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!?!
Bullfrog Brewery just announced details on the latest bottle release - French Kiss – a 7.2% ABV Biere de Garde. Brewer Terry Hawbaker describes it as
“Full of luxurious richness with an aroma akin to candied apples. The palette is full of expressive malt yet finishes dry and spicy with dashes of tartness from the yeast.”
Bottles of French Kiss will be available as a pre-release exclusively to Pub Club members on Thursday, September 3, and then to the general public on Friday, September 4. There is a limit of 4 bottles per person per visit, and the cost is $16/bottle.
This same announcement tells us the following draft beers will be on in October:
- Coffee Cream Stout - made with 10 pounds of freshly roasted Sumatran Mandling coffee and 55 pounds of lactose for a smooth and creamy coffee flavor.
- Oktoberfest
- Hop Harvest – a fresh, wet-hopped ale
The bottle release for October will be Undead Ed (the oh-so-fabulous Edgar IPA bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces) but also in October, we can expect bottles of Wolfsblood Scotch Ale and Busted Lawnmower(keg conditioned with Brettanomyces) to be available!
It’s going to be a crazy day at Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA! The beer geeks who can make it will be out in full force to buy Frambozen – a wild, barrel aged raspberry ale – for $20 a bottle (limit one case per person.)
Doors open at 11 AM. There are only about 30 cases, so it will go fast!
This is where they make it!
Yummy!
Filed under: Beer News, Brown Ale, Craft Brewed Beers, Non-Smoking, Pennsylvania, Travel, microbreweries
Be among the first to try Elk Creek Café + Aleworks Mid State Trail Ale at the 40th Anniversary party for the Mid State Trail.
On Sunday, July 12th, 2009 from 2:00PM to 4:00PM, the Mid State Trail Association is sponsoring a party in honor of the trail. All are invited to join the MSTA for this mixer and to share experiences on Pennsylvania’s wildest footpath. A portion of the proceeds from each beer sold will be donated to the Mid State Trail Association.
Mid State Trail Ale is a Northern English Brown Ale, described by brewer Tim Yarrington as a beer with a profile designed for balance in a quote for the Summer 2009 MSTA newsletter, the ‘Brushwhacker’:
“The Northern English Brown Ale style is a rich yet approachable English style ale, brewed with English malt and Fuggle hops. The Mid State Trail Ale will be well balanced, with moderate alcohol content, making it a drinkable and satisfying beer.”
Brown Ales pair well with all types of foods, but I will highly recommend the tofu sautéed with spinach and caramelized onions, any trout dish available or Chicken Liver Toast. Also for sale that day will be the trail map and guide.
Make a day, or a weekend, of it – take a hike and go for the beer!
The Mid State Trail System (MST) is Pennsylvania’s longest and wildest footpath, suitable for day-hiking and backpacking. It is now more than 300 miles in length, beginning at the Mason-Dixon Line near Artemas, and traveling through the Seven Mountains and Pennsylvania Wilds Regions to end in Tioga County. It travels through the Bald Eagle State Forest, including Harry John’s picnic area, Poe Paddy State Park or R.B. Winter State Park - all within 30 minutes drive of Millheim.
The deck at Old Forge Brewing in Danville, PA is open, and starting next month, there will be added hours to enjoy it! They will now be open on Tuesdays (4 PM – 12 AM) and extending Wednesday and Thursday hours to midnight.
So that’s Tuesday evenings from from 4 PM to midnight, and Wednesday through Sunday opening at 11 AM and closing ad midnight; still closed Mondays.
Still can’t get there? Check them out at Harrisburg Brewers Fest (June 20) or at the Hops, Vines & Wines Festival in Selinsgrove (July 18).
They almost put us over the top! At 315 Chestnut Street in Mifflinburg, there is a sweet looking storefront property with nicely painted signage declaring Bald Eagle Brewing Company is taking up residence. Inside there was a guy obviously working hard on Easter day, but (without poking my head in the door) not much evidence of exactly what’s going on.
A brewing company in Mifflinburg has the possibility of being the core to a beautiful circle of brewpubs. With Selin’s Grove Brewing Co. less than 30 minutes drive to the south, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks approximately 30 minutes to the west (and, while not a pub, Copper Kettle Brewing is even closer), Bullfrog Brewery just over 30 minutes drive to the north, and a similar distance to the east, Old Forge Brewing Company, the valley would be filled with local beer.
But in this case, the name “Brewing Company” does not refer to a brewery or pub at all. Instead, the goal of owners Tom and Brenda Sweet appears to be to create a business dedicated to supplying ingredients and equipment to the homebrewer, as well as wine and soda makers. Bald Eagle Brewing Company will offer classes to new home brewers, and special order ingredients by request.
The business was slated to open April 1, according to initial news reports, but delays have pushed that date back to May 1. It will be easy to find – right downtown (close to the Scarlet D Tavern) – on the south side of Chestnut Street (Rt. 45). There is meter parking on the west-bound side of the street, and the contact information is listed below.
315 Chestnut St
Mifflinburg, PA 17844
(570) 966-3156
info@baldeagle-brewingco.com
It was welcome morning news from the Patriot-News:
By the end of the month shoppers will be able to purchase six-packs of beer from Wegmans supermarket in Silver Spring Twp.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Wednesday approved a restaurant liquor license transfer to the Silver Spring Square store, said board spokesman Nick Hays.
Restaurant-category liquor licenses allow beer, wine and hard liquor to be sold for drinking at the restaurant and the equivalent of two six-packs of beer per customer for takeout.
Wegmans is the first midstate supermarket to purchase a restaurant liquor license; however, it is not the first license the chain has acquired.
It should be there by May 2009, joining Wegmans stores in State College, Scranton, Williamsport, Easton, Bethlehem and Wilkes-Barre and the Erie area as PA grocery stores selling beer.
I probably won’t need to use the service (although you never know…), but I can see friends and family members taking full advantage of this added service to their local grocery shopping experience. Hooray for us!
Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne, PA did a really wonderful job of hosting a Russian River Brunch today! There was a large crowd at the door for opening, and the welcoming host made an announcement assuring everyone that they would be let in and would get a table. People were quickly seated and served so efficiently. The staff did an amazing job handling this well-attended event.
We were extremely pleased with the 3-oz pours of Temptation (Batches 1, 2 and 3; 7.25 % ABV) - a blonde ale aged in French oak Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces – and found that batch 2 was most favorable at our table.
Next, we shared Vinnie’s Flight, which included taster pours of Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, Damnation, and Salvation. At this point, the staff brought out a round of pastries, and started taking food orders.
With our lovely cheese plates, we had glasses of Pliny the Younger (10.5% ABV, a triple IPA that is hopped three times more than Pliny the Elder, then dry hopped four different times)and Consecration (10.5% ABV; a strong dark ale aged with currants for six months inside Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.) Also, the Holland’s ordered and shared a bottle of Supplication (Batch 3; 7.0% ABV; brown ale aged in French oak Pinot Noir barrels with sour cherries andthree strains of yeast.) PtY is always my favorite, and I milked it throughout the morning, but the sixtels of Younger and Consecration didn’t last very long!
Collaboration not Litigation was also flowing from the taps at Teresa’s. This blended Belgian-style strong ale weighs in at 8.72% ABV, and is a joint effort of Avery Brewing and Russian River Brewing. I won’t repeat the story behind it, but it’s easily found other places.
After that, I honestly have to say that I lost track of where my tastes were coming from… I mean, two friends and my husband were bringing me taster glasses, but I’m not sure which were from private collections and which were available for all, But a fine man named Kevin shared so many things that I’ll give him the credit. The beers were Depuration (Batch 1; 7% ABV; blond ale aged 15 months in oak barrels, with Chardonnay grapes and four strains of yeast added), Perdition (Batch 2; 6.1% ABV; Belgian-style pale ale with aromas of spicy hop, cinnamon, and pear), Beatification (which the website describes as a 100% spontaneously fermented beer using the oldest barrels that no longer have any wine flavor or oak flavor left in them), and Sanctification (Batch 3; 6.25% ABV; blonde ale fermented with 100% Brettanomyces.)
Again, I must compliment the staff of Teresa’s on such a well run tasting event. It wasn’t a cheap morning, but it was a fun time with friends we’ve known, and new friends made. Looking forward to another one soon!
The events of Philly Beer Week are too numerous to account for everything there is to do, or everything we would want to do. But two events stuck out for us on day 3, and they involved a fairly new brewery that has started distributing in PA, and some classic breweries from the northern regions of Pennsylvania.
After a hearty breakfast, we headed over to Capone’sin Norristown for a meet the brewer event with Patrick Rue of The Brueryin Orange County, CA. This small craft brewery is located in Orange County, CA and the name comes from a fusion of the word “brewery” and the family name “Rue”. They create unfiltered, non-pasteurized beers that are made with a unique combination of ingredients and only bottle conditioned.
We enjoyed samples of three beers, and purchased glasses of the others:
- White Orchard- a Belgian-style witbier spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender. The brewery also reports that a spicy, fruity yeast strain is used to add complexity, and rolled oats are added for a silky texture (5.7% ABV)
- Black Orchard- a Belgian-style black wheat beer brewed with chamomile, coriander and citrus peel (5.7% ABV)
- Saison de Lente- a spring saison that the website describes as hoppy and light; fermented with brettanomyces and house yeast from the beginning of fermentation (6.5% ABV )
- Saison Rue- a farmhouse ale brewed with malted rye. It is described by the brewer as having spicy, fruity yeast notes, biscuit-like malt backbone, and a slight citrus hop character (8.5% ABV)
- Hottenroth Berliner Weisse- a tart German-style Berliner Weisse fermented with lactobacillus and brettanomyces for a traditional sour quality (3.1% ABV)
Next, it was back to Memphis Tap Room to make sure everyone got a chance at the Dorado. Unfortunately for us (but not the lucky people who were part of the event) there was a vintage beer event going on, so we couldn’t get any food service. Their food and pourings looked extremely interesting. We did enjoy our pints, and brought a few of our own snacks out to hold us over.
Our next stop was the Grey Lodge Public House where Lew Bryson and Scoats were hosting a full line-up of beers that don’t normally appear in the Philadelphia marketshare. Lew gave a nice speech including a brief history of the brewery business, and some current updates on the brewing scene in State College, Williamsport, Berwick and Wilkes-Barre. The beers included:
- Bavarian Barbarian Square Feet Wheat Dunkelweizen
- Bullfrog Beesting
- Elk Creek Belgian Strong
- One Guy Atomic Punk IPA
- Stegmaier Holiday Warmer – spice holiday ale aged in Chardonnay barrels
- Stegmaier Porter
- Yuengling Bock Beer – a new beer to the PA market
Our next stop was Teresa’s Next Door. Our friends were attending the New Holland Beers from the Vaultevent, and highly recommended going there for dinner. Teresa’s was a terrific choice for a satisfying and interesting meal. We started with a trio of lovely cheeses, bread and fruit – all at half-price on a Sunday. I had the Crocus & Cream mussels made with saffron, diced tomato, white wine, shallot and cream paired with the very best wood-roasted green asparagus that I’ve ever had. D had the Cassoulet, made with white beans, duck confit, veal sausage, and chicken.
The beer choice was Duval Green on it’s US debut, only on draft. I would take the time to talk about it, but the rest of my party is itching to get back to Philly Beer Week (day 4) events, and it’s already been said.
