DeCicco's Ardsley

For a beer dork, crossing the border from Connecticut to New York is akin to hopping over the Berlin wall and landing in Allied West Germany. A mere 15 minutes from the Nutmeg State, New York’s beer distribution list includes several amazing breweries you won’t find anywhere in CT. Like Founders. Green Flash. Sixpoint. Anderson Valley. You catch my drift. Lots of good stuff.

In addition, Westchester county is littered with places to get a growler filled – the only place I can think of in Fairfield county is the eternally disappointing SBC. So, when I heard about DeCicco’s, from my next-door neighbor and fellow beer-thusiast, I felt compelled to check it out.

 DeCicco's is Italian for "Yummy Happy Beer Place."

First things first - DeCicco’s is not a liquor store. It’s actually a family-owned, slightly high-end grocery store in the vein of Whole Foods. (At least that’s the impression I got while I was sprinting towards the beer section). However, I hadn’t driven to Ardsley, NY for kale.

The DeCicco’s beer selection, in terms of number of options, is on par with some of the better liquor stores in the Fairfield County area. The difference is the inclusion of the excellent breweries I listed earlier, and the 10-tap growler station.

Did I mention there's cheese at the growler station? There's cheese at the growler station.

On this day, I filled a growler with Troeg’s Nugget Nectar, grabbed a bottle of my beloved Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and snagged a 4-pack of Founders Imperial Stout. None of which, mind you, can be purchased in Stamford. Not a bad haul for a 30 minute drive.

My only complaint would be the fact that my girlfriend’s mom’s maiden name is DeCicco, and yet I didn’t get a family discount. Very disappointing. Other than that – the store kicks ass, and you should check it out.

Cheers,

Ryan

Beers in Philly - The Foodery and McGillins

Connecticut is a pretty crappy state when it comes to varieties of beer distributed. For that reason I make sure that whenever I travel I taste the local flavor and stop a liquor store to bring back some out of state goodies. During my visit to Philadelphia I went to two places worth mentioning, and both of them are worth revisiting.

McGillin's Olde Ale House
Philadelphia, PA
Menu / Beer

First off, good luck finding this place. It's on a tiny side street and is easily over looked, but you'd be making a big mistake if you just passed it by. I typed "beer bars philly" into google and McGillin's was the first result. Decision made.

McGillin's has had it's doors open and taps flowing since Lincoln took office, making them the oldest continually operating bar in Philly (I don't know what they did through prohibition). They'll be celebrating their 150th anniversary this New Years.

During their impressive century and half of operation they've definitely figured out how to draw a crowd. The food is cheap and completely satisfying. But more importantly there are 35 taps to choose from, all of which are affordable and available in a pitcher for around $13. I happened to be there on a Sunday when you can buy your own McGillin's pint glass for $5 and get $1 refills all day. And while you're there help yourself to some complimentary home-made soup.

The Foodery



This little place is half deli, half craft beer shop. With over 800 domestic and imported beers to choose from I actually did feel like a kid in a candy store. All beers are sold as singles, with the option to create your own six-pack and receive 10% off. Unfortunately this place was no bargain. The average price for a 12oz bottle (not including belgians, barelywines, and other specialty or high ABV beers) was about $2.50. A little math tells us that that's about $15 a six- pack. But hey, it's the holidays. Spoil yourself, spoil your friends, and make your resolution to never drink shitty beer again.

My beer purchases from The Foodery

-Kyle