Philly Beer Week 2011 Announces The Annual Hammer Of Glory Relay

Bringing The Official Keg Hammer To The Opening Tap

Philadelphia, PA – On Friday, June 3, beginning at 8 a.m., a Philadelphia tradition will kick off Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2011: the epic journey of the Hammer of Glory (affectionately nicknamed the HOG) to the Opening Tap at the spectacular Independence Visitor Center (6th and Market Streets).

As in years past, the HOG will make a day-long trek across the city conveyed only by unusual and exotic means of transport (cars strongly discouraged!), culminating in its arrival to Mayor Michael Nutter for the ceremonial first keg tapping of the 10-day festival.

“Philly Beer Week is a celebration of brewing and drinking that brings the entire city together, and I can’t think of a better way to jump-start the festivities than the HOG relay, which brings our beloved keg hammer out to the Opening Tap by visiting some of our favorite beer spots throughout Philadelphia,” says Executive Director Don Russell, aka Daily News columnist Joe Sixpack. “The journey has become its own PBW event, with people following it the whole way!”

At each stop, the HOG will be handed off to the next person with these words, “Noble carrier, we entrust you with The Hammer of Glory, the omnipotent symbol of our beloved Philly Beer Week. May your journey be safe. Work ye up a thirst, for there shall be a beer waiting for you at your destination. Godspeed!”

This year’s HOG relay route will be:

• 8:00 a.m. Old City Bike Courier to Hop Angel Brauhaus (7980 Oxford Avenue)
• 9:00 a.m. arrive at Hop Angel Brauhaus
• 10: 30 a.m. depart via Convertible, with Miss Hammer from Hop Angel Brauhaus to Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford Avenue)
• 10:50 a.m. arrive at Grey Lodge
• 10:58 a.m. depart via Bicycle Convoy from Grey Lodge to Philly Brewing Company (2439 Amber Street)
• 11:38 a.m. arrive at Philly Brewing Company
• 11:46 p.m. depart via Kinetic Sculpture (a giant space shuttle known as The Kenzinger Fermanterprise) from Philly Brewing Company to Johnny Brenda’s (1201 Frankford Avenue)
• 12:01 p.m. arrive at Johnny Brenda’s
• 12:09 p.m. depart via Trophy Bike’s Bar Bike from Johnny Brenda’s to Yards Brewing Company (901 North Delaware Avenue)
• 12:24 p.m. arrive at Yards
• 12:32 p.m. depart via Marching Band and Mummers from Yards to Standard Tap (901 North 2nd Street)
• 12:47 p.m. arrive at Standard Tap
• 12:55 p.m. depart via William Reed and his Pogo Stick from Standard Tap to Foodery (837 North 2nd Street)
• 12:57 p.m. arrive at Foodery
• 1:05 p.m. depart via Beer Bicycle Brigade from Foodery to North 3rd (801 North 3rd Street)
• 1:20 p.m. arrive at North 3rd
• 1:28 p.m. depart via Hand Powered Two-Wheel Plumbing Contraption from North 3rd to Delilah’s Den (100 Spring Garden Street)
• 1:33 p.m. arrive at Delilah’s
• 1:41 p.m. depart via Delilah’s Girls Convoy from Delilah’s to Silk City (435 Spring Garden Street)
• 1:56 p.m. arrive at Silk City
• 2:04 p.m. depart via Hand Powered Two-Wheel Plumbing Contraption Take Two from Silk City to Institute Bar (549 North 12th Street)
• 2:19 p.m. arrive at Institute
• 2:27 p.m. depart via Wheelbarrow from Institute to The Belgian Café (601 North 21st Street)
• 2:57 p.m. arrive at The Belgian Café
• 3:05 p.m. depart via a Hammerhead Industry Motorcycle from The Belgian Café to Kite & Key (1836 Callow Hill Street)
• 3:20 p.m. arrive at Kite & Key
• 3:28 p.m. depart via Row Boat (reenacting Washington’s crossing of the Delaware) from Kite & Key to The Four Seasons Philadelphia (1 Logan Square)
• 3:40 p.m. arrive at Four Seasons
• 3:48 p.m. depart via Bell Hop’s Luggage Rack (napping in style with a custom bed, sleep mask and chocolates on the pillow!) from Four Seasons to Nodding Head (1516 Sansom Street)
• 4:08 p.m. arrive at Nodding Head
• 4:16 p.m. depart via Tandem Bicycle from Nodding Head to Fergie’s Pub (1214 Sansom Street)
• 4:31 p.m. arrive at Fergie’s
• 4:39 p.m. depart via Tricycle from Fergie’s to Time (1315 Sansom Street)
• 4:49 p.m. arrive Time
• 4:57 p.m. depart via Vintage Cycle”cade” to Bella Vista Beer Distributor (755 South 11th Street)
• 5:09 p.m. arrive at Bella Vista
• 5:17 p.m. depart via Fork Lift (accompanied by visiting brewers from across the country!) from Bella Vista to 12 Steps Down (767 South 9th Street)
• 5:22 p.m. arrive at 12 Steps Down
• 5:30 p.m. depart via The Philly Roller Girls from 12 Steps Down to Brauhaus Schmitz (718 South Street)
• 5:40 p.m. arrive at Brauhaus Schmitz
• 5:48 p.m. depart via Horse-Drawn Carriage from Brauhaus Schmitz to Varga Bar (941 Spruce Street)
• 6:03 p.m. arrive at Varga Bar
• 6:11 p.m. depart via Taxi Bikes from Varga Bar to Opening Tap (Independence Visitor’s Center, 6th and Market Streets)
• 6:41 p.m. arrive at Opening Tap
• 7: 00 p.m. Scoats, owner of Hop Angel Brauhaus and Grey Lodge Pub, will hand off the HOG to Mayor Nutter on a stage outside of the Independence Visitor Center. Doors to Opening Tap will open following the official first tap of Philly Beer Week 2011.

For those who want to find out where the HOG is on June 3 and throughout PBW, follow it’s twitter hashtag #HOG and on facebook at www.facebook.com/hammerofglory. For a glimpse of what the relay is all about, click here for videos from the 2010 route.

Philly Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City” held from Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 12. Established in 2008, it’s the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights throughout Greater Philadelphia.

Philly Beer Week highlights the region’s diverse beer scene – its world-class breweries, neighborhood taverns, trend-setting restaurants and rich beer culture and history. Philly Beer Week is organized and operated by Philly Beer Week Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization overseen by a board comprised of brewery owners, distributors, restaurant owners and others, to promote the beer and hospitality industries.

For more on Philly Beer Week 2011, including the ever-expanding schedule of events and list of participants, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org.