The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
THE ‘BEER REVEAL’
Capone’s annual event back on tap featuring specialty brews tastings
EAST NORRITON » The Capone family’s eponymous pub at 224 W. Germantown Pike in East Norriton has long been regarded as a top spot for suds of all sorts. But come Thanksgiving eve and Black Friday, Capone’s will showcase several rare and vintage brews not typically on tap. COVID-19 put the kibosh on the tavern’s annual holiday beer reveal in 2020…all the more reason this year’s will be “better than ever,” promises Matt Capone.
“With the pandemic, I think people’s interest in beer and the craft beer industry as a whole has grown,” he says. “Everyone was so hunkered down during COVID. Now, with people coming out of quarantine, this is a nice way to gather with friends and relax…and taste some really special beers.”
Capone’s 2021 tastings will kick off with limitededition Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout on Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Chicago-based brewery launched its barrel-brewed Bourbon County Brand Stout in 1992 and played a major role in reviving the old-school practice of aging beer in wood barrels instead of in the stainless-steel tanks that took over following Prohibition. Barrel-aged beers have grown in popularity ever since. And because they absorb the flavors and aromas contained in the wood of a given cask as well as that of the spirits or wine previously housed in used barrels, each batch is unique.
“On Wednesday, we’ll be putting on Goose Island Bourbon Barrel, an imperial stout aged in six different barrels,” Capone says. “It’s really special, and each one is different because different bourbons have a very complex — unique — taste. We’ll have free giveaways as well as pay-as-you-go in the
“With the pandemic, I think people’s interest in beer and the craft beer industry as a whole has grown. Everyone was so hunkered down during COVID. Now, with people coming out of quarantine, this is a nice way to gather with friends and relax…and taste some really special beers.”
—Matt Capone