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

Broaching Beer Bias

Today, I'm pondering how bias plays a role in beer reviews.

Hmmmm...
("What Ales You?" Image Courtesy of http://goo.gl/t6ixA)

What makes a good beer? Is it taste alone? What about the color or appearance? Maybe it's the smell or mouthfeel. Of course, these are all attributes that are typically considered in an attempt to objectively assess whether or not a beer is "good". But I submit that for every beer review, there are some behind-the-scenes factors that readers are not privy to and of which the reviewer may not even be aware.

Artwork on package or label

"First impressions last, but don't judge a book by its cover."(1) Yet we do, consciously or not. Attractive packaging artwork catches our eye as we're browsing through the rows of six-packs. The colorful design on the bottle label practically yells "Look at me! I'm interesting. Drink me!" Even those that claim to overlook such marketing ploys would probably at least admit when the artwork is appealing, which has to play into the end result on some level. Otherwise, the craft beer industry wouldn't bend over backwards to create intriguing, eye-catching artwork for their packaging and labels. AmericanCraftBeer.com thinks so too: "A great label becomes part of the beer somehow. It's a doorway to the drink - both a reflection of and an invitation to the brewer's art...Very few [labels] are neutral."

Favorite Brewery

Okay, so I like Tröegs. So what? I'll tell you so what. It is more difficult for me to criticize a beer brewed by Tröegs than any other brewery out there. Brand loyalty plays a big part here. I would like to say that all beers from Tröegs' brewery are the best you'll ever have. But that's simply not true. They have made a few brews that are not my favorite, so when I'm being completely honest, I'll tell you that I think Dead Reckoning Porter's 53 IBUs make it too bitter for the style. Speaking of bitter, Perpetual IPA is over the top in that category and is just too far out there for my liking (though it's a bit more acceptable for the style). But when I'm trying a new Tröegs brew--one from their Scratch Series for example--I have high expectations before I even take the first sip. I fully expect to like it before I try it! I'd say that's a bit biased.

Circumstances or Environment at Time of Review

How about the time or place or circumstances surrounding the event (yes, event) of enjoying a brewski? Yeah, they certainly play a role. Following is a list of a few I thought of. I'll let you decide how they might affect the outcome of the beer review.

• At a party with friends
• After a bad day at work
• At a beer-tasting event
• After being given a free beer
• At the brewery
• At home by oneself
• At a restaurant with delicious food
• At a restaurant with crappy service
• After receiving bad news
• Watching a Presidential debate

The Desire to "Fit In"

What about the beers with a lot of hype? Consider Russian River's Pliny the Younger (or Elder), The Alchemist's Heady Topper, 3 Floyds' Zombie Dust, or maybe even Tröegs' Nugget Nectar. (Refer to Beer Advocate's Top 100 most popular beers.) Each of these is purportedly among the best beer on the market. We talk 'em up; the suppliers mark 'em up. We go out of our way to get the good stuff. We pay more for a pint than we are willing to admit in mixed company, helping to shoot more holes in economists' theories about rational consumerism. And for what? A sublime swig of suds? Meh. I'm sure it's good beer, but I bet it's not all that and a bag of Chips Ahoy. Yet we perpetuate the hype by bragging to our friends and posting comments to our beer circle on Google+. Why? Because "everyone else is doing it". (Watch out for the edge of the cliff, my friends. It's dangerously close.)

Conclusion

Even the most conscientious beer reviewer will be influenced by one or more of the above factors, if not something else I've missed entirely. So as a reader of such reviews, you have been warned. Don't believe everything you read. When you're reading a review, take it with a grain of salt. Just as writers/speakers are admonished to know their audience, readers should know their writers. If you're not a regular reader of the beer blog upon which you've stumbled (perhaps this one!), get to know the author. Determine what predilections may prevent pure opining. Read more than one review of the same brew and take an average, as it were. And then form your own opinion. After all, in the words of LeVar Burton, "You don't have to take my word for it."(2)


Footnotes
(1) I had an idea about what I wanted to say here but couldn't quite phrase it right. After Googling for more ideas, I ran across this unique cliche mash-up and simply had to use it. Source: http://www.designweek.co.uk/industry-voice/what-does-your-first-impression-say-about-you?/3034985.article.
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Rainbow

What is Oktoberfest?

It's a beer and a festival! This year marks the 179th Oktoberfest, which started yesterday and will last for 16 days. Held in Munich (Bavaria, Germany), Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair, with somewhere around 5 or 6 million attendees each year (1). During the festivities, visitors consume almost 2 million gallons of beer.

Beer maids and waiters must be able to carry 10 beer-filled mugs at a time. (3) (7)
(Image Source: http://goo.gl/75eOZ)

The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 (2) to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race! Anniversary celebrations were held annually thereafter, which each becoming larger and more elaborate, including the introduction of carnival rides. (3)

Underneath one of the big tents at Oktoberfest 2012.
(Image Source: http://goo.gl/malIv)

Oktoberfest beer is a variety of the Märzen style, which I discussed in a previous post about smoked beer. Like all German beer, the Oktoberfest beer is brewed according to strict German standards called the Reinheitsgebot (4), which has been in effect since 1516. Also known as the German Purity Law, Reinheitsgebot precisely defines the four ingredients allowed to be used to brew beer: barley, hops, malt, and yeast (3). While I'm a big fan of innovative craft beer, I can certainly respect the brewing traditions that Germany has upheld all this time.

I've tried a few different Oktoberfest-style beers this year, including:

1. Tröegs' Scratch #73 "Fest Lager", which they've unofficially dubbed OkTröegerFest. At 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, this yeasty lager was growler-worthy. I very much enjoyed this one-off and would be appreciative of another appearance next year (hint to the Trogners if you're reading this!). You can read more reviews on BA and RB. Justin's Brew Review gives it an "A-".
2. Yuengling's Oktoberfest was also rockin'. However, it was a limited release because Yuengling does not have the capacity (5) to produce seasonal brews. I had difficulty finding any to try, but I did receive a sixer thanks to my father-in-law who was able to purchase an entire case! I'm milking it (beering it?) because I don't want to run out too quickly. BA likes it better than RB, but Justin's Brew Review gives Yuengling's offering a solid "A".
3. Samuel Adams calls their version Octoberfest (yes, they Americanized the beer's moniker). It is both excellent and available. Boston Beer (brewer of the Sam Adams brand) rarely disappoints in my opinion, and this is no exception. If you like the Oktoberfest style beer, you should go get yourself some of this. It rates well on BA, and RB ranks it very highly for the style. Justin's Brew Review gives it an "A+".

The mayor of Munich ceremonially taps the first keg at Oktoberfest 2012.
(Image Source: http://goo.gl/7eucr)

Many places throughout the world hold their own (smaller!) version of Oktoberfest. Locally in York, PA, we have the 2nd Annual Yorktoberfest coming up on October 27-28. My wife and I will be attending, so let me know if you'll be there too -- we can toast a brew. Also, look for a post after the event. You can read about my experience at last year's Yorktoberfest here (a "live" post) and here (a more detailed, follow-up post).

How are you celebrating Oktoberfest? Are you planning on attending any festivals? Wearing lederhosen? (6) Or drinking Oktoberfest-style beer? Let me know in the comments or send me a message on your favorite social media site: you can get me on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

Prost!


Footnotes
(1) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest
(2) Note that the math does not add up: 2012-1810 = 202, but this is only the 179th festival. That's because the fair has had to be canceled 24 times due to cholera epidemics and war (3).
(3) Source: http://www.vistawide.com/german/oktoberfest/oktoberfest.htm
(4) I love long German words! This one is pronounced RYN-hytz-geh-boht. You can listen to the pronunciation here.
(5) Sources: a tour of Yuengling's Pottsville, PA brewery that my wife took me on over a year and half ago that I have yet to blog about (yes, I'm behind) and http://www.brewbound.com/news/yuengling-introduces-second-seasonal-oktoberfest
(6) You can get a nice, basic pair of lederhosen (leather pants) for a mere 165 euros ($215) here.
If you really want to go all out, you can get some premium pants for $325 on the same site. They also sell dresses and other authentic German garb on that site.
(7) The Guinness world record was set in November 2008 by Bavarian Anita Schwarz when she carried 19 full beer steins (5 in each hand and 9 on top) that weighed a total of about 90 pounds over a distance of 40 meters and placed them on a table without spilling a drop. (Source: http://www.harrimantravelbooks.com/Oktoberfest_Facts_Tips.html and Image Source: http://goo.gl/DmTPw)

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!

Live from Tröegs Brewing

Mural in Entrance (File Photo*)

Thought it was time for another "live" post, so I'm coming to you today from Tröegs Brewing's new facility (fondly known as T2) in Hershey, PA. I'm hanging out with some other craft brew lovers and Justin's Brew Review readers -- good times, good people, great beer. In true Tröegs pride fashion, I'm wearing my HopBack Amber Ale t-shirt. While this is not the first time I've been to T2, it is the first I've had a chance to write about it. Let me say that if you have not been here yet, you should really take the time to do so. There's no time like the present - come on out!

Currently, Tröegs is only offering self-guided tours, but their website tells us of plans on offering a low-cost, taste-as-you-go, guided version coming in late February of this year. If I understand correctly, you'll even get a souvenir pint glass out of the deal -- not too shabby! Back to the self-guided tour: when you come in the front door, keep going straight through the doors and you'll enter the tasting room. There are multiple barkeeps at the impressively long bar, which includes a growler fill-up station (actually, they have an automated machine that is fun to watch as it fills the growler).

The Impressively Long Bar

After you grab a brewski at the bar, take it with you as you hang a right and enter the self-guided tour area. (Don't worry - you can come back for more later.) It's a nice setup -- they have signs that describe each step of the brewing and bottling process. It's not nearly as intimate (read small) as their old Harrisburg brewery (read about the tour I took there just over a year ago), but it's definitely impressive, modern, and a bit more touristy (makes sense - it's only right down the road from Hershey Park). At the end of the line on the tour, you enter the gift shop area where you can pick up Tröegs paraphernalia and/or (probably "and") some cases to go.

Growler Filling Station

Alright, gotta go tend to my Pale Ale. Hopefully, you can make the trip to Hershey and visit this great new facility that Tröegs has crafted--like their beer--for the pleasure of all. Prost!

Thankfully, this sign was not on the entrance doors.

* The photo I used of the 2-story mural in the brewery entrance is a file photo because it is not currently there. I asked the Trogner brothers what happened, and they said that they are repairing multiple cracks in the wall. Never fear - they assure me that "it will return".

Homebrew: Irish Chocolate Stout

Irish Chocolate Stout, the homebrew variety.  Not my homebrew, mind you.  I enjoy drinking craft beer, but I would not have the patience to craft it myself.  I'll leave that to people like my neighbor, Matt, who supplied this great beer for my tasting pleasure.  (Incidentally, I found out about Matt's affinity for beer when we ran into each other at Yorktoberfest, which I wrote about here and here.)

This was the first time that I've ever had the opportunity to try a homebrew, and I certainly hope it won't be my last!  I was impressed with how professional it tasted, especially since Matt tells me he brewed it in his kitchen!  I feel like it was something I could have bought at the local Mix-a-Six (even though there really aren't too many of those local to York, PA...but I digress).

Being that this is a homebrew, I was expecting to write that I didn't have any beery stats for you.  In fact, I even drafted the following:

Sure, homebrewers can have their beer analyzed at a laboratory in order to figure out the ABV and IBUs [1], but that costs money [2].  Precious money that could be put right back into crafting more beer.  I don't know about you, but I'd forgo the numbers in favor of more beer!

But it turns out that I was wrong - Matt tells me that the ABV should be around 4.5-5.0%, and using the beer's specific gravity, he feels that it's probably closer to 5.0%.  Also, the IBU was around 36-37.  He gave quite a few other details too - I'll share a few here.  The chocolate flavor was introduced using an extract.  (Incidentally, his next chocolate brew will use cocoa powder for comparison.)  Matt says, "I let my beer carbonate in the bottle.  It's an old school technique, but I think it allows the flavor to come through a little better and smoother than pushing CO2 through it in a keg."  It sounds like it takes at least two months until the beer matures:  one week in the primary fermenter, two to three weeks in the secondary fermenter (a glass carboy [3]), and about a month to age.  After that, Matt says he tests one bottle a week until he feels it's ready to drink.

Speaking of being ready to drink, let's get to the good stuff!

This stout was as dark as can be.  The frothy, caramel-colored head dissipated shortly after pouring.  A cursory whiff put me in mind of Tröegs JavaHead Stout [4].  A deeper inhalation brought a sweeter smell, almost a Hershey syrup scent.  My tastebuds soon realized the sweet flavor.  The initial impression: sweet, just like the smell.  As the liquid washed over the back of my tongue, the stout flavor kicked in.  Aftertaste was sweet as well, though not sickeningly so.  It had the right balance of strong stout and chocolaty sweetness to satisfy.

A very smooth, easy-to-drink beer, which backs up Matt's assertion that bottle carbonation lends to a better, smoother brew.  Overall, this Irish Chocolate Stout was excellent!  So do you craft your own brews at home?  What interesting combinations have you tried?  I'd be interested to hear what you have to say!  Just leave a comment or "tweet" me @BrewReviewMann.  Prost!

Footnotes:

[1] One of Justin's Brew Reviews's most popular posts, "How Does Your Beer Measure Up?", goes into more detail about ABV, IBU, and color.
[2] In the same post referenced in Footnote 1, I mentioned that you can have a laboratory perform this test on your beer for about $10.  Unfortunately, I did not cite where I found this information - I apologize for that oversight.  I just "Googled" it and found a helpful blog post informing readers that White Labs performs this testing for a reasonable amount of money.  For your consideration, homebrewing reader.

[3] Having no idea what a glass carboy was, I had to look it up (see picture on right, courtesy of this blog).  I've seen these before and knew that they were used in homebrewing, but I had no idea that it was called a carboy!  Wikipedia says that a carboy's capacity is typically five to fifteen gallons (that's 40 to 120 pints according to www.onlineconversion.com) and that they are also known as a demijohn (anyone else thinking about "Music Man" now, or is it just me?).

[4] Admittedly, I reference Tröegs' brews a lot.  What can I say?  I love 'em!  That being said, this comparison should speak volumes.

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.

Summer Brews - featuring Leinenkugel's

Looking for some good "summer brews"? Leinenkugel's has a summer sampler case with four different flavors:

1. Classic Amber
2. Sunset Wheat
3. Honey Weiss
4. Summer Shandy

While they are all tasty, the "most unique flavor" award goes to Summer Shandy.  Why?  It's got lemonade in it!  Thanks to it being a wheat beer, the Shandy has a low bitterness factor (IBU = 13.5).  Combine that with the lemonade, and man!  Talk about a doubly-refreshing beer!

As far as other brands go, I always recommend Tröegs. They have a good, thirst-quenching beer formally called Sunshine Pils, but commonly and affectionately known as Sunny Pils.

As far as other types of beers go, you can't go wrong with a wheat beer (often combined with a fruit flavor), Belgian, weiss or witbier (white), or any "brisk" lager (mmm, Yuengling!).

There are a number of other "summer brews" that I hope to try before the season is out, including: Magic Hat's Wacko, Lancaster Brew Company's Strawberry Wheat, and Dogfish Head's Festina Peche.  Let me know if you've tried any of these or if you have other suggestions!

Cheers to beers!

Terrific Tour of Tröegs (Truly!)

So the tour at Tröegs was pretty sweet. I have to admit that I felt a bit out of my element when I first walked in - everyone there appeared to have been there before and was very comfortable with the whole experience. Since it was my first time there, I wasn't quite sure what to do first, but I adapted quickly. There were three main areas: the Gift Shop, the Tasting Room with seating to sit and sample, and the Growler Bar. First, I headed toward the Gift Shop, since that's where I was supposed to check in for the tour. I also walked away with a new Tröegs pint glass.

Next, I headed toward the Tasting Room where they had just about every beer Tröegs produces available to try. On the way in, I had passed about 5 people that were leaving, and each one of them was walking out with a case of Nugget Nectar. Considering its apparent popularity, I was a bit curious what it tasted like. So I asked the people in the Tasting Room to try some Nugget Nectar, and they handed me a sampling glass with some in it! I thought I was ordering a pint to try - I had no idea they actually let you sample it before you buy it. It was decidedly sweet - a bit sweeter than I'd like a beer to be, but I wouldn't have said "no" to a pint. However, I really wanted to try the JavaHead Stout, since I'm an avid coffee-drinker. So I got a sampling glass with the JavaHead in it, and I was hooked! I immediately ordered a pint of the dark brew. I was impressed with how tasty it was - you could taste the coffee flavoring along with a hint of chocolate. It was not nearly as bitter or "dark"-tasting as I thought it would be, considering its black coloring. I would definitely recommend this one.

JavaHead Stout

After the tasting experience, the tour began. I was impressed by the fact that tour was given by Chris Trogner himself. Chris and John Trogner are the two brothers who conceptualized and started Tröegs.

I think it's amazing that they both give tours each and every week. The brewery itself is not huge, but it gets the job done. I enjoyed Chris' presentation of the brewing process. He didn't use lingo or jargon - he gave an informative talk that anyone could understand. He actually passed samples of barley and hops through the tour group and invited us to taste the barley - he said he didn't recommend tasting the hops, as you would then taste it for the rest of the day. There were three different types of barley in the samples - a light, a medium, and a dark. He recommended we start with the light and proceed to the dark, making note of the different, progressively bolder flavor of each one. He said that the barley flavor very directly translates into the final flavor of the beer. They also talked about the importance of yeast and how it plays a major role in the beer's final flavor as well.

Yeast Tanks

One of the great things about Tröegs is that they are a craft brewery, so they focus on making a limited amount of great beer. To that end, they are also constantly experimenting with new and innovative techniques and ingredients. Hence, their "Scratch Beer Series". Right now, they are on Scratch #39 and # 40. Additionally, they are experimenting with the use of barrels and the different types of woods or previous contents (such as whiskey). They call this their "Splinter Series".

Barrels Used to Make the Limited "Splinter Series" Beers

Tröegs has more information about the brewing process on their website. If you live anywhere near Harrisburg, PA, I definitely recommend taking a half-hour of your Saturday to visit Tröegs. Even my wife, who does not like beer, enjoyed the tour. You need to make reservations for the tour, but they make it very easy by allowing you to sign up online, which is what I did. I'm sure you won't want to leave without picking up a case, too - I chose the Anthology 2, which includes a mixture of HopBack Amber Ale, DreamWeaver Wheat Ale, Pale Ale, and JavaHead. Zum Wohl!