Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide

Beer Festivals in Pennsylvania in January

2010-01-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry folks. I have come across no Beer fests in January. Unless some of you know of any that I haven't come across, the only thing going on is Farm Show January 9 - 16 at the Farm Show complex. And you know what that means....milk shakes, baked potatoes, fried mushrooms....oooooo I do love fried mushrooms. And of course, the smell of farm animals and their accompanied odor of manure. Mmmmmmm....makes your mouth water just thinking about it, doesn't it?

L8R

November Beer Festivals.

2009-10-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

November is almost here, and in the spirit of helping people plan their weekends.

So let's get to it, shall we?

Allentown Brew Works is hosting a Craft Beer Festival on November 7th. Two sessions starting at 12pm. 20 breweries confirmed. This one should be a goodie.

On Friday the 13th, The Grey Lodge Pub in Philadelphia will be hosting Friday the Firkinteenth.

That same day, on the other side of the Commonwealth, the Pittsburgh Rugby team will be sponsering The Pittsburgh Brewfest.

On Saturday, the 14th at the Harrisburg Farm Show complex there will be Flavor Pa Beer and Food Expo sponsered by the Pennsylvania Brewers Guild.

On the 14th and 15th Winterbeerfest will be held at The Navy Yard in Philedelphia.

And finally on the 21st, and the 22nd Split Rock Resort will be holding a Great Brews Classic Beer Festival.

Always have a Designated Driver, and always drink responsibility.

L8R

Introducing Dodd Brewing American Classic Ale

2009-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I attempted my first all-grain brew. I was thinking that it would take on the characteristics of a red ale, but boy was I wrong. And wrong in a good way, we bottled it a little earlier than I wanted, but it turned out a really nice amber color.

So, introducing to the the world Dodd Brewing American Classic Amber ale. This will be a beer that we have in our regular rotation of brews. Crisp, with a nice malty after taste. Good stuff.

L8R

An All Grain Red Ale

2009-10-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe for my first all grain red ale. Enjoy.

L8R.

Brewing your first all grain batch of beer

2009-09-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

The day has come my friends. This coming Saturday I will be brewing my first all grain batch of beer. The mash tun will be completed today. The grains have been purchased, the time has been DayTimered, and it will happen.

This inaugural batch will be an american amber. 8lbs of 2 row pale malt, 1lb of caramunich, 1lb of munich. I will be using centennial hops that a friend and I grew for flavoring, don't know yet what I am going to be using for bittering. I will be using 2 wyeast 1056 or equivalent starters in fermentation. I am looking for a big beer out of this batch.

More when it happens. Wish me luck.

L8R.

Weyerbacher Brewing

2009-09-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had some time on my hands so I thought that I would try a new beer distributor. Here in Pennsylvania you have only a couple of options to buy beer. You buy 6 packs from a bar at outrageous prices,or you go to a beer distributor. Draconian, to be sure, but you gotta work with what you have.

I got sucked in by the flashy advertisement for this place, and by the fact that they stated that they had a walk in humidor. I am always on the look out for a good cigar, so I thought what the heck.

Wrong idea. This place was only good if you wanted a Miller, Coors, or Bud product. The rest of their offerings were pretty slim. Strike one. And then their humidor was the size of a closet. Strike two.

As I left the parking lot I was thinking to myself, why did I even think that any distributor would be better than where I always go. And where would that be? It would be to Westy's Beer Distributor in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. And I am not being paid to say this, though George? I am not above taking feebies whenever I can get them.

Once through their familiar doors, I set about looking for that beer that was going to make me sit up and say howdy. I whittled down the competition to an Autumn Harvest, and a Imperial Pumpkin Ale both from Weyerbacher Brewing. I chose the Imperial because it just sounded good, and good it is. With just a hint of pumpkin spice to make it dance on your tongue. This is a good seasonal drink. I am finding that when I can afford Weyerbacher, because they are a little pricey, I am never disappointed with the taste of their brews.

And that is how I spent my Friday.

L8R

Pennsylvania Beer Festivals in October

2009-09-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

october is rocking in Pennsyvania. There are a lot of festivals going, so let's get to it:

Oct. 2, and Oct. 3 the town of Mifflinbburg will be hosting Oktoberfest.

A great family event celebrating Mifflinburg's German heritage

Imported Bier vom Faß (keg).
We usually have ALL beers available until 5 pm. Saturday.
Hacker-Pshorr, Paulaner, and Spaten Oktoberfests from Munich
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse (Wheat) from Munich
Spaten Lager & Spaten Dark from Munich
Beck's & Beck's Oktoberfest from Bremen
Stoudt's Pilsner from Adamstown
German style wines from Shade Mountain Winery
Traditional Oktoberfest food
American favorites, including tasty big soft pretzels
German bands and dancers
Hayrides and Jugglers
Polka Band with the "OOM PA PA" Sound
Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in their Lederhosen (German Shorts with Suspenders) and Loden Hüt (wool hat).
*** Wear an article of German Clothing and receive a
$1 discount off a wristband and mug. ***

Also on October 3 the city of Bethlehem will be hosting their 4th annual Bethlehem Harvest Festival.

Beer sampling
An open air produce market
Great food
Fine arts and crafts vendors
19th Century brewing demonstrations
live music on Main Street
Children’s activities at the Smithy
The beer garden and live music in the Sun Inn Courtyard
Harvest Soup contest and sampling
Apple dessert features from the Sun Inn
And much more!

October 4 the city of Philadelphia will host Sippin' By The River.

The 15th annual Sippin' by the River will take place on Sunday, October 4 at Festival Pier at Penn's Landing located at Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street. The event runs from 1p.m. until 5p.m. and benefits the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.

At the event, visitors will enjoy food from local restaurants, cooking demonstrations, and live entertainment from the band DAME.

Attendees can sample a huge assortment of beers while learning all there is to know from beer expert Gary Monterosso. Authentic beer and food will be offered in a special pavilion as well. A new large Wine Tent will house a variety of wineries offering samples. Guests will have the opportunity to gain knowledge about wine from local experts Robert Peters and Richard Unti.

Stoudts Brewing will host Oktoberfest every Sunday in October.
Celebrate German traditions right here in PA Dutch Country in our
Gemutlichkeit Bier Garden. A fun-filled family event held the last
weekend of September and every Sunday in October featuring live
German music and authentic German food. Try the apple and beer
sausage with slow roasted sauerkraut, Stoudt's award winning brews,
and our famous Pig Roast. Fresh baked hand rolled soft pretzels are
a favorite treat for any age.

Ein Prosit!

October 10 brings the 12th annual Kennett Brewfest to Kennett Square.

October 17, Easton, Pennsyvlania hosts the Lehigh Valley Brewfest.

October 17 also brings the Newtown Brewfest.

And that is just the beginning, stay tuned for more.

L8R

September beer festivals in Pennsylvania

2009-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

September. The time of labor Day Festivals country wide. And the beginning of the Oktoberfest season.

I don't know why Oktoberfest is celebrated in September, and not in October, but there you have it.

And here we go:

Saturday, September 12 in Pittsburgh, Pa there will be The Steel City Big Pour. 32 craft brewers, and 2 sessions. This sounds like a good one.

Saturday, September 19 in Harrisburg, Pa. The 12th Annual Capital City Invitational Beer Festival will be held at Appalachian Brewery in Harrisburg. 3 sessions, 20 brewers, food, and music. Another good one.

Saturday, September 26th in Quakertown, Pa. McCoole's Beer Festival will host 40 craft beers, 2 sessions, food and music.

Ok, Ok, I know that it is August

2009-08-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

I admit I screwed up. I got caught up in vacation and the end of vacation blues, but now I am back on the job. Sheesh.

What is going on this weekend? A lot of stuff, that is what.

The Pennsylvania RenFaire is open officially this weekend, stop in and grab a brew at Swashbucklers Brewery. I know that I will be.

Sly Fox Brewing Company is hosting an American Homebrew Association Rally on Saturday from 2pm until 5pm. A great time to find a brew club in your area.

Brew at the Zoo is August 15th in Pittsburgh from 7pm until 11pm.

Also on the 15th on the other side of the Keystone State there will be an International Great Beer Expo. The event will be held at the Philadelphia Navy Yard located at 5100 Broad St. in Philadelphia.

On a final note, the Brew Expo that was scheduled to be held in State College was canceled this year.

And that is what I know of going on in the world of beer here in Pennsylvania.

L8R

Pennsylvania Beer festivals in July

2009-07-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. I told you about a couple festivals earlier in the month, but here is one more that I just came across.

The Philedelphia Zoo is holding their annual Summer Ale Festival on July 25 from 6:30pm until 10pm.

Tickets are $75 a piece and includes private educational seminar with exclusive brewer, a souvenir pilsner tasting glass and goodie bag. I love goody bags. Tickets are only available on line.

Breweries included are:

Sly Fox Brewery
Roy Pitz Brewing Company
Yards Brewing Company
Flying Fish Brewing Company
River Horse Brewing Company
Weyerbacher Brewing Company
Victory Brewing Company & Restaurant
Stoudt’s Brewing Company
Triumph Brewery & Restaurant
Lancaster Brewing Company
Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant
Philadelphia Brewing Company

Growing my own hops

2009-06-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have told you that a friend of mine and I are growing hops for this coming Fall and the brewing season. I now have some new pictures, taken today, of my 3 plants.

I am growing 2 horizon rhyzomes, and one willamette. And without further ado, here they are:

The biggest one is one of the horizons, and the smallest one is also a horizon. I don't know why it is that way, but what the heck. The willamette was planted about 2 weeks after the horizons went in the ground, and is doing just fine. I haven't used any fertilizer on them other than worm castings that come from my worm pile. My buddy who is growing centennial hops put Scotts organic fertilizer on his and says that they are now about chest high. I haven't seen them to verify, but am happy that his are doing so well. Because I still get to use them, even if they do better than mine because my friend doesn't drink beer. Freakazoid that he is.

L8R,

Pennsylvania Beer Festivals in July

2009-06-18T05:06:00.001-07:00

With June being half over, I thought that it should be time to post the beer festivals that will be going on in Pennsylvania in July.

I am thoughtful that way, no need to thank me.

Selinsgrove will host its 2nd annual Brew Festival on Saturday July 18th from 2 until 6pm. This festival benefits their downtown revitalization program. Tickets can be purchased online for $43 for drinkers, and $11 for the DD. You can see the breweries that are stated as being there by following this link.

Erie Brewing Company will be hosting Beer on the Bay on July 25th at the Pepsi Ampitheater. This beer festival will benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Two sessions available, 12pm until 3, and then 5 until 8pm. Tickets are $25 for drinkers, and $10 for your DD. If you want a souvenir T-shirt, tickets are $40 for drinkers and $25 for your DD. And here is the link for the rest of the info.

Just a couple of beer festivals that are going on in Pennsylvania, but then again it is all about the quality, not the quantity now isn't it?

L8R,

Pennsylvania Beer Festivals

2009-06-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of cool beer festivals coming up in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the next couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to partake in either one of them. The job that pays the bills always takes precedence.

The first beer festival is the coming weekend June 20th in downtown Harrisburg to benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and sponsered by Troeg's Brewing Company.

And then next weekend, June 26th the York County Heritage Trust will be hosting their Microbrew Fest.

Hopefully some of you will be able to take in either one, or even better, both of these events. If you do, I would really enjoy hearing about the good, the bad, and the ugly of them.

L8R,

Hops, Hops, and More Hops

2009-06-13T11:49:00.001-07:00

I promised you pictures of my hops, and pictures of my hops are what you will have.

They are starting to vine quite nicely at this point. I haven't added anything in the way of fertilizer other than from my compost pile. My friend who is growing the centennial hops has added Scott's Organic Fertilzer to his, and they have grown somewhat more than mine. I am not a fan of fertilizer, so I haven't added any.

I have the hops vining on hemp that is attached to a electric pole that was left in out backyard. I have the hemp attached about 12' up, and with the angle that the hemp has, they have about 20' of growing space. The hops are planted in a section of my garden that gets about 10 hours of sun daily. So, as long as I keep them watered, and we get good sun this summer, by this fall I will be using my own hops in my beer.

This, my friends, is satisfaction.

L8R

Revelation #9

2009-05-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to me, one of my many revelations, how little of my own homebrew that I actually drink. This came to light just yesterday when a friend and I were discussing getting our families together for an impromptu picnic. I say impromptu because we husbands were the ones who did all of the planning. And the planning went something like this:

The players are myself, Phil, and my friend, Scott.

Scott: Phil the girls were talking about getting together on Sunday. Are you off?

Phil: Yep, and I have a new beer that I want you to try. Double Simcoe IPA from Weyerbacher brewing.

Scott: Cool. I picked up a variety pak from Appalacian Brewing that I will bring over.

Phil: Excellent. How did you like that Thunderhop from Church Brew Works I gave you a couple of weeks ago.

Scott: It was really good. A little toned down from what I like, but it still went down well.

Phil: I have to turn you on to Blithering Idiot sometime too, but I just drank my last 2 bottles last night.

Scott: I picked up a couple of cigars the other day too. You want me to bring them over?

Phil: Naw, I have a couple of Romeo y Julietta Maduros we can smoke, or you can just rummage through the humidor and see if there is something you like. I have a friend who has been getting some nice cigars for a guy at work, and he has been passing some of them on to me.

Scott: We better plan the food or else we are going to forget all about it. We have chicken we can bring.

Phil: Great, I am working tonight so I will get some corn, salad, and desert.

Scott: So how much beer do you think I should bring over?

Phil: Whatever you can drink

So you get the gist of the conversation. We spent a good 15 minutes talking about beer and cigars, and all of about 3 minutes talking about food.

It was after this conversation that I actually realized that I hadn't said anything about my beer. Sadness. I try to brew to a taste. And I end up giving most of the beer I make to friends. They try it, tell me that they like it, or not. We discuss that pro's and con's and I put that into the recipe for the next batch.

I need to start drinking more of my own beer. Especially since I am going all grain this coming fall. This is important.

And have I mentioned that I am going to a kegerator system? I don't think so. A friend called me up the other day saying his parents had a refrigerator that they want to get rid of, would I be interested. Hell yes I would be. I am picking that puppy up on Monday and converting it to a two draft system.

More as the story develops.

L8R

Just who are you calling a Blithering Idiot?

2009-05-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am a little slow up and around today. You see last night I, after working a harried 10 hours at my day job, decided that I should sit down and drink a couple of Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot brews.

For the uninitiated, Blithering Idiot is a barley wine, weighing in at 11.0% ABV. It is a heavy ale, full of malty deliciousness. Just the kind of brew I enjoy. Though I wouldn't recommend it for a hot summer day. Blithering Idiot is perfect for a cool Fall evening, or a cold Winters night.

And, being the light weight I am, I could only drink 2 of them last night before sleepy time called.

Weyerbacher Brewing has some wonderful beers that you need to be checking out.

Growing your own hops

2009-05-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

I planted my hops last week. I ordered two different styles, 2 rhyzomes each. 2 Centennial, and 2 Horizon hops. Both of these are high alpha acid, dual purpose hops. Meaning that I can use them for both bittering, and flavoring.

A week later, I have sprouts on one of my rhyzomes, and none on the other. I gave the Centennial 'zomes to a friend of mine who wanted in on this little experiment. He didn't put his in the ground until just this last weekend.

Pics coming later.

I will keep you informed as to who, what, where, and when.

L8R

Pennsylvania Beer Festivals

2009-05-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Time to start talking about the next group of beer festivals that will be going on in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Penn Brewing had one that was scheduled for June 6 that has now been cancelled. They will be re-scheduling and will announce the new date at a later point in time.

Stoudt's Brewing will be holding their microfest on June 13th. From their website: "Stoudt’s knows how to throw a party and has been doing so since 1991, the first year of the Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival. We will host various breweries from around the country. The event is held in our spacious courtyards and Brewery Hall. With taster glass in hand, attendees stroll from one table to the next sampling some of the best craft brews that the industry has to offer. Another well-known part of this festival is Ed’s “Best of the Wurst” German style buffet. Included in this are German sausages, pasta salad, German potato salad, red cabbage and six different varieties of Eddie’s homemade bread."

Troeg's will be holding their Harrisburg Brewers Fest '09 on Saturday June 20th. Benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The York County Heritage Trust will be holding their Microbrew Fest on June 26th. Tickets are on sale now, so you had best get them ordered.

Ok, that is a quick run down on what is going on in the world of beer in Pennsylvania in June. Hope to see you at some, or all of the festivals.

L8R

May 9th at Mt. Hope Winery

2009-05-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

You lucky dogs who are going to Mt. Hope for their first beer festival tomorrow.

I am officially jealous. But I have to earn a living, so it will be off to work I go. I would like to hear about it if you have a chance, and it would be even better if you had some pics to share.

That way I won't feel so bad not being able to taste the brews from Swashbucklers Brewery.

Enjoy yourself, kids.

What Pennsylvania Brew have you been drinking?

2009-05-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Thought it was about time for a report card of sorts. Just a check in of what beers I am still in need of trying. Not to take away from the feat of having sampled the beers that I have. Heaven forbid that from happening.

So here we go:

The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, Pa. I drank Thunderhop IPA, which was an IPA that I really liked. I also had Celestial Gold, and Pipe Organ Pale Ale. Both very good beers. This was a good deal.

Erie Brewing Company, Erie, Pa. The first beers from Erie I had was Fallenbock Ale. A really good tasting Bock beer. Malty, with just the right amount of hops to even out the taste. Next I had Railbender Ale which is a Scotch Ale. Another malty beer with a really great taste. I also drank Mad Anthony Wayne APA which is a great American Pale Ale. Again with a really good malt to hop balance. Lastly I drank Presque Isle Pilsner which is a crisp, light tasting beer that would be excellent for days at the beach. This beer is what a national beer brewing company wishes its pale ale tasted like.

On to Lancaster Brewing Company. Started with Amish 4-grain Ale, another APA. I am not sure which one I prefer comparing Mad Anthony Wayne APA, and Amish 4-grain. I will have to do a drink off and get back to you. I also drank Milk Stout, a really nice sweet stout.

Penn Brewery left me ambivalent. It was ok, but it didn't stand out like some of the others I have drank.

Philadelphia Brewing checked in with Kenzinger Ale. Another nice, crisp, change of pace beer.

Troeg's Brewing checks in with Dead Reckoning Porter. I loved this beer. I also tasted Troeg's Pale Ale which is an American Pale, not an India Pale.

Victory Brewing has given me Prima Pils, Hopdevil, and Golden Monkey.

Yuengling Brewing. Who in Pennsylvania has not had a Yuengling? If, then you have to move out of the state.

That makes 8, and tonight I am drinking Weyerbacher Merry Monks beer. That makes 9 breweries out of the 70 that I need to drink.

I am feeling overwhelmed.

All grain brewing

2009-05-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I spent a very pleasant afternoon is Hershey Pennsylvania drinking beer in the Hershey Gardens with some friends. We were attending a fund raiser for The Milton S. Hershey Foundation. In amongst the tents handing out free beer was a guy who was brewing beer in a kettle over an open fire.

Rich Wagner is a Pennsylvania Brewery Historian. We got to talking about all grain brewing, and as he walked me through the process, I got bitten by the bug. For the 3 years I have been making my own beer, I have used liquid extract, dried extract, and have always steeped my grains. No more. Rich explained the process of all grain brewing so well, that I am going all grain.

The first thing I will need is a mash tun so that I can make my own extract. I have a couple of coolers lying around that could fit the bill, so my investment will be fairly minima. I will need to buy a valve, and some stainless web to strain the liquid out of the cooler into another vessel, but again that will be minimal.

And I got so excited about becoming all grain that I decided that I would grow my own hops. Got on Ebay the other night and bought 4 rhizomes that should be getting here in the next couple of days. One of my friends, being a competitive type wants to take half of the rhizomes to his house to see who will end up with the most hops. Which is interesting as this friend doesn't drink beer. He just wants to see what he can do.

Some peoples kids. What can you do with them?

I will keep you informed as to the progress of these projects as we get into them.

Mt. Hope Winery Beer Festival

2009-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

The next beer festival that I would love to go to is at Mt. Hope Winery in Mannheim, Pa on May 9th. There are 2 sessions 11am until 3pm, and 4pm until 8pm.

The listed brewery participants are:

Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown PA

Flying Fish Brewing Co.
Cherry Hill NJ

Roy Pitz Brewing Co.
Chambersburg, PA

Spaten North America
Munich, Germany

DuClaw Brewing Co.
Abingdon, MD

Sly Fox Brewing Co.
Royersford, PA

Franklin's Brewery
Hyattsville, MD

Appalachian Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA

Cape Ann Brewing Co.
Gloucester, MA

Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA

High Falls Brewery
Rochester, NY

Yuengling Brewery
Pottsville, PA

Tun Tavern
Restaurant & Brewery
Atlantic City, NJ

Spring House
Brewing Company
Conestoga, PA

Bavarian Barbarian
Brewing Company
Williamsport, PA

Erie Brewing Co.
Erie, PA

Boston Beer Co.
Boston, MA

Olde Burnside
Brewing Co.
East Hartford, CT

Lancaster Brewing Co.
Lancaster, PA

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA

Intercourse Brewing Co.
Creamery, PA

Old Forge Brewing Co.
Danville, PA

Tickets are $40 per and you can order them on line at the Mt. Hope website. Let me know how it goes. Hopefully Sly Fox shows up for this one.

L8R.

Hershey Biergarten: The Review

2009-04-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so as you read in my previous post, a group of us when to Hershey Gardens for a Biergarten fundraiser for The Milton S. Hershey Foundation. It was to be a three hour tour. A three hour tour.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

We are going to break this up into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Because when you are putting on an event with this kind of audience draw it nevers goes off flawlessly.

The Good: 10 beer tents, as advertised and I drank samplings from all but 2 of them. Why did I stop at 8? Because Sam Adams was one of the 10, and I know that I love Sam Adams Boston Lager so it just seemed that I was wasting time drinking something that I was already familiar with. Lancaster Brewing was also there with their Rare Rooster brew, and their Shoo-Fly Porter. I got to try the Rare Rooster Ale which was very crisp, with a real nice mouth feel, and a smooth malty back taste. An excellent summer beer.

First up for me was Marzoni's Brick Oven and Brewing Company out of Duncansville, Pa. I had their Maibock beer, which is a strong spring beer also known as a transitional beer. Transitional in that it is a beer that is between the strong beers of winter, and the milder beers of the summer. This was a really nice, crisp beer with just a hint of hops, and a very nice malt back taste. A perfect beer for me, because I just am not a huge hop fan.

On to Bavarian Barbarian Brewing. Headbangers Brown is what I tasted from these guys. Another favorite of mine due to its rich nutty, malty flavor with just a hint of hops to keep it balance. Next up from these guys was Steel Drivin' Stout. A very nice stout that drinks

On to Bullfrog Brewery. I had a couple of tastings of their Inspiration Red, because I just couldn't get enough of the first one. The taste of this red is that good. Another smooth, malty beer, easy on the hops but hit my tastes dead on.

By this time I had had 6 beers and it all started to get hazy. Troeg's was my next stop, if I remember correctly, and I tried their Organic Rugged Trail and liked very much. It is an organic take on their original Rugged Trail which is a nut brown. Very smooth, very tasty, and great after a day of being outside.

So are you wondering if I had any beers that I didn't particularly like? Oh yes I did, padawan. So let's get to them right now, shall we?

Barbarian was serving a Blueberry ale that was just weak. It was extremely lightly hopped along with lightly malted so that the blueberry flavor could come through. And it just didn't do it. Very watery.

Magic Hat was there with #9, and Circus Boy. I tried Circus Boy first because of a friend who has been bugging me to try it. Circus Boy is a hefeweizen, but in my opinion is was pretty weak. Not much character. Quite unlike #9, a pale ale with that uses cascade, and columbus hops. You can really taste the cascade hops in this brew. Not a favorite, but it is one of those beers that is a refreshing difference.

Now lets talk about The Bad. First off Sly Fox was listed as one of the breweries in attendance. They weren't there. That was disappointing to me as I was really looking forward to tasting their brews. The layout of the event was a little crowded also. The tents were stacked pretty close to one another, so that when you were waiting in line, you were right on top of folks who were waiting in line for the next tent. I got to meet some nice people in the lines, but still, it was hot and I could have used a little breathing room. Other than Gettysburg Pretzel and Snack Company, there was only one other food vendor. Just one more would have been sufficient to take care of those of us who really didn't want to wait in any more lines.

And The Ugly. If you advertise an event to last a certain amount of time, it should be running on all cylinders for that amount of time. And unfortunately, the Biergarten did not. By 3pm all but 2 breweries had run out of beer. How could you run out of beer at a beer festival? Lack of planning, and lack of concern for your guests is how I see it. And in talking to a couple of other folks who were there, they agree. As a matter of fact I talked to a DJ from KISS 99,3 who was attending with some of her friends and she was saying the same thing. Kate said that last year most of the vendors were open until 4:30, and unfortunately she didn't see herself coming back next year.

Me? I do see myself going next year, but I will be very interested in seeing any changes that will be made.

By the way, the only brewers that were open until 4pm were Lancaster Brewing, and Magic Hat. They were paying attention.

Today we drink beer

2009-04-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

It all started innocently enough at a perfromance of "Riverdance". Don't judge me, and I won't judge you, dude.

Anyway, in the program was an advertisement for a fund raising event for The Hershey Foundation. A biergarten. So, being a responsible, charitable person I contacted a number of my friends who I knew to be of the same mind.

They like to drink beer.

We decided that all of us could not think of a better thing to do on a pleasant Sunday afternoon than to hang out with one another and drink beer while contibuting to a good cause. Ok, fine. We just wanted to hang out and drink beer. But can you blame us? Sunday, April 26 in Pennsylvania dawned clear, with bright blue skies along with the promise of temps in the mid 80's. How could it be any better than that?

So, I will be telling you about the beers we had, and the conversations about them. In our little group of 6 there are two of us who can argue about anything, one who thinks he knows more about everything than he really does, a couple of wild cards, and a designated driver who is bound to start some kind of shit just for the fun of it.

Stay tuned for more later today.

Hershey Gardens Biergarten

2009-04-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

I do so hope that you have your tickets to the Biergarten at Hershey Gardens this coming sunday April 26th. I have had mine for the past couple of weeks. I wouldn't miss this for anything.

ABC is going to be there along with Lancaster Brewing, and Bavarian Barbarian ( which is one brewery I am looking foward to sampling ), and Bullfrog Brewing, Troegs, Yuengling, Magic Hat ( which is the brewery that one of my friends is pushing me to try ), Sam Adams, Dogfish Brewing, and Victory.

That is a full day of drinking. And I hope that I am up for it.

Wish me luck.

L8R.

The Church Brew Works

2009-04-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am drinking Thunderhop IPA from The Church Brew Works established in Pittsburg, Pa on the 1st of August in 1996.

Thunderhop is listed as an American IPA. After the first swallow, I can agree with this as it is not as bitter/hoppy/dry as a traditional IPA. And we all know that I have issues with traditional IPA's.

Thunderhop is very nice. Crisp, and finishes with an almost grapefruit taste from the hops. This is an IPA that I just had to share with one of my friends who is a true hop fanatic. As a matter of fact, I called him up just a few minutes ago to let him know about this beer.

If you like IPA's you need to try The Church Brew Works Thunderhop.

May brew fest at Mt. Hope Winery, Mannheim, Pa

2009-04-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

May 9th looks to be an excellent day to head to Mt. Hope Winery in Mannheim, Pa for Brewfest 2009. 2 sessions. 11am - 3pm, and 4pm - 8pm.

$40 per tickety. Admission Includes:

Free beer sampling from 35-50 breweries including:

Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown PA

Flying Fish Brewing Co.
Cherry Hill NJ

Roy Pitz Brewing Co.
Chambersburg, PA

Spaten North America
Munich, Germany

DuClaw Brewing Co.
Abingdon, MD

Sly Fox Brewing Co.
Royersford, PA

Franklin's Brewery
Hyattsville, MD

Appalachian Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA

Cape Ann Brewing Co.
Gloucester, MA

Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA

High Falls Brewery
Rochester, NY

Yuengling Brewery
Pottsville, PA

Tun Tavern
Restaurant & Brewery
Atlantic City, NJ

Spring House
Brewing Company
Conestoga, PA

Bavarian Barbarian
Brewing Company
Williamsport, PA

Erie Brewing Co.
Erie, PA

Boston Beer Co.
Boston, MA

Olde Burnside
Brewing Co.
East Hartford, CT

Lancaster Brewing Co.
Lancaster, PA

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA

Intercourse Brewing Co.
Creamery, PA

Old Forge Brewing Co.
Danville, PA

PLUS

5 ounce commemorative sampling glass
Full access to three different buffets featuring American, Irish and German fare

I think that I need a ticket to check this one out.

York County Heritage Trust Micro Brew Fest

2009-04-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, that is a mouthful to be sure.

But mark your calendars anyhoo. June 26th, a Friday night from 7pm until 10pm at the Agricultural Industrial Museum. And this year there is a Home Brewers contest, which should bring out some interesting concoctions.

Any way the info is on the York County Heritage Society homepage. Price is $30 for members of the society, and $35 for non-members. Designated Driver tickets are $15.

Tickets go on sale in May, no definite date as of yet, but I will let you know as soon as I see it.

And remember, you don't get to buy your tickets before me.

L8R

Correcting my faux pax

2009-04-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

And I don't even speak french.

It has been pointed out to me that I inadvertently attributed an event with a company that has nothing to do with the event other than it shares a common name.

Hershey Entertainment is not involved with the Biergarten event at Hershey Gardens. Hershey Gardens is a division of the M.S. Hershey Foundation.

Two entirely different organizations.

And I am still open to any free tickets to the Biergarten event that anyone would like to offer me.

Just saying.

Hershey Gardens Biergarten

2009-03-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

Someone at Hershey Entertainment is reading this blog.

And I really appreciate that. I have not yet bought my tickets for the Biergarten event on April 26th. So if someone at Hershey Entertainment would like to toss a couple my way, I would be ever so appreciative. Or a couple of glass, even an opener. I would be very thankful.

But, just because I haven't bought my tickets yet does not mean that I won't be going. My friends and I have arranged for transportation, we have a DD, and we have a thirst for the brews that are going to be offered that day.

One of my friends is pushing Magic Hat Brewery like no other later. I keep telling him that I am drinking my way through the 70 breweries that currently operate in Pennsylvania before I branch out to the other states.

With that being said, if anyone from Hershey Entertainment wants to toss me a couple of tickets, I would be ever so appreciative.

L8R

Yuengling poised to become the largest American owned Brewery

2009-03-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

As reported in the Patriot News today, Yuengling Brewing is poised to become the largest American owned brewery. That is pretty great news.

I have yet to try their Porter. I am going to have to make that a little higher on my "beers to drink" list.

Biergarten at Hershey Gardens

2009-03-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

April 26 is the day, 1-4 is the time, and $35 is the cost. Hershey Gardens is hosting a biergarten. The following Breweries will be there:

ABC
Lancaster Brewing
Bavarian Barbarian
Bullfrog Brewing
Troegs
Yuengling
Magic Hat
Sam Adams
Dogfish Brewing
Victory

I am thinking that this has to be the greatest party ever.

See you there.

Update on Penn Brewery post

2009-03-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was a little glib on my review of the beers from Penn Brewery. Not so understandably, but still.

I drank Penn Pilsner, and Penn Dark the other night. I still say that they didn't "wow" me, though they were ok beers. The mouth feel was good, the taste was middle of the road, and the finish was the same. I did mention that Penn Brewery brews were brews that I would serve to my friends, and family. They are middle of the road beer drinkers, and Penn Brewery beers would fit that bill with them.

I just had to say that.

Namaste.

Drinking brew from Penn Brewery

2009-03-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I had 2 of the styles of beer from Penn Brewery the other night. I had the Penn Pilsner, and the Penn Dark.

I was not that impressed. Both brews are good, but they are not exceptional. These are beers on the same level as Yuengling, in my opinion. Brews that MLW's lightweight family and friends would drink. And they LOVE Yuengling lager.

I forgive them.

L8R

Penn Brewery

2009-03-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be discussing the beers from Penn Brewery today, as I purchased a variety pak on Saturday to take to some friends house. Unfortunately, due to the imbibing of a couple of shots of Jim Beam, and a really nice surprise from my friend who had a lone bottle of Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, along with a couple of other random beers, I didn't get to drink any of the brew from Penn Brewery.

I am a light weight when it comes to drinking. I commit to you that I will force myself to drink beer today, and it will be from Penn Brewing. I promise.

L8R,

Victory Brewing at Philly Beer Week

2009-03-05T19:13:00.001-08:00

A Variety of Victory for Philly Beer Week
beer
With over 40 events that we are participating in as part of Philly Beer Week there is surely something for everyone. Want a full focus on lagers? Meet us at Triumph on March 12th for Klash of the Kaisers. Same singular vision on ales? How about Philadelphia Real Ale Invitational at Yards Brewing Co. on March 15th. But perhaps the most focused and intimate opportunities to get the full flavor of what Victory can do and how they can inspire the city's top chefs, consider catching us on March 10th at the Four Seasons Hotel or Fork Restaurant on March 11th for either of these fantastic events. Click here for a complete listing of Victory's Philly Beer Week events.

WildDevil Comes to Philly Beer Week

wilddevil
Victory Brewing Company's most popular brand, HopDevil Ale, will take on a "wild" characteristic with the March release of WildDevil Ale. The Brettanomyces fermented ale is brewed with the same American hops that give HopDevil its grapefruit, citrus and pine flavors but the addition of a signature Belgian yeast strain contributes a funky, sharp tang to this India Pale Ale. This Belgian treatment of the HopDevil recipe makes for a very worldly ale, in which German malts, American whole flower hops and now Belgian yeast combine. WildDevil will be available year-round in 750mL corked bottles and kegs will also be available for the initial period of its release.

WildDevil Ale, will be offered during Philly Beer Week (March 6 - 15) at various locations throughout the city and the suburbs on draft and in 750mL bottles. The official release will be at The Brewer's Plate on Sunday, March 8th at the University of Pennsylvania. With Victory's presence in the VIP area along with DiBruno Bros., WildDevil is certain to be experimented with by attendees wishing to savor the ultimate in food and beer combinations.

Philly Beer Week is here

2009-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

SLY FOX & PHILLY BEER WEEK…
MADE FOR EACH OTHER!
As you might imagine, Sly Fox Brewing will be all over Philly Beer Week 2009 and we wanted to alert our loyal subscribers to where you can find us.

These are the major events in which Sly Fox will be a prime player:

PHOENIXVILLE PUB CRAWL
March 14 @ Bridge St. & Rt. 113, Phoenixville.
Visit Sly Fox & The Epicurean on Rt. 113, then hit Bridge Street for Iron Hill, Pickering Creek, 1001 Bridge, Columbia Bar & Grille, Molly McGuire's and P. J. Ryan's. Brewers will be hosting at each locale. Starts at 1pm. More details in our online calendar listing.

STANDARD ALE RELEASE
March 6 @ The Standard Tap, 901 N. Second St., Philadelphia.
Pre-Game for the official start of PBW with Standard Ale, brewed by William Reed of Standard Tap and Brian O'Reilly of Sly Fox. 4pm (tapping at 5pm).

OPENING TAP
March 6 @ Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia.
Join the Philadelphia area's great brewers for the official opening of Philly Beer Week. Be on hand for the arrival of the Hammer of Glory, witness the tapping of the week's first cask, enjoy an offbeat Philly-style awards ceremony. 7pm.

BREWERS PLATE
March 8 @ University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia
This popular and unique evening of gourmet food and local craft beers is the city's premiere food-pairing event every year. 4pm.

PHILLY BREWERS CENTER CITY BAR CRAWL
March 11, starting @ Jose Pistola's, 263 S 15th St., Philadelphia
Seven local brewers and their beers will be featured at eight Center City taverns. Join the beer makers as they troop between the bars, showing off their classic ales and lagers. 6pm.

FRIDAY THE FIRKINTEEN
March 13 @ The Grey Lodge Pub, 6235 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia
One of Philly's most famous beer events falls during PBW this year. Chaos will surely ensue. 9am.

SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM
March 13 @ Yards Brewing Company, 901 N. Delaware Ave., Philadelphia
The first PBW of its kind, featuring smoked beers from some of the world's finest breweries (over 20 of them), smoked food from Philadelphia's best BBQ and lots of genuine awesomeness. 11am.

REAL ALE INVITATIONAL
March 15 @ Yards Brewing Company, 901 N. Delaware Ave., Philadelphia
A cask ale extravaganza brought to you by Yards Brewing & Triumph Brewing companies. Join the area's premier cask ale producers for this one-of-a-kind event. 1pm.

ZYTHOS AMERICA
March 15 @ University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia
Sly Fox is one of eight American breweries to be invited to participate in this first U.S. celebration of Zythos and the culture of Belgian beer. 4pm.

Here's a more complete schedule (we couldn't possibly fit everything in), broken down by date, plus a LINK to where you can get more details on these and other events:

Philly Beer Week 2009

March 6
Standard Ale 2009 Tapping & Release Party @ The Standard Tap, 901 N. Second St., Philadelphia. 4pm.

Opening Tap Pre-Game Party/Get Your Kicks on the Rte 66 Trolley @ The Grey Lodge Pub, 6235 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia. 3pm.

Beer Pairing Featuring Rare Brews From Sly Fox @ Amada , 217 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia

Sly Fox Tasting @ Uno Chicago Grill, 8 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton

Sly Fox Tasting @ Uno Chicago Grill, 2803 S. Rt 73 Maple Shade, NJ

Philly Beer Week Opening Tap @ Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia. 7pm.

March 7
Lew Bryson Event featuring Gold Medal Winning Rauch Bier @ Blue Ox Bistro, 7980 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia. 2pm.

March 8
Fifth Annual Brewer's Plate @ University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia. 4pm.

March 9
Run and Drink with brewers Adam Avery, Sam Calagione & Brian O'Reilly, Fairmount Park & The Bishop's Collar, 2349 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia. 3pm.

Yes We Can! Marty Jones of Oskar Blues & Brian O'Reilly of Sly Fox @ Tria Washington Square West, 12 & Spruce, Philadelphia. Meet the brewers 5pm; class 6:30pm.

Meet the Brewer @ Uno Chicago Grill, 8 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton

March 10
Sly Fox vs. Lagunitas Cheesesteak Throwdown w/ Suzanne Woods @ P.O.P.E., 1501 E Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia. 6pm.

Meet The Brewer: Brian O'Reilly @ Southwark Restaurant & Bar, 701 S. 4th St, Philadelphia. 5pm.

Meet the Brewers: Brian O'Reilly & William Reed @ Doobies Bar, 2201 Lombard St., Philadelphia. 8pm.

March 11
Meet the Brewer: Brian O'Reilly @ Amada, 217 Chestnut St, Philadelphia. 4pm.

Philly Brewers Center City Bar Crawl starts at Jose Pistola's, 263 S 15th St., Philadelphia. 6pm

Sly Fox Tasting w/ Corey Reid @ Isaac Newton's Restaurant, 18 S. State St., Newtown. 7pm.

Sly Fox Smart Spelling Bee @ Fergie's Pub, 1214 Sansom St., Philadelphia. 11:30pm.

March 12
Sly Fox Brewing Presents Langhorne Slim @ Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia. 9pm.

Special Sly Fox Guest Bartender Brian O'Reilly @ Pub & Kitchen, 1946 Lombard St., Philadelphia. 10pm.

March 13
Friday the Firkinteenth @ The Grey Lodge Pub, 6235 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia. 9am.

Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em @ Yards Brewing Company, 901 N. Delaware Ave., Philadelphia. 11am.
NOTE: A shuttle bus will run between the two above events

Sly Fox/Southampton Firkin Beer Off @ Good Dog Bar & Restaurant, 224 S. 15 St., Philadelphia. 7pm.

March 14
Phoenixville Pub Crawl/Meet the Brewer Event, Bridge St. & Rt. 113, Phoenixville. 1pm.

March 15
Sly Fox and The St. Patrick's Day Parade @ Kite and Key, 1836 Callowhill St., Philadelphia. 11am.

Philadelphia Real Ale Invitational @ Yards Brewing Company, 901 N. Delaware Ave., Philadelphia. 1pm.

Zythos America @ University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia. 4pm.

T.T.U.D. - That Totally Unnecessary Drink @ Fergie's Pub, 1214 Sansom St., Philadelphia. 7:05pm.

On the hunt for some good Pennsylvania Beer

2009-02-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

I am just about finished with all of the beers that I have collected over the past couple of months. I am now in need of some samplings from a new Pennsylvania brewery.

I have had Railbender, Mad Anthony APA,Fallenbock, and Presque Isle Pilsner from Erie Brewing.

I have sampled Dead Reckoning Porter, Rugged Trail Brown, Troegenator, and a few others that I am coming up short on naming here from Troeg's Brewing.

I have had Milk Stout, and 4 Grain Ale from Lancaster Brewing.

I have had Kenzinger Ale from Philadelphia Brewing.

Now I am on the lookout for something new.

Any suggestion?

Just in from Philadelphia Brewing Company

2009-02-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

This just in from Philadelphia Brewing Company. This is the company that makes Kenzinger Ale, a really nice smooth summer day beer.

Hello Everyone ~ Well, we are coming up on the 1st Anniversary of our "Brand Re-Opening". That's right...it has been 1 year! And what a year it's been. We thought we would throw ourselves a party and it would be great if you would come help us celebrate. We will also be debuting our Imperial Stout! So, here's the details:

1 Year Anniversary Party

Saturday March 7, 2009
1 o'clock - 4 o'clock

Philadelphia Brewing Co.
2423-39 Amber Street
(entrance is on Martha St.)
Philadelphia, PA
215.472.brew
www.philadelphiabrewing.com

Erie Brewing Railbender Ale

2009-01-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

This beer is the beer that Budweiser American Ale wants to be. Erie Brewing has come out with a world class beer in the APA style, that a national brewer wanted theirs to be.

That is why you need to go out and buy some Railbender.

Took me all night to finally figure that one out.

Namaste.

Let it be said, Facebook is crack

2009-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

And that is all that I am going to say on the subject.

Back to work. The other week I went out looking for some beer from Legacy Brewing and found out that the Distributor where I get all of my brews, Westy Distributors in Shiremanstown, was not carrying it due to a pull back by the brewery.

I ended up buying a variety pak from Erie brewing. The pak came with Railbender Ale, Presque Isle Pilsner, and Mad Anthony Wayne APA.

I had to opportunity to drink the Railbender, and Pilsner last night. What a nice couple of beers. Both of these beers went down smooth and easy. They were like old friends. Nothing that was going to shock, or surprise you. Just nice easy drinks. These are both beers that I would have no problem serving to any of my friends who are not into bolder brews.

The Presque Isle Pilsner is a lower ABV at 4.2%, along with a lighter taste. Railbender is a scottish ale that has a nice malty taste. Smooth, but with a kick of 6.2% ABV.

Both are great beers for any of your get togethers.

Namaste.

Brew Works benefits the American Diabetes Association

2009-01-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

TICKLE ME TUESDAYS 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW-
TO BENEFIT THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION.

Professional and amateur stand-up comedians from the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, New York and many points in between have been getting together at the Allentown Brewworks to offer the region's most unique comedy showcase: Tickle Me Tuesdays. We'll celebrate the first year of this tremendously popular show on

Tuesday, January 27th
with headliner ALEX HOUSE,
with proceeds going to the
American Diabetes Association.

The anniversary show will start at 8pm

on the 27th, but doors will open a little earlier than usual: 6:30, because the Fegley family, owners of the Allentown Brew Works, have pledged 10% of all checks at the show that night towards the ADA, so patrons are encouraged to come early to enjoy a full Brew Works food and beverage menu. In addition, Ryan Hill, the host and producer of Tickle Me Tuesdays, has pledged all door money to the fight against diabetes, minus performer fees.
We are asking a $5 minimum cash donation at the door per person; the usual door charge for Tickle Me Tuesdays is $5.

Lauren Wiley, the ADA's Director in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is thrilled to have Tickle Me Tuesdays as her first fundraiser of 2009, saying "You can't beat having a fun event for a good cause. This will be a really important year for the American Diabetes Association, and it means so much to start it off with an event that people will really enjoy." This show will be produced in the memory of Hill's grandmother, Margaret, who passed away from long-term effects of diabetes in 1998.

Headliner Alex House, based in Easton, is one of the Valley's most successful professional comics and has been seen on Last Comic Standing, The View and Good Morning America. This show will feature previous Tickle Me Tuesday headliner Pat House, the host of the Comedy Central Presents Live! Tour. Also scheduled to perform are some of the amateur comics who made their comedy debuts at TMT in 2008 and have fast become audience favorites, such as Randy Tonge (Breinigsville), Kate Lawrence (Bethlehem) and Steve Bost (Bethlehem). Robert Palos, originally from Hellertown but now residing in Chicago, where he is a regular in the club circuit, will be back in the homeland to perform.

The Allentown Brew Works is located at 812 Hamilton Street in Allentown's Renaissance Square. Advance tickets are not available for this show, but reservations can be made by calling the Brew Works at 610.433.7777. Free parking is available on all surrounding streets, including Hamilton, 8th and 9th, anytime after 6pm. There is also a free parking lot available off of 8th Street between Hamilton and Linden Streets; the entrance to the Brew W orks is less than 50 yards from that lot.

Please note: Tickle Me Tuesdays are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month; the anniversary show was pushed back a week due to inauguration events being held at the Brew Works on the 20th.

Just in from Brew Works in Allentown, and Bethlehem

2009-01-14T05:51:00.000-08:00

Hop'Solutely
11.5% ABV with 74 IBUs.

Stop, Hop and Roll
9%ABV brew with 80 IBUs.

Typical Midwest Mainstream Lagers
merely 4%ABV and only 11 IBU

DOUBLE TROUBLE!!!

There is a phenomenon happening the brewing industry that is well known to 'hopheads' (the moniker given to beer aficionados that like their beer strong and heavily flavored with hops). It is the fascination with just how 'big' your beer can be-- higher in alcohol and higher in IBUs (the scale for bitterness). It is a trend referred to as "Extreme Brewing". Extreme beers are now being created all across America as the renaissance of American Brewing continues to unfold, and both award winning Brew Works locations are releasing very different versions of an extreme style beer-Double IPA.

The history of 'big' beers can be traced back to Imperial stout, also known as "Russian Imperial Stout" or "Imperial Russian Stout," which is a strong dark beer that was originally brewed by Thrale's brewery in London, for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia. It was brewed with high alcohol content - nine or ten percent ABV (alcohol by volume), to withstand the long shipping route. It cannot be denied that the Russian court also enjoyed the higher alcohol content.

India Pale Ale, is an ale style that was originally brewed in England for British troops stationed in India in the 18th century. It was also brewed very strong to survive a voyage that could take as long as six months. It was also highly hopped to preserve the beer and disguise any spoilage. When the troops returned to Britain, they found the British ales were lacking the bold hop flavor they had become accustomed to, so India Pale Ales continued to be brewed to accommodate them. It should be noted that a similar history can be traced in the distilling industry (think London Gins vs. Bombay Gins).

In America, where we like everything bigger, extreme versions of beer have become very popular and brewers are experimenting with styles beyond stouts. The most admired of these carry the style name "Imperial IPA" or "Double IPA" (due to the nearly double amount of grain necessary to brew it-double the grain, double the sugar, double the alcohol content). Lehigh Valley hopheads will get to experience two distinct versions of Double IPAs with an east coast version brewed in Bethlehem, and a west coast version brewed in Allentown.

"West coast IPAs can be considered a style of its own, and tend to be dryer and lighter bodied than east coast IPAs. This allows for their hop bitterness to shine through. East coast style is fuller bodied and more balanced because the heavier body rounds out the aggressiveness of the hops," says Beau Baden, the multiple medal-winning Brewmaster of the Brew Works. "Our Allentown location took on the West Coast version with huge loads of hops added to create a monstrous hop flavor and aroma. With so many hops we needed an appropriate name--and there it was: 'Hop'Solutely!' Our Bethlehem location took on the East Coast version which tend to be maltier but with a solid bitterness that is well balanced. That one we call 'Stop, Hop and Roll'," he said with a chuckle.

Both versions will be available at both locations. Hop'Solutely is deep copper in color, brewed with Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo, Summit and Tomahawk Hops. It has a complex grapefruit hop aroma which is followed by a smooth malt flavor. Hop'Solutely comes in at a whopping 11.5% ABV with 74 IBUs. Stop, Hop and Roll Brewed with loads of Summit and Cascade hops, which lend a citrus aroma and hop bitterness to this 9%ABV brew with 80IBUs. In contrast, a typical mainstream American Lager has approximately 4% ABV and only 11 IBUs.

Now this from Philadelphia brewing Company

2009-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

PHILLY TAKES OVER EARTH
this Thursday, January 15th!

That's right...you heard it hear first
Philadelphia Brewing Co. is taking over Earth, Bread + Brewery*

There will be seven - yes seven - PBC beers on tap
including PhilaBuster, Phillyz Navidad and joe Porter
plus
PBC's Enabler - Chris Morris and Nancy Barton will be your guest bartenders
plus
much, much more!

The takover begins around 6ish

Earth, Bread + Brewery is located @ 7136 Germantown Ave.
in beautiful Mt. Airy

www.earthbreadbrewery.com
www.philadelphiabrewing.com

*the takeover is for one night and one night only
don't miss it

Penn Brewery Update

2009-01-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

This just in:

I’m sure you’re all aware of the challenge that we are currently facing in terms of a home for the Penn Brewery.

We are currently in the process of scouting/obtaining a new location for the Brewery (restaurant and production). Hopefully in the very near future we will be able to announce our new home so that you can all join us in a sigh of relief and begin making plans for our grand opening.

Despite rumors and gossip, we have no intention of “closing” Penn Brewery, just moving. To paraphrase Mark Twain, “the rumors of (our) demise have been greatly exaggerated.” We appreciate your support and continued patronage, and rest assured that our primary goal is to maintain the quality and integrity of our product and company for years to come. There are several locations that are currently being scouted and with any luck we will be making a grand proclamation soon.

We are always willing and eager to hear suggestions (I’m sure it’s lovely, but your basement just isn’t a viable option),as well as complaints, comments, and well wishing from you, our friends in the Pittsburgh beer loving world.

Prosit,

Penn Brewery

Legacy Brewing where are you?

2009-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Went into my favorite Beer Distributor today looking for a variety pack from Legacy Brewing Company and got a nasty surprise.

No Legacy beer to be had. Seems that economy is not being that kind to them. You can still buy it in and around Reading Pennsylvania. It is just those of us who live in the hinterlands that are left in the lurch.

Bummer.

A plea from East End Brewery

2008-12-31T05:42:00.000-08:00

Scott at East End Brewery in Pittsburg sent out this urgent plea for anyone who has a stash of growlers in their pantry:

Good Morning GOOD BEER Fans,

It's a little early for the next monthly newsletter dose here, but
there's something pressing I need to ask of you. I was hoping it
would not come to this. Because of the MASSIVE number of new and
returning faces that came through our door over the last few weeks
(thank you VERY much!), our stock of Growler Jugs that was projected
to last until early February has been entirely depleted. The new
stock won't arrive until next week, so until then, we're completely
out.

Let me say it another way: IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND WE HAVE NO EMPTY
GROWLERS TO PUT BEER INTO!.... Ugh.

So I need to ask you for help: If you have a pantry full of East End
Growlers, even if it's just one or two, and can come out to the
brewery, tonight would be a great night to do it. We will happily
take back any and all EEBC Growlers (and that's only EAST END Growlers
by the way...) and hand you 3 bucks for each one you bring in - even
if somehow you don't need to buy any beer while you're here. I would
appreciate it, and more importantly, your fellow GOOD BEER Fans would
really appreciate it too.

We had to resort to this once before and managed to keep everybody in
beer until the new shipment came in, so hopefully with your help we
can squeak by again... and if we don't, at least we've got 5 beers in
bottles to keep everyone in beer for their End of Year Festivities.

Thanks in advance for your help, and I'll talk to you here in another
week or two, long after this tragedy is over. Otherwise, I'll see you
tonight from 5-7pm!
Cheers,
Scott

$3 for each growler. Damn, wish I didn't live so far away.

Give em a hand if you can.

Good friends don't let friends drink crappy beer.

Brew Works Apricot Coriander Just Released

2008-12-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

There is something about Central Pennsylvania and apricots. The folks around here just love them. And now Brew Works in Allentown, and Bethlehem have just released an Apricot Coriander Ale.

And they also are announcing this:

Allentown: Reincarnation Ale is released!
Reincarnation

At the Brew Works, we pride ourselves in being creative and innovative and with our newest release in ALLENTOWN we have done both. Using an old world brewing technique to harvest all the sugars from the mash (mixture of Grain and Water), we developed a second beer from our Rude Elf mash. The second mash highlights the caramel qualities and nuttiness of the grains. Then we boil it, add imported English hops, and ferment it with a special yeast to create an English Bitter style ale.

A new beer is born from, and with, the spirit of the Rude Elf.

Reincarnation is a copper colored ale with hints of caramel followed by a solid hop bitterness. 4.0%ABV makes this beer a satisfying brew with easy drinkability for everyone. Perfect for the postseason.

Get yourselves to Allentown, kids.

Namaste.

A note of apology

2008-12-26T06:20:00.000-08:00

Today is December 26. I am a day late in my tasting of Penn Brewery St. Niklaus Bock.

I apologize. My system is just way to full of junk to do a reasonable tasting of this beer. Especially since this is the last year that Penn Brewery will be brewing out of their original digs.

I promise that I will test this beer later on today after my system has a chance to get rid of some of the stuff I have managed to stuff down my maw in the past 48 hours.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Namaste.

Dodd Brewing Company in action

2008-12-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today the employees of Dodd Brewing Company bottled their latest offering. A nice red ale that had been in the fermenter for the past couple of weeks.

Sounds pretty impressive when you look at that way.

The reality is that today I washed 48 bottles, and filled them with a nice red ale that I had put in the fermenter a couple of weeks ago. Me. That is the extent of Dodd Brewing Company.

Dreaming big.

Namaste.

Kenzinger Ale

2008-12-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to drink Philadelphia Brewing Company's Kenzinger Ale.

On their website Kenzinger is described as"

"This is a real drinkin' beer! - a golden session ale that boasts both a European birthright and a thirst-quenching Philadelphia sensibility. Kenzinger is refreshingly crisp and smooth, with a spirited flavor that grabs the attention of taste buds everywhere. Get some!"

When I started drinking it the glass temp was about 45 degrees. The flavors didn't start coming out until the temp of the beer hit in the 60's. This is a nice ale, full of flavor. A good hot summers day beer.

Namaste.

Sam Adams Boston Lager

2008-12-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have my taste buds back.

I am very, very thankful. You never fully appreciate the sense of taste until you just don't have it any more. You don't eat, because what is the point? You don't drink anything just for pleasure because, again, what is the point? And of course I wasn't going to drink any of the beers from the 2008 Beer Appreciation group.

But today my sinus cleared up, and I can actually taste again.

So I popped the cap off a Sam Adams Boston Lager. And my, oh my. This is the taste I am going for with every batch of homebrew that I put in the fermetor.

Boston Brewers, the company that makes Sam Adams beers, boasts about the amount of money and time go into making their product. And rightly so, the Boston Lager is a wonderful drink. Malty smoothness, with just the right tone of hops in the back taste. I have said it before, I am not a fan of hops. The Boston Lager uses German hops that don't overshadow the malt, they combine perfectly.

So. This hasn't been my favorite so far, though it is very good. I am reserving the declaration of favorite for later in the tasting. That being said, this is a beer that is great for just about any time, and any palate.

Enjoy

I can't taste anything

2008-12-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Therefore I am drinking no beer. A massive case of the creeping cruds has taken me over, stopped up my nose, and filled my head with cotton.

There will be drinking aplenty when the dam in my head breaks.

Enjoy yourselves responsibly over the next couple of weeks.

Namaste.

Orval Trappist Ale

2008-12-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

Yep. Drank the Orval Trappist the other night.

According to Wikipedia:

"Orval Brewery (Brasserie d'Orval) is a Belgian trappist brewery located within the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval monastery in the Gaume region of Belgium.

The brewery produces two trappist beers:

* Orval Trappist Ale, 6.9% ABV, often referred to as The Queen of Trappists. It was first made in 1931, and has a complex and unusual flavor and aroma produced by a unique strain of yeast. The beer is light in color, slightly cloudy, and has a large, foamy head. There is a complex aroma of leather, horse blanket, spice, and many other earthy components.
* Petite Orval, 3.5% ABV, beer brewed only for the monks (Patersbier). Although not generally available for sale, it can be purchased in the monastery itself or the café near the monastery.

As with all other Trappist breweries, the beer is only sold in order to financially support the monastery and some other good causes. All of the profits from the sale of the beer is distributed to charities and for community development around the region.

Beer critics consider Orval, like most Trappist beers, to be world-class quality [1], but it is definitely an outlier within the group. Its very distinctive taste is largely attributed to two parts of the brewing process. One of these is the use of dry hopping, in which large meshed bags of hops infuse the beer during the three week maturation period. The other is the use of Brettanomyces yeast during this same maturation, which are a local wild yeast.

Orval beer is bottled exclusively in a distinctive skittle shaped 33 cl bottle. The bottling plant has a capacity of 24,000 bottles per hour. The beer is then matured at 15 °C for a minimum of four weeks on site before being distributed. Beer that will be sold at the Abbey or local cafe is matured for six months.

As the beer is bottle conditioned, its flavour can improve over the years with aging, although its hop character and relatively low alcohol make it less suitable for this purpose than some other Trappist ales.

The brewery is normally closed to the public, but opens its doors for two days each year. There are presently 32 secular workers."

So what did I think?

First off, I had a reaction to this ale that I have had to other Trappist ales that I have drank. My throat started to close up. I don't know if it is from the yeast or what, but it feels that I am having a reaction to something in the ale that makes my throat swell. This only lasts for a couple of hours, but it is enough to be disconcerting.

Beyond that. This is a very good ale. Smooth, crisp, with very little back taste. The mouth feel is that of a maltier ale, with a mild hoppy back to it. This would be an ale that I could eat dinner with.

If my throat didn't close up when I drank it. Of course maybe that would help me not eat as much. Maybe this is a weight loss drink for me.

Hmmm.

Let me work on that one.

Namaste.

Troeg's Dead Reckoning Porter

2008-12-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

As my next beer in the 2008 Beer Appreciation Tour, I had the honor of popping the cap off a Troeg's Brewing Company Dead Reckoning Porter.

This was the first time that I had a DRP. And I have to say that I was very happy.

DRP is a dark beer. Not as heavy as a stout, but with the same roasted grain, and malt taste with a nice small hoppy flavor on the back end. This is a heavy beer. This would not be a beer that I could enjoy with dinner. After dinner with a good cigar, yes. But this is a beer that is going to hang around with you for awhile so you might not want it on a full stomach.

5.8% ABV, and 53 on the bittering scale. Drinkable, good, and well worth trying on a dark winters night.

Namaste.

Budweiser Pale Ale

2008-12-09T06:31:00.001-08:00

I drank and reviewed Budweiser Pale Ale the other day. Here is what I had to say about it:

Ok.

So I drank it today. Budweiser Pale Ale. An American Pale Ale, as opposed to a India Pale Ale.

We discussed the difference here, so I won't bore you with the repeat.

It was like drinking water. Very little taste. No hop taste, no malt taste, nothing. It was exactly what I expected from a Budweiser product.

I can't recommend it to anyone other than friends who have no taste in beers.

And that is the nicest thing I can think of saying about this beer.

Today I am checking the hits to this site and I find one from Anheuser Busch in St. Louis. No comment though. I would have expected at least something left. Maybe something along the lines of "hey, why don't you try it one more time and give it a real chance."

Or "So Phil, you don't like the American Ale. We can get with that. How about trying one of our dark beers. We have a couple that you might find to your liking."

But nothing was said.

Maybe I don't have a loud enough voice.

Hmmm.

What think you, blogosphere?

Erie Brewing Company

2008-12-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

Erie Brewing Company was founded in October of 1993, it became operational in November 1994. Its original location was Union Station/Hoppers Brew Pub. It began with a manufacturing capacity of 1040 barrels, or 2080 1/2 kegs. In 1999 Erie Brewing Company transitioned from Brewpub to regional brewery. The company also moved to a new location at 1213 Veshecco Drive, Erie Pennsylvania. Thanks to the move, manufacturing capacity grew to 6,000 barrels, or 12,000 1/2 kegs, or the equivalent of 84,000 cases.

They offer a nice selection of year round beers, along with some seasonals. Last night I tasted their Fallenbock seasonal. Erie Brewing describes Fallenbock as an "Oktoberfest Lager: Robust, roasted, chocolate malt flavor, followed with a clean and crisp finish. Chocolate Brown."

7.8 abv, hop bitterness IPU of 16. This is a very drinkable dark beer. It is very mild. If you are looking for something that is going to make you sit and say "howdy", Fallenbock is not the one. It is good, but pretty unremarkable.

The head was thin, and went away fairly quickly. I started drinking at a temp of around 45, and finished when the beer was in the 60's. The taste stayed true all the way through. Again, this would be a bock that you would serve to folks who are not familiar with a bock. Yeungling drinkers would like this one.

Enjoy.

Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

2008-12-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

This is a hop lovers paradise. The beer of beers for those of us out in the beer drinking world who like hops.

And nothing but hops.

This beer reaches out and grabs your tonsils right after you pop the cap.

Not for me, but I do have a couple of friends that will enjoy this for Christmas this year.

Budweiser American Pale Ale

2008-12-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ok.

So I drank it today. Budweiser Pale Ale. An American Pale Ale, as opposed to a India Pale Ale.

We discussed the difference here, so I won't bore you with the repeat.

It was like drinking water. Very little taste. No hop taste, no malt taste, nothing. It was exactly what I expected from a Budweiser product.

I can't recommend it to anyone other than friends who have no taste in beers.

And that is the nicest thing I can think of saying about this beer.

Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout

2008-12-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I popped the cap off my 2nd beer from this years Beer Appreciation case. This selection was Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout.

Not impressed.

It is tasty enough as beers go. As a stout though, it is fairly weak. Stouts usually have a fairly middling to strong roasted grain taste on the back end. This stout has a mild pumpkin pie spice taste. And though that isn't tasty, the lack of the stout taste is unnerving.

The wrap up? This is a drink to have a couple days after Thanksgiving, and to be enjoyed for that time. It isn't a beer that I would look at being my holiday staple.

Let me know what you think, ok?

Namaste.

Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide drinks Sierra Nevada Wet Hop Ale

2008-12-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know. This blog is supposed to be about Pennyslvania beers, but I got involved with a friend from Trouble Brewing and his Beer Appreciation 102 and the rest is history.

The short version of a long story is 48 folks chipped in and bought 24 cases of beer times 2, split them up and we are all going to drink them and then comment on what we liked and what we didn't.

Last night I drank the Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop Ale. I was very impressed. I do not like hoppy beers. At all. But this beer was delicious. A wet hop is a green hop, one fresh from being picked and into the brew kettle. You do not get much fresher than this.

I poured the ale into a 24 oz ceramic mug and watched the head. Thick, and creamy. It looked like whipped creme. And then I took that first sip. The taste was not unlike a Milk Stout. Sweet, with the flavor of malt but without the burnt after taste. There was a solid hop after taste, but not one that was offensive.

This is a beer that goes down easily. It is one to be savored, and one that I will have no problem recommending to my hop loving friends.

Do your self a favor and try this the next time you are looking to experiment.

Namaste.

The Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide Drinks Milk Stout

2008-11-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

I am working my way through a variety pack from Lancaster Brewing Company.

Today I was drinking a milk stout. This is a full bodied dark beer but has had milk sugar added in the brewing process to even out the taste, and mouth feel. Typical stouts have the flavor of the roasted grains in it as a back taste, but LBC's Milk Stout has a creamy mouth feel, and a coffee back taste to it. It is a very fine stout to drink. The ABV weighs in at 5.3%, just a tad heavier than a regular ale.

This Milk Stout is a perfect brew for watching football, or just enjoying a nice evening at home.

Namaste.

Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide drinks lancaster Brewing Company

2008-10-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Built in the 1880s, the building that is now home to the Lancaster Brewing Co. at 302 North Plum Street has been utilized in a great variety of ways. After an addition was added in 1900, the building served as a tobacco warehouse well into the 1930s. During World War II, it housed enemy prisoners and after the war was again used as a warehouse where scrap metal and other materials were stored.

The Lancaster Malt Brewing Co. opened its doors in April of 1995 and since that time it has been continuously operating as a restaurant and brewery, although ownership changed hands in July of 2002. The current owners, Irene Keares and Jim Weber, changed the name to the Lancaster Brewing Co. The restaurant is called the Walnut Street Grille.

Master Brewer Christian Heim has been with the brewery since it opened in 1995 and is largely responsible for the reputation its beers have built throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The beers are served at Camden Yards in Baltimore and are currently available at more than 60 restaurants and bars in Lancaster County, Harrisburg, Gettysburg and York.

I purchased a variety pack this last weekend because it was time for me to try this beer. I knew that it was time, because I was thirsty.

The beer I tried first is the Amish Four Grain Pale Ale. This is an American Pale Ale, not ever to be mistaken for an India Pale Ale. IPA's have a huge hop taste to them, where and APA is more malty. That being said, there is a pleasant hoppiness to an APA that even I can like. I am not a huge fan of IPA's.

Sorry.

But back to Amish Four Grain Pale Ale. This is a multi-grain pale ale using 2-row Barley, Rye, Oats, Wheat, and Caramel 40. Hops used are Willamette, fuggles and Saaz. The mouth feel is more malty than, hoppy, but there is a pleasant hoppy back taste. That is due to using Willamette and Saaz hops. You will like this beer. It should be an addition to your Friday night TV watching.

Namaste.

The Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide talks about Sour Beer.

2008-10-18T08:43:00.001-07:00

I am participating in a beer appreciation activity that was though up by Eric Trimmer of Trouble Brewing.

One of the beers that Eric is proposing is a sour beer. I don't know that I have ever had a sour beer, though I understand that sour is a form of a lambic. Sour beer is brewed in wooden casks, as opposed to stainless steel. It also has fruit as a part of its mix.

I am not too sure about this style. I am down with pretty much anything, but sour beer? I don't know.

Have any of you ever had a sour beer? If so, what kind, and more importantly did you like it? Let us know.

Drink local, and brew your own.

Phil

Beer Appriciation 2008

2008-10-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

I going to be involved with a beer appreciation exercise that is being initiated by Eric Trimmer of Trouble Brewing. Eric is putting together a number of "must drink" beers for 24 lucky folks to drink and to comment on.

Eric was looking for some suggestions, and of course I had to make sure that Pennsylvania beers had to be well represented. That goes without saying.

I will let you know what I get, and then give you a blow by blow account of each beer. It is a tough job, but I think that I am well up for the task.

Namaste.

The difference between an American Pale Ale, and a India Pale Ale

2008-09-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

You would have thought that the Pensylvania Beer and Brewing Guide would have known the difference. But we found out that we really didn't. And that is unfortunate.

With some trepidation I opened a bottle of Troeg's Pale Ale, poured it into a glass, took the time to look at the color and bubbles and finally took a drink. I was expecting the typical hoppiness of a India Pale. I was wrong. I was drinking an American Pale Ale. And there is a huge difference.

India Pales have a huge hop back taste. That is what I don't like. I understand the bitterness because of the style, but it is not a favorite. Troehg's Pale Ale is, once again, and American Pale Ale. Clean, crisp, a perfect beer for nights out on the patio with friends. This is a mild beer with a clean, even taste. Everyone who is looking for an alternative to the yellow, fizzy commercial beers will love this beer.

Keep drinking locally brewed beer.

Learn how to brew your own.

Bell's Brewing

2008-08-22T16:51:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I know. This is the Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide. But my youngest son came to visit this week and in his honor I picked up a variety pack from my beer distributor.

About Bell's. This is taken directly from their website:

"Bell's Brewery, Inc. formerly Kalamazoo Brewing Company, founded by Larry Bell as a home-brewing supply shop in 1983, sold its first beer in 1985. Originally brewing in a 15-gallon soup kettle, the company has grown remarkably from its production of 135 barrels (1 bbl = 31 gal.) in 1986 to over 90,000 barrels in 2007. Bell's Brewery has grown from a tiny operation renting part of a former plumbing supply warehouse to a bustling, regional craft brewery. Over twenty years of brewing, Bell's Brewery has built a nationwide reputation as a creative and talented brewery, playing a significant role in changing the beerscape of the nation.

Although the "microbrewery" revolution began on the West Coast in the 1970s, the Midwest saw this brewing development much later. Bell's Brewery stands as the oldest craft-brewer east of Boulder, Colorado. Originally self-distributed, Larry and crew brewed, bottled and delivered all of the beer to market for the company's first four years. By 1989, Bell's was shipping over 500 barrels annually and assigned its first wholesaler to further establish itself across the State of Michigan. After struggling several years to produce and sell robust, full-bodied ales against a tide of a mass-market domestic beer, Bell's began to see the demand for craft beer grow dramatically. Bell's soon ventured outside Michigan, continuing its solid growth and developing a reputation across the Midwest for the unique style and flavor of its Bell's brands. The brewery currently sells its beer across a fifteen-state area, through a network of over fifty quality wholesalers.

In 2003, Bell's proudly opened a new production brewery in nearby Comstock, Michigan. The new brewery has now seen three major additions and encompasses 60,000 square feet of building on a 24 acre site The Quality Assurance department has thrived in the new facilities, implementing procedures and techniques that assure that Bell's is consistently putting out the very best beer possible. Total brewing capacity now stands at 140,000 bbls. At the Kalamazoo Avenue location, an historical rehabilitation has brought about a pleasant architectural change to the city landscape.

Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. We look forward to sharing our beers with you."

The variety pack I picked up had an Amber Ale, Kalamazoo stout, Oberon a wheat beer, and a pale ale. I gave a friend the pale ale, I am just not a pale ale kind of guy, though I did drink one with him. It was very pale ale-y. I LOVED the Oberon wheat. And I am not a wheat fan. The mouth feel was very smooth, with just the right amount of hoppiness in the back taste. The Amber Ale I just finished. It will be one that I will try to replicate as I start making my own amber this fall and winter. And lastly, the Kalamazoo Stout. It is very good, but with an almost burnt carmel flavor to it. That burnt caramel flavor is kind of off-putting, though the whole package is very nice.

To conclude, Bell's is a brewery that is putting out products that are definitely worth the effort to find. They are making very good beers at a very good price.

Next week, we are back to drinking beer from Pennsylvania. Troegs Brewing to be exact.

Namaste.

Hanover Brewing Company, Hanover Pennsylvania

2008-07-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

I have been following this brewery for the last year through articles in The Evening Sun. Looks like they will be ready to go by the end of this year.

For more information go to The Evening Sun.

namaste.

Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide to Etiquette

2008-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Tongue in cheek today, I started looking for a guide to Beer Etiquette today. Interestingly enough, I didn't find one for The US, or for Europe. I did find one for Australia. Those folks know how to handle drinking.

Here is what I found.

"The social rules of the round or shout are perhaps the most important of all social rules that need to be mastered. A round is where one individual will pay for the drinks of the other members of the drinking party. Once the drinks have been drunk, another member of the drinking party will get the next round. Every member of the drinking party must buy the same number of rounds.

Like splitting the bill at a restaurant, there is no consideration given to each member's financial status, background or to their gender.

Even generous acts of appreciation, such as buying a drink for an old Digger on ANZAC Day, are likely to be rejected by the intended recipient of the generosity.

The round is one of the principle reasons why Australia has avoided the racial ghettos and race riots that are common in America and Britain. The custom allows an outsider to be inducted into the social group and treated as if they are of equal status. It also allows individuals to demonstrate that are trustworthy characters who are not bludgers and who do not consider themselves to be superior. The round is central to affirming Australia's egalitarian sensibilities. In a way, it creates a kind of psychological round table that would have made King Arthur proud.

The round is also a reason why non-sexual relationships between men and women are very common in Australia. A lone woman can go out drinking with men and provided she buys her round, she will be treated as one of the boys. In other cultures around the world, if a woman goes out drinking with men, she will generally be seen as a slut. Men are always thinking of her gender because they know they have to pay for her.

The rounds are not always followed in night-clubs. This can be attributed to the diverse drinks bought, different motivations, interference of drugs, and the different character of person who frequents such establishments."

In other words, buy for your friends as they will buy for you.

And make sure you have a designated driver.

Namaste.

Pennsylvania Beer Festivals in August

2008-07-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

There will be beer served at the Hanover Chili Cookoff, according to Trouble Brewing.

First indications were that there would not be beer, but now, it appears that there will. "The cookoff, one of Hanover's biggest draws and one of the largest of its kind on the East Coast, last year drew 7,000 people and raised nearly $66,000 for local non-profits and charities. The event is planned to take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 31 at its usual site at the baseball field off Forney Avenue and is expected to draw 70 or more cooks, who will be vying for nothing but bragging rights for their special recipes."

"Those who wish to enter the chili-making contest can go to www.hanoverchilicookoff.com, which should be updated for this year's cookoff in about a week, organizers said."

Quotes taken from the Evening Sun, Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Namaste.

Pa Beer Guide Today

2008-07-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in this latest post of the Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing guide. If you need to read the horrors of what has been happening to me over that past couple of weeks you can read all about it here.

And after you read about my inability to identify potentially toxic plants, you can read about my reactions to modern pharmaceuticals.

And with that all being said, I spent part of the evening out on my deck enjoying a cigar and a fine bottle of Bass Ale. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide, not Bass Ale. But I have had this lonely bottle hanging out in my refrigerator for awhile, and it was starting to feel a little inadequate being next to my Dodd Family Legacy Franken-stout.

So out on the deck I was, sipping a fine ale, and smoking a cigar given to me by another friend. I have some really nice friends who give me things. Of course I try to return the favor by giving them beer when I have it, and I know that it is worth sharing with friends. 'Cause that is the way I roll.

The end of next week we will be traveling down to the shores of North Carolina. I will be sampling some of the local flavor down there and reporting back to you.

L8R

July Beer Festivals in Pennsylvania

2008-06-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a listing of what beer festivals are going on in Pennsylvania. I will keep adding to this list as I find more, but here is what I have right now.

A Tasting in the Wilds: Ridgeway, Pennsylvania. Saturday, July 19, 2008

(Rain or Shine)

Ridgway Firemen's Grounds

North Broad Street, Route 219

Ridgway, PA

This festival will feature not only breweries, but also wine.

Hops, Vines, and Wines Festival: Selingsgrove, Pennsylvania. Saturday, July 19, 2008
2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Downtown Selinsgrove, PA

Advertising itself as the newest Beer and Wine Festival in Pennsylvania.

Beer on the Bay: Erie, Pennsylvania.
Where: Erie’s Pepsi Amphitheater
When: Saturday, July 26, 2008
Time: 2 Sessions
Session 1: 1pm-4pm doors open at 12:30pm
Session 2: 6pm-9pm Doors open at 5:30pm
Tickets : $30 Pre-sale $35 At the Door (Limit of 2000 tickets per session)

This is an outdoor event and is rain or shine.

Looking at their webpage, there are 22 breweries who are listed as being at this one.

Brew at the zoo: Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Fifth Annual Brew at the Zoo will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 6:00-10:00 PM at the Philadelphia Zoo.

This event for those 21 and over will feature more than 25 national, local and home brewers as well as food and entertainment.

If you are aware of any other beer festivals in Pennsylvania during the month of July, please let me know so that I can include them here.

Namaste.

Pennsylvania beer

2008-06-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Beer.

Pennsylvania beer.

Michigan beer.

New York Beer.

Beer.

Ohio beer.

Beer.

Yum.

I like beer.

What kind of beer is your favorite?

Please let me know.

Brewclubs.

Homebrewing clubs.

Do you belong to a brewclub?

What is the name of your brewclub?

What kind of beer do you make?

Namaste.

2008-06-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide Brewery tour continues. Today we head off to Tannersville, Pa to visit Barley Creak Brewing Company. In the words of its owner:

"Barley Creek Brewing Company opened its doors in Tannersville, PA on December 15, 1995. Housed in a renovated late-1800s farmhouse, Barley Creek is located off Rt 80 exit 299 (Tannersville exit) Right off the ramp and first left onto Sullivan Trail Road...go about a mile and we are in the fork of Sullivan Trail and Camelback Road, between the Crossings Retail Factory Outlets and Camelback ski area. The building features an impressive post-and-beam timber frame designed by the renowned architectural firm of Benson Woodworking. Designed by Peter Austin Associates, our ten-barrel brewhouse features a gleaming copper-topped, brick encased brewkettle, a mash tun, a 360-gallon hot liquor back, and a grist mill. We've also got two lager conditioning tanks, four open fermentation tanks, eight bright beer conditioning tanks, and six Firkin cask conditioning tanks, all of which you can see from the bar or the Fermentation Lounge and game room. We're open every day from 11:01 am, serving handcrafted beer and great food. Free brewhouse tours at 12:30 every day. Cheers!"

On tap today are:

Antler Brown Ale
Brown Ale
This traditional American style brown ale has medium body with a sweet Carastan maltiness. A rich deep chocolate color, our Antler Brown Ale is mildly hopped with Mt. Hood hops. Check out the Antler tap handle... locally grown! This has been our most popular beer over the years... a very easy drinking brew.
O.G. - 1050

Navigator Golden Ale
Gold Ale
Another one of our most popular brews. Navigator Gold has a crisp and slighly hoppy finish. It's cold filtered and moderately carbonated.
O.G. - 1056

Cliffhanger Light Ale
Ale
Our lightest brew, this ale has a lower alcohol content than other Barley Creek brews. The Munich malt and Saaz and Hallertau hops give it a distinct German profile. Refreshing with a clean, dry finish.
O.G. - 1035

Angler Black Lager
German Swarzbier
Dark and delightful, this is an easy-drinking brew. Once a seasonal favorite now we brew it all the time as part of our variety case. Brewed with five different malts and three different hops, then pitched with Bavarian lager yeast.
O.G. - 1052

Rescue IPA
India Pale Ale
Hopped four separate times with pure Centennial hops for one of the hoppiest brews around. With a nice dry finish, Rescue IPA is our Mug Club's favorite.
O.G. - 1060

Iron Arm Belgian Style Wheat
Wheat
A Belgian-style summer favorite. Malted wheat, Pale, Munich and Cara Vienna malt, then moderately hopped with Saaz and a double dose of Hallertau. Served unfiltered with an orange wedge, this is fun in a glass.
O.G. - 1050

Mountaineer Maibock
Maibock
A German style lager. Light in color, with medium to full body and mild hop bitterness.
O.G. - 1067

Old '99 Barley Wine
Barley Wine
First brewed in 1998 to be served on our fifth anniversary (December 15, 1999), this beer just gets better every year. And, every year around our anniversary, we brew a new vintage. With an original gravity of 1099, this Barley Wine is dark and sweet, and is served in a snifter like an after-dinner drink. You'll want to savor it slowly.
O.G. - 1099

All 3 of the breweries we have talked about so far are also brewpubs. Make sure that when you go to visit, that you go hungry.

And keep reading The Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide.

Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide Visits The Allentown Brew Works

2008-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Allentown Brew Works is an offshoot of the Bethlehem Brew Works that was founded in 1998 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Allentown Brew Works flagship brew is a Pilsner called The Pig Pen Pilsner. Described as a "Crisp Clean and refreshing Golden Lager brewed with German Malt and Hops for an authentic flavor. Pig Pen Pils is a great introduction into the world of Craft Brewed beer".

They also have a nice looking Amber Lager named Fegley's Amber Lager. I love amber lagers. If Pennsylvania brewers only made amber lager, I would be a happy beer drinker.

Okay that knocks a couple off of our list.

Tomorrow we move on to the next.

Namaste.

Breweries in Pennsylvania

2008-06-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

There are over 70 breweries in the State of Pennsylvania.

Bet you didn't know that.

Starting with:

* Allentown Brew Works Allentown, formed in 2007
* Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, formed in 1994
* Barley Creek Brewing Company , Tannersville, formed in 1994
* Bethlehem Brew Works , Bethlehem, formed in 1998
* Bullfrog Brewery , Williamsport, formed in 1996
* The Church Brew Works , Pittsburgh, founded in 1996
* City Brewing Company , Latrobe, Formerly Latrobe Brewing - Rolling Rock
* East End Brewing Company Pittsburgh, founded 2003-2004
* Four Sons Brewery Titusville.
* Johnstown Brewing Company ( Johnstown, founded in 2003.
* Iron City Brewing Company Pittsburgh, formed in 1899
o Previously Pittsburgh Brewing Company, renamed in 2007, was formed as a trust from the following: Wainwright Brewing Company, Phoenix Brewing Company, Keystone Brewing Company, Winter Brothers Brewing Company, Phillip Lauer, John H. Nusser, Ebhardt & Ober Brewing Company, Hippely & Sons, Ober Brewing Company, J. Seiferth Brothers, Straub Brewing Company and the Iron City Brewing Company.
* Lancaster Brewing Company Lancaster, founded 1840
* Lion Brewery, Inc. Wilkes-Barre founded in 1909 (a.k.a. Gibbons Brewery 1943-1974)
* Otto's Pub & Brewery State College, founded in 2002
* Philadelphia Brewing Co. Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
* Pennsylvania Brewing Company ( Pittsburgh, formed in 1986
* Red Bell Beer Company , Philadelphia, founded in 1993
* Sly Fox Brewery Phoenixville, founded in 1995 and Royersford, second location opened in 2004
* Stoudt's Brewing Company Adamstown, founded in 1987
* Straub Beer St. Marys, founded in 1872
* Tröegs Brewing Company , Harrisburg, founded in 1996
* Victory Brewing Company , Downingtown, founded in 1996
* Weyerbacher Brewing Company , Easton, founded in 1995
* Yards Brewing Company , Philadelphia, founded in 1994
* D. G. Yuengling & Son , Pottsville, established in 1829
* Wagon Wheel Brewing Company St. Marys, founded in 2008

That my friends are a lot of brewery's. I am not sure how I am going to get to see all of them, but try I must.

Will let you know more as it happens.

namaste.

Hi and Welcome to The Pennsylvania Beer and Brewing Guide.

2008-06-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

I am your host,Phil.

Nice to meet you. Pull up a chair and relax. I am going to be talking about the numerous Brewery's, and Brewpubs in the State of Pennsylvania. And we have a lot of them. I will also be talking about the resources for homebrewers that are so freaking hard to find these days.

I moved to Pennsylvania around 10 years ago. I started homebrewing 2 years ago. And it took me a little bit of time to find sources to purchase my needs for my brewing. I am going to rectify that for you.

You are welcome.

I am also going to visit, and discuss the various brewpubs that we have in Pennsylvania. I am really looking forward to that, because how can you go wrong with going out to dinner with friends, and having a couple of beers? Not to bring up a problem we had at Appalachian Brewing Company a couple of weeks ago that I wrote on my other blog.

That all being said, again, welcome. I am up for all questions and comments, both positive and negative. I know that I am going to step on a few toes, but this is about my perspective, so be fore warned.

Namaste.