Special beer at Monk’s Cafe? This one marks 25 years. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

takanadalagi.blogspot.com

So much is unknown when the owner of a bar and a brewer collaborate on a unique blend of beers to stash inside an old wine barrel to age for several years. Will the different parts eventually come together as one beam of liquid harmony, or fray into a disjointed undrinkable mess? How will the wild yeasts behave? Will the world fall apart? Will that bar even be around when that barrel is eventually uncorked?

The odds got pretty hairy for many bars over the past couple years. That includes Monk’s Cafe, the world-renowned Belgian beer bistro that struggled to endure the early shutdowns of the pandemic by selling growlers of rare Russian River and Hill Farmstead beers (unheard of) and serving its delicate mussels to go — a move Monk’s had previously sworn off.

“Adapt or die,” concedes owner Tom Peters.

A pot of mussels in Thai curry broth at Monk's Cafe.. ... Read moreCRAIG LABAN / Staff

Not only did Monk’s survive, Peters invested in serious soundproofing and better lighting for his dining rooms. The wood-paneled rooms are even more cozy now as Monk’s celebrates its 25th anniversary and is once again alive with steamy mussel pots (get the Thai curry), excellent burgers, crispy thin frites and an unparalleled draft list, from multiple Cantillon lambics to Westmalle Dubbel and Pliny the Elder.

Peters, who has long history of working with brewers around the world on unique beer creations, is finally reaping the rewards of one of his favorite projects: Works of Love, a collaboration with Shaun Hill of Vermont’s Hill Farmstead Brewery, which has just been released to mark Monk’s quarter century in business.

Felicia D'Ambrosio, event planner, pours Pliny the Younger beer as Tom Peters, owner of Monk's, stands nearby during "Pliny the Younger Day" at Monk's Cafe in February 2020. Pliny the Younger is the Russian River Brewing Company's Triple IPA, that's rarely found on the east coast. . ... Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

Peters and Monk’s Felicia d’Ambrosio spent three days with Hill in 2017 tasting dozens of barrels to select several blond ales to blend into a base beer for aging in wine barrels to emulate some aspects of their favorite white Burgundies — minerality, peach notes and balance. “The beer follows its own path,” Hill would tell them every time they curiously checked back over the years. The patience has paid off. When it was finally released this month, Work of Love certainly tasted more like beer than wine, fizzy, tart and with a hint of earthiness from its yeasty transformations. But what complexity and lengthy! There’s an incredibly juiciness that does, in fact, recall aromatic white grapes or apples, a festive sparkle of white pepper, and an enduring balance that’s full of grace.

At $55 for a large bottle that must be drunk on site, it’s definitely a bit splurgey — but also a bargain considering it’s a one-of-a-kind, and what that price gets you for wine in a restaurant.

ADVERTISEMENT

Works of Love is yet another reminder of a world-class Philly institution that I’m grateful has weathered the recent storm. Monk’s devotion to the art of beer has once again delivered a predictable result: a very special bottle that’s been worth the wait.

— Craig LaBan

Works of Love, $55 for 750ml bottle, Monk’s Cafe, 264 S. 16th St., 215-545-7005; monkscafe.com

A burger with blue cheese and caramelized leeks at Monk's Cafe.. ... Read moreCRAIG LABAN / Staff

Adblock test (Why?)

"cafe" - Google News
September 29, 2022 at 02:06AM
https://ift.tt/O9fyrNE

Special beer at Monk’s Cafe? This one marks 25 years. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"cafe" - Google News
https://ift.tt/trx8Pbp
https://ift.tt/lzBoHk6