Free Beer Anyone?

Free beer anyone? Ok, unfortunately, this offer only exists if you find yourself in the Philadelphia area. No. I'm not inviting all of my readers over for a kegger (it's a space issue really...otherwise I would...promise). I'm inviting y'all to take advantage of the Yards Brewery free tours that they're now running every Saturday from noon 'till 3pm. Yards is one of our local breweries that brews some ales you might have seen around, such as the Yards Brawler or the Philadelphia Pale Ale. I'm a big fan of their beer and now I'm a big fan of their operation in general.

I was looking for something to do last weekend and since I plan most of my life around food, I decided to look for something cheap (free) to do after brunch (I hate that word...let's say "food") on Saturday at Honey's Sit 'N' Eat (post to follow...I highly recommend it: 800 N 4th St) in Northern Liberties. Since I also plan lots of activities in my life around "drink" I thought it only fitting that we visit Yard's newest brewing facility after brunch for some beer tasting....oh, and also to check out their new, state of the art "green" facility. Yes. We went to check out the facility (did that sound convincing?). I kid about checking out their new digs but honestly...I learned A LOT! I also appreciated how they made you feel welcome and didn't ration out thimbles of beer to you like they didn't have vats of it right behind them.

We walked into the brewery via a back entrance since they're still putting the finishing touches on their new pad. You enter right into/onto the main brewery floor and after you gaze up at the silos filled with amber waves of booze you look to your right and realize that there's a makeshift bar set up and they're already pouring you a beer and asking what you'd like to try next. I've done my fair share of wine/beer/edible things tastings and they don't always make you feel so welcome. Yards's brew staff stopped just short of throwing some bratwursts on the grill for you when you walked in (although that would have been a nice touch AND a showstopper in my book). When it was our turn to take the tour they gave us all time to top our beers off and then we begun. Did you know that Yards is Pennsylvania's first 100% wind powered brewery. They recycle all of their glass, cardboard and most of their hot water. They also give their used grains to local farms as feed. I also found out that many of their beers are created based on original recipes from folks like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin. Philly residents eat the stuff up...I thought it was pretty neat myself. When the tour was over we were invited to "try" more beers. They only had 4 on tap so I guess they were just being hospitable by letting us "try" the same ones again. Like I said. Not your normal tasting experience. I felt that they had been plenty generous and the hubby and I left, our minds enriched and our palates satisfied.

Can't get to the Yards Brewery? They distribute their beer all over this great nation. Look for the Philadelphia Pale Ale (probably my favorite of their line). It's got a very mild citrus flavor and isn't overly hoppy. A winner in my book. Or if you can find their Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale, now is the season to enjoy it. This is based on one of Ben Franklin's original recipes and the hint of spruce essence makes it a perfect beer for the upcoming winter months.

Yards Brewery: 901 N. Delaware Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19123
http://www.yardsbrewing.com/home.asp