A runaway ruminant at last year’s Bock Fest created a few days of anxiety for its owner and a bit of excitement for some local homeowners. Rachel Bearoff, a resident of Phoenixville, owns several goats which she houses at Winding Brook Farm in Warrington, Bucks County, and she has entered one or more of them in the annual Sly Fox Bock Festival Goat Race the last few years. She never raced them herself since she was a server at the pub and working during the fest. Her sister or friends would run with the ruminants and she also lent out goats to non-goat owners who wanted to race. “They could name them whatever they wanted for the race,” she says.
The plan last year was for a friend, Ben Bell, to race Trey, while Rachel would run with Trey’s mother Sugar, her boyfriend Mike Johnson with Brom (Trey’s older brother), and another friend, Jordan Bravato, with Ginger Spice (Trey’s younger sister), whom he renamed Leonidas. It was to be the first race for Trey, a 150-lb and somewhat rambunctious animal. After they arrived, the man from Winding Brook whom Rachel calls Farmer Bob tied him to his trailer while he was tending to the other goats. Trey got spooked and broke free, trailing 30 feet of tie-line behind him. “I was so worried,” says Rachel. “I was afraid he’d get hit by a car or get stuck in the woods if his line got tangled around something.” She turned Sugar over to Ben to race while she and Mike, driven around by Mrs. Jacqueline Giannopoulos, matriarch of the family which owns Sly Fox, searched all day and into the evening for Trey and distributed flyers with the goat’s photo and a contact phone number, all to no avail.
“There were sightings reported all day long,” Rachel recalls, “the farthest away was near the Bevans Orchard neighborhood, which is about three miles from the pub. The police saw him jumping over cattle fences from the farm there but never caught up with him. After that, I didn’t hear anything until Tuesday morning when a guy called to say Trey was on Maryhill Road and his line was caught under the tire of a parked car. When we got there, he broke free again and ran behind a house. The owners came out and said he’d been around for a while, so I gave them my number and they called me later that night to say that Trey was under a neighbor’s porch. I went over to see but I didn’t have a trailer so I told the people whose house it was that I’d be back in the morning with Farmer Bob. They said that was fine and Trey was no problem. They enjoyed watching him.”
It was raining Monday morning when Rachel, Farmer Bob, an animal control officer and two assistants arrived at the house. “Trey was just laying on the front porch like it was his house,” she says, “just chilling. It was so cute.” When Farmer Bob walked up to the porch, Trey leaped to his feet and jumped off but Bob caught him in midair and his runaway adventures were finally over. Rachel says that a perfect ending to the whole affair was provided by Trey’s mother Sugar when they got back to Winding Brook. “After we put him back in the pen, she gave him this long stare and then went over and head-butted him like she was punishing him for running away.”
✔ Keep your goat on a leash!
✔ Bring your I.D.
✔ Bring cash to buy tickets. *
✔ Do NOT bring beer.
✔ Do NOT bring disposable water bottles.
✔ Bring refillable water bottles.
✔ Be courteous. Be safe. Have fun!
✔ Please recycle!
* Sly Fox will only accept tickets for all Bock Fest purchases.
There’s a few golden rules about craft beer like searching for that ever allusive Pliny the Younger, drinking as many different beers as possible at a beer fest and whenever an Evil Twin Brewing beer is on tap, ordering a pint is an absolute must period. From what started as a beer geek making beers in his basement, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso of Coppenhagen has now turned Evil Twin into one of the best craft beer brands in the world. Jeppe is the evil twin of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø from Mikkeller Brewing, also one of the most coveted craft beer brands in the world.
The Evilo Twin Biscotti Break Imperial Porter is made with espresso, vanilla and toasted almonds. This beautiful malt beverage is awesomely crisp, bitter and refreshing. With flavors of vanilla, espresso and nuts, this imperial porter is very balanced and a straight up stud! The Evil Twin Biscotti Break is simply one of the best balanced imperial porters in the world and comes with one of our highest recommendations.
The Westmalle Trappist Dubbel Belgian Ale is made by Trappist Monks at the Westmalle Abbey Monastery in Belgium. An Abbey is a Catholic Monastery and Trappist is the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a Roman Catholic Religious Order. According to Westmalle, out of all the beers in the world, only seven of them can use the name ‘Trappist’: Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren and Westmalle, all of which have an “Authentic Trappist Product” logo. A Trappist beer is only given this name if the beer is brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, by the monks themselves or under their supervision. The brewery must be controlled by the monastery and be monastic in its business. The profit from the beer and cheese making is only for the modest livelihood of the Monks and the up keep of the abbey. Having brewed beer since 1837, there are three beers brewed at the Westmalle Trappist Abbey, the Westmalle Dubbel or double, the Westmalle Trippel, and the Westmalle Extra.
For a Belgian Ale the Westmalle Dubbel is actually pretty mild and balanced. Many Belgian Ales can be extremely strong in alcohol and yeast, but the Westmalle Dubbel is subtle in both. A dark, reddish-brown with a secondary fermentation in the bottle the Dubbel is subtle enough for the malts to shine through the yeast and 7% ABV. With flavors of fruit, toffee, chocolate and coffee, the Westmalle Dubbel is complex but not overbearing and could be considered a session beer when comparing it to other heavy Trappiste beers. The Westmalle Dubbel is simply one our favorite beers and absolutely recommend it.
Have you been bad this season? If so, Santa might be punishing you with coal under the Christmas tree. I know what you’re thinking, “What does this Jewish guy Goldstein know about Christmas?” Fear not my friends, I got connections. You best believe I got some Christmas gifts on the way. On another note, a good kind of coal this holiday season is coal that comes in the form of a beer. The Ridgeway Brewing Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout is a classic wintery stout perfect for any holiday celebration. Making over 19 Christmas Ales, Ridgeway Brewing out of England is one of the world’s leading holiday beer makers. Black in color with a brown bubbly head, the Lump of Coal Stout is a malty stout with subtle crispness. Thin in body for a stout, the malty and coffee notes make a pretty flavorful stout. Not full of all those Christmas spices in most craft beers, the Lump of Coal is simply a solid stout. Malty, smoky and bitter, we would definitely try this stout again.
The Sly Fox Brewery plans a major expansion in brewing and a new Pottstown location later this year which will inevitably add to more beers from the already stacked Sly Fox line up. However, one Sly Fox staple beer continues to deliver year after year and still reigns as one of the best holiday beers available, the Sly Fox Christmas Ale. “This malty, full-bodied red ale is made with traditional mulling spices: Ginger, Clove, All Spice, Cinnamon & Nutmeg. If this one doesn’t get you into the Christmas spirit, you truly are a Scrooge.” The malt and the spices are a perfect balance as opposed to some other Christmas brews in which the spices completely take over. Balance and subtly is key for the best beers and the Sly Fox Christmas Ale simply becomes a ginger bread cookie in liquid form. This is a classic Christmas Ale!
Mastering the Butterfly Bottle Opener Part 1: The Basics
By Matt Goldstein
The Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener is literally the coolest god damn way to open a beer. And we have the instructional video for you to master the butterfly bottle opening techniques. What’s that, you have a butterfly knife? That’s for bitches. We got a butterfly bottle opener and we have the butterfly bottle opener master to show you how to open that beer like a man. Check out this amazing instructional video that will give you a degree in beer opening badass. Mastering the Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener Part 1: The Basics.
After laying your eyes on the Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener we know you bought one and already started learning the basic techniques for opening craft beer like a ninja pimp gangster ladies man cartel kingpin such as yourself should be doing. But have you mastered the Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener? NO! You haven’t mastered the Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener until you’ve watched our amazing instructional video: Mastering the Lagunitas Butterfly Bottle Opener with the Master. Becoming a master is your destiny.
The Philly Tap Finder is the premiere craft beer locator in the country. Currently focusing on Philadelphia, but soon D.C., local bar goers can find the best craft beer lineups on a daily basis. Whether looking for Pliny the Elder, Big Bear Racer 5, Founder Breakfast Stout, a draft on cask, hand pump or barrel aged brew on tap, the Philly Tap Finder will find you your favorite beer in the best bars in the city such as the Khyber Pass Pub, Monk’s Cafe, the Pope, the Side Car Bar, Kraftwork, the Iron Abbey and more. Check out Philly Tap Finer, updated every day.
If you love a well balanced craft IPA and Pale Ale, but still love the high malt content of a German Dopplebock, the Yakima Glory marries both brewing styles in one of the best craft beers in the world, the Victory Brewing Yakima Glory Ale. With imported German Malts and Four Whole Flour Yakima Valley Hops, the Yakima Glory has an ABV of 8.7%. The Victory Yakima Glory comes with one of our highest craft ale recommendations.
“The tenacious grip of big, juicy hop aroma and character slides smoothly into rich, dark malts. This heavyweight battle between fresh, Yakima Valley hops and dark, roasted malts is resolved harmoniously as the flavors merge to deliver complex satisfaction with a warming edge. Bask in the “glory” of the bright and brassy hops!”
The fall season brings out the best and worst of craft beer, with many brewers trying to put pumpkin pie in a bottle. Sometimes too sweet, sometimes too trendy, but one fall craft beer continues to reign at the top, the Southern Tier Pumpking. Southern Tier Brewing in New York is one of the most recognized and awarded craft brewing companies in the country. The seasonal Southern Tier Pumpking is an ode to Púca, a creature of Celtic folklore, who is both feared and respected by those who believe in it. Púca is said to waylay travelers throughout the night, tossing them on its back, and providing them the ride of their lives, from whichthey return forever changed! Brewed in the spirit of All Hallows Eve, a time of year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent. Pour Pumking into a goblet and allow it’s alluring spirit to overflow. As spicy aromas present themselves, let its deep copper color entrance you as your journey into this mystical brew has just begun. As the first drops touch your tongue a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds making it difficult to escape. This beer is brewed with pagan spirit yet should be enjoyed responsibly.
8.6% abv • 12.7ºL • Imperial Pumpkin Ale • 22 oz / 1/2 keg / 1/6 keg
Ready, Set, Goat…
Recent Comments