JG Domestic To Host Great Lakes Brewing Co. For BBQ Inspired, Four-Course Beer Dinner

PHILADELPHIA, PA – On Thursday, January 24 beginning at 7 p.m., JG Domestic (2929 Arch Street, 215-222-2363) will continue their series of popular beer-pairing meals with a Great Lakes Brewing Beer Dinner.  For $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity, guests will enjoy a four-course family-style meal of barbecue-inspired fare, plus pairings from the Cleveland brewery’s popular line of ales and lagers.

“Pairing great beer and great food is a no-brainer, so we’re thrilled to host Great Lakes for this special meal,” says General Manager Marc Grika.  “We’ll be highlighting hearty seasonal fare and a variety of their exceptional beers that complement the meal perfectly.”

The menu will include:  Barbecue Pork Cheek Sliders with house-made mustard and Squash Hush Puppies with spaghetti squash, jalapeño and whipped goat butter, paired withDortmunder Gold Lager, a smooth lager that strikes a delicate balance between sweet malt and dry hop flavors;  Smoked Collard Green Sausage with smoked chicken and Alabama-style white barbecue sauce and Baked Beans, navy beans with pork belly and maple-bourbon, paired with Eliot Ness Amber Lager, an amber lager with rich, fragrant malt flavors balanced by crisp noble hops; Lacquered Spare Ribs with Kentucky-style barbecue sauce and Brussels Sprout and Red Cabbage Slaw with Lancaster county apples and dill, paired with Commodore Perry IPA, a medium-bodied and well-hopped India pale ale with a dry, fruity finish;  and Lemon Panna Cotta with smoked apple butter, granola and licorice, paired with Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, a complex, roast-y porter with a bittersweet chocolate-coffee taste and bold hop presence.

Great Lakes Brewing Company (2516 Market Avenue, Cleveland, OH; 216-771-4404) was founded by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway in 1988, ushering in a new era of brewing excellence for the city of Cleveland and their once-legendary beer community.  With the support of master brewer Thaine Johnson and engineer Charlie Price, the brewery has thrived, earning awards and accolades from major national and international beer festivals and broadening their line from two exceptional beers to over a dozen.  2013 will mark their 25^th anniversary.

Philadelphia magazine ranked JG Domestic among the city’s best restaurants in their January 2013 “50 Best Restaurants” issue: “…while firmly wedged into the local, farm-to-table headspace of the restaurant industry’s gestalt, JG Domestic is also most indicative of the Iron Chef’s daring and cutting-edge impulses.”  The Philadelphia Inquirer awarded them a coveted “Three Bells: Excellent” review, noting that “having a meal at JG Domestic is to be reminded of the deep stores of untapped culinary horsepower that still drive Garces…the service is friendly yet refined.”  Reviewer Craig LaBan had especially kind words for the ever-changing menu: “This kitchen is flexing its muscle through vivid seasonal flavors drawn from across the land, and, as a result, more spontaneity than most any other Garces restaurant…the only physical threshold really being tested at JG Domestic will be your ability to stop eating.”

For more information, or to make a reservation, please call (215) 222-2363, visit www.jgdomestic.com, follow them on Twitter (@JGDomesticPHL) and like them on Facebook.

___________________________________________________

P.O.P.E. To Host An Instagram “Viking Party” For The Debut Of Scotland’s Skull Splitter On Draught

PHILADELPHIA, PA – On Thursday, January 24 beginning at 7 p.m., Skull Splitter, the aromatic strong Scotch ale from Scotland’s Orkney Islands, will make its Philadelphia debut on draft with a raucous Viking Party at P.O.P.E. (1501 East Passyunk Avenue, 215-755-5125).  Skull Splitter, named for the seventh Viking Earl of Orkney, has been brewed for 20 years in Scotland.  Guests will be among the first to taste the beer from the tap and pose for fun photos with a costumed Viking.  The most outrageous photo, posted to Instagram with the hashtag #skullsplitter, will win a prize from Skull Splitter which will include a pair of pint glasses and a $50 gift certificate to the P.O.P.E.  The event will be pay-as-you-go, and Philly Beer Week’s official keg hammer, the Hammer of Glory (HOG) will also be in attendance for photos and to celebrate the arrival of this epic brew.

“This is the first time Skull Splitter has been available on draft in the United States, and we are celebrating with a Viking photo party!” says Norman Sinclair, managing director of Skull Splitter.  “Scotch ales and ‘Wee Heavys’ are perfect for wintertime drinking – full-bodied, high in alcohol and richly flavored, and Skull Splitter is one of the finest examples of the genre available in the world today,”

Skull Splitter takes its name from the nickname of Torfinn Hausakljuv, who served as earl of Orkney, Scotland around 950 A.D.  Like its namesake, the beer is powerful and strong, with a high ABV (8.5%) and rich, fruity, wine-like complexity on the palate, including fresh and dried fruits, warm exotic spices and light citrus notes.  Skull Splitter will be available on draught at P.O.P.E. and other fine bars in Philly, including Jose Pistola’s (263 South 15^th Street, 215-545-4101), Bridgewater’s Pub (30^th Street Station, 215-387-4787) and Old Eagle Tavern (175-177 Markle Street, 215-483-5535).

Skull Splitter is imported in the United States by St. Killian, a successful importer of specialty beers from around the world since 1983.  Inquiries should be directed to Lars Dahlhaus at St. Killian: Lars.Dahlhaus@stkillian.com.

___________________________________________________

National Constitution Center To Partner With Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Philadelphia, PA (January 11, 2013) – In conjunction with American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, the National Constitution Center’s highly-acclaimed exhibition on Prohibition, Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (AITA) will debut their latest exhibit: Art in the Age of Prohibition.

During the months of January and February, AITA will showcase the people, places, and processes that played key roles in contributing to Philadelphia’s unique and colorful Prohibition story.  The AITA exhibit will feature original illustrations by Philadelphia based artist and writer, Hawk Krall, as well as photos and ephemera from the Prohibition era.

In addition, lectures and workshops on prohibition cocktails, history and spirits production will be held throughout the exhibition months. A schedule of events will be available at http://www.artintheage.com.

AITA will hold a special opening reception during the next installment of Old City’s popular monthly art event First Friday on Friday, February 1, 2013, from 6-8pm. All are welcome to attend.

The National Constitution Center will offer discounts for AITA customers to American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition exhibit in the form of specially-designed coasters. In addition, AITA is offering complimentary hot cider to American Spirits ticket holders who stop by during the month of February.