Holy Smokes -- It's Alfa's Newest Decade-Themed Happy Hour

Alfa's Happy Hour -- MILLENIUM Edition. Sip on a Snookie or Slurp down a Brokeback. 

BARTENDER CONFIDENTIAL KICKS OFF THIS SUNDAY

Madness & Mayhem On Deck at Our Newest Guest Bartender Series

Geo's Sundays Just Got Even Better At Alfa

As if our Sundays weren't already enticing enough -- with scrumptious Sunday-only food specials, ambient music sexifying our candelit barscape and Geo expertly striking the perfect balance between snark and stellar service -- we're adding yet another reason to spend your Sundays with us: BARTENDER CONFIDENTIAL -- some of our best barkeep buddies in Philly, NYC, and beyond will be joining George behind the bar and serving up their signature cocktails (and don't be surprised if we're pushing out some killer snacks to boot).

Our first bar-star this Sunday, September 23rd: Greg Bell from John Dory Oyster Bar in the Ace Hotel, NYC.  

Greg Bell Multi-Tasking

About Greg: Greg Bell has been suckling on the teat of the restaurant industry since the tender age of 15. He found his real bartending niche at The Continental Midtown in Philadelphia. Relocating to New York, and whilst doing some soul searching, Greg dug deep to discover how much he couldn't stand fine dining - while employed as a bartender at a Jean Georges restaurant on the Upper East Side. Finally, he nested further downtown at the John Dory Oyster Bar in the Ace Hotel where he was fortunate enough to be instructed in the craft of bartending by Sasha Petraske.

Specialty Cocktails Sunday, Semptember, 23rd:

Sunday in the Park with George Donahue: Rye, Gran Classico, Benedictine, Angostura  

Set Sail: Aperol, Apple Jack, Lemon, Sugar, Egg whites 

Penicillin: Famous Grouse, Ginger, Lemon, Laphroig mist

See you Sunday!

XOXO,

Alfa

THE LONG GOODBYE . . .

2012's FIRST PUMPKIN ALES ARE READY TO BE INSIDE YOU ... ER, YOU KNOW WHAT WE MEAN

9 out of 10 Emperors Recommend Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin

OK, so we many not be ready to give sandy toes and bronzer bodies the big kiss-off just yet but we are growing a tad weary of citrusy wits and the paler hue of a summer's brew.

We're ready for some spice, some oomph, something we can really sink our teeth into. That's why we are SO excited to have our first fall pumpkin beer on tap right now!  We've got Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin (8%ABV) all suited up and ready to reek some welcome havoc on your end-of-summer drinking. Your palate may have gotten lazy, used to the barely there effervescence of a wine spritzer or worse, the tepid tap-water taste of a backyard BBQ Bud Light -- it's time to show your palate who's boss and ring in the season of serious tastebud contenders! Say a slow goodbye to summer in style with a hearty Weyerbacher Pumpkin and stay tuned for lots more delish pumpkin ales on tap soon.

Chase The Extraordinary Fernet Experience With Us Tonight -- Complimentary Cocktails At 10PM

Chasing the Herbacious Rush of Fernet Branca -- A Story in Pictures

 

For those who have tasted one of Italy's national treasures, Fernet Branca Digestivo, you'll know it challenges taste-buds and defies comparison to other spirits. Its rich, medicinal blend of botanicals seizes your entire being. At first it's bitter bite is surprising, then all-consuming. But then: the bitterness vanishes and you are at peace -- all ailments melt away, the stomach is soothed, the spirits raised. It's a journey worth chasing.

Pursue this unique flavor rush with us tonight as we celebrate being one of 3 bars in the whole city to offer Fernet Branca ON TAP. Beginning at 10PM we'll be providing expertly composed cocktails and an unbeatable vibe of merriment with one of the city's best bartenders, Erik Boardman ('EB' to those in-the-know) at the helm. You are cordially invited to chase the rush!

Below are some behind-the-scene pics of EB pursuing Fernet cheered on by our fearless leader, Joe Beckham. Check it!

THE BIKE

THE CHALLENGE

THE ANTICIPATION

THE GRAB

VICTORY!

HAPPINESS

All photos by Jackson Auchinleck

$5 Hendricks & a Regal Refresher Fit for Kate & Pippa. Smashing!

Hendrick's, Rhuby, & Pellegrino Pompelo Make this Effervescent Delight.

A distinguished lineup makes up the Kate Middleton cocktail

Hey, you know what goes great with summer? Crystal-clear, nuanced, herbaceous, and just plain yummy English gin. Hendricks is a masterful example  -- a prim & proper small-batch gin that mixes beautifully with the the fresh fruits of summer like lemons, limes, and cooling cucumber. Brilliant. 

Although perfect paired with polo and other aristocratic pursuits we're offering posh Hendricks cocktails for the humble price of just $5 each from 5PM-7PM tonight, Friday the 13th. For those of you who may be superstitious we think your luck just turned around for the better!

This is the perfect opportunity to try our newest summer cocktail, the Kate Middleton. This drink is truly a stunner. With high-end Hendricks, the exotic rhubarb note from Rhuby and sparkling Pellegrino grapefruit you can drink like the duchess at a pauper's price. Tell your mates!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY WITH TROEG'S MAD ELF

Conjure Cool Winter Weather with a Spicy, Comforting Mad Elf

Sipping a Troegs Mad Elf Transports You to a Cooler, Simpler Time

So, it's been hot. Like, really, really hot. The sun just will not relent and audaciously remains high in the sky until at least 8pm, scalding us with its horrible heat beams!

When we find ourselves perspiring profusely we yearn for an icier clime. We close our eyes and conjure a wintery snowscape where we're bundled up in scarves and mittens, sipping a full-bodied, slightly spiced winter beer with loved ones. Maybe we're in a lodge. Or maybe just tucked cozily in our city apartment peeking through our frosted windows at a fresh snowfall.  Either way, we need not wish any longer for a taste of winter. We brought winter to us.

We have a freshly tapped keg of Troeg's Mad Elf just waiting for you. One sip and you'll swear you can smell pine needles and freshly baked cookies. Two sips and you'll feel the tingly anticipation of a holiday eve -- that warm feeling deep inside that comes from knowing presents and family and delectable edibles are waiting for you when you wake. Now doesn't that sound nice?

Happy Birthday, America - Now Eat Some Beef!

Our All-Star, All-American Lineup 

We are an extremely patriotic bunch here at Alfa. As we approach the birthday of the good ol' USA we've been thinking a lot about what that means to us gastronomically. As much as people say apple pie is quintessential to our red white & blue roots, we don't think it gets any more American than a big juicy burger on a golden brown bun. So we are celebrating -- ringing in our nation's birthday with an homage to our favorite food. America deserves it!

We've got four new serious contenders for carnivores on our menu, and one veggie burger so scrumptious it would make Betsy Ross blush.  Each hamburger is made with flavor-flecked ground beef sourced locally from Pat LaFreida meats in Brooklyn, NY. Then, they're loaded with an array of unexpected tasty toppings to keep you on your democracy-loving toes. 

The Route 66, Phat-Farm-to-Table, and Bluegrass Burgers

Just as our forefathers were shocked by taxation without representation you'll be joyfully stymied by the buffalo sausage and fried onion on our Yellowstone burger. You'll be similarly taken aback by the fork-tender BBQ pulled pork and crispy fried pickles on our Bluegrass burger. And you just might throw some tea overboard when you get a load of our irreverent Phat-Farm-to-Table burger which is mischievously topped with Canadian bacon (gasp!), creamy sauce Choron,  and a glistening fresh fried farm egg. 

So saddle up your horse and come on in to pep up your palette. We can't wait to hear what all our patriotic patrons think of our fresh new line up of American burgers!

Garbage Pie? Oh My!

Not Your Nonna's Pizza Pie

Garbage Pie with Roasted Brussels, Wild Mushrooms, Bacon, Mozzarella, and a Fresh Fried Farm Egg

Summer is here. To us at Alfa, sunny days mean endless possibilities, and while we can't argue with Grandma's Margherita, the heat gets our inner Einsteins into overdrive and we end up with crazy innovative, insanely yummy eats. Like our Garbage Pie -- a flatbread that answers the question "why can't we just put a whole bunch of random stuff we like on one pizza?" The answer is WE CAN and it will end up surpassing our wildest dreams of deliciousness.

We didn't stop there. Our new menu has dozens of new delectable edibles including more crazy pizzas with stuff we really really like on them. Because we can!

Join us and embrace the madness -- and come hungry.

More of Chef Joe Hunt's Killer Concoctions

Be A Master Mixologist with our Master Cocktail Class!

Our friends over at Excitations sell some cool gifts.  But just calling them gifts wouldn't be doing them any justice...they're experiences.  You can get anything from a ride in a stock car to wolf watching to wilderness safety training to a hot air balloon ride.  Really cool stuff.  But next time, show your love for Alfa and Walnut Room and buy your loved one a Cocktail Master Class (available for two or four people) taught by one of our master bartenders.  You get to make some of our delicious signature cocktails, and by the end, you'll be able to tell your friends about the subtle flavor nuances between their favorite spirits.  You'll also leave with a pretty satisfied stomach - you get to drink, of course, and we give you some of our signature appetizers to make sure you leave here on two feet.  Everyone knows you get a real drink here at Alfa and Walnut Room, and that's the reason why this is the only place in the region that this class is offered!

Alfa Loves...Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

I know we just told you about Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot, but it's the time of year for us to get really excited about another variation from the Lehigh Valley Brewer - Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale.  Since we are totally amazing, we get dibs on a few kegs each year of their very limited run, and we are happy to say that it's up and running as of now!  You know it's about to be fall when we break out the Pumpkin Ale, and frankly, after weeks of scorching heat followed by an earthquake and Hurricane Irene, we'll take a fresh start. 
This bad boy packs a hearty 8.0% alcohol (careful!), and is brewed with the tastes of fall - Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Cloves...just like your grandma's house at Thanksgiving.  WPA is a heartier brew than other pumpkin ales - sweeter and spicier, with distinct pumpkin flavor, instead of the hint that other brews have.
Get in there for a pint or two!

Make Plans For EVERY TUESDAY!

Alfa Loves...Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

If you are not a beer encyclopedia, you might not know a whole lot about barley wine.  A classic English style of strong beer (it's not wine, it's just called that - huh?) barley wine gets its name because it can be as strong as wine; but since it is made from grain rather than fruit, it's classified as (and tastes more like) beer.


We really like to do tastings here at Alfa (food, beer, wine, liquor) - hey, it's a perk of the job.  So we commissioned our beer people to bring us a whole bunch of barley wines.  After more samples than should be consumed before a shift, our crack staff of boozehounds settled on Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot.  


According to Weyerbacher's web site, Blithering Idiot makes a nice date for full-flavored meats and cheeses, or as an after-dinner drink.  But before you start slamming them down, remember this:  one too many Blithering Idiots will make you, uh, a blithering idiot.  With an alcohol content (ABV, or Alcohol By Volume) of 11.1%, this potent brew is not to be treated like your average beer (most run anywhere between 3 and 7% ABV).


Available year round, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot waiting here for you at Alfa if you are looking for something hearty and strong.  But remember, you get the flag if you fall off your barstool...

We like baseball. And the Phillies rule. Sooo...join us and drink cheap!

Featured Beer - Magic Hat Wacko Summer Ale

If you've walked the streets of Philadelphia in the summertime, you know about wackos.  Well, we've invited a different kind of Wacko into Alfa for the summer.  Magic Hat Wacko is a fruit/vegetable beer brewed with beet sugar, pale malts, Columbus hops and fermented with an English Ale strain. We like it because it is refreshing, the flavors stand out, and it's not too heavy.  At 4.5% alcohol content, you'll still be able to get through the rest of your night without falling on your face by midnight.

Come get one!  It's HOT out there!

The kindess of strangers...or friends.

Buy a drink for a friend...even if they aren't there with you!  Just come in and fill out one of our handy forms, and your friend's name will pop up on our board, so the next time they come in, wouldn't it be a pleasant surprise when they see they have a drink waiting for them!  You can even choose to keep yourself anonymous (hey, we like to keep things interesting here).  But we really think that secret admirers are more poetry than reality...just go for it!  Any drink you buy is valid for 60 days, so there is plenty of time for them to pick it up.

What's behind our delicious Mango Margarita?

Summertime brings CENTER CITY SIPS - and we have some wicked drink specials....and this place gets buuusy!  Luckilly, we have Walnut Room upstairs to accommodate everyone who wants to come in and enjoy happy hour.

We feature two signature cocktails on our specials, one of which is the Mango Margarita, a luscious summer concoction of Tequila, Lime Juice, Triple Sec, Sour Mix and yummy Mango Juice.  You can't get addicted to it 'til you try it, so come in between 5 and 7 any Wednesday through August 31st and get 'em for just four bucks!!!

Um Yes. $20 bottles. How else would you spend your Tuesday night!?

It's Wednesday - You Know What That Means!

Another Happy Hour for Center City Sips!  It gets packed in here and that's how you like it!  Here are our fantastic drink and snack specials:

Beer
Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Yuengling Lager

Wine
Canyon Oaks Merlot, Canyon Oaks Chardonnay

Cocktails
Mango margarita (tequila, tripple sec, lime juice, sour mix, mango juice)
Chooooooch! (apple and cranberry infused vodka, club soda, apple pucker)

Appetizers
Tater tots, Cajun wings, Chips and salsa, Hummus and pita, Edamame

Reserve The Lounge!

If you haven't joined us here at Alfa, we have a really cool little alcove lounge spot that can accommodate about 15-20 of your friends.  Round them up for happy hour and then call us to book it!

Alfa's Gonna Be in a BURGER BRAWL!

We're getting geared up for June 4th - it's gonna be an all-out brawl to see which restaurant makes the best burger - and Alfa is among the contestants. The other 17 will be Participating restaurants include 10 Arts, 500 Degrees, Adsum Restaurant, Alfa, Barbuzzo Restaurant, Butcher & Singer, Good Dog, Ladder 15, London Grill, Royal Tavern, Midatlantic, N. 3rd Restaurant, Paesano's, Pub & Kitchen, PYT, Rouge, Table 31, and Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery and Bravo's Top Chef.

The event takes place at the Meredith Elementary Schoolyard at 725 S. 5th Street.  Proceeds from the event will go to buy the school a computer lab.

Attendees get the chance to judge the competition, along with celebrity judges Mark Summers (from the Food Network's Unwrapped), Winston Justice (Philadelphia Eagles),  Mike Jerrick (Host of Good Day Philadelphia), and Matt Cord (WMMR).

We could tell you more, but the Inquirer does a better job.

Tickets are $100 and you can get them here.