Filed under: Beer News, Beer Travel, Craft Brewed Beers, Pennsylvania, Travel, microbreweries
I failed to post about our late-October weekend in Philadelphia, hanging with our friends from Asheville and our friends from the Philly area (that particular miss was due to scheduled surgery following weekend.) One of the many fun things we did was go tasting at Philadelphia Brewing Company, which has a beautiful tasting room that includes artwork for sale, terrific bathrooms (you wouldn’t guess this when you pull up to the building!) and great views. We also toured and tasted at Yards Brewing Company, which had good beer, a fun tour guide and one great house dog, but no atmosphere.
However, on our visit to Yards, we could see the beginnings of a very large and interesting room through the glass doors. We learned that it would be a tasting room with a kitchen, and eclectic decor would reflect their commitment to sustainability (for instance, the bar tops are made from old bowling alley lanes and the booths are recycled).
Well, as of this week, it’s open! Joe Sixpack’s Beer Radar reports the news first-hand, so I’m just passing the word along. I don’t really have any additional news about it, but thought it was something interesting to share. I can’t wait to check it out – beer, food and wine – what an interesting twist on a tasting room!
I wanted to share a few of our photos from the morning line to the evening pop of the cork! 
Not much commentary since I wasn’t actually there for the purchase, but many thanks to MyBeerBuzz for tweeting the sales progress. I predicted it wouldn’t last past the lunch hour, and Bill posted, “As of 11:58AM today (12/16) the Splinter Series Red & Gold beers are sold out. Stay tuned for future Splinter Beers from Troegs.”
- Splinter Gold
Filed under: Beer News, Craft Brewed Beers, Growler Fills, Pennsylvania, Special, United States, microbreweries
The first two offerings from the Tröegs Splinter Series go on sale today at 10 am in the Tröegs Tasting Room. Question is – how early are people lining up and how soon will it sell out?
This beer is being sold for $22.95 a bottle, and there is a two-bottle limit per style, per person, with only 300 bottles of each beer available, and only on sale in the tasting room.
The barrel-aged Mad Elf is being called “Splinter Red“, and the barrel-aged Scratch 3 (tripel) is being called “Splinter Gold.” Exact details are provided (copied from Tröegs Facebook page and BeerAdvocate) :
This special reserve beer lives and breathes. Captured before filtration, refermented in wood and aged in the bottle with living yeast, Splinter is an experimental series that pushes the brewing boundaries and transforms our beer in new directions.
Here are some details on each beer:
Before filtering the final batch of 2008 Mad Elf we racked some beer into bourbon barrels for six weeks of tender loving care. After bottling, we aged the beer for approximately eight months. This allows the tart cherries to push to the front. Subtle vanilla, bourbon, charred wood, coconut and toasted nut endnotes emanate from Splinter Red.
The transformation of Scratch #3-2007 to Splinter Gold has been a slow rest in oak wine barrels dosed with brettanomyces. During a two-year aging period the horsey flavors of the brett combined with the Westmalle yeast used during primary fermentation to create a complex blend of flavors. Bone-dry and 12% abv, Splinter Gold is highly carbonated.
I imagine it’s going to sell out fast, although I’ve heard speculation otherwise from the staff (silly staff!) Our buying crew is already waiting in the parking lot on this chilly Wednesday morning (but I am not among them!)
Even if you aren’t interested in buying the bottles, it might be worth your while to visit the brewery today. They will pouring samples of Mad Elf 2008 from 101 ounce bottles that have been chilling at the brewery for the past year, and tapping a keg of Scratch 21 (Naked Elf ), which will be available for growler sales.
It’s gonna’ be a beery good day in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania!
Tomorrow is December 6, and around our house, that means celebrating St. Nicholas Day, or as we call it, Samichlaus Brew Day!
I was introduced to Samichlaus in the late 90’s, but it was introduced to America in 1986 – six years after Hürlimann Brewery (Zurich, Switzerland) first bottled it.
Samichlaus once laid claim to the Guinness Book of Records title, “Strongest Beer in the World,” as it always weighs in at 14% ABV or above. It was so strong in alcohol and flavor that at one point, it came in bottles slightly smaller than 12 oz. It is brewed annually on December 6, and under Hürlimann it was lagered in a cave before bottling.
Hürlimann Brewery was acquired by Feldschlösschen, also of Switzerland, who discontinued the beer in 1996, but later reached an agreement with the Eggenberg Castle Brewery (Austria), who reintroduced it with a 1989 brew distributed in 2000. Eggenberg Castle continues to honor the tradition, brewing Samichlaus on St. Nicholas Day and allowing it to ferment for 20 or more days, lagered approximately 10 months, then bottled.
You can learn more about Samichlaus from a couple of places on the web:
- Mine’s a Pint of Santa Claus - Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter (1997; originally from The Independent in 1991)
- News: Samichlaus is Back - Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter (2000)
- Samichlaus Beer – Vintage Tasting in July - Carolyn Smagalski, BellaOnline
- In the Nick of Time - Don Russell, Joe Sixpack (2006)
I’m looking forward to sharing one of my last few bottles of the 1993 Samichlaus (acquired in Bloomsburg, PA) tomorrow with D. Happy St. Nicholas Day!
Matt Barcaro of WGAL News 8 kicked off a series on the local television news tonight starring (yeah!!!) microbreweries of the Susquehanna Valley!
As a girl who just drove from Tröegs for Mad Elf to Iron Hill for Shokolad to Selin’s Grove for Framboise in a 24-hour period (and that was a slow weekend), this is no secret to me, but I’m glad to see the scene getting some light shed on it by the media.
It’s a three-part series that started tonight, and luckily, it appears you can catch it online if you can’t watch it live at 11 PM. Tonight’s segment featured Roy Pitz Brewing and Spring House Brewing.
Along with the video, there is a slideshow with beer facts and information (interesting stuff in the captions, but hard to scroll through) and a Beer Quiz with questions that span a wide range of beer experiences and include some slightly snarky commentary. My favorite question: ”What ‘type’ of beer is Bud? Ale / Porter / Lager / Watery”.
Thanks, WGAL, for doing this!
Filed under: Barleywine, Beer News, Craft Brewed Beers, Legislation, Vermont, microbreweries
By now, most lovers of craft beer have heard plenty about the maker of Monster energy drink, Hansen Beverage Co., initiating a trademark dispute with Rock Art Brewery, ordering it to stop selling, advertising and promoting a beer called “The Vermonster.” Additionally, the large corporation wanted the tiny brewery to compensate it for attorneys’ fees.
If you haven’t read this (because now it’s old news), you can read about it all over the place or watch the Matt and ’The Monster” video. And you can also find the declarations that Hansen backed off, including a time line and sincere thank you from brewer/owner Matt Nadeau (you may also be interested in his video calling for support to Trademark Reform where he talks relatively kindly about the actions of Hansen.)
My reason for posting is to share the hilarious Halloween costume a 
Burlington, VT family created to commemorate the occasion. I send thanks to Beth and Jim for entertaining me (even if laughing that hard after my surgery wasn’t such a good idea…), and hope they don’t mind me sharing it with the world!
Now that the attack on Rock Art is over, I’m hoping to return to drinking Hansen Natural Green Tea Soda and hopefully LOTS of Vermonster!
Filed under: Beer Festivals, Beer Travel, Bottle Shops, Craft Brewed Beers, North Carolina, Travel, microbreweries
Julie said it all so well when she talked about the night before Brewgrass Eve. As one Ashevegas local put it last night as she stood in line to get her BrewDog tastings, “Thursday night is ‘going out night’ in Asheville”, and there was plenty to do!
Bruisin’ Ales was just the start of a great night – the Scotland brewery was well represented with Jason and Julie talking up the seven different BrewDog beers available (I think the site lists 5, and then there were two of their Paradox beers as well – smoked and unsmoked.) Everything was really good, but I was most impressed with Dogma – a 7.8% ale brewed Scottish heather honey and a blend of guarana, poppy seeds and kola nut. Five malts and both Bramling Cross and Amarillo hops contribute to the complexity of this easy-drinking ale.
From the tasting, we headed over to the Thirsty Monk for the 7 pm tapping Founder’s Canadian Breakfast Stout. Just when I keep thinking, “Enjoy this – you’ll never get it again!,” the seemingly impossible happens, and someone else is serving it! The Monk also featured a cask of New Belgium Hoptober and a keg of Ballast Point Sculpin. It was great to catch up with all of our friends who came into town for the night and enjoy these three terrific beers!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few other stops on our way to Asheville. It was enjoyable, as always, to make a stop off in Afton, VA at Blue Mountain Brewery where the Big DIPA was on tap, as well as the Nitro Ale Imperial Porter. We ended our enjoyable evening at Blue Mountain by sharing a bottle of Mandolin – a 9% Tripel named for the brewer’s wife (Mandi Lynn).We pulled in at the same time as Uncle Jedi and Purple Hat Joan (as planned!), so it was great to catch up with them over dinner.
That evening, we were sleeping in Blacksburg, so we decided to check out The Cellar, which had Blacksburger Pils on tap – served in the proper glass! – and also, Shooting Creek Rebel Ale. It was a quiet night in the college town, and I’m pretty sure we closed the place.
So then it was back to the hotel, where Jim shared a growler of Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale with us! I was tired, and frantically searching for my driver’s licence (which I seem to have lost or forgotten…), but kept pulling myself out of it to enjoy this Imperial Belgian Porter brewed with chocolate malt, dark candi sugar, vanilla bean, and tangerine peel, then aged on French Oak chips. This 8.7% beer boasts chocolate, tobacco, molasses, vanilla and hints of banana and clove. It was a great finish for the night!
Finally, one more stop to boast about on our way out of Blacksburg – Vintage Cellar – where we found an amazing selection of wines and an outstanding beer selection. In the hundreds of beers there, I managed to seek out the one we thought we’d missed out on…a stray six pack of Duck-Rabbit Schwarzbier!
It’s raining in Asheville this morning, so we’re making a lazy one of it, but look forward to visiting Pisgah (just ’cause we love it!), Highland (for the special release of 2009 Tasgall Scottish Ale at 4 PM today!) and Wedge, among other things we’ll do in town on Brewgrass Eve!
In the beginning, there were sprouts…
This is year three of our hops growing project, originally planted for beauty and shade but finally this year, they will be used for a beer!
These “sprout” photos were taken on April 18, just around the time we were keeping the crops intentionally thin and using the extra shoots as meal supplements (there are all kinds of hops shoot recipes on the web!)
Unfortunately I’ve misplaced the photos of the fully grown plants and some beautiful close-ups I took of the flowers, but today – after we realized our homebrewing group just isn’t going to have time for this one – D put a call out on Beer Advocate to see if any homebrewer would like to use our fresh Nugget and Cascade hops.
He picked about 3.5 pounds of them, and shipped them off to New Cumberland, PA where they will hopefully become part of a Harvest Ale homebrew.
Filed under: Beer Travel, Craft Brewed Beers, Growler Fills, Pennsylvania, microbreweries
When I first visited One Guy Brewing Company just a week after the opening, I knew it was good enough to make it. Approximately 19 months later, I’ve seen an amazing transformation!
From one room with plain walls, a simple bar, a unisex bathroom, a small brewery in the back – a place that only sold simple hot dogs and encouraged you to bring your own food – Guy has created a space to accomodate all of his fans!
This spring, the inside had a great expansion which included a second room, a women’s restroom and a funky paint job. And outside, Guy graded and gravelled an area overlooking the river.
At approximately 40′ x 80′, fenced on two sides, lined with tables – some under tents – and adorned with a variety of torches, this is a great outdoor space! Steps in the back 
corner lead to a serving window for beers, and bathrooms (currently porta-potties, but planned expansion for plumbing) are available on the opposite side. And there is room for bands (and now, a zoning permit allowing music until 11 pm!), as well as expanded parking.
If you were following the stories, you may have heard about the hoops it was taking to get this beer garden open, but patience and persistance prevailed, and it became a treat to end the summer!
In addition to the fabulous expansion of the facilities, Guy acquired a Blodgett commercial pizza oven creating a new layer of love for the pub. On Friday, we were able to try out the pizzas along with a couple of beers while enjoying a beautiful late summer evening on the river.
We enjoyed a Margherita pizza and the Steve-O Inferno – covered in fresh vegetables, including some nicely hot peppers - which were hand-made and delivered to the table by Guy. The thin crust and light homemade 
sauce was just perfect. Along with it, we had a couple of beers: Hondo Keller, Atomic Punk IPA and Oktoberfest. Everything was perfect!
We didn’t take any beer home this time, but were thrilled to see Guy is using the Nalgene growlers (or as Dave Hoops, co-founder of Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth, MN calls it, the “Adventure Growler” – introduced in response to the glass restrictions in the nearby Boundary Waters, a popular spot for canoeing, kayaking and camping.) Perhaps when the Peach Wheat comes out (and it will…it’s back there just sitting…), we’ll need to add to our growler collection!
I couldn’t help but notice that Berwick looked just a little bit brighter and a little more progressive on this visit. (Is it a coincidence that I thought about writing this a day before the Press-Enterprise wrote in the Roses and Thorns column, “Raise a glass to Guy Hagner, who has turned his dream of being a brewmaster into a growing business in Berwick…Because he took a chance on himself, Berwick is a better place.”?)
If you’ve never been there, why not try getting there for the brewpub’s first Oktoberfest, slated for Oct. 8-11 and 15-18!?!
Filed under: Beer Festivals, Beer News, Beer Travel, Craft Brewed Beers, New York, Special
A couple of weeks ago I wrapped my hands around the NYC Beer Passport and after looking it over, I am convinced this is a “must have” for anyone planning to be in New York for Beer Week or anyone new to drinking New York City.
This 160-page pocket guide contains details on everything that is happening around the city, but it’s so much more! Beer dinners, beer walks, articles on beer, an index of venues, an index of breweries (and where to find those beers) and a listing of styles that shows which beers (by style) will be found during NYC Beer Week.
82 pages are dedicated to participating bars. Each has a page, color-coded by borough, with maps, transit stops, hours, information about special features at the bar, a listing of featured beers, deals provided to passport holders, events at the bar and kitchen information. It’s a great tool for NYC Beer Week – good for deals throughout the city including event discounts – but it’s also helpful for return visits to the city. Some of the deals are available through Labor Day 2010!
During NYC Beer Week, the passport gets you $2 pints at each of the participating bars, a complimentary 8 oz pour of NY3 – the official beer of NYC Beer Week (a Farmhouse Ale brewed with local honey from each of the three brewers – Ithaca, Captain Lawrence and Southampton - which is dry-hopped with hops from Pedersen Farms) – at the Gotham Cask Festival, reduced rates on reservations for Beer Walks and the Brooklyn Brewery Scavenger Hunt, discounted entry to any of the Deconstructing Beer events or the Women in Beerspeakers panel, an additional complimentary beer at the Zagat House Specials dinners, and a souvenir glass at A Walk in the Park at Studio Square - the official closing event which boasts 40+ rare & special craft beers, the premiere of Beer Quest (soon to be found at beerquest.tv) at 4 PM and 8 PM, local foods and music.
By now, if you haven’t purchased a passport, you probably missed out on the pre-sale specials, but there is plenty to be gained by getting one of these, and you can pick them up all over the city!
