Joshua Doncevic - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:09:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Joshua Doncevic - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Sworn Brewing a Year Later – A Sit Down with Jesse and Amanda https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/08/20/sworn-brewing-a-year-later-a-sit-down-with-jesse-and-amanda/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sworn-brewing-a-year-later-a-sit-down-with-jesse-and-amanda Tue, 20 Aug 2024 16:13:35 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15431

Sworn Brewing (photo courtesy of Sworn Brewing Company)

Sworn Brewing One Year Later

Its been just over a year since we visited Sworn Brewing in Mechanicsburg, PA and got to hang out with owners Jesse and Amanda. As we came to see them about their grand opening and pick their brains about the new brewery, this time we came to pick their brains one year later on. On the verge of their first anniversary, their one year anniversary, we stopped in – Josh, Amy, and myself (Ben), to take a seat with them, outside in the gorgeous (super) sunny weather.

(See: Getting Sworn In – A Sneak Peek at Sworn Brewing Company)

Just like we did with that article, we are breaking down this article as well, taking a look at it from the perspectives of Josh, Amy, and Ben; with each of us writing a section. (As a preview of how we did it, here’s a look back at the Getting Sworn In article):

The Set – Up

Amanda and Jesse are married and co – owners of Sworn Brewing Company. Jesse is also head brewer. We heard about them opening up their new brewery in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and I reached out to Amanda when I saw a post of hers’ on one of the beer groups. We locked down a meeting date – July 24th, 2023 – and all set to go. So Josh, Amy, and myself met with Amanda and Jesse and got a walk through and a sneak peek look at the upcoming brewery.

For this article, I’m going to let Josh start us off, then switch over to Amy, and then I’ll wrap things up and conclude the article. Please let us know in the comments section what you think of this, and if you like how this article looks and reads. (Josh and I did a similar article when we got a behind the scenes look at Mellow Mink – and Amy and I did similar with a sneak peek of The Beerded Goat).

Getting Sworn In – A Sneak Peek at Sworn Brewing Company

And just like with that article, I’m going to let Josh start things off, then we’ll tag Amy in, and then I’ll wrap things up.

Josh – Getting Sworn Into Dedication

Token to Midnight by Sworn Brewing Company

On a very warm, sunny and oddly rainless day in Central Pennsylvania, Ben, Amy & myself sat down outside of a little brewery nearing its one year anniversary with two of our friends to discuss how far 365 days have brought them. Those two friends are the husband and wife team that run Sworn, Jesse & Amanda Mills.

While drinking in their company and beer, we learned a thing or two about what happens to a brand new brewery that was set up and dedicated to providing excellent craft beer. Wait a second, has it actually been a year already? Almost from the day the brewery launched back in August of 2023, the writing team of Ben, Amy, and myself have been jonesing for Sworn’s one year anniversary. Why? Because when Jesse & Amanda invited the three of us to sit down with them just before their official opening, we all felt a similar sense that whatever this new brewery was going to be, it was going to run roughshod over everyone’s expectations. And that’s just what’s happened.

In a repurposed garage, then catering outfit, now burgeoning micro brewery nestled behind Atlantis Pools on E Trindle Road, Sworn has become the destination that beer nerds clamor for parking spaces four days a week. As mild-mannered and laid back as brewmaster Jesse aims to be, his beer and patrons tend to be the exact opposite when it comes to speaking to an incredible talent located in Mechanicsburg. A constantly rotating beer list should be an indicator there’s been no shortage of foot traffic when the doors are open, but that’s really just a fraction of the story.

From the outset, the mission statement is a simple one for Sworn: Make the best beer possible and keep that promise. Period. And how does one do that, you might ask? While there are many ways to answer this question, I can really only think of two answers. One, be Jesse Mills. Two, and on a more serious note, keep batches small and pay absolute attention to even the smallest of details. But that’s the everyday vision. When pressed for the five and ten year plans, Jesse gave us an answer with real gravity to it. Five years out, there is no plan to expand the brewery. You may scoff, but this is on purpose. In fact, everything about Sworn is purpose driven and calculated. In a time where breweries seem to be closing as fast as they open, a level headed approach to a new business is what’s needed. Not spending money on things that only look fancy, yet ultimately do not add to the bottom line is something that the Mills have avoided and intend to keep it that way. Ten years out … admittedly, ten years out is a long way to look, but if the past year is any kind of template for the success Sworn has achieved, then the years to come are bright indeed.

From opening the doors for the first time, pouring at the Hoppy Valley Brewfest, to collaborating with some of PA’s biggest and best breweries, Sworn is here to stay. Happy One Year Anniversary, Amanda and Jesse. Forever may your fermenters be full and your lines be long.

Amy – Getting Sworn Into Quality

Sworn Brewing Mexican Lager

Am I too much when I tell you I am writing my article about Sworn Brewing company while wearing my Sworn Brewing company shirt? It’s seriously a comfy shirt. It’s not your regular T-shirt that after a few good washings softens up, it was a well-made T shirt. I could live in this T-shirt.
Every time I am walking into Sworn, I think of the quote from their Facebook page “We will strive to make sure the highest quality items we can get our hands on will be used in every single process. Everything that comes out of our taps, every single small batch of beer that we make will go through a rigorous quality control process. If it does not meet our standards, it will never be consumed by the customer. We are not here to cut corners, we are here to make sure we can provide you with the best possible experience that you deserve, what the craft brewing industry deserves!”
I still remember quoting this a year ago and we are delighted to celebrate the 2 years of Sworn Brewing Company. Each time I see how quickly their beer kicks or a standing room only Friday night I can’t clap hard enough, and I can’t wear this comfy T-shirt any more proudly.
Every aspect of Sworn Brewing company embodies this level of quality in all their products. When Sworn Brewing posts a beer was just tapped you need to leave your house immediately or you aren’t going to get to taste it. Jesse
brews the beer in manageable smaller quantities, it keeps the impeccable quality on point.
We sampled several different brews they had on tap during our visit last month. They are probably long gone by now. But you’d also hope that, so the beer is always fresh. I also tried a glass of the house made non-alcoholic
cream ale. It lasted maybe 30 seconds in front of me. Having non-alcoholic options is inclusive for whatever the reason. (See: I’ve Missed Drinking A Lot.)
On our visit we also enjoyed some of the beloved queso. This house made queso is the perfect pairing with Sworn beer. I do believe the boyfriend understands this is a must order each time we frequent Sworn. It seems natural to wonder why they aren’t expanding and growing? The question stemming from Jesse and Amanda was “why?” And the obvious, they won’t let the level of quality decrease in the slightest. Why not consider how detail oriented their attempt at brewery perfection is?

Ben – Getting Sworn Into Craftsmanship

Sworn Brewing

I get to see Jesse and Amanda fairly often at work, and when I get the chance I break away and stand around chatting with them for quite a while. We talk shop, the business, the industry; we brainstorm ideas like creating a tap handle out of an old PlayStation or NES controller for their “Gamer” series of beers. Amanda will tell me how we need to start up a podcast – which we do – and which we are constantly planning on doing – and we get to chatting about new beers at my work, as well as at their brewery, etc.

The biggest thing we would discuss is how we needed to do a follow up article for them. Discussing their one year mark. How everything has changed – or nothing has changed. (And in that year, a lot has and hasn’t changed.) We’ve gotten to stop over at Sworn’s brewery in Mechanicsburg several times in the course of the year, we’ve gotten to hang out with them at the Hoppy Valley Brewfest, they’ve grown in what they sell for beer, for drinks, for merch, and even doing crowlers and growlers.

Speaking of growlers… we come to the one (and seemingly only) regret Jesse really has of their first year of operation. When asked, and prodded about what he would change; he said he would go back and not sell those growlers. (But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.)

Amy and I arrived about 5 – 10 minutes after Josh, who was already a stout deep; we joined him and then Jesse and Amanda outside in the beautiful sunny patio area. Over the past year I’ve become horrible with checking into beers on Untappd, even going full brewery visits without checking into beers, but throughout the course of our time there in the late July days, we (between myself, Amy, and Josh) got the entire board of beers. And that list ran the gambit from a stout, to IPAs, to pale ales, a Mexican lager, and a sour. All were – as always – fantastic.

Some of the various topics we discussed were things like collaborations. Like their recently completed collaboration – Storm the Field – with Troegs Independent Brewing, Antifragile Brewing, and Warwick Farm Brewing. We discussed how they were going to do a collaboration with Adroit Theory and then it didn’t quite work out. The nuances to collaborations are a very tricky thing.

This brings me back to how once again, just like in previous times we’ve done interviews with people, Amy, Josh and I, like to take a non-journalistic approach of ‘chatting’ and ‘hanging out’ rather than note taking, writing down, jotting every last thing said, quoting and using tape recorders and such. We much more prefer an open, relaxed, fun style of chatting and then going through our recollection to make our articles (when we do these sneak previews or sit downs with brewers and breweries, like we’ve done with Couch Brewery, Mellow Mink Brewing, Lindgren Brewing, Beerded Goat, etc.)

One of the many things we discussed over and over was Untappd. Amanda certainly has some strong opinions and thoughts on the app. We discussed the pros / cons to it – as a whole, for the industry, as well as to Sworn Brewing in particular. Jesse told us about how they reached out and approached him about making their brewery a “verified venue” because of how well Sworn Brewing was doing.

Amanda getting frustrated at the kegging cleaner at Collusion Tap Works (photo courtesy of Sworn Brewing)

Jumping back up to the discussion on collaborations, we discussed their Clayton Bigsby beer (if you know, you know), a collaboration with Collusion Tap Works. Its a black kolsch. Jesse and Amanda both discussed their love for Collusion Tap Works and for Jared, and their working agreement with them (mostly Amanda begrudgingly discussing how she has to go there to clean kegs).

Some of the most interesting parts of the discussion was listening to Jesse talk about the art and the craft of brewing beer. How much he loves their small model, getting to do so many new batches (they are already past 100 batches for the brewery, and Jesse himself is over a thousand commercially and professionally). Jesse absolutely loves his small system, his model of making beer the way he wants to, the designs and recipes that he wants to, and being able to just constantly tweak, to constantly update, to constantly fiddle with everything to the way he wants. Like an artist sculpting. Or a painter painting. And he very much views this as an art, his art. He gets to craft it, near daily, making the batches he wants, with the recipes he’s worked on and the brewing system he created.

Jesse and Amanda

There are many things to say, but looking back over our pictures, and this one grabs my thoughts on it, is that I really wanted to point out is the dedication and enjoyment, and love that these two have for what their doing. Jesse obviously loves the brewing process, brewing, crafting, honing his beers. But they both love doing this. They genuinely enjoy running the brewery, talking to guests, sitting there and hanging out with people, chatting about beer, with beer, to people. They both have an extreme passion for the business, for the quality, for the art, for the beer, for what it means to people, to the community, to what it means for everyone. These two love getting to work with and for the people of not just Mechanicsburg, but all the people who visit their brewery. Who have taken home crowlers and given them to friends or tasted them with their friends. Nearly every single person that walked into that brewery on July 18th, knew Jesse and Amanda, they shook hands, hit fists, clapped shoulders, etc. Bantered with each and every person. Watching them with the people coming into their humble brewery, you can see why they do this, why they continue to do this, and why they want to continue to do this. Plus, I think it lets them keep giving their daughter (part time bartender) enough crap every day. (What parent wouldn’t want that?)

Throughout the course of our chat, we enjoyed the full menu, while Jesse and Amanda enjoyed their lager, we joked, we chatted about the past year, how crazy it all felt just a year ago sitting down to chat about the place to be, and how its ‘grown’ in that year. Grown being a relative term really. The brewery and the building itself is the same size, but there are so many differences. The patio area outside is bigger, theres a larger area to make food, and something that Jesse wants to do much more of. Theres the sense of how its grown in popularity, in community, and in spirit. We joked about things they could do or would do or would not do with the building and the area, we joked about things from their opening like the black drop down ceiling tiles, etc.

Funnily enough there isn’t much of anything Jesse wants to change, or even grow, in the sense of ‘getting larger’ materially. He enjoys his size, his location, their heartbeat of a brewery. They enjoy just what they have, not wanting to get ‘too big’ or to ‘outgrow’ themselves. We talked about satellite and second locations, and discussed how this doomed or severely hurt many other breweries. We discussed some financials of the industry and Sworn itself, but generally this was a dog best left to sleep. I think the biggest thing we could say as a takeaway is contentment in this aspect. They are secure, happy, and content with the creation, the situation, the brewery; not content in a “resting on their laurels” kind of way, but content in what they created, a happiness brought on by all the hardwork, sweat, and straight up work in the brewery; a contentment more born on satisfaction and not wanting to destroy whats already there. Progress will be made obviously, but not for lack of reason, lack of logic, lack of strategy and idea. Progress for Sworn will be in an essence a tactical idea.

Moving back to the beer aspect of our conversation, we chatted and discussed styles. We talked about IPAs, hazy and west coast, we talked about saisons, lagers, we talked about stouts and porters. Basically we covered the spectrum of craft beer, and how Jesse loves to brew and try them all. The challenge of coming up with new recipes for different styles is always forefront, but a challenge Jesse looks forward to, a challenge he wants and in almost an aspect its something that drives his brewing edge, his creativity. He keeps him a younger man in a sense. (Which I’m sure Amanda appreciates.) But that spark of creativity and wanting to try different approaches, different styles, different recipes, is the genesis and main thrust of The Gamer series. Jesse’s version of research and development, his system to test out new recipes and methods and variants, “what if I change this hop or tweak this grain bill”, etc.

The area around the smoker and cooking area for Sworn Brewing

Amy took the above picture of the ‘food prep’ area at Sworn Brewing, the smoker and outdoor grill area. And of course had to grab a shot of the award that Jesse won. Later in the conversations, Jesse talks about how awards and things like the Untappd stuff and tournaments and medals don’t appeal to him, so of course we had to poke at him, and mention how he “prominently displays this award”. (He promptly then removed said award, in a bit of a good natured huff.) When visiting the brewery, make sure you look for this award and point it out to Jesse.

Speaking of things that annoy Jesse, we would be amiss if we didn’t mention the stickers bearing his likeness. There is a sticker of Jesse’s head. And needless to say Jesse loves that this is a thing (maximum sarcasm involved here). We have discussed using the image for panties, as well as pasties, and other sorts of merchandise and memorabilia. One can only hope one day we’ll be able to buy Jesse themed pasties and panties from Sworn Brewing. (The ball is in their court.)

Wrapping This Up

We are fast approaching the 3500 word mark, and its best we get this wrapped up. As always, we had a wonderful time visiting. And even more so, we had a fantastic time chatting with Amanda and Jesse. They are absolutely phenomenal people to get to hang out with, and pick their brains about beer, the industry, brewing, everything really. They really are wonderful people, and its a blast getting to spend time with them, and getting to be at their brewery. And they don’t make bad beer either, so thats certainly a plus.

I can’t say enough great things about them, Sworn Brewing, and am constantly recommending the brewery to people that come into my work or that I meet out. The community aspect is top notch, and the place is welcoming, the beers are good, the food is great, and the vibe is perfect.

We are so happy to see how well they are doing, and wish them a Happiest Anniversary. One down, many more to go! (Here’s to revisiting this article and writing about their 50th anniversary!)

I want to again thank Amanda and Jesse for inviting us out and having us chat with them and getting to not just write the first article but this second article as well. I want to thank Josh and Amy as well for writing and helping craft this article. We visited on July 18th, and we wrote our portions somewhat from there, some in increments, but mostly in the later more recent time, so any errors and mistakes are due to our faulty minds, especially since “we had a few that day”.

I do want to apologize for some of the tardiness of this article, it was originally intended to get prepared and finished around the 10th of August, but real life (four daughters and all) tends to get in the way, and this article is just a mere 10 days late. My apologies.

I want to give one final shout of: “WHOOOOOO DEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY” to fully wrap this up.

More Articles About Sworn Brewing Company

More Information on Sworn Brewing Company

The following comes via Untappd.

Sworn Brewing Company is a nano brewery from Mechanicsburg, PA. They have 121 unique beers, and over 9,100 ratings, with a global average rating of 4.19 (as of 8.20.24). Their Untappd description is currently blank.

You can find them at the following social media platforms:

Some Articles Written by Josh

If you are looking for more articles written by Josh, check these out:

Amy’s Column Series

For More Articles from Ben

All Of Us

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

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We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Josh on Central PA Pour https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/03/04/josh-on-central-pa-pour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=josh-on-central-pa-pour Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:57:35 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14786

Josh appearing on the Central PA Pour

Josh Appeared on the Central PA Pour Live Recording from the Winter Brew Fest

On the 24th of February, Josh attended the Winter Brew Fest at Double Road House in Red Lion, enjoying the brewfest while Ben and Amy worked / took care of Scarlet. Central PA Pour – found here: Central PA Pour Podcasts and Videos on YouTube – happened to be there hosting a live Podcast. They invited Josh on for part of their recording. To watch Josh’s segment, you can click this link and go directly to his segment: Josh on Central PA Pour. To watch the video in it’s entirety, you can click here: Central PA Pour at the Winter Brew Fest at Double Road House in Red Lion.

Central PA Pour

Make sure you check out Central PA Pour on their YouTube page. They are great guys and do some wonderful podcasts and videos. Subscribe and follow, I highly recommend them.

You can see our other articles with them here:

Thank You for Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Seen Through a Glass – Season 2, Episode 31: Let’s Talk Beer (our interview with Lew Bryson) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/25/seen-through-a-glass-season-2-episode-31-lets-talk-beer-our-interview-with-lew-bryson/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seen-through-a-glass-season-2-episode-31-lets-talk-beer-our-interview-with-lew-bryson Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:44:05 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13681 Our Interview is Up

Our podcast with Lew Bryson is now up and downloadable for all to enjoy! As we noted before – Seen Through a Glass Podcast Appearance – we got to meet with the esteemed Lew Bryson at Boneshire Brew Works on January 6th.

It was a wonderful experience, and we probably ran longer than he anticipated / wanted (Josh and I have a tendency to get a little windy, especially when drinking, and we also had Amy with as well who tried to curtail us somewhat). We sat in the back of the brewhouse at Boneshire Brew Works, drinking beer (I had the Barleywine x2 in my Mug Club mug, Josh had his trusty Mug, Lew got to try the Testify, and Amy had the Green Machine with coconut), we also got to enjoy a marzen from New Glarus, and we had ourselves a wonderful time despite the snow.

Speaking of the snow – the day was a beautiful snowy day…. that just kept piling up. Soon after our interview, Boneshire Brew Works closed for the day, as did most of the breweries in the Central PA area.

(One could make a comment that its that good old fashioned “Farm Show” weather.)

Season 2, Episode 31: Let’s Talk Beer

To listen to the podcast directly at the website, you can visit here:

Or you can download it via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Spotify or Player FM.

The full description of the page reads:

Mass beer hysteria!

I wanted to get more beer content in the podcast, so I invited The Beer Thrillers! Ben Kline, Amy Wolfe, and Josh Doncevic write The Beer Thrillers blog, which is…mostly about beer in Central PA, but they do book reviews (and not just beer books), beer trips well outside the area, and…well, a lot of stuff. We got together at Boneshire Brew Works on a snowy Saturday, ate great pizza and drank great beer while talking about hazy IPAs, the resurgence of classic styles, and why so many Central PA breweries went under recently. 

What else? A quick Farm Show report (Goat Sloppy Joes!), and a description of the Burns Night dinner my wife and I are hosting; the annual commemoration of Scottish poet Robert Burns. 

Next episode: a town profile episode, because I know you love ’em! Cheers!

This episode uses these sounds under the following license:
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Champ de tournesol” by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

“People Talking in Small Room” effect from https://pixabay.com//

“Auld Lang Syne” (traditional), performed by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

“Glow” by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au
Music promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.

Season 2, Episode 31 – Lets Talk Beer

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Josh https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/09/25/happy-birthday-josh/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-birthday-josh Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:40:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12538 Happy Birthday to Josh

Today is Josh’s birthday, so please – would everyone join me in wishing him a wonderful Happiest of Birthdays?!

Josh has been a contributing writer since 2019 and has greatly helped the blog grow. He has written a lot of beer reviews, as well as joined us on brewery visits and tours (notably Mellow Mink and Sworn Brewing). He also joined us for our podcast with Central PA Pour (YouTube Video – Central PA Pour).

Currently you can find Josh out and about hopping and hitting up breweries and we cover his gallivanting on our Instagram page.

So let’s take a look back on some of the articles Josh has written for us…

Josh’s Articles

Here’s a look back at all of Josh’s articles and contribution works to The Beer Thrillers:

Beer Review – Northmont (Yellow Bridge Brewing)

Josh’s first article for us was a beer review of Northmont by Yellow Bridge Brewing. A DIPA by the wonderful near Pittsburgh brewery.

Beer Review: Ectogasm (Drekker Brewing Co.)

His second beer review was Ectogasm by Drekker Brewing Co.

Beer Review: Miami Vice J.R.E.A.M. (Burley Oak Brewing Co.)

Josh switched things up here with a review of a sour by Burley Oak Brewing Co, one of the first JREAMS to get reviewed on the site.

Beer Review: Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart (Rotunda Brewing Company)

Sticking with the sours, and moving closer to home on this one, Josh’s next review was from Annville’s Rotunda Brewing.

Beer Review: Enigma (Anchorage Brewing Company)

Josh then returned back to the IPAs for his next beer review, this time from esteemed Anchorage Brewing Company.

Beer Review: Ghost In The Machine (Parish Brewing Co.)

His next was his most popular review – and most popular article – the fantastic Ghost in the Machine by Parish Brewing Company.

Beer Review: Ekuanot Astronaut (BAREbottle Brewing Co.)

Josh went into space to review this wonderful beer from BAREBottle.

Multiple Beer Review: Envie & Envie 4XDH (Parish Brewing Co.)

Josh’s first multiple beer review article.

Beer Review: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782) – Adroit Theory

Josh’s next several beer reviews are all Androit Theory beers.

Beer Review: Colonization (Ghost 779) – Adroit Theory

Another IPA by Androit Theory.

Brewery Visit: Mellow Mink

Josh joined Ben for a backstage tour of the Mellow Mink Brewery.

Beer Review: The Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859) – Adroit Theory x Pig Destroyer

Josh took a little bit of time off, but came back with an Androit Theory and Pig Destroyer collaboration.

Beer Review: Terpenes In Time (BAREbottle Brewing Co.)

In rapid fire, Josh was back three days later with a nerdy beer review – Terpenes in Time by BAREBottle.

Beer Review: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017) – Cox Brewing Company (CBC)

Josh’s last beer review for us (hopefully just for now) was a “big damn beer” by Cox Brewing Company (CBC) – the B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle Conditioned – Vintage 2017).

Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Preview of Sworn Brewing

Josh returned to help us get a sneak preview of Sworn Brewing Company. Josh, Ben, and Amy co-wrote this monster of an article.

Happy Birthday To You…

So let us all wish a Happy Birthday to Josh, as well as try and guilt trip him into writing more for the blog again.

 

Thanks Josh and Happy Birthday!

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

If you would like to help keep the blog running soundly and smoothly, you may donate to us to help us keep the costs of the blog to a minimum. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you. (Clicking this link will take you to the page to make a donation. Thank you very much for helping us stay afloat!)

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Preview of Sworn Brewing https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/08/08/getting-sworn-in-a-sneak-preview-of-sworn-brewing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=getting-sworn-in-a-sneak-preview-of-sworn-brewing Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12179
Head Brewer and Co – Owner Jesse Mills greets Amy, Josh, and Ben at Sworn Brewing Company to give The Beer Thrillers a sneak peek of the brewery.

Getting a Look at Sworn Brewing

This is going to be a long post about the soon to be brewery – Sworn Brewing Company coming to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Josh, Amy, and I (Ben) got to come out and visit Jesse and Amanda at Sworn Brewing and get to hang out for a bit and check out the place in a behind the scenes look.

Firstly, I want to say sorry for it taking so long to get this article out. It has been super hectic here at The Beer Thrillers HQ, and with all of us writing this article. We had a crazy busy weekend – and busy week – when we got out to visit. (Saturday – Amy and I were in Vandergrift celebrating Allusion Brewing Company’s Battle of the Breweries Win; Sunday – a friend of mine invited me to go with to Philly to watch the Premier League games, and then Monday – Amy, Josh, and I got to visit Sworn Brewing Company.) (And this was all on top of the other stuff we had going on, most of which is articles you can find on here.) (Speaking of that – you can read the Allusion Articles here: Allusion Brewing Company Celebration Party and An Alluring Trip Out To Vandergrift For Allusion Brewing Company’s Appreciation Party.)

I have also been very busy with our “Futurama Monday” – which has been a new blog article as well as new YouTube video essay each Monday.

This is also Josh’s first time jumping back in and writing with us since 2021. So welcome back Josh! Good to have you back buddy!

So before I hand things over to Josh, I’ll give a quick set up to this, and then we will go from there.

The Set – Up

Amanda and Jesse are married and co – owners of Sworn Brewing Company. Jesse is also head brewer. We heard about them opening up their new brewery in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and I reached out to Amanda when I saw a post of hers’ on one of the beer groups. We locked down a meeting date – July 24th, 2023 – and all set to go. So Josh, Amy, and myself met with Amanda and Jesse and got a walk through and a sneak peek look at the upcoming brewery.

For this article, I’m going to let Josh start us off, then switch over to Amy, and then I’ll wrap things up and conclude the article. Please let us know in the comments section what you think of this, and if you like how this article looks and reads. (Josh and I did a similar article when we got a behind the scenes look at Mellow Mink – and Amy and I did similar with a sneak peek of The Beerded Goat).

Getting Sworn In – A Behind the Scenes Look at Sworn Brewing Company

The entrance to Sworn Brewing Company in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Oh … hey there. It’s that other beer nerd that used to do beer reviews. Long time no see, right? An even longer time since I’ve written a review, let alone been here to co-author a brewer interview. Perfect time to come back, right? Thought so. I could waste your valuable time reading more drivel or I could just cut to the chase. Probably best if I just got stuck in about the visit Amy, Ben, and I had at a small brewery called Sworn Brewing Company located off East Trindle Road.

Sometimes one just needs to let opportunity in when it knocks, lest one be left out in the cold, so when the chance to visit a brand new, not yet open, brewery came across my notifications, I may have had to invite myself (okay, who am I kidding, I totally invited myself) to check the place out and get to know the new face. Truth be told though, Jesse Mills is no new face in the brewing scene. He knows his way around a Fermenter and Brite tank as he’s got some serious chops, having been in the business for over a decade. An excellent starting point and will make for great conversation. Upon arrival, I’m greeted with a quaint location tucked behind the Atlantic Pools and slot in near a black Subaru WRX STi (don’t worry about the car bro, we’re here for beer). Ben and Amy haven’t yet arrived, but no harm I figure, I’m early so I’ll just walk in and introduce myself. Step through the glass door with a small sign denoting what was once a catering business is now a brewery and step into a remarkable little place. I’d never have guessed that Jesse and his wife Amanda had been working tirelessly for a month prior to put the place right. A month? Wait … *checks notes* … yep, a literal month since the spot was purchased, did the new owners turn the key and renovate the inside. And what a transformation they’ve done. The floors still bear the character of tire prints from being a garage and then the spots and spills of a catering hub, but they are as clean as ever, given the elbow grease put into them. A corrugated metal and Australian wood bartop adorn the rear quarter of the space, adding function, form, and beauty. The walls were painted dark to add an air of comfort and warmth, and the overhead Edison lights help to drive that feeling home. Even with the place 80% complete, I feel immediately welcome, as if this brewery has been here forever. Jesse is gleefully explaining how things will look when Ben and Amy finally walk through the door. FINALLY! We can get down to business and talk shop with the rightfully excited owners.

Sworn Brewing Company Patio

There’s something beautiful in watching someone who is passionate about their field of expertise talk about what makes them happy. In the few hours we spent with Jesse, I don’t recall ever seeing the mile wide smile leave his countenance. His joy was infectious and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way. The brewery is small on purpose, not because droves of people aren’t invited, but because a personal, individual approach is more easily achieved. Customers aren’t going to be seen as a number, but as friends or family. While that will come off as a negative to some, personally I see it as their greatest strength. In keeping things small, the beer will only benefit from this approach because scaling production up means many of the nuances and subtleties are glossed over or don’t have the chance to be experienced. I could go on and on about what was discussed, but there are two other authors waiting for me to finish gushing over the splendid time and laughs shared, so I’ll button up and discuss one of the liquid libations afforded to our visit.

Sworn Brewing Tap List

One such drink was called “Dreams Debunked”. This pineapple and strawberry kettle sour sits low on octane and high on enjoyment. With the outside reaching deep into the 80’s (and 90’s the week after), this sweetheart of a sipper could function quite nicely as a break from midday chores or a sweet treat at the end of the summer’s day. Tropical waves wash over your sense of smell and suddenly the absence of sand beneath your feet becomes apparent. You’re still in Central PA, but your nose is on a beach (lucky devil). Honestly, I could have lived in the nose of Dreams Debunked, but not tasting it would have been a disservice to our hosts, so … bottoms up! As in the description, so too on the tongue does pineapple show up first. And it does so in a very dominate fashion, almost to the point where I questioned if strawberry was included. Almost. You see, there was a bit of a time element to this tart concoction and not enough of it had elapsed. There was plenty of time left in our visit, which meant there was plenty of time to get acquainted with our hosts and this beverage. Good thing too, as the more my taste buds became used to the liquid, so too did more flavor notes appear. The once king pineapple had abdicated its throne to allow its equally tart and sweet partner time in the limelight. The bottom third of this sample is glorious, almost jammy (or marmalade for our Commonwealth constituents) strawberry. The flavors and fruit mentioned in the description are, in fact, present and accounted for. All it needs is a little time and patience. Speaking of time and patience, Sworn Brewing Company is not yet open, though the target is set for September. I’ll be honest, I can’t wait to get Sworn in. How about you, Amy?

  • Josh
Dreams Debunked by Sworn Brewing Company

Sworn To a Good Time at Sworn Brewing

It was just a few weeks ago The Beer Thrillers gang was invited for a sneak peek of the new Sworn Brewing company and taproom.  Owners Jesse and Amanda Mills were there to show us their second home.  The minute you walk in you can tell these 2 have poured their heart and soul into opening this nano – brewery. 

I mean that type of passion should be evident by this quote from their Facebook page “We will strive to make sure the highest quality items we can get our hands on will be used in every single process.  Everything that comes out of our taps, every single small batch of beer that we make will go through a rigorous quality control process.  If it does not meet our standards, it will never be consumed by the customer.  We are not here to cut corners, we are here to make sure we can provide you with the best possible experience that you deserve, what the craft brewing industry deserves!”

We also got the sense of feeling pretty comfortable like they were trying to create a second home for us and the rest of our beer drinking friends.  Well actually, there are plans to accommodate our liquor and wine drinking friends as well, stay tuned.  Jesse Mills adds using local distilleries and wineries is very important to him and the rest of the Sworn family. 

When they served us our first taster of beer Amanda has put down some chips with queso and some salsa as well.  The queso and salsa were house made and intentions of putting it on the menu were also discussed.  Both Amanda and Jesse started talking about the same passion about these ingredients as they did about the beer they just served us. 

Chips, queso, salsa, and Dreams Debunked

But let’s back up a second.  We were given a taste of the Dreams Debunked fruited sour with Pineapple and Strawberry.  This lightly fruited sour has an ABV of 4.2% and lightly dances on the tongue.  The fruit is not overpowering in anyway.  What excited me the most was the pairing of the smoked queso along with the Dreams Debunked.

Dreams Debunked by Sworn Brewing Company
Homer Drooling Over Dreams Debunked

The smokiness of the queso with the salt from the chip paired with the sweet from the Dreams Debunked also helped accent the two different flavors.  When I first started drinking DD I tasted strawberry by the end and including the queso I tasted the pineapple.

Jesse also commented, when they are setup and ready, they will be making fresh bread to go along with the house made queso as well as other items for dipping. 

Happy Hump Day!!!!

So… We hung up some lights and made some bread for a test run 🍞😍 we are more than excited to share additional details as we continue to progress. Opening date info is coming soon just a few more items to complete 🍻

Sworn Brewing Company – Facebook Post About Bread

(Photos courtesy of Sworn Brewing Company’s Facebook Page)

Sworn will be welcoming food trucks to go along with their beverage pairings. 

Don’t let the unyielding passion for high quality products steer you away thinking it is a serious crowd.  When you walk into the bathroom you are greeted with a picture of Mr. Jones above the toilet and as you would turn to use the toilet or hopefully walk towards the sink to wash your hands you are greeted with a picture of Craig Jones the Movie Friday.

Jesse and Amanda are giggling right along with us as they tell us they can’t wait to hear the first customer walk in there and bust out laughing from seeing the pictures. 

This is your place to hang out and for everyone wanting an excellent product, welcoming atmosphere and something relaxing and not so serious.  We can’t wait to add this spot to our frequent stops. 

  • Amy

A Look Behind The Sword at Sworn Brewing Company

As I said at the top of the article, discussed getting to meet with them, and we did get to on Monday – July 24th. Amy and I dropped Scarlet off at my parents after Amy came home from work and then we were off to Mechanicsburg. Hit a little traffic on the bridge, but got there in no time.

Josh beat us there, but we were immediately greeted by Amanda and Jesse. Both super awesome and wonderful people. They showed us around the place, talking about the brewery’s past – as a catering business (twice over) and a car shop.

It was great listening to their plans for the building itself. They discussed the bar top, the wood of it, the corrugated steel for the outside of it, the epoxy used on the wood, etc. The attention to detail is incredible with Jesse.

The story of them trying to pain the tiles of the ceiling for the bathroom was hilarious, and thus why only the bathroom has the black tiles and not the whole brewery.

Jesse is very focused on his beer and discussed his past brewing experience – both professionally and as a home brewer. The brewing system at Sworn Brewing Company is going to be a 1 BBL system. Not much bigger than home brewing for Jesse. He said he prefers it this way – it lets him be more precise, dialed in, and make the exact beer he wants.

With Jesse and Amanda we got to discuss a great number of topics big and small. From the brewery itself, to past brewing experiences, to consumer experiences, to new breweries in the area – and old breweries in the area – to competitions in brewing, to traveling for beer (Vermont, New Hampshire, The Answer, etc.), we discussed beer groups and beer blogs – both good and bad – online, Untappd, and the other factors that will play into how successful a brewery is.

Amanda and Jesse are very community focused. They love their location, love Mechanicsburg, and want to see both thrive. They live in Dillsburg which didn’t have any good locations suitable for them, so they opened up shop on Trindle Road.

Dreams Debunked (photo courtesy of Sworn Brewing Company’s Facebook page)

Dreams Debunked was absolutely amazing. A wonderful, delicious sour. From this alone – I know I can’t wait for the brewery to open up and get to try the rest of that tap list he’s preparing.

The brewery itself is very inviting. With the roll up bay door and the entrance leading you right to the bar, with all of the available seating (including a table reserved for their parents at all times – complete with LEGO Flowers), the entire place is just very homey.

Sworn Brewing Company (photo courtesy of their Facebook page)

Listening to Jesse and Amanda discuss their plans for the future – with food trucks, home made bread, the world renowned hot dog vendor that they know personally, and so much more – it will be fantastic. This will certainly be a great boon to the town and the brewing community in the area.

Jesse Mills comes with a great brewing background, having home brewed, and brewed professionally. He’s beaten some great local breweries in home brewing competitions, as home brewed with a group and worked with Derek Markel, and professionally brewed with Sign of the Horse Brewing.

(Plus rumor is that they are Bengals fans… so I mean… right there they gotta be good folk right?! Can I get a Who Dey?!)

This is what we love about the small breweries. Seeing how much they support, impact, and help out communities. And knowing that your money is going to a family that loves what they do, and wants to give back to their community, want to grow in their craft, and support their family and friends.

Congratulations to Jesse and Amanda Mills, we cannot way to come back for Sworn Brewing Company’s opening – and many more times in the future after that.

  • B. Kline

Sworn Brewing Company

For more information on Sworn Brewing Company, you can find them on the following social media pages:

Josh, Amy, and I

Again – I want to reiterate that Josh, Amy, and I (B. Kline) greatly appreciated the opportunity to come out and get to check out Sworn Brewing Company. It was a wonderful time getting to hang out with wonderful people and we can only help this gets them more attention before their opening. If you are reading it – I cannot recommend that you stop out and visit them enough.

Look for them to be having announcements about grand openings, soft openings, and more around the beginning of September.

Josh

We welcome Josh back after a hiatus of writing. At the end of this article I will post a link to Josh, Amy, and Ben’s most viewed articles. But for now, check out his Beer Review of Ghost in a Machine by Parish Brewing Company.

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Author Articles

Amy’s Weekly Column Series

Since getting back to writing for the blog after a short hiatus, Amy has started up a weekly column style writing for the blog. You can find these articles here:

(And please take a moment to fill out Amy’s survey on her ‘Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles‘ column.)

Josh

Some of Josh’s beer reviews:

B. Kline

Some of Ben’s articles:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

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Beer Review: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017) – Cox Brewing Company (CBC) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/12/17/beer-review-b-52-belgian-dubbel-bottle-conditioned-2017-cox-brewing-company/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-b-52-belgian-dubbel-bottle-conditioned-2017-cox-brewing-company Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:21:25 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=6503 It’s winter here in PA, and making it more apparent than ever that it is that time of year is SNOW. On the ground. Actual white, powdery, cold, SNOW. The fact that the temperature has plummeted into the lower 30’s is just the icing on this very chilly cake. With projected depths of 24″ in places, it’s time to settle in and ride out this “Snowpocalypse”. However, at the time of writing this, we’re sitting at modest 2″ just after 5pm. As with the colder months, glasses of heavier and thicker alcohols must be filled, if only to trick the brain into thinking we’ll get warmer. Stouts are typical and almost expected this time of year, but I’m not one to always follow the trend. Winter Ales exist for a good reason, though the subject of this review goes a step further. I’m especially referring to Belgian beer styles. Dubbels, Tripels, and Quads are among those heaviest of hitters. Three beer styles that can range anywhere from 9-15% and still come off impossibly smooth and delicate. Just don’t try to stand up too fast…or at all if you’ve had more than one. Perhaps then it seems fitting that I suggest you sip those styles of beers on a “night in” when you’re able to get regrettably pants drunk and don’t have to be seen or heard from at any local venues or watering holes. Wait…this is 2020, so what the heck am I talking about?! Let’s crack open a bottle and find out.

The mighty B-52 Stratofortress

Just before we crack on, I would like to set the scene a little. The beer that I am about to write a review for is the better part of three years old. Because of that, I am going to elaborate more than normal as this is decidedly not an IPA and as such, deserves a little more time and effort spent waxing philosophic. You’ll want to strap in.

The Beer

Beer: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017)
Brewery: Cox Brewing Company (CBC)
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.7%
IBU: 10
Untappd Description: A smoked Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned one year before release and aged with raisins.
Enjoy In: Tulip, Snifter
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit or 30,000ft

The last dram

The Review

It’s 2017 and a friend of mine has asked me to join him and his father at a small brewery in Rheems, PA. Back then I had never heard of Cox Brewing Company, much less tried any of their beer. However, it’s local brewery and I’m more than willing to check a new place out. We pull into an industrial and farm looking part of town and up to what appeared to be a hole in the wall. The kind of place that only those that were “in-the-know” frequented. And there we were, walking into a crowded and cramped garage that was abuzz with conversation. The whole time I was wondering just how good the beer was, but after the first sip, all doubt fled through that same garage door and I began enjoying myself. Spent a few moments scanning the chalkboard menu and spotted something very interesting. I was going to choose by name, and then I noticed the style. WOAH! “Dubbel” Now there’s something you don’t find very often. While being very happy to see the style, I have to admit I was still a bit of a sceptic. My personal experience with US brewed Belgian styles has been a bit spotty at best. Not many breweries seem to be able to replicate the unique taste found in Belgian beers. So naturally, I did what any beer nerd would do: I ordered a pint. I remember being very glad I was sitting down as much fresher versions of the flavors I’ll depict later washed over me. I enjoyed it so much that I vowed then and there that I would be back to buy two bottles, because only a fool would buy one. I returned a week later, making good on my promise. One of those bottles was had two years ago, and thought it unlikely that it would get any better.

Fast forward those two years and I finally popped the cork on the last bottle that had been sleeping in my cellar ever since. It doesn’t feel like it’s been three years, but with the way 2020 has gone, time is a mere construct, and a fickle one to be sure. Regardless, after carefully coaxing the cage and cork from the glass bottle, the sound of bubbles frothing and bursting echoed forth from the long neck to the tune of a Geiger counter. The effects of the beer contained within wasn’t quite so nuclear, though it will blow away the day’s stress or the frigid temperatures outside. This is a sipping beer in much the way that relaxation and a comfortable lounging chair are the quintessential furnishings of an in home get-a-way. The bottle reads 7.7% but with the way it drinks, you’d swear it was hovering just above the mid 5% range. Either way this beer doesn’t wash down the throat like either of those as it slips easily beyond the tongue and tonsils (if you still have them), down the esophagus and into a waiting stomach. Tickling your nose isn’t the sensation of bubbles popping but the rich, almost candied essence of raisins toiling and rising with a very mild and light smoke. And now to look at the gentle fluid now occupying space in your vessel of choice. A gorgeous, deep ruby red hue briefly accompanied by a coarse, thin, light brown head that evaporates shortly after being poured. Open the hatch, over the gums, and bathe your tongue in liquid bliss, as the taste buds pull out sweet notes of the raisins your nose sniffed out, laced with a subtle, yet comfortable smokiness. The concept might sound a little weird at first, but I assure that this combination not only works, it’s downright delicious. For having such heavy flavors and notes, this is a beer that disappears from your glass and you’re left wondering where it all went and why it’s all gone. Don’t stand up. Allow me to repeat myself a little louder: DO. NOT. STAND. UP. Not only will you likely stumble if you’ve downed the bottle yourself (which I may or may not have done in this case), but you’ll ruin the cozy, warm feeling you’ve likely built up while reclining in your favor chair. Allow the rich flavor to linger and envelope you as you sink deeper into that recliner. Relax and let your mind wander. Oh for that last sorrowful dram of sweet release, how does it linger. A slow flavor evolution that ends with hints of milk chocolate. Odd? Yes, but given that raisins appear in the flavor profile, chocolate only bolsters the thickness of this flavor. This was well worth the wait, so perhaps I should be happy there was snow as I would have left this one to age even further. Prost!

Only proper glassware will do

My Untappd Score: ****-1/4
Global Rating: 4.21/5 (as of 12/17/2020)

PROST!

J.Doncevic

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Beer Review: Terpenes In Time (BAREbottle Brewing Co.) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/10/15/beer-review-terpenes-in-time-barebottle-brewing-co/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-terpenes-in-time-barebottle-brewing-co Thu, 15 Oct 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=4713 NERDS! Yes, you beer and pop-culture nerds alike. Gather round and feast your eyes on the following:

Hero in a half barrel. Brewing power!

You guys remember that cartoon from the late 80’s about the sewer dwelling, pizza-loving reptiles with shells on their back and mad karate skills? I’m not talking about the alligators that supposedly inhabit New York City storm drains. No, I’m referring to the turtles with Renaissance artist names. You remember that lot, right? The ones in the live action movies from the late 90’s (those are classics even though they changed April for the second and third films). Raph, Don, Mikey, and Leo. Or maybe you remember them by the color of their masks: Red, Purple, Orange, and Blue. Hey wait a second, didn’t they have a rat as their master? Master…takes sip of beer…Splinter! Coolest rat ever, right? Actually, if I’m honest, Splinter is the only rat I wouldn’t mind seeing as he walked out of the sewers. Might have been old, but the guy could kick some tail. Right, before I get too distracted, I should probably get down to business. Before I officially start the review, I’ll try not to make too many “radical!” or “dude!” references. No promises though.

The Beer

Beer: Terpenes In Time
Brewery: BAREbottle Brewing Co.
Style: New England IPA (Hazy IPA)
ABV: 7.2%
IBU: N/A
Untappd Description: “Shreddin’ some of our favorite lots of Citra and Amarillo selected in Yakima, with notes of candied melon and jolly rancher candy.”
Enjoy In: Teku, IPA glass, Half Shell
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit

Some breweries just give you beer. BAREbottle gives you hope.

The Review

I saw this beer on Tavour, probably about midday and from the can art alone I knew I had to purchase it. Humans are visual creatures and I admit that it’s been the impetus of my buying impulse on more than one occasion. With so many references in just the art alone, I felt like I’d have a serious case of FOMO. That, and like I’d have let the little kid in me down in some way (which is weird considering we’re talking about a beer). What got me wasn’t the green color, though. The first thing I noticed was the font that “BARE” was written in. I thought “I know that from somewhere”, and like a bolt of lightning (or a nunchuck to the face), BAM! the jingle from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon started playing in my head. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I applaud the breweries that manage to do that. Most are through artwork and fewer still might be through taste. This is the former. And it’s the details that really start to shine as you inspect the can. The designs that make the label look like a shell. The piece of melty cheese & pepperoni pizza. The font of all the words. The different colors “Cowabunga” is written in. All of these little things come together and form a cavalcade of awesome. Or rather everything forms something that’s “totally radical!”

Now I want pizza.

Crack open the can and your nose is met with, and tingled by a mix of bitey hop odor and sweet tropical fruits. Grab a favorite glass and begin pouring. No, that’s not the Ooze that will exit this 16oz. beauty. Instead, there’s a soft golden orange haze sloshing about whatever you’ve chosen to enjoy this brew from. The next thing you’ll notice is the light, fluffy, and bubbly head that springs forth if you manage to pour too quickly. Actually, whether you’re too quick or not, you’ll still get the same result, though perhaps not quite as much as I did. Take a few sips and that head leaves excellent lacing behind. It’s a wonder to beh- oh, you’ve already swirled the beer around the glass, haven’t you? Ah well, no matter because the beer is the important bit, isn’t it? Speaking of which, Terpenes in Time is one smooth beverage. Not just in delivery, but the flavor(s) rolling around in 7.2% bliss never overwhelm each other, giving each drink a thick, weighty, and sweet fruit flavor that is more reminiscent of juice than it is a beer. While you’re at it, you’ll notice a hint of hop bitterness at the very end. Want another drink yet? More like, want another can? Yeah you do. Cowabunga it is!

Krang demands you find and drink this beer!

My Untappd Score: ****-1/4
Global Rating: 4.05/5 (as of 10/14/20)

PROST!

J.Doncevic

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Beer Review: The Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859) – Adroit Theory x Pig Destroyer https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/10/12/beer-review-the-octagonal-stairway-ghost-859-adroit-theory-x-pig-destroyer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-the-octagonal-stairway-ghost-859-adroit-theory-x-pig-destroyer Mon, 12 Oct 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=4680 The entire world has descended into madness. Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d have to type, let alone believe. It’s the very thing that Hollywood would bake into a movie plot. Then again, 2020 has certainly given us a LOT to reflect on. Start with an entire continent on fire, most of us probably thought “that’s probably as crazy as it’s going to get” and then…murder hornets? WHAT?! But 2020 wasn’t done with the surprises and in late March, lockdown for COVID-19 happened. Masks everywhere and businesses across the globe shut their doors. Wild and crazy times indeed. But you’re not here to learn about current events or what’s happening on celebrity TV. No, you’re here for a much more important purpose. You’re here to read a beer review! Speaking of those, long time no review, huh? WhyY, I see you man, so sit tight as I unravel my next tale of suds.

“I hid undercover and waited for my orders”

I awoke with a grail in my hand
I sipped it as I went down the octagonal stairway

The Beer

Beer: The Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859)
Brewery: Adroit Theory (Collab with Pig Destroyer)
Style: Imperial Milk Stout
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: 50
Untappd Description:This is a collaboration with the band Pig Destroyer, and was brewed to coincide with their new EP: The Octagonal Stairway. This is a brand new Imperial Milk Stout. Rich, Creamy, and Decadent. And enough ABV to remind you that Adroit Theory + Pig Destroyer are not to be toyed with.
Enjoy In: Belgian Tulip, Goblet, The Stairway, Pig’s head, whatever…
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit

The Review

Compassion was my weakness
I declared war for no reason

Pour the deep, rich, dark liquid into your drinking vessel of choice and prepare to be assaulted by furious guitar rifts made for your tastebuds! Hang on, that’s not how music and beer works. Is it? No, you can’t hear with your tongue! At least, humans can’t. Either way, this brew is raucously delicious and I’m not just saying that because I’ve got the song blaring into my eardrums at nearly unsafe levels. Clearly I’m doing something wrong if I can still think straight, right? Too many questions, not enough content.

Okay! So what does a beer made by a brewmeister and a band look like? Better question is; what does it drink like? I tried not to ask more questions, but I promise it’ll be worth it, because one does not simply put sip a 10.5% stout from Adroit Theory after they’ve collaborated with prolific Virginian Grindcore band called Pig Destroyer. No, what you do is blow out your audio equipment and thump your skull while you chug can after can of the stuff. Don’t spill it! How dare you spill a drop of this velvet elixir! Of course, this is all just a suggestion because this wonderful stout shouldn’t actually be slammed down your gullet. It should indeed be savored and enjoyed to the delightful sounds of music. In fact, what are you listening to, and why is it Pig Destroyer’s Octagonal Stairway EP? Lavish in its silky smooth texture and bathe in the drinkability of a stout that, based on ABV alone, should not go down this easy. This bittersweet highway sits idly behind the glass. Tight, toffee brown head serving as the thin veil between lips and rowdy lactose laced comfort. Brutal milk and dark chocolate notes pummel your tongue as the Big Damn Beer races down your esophagus. There is nothing left but take another glug. Raise your vessel and begin the process again!

The final drip…drip

My Untappd Score: ****-1/2
Global Rating: 3.93 (as of 10/9/20)

Editor’s note: The Octagonal EP may or may not have been blasting through my headphones while this review was being written. Pig Destroyer’s influence may or may not have found their way into some of the paragraphs herein.

PROST!

J.Doncevic

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Beer Review: Colonization (Ghost 779) – Adroit Theory https://thebeerthrillers.com/2019/11/11/beer-review-colonization-ghost-779-adroit-theory/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-colonization-ghost-779-adroit-theory Mon, 11 Nov 2019 18:00:24 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=1215 Friday’s are great. The only day of the week that is half in the regular work week, and the other half is the beginning of the weekend. So what could possibly make Friday better? Taco day at work! Yep, it doesn’t get much better…except if said taco day had margaritas…or I had the day off. Okay, so maybe Friday can get better, BUT there are few things that get better than Adroit Theory beers. Change my mind. As with most of the beer I do review on, I got Colonization from Tavour. They partner with hundreds of breweries all across the US, so you’re bound to find something you can’t normally put your hands (or your tastebuds) on.

The Beer

Beer: Colonization (Ghost 779)
Brewery: Adroit Theory
Style: IPA -Imperial/Double
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 35
Untappd Description:We went back to our favorite hop: Mosaic, and coupled it with Idaho 7 + Citra. Bright soft tropical orange rind meets melon + citrus.Creamy body with slight backend bitterness
Enjoy In: IPA Glass, Teku, Tin Cup, Anything “Apocalypse” rated
Enjoy At: 50-55 degree Fahrenheit

The Review

Back at it again, this time with another fine selection from the brewing gods at Adroit Theory. “Colonization” ranks in at a familiar 8.3%, this Imperial IPA dispenses with the boozy notes and gets straight to the point. Now that’s my kind of beer! Oh yes, Colonization makes no bones about its intent and that’s something everyone can appreciate. No guesswork. No fuss. Just complete honesty. Let’s talk about that.

Hey, that’s my birthday!

From sip number one, it becomes immediately apparent that Colonization has come to collect. Whether that is admirers, fleeting glimpses, or just the casual drinker, all of these are of no consequence as there are no prisoners taken. Don’t like IPA’s? That’s fine, save some for those that do! This golden liquid finishes its pour with a loose, light, and thin head, trapping few vapors and allowing the full flavor to be experienced. This beer is BOLD. Bursting forth with hops and esters, your sense of smell now filled with exploding hops. Colonization grabs your taste buds by force and demands your devotion. Your attention will be held captive by the bitter juice that is this brew. Your thirst will slake for but a moment before your tongue begins to feel dry. Time for another gulp. Drink up friend, you’ll need it. You’re being Colonized.

Hey bub. You gonna finish that?

My Untappd Score: ****-1/4
Global Rating: 4.02 (as of 11/8/19)

Prost!

J.Doncevic

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Beer Review: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782) – Adroit Theory https://thebeerthrillers.com/2019/11/08/beer-review-ebk-gashadokuro-ghost-782-adroit-theory/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-ebk-gashadokuro-ghost-782-adroit-theory Fri, 08 Nov 2019 18:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=1179 Let us get the pleasantries out of the way first: Adroit Theory is one of my most favorite breweries and I have yet to have a bad beer or experience from them. About now you’re expecting me to flip the script and say that EBK was the exception…but I’m not and I won’t. Still going strong from my first impression, Adroit Theory is one of a very few, select breweries that I know I can rely on for solid beer. Hell, just look at the can and you’ll see they can be relied on for kick-ass artwork as well! Admittedly, I’m a sucker for cool artwork, and when the beer and the artwork match, just take my money (no, seriously). Actually, before the main event starts, and speaking of “take my money”, I purchased EBK – Gashadokuro from Tavour. Tavour is a free app to download and you can pick and choose whatever beer trips your fancy to be delivered to your door. How cool is that?

The Beer

Beer: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782)
Brewery: Adroit Theory
Style: IPA – Imperial/Double
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 31
Untappd Description:The 9th iteration of our Death Samurai themed series, this one is jam packed with Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo + Comet for a complex blend of Tropical + Pine with a Soft + Dry Finish
Enjoy In: IPA glass, Teku
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit

The Review

Adroit Theory holds a special place for me because I tried them on a whim and came away impressed. Not bad for a microbrewery out of Purcellville, Virginia, right? Actually, that last sentence came across with doubt in it and I would like to quelch any rumors that might stem from said statement and say that Adroit Theory deserves to stand with the so-called “big boys”. Quite honestly I feel that their beer portfolio is stacked from end to end with a master class on how to create fantastic beers with artwork to match. It’s just straight up silly how it all comes together.

Name another brewery that does this. I’ll wait..

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself because the beer I’m supposed to be reviewing hasn’t really been mentioned outside of the stats. Allow me to remedy that. EBK, like many of Adroit’s brews, is a long running experiment with different recipes and methods. This version, the Gashadokuro Edition, is the 9th such iteration of “EBK”. Never had versions 1-8, but if they’re as good as the 9th, then the only thing I’ve missed is the artwork (still sad, though). Regardless, when you do pop the top of EBK, you are greeted by aromas of tropical fruit, a slight boozy air, and piney hops. Not as much a samurai, up front assault, as it is a ninja’s way of life, the hops floating in after the thick fruit veil has subsided. With that in mind, the sweet fruit does continue from the nose into the taste and finishes a little on the dry side. Maybe this was intentional, but it works. For an IPA, EBK is not voraciously hoppy, but then the hop blend and Adroit’s brewing sorcery manage to keep everything in check. Phew! This beer does clock in at 8.3%, so do be mindful of having more than one, unless of course you don’t plan to drive anywhere. Actually, sitting at 8.3%, EBK doesn’t hit that hard. You will feel warm, but the alcohol punch is more inviting than it is overbearing. The body is much lighter than the ABV suggests and is a novel difference. Did I mention that I love Adroit? Yes? Well, just so we’re all clear, if you ever have an opportunity to visit Purcellville, Virginia, consider stopping at Adroit Theory for a drink (or four). The beer is quite exceptional, but don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself!

My Untappd Score: ****-1/2
Global Rating: 3.97 (as of 11/7/19)

Prost!

-J.Doncevic

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