A tale of two holiday parties...and more.

Well, to be honest, I have attended more than two holiday parties so far before the big day of joyous gifting giving. (Thank you to Adam & Courtney Najarian, Ann Tetreault and her husband, Adam. I had a very good time at your annual shindigs and hope to attend many more to come.) But I was invited to two parties by another husband and wife team to both of their establishments.
I've known Scott and Erin Wallace since the first ever Philly Beer Week kickoff in East Falls some years back. In fact, I began frequenting their first establishment, The Old Eagle Tavern, on the recommendation of Don Russell aka Joe Sixpack.
So yesterday, I decided to make a day of it in downtown Philly since a friend of mine was performing at Plays and Players. Don, who was plugging his latest book "What The Hell Am I Drinking?', was going to be at Devil's Den for their Happy Christanukkah event, which also featured Jeremy Cowah, founder/owner of Shmaltz Brewing Company, makers of He'Brew: The Chosen Beer & Coney Island Craft Lagers.
There were plenty of Christmas and He'Brew beers on special. In fact, there were special flights for both Christians and Jews but I felt that there was a missed opportunity as there was a third flight selection which I felt should have been called 'Flight of the Non-Believer' just for the heck of it.
I hadn't been to Devil's Den since the Doughnuts and Beer fundraiser in October. So it was only my second time in the establishment; but it was a blast. There were plenty of Christian and Jewish food delicacies on special but the bacon wrapped open-faced meatloaf sandwich was definitely worth having.
The Den is a nice establishment that has a very local clientele but definitely feels like a step up from the Eagle. There is more of a restaurant feel to the place. In fact, that Sunday seemed to have a fairly decent dinner crowd well after the Christanukkah event. While at the Den, Erin invited me to this evening's Festivus party at the Eagle.
The Eagle is a friendly neighborhood establishment that also offers a great beer selection. Like I said earlier, I've been a regular here for some time that even other regular patrons know me by my first name.
This party while not packed to the rafters was a heartfelt event, complete with Aluminum Pole. We chatted about last evening, especially which He'Brew that we enjoyed the most. We talked films...and the Bon Jovi death hoax.
And while there Erin invited me back to the Den on Wednesday for their 'Darkest Night' event which features rare and first-time beers in PA from Bell's Brewing. If you are a beer fan, this is a must attend event.
Sadly, I declined. It conflicted with my monthly meeting of the Christopher Morley Pipe Club of Philadelphia. Time to pull out the briar, it's cold outside.

Doughnuts and Beer...a fratboy's dream

It takes heart to put your money where your mouth is; but a fundraiser this tasty makes it so much easier. Down at the Devil’s Den, in South Philadelphia, a doughnuts and local beer pairing raised money for the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Patrons received three tasty doughnuts from Krispy Kreme and a flight of three beers all for $10. (PAWS received $4 of every sale.)

Autumn was the theme which included Krispy Kreme’s signature Original Glazed along with their Cinnamon Bun and Pumpkin Spice Cake doughnuts. To compliment these gooey, sugary snacks; the beers were of a spicy complexity that included Yard’s Thomas Jefferson Ale, Weyerbacher Verboten and Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Joe Porter.

According to its web site, PAWS is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless, abandoned, and unwanted animals. PAWS is Philadelphia's largest rescue organization and only no-kill shelter, and is working to make Philadelphia a city in which every healthy and treatable pet is guaranteed a home. Through its adoption locations, special events, and foster care network, PAWS finds loving homes for thousands of animals each year.

This is not the first time that Devil’s Den owners Erin and Scott Wallace, who also operate the Old Eagle Tavern in Manayunk have raised money for PAWS. A PAWS fundraiser was held at the Old Eagle and Devil’s Den when Scott’s White German Shepherd, Loki, passed away. Loki was well-liked by patrons for his friendly, easy going manner.

At the Devil’s Den, a steady trickle of locals and even two beer sales representatives dove into this deal albeit begrudgingly. The beer reps had recently went on a diet and the sight of the calorie killing doughnuts was enough to induce the mouth to water.

“But I only wanted to donate to the cause,” said the one rep. “That’s ok, we’ll share it,” said the other.

So how did it taste? The doughnuts were very good but I think we all knew that to begin with, really. The beers were certainly paired with the right doughnuts but I felt like mixing and matching. Here are some highlights; with all three doughnuts, the coffee notes of PBC's Joe Porter really come out with a wallop. The Original Glazed was like adding the creamer to Joe Porter's coffee, it worked very well. The Cinnamon Bun brought out more spiciness from Yard's Thomas Jefferson Ale and cut the spiciness of the Weyerbacher Verboten.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a visit that was long overdue on my part to the Devil's Den. I am glad I finally made it to this establishment but since I have my Old Eagle within walking distance I knew what I was getting into. I'll be sure to stop by sometime in the future.