The Aaron Goldfarb Blog

Bar #5 – P.O.P.E. – Post-Mortem

I was so world-class hungover on Saturday after the previous night's festivities that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make this event.  But after an afternoon nap and a Cuban sandwich I had mustered up the energy to head back out in Philly for my second event in that town, one I thought would be a top event on the tour, the craft beer bar Pub on Passyunk East (or P.O.P.E.).

I shouldn't have been so excited.  Though the bar had a great layout and a spectacular beer list (it was Dogfish Head night!), the clientele was the too-cool-for-school skinny jeaned hipsters too off-put to do anything but twiddle their lip rings.  A group of people snarking in real life, like internet blog commentators in full 3-D!

One woman came up to me, looked at my picture on the back of the book...

...and goes, "That's guy like mature, handsome, and dateable.  But in real life, look at you.  Get someone to dress you better."

Having said that, the staff at P.O.P.E. was awesome and easily my biggest fans.  Several bouncers bought several copies of the book to read it in front of the bar and, loving it so much and straight up LOLing, customers actually saw these big burly guys enjoying themselves and decided to go inside to grab a copy themselves.

Not a total loss and the sales for the day were surprisingly strong.

FAIL OF THE DAY:

Drinking Miller High Life forties so hardcore the previous night at Drinker's that I was so ridiculously hungover all day I was unable to leave my room to find a sports bar to watch my beloved Syracuse Orange clinch a bowl game for the first time in ages.  Had to follow the play-by-play via Twitter on my iphone.  Shameful.

SUCCESS OF THE DAY:

I've long wondered whether blurbs actually sell books--leaning toward, no, they don't--but now I can confirm that they actually sold at least ONE for me.  Some dude was perusing my book when he looked up at me and goes, "This kinda sounds like this one book I loved.  By some lawyer.  From Philadelphia."  Wordlessly, I turned the book over:

BOOM!  Book sold.  Thanks, PL!

DRINK OF THE NIGHT:

Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout via a Meyer's rum-soaked cherries Randall.  HOLY FUCK.  Best beer of the tour so far.  Shit, best beer I've had in the last month or so.