Pub Crawlin’

Saturday’s weather did not bring the expected sunshine with temps in the 40’s. When the dogs woke me up at 6:30 AM it was still bitter and frosty outside, and I knew I wouldn’t do any hiking, so Myna Bird Dog and I spent a lazy morning and leisurely lunch hanging out with my parents and deciding what to do next.

Knowing it was Williamsport’s Mardi Gras, and that Bavarian Barbarian tours didn’t start until 4 PM, I decided not to travel north.  I suspected (incorrectly) that things would be really crowded there. It turns out that, had I gone for the 4 PM tour, I would have been in great company with my Uncle Richard!  I was so pleased that he called me at 5:30 PM to report that he met with Mike Hiller, who is a former student of his.

He really enjoyed the experience - there were two beers on tap, and he was able to taste the Hammerin’ Ale, which was fine, and also the Headbangerz Brown Ale, which he described as rich and full of flavor. I’m glad he had a good time, and I hope to migrate that direction soon.

But for this day, I chose Berwick as a destination. The first thing I discovered about One Guy Brewing Company is that it isn’t exactly where the street address says it is. Like all good gems, it’s hidden a bit (how many times did we turn the car around to find Stone?!?)  The address is 328 W Front Street, and Front Street is one-way in the 300 block. To get to One Guy, simply turn right at the intersection of Front and Oak Streets (Rite Aid is on your left; turn right onto Oak), and the industrial-looking brick building to the left is where the brewery is located.

While the outside is expansive, dull and unimpressive, the inside is small, cozy, clean and inviting (and non-smoking!) It is essentially a tap room - a small bar with a couple of tables, and walls covered in historical beer memorabilia. Guy was standing behind the bar filling glasses and growlers, and people of all ages seemed to be enjoying many different types of beer. There wasn’t a single seat left at the bar, but after driving for so long, I was happy to stand. I perused the beer menu, and decided to start with the Peach Wheat, based on the recommendation of our friend Jason’s wife.

I started talking to the folks at the end of the bar, and quickly found interesting conversation with Doreen and Ken - a couple who live in Bloomsburg, but have experience living in many places across the country, and knew a bit about both making and drinking beer. It was nice to have the company and learn about their interesting lives while I enjoyed a couple of Guy’s brews.

Now, those who know me well know there is one love in my life (well, besides D and the Myna Bird Dog) - I love the IPA - but Guy is really brewing up a hearty set of lagers and pilsners.  The myriad of flavors and colors pouring from his taps was really exciting. He serves beers in three sizes - glass, shaker and growler. I enjoyed three glasses and two tasters (disclaimer: OGB doesn’t serve tasters as a general rule - I was aiming for a growler fill, and Guy was kind enough to help me make my choice!)  Here is what I had:

• Number 1 - a golden lager, which was the first beer Guy brewed on his 2-barrel system just to test the equipment.  Normally, I’m not a fan of anything thin and yellow, but this lager was not boring or flavorless. The taste was much heartier than the appearance. Unfortunately for any of you reading this who didn’t get to One Guy before February 3, it is all gone…forever, so says Guy.
• Dark Lager - taster only, and while tasting, wished I had the tolerance for a full glass. This beer had a very beautiful deep copper color (I saw this more in the pint beside me), and a sweet caramel flavor complimented by a light toastiness. This would make a very nice session beer. Unfortunately, the three beers I had before it completed my session!
• Peach Wheat - light and tart; fresh as summer. Again, I’m not really a fruit beer fan, but putting that out of my mind, I really enjoyed this brew. It wasn’t as thin as some fruited beers can be - perhaps due to the fact that it is unfiltered and made with over two bushels of peaches. It’s the one I started with, and if I could have done it all over, I would have traded out the Dark Lager for this one, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it very much.
• Rauch Bock - this was lighter and less smoky than many other rauch beers I’ve had. It had mild hints of malt and hops, and lacked the heaviness that generally turns me off to this style. I had a taster only at the brewery, but this is the one I brought home for D in the growler (I think Guy was impressed with my German-style growler, plus he recognized our Heinzelmännchen growler carrier - good beer people think alike, right?)
• Cinnamon Boldy - blew me away!! This was my absolute favorite of the line-up, and I was shocked and amazed when I read Lew Bryson’s post yesterday. He used nearly the exact same words as I typed on Sunday night (the ones that mysteriously disappeared when I hit “publish”), and have been using to describe this beer all week (he said, “almost like a tea made from cinnamon hearts.”) If I hadn’t repeated my thoughts to so many times to so many people over the last couple of days, I would have thought I picked them up subliminally! You see, one of my favorite evening beverages is hot cinnamon spice tea, and during this period between Christmas gingerbread man making and Valentine’s Day, I’m all about scarfing up the cinnamon heart candies. Cinnamon Boldy is a golden beer that bursts with this flavor I adore and crave. I was so struck by this one, and am hoping a friend might be bringing a growler down this weekend. If all lagers had this conspicuous and spicy goodness to them, I could certainly consider shifting the balance from hoppy ales in this direction. Brewing this one was a daring move, but I hope it will be a linchpin in his lineup.

In addition to the beers, I broke one of my cardinal food rules and ate a hot dog.  As you see on the menu photo, besides the beers and 71-cent sodas, there is only one other item on the menu, and that is the hot dog at the very affordable price of $1.18. I topped mine with spicy horseradish mustard and dill pickle relish.

Thanks again to Doreen and Ken for keeping me company with their great stories, and to Guy for taking time to chat between serving up the beers (he was busy!) I really enjoyed my trip to Berwick, and will certainly try to travel that way again soon! Another interesting think I did not learn on my own, but from reading Lew’s post - Guy apparently allows customers to bring food from the outside. I can see us scouting out some of the local treats to enjoy while we’re there (one hot dog was enough for me!)

You wouldn’t know it from their website, but the most fabulous brunch in southwestern PA is held on Sundays from 10 AM - 4 PM at Red Star Brewery & Grille in Greensburg.  And naturally, we were visiting for the beer, which has been brewed on location since late 1998.  

We were doing some beer traveling this weekend, which I hope to write about soon, but Red Star was a clear highlight of the trip simply because we didn’t arrive with expectations of such wonderful fare! We were somewhat overwhelmed by what we found.

Red Star opens at 10 AM on Sunday, and today there was not a single customer in the place at that hour, so we “geek toured” the facility - taking photos of the beer menu, the bar, the trapeze artists swinging from the ceiling, the old train station benches, the brewing equipment…  We were seated, and then explored the brunch options without asking the price. In a beautiful facility, with so many freshly prepared options, we expected to pay a large price.

Instead, we were pleasantly surprised. For $14.99 we found a chef creating sushi rolls to our specifications (spicy tuna, smoked salmon with cream cheese, and crab), a Belgian waffle station with a variety of toppings, a made-to-order pasta and omelette station with a wide variety of “add ins”, a carving station with ham and savory cheese side dish, bacon, home fried potatoes, poached salmon and ratatouille, fresh fruit and a variety of desserts including beautiful cakes and cups of chocolate mousse. Additionally, eggs Benedict and banana nut bread were brought to our table.

Everything tasted terrific, and for a buffet situation, it was all beautifully presented. But of all the choices, I was most blown away by the eggs Benedict. The poached egg was so very fluffy that hidden under the hollandaise sauce (the most savory and delectable hollandaise sauce ever!), the egg looked like a dollop of sour cream! Oh my, was it rich. I was glad D and I shared one. The sushi was also impressive. Who would have thought we would find sushi for brunch in Greensburg?!? It was made exactly to order, and such a treat.

And with this lovely meal, we were able to order craft brewed beers after 11 AM. I was glad to see they had 10-oz glasses on the menu, and treated myself the Canvasback American Pale Ale, which is served on nitrogen (tiny bubbles go better with breakfast!) D had two fun and interesting beers - the Christmas Ale (Dark Wheat) and Santa’s Little Helper Barleywine (2007). The 2001 Barleywine was listed on the board, but it was bumped by Voodoo’s Child - a spiced Munich dunkel - which Heath tried (it was so smooth and creamy, I had to walk up to the bar just to make sure it wasn’t really on nitrogen.) Also at our table for tasting was Iron Horse Irish Dry Stout. All of the beers were good, but the Christmas Ale definitely won for “most interesting.” It had a rootbeer barrel aroma, and the flavors of fruit (cherry, cranberry and orange) and clove spice. This was Red Star’s first attempt at a Christmas Ale, and they stated it was modeled after no other. Fabulous job!

Our waiter, whose name I didn’t pick up, was terrific. He was attentive, but not overbearing. He was interested in knowing about our beer travels, but not nosey. Even when the place started to get busy, he kept an eye on our emptying plates and glasses. We really relaxed and enjoyed this meal (and it was all we needed to eat the remainder of the day!)

A four-hour layover in Atlanta was made bearable by the addition of Sweetwater Draft House & Grill on Concourse B.  The airport pub features several of Sweetwater Brewing Company’s beers - there were four on our visit : 420, IPA, Hummer and Blue.

We enjoyed the IPAs (served in 15-oz and 20-oz glasses at more than $6.00 each!) with the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich and the Big Kahuna Fish Sandwich.  The IPA was well hopped with a very pleasant aroma.  Much more than I expected at an airport eatery, and certainly superior to our other choices - Budweiser Brewhouse & Smoking Lounge or Sam Adams Brewhouse (which featured Ale, Lager, Winter Lager and Cherry Wheat.)

Give it to D to find a creative way to clear out some of the inventory…  How about a new and/or different beer each day between December 1 and 25?  He calls it his Advent Calendar of Beer.

Instead of little candies, we get little beer surprises each day.  I’m not exactly sure what the rules are - perhaps he’s making them up as we go along - but it’s been fun trying.

We kicked it off with a weekend away on December 1 and 2, joining up with friends and traveling the “golden triangle of PA beer,” which includes Otto’s Pub & Brewery in State College, The Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, and Selin’s Grove Brewing Co. in Selinsgrove. 

In addition the the three brewpubs, we enjoyed several additional stops including Zeno’s Pub in State College (where I picked up my St. Nicholaus Brewer’s Reserve in the pretty velvet bag!), a private tasting with the Ferry’s, and an extra visit to Bullfrog for Sunday Brunch (yummmm - beer and eggs - the last time I did that was at Holy Cow in Las Vegas.)

Over the course of the trip, we consumed the brews below.  I know the list looks long, but remember that there were 4 of us traveling, 8 of us at the tasting, and the three brewpubs all offered half-pints. 

At Otto’s - they had 10 beers on tap plus 2 on the handpump

• Arthur’s Amarillo Pale Ale on cask
• Mom’s Elderberry Stout
• Ottonator Doppelbock
• Apricot Wheat
• Jolly Roger Russian Imperial Stout on cask

At Zeno’s - so many taps and bottles, we can’t count that high…3 cask beers (there is a good reason this place was placed in the Top 50 Places to Have a Beer (#41))

• Arthur’s Amarillo Pale Ale on cask (again!)
• St. Nick Bock - Penn Brewing
• Gouden Carolus Ambrio
• Bell’s Two Hearted - featured on the TODAY show this week
• St. Bernardus Christmas Ale - this is the first year available in US in bottles, and was the honorary first beer on the Advent Calendar.

At Bullfrog - they had 12 of their own (2 on cask) and two guest taps; unfortunately the Hop Harvest kicked the previous day.

• Blue Collar Brown on cask
• Wolfsblood Scotch Ale
• Lights Out Imperial Stout
• Edgar IPA
• Inspiration Red

In bottles at the Ferry’s house (I think more were consumed - these were just for the tasting; many more were not consumed!)

• Strawberry Creme Ale - Brutal Deluxe Brewery (our homebrew)
• Mount Desert Island Ginger Beer - Atlantic Brewing Co.
• Black Raspberry Reserve - Sly Fox
• Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Co.
• Old Man Winter - Southern Tier Brewing
• Scratch Beer #4 - Troegs Brewing
• Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2006 - Anchor Brewing Co.
• 2007 Smoked Porter - Alaskan Brewing Co.
• Hibernation Ale - Great Divide Brewing Co.
• Old Abominable Barrel Aged/Bottle Conditioned Barleywine - Stout’s Brewing Co.

At Selin’s Grove - there were 8 beers on tap and 2 on the hand-pump

• Pumpkin Ale on nitrogen
• Mud Puppy Organic Brown Ale on cask
• Mud Puppy Organic Brown Ale on nitrogen
• India Pale Ale
• St. Fillian’s Scotch Style Barleywine on cask; the second beer on the Advent Calendar

Thanks to Heath and Kim for keeping a great pictorial diary of the trip (most of the photos I’ll use in this post are his…they still need to be edited before they get added…)  It was great fun to travel with them. 

Dave and Pascha went out of their way to make our trip complete by hosting the tasting, providing a nice assortment of finger foods, and allowing us to sleep over (and Pascha sent me home with a great reading list!)  Thanks SO much to them, and their entertaining children. 

Mary and Steve were delightful company for the tasting, plus I got to see Mary’s Galapagos program, which was cool.  It was really fun to see them again.

What a nice way to kick off the month!

After a little morning shopping at L.L. Bean and L.L. Bean Outlet (temporarily located on the other side of Gritty McDuff’s), we headed north.   D suggested that we could stop for lunch at one of two places - Bangor for Sea Dog Brewing or Orono for Bear Brew. 

Since we’ve both been to both Sea Dog locations, we decided to try something new and go to Orono.

SIZES: 10 oz, 16 oz or 20 oz.

TASTED

Blueberry Weiss - a really excellent blueberry wheat beer.  Nice dark, golden color and strong maltiness.  In a 20 oz serving (as opposed to our original 10 oz), the aroma of blueberries was very strong, but it was absolutely not sticky, candy sweet in any way.

IPA - typical English-style IPA. Good, but not special (but isn’t a “good” IPA just what you want sometimes?) It didn’t overpower my lunch in any way.

Porter - Fine; lacking a strong roasty flavor.  Made me not interested in the brown.

FOOD

I can’t post about the pub without mentioning the food.  I read that the brick oven pizzas are awesome, and well suited for one, but since we had pizza yesterday, we made other choices.

For D it was the Homemade Sausage Platter, which as a delightful little dish of chorizo with seasoned rice and black beans.  For me it was a beautiful green falafel on foccocia bread with spinach, roasted red pepper, artichoke, feta cheese and balsamic vinegar.  I also had a cup of the Brown Ale & Onion soup, which wasn’t very rich or salty, but had nice herbal qualities.  Everything was very tasty, and a good value.

DIDN’T TRY
Pale Ale
Brown
Porter

GUEST TAPS
Guinness
Smithwicks
Brooklyn Lager
Long Trail Pale Ale
Stella
Leinienkugels Sunset Wheat
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Bud Light

When D said we would be in CT by lunchtime and I should peruse the travel books for a lunch stop, I thought he was kidding.  Yes, there are brilliant restaurants in Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk. But we can’t ever pass by New Haven without stopping at Brü Rm. @ BAR!

BAR is the club. Areas within this brick, concrete, steel, stone and slate decor location include the Front Room, the Back Room and the Brü Rm.  It is on Crown St., facing two restaurants - Istanbul Café (a gracious little Turkish restaurant) and Louis’ Lunch (claims to be where the Hamburger was invented around 1900.).  We used to come here with Tim. before he moved back to KS, and as expected, the staff are not overly friendly or knowledgeable about the beer.

Brü Rm. @ BAR has a food menu that consists of one salad (made with pear, pecans and bleu cheese) and hand-made extra thin crust brick-oven pizza.  Choose your type (red, red w/ mozzarella, or white), choose a size, then pick out the toppings. We had a red with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and anchovies.  It was perfect!

SIZES & PRICES

1/2-pints $2.75

Pints $4.50

Pitchers $15.

5-oz sampler of 5 beers for $7.00

ENJOYED

Watermelon Ale
5% ABV
Created with 4 malts, fresh and seeded watermelon (25 per batch!), German hops, this was not a light lawnmower beer.  It was a mild, lightly hopped ale with a subtle Jolly Rancher finish. Well balanced and great with pizza.

Hitting 70 IPA
~7% ABV, 70 IBUs, 7 hop additions

According to Yankee Brew News, this was brewed in honor of Terry Foster’s 70th birthday (Terry frequently assists head brewer Jeff Browning.) It had a lovely floral aroma and a hop flavor that lingered.

Damn Good Stout
Molasses-black, a perfect after-dinner beverage.  Strong espresso flavor (would overpower any pizza!)  Creamy 3/4-inch head (they attribute this to a special neutral carbonation process, but don’t explain)

DIDN’T TRY

Toasted Blonde (107 calories for 12 oz)

Updated version of the Blonde 30 lbs. of pizza-oven-roasted malt

AmBAR Ale
Pale Ale

This weekend we stopped at Otto’s Pub & Brewing Company on our way to northwest PA. The choices were GREAT, and I was excited to see two Bourbon-aged beers on tap.

I immediately ordered the Bourbon-Aged Jolly Roger Imperial Stout (on the hand pump - how fabulous is that??), which is one of his great stouts - full of roasted maltiness, and pumped up with smokey chocolate flavors - but taken one step closer to the edge by aging it for 6 months in Elijah Craig 12-year barrels. It was 9% ABV, and you can see how beautiful it was below!

D’s first beer was the Bourbon-aged Hellkat, a Belgian-style golden ale aged 6 months in Elijah Craig 12-year barrels (I see a trend…note my post on the Anniversary gift at Bullfrog.) ABV 8.4%

We were also excited to try a new Otto’s beer (for us) - Aurthur’s Mild Ale - which was a true British-style mild coming in at 3.2% ABV. Low in alcohol, but pleasant in flavor.

I finished my day with Mt. Nittany Pale Ale, which is an American Pale Ale that measures 5% ABV. It’s brewed with Centennial hops, and hopbacked with Cascade [Hopback - A vessel that is filled with hops to act as a filter for removing the break material from the finished wort. - from www.howtobrew.com/glossary.html] It has a spicy citrus aroma and a nutty malt flavor. I enjoyed it more than D’s mild, but I also know I can get it anytime I’m in the area.

We filled two growlers for the camping trip. The Apricot Wheat (ABV 4.7%), part of which ended up accompanying breakfast the next day, and the Double D IPA (ABV 8.1%).

Charlie may make one of the best Apricot Wheat beers I’ve ever had (I’m not a fan of fruited beers, but his has lead me to try Apricot Wheats all over America…his is certainly the gold standard!) Double D is an Imperial IPA made with Nugget, Palisade and Amarillo hops. It was good. It was really good. But there was just something that wasn’t quite perfect. I wish I could put my tounge on the flavor that was missing…

Upon first glance, this place is not much at all!  It looks like an extension of the Wacky Willy’s, which is, perhaps, a beer distributor, and when we walked in the door we were greeted only by a cloud of cigarette smoke.  The tables and chairs are mismatched, from my distant perspective, the bar appeared to be home constructed, the ventilation system was exposed, 923 mug-club mugs hang from the walls and ceiling…I was definitely overdressed!

Unlike last night where we were toured around the place, the locals just gave us less than a glance and we made our way to a vacant table.  We were promptly acknowledged by a very patient wait person who really knew about the beers.  (As it turned out, Michelle is the Taproom Manager, and was basically running the place!) (more…)