As a kickoff to Free Will Weekend, Old Eagle Tavern will be celebrating the beers of Free Will Brewing Co. on Wednesday, October 23, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. during Free Will Night, a Meet-the-Brewer event that includes five Free Will drafts in addition to cheese and charcuterie pairings from Chef Rich Benussi.
Free Will Brewery’s John Stemler and David Wood will be at the Manayunk craft beer bar to discuss their brews, their brewery and, most importantly, their Breast Cancer Awareness charitable beer, Saison de Rose. (Read PA Eats‘s recent article on Saison de Rose here.) In addition to the guys from Free Will, freelance beer writers Tara Nurin and Carolyn Smagalski will be on site to discuss their roles in brewing Saison de Rose and their experience working with Old Eagle Tavern owner Erin Wallace as female beer experts on the project.
“We’ve been working with the guys from Free Will on the Saison de Rose charity project for the past few months and it’s been a blast and an honor,” says Erin Wallace. “They’re a small local brewery that’s on an upswing and they really know their beers—making them the perfect featured Brewery of the Month. Plus we thought this was the perfect time, with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to bring these guys in and celebrate their craft as well as their contribution.”
For the evening, Chef Benussi has paired Free Will beers with artisan cheeses and a spread of charcuterie offerings served with croutes and chef’s garnishes. Charcuterie offerings include Smoked Bacon Pate, Prosciutto and Pig Trotter Fritters. Cheeses include Maytag Blue (USA, cow’s milk) with Bread Monster, Pecorino Toscano (Italy, sheep’s milk) with Hop Geek and Brie (France, cow’s milk) with Saison de Rose. To complement the charitable beer Saison de Rose, a farmhouse ale brewed with pink peppercorns, ginger, hibiscus and pink grapefruit, Benussi has prepared a Wild Mushroom and Brie Burger with Pink Pepper Fries.
- Saison de Rose: limited edition pink beer brewed for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Hop Geek: an Imperial IPA with an intensely complex hop profile and malt backbone
- Bread Monster: a complex, malty lager with toasted bread crust notes
- Rapunzel: a spicy, crisp, dry Hoppy Rye Saison with intense fruity hop notes
- Techno IPA: an American IPA with fruit flavors of melons, tangerines and grapefruits
Old Eagle Tavern is located at 177 Markle Street in Philadelphia; phone: (215) 483-5535.
