All you need is Love (City). Top beers from a brand new Philly brewery.
I think its safe to say that all of my loyal readers and followers know how much I LOVE beer, food, and all the little extras that surround those areas, but what I don’t think we realize in Philadelphia is just how GREAT we have it!
I just returned home from the land of sin known as Las Vegas, and while there’s 24-hour drinking and a plethora of debaucherous activities to be had, it had me yearning for the 215! Sure there were bars & restaurants that offered good beer…..If you wanted to pay $15 for a 12 oz bottle of our beloved Yards!!!
Most of the time, however, the only beer options available were those of the macro variety, and while I’m no snob, I did get pretty heated when I was charged $75 for 8 beers, before tipping at the outdoor pool bar, for some mass produced, aluminum bottled Buds! Did I mention I waited 25 minutes to get said beers??!!! So be thankful my Fallser friends for our amazing city, where you can grab a plethora of GREAT LOCAL beers and still have not have to tap into that 401k!
This brings me to my FAVORITE & BRAND-NEW Philadelphia brewery, Love City! This is truly the kind of brewery that I’ve been wishing for in Philadelphia, a young, close-knit company filled with former roller-girls, (one of which is a TEXTILES alum…..Yeah, I still call it Textiles, at least until it keeps the same name for over a decade) that is brewing accessible, drinkable beer at an affordable price-point!
These guys & gals knock it out of the park in their close-by, Chinatown North location, serving lower ABV beers with tons of flavor. Love City’s brews can win over both your Coors Lite drinking dad and your uppity, gentrification-loving, ironic t-shirt wearing, bad haircut, hipster friends all in one outing, and for a great price! Here are just a few of the awesome beers Love City is brewing, that will soon be local beer staples!
*Oh yeah, and check out their SUPER COOL bathrooms, 11 in all, each one painted by a different local artist, making you want to stay and drink until you’ve seen each one. WELL PLAYED, LOVE CITY, well played!
Love City Lager
- A slight floral/grapefruit aroma with a nice touch of malt
- Light biscuit & citrus hop flavors balanced with smooth, sweeter malts
- Clean, crisp, light-medium bodied, golden/straw-colored, Helles-style lager brewed with all American ingredients
- ABV 4.0%
Hellllllloooooo Gorgeous! This is a GREAT BEER Period! Few know this, but lagers, especially good ones, are hard to brew due to colder temperatures, different yeasts, more time needed, yada, yada, yada….and this one is my NEW FAVORITE. The low ABV lets you drink this awesome beer ALL NIGHT, and what makes it even better is its approachability, give one to your Dad who loved Schaeffer and he’ll be in heaven, reminiscing about his 20’s — when beer was beer.
Throw one to your PBR/Natty Boh hipster friends drinking on a budget, and they’ll be equally delighted in a smooth well-crafted local beer at an affordable price. This beer is easily paired with pretty much everything under the sun, but I like it alongside a nice slice of pizza, your favorite hoagie, or while basking in the joys of barbequing season with some grilled brats, burgers, or hotdogs with friends.
Love City Unity IPA
- Aromas of pineapple, mango, & pine
- Light citrus and resinous hop flavors balanced with a caramel malt backbone with a slight hop kick on the finish
- Light copper-colored, hoppy, medium-bodied, American IPA which is highly drinkable
- ABV 5.5%
I haven’t been this excited about U-N-I-T-Y since Queen Latifah’s hit in 1993! Philly’s WOODER is great for brewing pale ales & IPA’s, and Love City has created yet another impeccable IPA out of the 215 with this one, and with a lower ABV this beer can be enjoyed all day long! Try this beer with spicier fare, the citrus/pine flavors from the hops will help balance out the heat from your favorite hot wings, spicy thai, or George Costanza’s favorite, Kung Pao Chicken.
Love City Generator Wheat
- Aromas of lemongrass & orange
- Big notes of orange & coriander with lighter hints of lemongrass and green peppercorn on the finish
- A silky, medium-bodied, yellow-orange, Belgian-style, spiced, wheat beer with a surprisingly dry finish
- ABV 4.2%
This lovely wit beer was a delight, because unlike many of its style it did not have a banana flavor lurking within it, which can sometimes be overpowering. Instead, Generator had a lovely balance of lemongrass, orange, and peppercorn leading to a refreshing, not overly malted, drier style of wheat beer that is sure to delight even those who are not fans of the style, like myself! This beer is great in the warmer weather and pairs amazingly with lighter summer salads & grilled fish or as a base-broth for mussels. The peppercorn and lemongrass flavors also make this beer an amazing companion to Thai or Indian cuisine.
Love City Nomi Berliner Weisse
- Aromas of berry and crisp Amarillo hops
- Notes of berry, contrasted with a light tart citrus flavors
- An effervescent, refreshing, light straw-colored, nontraditional German style wheat/Berliner weisse
- ABV 3.2%
This beer really threw me for a loop, as this style tends to be extremely tart, to the point of overkill at times. Love City’s version however, expresses a light balancing berry flavor upfront that balances its tartness making for a quite enjoyable & refreshing libation. Dare I say, like its namesake, Klaus Nomi, it lead to a Total Eclipse of preconceived notions!
This beer is amazing on a hot summer day after biking or running along the Schuylkill, refreshing you with its effervescence and light tart flavor. Try this one with a fresh summer salad topped with fresh fruit or alongside some good ceviche or sushi. Try it with some fattier duck fat fried fries and be WOWED, and if you want to be AMAZED, and get a little CRAZY, try it with your favorite breakfast Benedict!!!! Oh, the hollandaise!!! (It works with both a crab benedict or traditional Canadian bacon/ham style benedict….TRUST ME!
Love City Sylvie Stout
- Aromas of coffee & chocolate
- Rich notes of smoothing oats, coffee & dark chocolate
- Bright, medium-bodied, dark brown, malted, traditional English-style stout
This amazingly bright stout, despite its dark color, is incredibly drinkable with its low ABV & doesn’t leave you feeling full, like many other stouts. This beer has just enough coffee & chocolate to leave the drinker satisfied with its unique balance without leaving a lingering sugar explosion on your palate. Try this one with some rich barbeque, or pair it alongside dessert with anything chocolate! This stout also works great as a breakfast beer alongside a big stack of your favorite pancakes or french toast!
Here’s to Cheers & Plenty of Beers,
JK
Love City in the Falls: Rooftop views, live music, world-class food, and Love City beer. Sunday June 10th, 6:30 – 10pm. Tickets $60pp/$110 couple. Price includes Love City beer and small plates (wine and cocktails available for purchase).
(Fallser Brew Crawl — Grab your bike, it’s an easy ride down designated bike lanes to this fun, vibrant neighborhood with THREE breweries plus tacos/burritos and live music options, to boot. Make a day of it, follow link here for details and directions.)
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