Trying to crown the best American craft brewer would be a thankless, somewhat pointless task. With so many different styles, and so many individual tastes, it’d be impossible to placate everyone. That said, if the main characteristics were consistency and balance, Great Lakes would have to be near the top of the list. Every beer from the Cleveland-based brewery is well-made, achieves a remarkable balance between malt and hops, and is wonderfully tasty.

Though I have yet to have a bad Great Lakes beer, if pressed to pick a favorite, it would likely be The Doppelrock, a Spring Seasonal / bock offering. Like others from Great Lakes, this brew manages to pack a huge amount of malty love, hoppy goodness and alcohol power into a smooth, stunning beer that never seems off-center. The malt brings loads of chocolate, caramel and nutty sweetness, but there are just enough hops on the finish to even things out. Despite it being close to 8% abv, the heat is barely noticeable. This is everything great about a traditional Spring bock, “amped” up in truly American style (hence the dueling guitars on the label).

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One of the reasons Philly is always mentioned among the nation’s (world’s?) best beer cities is the plethora of great craft brewers in the area. Interestingly, though there are a few excellent brewers in town, the greater Delaware Valley is home to even more (and arguably better) than inside city limits. From Victory in Downingtown to Weyerbacher in Easton down to Dogfish Head in Delaware, we can compete with any area for quality.

One brewer that doesn’t often make that list, however, is Old Dominion Brewing Company (maker of Dominion beers), located in Dover, DE. Surely, however, if we include Troegs (Harrisburg), Lancaster, and Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) among the cadre of local brewers, we should also include Old Dominion. Or should we?

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For residents of Pennsylvania, the PA LCB Chairman’s Selection program is the one and only (legal) lifeline to interesting wines at reasonable prices, so it’s easy to get excited when they bring in some of the more uncommon varietals or styles that we read about online but rarely get the chance to purchase. As an Italian-American who’s obsessed with vino from the homeland, I’ve been especially stoked to try the plethora of non-mainstream Italian varietals that they’ve been offering over the past few months. Of course, as is the curse of the Chairman’s program, there are some highs, and some lows. Here’s what we’ve found so far:

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Winter warmers, which is what us beer geeks call these winter ales, tend to be richer in flavor, higher in alcohol and generally bigger than beers we drink any other season. Weyerbacher, an Easton, PA brewer who has made a name for themselves with big, Belgian-style ales, has, somewhat surprisingly, gone in a different direction here. (I expected at least 8% abv in a Weyerbacher winter warmer, but this is only 5.6%) Instead of the big, over the top beer, they’ve come up with a roasty, malty, wonderfully smooth brew that can be enjoyed one at a time or in a session. The truth is that this is a somewhat simple beer. It’s not going to change your life. It is, however, darn delicious, which is why it is my “must buy” winter ale every season.

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“This smells like Christmas!” exclaimed a friend of mine who was trying this beer for the first time. Anchor Christmas Ale, from the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco (most famous for their Steam beer), is always the first beer I look for when the Christmas ales hit the shelves. Though the formula changes from year to year (and always remains a secret), it is consistently delicious and a great representation of what Christmas beers are about.

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In 2010, we were lucky enough to take a dream vacation to a villa in Tuscany – a week of eating, drinking and exploring the small towns and beautiful countryside of Italy’s most famous* vacation destination. It was as great as it sounds, and of course grows in stature in my memory every day since.

Unsurprisingly, we drank a lot of wine during the trip, almost all of it Tuscan. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was the particular wine we consumed the most often, for several reasons:

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Landor Associates image of new PLCB store in South Philly

As part of his campaign, new PA governor Tom Corbett promised to privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania, but we’ve seen little action on this issue so far. It appears, however that this is about to change.  Last week, the movement gained a key ally when Senate Majority Whip Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) announced his support for the bill (House Bill 11) originally proposed by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, which proposes to close 625 state liquor stores and sell 1200 licenses to the highest bidder. In addition, according to the PA Independent, Corbett has just recently received a report from a Philly-based business research firm detailing the potential revenue gains from selling off the state stores (this report has yet to be made public). Lastly, the Pennsylvania think tank Commonwealth Foundation has recently launched http://freemydrink.com/ to bring more exposure to the issue.

The debate is far from over, of course. Over the summer, Senate President Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson, spoke out against the bill, showing support instead for removing “handcuffs” to allow PLCB to operate more like a private business. Other state senators, including John Blake, D-Lackawanna, also remain skeptical.

So, from that standpoint, I must say that I’m quite looking forward to checking out the swank (for PLCB standards, at least) new Paoli digs, which are planned for the ACME shopping center, in the space where Blockbuster used to be. The store, which will dwarf the current cubicle that hides behind BK, will feature more than 3000 additional products. It will also have a 8-seat bar for tastings, a plethora of Chairman’s Selections (including high-end choices), a temperature-controlled room, and even a wine chiller that’ll cool any shelved bottle of wine in less than 15 minutes. And – gasp – it’ll be open on Sundays!

When will this store open? Well, that’s just the thing. Apparently it was planned for July, but is held up in Harrisburg. Shocking.

I recently had the opportunity to take “The Wine Foundation” course at The Wine School of Philadelphia, which is described by the school as “the only certificate program of its kind in the United States.” The course description goes on to say that “students will learn the techniques and knowledge to become extraordinary wine tasters. Graduates are able to identity major wine varietals in a blind tasting: a skill many seasoned sommeliers cannot accomplish.”

Though I was an experienced wine taster before taking the class, and thought I knew quite a bit about wine, it turns out I still had a lot to learn. This program opened my eyes to a deeper level of appreciation and understanding of the wines that I drink, and it truly did establish a foundation for lifelong learning. Though it is difficult to explain or detail what we learned in the class without sharing a few glasses of wine, here are 9 tidbits that I can share:

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Fall is an exciting time for the epicure. Though the end of the grilling season is nigh, our ovens fire once again, slowly welcoming savory fall foods that will grace our holiday tables. And then there’s the beer. Oh, the beer! Light, watery summer ales and wheats become harder and harder to find, and fuller, more flavorful harvest-style beers enter the picture. For the beer lover, it’s simply the best time of the year.

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Philly Beer Week is back June 4th- June 13th, and the suburbs are taking full part. Here’s our best shot at putting together an event list for the Main Line extended area… for more events in Philadelphia and other suburbs like Kennett, Downingtown and Phoenixville, visit http://www.phillybeerweek.org.

Pay as you go unless otherwise noted.

Saturday June 5th

12% Imports and their Brewers and Pig Roast
Teresa’s Next Door, Wayne
Noon – 3:00 PM

Monday June 7th

Suburban Kickoff
Brewers & reps from Stillwater, Cigar City, St. Somewhere, Voodoo, Boulder, Dark Horse, Ballast Point and 12% imports.
TJ’s Everyday, Paoli
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Tuesday June 8th:

Meet the Brewer of Bavik and Petrus
Oak Aged Pale Ale on Draught Here!
Teresa’s Next Door, Wayne
6:30 PM – 8:3o PM

Local Casks for Local Firefghters
Six local firkins with proceeds benefiting Paoli Fire Co.
TJ’s Everyday, Paoli
6:00 PM-9:00 PM

Home Brewers IPA Night
Local Home Brewers competition for the coveted Oakmont Cup. Brewers brew a special IPA for this Beer Week event. Beer-friendly Menu, patrons participate.
Oakmont National Pub, Havertown
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Weds June 9

Bear Republic Pint Night
Pint Night with Bear Republic: Crazy Ivan, Cask Conditioned Racer 5, Hop Rod Rye, Red Rocket Ale, Racer 5.
The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille, Exton
6:00 PM – 12:00 PM

Thursday June 10th

Sierra Nevada Tasty Thursday
We will be featuring the first half of the one-off brew made at Sierra Nevada by the Philly Beer Week Beer Campers. This top secret conglomeration from Philly publicans, craft distributors and some of our favorite beer writers will be sure to surprise you. We will have more details when we are allowed to talk about it! Get Excited!
Teresa’s Next Door, Wayne
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Great Lakes Meet & Greet
Meet and greet with Great Lakes owner Pat Conway.
TJ’s Everyday, Paoli
6:00 PM-8:00 PM

Friday June 11th

3rd Annual Visit from Bobo of Chimay
He will be here Friday evening to talk and tell stories about Belgium, monasteries and of course the Trappist Ales of the Scourmont Abbey. How could you possibly want to miss having a beer with this man? Especially you ladies…
Teresa’s Next Door, Wayne
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Saturday June 12th

Main Line Food and Jazz Fest 2010
Teresa’s will be featuring an indoor, air conditioned Troegs Beer Garden during the Main Line Food & Jazz Festival. At least two firkins and four taps!
N. Wayne Ave, Wayne
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Stone/Brewdog Collaboration
Stone & Brewdog owners, brewers and reps take over TJ’s taps for the night.
TJ’s Everyday, Paoli
4:00 PM-7:00 PM

Spaten/Franziskaner
Spaten/Franziskaner Beer Party with Fran.
TJ’s Everyday, Paoli
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Sunday June 13th

Victory Fists of Feury Beer Release Party
Hors d’oeuvres and beer dinner celebrating the release of “Fists of Feury” a collaborative effort between Victory and chefs Terence and Patrick Feury
Nectar, Berwyn
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Price: $55.00

Yards Beer Dinner with Franklin Winslow the Brewer
Yards sampling and meet the brewer (Franklin Winslow) night. Beer friendly menu. Beer education offered by Peter Cherpack from Beerappreciation.com. Yards-infused menu.
Oakmont National Pub, Havertown
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Did we miss any events? Post ‘em in the comments section!