Firkin Around....
The Blog of King of Prussia Beer Outlet

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

8 Resolutions for Beer Lovers

by Joseph Elia

I have learned much about beer running this store.  Obviously, my knowledge of the industry and individual beers has grown tremendously.  Less obvious however is what I have learned about being a better beer consumer.  I watch hundreds of beer purchases every week, each with their own unique beer buying style.  From these observations, I have culled a list of the buying styles that I admire most and put them into a list of easy to keep resolutions for the beer lover.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Cookies and Beer: Five Cookie Recipes that Use Beer



by Matt DeMarco

It’s time to scarf down tons of sweets before we start our short-lived diets in January. These recipes and cookie will impress your guests if you don’t eat them all first. They pair well with the style of beer used to cook them and they taste good all on their own. Just as a note, when you add alcohol to baked goods, it does cook off somewhat but not entirely. You won’t get drunk off of one or two cookies but you probably should keep them away from kids.


Friday, December 5, 2014

Save Your Holiday Sanity with These Beers




By Joseph Elia

More so than any other time of year, the holidays force us to get together with people whose toxic personalities can rob us of our sanity.  To help preserve your mental health, here is a list of beers that will ease the pain of interacting with them.  Think of every sip as an inside joke protecting you from those who would rob you of your good cheer.


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Holiday Beer Sale!!!



King of Prussia Beer Outlet
175 N. Henderson Rd.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-265-2828

Friday, November 21, 2014

Beers for the Big Feast

by Matt DeMarco

I have compiled a list of crowd pleasing beers to stock the fridge with for Thanksgiving. If you come to our Thursday tastings, many names will look familiar. It is very important that you know your audience. You do not want a fridge full of IPAs and Stouts when you have all Lager drinkers coming over. If you are not sure what kind of beer everyone drinks but you want to have some sort of craft, I recommend having something lighter like a Lager or Pilsner and a Variety Pack. Also, there is nothing wrong with having Belgian style ales next to Yuengling or Miller Lite in the fridge. Here is a list of beers to stock the fridge with for all different palates:

Thursday, November 20, 2014

7 Awesome Thanksgiving Recipes That Use Beer

by Matt DeMarco

For those of you who don’t know, in addition to being a Craft Beer enthusiast, I also have a culinary background. From time to time I will combine the two loves into one post for you. Cooking with beer can be intimidating but it is not nearly as hard as it seems. I have done the legwork for you and compiled a tasty list of recipes that will help you incorporate beer into your Thanksgiving feast





Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Beer lovers Thanksgiving Trifecta....recipes, suggestions, and pairings....

Three great beer articles from Matt!!

Matt put together three helpful and insightful beer articles for Thanksgiving....click the links below to read 'em

7 Awesome Thanksgiving Recipes That Use Beer

Monday, November 17, 2014

Thanksgiving Beer Marathon

by Matt DeMarco

Good food, football, beer, wine, and family...simple.  That's why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My family tends to start drinking early in the day while dinner is being prepared. I have compiled a list of beers that will compliment both the food and the mood as the day progresses.

Remember enjoying beer on Thanksgiving day is a marathon, not a sprint. To kick off your day, start on the lighter side of the spectrum. You don’t want to kill your palate with an over the top hop bomb so I recommend opening the day with quality pilsners or lagers such as Victory Prima Pils, Union Jack Pivo Pils, or Great Lakes Elliot Ness. If you are not a fan of lagers, reach for a subdued pale ale.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

I Pair Some Beers with Scary Movies

by Joseph Elia

If I had a complaint about pumpkin beers, it would simply be that they have come to define Halloween beer drinking.  The craft beer world is a wonderful, macabre industry filled with an eclectic cast of hippies, hipsters, geeks, scientists, artists, and business men and together they produce an array of beers with characteristics that make them perfect for the one holiday that mirrors this assortment of characters.

Halloween is only a day a way, but there still is some time left to grab a great case of beer.  I have chosen a handful of recommendations and paired them with an appropriate scary movie, but feel free to include them in your other Halloween activities as well.

Friday, October 24, 2014

2nd Anniversary Sale



Just Added!!  All Saranac products including Pumpkin and Legacy IPA...only $27.99..that's $5.00 off!!! (while supplies last)











Leinenkugels Fall Shandy Variety Packs (comes in cans only)...marked down to $30.99...that's more than $3.00 off!

Bass, Beck's, Beck's Sapphire,
Presidente and Presidente Light
only $22.99....that's more than $12 off!!!










Coors's Light 30 packs...only $22.49






Michelob Ultra 16 oz cans....while supplies last...only $19.99
Still on sale...Strong Bow Golden Apple and Honey Apple
only $34.69...that's m

ore than $6 off!!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

All about IBU's

Perhaps understanding IBU's would have helped you sir.


 
by Matt DeMarco
 
We have all seen the number on the back of the bottle or the side of the can. For example, the Sly Fox 360 IPA that I have sitting next to me has 70 IBUs. Most people don’t even notice the number or know what it means. The short answer is that IBU stands for International Bitterness Units and is a scale that measures the amount of hops in beer. The long answer is that  IBUs is a complicated number that gives you a rough idea of how hoppy a beer is. I say a rough idea because 2 beers with the same amount of IBUs can taste different from one another.

How can beers with the same IBUs have different hop tastes from one another? I’m glad you asked. The obvious answer is that they use different hops but that answer is just one reason. Another reason is that the more malted barley added to the beer, the more the hops can hide. If you were to look at a West Coast IPA and compare it to an English IPA, they could use the same hops and have the same IBUs but the West Coast would taste like it was miles apart from the English. English and Belgian IPAs tend to be maltier so the IBUs can be less pronounced. American IPAs, especially West Coast IPAs, showcase the hops so typically they have a lighter malt base.

Getting back to the hops, there are many different varieties of hops grown all over the world. Hops are similar to grapes that they develop a terroir based on where they grow. There are the “Noble” hops of Europe, the dank and citrusy hops of the Pacific Northwest, and the hard to get New Zealand hops. They are developing new hops every year. Hops grown on the East coast may vary significantly from the West coast even though they are the same variety. 

Not every beer has a pronounced hop flavor. Most lagers, pilsners, and wheat beers have low IBUs. Many beers actually fall within the range of 20 to 50 IBUs. I always use the IBU number as one factor when looking at a beer. I look at the location of the brewery, the style, the ABV, the IBUs. Just by looking at those things, you can build a rough profile of what the beer might taste like but it is always good to do your homework too. There are so many factors that make up the hop profile of a beer. I could go on for days just about flavoring versus bittering hops and alpha acids but I will save that for another post.

So how do brewers decide how hoppy to make a beer? Every beer style has guidelines that provide framework for each style. That framework really only matters for competitions but most brewers try to make sure their beers fall within the guidelines. I mean who doesn't like to win an award? There is a link at the bottom of the post to the BJCP style guide if you want to know more about your favorite style. We keep a copy of it printed out on the counter at the store if you ever want to take a peak.

Like I always say, the only way to find out if you like a beer is to try it. If you are new to really hoppy beers, you can ease yourself into it by starting with a lower IBU beer and working your way up. Just keep in mind that your mouth can on taste up to 120 IBUs so anything over that number is just a waste of hops. That being said I would still like to try Canada's Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Alpha-fornication, an Imperial/Double IPA that clocks in at 2500 IBUs and 13.3% ABV. If anyone is going to Ontario any time soon, grab a bottle for me if you see it!

Remember, if you want to know more about anything related beer, just ask us.

Some links to check out:

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Who is “Brett”?


 
by Matt DeMarco

“Brett” is a nickname for Brettanomyces (bret an ō mī sēz) which is wild yeast. Typically beer is made with brewers’ yeast which is a cousin to Brettanomyces. In the wild it grows on the skins of fruit and in wine making, its presence is a bad thing. In the craft beer world, “brett” beers are some of the most highly sought after brews. Some brewers fear it and some brewers embrace it. If not properly executed in a brewery setting, wild yeast can contaminate traditional beers and ruin them. 

“Brett” is used mainly to produce Lambics and sour ales. Traditionally wild yeast was used for Belgian style ales but brewers have been experimenting with many different styles. The increased usage of ‘’brett” has led to many ales that are not that sour but adds a dimension to the beer that you cannot get without the wild yeast.

“Brett” is very temperamental and can be very unpredictable. The flavors produced by the yeast changes over time often intensifying depending on the amount of sugars it has to feed on. Many wine drinkers flock to “brett” beers because of their earthiness, fruitiness, and acidity. Because everyone has a different palate, some of the reasons that people like the wild ales are the same reasons that people dislike them.

If you want to get your feet wet with “brett” beers, we have a couple we can point you to. Just remember that every wild yeast beer is different and even the same beer from different batches can taste different. That’s what makes “brett” beers so fun.

More breweries are starting to employ “brett” so expect to see more and more wild ales on shelves. They are definitely out of the comfort zone for most beer drinkers but that should not stop anyone from trying them. The only way to find out if you like sours is to try one, a six pack, or maybe a case. Sours can be aged and only get better over time. The newer beers that have been coming out are a lot more subdued than the traditional “brett” beers making them perfect for your first wild ale beer. Wild ales should be on you beer bucket list and maybe even a trip to Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, CA for some world class “brett” beers.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Holiday Beer Sale!!! Domestics and Craft Holiday Mark Down!!


King of Prussia Beer Outlet
175 N. Henderson Rd. 
King of Prussia, PA 19046
610-265-2828

Wednesday and Thursday from
9am to 9pm...
And on the 4th we are open from
9am to 7pm!!

We are located behind the massive new Target next to the car wash on the corner of Henderson and Prince Frederick across from the old WaWa in the former Valley Forge Beverage Center Building.

Sale ends July 6th....

Domestic Beers on Sale....


  • Coors Light, Miller Lite, and Bud Light 30 packs....only 22.50!!!
  • Coors Light 12oz bottles...only 19.99
  • Bud Light 12 oz bottles...only $19.99 (while supplies last)
  • Leinenkugels Products Including Summer Shandy
    ...only $29.99 (does not include 16oz cans)
  • Labatt's Blue 28 pack BOTTLES...only $19.99 (our everyday price)
  • Busch 30 packs...$13.99 (whiles supplies last)
  • Stella Artois and Best of Belgium Variety...only $19.99 after $10 mail in rebate
  • Landshark Bottles...only $22.49
  • Landshark 24 16 oz cans...just $22.49
    (my math skills say "More beer...same price!)
  • Shocktop 24 16oz cans...$22.49
  • Yuengling Lager Bottles...$20.99
  • Hamm's 30 packs...$12.99 (everyday low price)



Craft Beers on Sale...

Just added...Founders All Day IPA cans...$32.99!!
  • Lagunitas Lil Sumpn Sumpn....only $34.99
  • Victory Summer Love...only$29.99
  • Lancaster Kolsch...only $25.99
  • Victory Summer Variety Pack...only $34.99
  • Dogfish 60 minute IPA...$34.99 (everyday low price)
  • ALL Craft Variety Packs...$1.00 off
We also sell ice in 8lb...$2.25, 16lb...$3.75, and 40lb bags...$7.50!!  StyroFoam Coolers $4.99!

Remember to like us on Facebook to get more sales info, beer facts, special events info and more throughout the year!!

Click here to sign up for e-mail newsletter to get additional info. and access to special e-mail only events!!!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Get this Awesome Variety Today...



Stone Mixed 12 pack now available!!!

Ruination IPA:  An Imperial IPA at 8.2% ABV.  So called “Ruinous”
because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate that hop fans so
love.At 100+ IBUs (bitterness factor), it’s incredibly bitter, in a fantastic
Hop-Head sorta way!   It’s on BeerAdvocate’s #11 of 25 All-Time Top
Beers 2008.  Rated:  World-Class & 100 / 100 points

Stone IPA: 
  A true-to-style IPA with a great hop aroma, flavor &
bitterness throughout the beer.  Malt character is present, but, due
to the generous dry hopping used, this beer still has a crisp hop flavor.
6.9% ABV.   Rated:  Outstanding & 100/100 points

Arrogant
 Bastard:  What a great addition to this Variety Pack.
Classified as an American Strong Ale, it’s dark brown with a creamy off-
white head. Aromas of complex floral, herbal, citrus and woodiness. Big
hop bite of piney-herbs and grapefruit.
Rated:  Outstanding & 99 / 100 points

Levitation Ale:
  This Amber Ale has rich & roasty malt flavors with a big
hoppy character and citrus overtones.  It’s modest ABV of 4.4% makes
this a great session ale.   Rated:  Very Good & 94 /100 points


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Memorial Day Weekend Savings!!!

Holiday weekend savings at
King of Prussia Beer Outlet!!!

175 N. Henderson Rd., King of Prussia, 19406
610-265-2828

We are located on the corner of Henderson Rd and Prince Frederick St

(next to the car wash and behind the new Target store)

610-265-2828  www.kopbeer.com




M-W 9AM to 8PM
Th-Sat 9AM to 9PM
Sun 10 AM to 5 PM and
 9am to 2pm on Memorial Day


Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite,and Coors Light 30 packs Only $22.50+tax



Miller Lite 24 pack cans...
Only $19.99 +tax

Miller Lite 12oz Long Necks...
Only $19.99+tax

Coors Light 36 pack Cooler bags
Only $26.25+tax

Budweiser and Bud Light 24 pack cans
Only $19.99+tax

 Yuengling Lager 24 pack cans...
Only $17.99 +tax

Yuengling Lager 24/12 oz bottles...
Only $20.99+tax

 


Dogfish 60 Minute IPA...
Only $34.99+tax

Shocktop Raspberry Wheat 12 oz bottles...
Only $20.99+tax

Stella Artois 12 oz bottles...
Only $29.99+tax

Bags of Ice 8lbs, 16lbs, and 40lbs Bag
Only $2.50, $3.75, and $7.50

Styrofoam Coolers (hold 24 beers plus ice)
Only $3.99

Click here to check out our selection of craft beers.


Like us on Facebook for additional savings, events, and inventory updates.  Click here to sign up for our email newsletter.

Unless otherwise noted all Memorial Day sales are good through to close of business on May 31, 2014. 

 

Friday, March 14, 2014

This week at KOP Beer 3/14/2014


This week's update....
Irish Beers....
10 Beers You Are Ignoring...
Style Guidelines...
Dogfish Aprihop, Victory Dirt Wolf and other inventory updates...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thursday's Beer Tasting....

For our next tasting on
03/20/2014 we are sampling beers from Anderson Valley. These guys brew great beer!

Remember we sample craft beers every Thursday from 4pm to 7pm.


Clickhere to see our schedule for the first half of 2014
Clickhere to see Anderson Valley's website.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Irish Beers....

We currently have Guinness Draught (cans and bottles), Murphy's Irish Stout (draught cans), O'hara's Irish Stout, Smithwicks, Harp, Guinness Black Lager, and Beers of Ireland Variety packs in stock. So stop on in to stock up for St. Paddy's Day! (insert Gaelic salutation here).


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

10 Beers You Are Ignoring...

Each week I see many customers walk by some awesome beers...here's a list of 10 you should consider buying!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

4 Awesome Recipes for St. Paddy's Day!

by Matt DeMarco

(editor's note:  Matt DeMarco joined our staff a few months ago and he has proven to be an invaluable addition.  Despite his youth (I have socks older than him), his beer knowledge is extensive. Besides being an accomplished home brewer, he is also an excellent chef.  As he mentions below he holds a degree in Culinary Arts.  Peter (owner), Brian (manager), and I (lackey) hope you enjoy these recipes and your St. Patrick's Day festivities.)

With the approaching St. Patrick’s Day holiday, we wanted to share our wealth of knowledge to help you enjoy your day. For those of you who don’t know me that well, in addition to my love of beer I hold a Culinary Arts degree. With my beer and food expertise, I have developed a few beer and food pairings that can be easily prepared at home.
You will notice that I did not include Guinness, Harp, Murphy’s, Smithwick’s or any of the other traditional Irish ales. Each of those beers can be paired with any of these recipes but instead I chose a beer to pair with each course that will best complement each other.  These are only suggestions and there is no right or wrong. The goal is to have fun with it and besides it gives you a reason to drink beer.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Hop Slam Event tomorrow 2/09/14!!

 
 
Trade up to Hop Slam tomorrow (Feb. 9th) only !

Come in tomorrow Sunday, February 9th, 2014 and buy a case of craft or select imported beer and you can switch one bottle from that case for a bottle of Hop Slam while supplies last (read below for more details).  We open at 10 AM on Sunday.

Heres how it works (read carefully):
Step 1: Come into store
Step 2: Choose a case of craft or select imported beer
Step 3: Buy said case of craft or select imported beer
Step 4: Rip open case of craft or select imported beer
Step 5: Hand us a bottle from case of craft or select imported beer
Step 6: Proclaim "I want to trade up to Hop Slam!"  (or something to that effect...introverts are permitted to mumble)
Step 7: Prepare for future beer-gasm

More details..
  • You are limited to one bottle even if you buy more than one case. 
  • Supplies are very limited. We have less than one case.
  • Why am I doing it this way? The owners and I know our success is due to all of you.  We wanted to share the wealth with the people who follow and shop with us, not someone who calls every store in 100 mile radius.  Nor did I think it would be fair just giving the case to the first person who asked for it on the right day, or the first person to see a blast email, or the person on the top of some list  (who btw is a certain Mr. L. Scarpetto who looks oddly like my fellow lackey Matt with a fake mustache).
  • I know I may have told you on the phone, we were not allotted Hop Slam.  I'm sorry I lied but I wanted to figure out a way to share the little we got.  Normally, I look forward to selling great beer to my good customers.
  • Your exchanged bottles will go towards our new bottle exchange program, which means in the future when you buy a case of craft or select imported beer, you can open your case and exchange one of your bottles for one in our exchange inventory.
  • Select imported beers are Weltenberger, Weihenstephan, Orkney, Sam Smiths, O'Hara's, Fullers, Tetley's, Franziskaner, Ayinger, Hacker Pschorr, Paulaner, Delirium, Chimay, Duvel, Leffe, Kronenbourg, and Hoegaarden. 
This is our first foray into such elite beers.  I hope this works well for all involved and we can keep spreading the wealth and introducing you to exciting beers. 

Enjoy

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

2014 Tasting Schedule Part 1


Here is the line-up for our beer tastings for the next six months.  We are committed to highlighting more breweries, revisiting favorites, showcasing “local” breweries (PA or nearby states), and learning about different styles of beers.  
We will try to reserve the first Thursday of each month to a new and seasonally appropriate style of beer.  The last Thursday of the month is reserved for “local” beers which I define as beers from Pennsylvania and surrounding states—essentially Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. 

We are also planning some other events throughout the year, so stay tuned… 


Please note that the schedule may be altered based availability of certain beers. 

Tasting Schedule First Half of 2014 (every Thursday from 4 to 7ish)
This Thursday January 9th – We will be highlighting stouts….for IPA lovers these are the next frontier in your quest for complexity.  Much like IPA’s they require some getting you used to…but for the cold weather months there are few things more fulfilling than a properly sorted stout.  So come sample Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Founders Breakfast Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin, and Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.   The beers are big, the sips will be small, and this is an excellent way to sample your new favorite style.
January 16th – Thomas Hooker Brewery ( Bloomfield, Connecticut)
January 23rd—Lagunitas (Petaluma, California)
January 30th – Victory Brewing (Downingtown, Pennsylvania)
February 6th – We will be highlighting Double IPA’s...big beers with double everything you love in an IPA
February 13th—21st Amendment (San Francisco, California)
February 20th—Great lakes Brewery (Cleveland, Ohio –my hometown)
February 27th—River Horse Brewery (Ewing, New Jersey)
March 6th—Irish Beers – We will be featuring the beers from the Emerald Isle just in time for St. Patty’s Day
March 13th – Avery Brewing (Boulder, Colorado)
March 20th – Anderson Valley (Boont Valley, California)
March 27th – Old Dominion Brewing (Dover, Delaware)
April 3rd—Spring Beers—the best beers to awaken your dormant taste buds
April 10th—Bear Republic (Healdsburg, California)
April 17th – Cigar City (Tampa, Florida)
April 24th—Yards Brewing (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
May 1st—Lagers – There are more to lagers than meet the eye…and when well done without adjuncts…these are surprisingly enjoyable beers.
May 8th—Southern Tier (Lakewood, New York)
May 15th—Smutty Nose (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
May 22nd – Summit Brewing (St. Paul, Minnesota)
May 29th – Voodoo Brewing (Meadville, Pennsylvania)
June 5th—Summer Beers
June 12th—Lake Placid Brewing (Lake Placid, New York)
June 19th—Mad River Brewing (Blue Lake, California)
June 26th – Evolution Brewing (Salisbury, Maryland)
Remember to like us on Facebook to learn about future events, and inventory updates. Click here to sign up for our email newsletter.