Sampling Beers at the City Tap House, Philadelphia

I'm cheating by writing this entry about 3+ weeks after the fact and back-dating the entry.  I wanted to document my visit to the City Tap House in West Philly, however, because I really like the place/space, food, and beer.

The City Tap House has a 100-Mile Happy Hour, which meant $2 off beers brewed within 100 miles of Philadelphia.  I couldn't convince the bartender that Belgium met this criterion so I wasn't able to take advantage of this offer immediately.  I'm glad I didn't, however, because I discovered some beers I really like.

I've always liked white and wheat beers.  I'd like to know the difference as they are both listed under the Wheat Beer section of menus but I'm too lazy to look it up.  (I suspect it's just two ways of describing the same thing.)  I also like Belgian beers and they - in my limited experience - seem to often fall in the white/wheat category.

The first beer I tried was Tripel Karmeliet.  I now know that Tripel is the style of beer.  According to Beer Advocate.com, which gave this beer an A-,

The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsner. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish.

This beer was really enjoyable, even though it was high in alcohol by volume (ABV) by my standards at 8.40%.  This beer is brewed in Buggenhout, Belgium.  I would love to write a review similar to other beer reviews I've seen about "the pour" and fragrance, etc. but I don't have it in me.  I just know I liked it.

The next beer I had was Kira, a white beer from Ghent, Belgium.  This beer was also given an A- by Beer Advocate.com.  At 4.70% ABV, it had less alcohol than Tripel Karmeliet, which was a good thing given my "light weight" status.  After I briefly perused the Kira website (in English, thankfully), I learned an interesting fact:

During the First World War, the traditional breweries of Belgium fell on hard times. Occupiers confiscated the copper kettles to be recycled into military appliances. Considerable investment was made after World War I and II to bring the (Kira) brewery (back).

I stopped my drinking to have a great beet salad with goat cheese.  It was terrific but, in hindsight, I should have eaten more.  It was also a lost opportunity to try some other menu temptations.  The City Tap House menu does not list just your standard bar food.  They have nightly specials that include herb-roasted rabbit, rosemary-mint lamb chops, suckling pig, etc.  They also have pizza, burgers, mussels, and other bar food.

Against my better judgment, I had a third beer.  Given that I don't drink very much, that was too much.  I didn't write down the name of the third beer but I think it was the Allentown Brew Works Space Monkey.  It was just OK...but it scored me the $2 happy hour discount...or at least I think it did.  (Happy Hour ends at 7pm and I'm not sure what time I ordered it.)

I definitely recommend the City Tap House for food and beer.  Even if the drink and food was average, I'd still recommend this place for the roof deck.  It was too hot to sit out there but I imagined what a great place it would be in the Fall.  I envision sitting by a fire pit in the very large space and feeling a slight chill in the air.  I will definitely make that happen and have one beer, two at the most...