Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company is pleased to announce that Weldspatter IPA is now on tap! Samples and growlers are available at the Horde Room in the brewery, located at 429 W. 3rd St. The beer is also on tap at Kimball’s and B21 in Williamsport.

Weldspatter I.P.A. is a hoppy, though well-balanced beer with a sweet hop flavor and Elysian aroma. This unfiltered beer has a richer, more golden color than most other pale ales. The hops in Weldspatter I.P.A. include Phoenix and Pilgrim varieties imported from England and an American variety called Nugget. India Pale Ale beers typically go very well with pungent cheeses, grilled meats and spicy foods.

Great news, and congratulations!

Weldspatter I.P.A. was the winner in the Barbarian’s Selection ’08 Campaign, which allowed voters to choose the next beer style. It was announced April 1st and immediately brewed with an expected release date of Friday, April 11. Unexpected problems arose during filtration, which ultimately ruined the characteristic hop flavors inherent to the India Pale Ale style and the release was postponed.

In celebration of the release, the brewery will offer growler fills of this new brew for $8 now through the 3rd of May.  I doubt I'll make it up for that, but perhaps a friend or family member will get a chance to check it out.

Okay...the best thing about sharing this news is that I got to use the word "Elysian" in back-to-back blog postings - when does that ever happen?

We love this place because they have cask ale at all times, but today they had Masala Mama IPA on cask, and THAT was just what I needed! The glass arrived with creamy foam suspended from the bottom of the glass. The orange color with white creamy head was so beautiful, and as I was thinking, "Where is my camera? I must get a photo of this beautiful beverage!," D was scribbling in his notebook "Appearance = 5! Perfect!" The foam settled, and I touched it - it pushed back like a Tempur-Pedic® foam mattress, and stuck to my finger, creating a stiff peak.  That same, amazing thick foam had the drawback of masking the aroma - the piney, citrus notes of this same beer on draft just don't come through on cask. And the foam never ends. While it doesn't really lace the glass, it remained there, all the way through my drawn out session with this ale. In the end, I tipped the glass back to enjoy a mouthful of foam that was left long after consuming the beer.

Additional beers we enjoyed at Town Hall (which does, by the way, serve half pints) were Pot of Gold Potato Stout (4.9% ABV, brewed with chunks of Yukon Gold Potato in the grain mash), Black H₂0 Stout and Masala Mama on draft (which was so fabulously aromatic and the hops flavor just bursting in the mouth!)

Town Hall, like Herkimer and Stub & Herb's, is located on a corner with two walls of windows, so we could look out on the world. The sun was shining when we went in, and then snow began to fall. Then the sun came back out, and then the snow returned. Then sun AND snow...it was ridiculous. Wondering what I'll do for footwear later this week when I chose skirts to wear at my conference, I was observing everyone on the streets. Not a single woman in a skirt or dress! They just don't do it here!

We were warm and toasty inside, and not rushed at all. A steady stream of bar patrons, including many people with empty growlers in hand, came in and out of the place. We enjoyed a few hours of beer, basketball and the food. Unfortunately, the grilled tilapia tacos, served with cilantro rice, black beans, mango salsa and guacamole plus sweet potato fries was crossed out on our menu, so I assumed they didn't have it (they did, and our neighbors go it - they looked wonderful!) D had the fish and chips - perch in a thick, roasty beer batter - and I had the chicken burrito which was as big as a loaf of homemade bread!  It was ridiculously large, and we will be enjoying half of it at a later time.

The beer and the atmosphere at Town Hall are so enjoyable. This really a great place to come hang out. Especially on a sloppy snow day like today!

We had plans to continue our evening by going downtown for Surly Smoke, but since the bar we knew of was out of it, we returned to the hotel to turn in early.