Features: Philly; Running Fast and Drinking Well with Connor Black; and, What I'm Drinking This Week

Now that I've confirmed and explained what you probably always suspected about the profound complimentarity of good  beer and running, and have given you a fun new way to rate your beers, I will, as promised, and without further adieu, kick off the features that will be Hop Along's foundations.

Hopping Along in...Philly PA:

Philadelphia PA, one of the oldest cities in North America, was an epicenter of political ferment in the late colonial period. Later, it was an important site of Civil Rights/African American liberation struggles in the Northeast. And where there is political discussion, there are the beverages that sustain and enliven it-- coffee* (for the daytime) and beer (for the evening). In fact, as Thomas Pychon's brilliantly colourful historical novel of the late Revolutionary period, Mason and Dixon, depicts it, Philly has been a great place to drink and talk since at least its late 18C heyday, when its most famous citizen-- the world historic polymath, diplomat, and eventual Founding Father, Ben Franklin-- could be regularly encountered, late-of-an-evening, drinking beer and regaling patrons with his "electricity tricks".

Philly also has an interesting geography-- one that happens to be pretty ideal for running. A city of rivers (the Schuylkill and Delaware) and tributary creeks that create natural interstices in the built environment, Philadelphia sports several cool and unbroken waterside running trails. The one I chose to hit was the Wissahickon Trail in Wissahickon Park, situated near our Airbnb in the northwest corner of the city. Sadly, a tight timeline prevented me from running on the gravel section of the trail, but, the paved southern portion was sufficiently stunning-- a bike and foot path that followed the twists of the creek, traversing it with small bridges when necessary. Traffic was light and temperatures were ideal in the shade of the ravine, and with the creek, swollen with recent spring rains, rolling alongside at a good clip.

The reason for the trip was the 2019 Penn Relays, so the venue of choice for beers was UPenn's University City Tap House. I've been to the Tap House several times now, but never in weather sufficiently benign to take full advantage of its spectacular 2nd story patio. (Definitely get outside if you visit in the later spring, summer, or early fall). The tap list was good, as usual, but not quite up to the standard of the past few years. I'm speculating, but I fear dead hand of Big Beer may be establishing its grip on the place. I noted two or three Anheuser-Busch/InBev products among the taps, with the bottle list exclusively ABIB swill.Time will tell, I guess. Holding the craft fort on the menu were a couple of lesser known regional IPAs-- Funk's Silent Disco out of Emmanus PA and the inelegantly named (and hemp infused) 420 Strain G13 IPA, courtesy of the Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta GA. The more conventional of the two, Silent Disco, was also the better, but both were very good examples of the style-- the American IPA, N/E variant-- in other words citrusy, cloudy, and a little dank. As very high 29:50/34:50 brews, these could handily win your local road race, but would struggle to distinguish themselves from the pack at the regional level, particularly if that region was the northeast of the USA-- the Rift Valley of beer, x100.  


*Speaking of Philly coffee and politics, I am compelled to offer a shout-out to Uncle Bobby's Coffee and Books, a place we very luckily stumbled upon on our way out of town. The coffee and snacks were top notch, as was the ambience. The owner is Philadelphia writer and activist Marc Lamont Hill and the shop is located in the famous Germantown section of town.

Run Fast, Drink Well:

Our feature athlete in this installment of RFDW is none other than 2018 CIS XC Champ, and new post-collegiate journeyman Connor Black. We we were lucky enough to have Connor along with us on the trip to Philly-- and Conner, a regular craft consumer whose go-to is Muskoka's Twice and Mad Tom, was lucky enough to land himself a Lawson's Sip or Sunshine , courtesy of my all-time favourite beer store Sam the Beer Man, in Binghamton NY enroute. Originating in Vermont in early 2010s, SOS is classic example of the N/E style, and one that still easily ranks among the best ever brewed. Like its gorgeous yellow can, it is bright, floral, and citrusy. But, at 8% abv, it also has a very sturdy malt backbone and lingering, complex finish that becomes more pronounced as it warms. On the 10k scale, SOS is a rare sub-27 beer, but just barely. In fact, its circa 2010 origin and stature make it the Chris Solinsky of beers!

Here is Connor's take on SOS:

sweet followed by a mix of the bitter tropical fruits (orange peel, and grapefruit?), but isn’t too bitter. nice hoppy finish: isn’t overpowering and doesn’t leave you like your sucking on dandelion, like some other 8%ers. tastes like you’re drinking a really good tropical juice you’d get at a resort, but without the sweetness and it’s tart instead. you could probably have it w breakfast. It’s an 'orange juice’ that is analogous to the American Iced Tea, not Sweet tea, where it is void of the sugar and just busting with citrus.

the can is pretty. but, if you pour it in a glass the colour of the brew is happy like the sun.. so, just keep the can nearby. 

Best time to drink: no brainer —> post-workout while you prep dinner. You’re hungry, so you notice the blend better. You’re depleted, so you get a nice ‘heady’ and unwind from the run… mental recovery, folks. Beauty start to the evening.

P.S: best served with company. Hit me up if you enjoy crushing miles and celebrating them with an ice cold craft* Crispy Boy.

Cheers.

 


And here he is finishing it up:

 What I'm drinking this week:

 This week, I am being delighted by two very fit beers, perfect for early spring-- Dominion City's Null and Void and Equilibrium's Laboratory Waves.

Null and Void--the best new Canadian beer I've tried this year-- is a burly yet superbly balanced double IPA (10% abv). It is dank with ripe tropical fruit aromas and taste notes, and its mouthfeel and finish are smooth. sticky, and complex. (A newish beer of low 28min calibre, this beer awaits its Canadian running counterpart-- Justyn Knight? Evan Esselink!?). I would urge anyone doing Ottawa Race Weekend to be sure to get some of this brew into your mouth post-haste post-race!

Lab Waves is a truly massive, yet mesmerizingly complex triple IPA (10.4% abv). Its aroma is subdued for a beer this massively hopped (Citra, predominantly), and its flavour presentation is mostly ripe tropical fruit, with a hint of tartness (lime?). The addition of lactose, which makes the mouth-feel soft and the finish almost creamy, is likely responsible for the profound complexity extant throughout. Sip after sip, your palate will try in vain to solve this one, then simply surrender to the ineffable beauty of a superbly crafted, state of the art, ale. This beer is too inexperienced to have run a 10k yet, but it's already breaking 13:00/14:30 for 5k. Call it the Letensenbet Gidey/Selemon Barega of beers!

Note: Equilibrium Brewery is in Middletown NY, home of the legendary Classic 10k , held in early June. Hard to think of a better beer/running combo!