Master Brewer Tim Sheehan brings us his latest IPA, The Girl from Ipanema

D. Millner Approves

Tim shows off the new label

Our in house master brewer Tim Sheehan is at it again.  His latest batch, The Girl from Ipanema, does not disappoint. Each beer gets a little better than the previous beer and it's safe to say, he hasn't made a bad batch yet.  The rich chocolately oval---- I mean, It's a pleasant balance of hops with a rich chocolately finish. 

Annual Phillies Outing

You need a drink before you see the Phils these days.

After a minor rain delay, the Phils got back to beatin on the Cubbies.

Butch hooking up the specials.

Serious Sergi and a photobombing Jose.

the Boss getting his birthday on.

If it seems like our office is a lot of fun, that's because it is.  In keeping with our yearly tradition, which started way back when the Phillies were actually good; last Thursday we had our annual JKR day at the Phillies.  This year was special in that it was also the Boss Man's 65th birthday.  He took full advantage of his newly granted senior citizen status and wisely got his subway ride to the ballpark for free. With age comes wisdom I guess. And like we always do, we all went back to our second favorite watering hole where we got our celebratory drinks.  The drinks taste much sweeter when the Phils win big. 

JKR Family Fun Day MMXIII

Tim here - This past Wednesday (6/19) marked the first Annual JKR Family fun day.  Tram Fun did an excellent job organizing and hosting this fun day of games, activities and barbecuing in Philly's Fairmount Park West.  There was a great turnout of both staff and their families, and we hope this will be the first of many great Family Fun Days.

The office grill performed admirably on its first day of work.

The bubbles entertained Sean for hours. 

2nd Floor once again proves its superiority.

Burgers are always better when battered in beer.

Chris and David Urffer, u-r-f-f-e-r.

we do homes, and home brews

Believe it or not, Tim concocted some delicious booze in his basement over the last few weeks and he was gracious enough to share some with the good folks up in the holler.  The holler being his lunch crew. It was a rich full bodied Irish Red Ale.  For some reason he didn't tell anyone on the third floor. Either way, we're looking forward to the next batch out next week. And don't let that six pack label confuse you, this was legit.

"No, I REDACTED lefty"

Is our first win in one of those cargo pockets?

It was another heart breaker, that's all I can say. The JKRP softball team turned in a great effort Wednesday night, but it just wasn't enough to get through the red tape of the Planning Commission. The bats were on fire, with solid singles and longer shots bringing in numerous runs. Defensively, the team was on top of its game. Great catches in the outfield and strong fielding on the diamond helped retire the opposition in all but one inning.  Star pitcher Dave Urffer made his 2012 debut and pitched adequately. We continue to hunt for that elusive first win and are back on the trail next week. Statistically, it just has to happen.

EVERYBODY!

This picture pretty much captures the night.

Zach here with the softball banquet recap:  The beer was cold and the thumbs were steaming as the JKRP softball team sent the year out in grand style Wednesday night.  The squad toasted their 2011 season with a seemingly endless train of pints and fried chicken.  An all-star reservation call by Mike Izzo ensured that the team had some tables to occupy, and no errors were made throughout the night.  Things could have taken a turn for the worse when the group decided to do a round of tequila shots, but they pulled through like the champions that they are and finished the evening with a win.  To top off the banquet, stylish medals were awarded to everyone as a reminder of our turnaround season. 


Sometimes drinking on a Wednesday is just as fun when there's no softball involved.

Birthday Run!

Zach here with the final softball update:  Birthday boy Blake Krevolin was a single shy of hitting for the cycle at last night's victory over Nelson.  A home run in the first inning followed by a double and then a triple secured Krevolin's place in the JKRP Softball record books in the category of "best performance on your own birthday."  The bats for the rest of the lineup were on fire, with many extra base hits and two additional home runs.  Positions were shuffled a bit in both the infield and outfield, but the team's defense remained tight throughout the game.  Solid fielding and laser-accurate throws kept Nelson at bay, allowing the offense to take control.    

The lead changed every inning, with JKRP up by three in the top of the 7th.  Surprisingly good hitting and a slide into first base put the scrappy Nelson team on top by one as the bottom of the JKRP order came to bat.  The future looked bleak, but Dan Howard and Laura Woolford managed to get on base.  Both were later forced out at second, leaving guest-star Mike Krevolin perched on first as Jason Wistreich stepped into the batter's box.  I honestly  have no idea where he hit the ball, but I know that Mike rounded the bases to tie it up and a throwing error allowed Jason to score the walk-off run.  What looked like a 13-14 loss a few minutes before turned into a glorious 15-14 victory to end the season. 

The team will be gathering at the Pub next Wednesday during normal softball hours to continue the beer consumption, but without the swinging of bats or running of bases.

"Like Walking Through a Blanket, A Wet Hot Blanket"

Zach here with the weekly softball recap:  The 2-game JKRP win streak came to a sad, sweaty end Wednesday night as the softball team fell to the #2 ranked sluggers of H2L2.  The JKR defense was solid, giving up only a few fielding and throwing errors.  H2L2 kept star left fielder Pete Hartenstine on his toes, sending 80% of their hits directly to his position for a series of easy outs.  


It took 7 innings to bat through our order twice, illustrating either the prowess of the opposition's fielding abilities or JKRP's lack of hit production.  One bright spot came late in the game, when "Little" Dave McClafferty hit a home run over the right fielder's head, bringing himself and "Original" Dave Urffer in to score.  The other bright spot was the tray of brownies, which were delicious.  


With one game to go, the JKRP team is looking to end the regular season with a win next week.  

Once that shirt's on, she's all business.

Zach with the weekly softball update (a day late, but whatever):  Two outs were all we needed to end the game with another victory.  Two outs is what short-fielder (and team treat-provider) Jen Whary gave us, adjusting to each hit and making the catches look easy.    


The JKRP team took to the field in great form Wednesday night, putting 13 runs on the board with solid hitting (including a home run).  The defense turned in some quick innings, with both infield and outfield stepping up to make plays.  Throws were accurate, bags were covered, and everyone played like we knew what we were doing out there.  We were leading the WRT team going into the top of the 7th inning, and Jen's epic catches (along with her heroic traffic-stop earlier in the game) made her the MVP of the night.


With two regular season games left to play, the team is ready to continue their first winning streak of the decade and finish above .500.       

Hip-Hip-Jose!

Zach with the weekly softball report:  Jose Hernandez didn't wake up Wednesday morning thinking that he would bring in the winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning that night.  He went to bed, however, knowing that he did just that.  Tight defense kept the JKR softball team in the game, and they were only down three runs when their last batters took to the plate.  Strong hits and smart running (aided by excellent base coaching) steadily marched the batters around the diamond, tying the game at 11 when Hernandez stepped into the box.  With one out and runners in scoring position, Jose only had to pop up deep or send a blooper over the heads of the infield to bring the winning run home.  He did neither.  A hard line drive tight to the third base line allowed the runners to advance and gave the JKR squad another win in their turnaround season.


Also worthy of note: an excellent home-brewed beer made an appearance on the JKR bench, marking the first time a keg has been tapped at a softball game.

History Is Made

Wednesday night saw many firsts for the JKRP softball team.  We had Dave's first 2011 appearance (he was 3 for 3), we had our first 9-run inning, and, for the first time in history, a pitching change was called for.  Glenn Werner, amassing a pitch count of 57 on his first batter, was pulled in the top of the third inning by interim manager/center fielder Mike Izzo.  The side was quickly retired after the change.  "The first one was right down the middle," said Werner on the bench, "but he didn't swing.  I guess he didn't want them like that."


There aren't many rules in slow-pitch architectural softball, but it felt like we were up against the entire ASL rulebook last night.  Two outs at the plate were nullified by a vocal Ewing Cole bench.  One in a "slide or surrender" situation (in which the runner neither slid nor surrendered), and another because "the foul tip didn't go over the batter's head."  Despite the bad calls, Marissa turned in some All-Star caliber play at the catcher's position.


What the team lacked in Krevolin brothers it more than made up for with grilled meats and cake balls.  Aggressive base running was not slowed by the pounds of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and cake we ingested.  We were in it until the end, but ultimately walked away with a loss.  Only four more games to go before the 2011 season comes to a close. 

Bureaucracy Triumphs

Zach checking in with the softball report:  Words cannot describe what nine (9) swinging strikes feel like on a warm summer evening, so I'm not even going to try.  It was a defensive struggle by both teams, but one inning got away from the JKR squad and we scrambled tirelessly in an attempt to make up a hefty deficit.  Two home runs were scored late in the game, but it was too late; the City Planning Commission covered us in red tape.

!!!

Zach here with the softball report:  A record-setting crew of 17 elevated the JKRP softball team to its best record since 2009.  The team now stands at 2-3 for the year and they couldn't be happier.  Nearly flawless fielding, along with strong hitting and aggressive running, led to the 10-8 victory over the fast-pitching Mutts of Hooper Shiles.  New faces debuted on the field and a blast from the JKR softball past returned to lend a hand as well.  The tides have turned for the JKRP team, and we're hoping that the momentum will carry through the coming weeks.

[Song Title Featuring "Hot"]

Zach with the Softball update:  The thermometer read 100 degrees as the JKRP softball team took the field last night, but our bats weren't as hot as the air around us.  The trash bag quality of our plastic-dipped jerseys pushed our sweat glands into overdrive, keeping everyone sluggish and saturated.  Improvements were made throughout the game both offensively and defensively with smart hits and aggressive base-running scoring a number of runs.  The snacks committee will reevaluate their approach this week, as peanut butter cookies were not the easiest food to consume in that kind of heat.

Friday, I'm (Not) In Love

Zach here with the weekly softball update:  After quickly falling to a 7 point deficit Wednesday night, the JKR Partners softball squad rallied to take a 9-7 lead over Friday and Friends.  We couldn't hold on, however, and the Friends scored three runs in the bottom of the 7th to take the win.  An excessively high number of double plays were made by the JKR infield, and star second baseman Mike Bamonti had what many called The Game of His Career.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

Zach checking in here:  Shock, surprise, and bewilderment rained upon the Belmont Plateau just after 8pm Wednesday evening as the JKR Partners softball team marked the final out of their first (actual) win since 2009.  The 21-19 triumph snapped a losing streak that has hung heavily over the team's head for far too long.  It might have been the cake, it might have been the beer, it might have been the questionable bats that cost more than a year's worth of GEICO car insurance.  Whatever it was, the celebration commenced once we all remembered what it felt like to win a game.  Good job everyone, let's take this streak to two!

Beer Me!

Beer Me!

Matt Here: Cone Tops, Flat Tops, Pull Tabs, Keg cans, and Tall Boys – Cans in any shape and size, from Philadelphia to Singapore – The MJK collection; 400 strong is a walk down memory lane starting back in 1976 with the discovery of a full can of beer found in the backyard.  Most of the cans are works of art and when combined in large numbers create a cool mosaic of colors, logos, and unique images such as beautiful Fatima Yechburgh – Miss Frothingslosh!  The heyday of can collecting is long long gone but there are still some holdouts such as me waiting for the big payday.

Enjoy – and check out http://www.beercans.org/