Six-Pack Project: Pennsylvania Beer

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, we've entered the (unofficial) start of summer. Barbecues, beaches and vacations lie ahead.

But what's a trip away from home without throwing beer into the mix?

Enter the Six-Pack Project. It's a new, collaborative effort between beer bloggers from around the country to highlight a six-pack of our state's native brews that we believe bests represents what the beer culture of our respective states offer. If someone is coming to visit, what bottles or cans would we want to share?

Here are our rules:

1. Pick a six-pack of beers that best represents your state and/or state's beer culture.
2. Beer must be made in your state, but "gypsy" brewers are acceptable, so long as that beer is brewed with an in-state brewery and sold in your state.
3. Any size bottle or can is acceptable to include.
4. Current seasonal offerings are fine, but try to keep selections to year-round brews as much as possible. No out-of-season brews preferred.

Welcome to the inaugural round of the Six-Pack Project.

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It was particularly difficult for me to choose the top six Pennsylvania beers, and I'm sure that if I went through this exercise a year from now, my list would be different. Pennsylvania has a plethora of breweries from which to choose, and then of course, each brewery offers multiple beer styles. So in order to begin whittling things down, I took a look through Lew Bryson's book Pennsylvania Breweries and picked out the breweries that I think are pretty good. Then, under each brewery, I listed each beer they make that really rocks. This list was much more manageable, but even so, I had way more than six. Next, I thought I'd try choosing six "main" styles from the list, something like:

• Pilsener
• Lager
• Pale Ale / IPA
• Porter / Stout
• Red / Amber Ale
• Other / Miscellaneous

Fortunately, my list parsed rather nicely into these categories. And so we arrive at the top six Pennsylvania beers, in order by style as presented above:

1. Sly Fox Brewing Company's "Pikeland Pils" (German pilsener)

This refreshing beer is brewed at both of Sly Fox's locations: Phoenixville and Pottstown. There are not too many craft brewers that put their product in a can, but this is one that does. At 4.9% ABV, you can put a few of these away before you'll notice much of anything, which is perfect for a hot summer day. It pours copper gold and is bubbly with an off-white, frothy head. The malty, bready smell is backed up with a sweetly-bitter, bready flavor with a kick. This tangy pilsener quenches the thirst and leaves a pleasant, lasting impression on the palate.

2. Yuengling Brewery's "Traditional Lager" (American amber / red lager)

Yuengling was established in 1829 and is America's oldest brewery. Even though they now also have a brewery in Tampa, Florida, Yuengling is based out of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Their "Traditional Lager" is such a standard in these parts that you don't have to ask for it by name; you simply order "lager". Though this 4.4% ABV reddish-colored lager has limited distribution, it is widely coveted...and rightly so. I consider it my "go-to" beer, and it certainly goes well with  any meal, all-American or otherwise. (You can read more at this previous post from National Lager Day 2012.)

3. East End Brewing's "Big Hop IPA" (India Pale Ale)

These days, in the world of craft beer, it seems like everyone continually clamors for the best India Pale Ale (IPA). IPAs are getting to be so commonplace, it's almost as if they're a dime a dozen...but not East End Brewing's version. Coming out of Pittsburgh, this IPA packs a punch in the pint. At an even-keeled 5.8% ABV, this IPA is a perfect complement to any social activity, whether it's dinner out or just shooting the breeze with some friends. If you're a hop-head, this is the IPA for you.

4. Spring House Brewing Company's "Big Gruesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout" (American Double / Imperial Stout)

Spring House's brewery is based out of Conestoga, which is near Lancaster, where they also have a taproom. Weighing in at 8.5% ABV, this stout tastes just like you'd expect: it's like liquid candy! While some may prefer to drink this beer for dessert, I have had it with dinner and  loved it. This is a must-have for PB, chocolate, and beer lovers.

5. Tröegs Brewing Company's "Hopback Amber Ale" (American amber / red ale)

Tröegs is one of my favorite breweries, largely because they make so many great beers. But it helps that they are in Hershey, which is only a 45-minute car ride away from my house. Of all their beers, Hopback is truly exceptional and is the best of their year-round offerings. At a straight 6% ABV, this amber ale fills your mouth with a crisp piney and citrusy flavor with hints of bready caramel. This one's a sure-to-please beer.

6. Weyerbacher Brewing Company's "Blithering Idiot" (English Barleywine)

Brewed in Reading, this beer clocks at 11.1% ABV which catches up to you quickly while the Weyerbacher jester just points and laughs. This barleywine has a golden-red hue and exhibits a frothy head. While it smells like cherries, they aren't evident in the flavor. Bright and bold, you feel it all the way down. This is a robust brew with a fully body. Warning: this is not a sessionable beer!

I've identified these six beers as being the best in Pennsylvania, but of course, not all beer that is brewed is bottled or canned. There are some great breweries in the York area right now (e.g. Mudhook Brewing Company and Liquid Hero) and others in the planning stages (e.g. Baldy Beard Brewing Company) that I had to exclude based on the rule about bottles or cans.

Well, that about wraps it up. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts: did I pick the best Pennsylvania brews? Or was I way off? What are your top six PA brews? Let me know in the comments or through Facebook, Google+, Twitter, or even through a check-in on Untappd. Prost!

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Here are the links to the other five blogs which are participating in this inaugural round of the Six-Pack Project:

• Bryan of This is Why I'm Drunk (host) - North Carolina
• Scott of Beerbecue - DC / Virginia
• Eric of Sheppy's Blog - Colorado
• Ryan of Mould's Beer Blog - New Jersey
• Nick of Drink. Blog. Repeat. - South Carolina

The Session #61: What Makes Local Beer Better?

I'm back from my sabbatical from blogging...for now anyway. I didn't mean to take a month off! I've been going through a bit of a dry spell, but only in terms of writing -- I've been sampling new brews, so I've got some notes for future blog posts. But for this post, I'd like to take the opportunity to respond (a couple days late) to a question posed by beer blogger, Matt, from the Hoosier Beer Geek. Actually, the question is part of an ongoing monthly series of questions called "The Session".

The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry. This month's topic is local beer. Here's the question for The Session #61:

Local Beer - "The term is being used by just about every craft brewer in the country. What does it really mean though? Is it more of a marketing term or is there substance behind the moniker? This month I want to think about what makes local beer better? I'm not just talking about the beer itself, although it's the focal point, but what makes local beer better? My connection to local beer is far from thinking that my beer is actually 'local.' Maybe you don't agree with me, and you can write about that. Bonus points for writing about your favorite local beer and the settings around it being local to you."

I'm not really sure what is so unclear about the term "local beer". It seems pretty straightforward to me: local beer is simply beer that is brewed locally. Am I missing something here? Take Liquid Hero Brewery, for example. There's no marketing gimmick here. It's simply three guys brewing beer in York, PA. That's local beer (for me, anyway).

Of course, not all the ingredients are grown locally. But who would expect that to be the case? After all, beer pretty much has its roots in Germany, and many hops and malts used to brew beer still come from Germany. Consider Lancaster, PA's own Lancaster Brewing Company. According to their website, the Lancaster Lager "showcases a balance of malt, along with German and European hops", including 2 Row Pale and Caramel malts as well as Hallertau and Saaz hops. Doesn't matter. The "outsourced" ingredients are "imported" and then brewed by local people. Sounds like a local beer to me.

So back to the question: what makes local beer better? I have to say that the quality of local beer is not automatically better simply because it is local. Let's face it -- some breweries just know how to make better beer than others, and it has nothing to do with proximity to where you live! However, the fact that it is local may make the whole experience better. For instance, take one of my favorite (and local!) breweries: Tröegs Brewing Company. (To be clear, I think the quality of their beers is superb.) I love the experience associated with visiting their brewery, which we affectionately call "T2". They have created a whole world for craft beer enthusiasts (you can read about my recent experience here). In their tasting room, I appreciate the opportunity to sample their brews, especially something from their Scratch Beer Series, and before leaving, I am always sure to have my growler filled with one of their finest. I enjoy walking through their self-guided tour, and to show my local brewery pride, I usually hit up the gift shop for some new paraphernalia too. The whole experience of gathering together with other craft beer lovers at this local venue is not something that would easily be duplicated for non-local beer. And even if it could be duplicated, I wouldn't feel the same pride I feel when I know I'm enjoying local beer.

Hope that answers the question to your satisfaction. What do you all think? What makes local beer better? Leave a comment below or send me a Tweet (@BrewReviewMann). I'd love to hear from you!

Yorktoberfest 2011 Follow-up

Here's a follow-up to my "live" post from Yorktoberfest.  I said I was aiming to try all the varieties of craft beer at the festival...and I was close.  Looking back, I only missed one - Tröegs JavaHead Stout - which I already know is an enjoyable brew.

I took my pint glass from tent to tent, and the barkeeps faithfully filled it up.  Each 2 to 3 oz sample provided just enough to fill up the bottom of the glass and for me to savor the flavor.

Here's a comprehensive list of the beers they proffered and some quick tasting notes*:

1. Tröegs JavaHead Stout
2. Tröegs HopBack -- "hoppy"!
3. Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter -- amazing! not as smooth as a typical porter; it has a bit of a bite
4. Stoudt's Scarlet Lady Ale -- surprisingly not as complex as other ales
5. Stoudt's Oktoberfest -- strong-ish and fizzy
6. Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat -- clever name, great taste (banana!)
7. Stoudt's Gold Lager -- classic golden liquid
8. Springhouse Brewery Seven Gates Pale Ale -- bitter aftertaste
9. Spoetzl Brewery Shiner Bock -- not as dark as I expected
10. Spaten Dunkel -- smooth, almost like you're not drinking anything; would make a good session beer except for the 5.5% ABV
11. Sixpoint Vienna Pale Ale -- the right amount of hoppiness, just the way a beer should taste!
12. Sixpoint Brownstone -- similar to a porter but has more of a mild, nutty flavor
13. Rogue Dad's Little Helper -- a black IPA (mmm!) strong on the hops!
14. Magic Hat Circus Boy -- a good summer brew, light and refreshing
15. Lancaster Brewing Company Shoo-Fly Porter -- smooth; light flavor of shoo-fly (my favorite pie!)
16. Hauser Estates Jack's Hard Cider -- "local Adams County apples put to good use", said the vendor
17. Dogfish Head Festina Pêche -- love Dogfish Head, didn't love this brew (tart, juicy)
18. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Shock Top -- an always enjoyable summer beer

Also, I did some digging into why York's own LiquidHero and Mudhook breweries were not represented at Yorktoberfest, much to my (and I'm sure others') chagrin.  The organizers of Yorktoberfest were not immediately available for comment, but it was rumored that the "big boy" distributors may have pulled rank over the newbies and blocked them from the event (politics, ugh).  LiquidHero was undeterred.  A representative commented, "we supported this fest and we also made alot of new friends this weekend from people coming over to our brewery after this beerfest...we love the revs and we love york county...and we are here to stay".  That's the spirit, fellas!  You truly are our LiquidHero!  Prost!

* BeerAdvocate.com recommends not reviewing beers at fests for a variety of reasons: "small sample sizes...loud environments, slew of smells, and tasting of numerous beer styles back-to-back. [...] Doing so does a disservice to the brewer and could mislead others." (Source: http://beeradvocate.com/articles/637)

Yorktoberfest 2011

I'm coming to you "live" from the 1st Annual Yorktoberfest in York, Pennsylvania!  The event is being held at Sovereign Bank Stadium, home of the York Revolution baseball team.  Let me tell you - it is a blast!  There are lots of people here enjoying vendors, music, food, Pennsylvania wines, and best of all, craft beers from the region.  There are brews here from Tröegs, Lancaster Brewing Company, Magic Hat, Shock Top, Stoudt's, Sixpoint, Rogue, Dogfish Head, and Spaten.  I'm aiming to try them all!  As part of the beer pass, I received a free pint glass and access to limitless samples of great craft brew.  If you're in the area, you should stop by - the festivities are going on till 5 today.  If you can't make it today, you can stop back tomorrow between noon and 5.

I was looking for beers from York's own Mudhook and LiquidHero breweries, but to no avail.  Both of these breweries are very new to York, and I think it's very exciting that York is being infused with some beer culture.  But I'm very disappointed that they are not represented here.  Why would the very city's own breweries not be represented?  Regardless, I love that the "craft brew scene" seems to be gaining momentum in South Central PA, just as it is everywhere in the US right now.  I'm hoping that it lasts! (Relevant side note: DRAFT magazine has indicated that there are plans to open 600 brand new craft breweries in the US by 2013!)

This is the first blog post I'm publishing via my smartphone, so please forgive me if there are any issues - I just wanted to post this "live" in order to bring you the breaking beer news here in York, PA.  I'm going to attempt to attach photos. (Edit: After publishing this post, I found that all the pictures were at the top. I've since edited them using my PC so that they are now in-line with the text.)

For more info, check out www.yorktoberfest.com. Prost!

The glass is half full, my friend.