Yards Brewing Co.

I may as well continue with my Philadelphia theme this week.

I admit that I didn't do nearly enough research in anticipation of my recent trip to Philadelphia. Clearly there are tons of local breweries in town that I should have taken advantage of. This is a major oversight in my quest for bottle caps in the northeast region.

Anyway, even though I didn't have the chance to sample a Yards when I was in Philly, Ryan, my trusty reader, sent me a Yards Brewing Co. bottle cap a few weeks ago, and it seemed like good timing to discuss it now.

The bottle cap is striking: white type on black, with some embellishments (Philly, year established '94) in gold. And to be totally dorky, I must ask: does anyone know what font is used on the Yards? It has a nice mixture of old-time serif with something that makes it contemporary. Maybe it is the leg on the R. Sorry, I just read a book about fonts, so now I'm obsessed!

There's much to like about Yards in addition to their beer. Check out these facts:

Brewery Facts

• Pennsylvania's first 100% wind-powered brewery.
• Bar tops are reclaimed bowling alley lanes.
• Floors made from recycled concrete
• Block walls covered in earthen American clay.
• Hot water collected and reused whenever possible.
• All fixtures, furniture and equipment are reclaimed.
• Salvaged mahogany trim on the bar and walls.
• Century-old pool table originally manufactured a few blocks away at 222 S. 8th Street.
• T-shirts and hats created from organic cotton.
• Reusable growlers to reduce packaging and waste.
• Grains donated to local farms as feed.
• Yards cases are printed using 65% post-consumer recycled cardboard at a local SFI-certified manufacturer.

As a consumer who is interested in these things -- wind power, recycling, etc. --  I love that Yards is interested in keeping things local. (A pool table from just a few blocks away? Reclaimed furniture and fixtures? Fun!) Definitely makes me want to visit.

Michael and I  need to take a trip back to Philly and really see what this town has to offer in terms of beer and breweries. We clearly underestimated the City of Brotherly Love.

the duck-rabbit

When I arrived home earlier this week, there was a package full of bottle caps waiting for me. Ryan, a faithful reader, had sent me quite the collection. A few bottle caps really stood out, and one in particular caught my eye -- I just had to write about it this week!

The Duck-Rabbit is a microbrewery out of North Carolina with a very cool logo. They've been around since 2004, and specialize in dark beer. It looks like as of right now they are only distributed in North Carolina, so if anyone is traveling there and feels like bringing me back a brew or two, go right ahead! I'd probably like the Milk Stout the best. I'll be right here, blogging about bottle caps.

The Duck-Rabbit also reminds me of Duck! Rabbit! the book, the classic Looney Tunes cartoon on Duck Season/Wabbit Season (see below), and The Duck & Bunny: A Snuggery from when Michael lived in Providence for a year. The Duck & Bunny was an adorable tea shop that had cupcakes, crepes, and other delicious nibbly things. It was not far from Michael's apartment, and we often walked by, and dropped in to work and read in the afternoon on a Saturday.

Readers: how many other duck/rabbit hybrids can you think of? Why do ducks and bunnies make such great companions?

And thank you Ryan, for the awesome haul.  Keep on drinking 'em, and I'll keep on writing about them!