| Bistro on Bridge 208-212 Bridge Street | Phoenixville, PA 19460 (610) 935-7141 www.bistroonbridge.com |
On Saturday, September 26, 2015, Bistro on Bridge in Phoenixville, PA celebrated six years of business by busting open the cellar and featuring some seriously epic beers. The 6th anniversary party was appropriately named Out of the Cellar: Rare Beer Event and featured rare beers both in bottles and on tap.
Open since 2009 at 208 Bridge Street, Bistro on Bridge has been offering 21 rotating taps, over 130 craft beer bottle varieties, and a food menu loaded with only the freshest ingredients. The addition of live music and a relaxed atmosphere creates the perfect backdrop for casual dining, socializing, business events or any special occasion.
Regulars of Bistro on Bridge with a fully stamped craft beer club card were granted early admission at 11:00 AM. Doors opened for everyone else at 11:30 AM, and by that time there was quite the line down the street. IDs were checked, blue wristbands handed out, and the first 50 people received a coupon for a free 6-ounce pour of Pliny the Elder.
While waiting in line, the staff handed out colorful printouts of the tap lists along with flight cards to fill out. Six-ounce pours started at $6. Most beers were also offered in a “full pour” of 8- or 10-ounces for $7 or $8.
The impressive starting line-up included the following 20 beers on tap:
- Allagash Interlude – 9.5% ABV Saison with Brett
- Allagash Victor – 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale with Red Grapes
- Allagash Victoria – 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale with White Grapes
- The Bruery Oude Tart ‘14 – 7.5% ABV Flanders Red Ale
- The Bruery Cuivre – 16.2% ABV Old Ale
- Central Waters Bourbon Barleywine ‘12 – 11.5% ABV American Barleywine
- Firestone Walker Helldorado – 13% ABV American Barleywine
- Firestone Walker 18th Anniversary – 13% ABV American Strong Ale
- Goose Island Halia – 7.5% ABV Saison
- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout – 14.2% ABV Imperial Stout
- Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee – 13.4% ABV Imperial Stout
- Hill Farmstead Double Citra – 8% ABV Double IPA
- Hill Farmstead Conduct of Life – 5% ABV American Pale Ale
- Lost Abbey Framboise De Amorosa – 7% ABV American Wild Ale
- Oskar Blues Ten Fidy ‘13 – 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout
- Otter Creek/Lawson’s Double Dose – 8.5% ABV Double IPA
- Amager / Mikkeller Væsel Brunch – 10.7% ABV Imperial Stout
- Russian River Pliny the Elder – 8% ABV Double IPA
- Russian River Supplication ‘14 – 7% ABV American Wild Ale
- Russian River Consecration – 10% ABV American Wild Ale
As beers kicked throughout the day, staff members came around with updated tap lists. The “Off the Bench” beers included…
- Allagash Confluence – 7.5% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Alpine Beer Co. Duet – 7% ABV American IPA
- The Bruery Sour in the Rye – 7.8% ABV American Wild Ale
- The Bruery Tart of Darkness ‘14 – 7% ABV American Wild Ale
- DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon – 9.2% ABV Double IPA
- Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel ‘14 – 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout
- Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine – 15.04% ABV Barleywine
- Firestone Walker Double DBA ‘13 – 12% ABV English Barleywine
- Goose Island Madame Rose – 7.1% ABV Flanders Oud Bruin
- Hill Farmstead Excursions #4 – 6.3% ABV American IPA
- Lost Abbey Agave Maria – 13.5% ABV American Strong Ale
- Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout – 11.3% ABV Imperial Stout
While it’s hard to choose a favorite from that splendid list, I couldn’t get enough of the Lost Abbey Framboise De Amorosa. This was the first time this barrel-aged raspberry sour was served in Pennsylvania this year. The beer spends over a year in wood during which time it is spiked with three additions of raspberries.
Throughout the day, there were 4 different firkins tapped including Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Grapefruit, Ballast Point Mango Sculpin, and Heavy Seas Gold Creamsicle. Each firkins was painted by one of the staff members. Our server painted one of the Ballast Point firkins.
In addition to Bistro on Bridge’s already impressive bottle list, there were additional bottle selections for this special day, some of which included Allagash Midnight Brett, Anchorage/Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Boreal, Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego, Scaldis Noel, Stillwater The Devil is People, Tilquin Oude Quetsche (Plum), and several Cascade bottles. We enjoyed a bottle of Allagash Mattina Rossa, a quite spectacular American Wild Ale.
In addition to the full food menu, there was also a special snack menu for the event. There were Pretzel Sticks, Stuffed Jalapeños, Portobello Fries, and a Chorizo & Shrimp Quesadilla. There was also a Cheese Plate and Charcuterie Plate with your choice of cheeses and meats.
We shared the Cheese Plate, which included Birchrun Blue, D’bauvabuh Sharp Cheddar, and Seven Sisters Cave Aged Gouda served with Soltane Bread, a poached pear, and Pliny the Elder jelly. The Cheese Plate paired perfectly with the sour beers.
The staff at Bistro on Bridge worked hard to keep everyone happy and keep the beers coming despite the large crowd. Water stations were set up at different areas in the restaurant, allowing patrons to keep hydrated throughout the day.
It was easy to spend over 6 hours at this event, especially when in the company of good friends. We shared beers, shared food, and sang along to the acoustic tunes.
