil the beer.

A big thank you to Nancy for her expertise and to Brian Biggs for creating the logo.

The only way to taste their beer is to join us at the Brew Off on May 7^th at Rodeph Shalom.  Advance tickets are just $25 ($35 at the door).  Click here to get yours now!

 

And the winner is…. hungry people in Philadelphia

On May 10th six brewers went head to head to answer the age old question… which religion makes the better beer.  The Biblical Brew Off brought together the beer clubs from St. Timothy’s and Congregation Rodeph Shalom as well as many others to settle the issue.

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Rodeph fielded JezebALE (a Poor Richard’s Porter), BEERsheba (an orange cardamom Hefeweizen) and Saison and Delilah (a classic Saison).

St. Tim’s fielded Job’s Stout (a mocha Stout), Barrabas Bitter (an ESB) and Abraham and Sara’s Saison (a four grain Saison).

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The four judges took nearly ninety minutes as they thoroughly evaluated each entry according to BJCB standards.

In the meantime the crowd gathered sampling the beer and feasting on BBQ.  They chatted with the brewers and looked at the awesome beer baskets at the silent auction.  But they too were judging the beers and registering their votes for the “People’s Choice” award.

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After reps from The Food Trust and North Light Community Center (the charities who would benefit from the event) told the crowd about their causes it came time to announce the winners.

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BEERsheba was the big winner of the People’s Choice.  Its brewer, Karenann, will get to go brew with Scott Morrison of Barren Hill Brewery.  We’ll report back on that once it happens.

 

When it came to team results St. Tim’s won with a very strong total score proving that although Moses was able to produce water from the rock, it was Jesus who took that water and turned it into wine.  Abraham and Sara’s took the high score with JezebALE close behind.

But the real winners were the two charities who will share the $1100 we raised.

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Of course not everything can be measured in terms of dollars or points.  Perhaps what matters most is that people from two different faiths (and no faiths at all when you count in some of our guests) managed to get together to share fellowship and to work together to help others in need.  While I have no doubt that we could have done with without beer, I also have no doubt that the beer made it a whole lot more fun.

For more pics from this awesome evening keep on scrolling!