Today marks the beginning of my favorite center city summertime tradition, Center City Sips. From 6 June to 29 August, several bars, restaurants and lounges offer a special Wednesday happy hour from 5-7. Cocktails cost $4, wines $3, beers $2 and (get this!) $1 appetizers. Check out the Center City District web site (linked above) for more details, including a list of all participants and their offerings. Be wary, though, last year my friends and I found that several restaurants did not offer the appetizers listed and passed around substitutes such as cocktail wieners instead. I strongly recommend making it clear to your server or bartender that you’re there for the specials.

Sitting outside at the Sidecar Bar last night, I ordered a beer and was sort of surprised when it came out in the glass above. I’d never seen pint glasses used as campaign promotion before. I asked the server the story behind it, and she said that Linda Carpenter is married to the owner of Yards Brewing which is how she got her name on the glasses.

I didn’t pay close attention to the primary winners in the Common Pleas race, so I looked up results in Judge Carpenter’s race tonight. It appears she got the highest percentage of votes in her race, in a pretty packed field. As an added bonus, her campaign will live on indefinitely, as long as those pint glasses last (does anyone know, were they at other bars in town?).