Bars

Memphis Taproom Pours Half Pints in Honor of Gary Coleman

Brendan Hartranft
Brendan Hartranft Photo: Memphis Taproom

Tonight the Memphis Taproom will celebrate the life of recently departed actor Gary Coleman by serving $1 half-pints from 6 to 8 p.m. The tribute comes more than two weeks after Coleman’s unfortunate passing. Owners Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida say they wanted to do something sooner, but were too backed up with the deluge of Philly Beer Week events to host a proper memorial for the Diff’rent Strokes star. The same goes for the Golden Girls Rue McClanahan and Dennis Hopper, both of whom passed away that same week. “We were just swamped with Beer Week stuff,” Hartranft told Grub Street. “We thought we would wait until it was over to honor them.”

In addition to pouring half-pints for Coleman, the couple’s other two bars, Resurrection Ale House and Local 44 will memorialize McClanahan and Hopper tonight. “We’re serving $5 Duvels at Resurrection Ale House, because what better way is there to celebrate the quintessential Golden Girl than with the quintessential golden ale?” Hartranft explained. “For Dennis Hopper, we were going to do fifty-cent PBRs, you know because of Blue Velvet, but I just couldn’t abide by putting PBR on draught. Fundamentally that would just go against everything we believe in.” Instead Hartranft will offer specially priced glasses of Port Brewing Company’s Shark Attack, a red ale with a bold hop character, at Local 44. “Get it? A hoppy beer for Dennis Hopper? I know, it’s a pretty lowbrow joke,” Hartranft said.

Memphis Taproom Pours Half Pints in Honor of Gary Coleman