Benjamin Kline - The Beer Thrillers

Hoppy Valley Brewfest

BKline — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 13:38:42 +0000

Hoppy Valley Brewfest (logo) – May 11th, 2024

Hoppy Valley Brewfest

Want to visit Beaver Stadium, walk the field where some of the best of the Penn State Alumni played football, while drinking craft beer? Come May 11th, that can be a reality for you. Introducing the “Hoppy Valley Brewfest”. The inaugural brewfest is looking to kick off on May 11th and will be hosting 75+ breweries to deliver their craft beer suds on the field of Beaver Stadium.

One of the largest stadiums in the country will host what could potentially be one of the largest brewfests in the country. An attempt to rival the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, “The East Coast GABF” as one insider told me, this brewfest is looking to make monumental waves on the industry.

Less than a full day after the Mt. Hope – Renaissance Faire brewfest was announced to be cancelled – the Hoppy Valley Brewfest was officially announced. (We had previously discussed it as ‘unofficial’ rumor news here on the site.)

Antifragile Brewing Company, in collaboration with Breweries of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance, is joining forces to host a historic event at the fourth-largest stadium in the world – Beaver Stadium!

Be one of the first to score a tasting of handcrafted beers ON THE FIELD at the home of the most electrifying atmosphere in college football. Immerse yourself in the diverse offerings from an expected 75+ exhibitors, featuring a wide selection of beverages catering to every palate.

The festival will also showcase local food vendors and entertainment, ensuring that there is something for anyone and everyone. Make sure to join us for an unforgettable blend of flavors and fun at the inaugural Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest!

“What to Expect” – Hoppy Valley Brewfest

Schedule of Events

Saturday, May 11, 2024

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Arrive early! I.D. Check/Ticketing Lines

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: VIP (Early Access)

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: General Admission

A Brewfest Comes to Beaver Stadium

Hoppy Valley Brewfest

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster. To stay updated on when tickets go live, stay tuned to our blog, as well as the official website of the brewfest: “Hoppy Valley Brewfest“.

There will be entertainment as well, but more information will be released as the lead up to the event happens. Stay tuned to their website for more information on that as well.

Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft wants to stage more events at Beaver Stadium, which is undergoing a $700 million renovation. Beaver Stadium will host Luke Combs’ “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour” on April 27, two weeks after the Blue-White Game. In 2023, Beaver Stadium hosted a yoga class and showed “The Lion King” on the stadium screen. Beaver Stadium also has hosted a pop-up version of TopGolf.

Sports Illustrated as well as numerous other outlets have covered the brewfest as happening. (Sports Illustrated does have an error in which they state Breweries in PA is a sponsor when its the guild of breweries in Pennsylvania – the Brewers Of Pennsylvania who is in fact a sponsor.) The sponsors for the event are – PR&LA, Brewers of Pennsylvania, Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and Antifragile Brewing Company.

As well as the “Official Sponsor” – Hello Social Co.

The event will run from 12 – 5 PM for VIP attendees and from 1 – 5 for general admission attendees. A price point hasn’t been discussed yet on their website, but a number thrown out has been “100$”, not sure if this is for the VIP or for the General Admission cost. (Tickets are also sold through Ticketmaster so there will be more costs then afterwards.)

We will keep our blog – The Beer Thrillers – updated with more information as we get it.

Home of the legendary Penn State Nittany Lions football program, Beaver Stadium seats 106,572 fans, making it the second-largest football stadium in the United States.

You will be entering the festival through the south tunnel of Beaver Stadium – just like the team does! Picture yourself coming out to the cheers of 110,000 people, and get ready for an experience unlike any other.

Hoppy Valley Brewfest – Beaver Stadium

The announcement of the brewfest comes with 75+ known breweries. Some of which include:

Antifragile Brewery
Sworn Brewing
Warwick Farms Brewing
Troegs Independent Brewing
Ten7 Brewing
Fourscore Beer Company
Second Sin Beer
Trace Brewing
Prison City Brewing
Tin Barn Brewing
Dewey Beer
Hidden River Brewing
Other Half Brewing
Grist House Brewhouse
Sunset Hill Brewing
Dancing Gnome Brewing

Brewfests

This is a very exciting brewfest coming to the greater Central PA area and we cannot wait for it. Coming in May, it is a time when typically the Mount Hope Brewfest (pre-COVID) was usually held. And it will fall between the two dates of the AC Brewfest (the indoor brewfest being in April, and the outdoor brewfest being in June). So this will be a wonderful huge brewfest in the Spring timeframe. Definitely put this on your calendars and expect a great time. We are looking forward to getting more information.

We had previously stated on here how Troegs Independent Brewing – Antifgraile Brewing – Sworn Brewing – and Warwick Farms Brewing – met up at the Troegs Brewery to start hammering out a collaboration beer details for this brewfest. See that article here: “Troegs, Antifragile, Sworn, and Warwick Farms Meet For Collaboration Beer”.

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:

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Mount Hope (Renaissance Faire) Brewfest Is Cancelled

BKline — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 19:43:35 +0000

The Mount Hope (Renaissance Faire) Brewfest is Cancelled

As was rumored, and hinted by many in the industry, it has finally been announced officially – The Mount Hope Brewfest will no longer be ran. Having been in operation and ran for over a decade, the Mt. Hope Brewfest at the Renaissance Faire in Manheim, Pennsylvania was one of the first and premier brewfests in the Central PA area.

Myself, along with my friends Drew (Knights of Nostalgia), Rory, as well as many others over the years (Dave, Drew’s sister and brother in law, the Delps, Palante, Robert, etc, etc, etc) have all enjoyed going each year and getting to stroll the Renaissance Faire grounds enjoying delicious craft beer and wonderful food.

The Announcement

Cheers To The Memories!

Brewfest has been cancelled. We would like to express our gratitude to all the beer enthusiasts who have been a part of Brewfest since its inception in 2008. For more information on upcoming events, visit our website or stay tuned to our FB and IG pages. http://www.parenfaire.com/

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire – Facebook Post

The Mt. Hope Brewfest catered to the Central PA area and breweries, hosting many breweries from Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, York, Schuylkill, Perry, and other surrounding or nearby counties. In my early days of craft beer, the RenFaire brewfest helped me learn about a lot of breweries to get to go and visit them and try them out at the store.

As Drew and I have talked about over the past two years the brewfest has felt a bit more ‘lacking’ each year. Less breweries, and even an increase in cost. The popularity in craft beer brewfests has also waned in recent years, not just in Pennsylvania but nationwide. Even brewfests like Great American Beer Fest (GABF) have been drawing smaller and smaller crowds and people have talked less and less favorably of them online. Perhaps the craft brewfest fad is ending and the bubble is bursting for brewfests (as well as for breweries). I suppose time will tell.

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.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Craft Beer 101: Your Guide to the World of Small – Batch Brewing

BKline — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 20:04:14 +0000

Craft Beer

Craft Beer 101: Your Guide to the World of Small – Batch Brewing

Craft beer has exploded in popularity in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. With a seemingly endless array of styles and flavors, there’s a craft beer out there for everyone. But what exactly is craft beer, and why is it so popular? In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of small-batch brewing and explore what makes craft beer so unique.

What is Craft Beer?

For beginners – you can check out our full article about just that: “What is Craft Beer?“

Craft beer is typically defined as beer that is brewed in small batches by independent breweries. These breweries are often passionate about their craft and are focused on creating unique and flavorful beers. Unlike mass-produced beers, which are often brewed with the same recipe and ingredients, craft beers are made in smaller quantities and often incorporate local, seasonal, and organic ingredients.

What are the most popular craft beer styles?

There are dozens of different styles of craft beer, each with its own unique flavor profile. Some of the most popular styles include:

IPAs (India Pale Ales): These are typically hoppy and bitter beers with a strong floral or citrusy aroma.
Stouts: These are dark, rich beers with a creamy texture and flavors of coffee and chocolate.
Pilsners: These are light and crisp beers with a slightly bitter finish.
Sours: These are tart and acidic beers that are often aged in barrels to give them a more complex flavor profile.

What are the health benefits of craft beer?

Craft beer is often made with high-quality, natural ingredients, which can have health benefits when consumed in moderation. Some of the potential health benefits of craft beer include:

Improved heart health: Moderate beer consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Better bone health: Beer is a good source of silicon, which is important for bone health.
Reduced stress: The moderate consumption of beer has been shown to have a relaxing effect on the body.

What should you look for when trying a new craft beer?

When trying a new craft beer, there are several things to keep in mind. First, pay attention to the style of the beer and its flavor profile. Is it hoppy, malty, or sour? Does it have a strong aroma? Second, look for information about the brewery and its brewing process. Is the beer made with local or organic ingredients? Is the brewery focused on sustainability and environmental responsibility? Finally, don’t be afraid to ask your bartender or server for recommendations. They’re often very knowledgeable about the different beers on tap and can help guide you toward something you’ll love.

In conclusion, craft beer is a fascinating and diverse world with a lot to offer. Whether you’re a seasoned beer drinker or just getting started, there’s always something new to discover in the world of small-batch brewing. So grab a pint, sit back, and enjoy the ride!

If you want discounts and coupons on getting great fresh beer from hundreds of breweries across the country sent right to your door – check out our article here: Beer Drop Services. (Links in the article will have discounts and coupons to use.)

Thanks For Reading

Thank you for reading everyone. I hope you appreciate this over – arching craft beer blog article. Let us know what you think of this content and if you like it and would like to see it continue or if you rather see other content that we are producing (or are not producing).

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

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How to Build Your Own Homebrew: A Comprehensive Guide for Craft Beer Enthusiasts

BKline — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 16:10:00 +0000

A homebrewing oudoor setup

How to Build Your Own Homebrew: A Comprehensive Guide for Craft Beer Enthusiasts

Craft beer has become a popular beverage among beer enthusiasts worldwide. With its complex and diverse flavors, it has captured the hearts of many beer drinkers. If you’re one of those enthusiasts and are interested in taking your love for craft beer to the next level, why not try your hand at homebrewing? In this post, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to build your own homebrew, including all the equipment you will need, the brewing process, and some tips and tricks to get you started.

Equipment Needed for Homebrewing

Different pictures of our brewday and the equipment used.

Before we dive into the brewing process, let’s first take a look at the equipment you’ll need. While it may seem daunting at first, the essential equipment needed for homebrewing can be relatively affordable.

Brewing Kettle: This is where you’ll boil your wort (unfermented beer).

Fermenter: This is where your beer will ferment.

Airlock: This will allow gases to escape during fermentation without allowing any contaminants to enter.

Siphon: This is used to transfer the beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket.

Bottling Equipment: This includes bottles, caps, and a capper.

The Brewing Process

Taking a reading while brewing

Homebrewing involves several steps, each of which is essential to making a delicious brew. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the brewing process:

Mashing: Heat water in your brewing kettle, then add crushed grains. Allow the grains to steep at a specific temperature range (around 145-155°F) for an hour, allowing the enzymes to convert the starches in the grains into sugars.
Boiling: Bring the wort to a boil, adding hops and any other flavorings as desired.
Fermenting: Transfer the boiled wort to the fermenter and add yeast. Allow it to ferment at a specific temperature range (usually between 60-70°F) for about a week.
Bottling: Transfer the fermented beer to a bottling bucket using a siphon, then add priming sugar (which will carbonate the beer) and mix thoroughly. Bottle the beer using a capper, then store the bottles at room temperature for about two weeks to carbonate.

As the brewday continues.

Ingredients

The pellet bags of different hops used in the beer.

The quality of the ingredients you use can make or break your homebrew. When choosing your ingredients, consider the following:

Malt: There are several different types of malt available, each with unique flavors and characteristics.

Hops: Hops provide bitterness, flavor, and aroma to your beer. There are many different types of hops available, each with their own unique flavor profiles.

Yeast: Yeast plays a crucial role in the brewing process, as it consumes the sugars in the wort and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Different strains of yeast can produce different flavors and aromas.

Troubleshooting

Homebrewing can be a challenging process, and it’s not uncommon to run into some problems along the way. Here are some common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

Infection: If you notice mold or a sour smell, it’s likely that your beer has become infected. The best solution is to throw it out and start again, being sure to sanitize your equipment thoroughly.
Flat Beer: If your beer is flat, it may not have fermented long enough or may not have enough priming sugar. Try adding more priming sugar and waiting another week or so.
Overcarbonation: If your beer is overcarbonated, it may have too much priming sugar or too much yeast. Try using less priming sugar and checking your yeast levels before bottling.

Tips and Tricks

Finally, here are some tips and tricks to help you get started with homebrewing:

Keep everything clean: One of the most critical aspects of homebrewing is keeping everything sanitized and clean to avoid contamination.
Follow the recipe: It’s tempting to experiment with different ingredients, but following the recipe is essential for achieving the desired flavor and texture.
Keep track of your progress: Keeping a log of your brewing process can help you improve your skills and avoid making the same mistakes twice.
Have fun: Homebrewing is a fun and rewarding hobby, so enjoy the process and experiment with different flavors and techniques.

Conclusion

Homebrewing can be a fun and rewarding hobby for any craft beer enthusiast. With the right equipment, ingredients, and technique, you can create your own delicious brew right at home. Remember to keep everything clean and follow the recipe, and most importantly, have fun experimenting with different flavors and techniques. Cheers to your first homebrew!

Milling Grain

Just to throw back to one of my first homebrews, my (now) ex – wife shot this video with Olivia-Grace (my oldest daughter) running narrator. Its a video of me milling the grain at The Scotzin Brothers homebrew shop in Lemoyne.

Milling grain at The Scotzin Brothers homebrew shop.

Thank You For Reading

Hopefully anyone looking at getting into homebrewing or just enjoying homebrewing or wanting to read about homebrewing finds this article interesting or informative. If you have any questions, concerns, comments, suggestions, or anything at all – please leave it in the comments or use our CONTACT US page or e – mail us directly at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Again, thank you all so very much for reading! Please like, share, follow, subscribe, comment, bookmark, etc. It really helps us out here.

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

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.

What is Craft Beer?

BKline — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 23:16:15 +0000

What is craft beer?

What is Craft Beer?

It sounds like an easy answer… but its answer can actually be quite elusive. Ask five different people and you might get five different answers. “Good beer.” “Quality beer.” “Independently owned beer.” “Small brewery beer.” “Good ingredients, hard work, small quantity, good tasting beer.” Are all of these answers right?

Definition… Definition… Definition…

Let’s start with the Brewer’s Association definition of craft beer:

Craft beer is generally made with traditional ingredients like malted barley; interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients are often added for distinctiveness. Craft brewers tend to be very involved in their communities through philanthropy, product donations, volunteerism and sponsorship of events.
Brewer’s Association – Definition of Craft Beer and Craft Brewer

Is that all there is to it though? I think we can all agree there’s a bit more depth to the definition of craft beer than this. With this definition breweries like Anheuser-Busch or Coors or Heineken would fall under the purview of ‘craft beer’. (Shudders).

Digging a little deeper, Brewer’s Association gives the following:

Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to rules of alternating proprietorships. …

Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
Brewer’s Association – Definition of Craft Beer and Craft Brewer

This helps us narrow it down a bit more. Now we have a quantity amount (no more than six million barrels of beer) and an ownership detail – less than twenty – five percent of the brewery is owned or controlled by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

These numbers will certainly pop up in different ways for different reasons (the amount produced, ownership, etc.).

Interestingly enough, in my search for deeper meaning and knowledge and truth on the subject (a normal day of soul searching and internet searching for myself), I’ve encountered several articles, one of such was from Dictionary.com itself, entitled “What Does Craft Beer Really Mean?” They give some background information on the term “craft beer”:

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermentation from malted barley, oats, or other grains, and flavored with hops (or historically in some cases, herbs) for added taste. Generally speaking, a craft is “an art or trade that requires a special, usually manual skill.” The term has evolved into an adjective to describe a food or beverage made with such abilities. It’s an old term, first recorded before the year 900 and stemming from the Old English cræft (“strength, skill”) and related to the German Kraft.

The compounded term craft beer was coined by Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Vince Cottone in the mid-1980s. Around this time, microbreweries were proliferating around the United States, and the success of their products was beginning to challenge large alcohol conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors for refrigerator space in consumer grocery stores.

In 1987, in a guide book to breweries of the Pacific Northwest, Cottone explained his reasoning for selecting the word craft to describe such career zymurgists, writing, “I use the term Craft Brewery to describe a small brewery using traditional methods and ingredients to produce a handcrafted, uncompromised beer that is marketed locally.”

The phrase caught on quickly, popping up in industry trade magazines and at conferences, eventually making its way into the title of the annual Craft Brewers Conference in 1996, a yearly gathering of American artisan brewers. By the end of that decade, the Institute of Brewing Studies— which eventually was absorbed into today’s dominant brewing industry trade group, the Brewers Association—formalized a definition of craft beer.
Dictionary.com – What Does Craft Beer Really Mean?

They go on to list the four criteria that the Brewer’s Association requires for a craft brewer, which are:

have a federal brewer’s notice – a license to brew beer
only sell beer made with less than 10% adjuncts (such as fruit, chocolate, coffee, or other non-traditional beer ingredients)
do not use artificial ingredients
no ownership of 30% or more by a large macro brewery

Now this article was written in 2020 and references that this is a 90’s era criteria. Noticeably, the 30% has been moved to 25% as shown above.

The 10% adjuncts and the ‘no artificial ingredients’ have also become… well… a bit flexible over the years. Ask several breweries how they make their sours and you might find some interesting information that may or may not go against the above criteria.

Wikipedia has a very large an in – depth article on Craft Beer and Craft Breweries on their massive encyclopedic site. Their opening paragraph on the Craft Beer page reads:

Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis on enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The microbrewery movement began in both the United States and United Kingdom in the 1970s,^[5]^[6] although traditional artisanal brewing existed in Europe for centuries and subsequently spread to other countries. As the movement grew, and some breweries expanded their production and distribution, the more encompassing concept of craft brewing emerged. A brewpub is a pub that brews its own beer for sale on the premises.^[7]
Wikipedia – Craft Beer

They have the article broken down into sections on countries / regions, as well as style of breweries, and even go so far as to discuss non – alcoholic beers.

So is it really that simple?

So is the definition really that simple on what makes beer “craft beer” rather than beer? Sort of. Yes. Maybe. Kind of. Yes and no.

Clearly the best source of what qualifies as craft beer and a craft brewery is the Brewer’s Association. That is going to the top of the academia field and asking “etymology” is or “existentialism”. While you will get a relatively concrete definition; there will be some flexibility.

There is also some room for debate, and many still do. You will also notice how the field goal posts get moved over time.

Posted back in April 2022, the most recent “Top 50 Craft Breweries by Volume” from the Brewer’s Association shows the top fifty largest producing craft breweries as of 2021. The top ten are:

D.G. Yuengling and Sons Inc.
Boston Beer Co.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Duvel Moortgat USA
Gambrinus
Bell’s Brewery Inc.
CANarchy
Artisanal Brewing Ventures
Stone Brewing Company
SweetWater Brewing Co

As of 2020 it was reported that Yuengling produces 2.6 million barrels of beer per year (annually). (Also for reference, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Company comes in at number 24, and produces around 118,000 barrels a year (as per a Beverage Master article from October 13th, 2022 — Troegs: Not Your Ordinary Brewery.).

What Is Your Definition of Craft Brewing?

A wide variety of craft beers and styles

This is where the fun is. We all have our own ‘personal’ opinions on what craft beer is. It probably roughly follows along with the Brewers Association’s guide and criteria, but yours or mine might differ a little. Some don’t consider Yuengling and Sam Adams craft beer (anymore). You might have different requirements than the Brewers Association; maybe yours is more stringent, or perhaps yours is looser.

I’d love to hear what your personal definition of “craft beer” and “craft brewery” are; let me know in the comments section here on the blog. It will be very interesting to see everyone’s personal views and takes on what craft beer and craft brewing is to them.

For More Information

Some of the articles we researched and linked here in this article can be found here:

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Then check these fine articles out:

Thanks For Reading

Thank you all for reading! Kind of wanted to pop this article out the other day when the idea hit me, but spent more and more time researching and reading and stuff, and tried to fit it around Scarlet (my one month old) Emma’s naps and fussing. So here it comes today, just a day or so later than I intended.

Josh Doncevic and I were recently on Central PA Pour, you can check them out there at their Facebook page. They were a fun bunch of guys to hang out with and chat and drink some beers with. So when that podcast comes up I will make sure to link it here on the blog for you all to be able to hear and see it (because it was also recorded).

We’ve also started up an affiliateship with Pretzels.com, so be sure to check out the article on that: The Beer Thrillers and Pretzels.com for more information. Or you can check out the video here: The Beer Thrillers and Pretzels.com YouTube Video.

The year is winding down but that doesn’t mean The Beer Thrillers are. We’ve done recent trips and done a fair bit of recent articles, so be sure to follow us on Instagram to see what we’re up to, and as well as on Facebook. Also be sure to like, subscribe and follow the blog here. Lots of great content here; beer reviews, book reviews, end of the year lists, news and updates, brewery happenings, and all kinds of things. Also always be sure to select to have notifications on so you’ll find out right away, same thing with the e-mail list, sign up to find out right away!

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Cheers All!

-B. Kline

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. 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!

Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales at World Cup in Last Second Decision

BKline — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:40:16 +0000

World Cup 2022 in Qatar

The World Cup

The 2022 World Cup is just about on us (kick off for the first game will be the hosts Qatar facing Ecuador). Hosts Qatar will open the tournament with a Group A match against Ecuador on Sunday 20th November at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT/UTC) (or 7:00PM local and 4:00PM EST) in Doha at Al Bayt Stadium.

This is the USMNT’s (United States Men’s National Team) first appearance back in the World Cup after missing the last one (2018) in Russia. Christian Pulisic (Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner – See Article Here) is leading the charge for the men’s team. Local boy to The Beer Thrillers (from Hershey, PA), who we’ve met several times (we were very good friends with his father Mark Pulisic from the Harrisburg Heat, as well as his mother Kelly Pulisic, who my mother actually helped get the paperwork for her to become a teacher) is the biggest asset and piece for the USMNT going into this World Cup.

Interestingly enough, Christian Pulisic has just started commercials ahead of the World Cup promoting Michelob Ultra.

But… seems like there won’t be any Michelob Ultra – or any beer – at the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales

As Washington Post just stated in an article twenty minutes ago:

Qatar isn’t a dry country, but the government curtails alcohol sales at almost all restaurants that aren’t associated with a high-end hotel or resort. World Cup organizers had said tourists will be able to drink in designated fan zones within stadiums, but reversed those plans two days before the first game.

Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A
Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

As per Sky News:

The sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar, and is only allowed in the Muslim nation within hotel bars and restaurants away from street view. It had to relax its alcohol restrictions to allow FIFA sponsor Budweiser to sell its products outside match venues and fan zones.
Qatar World Cup: Beer to be banned from all stadiums – except for corporate spectators

There is a bit of a misconception that Qatar is a full dry country. But as these articles stated, its not exactly a dry country, but a very governmental strict ‘banning’ or ‘restrictive’ dryness. Qatar is a constitutional monarchy headed by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani. The 2005 constitution provides for hereditary rule by the emir’s male branch of the al-Thani family.

So I think you can somewhat read between the lines on the form of government on that.

Leading up to the World Cup there was lots of talk about alcohol and if beer and liquor would be served at the World Cup games. Almost flip flopping articles were coming out from The New York Times, Washington Post, ESPN, The BBC, Reuters, etc; discussing if they were or weren’t going to be allowing beer and alcohol sales.

The different World Cup Stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Ahead of the tournament itself, in some of the friendlies, Budweiser was served at small, remote locations on the stadium’s venues. But it appears, that just two days ahead of the World Cup itself they’ve reversed their decision and are now banning the beer.

World Cup organisers have banned the sale of alcohol around stadiums in Qatar after last-minute showdown talks, FIFA announced on Friday.

First reported by British newspaper The Times, FIFA and Qatari organisers were engaged in late negotiations over whether beer would be sold at the stadiums during the tournament, which begins on Sunday.
ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

ESPN has picked up the article mainly stemming from the British newspaper The Times. Stating that main negotiations are between Budweiser through FIFA and with the Qatar government.

FIFA said in a statement: “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing the sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.”

While supporters can purchase alcohol at the official fan zones during the competition, the sale of beer at the matches themselves has been a controversial topic.

It appeared an agreement was originally struck to allow FIFA to permit sponsors Budweiser to sell beer at the stadiums. This was then further clarified in the buildup to the tournament after The New York Times first reported that the beer tents would be less visible at the grounds on request of the hosts.

But it emerged there was late pressure on FIFA to halt sales of alcohol at the stadiums themselves, two days before hosts Qatar kick off the tournament on Sunday against Ecuador.

“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums,” FIFA added.

“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.

“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

Just a few minutes ago, Budweiser (through AB InBev) tweeted the following:

Well, this is awkward…— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 18, 2022

This tweet has since been deleted.

Qatar Hosting Controversies

To say Qatar is a controversial FIFA World Cup host is… well.. an understatement in the minimum. Allegations of bribery, scandals, work arounds, and all kinds of corruption and lies to get the tournament to Qatar have surfaced. One of their initial pitches in 2009 / 2010 were “clouds”. These were supposed to be floating platforms that would hang above the stadiums, similar to drones but on a massive scale, and would push cold air down onto the players and fans, and expel the hot air upwards. Obviously, this technology has never come to fruition.

The selection of Qatar to host this year’s FIFA World Cup brought cheers to the streets of Doha in a celebration of the first edition of the tournament to be held in the Arab world.

But the choice, made in 2010, also sparked instant criticism – over the logistics of holding a sporting event in a country where summertime temperatures regularly top 100 degrees; over allegations of bribery and corruption among FIFA officials who voted for Qatar; and over concerns about human rights abuses that have persisted in the years since.

Now, with the World Cup days away, the Gulf country is expecting the arrival of more than a million fans. And billions more will tune in to watch the tournament’s 64 games. Yet the controversies have not subsided.

Recently, even the former head of FIFA called the selection of Qatar a mistake.

“It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time,” said Sepp Blatter, whose term as FIFA administrator ended in 2015 amid a bribery scandal.
Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup

Two More Days

2022 World Cup Stadium – Qatar

We are just two more days to the kick off of one of the biggest and fun events that only happens every four years. As a soccer fan I love the World Cup, the history, the games, etc. I remember watching the 1998 tournament and being so engrossed when it was held here in America. And I am eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup in North America. Hopefully will get to a game (can’t wait to see how ridiculous the prices will be).

Here’s to hoping that the United States Men’s Team gets it all together and gets a good push and run going. We are in Group B with Wales, England, and Iran. England should be the hardest competition in the group to us. Hopefully we can win out of the group, but second in the group should be at least attainable.

Further Information

In Other News

Recent local beer news:

Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner

November

Its still November (obviously) and that means I’m still doing the 30 for 30. So be sure to check back here, and check out the other November articles. Lots of interesting stuff, from Yards Brewing Paying Up on their Wager, to Beer Reviews, to a Hike Review, to the birth of our daughter Scarlet Emma, to brewery news, World Cup news (like this article), Pour Man’s Brewing Moving Their Tap Room, brewfest events like Auto and Ales, Brewsgiving, and Burley Oak’s Controlled Chaos, etc. Thank you for all reading!

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading everyone! Things have certainly been a bit hectic here at The Beer Thrillers Headquarters. Spent from 11.09.22 til 11.16.22 in the hospital with getting Scarlet Emma born. …Oh yea, did I mention we had a kid? Thats kinda big news huh? Scarlet Emma was born at 5:52PM on 11.11.22 (Kurt Vonnegut’s 100th Birthday). November is usually a busy month anyway, with Autos and Ales, with Thanksgiving, with me doing my version of NaNoWriMo; where I try and write an article a day for the entire month. So its a very busy month here at The Beer Thrillers, especially now with the introduction of a new baby into our lives. But what a great addition! Wouldn’t change that for anything.

I do want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to congratulate us on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It means a lot!

And I of course, want to say thank you to everyone who has read any of our articles, commented, liked, shared, subscribed, followed, etc. It means so much to us here at The Beer Thrillers!

I just want to mention one last thing. Pretzels.com has reached out to me to start an affiliate program. Amy and I will be tasting some of their different flavors, writing an article about them, and beer pairings with them, and will have an affiliate link going forward with them. So if you want to get pretzels, please make sure to use our link and our code when we have it all set up. This will help yourself (discounts, yay!), and help us out here at the blog.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

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 #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. 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!

FIFA World Cup – Qatar 2022 Logo

Book Review: Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

BKline — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:40:00 +0000

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

School Time

Who remembers high school? (I’m going to go ahead and assume everyone coming to a beer blog, even for literature reviews, is most likely out of high school and hopefully over the age of 21…. otherwise this is a little awkward.) Maybe even middle school, depending on your age and your school district. Either way, Of Mice and Men is a typically required book for most English classes in high school or middle school in America.

Most people don’t enjoy school, or didn’t enjoy school, and I will admit I am no exception to that. I was never a big fan of middle school, or high school, or even the little college I did have – I wasn’t sold on. As Mark Twain said: “Don’t let your schooling get in the way of your education.” This is pretty much one of the biggest things I can fully agree on, and one of the biggest reasons why I read roughly a hundred books a year. I did actually enjoy the assigned reading books we got in the school I went to. Some of these were ‘To Kill a Mockingbird‘, ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘Flowers for Algernon’, ‘Catcher in the Rye’, and several others.

Of Mice and Men actually started my love for John Steinbeck in general, and I’ve read most of his works since. The Pearl, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, Travels with Charley, The Moon is Down, The Long Valley, The Cup of Gold, The Short Reign of Pippin IV, etc.

I have not yet tackled his big (huge) tomes of books – Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. They are on my shelf, waiting to be read, and I do want to tackle them, its more like trying to find the time to do so than feeling obligated or not wanting to read it. I think with Grapes of Wrath, there is also the sense that through cultural osmosis I already know the book to some degree, so that tends to push it down lower on my TRP (to read pile). But don’t worry, once I get around to them and reading them, I’ll be sure to be throwing up a review here on the blog.

What books did you guys have to read in school? Did you like them or not? I find it fascinating how there’s kind of a ‘core curriculum’ but still lots of other books that get taught and read in School X but not in School Y, etc.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Wikipedia’s opening paragraph and brief biography of John Steinbeck reads:

“John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (/ˈstaɪnbɛk/; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”^[2] He has been called “a giant of American letters.”^[3][4]
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939)^[5] is considered Steinbeck’s masterpiece and part of the American literary canon.^[6] In the first 75 years after it was published, it sold 14 million copies.^[7]
Most of Steinbeck’s work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.”
John Steinbeck (Wikipedia)

Wikipedia has him listed for 33 pieces of work of at least novella size. Two of these are books of short stories. Thats an impressive list, all of them published between the years of 1929 and 2012. (The one is a film and was released shortly after his passing. There is four books that are credited as being published posthumously.

Of Mice and Men

The Wikipedia description for Of Mice and Men on John Steinbeck’s above page reads:

“Of Mice and Men is a tragedy that was written as a play in 1937. The story is about two traveling ranch workers, George and Lennie, trying to earn enough money to buy their own farm/ranch. As it is set in 1930s America, it provides an insight into The Great Depression, encompassing themes of racism, loneliness, prejudice against the mentally ill, and the struggle for personal independence. Along with The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is one of Steinbeck’s best known works. It was made into a movie three times, in 1939 starring Burgess Meredith, Lon Chaney Jr., and Betty Field, in 1982 starring Randy Quaid, Robert Blake and Ted Neeley, and in 1992 starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich.”
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck page) (Wikipedia)

The full Wikipedia page devoted to Of Mice and Men gives the following brief summary / description:

“Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck.^[1][2] Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.
Steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences working alongside migrant farm workers as a teenager in the 1910s (before the arrival of the Okies that he would describe in The Grapes of Wrath). The title is taken from Robert Burns‘ poem “To a Mouse“, which reads: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley”. (The best laid schemes of mice and men / Often go awry.)
While it is a book taught in many schools,^[3] Of Mice and Men has been a frequent target of censors for vulgarity, and what some consider offensive and racist language; consequently, it appears on the American Library Association‘s list of the Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century.^[4]“
Of Mice and Men (Wikipedia)

GoodReads blurb on ‘Of Mice and Men’:

“I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s
why.”

They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.

While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck’s work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing ‘Of Mice and Men’ (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual’s existence meaningful.

A unique perspective on life’s hardships, this story has achieved the status of timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.
Of Mice and Men (GoodReads)

Book Review

I think most people reading this blog post will already at the very least know the broad strokes of the book. Its part of that general “cultural osmosis” that I believe we all have. Where certain themes, books, films / movies, plays, music, etc is just ingrained in us through culture. For example, knowing Vader is Luke’s father (SPOILER!!!!!!), or Homer’s Odyssey, or the Iliad, or Hamlet, Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, etc. These are just themes and ideas and story beats that we all just ‘know’. Even if you’ve never read, or seen, or viewed the source material itself.

This is a novella and very short, with few set pieces and locations. I can see how it originated as a play (the entire time I was re-reading this, I thought this would make an excellent play, and while researching it a bit for this post I came to realize it was originally planned as a play). Its 103 pages (in this edition) and each chapter starts off with a page of flowery prose, and then goes into sparse and tight prose, with much more emphasis on dialogue.

The main characters are George (Milton) and Lennie (Small). The two ‘team together’ working farm after farm as ranch hands. George is the ‘brains’ and Lennie is the ‘muscle’. George is smart in the worldly sense; whereas Lennie is a big, most likely mentally retarded in some fashion, muscular “oaf”. He routinely gets them in trouble due to his inability to control his actions and his strength.

The main thrust of the plot starts when they get to the ranch and they begin working there. The owner’s son Curley is a hot head with a Napoleon complex. His wife is collectively called a “tart”, “a tramp”, and other such 1930s era words for a seemingly promiscuous and ‘looking’ married woman.

The entire story has a sense of impending doom. A foreboding gloom that we just know the dreams and hopes of George, Lennie, and then eventually Candy, will never come to fruition. The sense of impending doom, the foreboding nature, and the sense that it will all fall apart looms over the pages prose. Especially every time Curley or (even more so) Curley’s wife walks onto the page. The interaction with Carlson and Candy about his dog is foreshadowing at its absolute best.

I won’t get into the tragic ending, for spoiler reasons, and since most people know it anyway. But needless to say – the ending is tragic, foreseeable, and sadly enough – probably not preventable. Especially given all the combustible elements (namely people) at that point in the story. What happens between Lennie and Curley’s wife, and then how George has to take care of it. And doing so in the way that Candy was not willing to do with his dog – although he laments it and says afterwards that he should have done it himself – is all chilling, sad, and very tragic.

Themes

The best laid plans of mice and men as William Shakespeare would say. The bindle boys, the moving ranchers that go from ranch to ranch, and work for their stakes always just end up blowing it in cat houses, in gamble dens, or in bars. Never actually holding onto it and getting their land, but yet they all dream of it. Their all dreaming of that land. Especially George and Lennie, and then Candy getting involved in their plans.

The biggest theme is ‘taking care of your own business’. The way Candy realizes after Carlson puts down his dog that he should have done it. And the way George knows at the end that he has to be the one who puts Lennie down for his tragedy and for his own good. The idea of doing whats right, and not letting others have to do the hard tasks, as Ned Stark says in the first book of the Ice and Fire series (Game of Thrones) – the one who passes the judgement should be the one who has to use the sword. Confronting the harsh, hard, and unforgiving parts of the nature of things.

For such a short novella, and with it mostly dialogue, it does pack in the setting well, the bleak sense of desperation and loneliness that the ranchers have, their lives of just going from farm and ranch to farm and ranch and working the land for others. Modern day serfs. Working the land for others, blowing their money, living in run down cabin bunk houses, worried about being canned, worried about others stealing their stuff, etc.

Overall Thoughts

I’m going to come off as heavily biased here and just outright say it – this is one of my all time favorite books. So this will most likely come off as biased or maybe ‘tipping the scales’. But…..

My GoodReads Rating: *****
My LibraryThing Rating: ****.5
Average GoodReads Rating: 3.88 (as of 6.23.22)

Here’s a funny line from a GoodReads review:

The title of this novel is only 50% accurate, a very poor effort. Yes, it’s about men, but there’s little or nothing about mice in these pages. Mice enthusiasts will come away disappointed.
Paul Bryant Review

Links

For more Of Mice and Men links, check out these:

Interested in more book reviews by us here at The Beer Thrillers?

Then check out these book reviews (and note – this is only a sampling):

Some new recent beer news and blog posts we have done:

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading everyone. I got lots of articles and posts in the upcoming weeks. We are also going to be starting another tournament series for July. This time a battle of the beers rather than a battle of the breweries. So be on the look out for more details about that. I have a pile of books I’ve recently finished reading, and the reviews will be coming in shortly. So if you enjoy our book reviews, stick around for that! If you are here for the beer posts, don’t worry, we have plenty in that department as well!

So stay tuned!

Stay cool in these hot end of June and early July days. Keep a cold beer in your hand to help out!

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Book Review: The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister (George R.R. Martin)

BKline — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 01:50:00 +0000

Tyrion Lannister

Tyrion Lannister is many things in A Song of Ice and Fire (or the show version – Game of Thrones [played by Peter Dinklage]). For better or for worse he is known as a dwarf, a drunkard, a “whore chaser”, cocky, scoundrel, a Lannister, a reader, a smart ass, but for all these things he is typically best known for his one liners and wit. A pseudo – placement character for the author himself (George R.R. Martin), in a kind of twisted version of a Gary Stu; Tyrion Lannister despite his deficiencies and horrors that happen to him, often comes off looking the best.

This is not to say he’s a “good guy”, but this is also the world – Westeros – where nobody is truly a “good guy”. (The Starks are the closest we get to all around good guys…. and look what happens to all of them.) But, despite being morally grey, he usually comes off looking better than most other characters with his actions, and especially with his wit and wisdom and his acerbic tongue.

One of his biggest quotes that you’ll most likely see on at least one t-shirt at every brewfest is:

I drink and I know things.
Tyrion Lannister

Its usually one of those tongue in cheek quotes you hear (or read) over and over from people who think they are probably far smarter than they are, and also love to drink. Its similar to all of the unironic Joker quotes you see your ‘bro’ friends post on Facebook. Or you’ll probably encounter this quote in some jumbled up fashion as a team name on trivia night at your local brewpub.

The Appeal of the Character of Tyrion Lannister

Tyrion Lannister from the Wikipedia of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. The photo’s description from their site: Tyrion Lannister, on his way to the Wall – by Aleksander Karcz. © Fantasy Flight Games (FFG)
Cropped image of the [My Mind Is My Weapon] card. Part of A Game of Thrones collectible card game.

So that makes me wonder, why exactly is Tyrion Lannister such a favorite? Is it his character? Or is it his wit and one liners? Or is it who and what he is or how he’s written? Is it his dirty potty mouth (the horrors!)? Or is there something more?

I first started this section as ‘The Character of Tyrion Lannister’ and after writing the previous paragraph changed it to ‘The Appeal of the Character of Tyrion Lannister’ because I think that matters most – especially considering this precise little volume. Since there is no ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Ned Stark’ or ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Reek’ or ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Littlefinger’. There could just as easily be one for Varys with all of his great quotes and sage like advice and pseudo – revolutionary and pseudo – deep thought or pseudo – pop – philosophy comments. But there isn’t (yet?). And I think this comes down to the appeal of Tyrion.

It is interesting just how much people have glomed onto the character of Tyrion. I believe a fair portion of that appeal is his ‘underdog status’. Hated by his own father for being a dwarf, and being blamed for the death of his mother at his birth, he is immediately someone we can have sympathy for. Couple this with his empathy for the other ‘lowlier’ characters like fan favorite bastard Jon Snow, and you can get a better more full spectrum of the character. He endures hardships, even by characters that we classically in other fictions would like, and we further empathize with him ourselves. And of course, add to this his whoring, his drinking, and his acerbic quick wit, and its very easy to see why he’s a fan favorite.

Book Review

GoodRead’s Blurb:

The perfect gift for fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and HBO’s Game of Thrones: a collection of wicked one-liners from the incomparable Imp of Casterly Rock, fully illustrated by Jonty Clark!

“My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind . . . and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.”

The jealous masses of the Seven Kingdoms may call him Halfman, but none have ever accused Tyrion Lannister of being a halfwit. His golden tongue has saved his skin slightly more often than it has landed him in mortal peril. Now, this special illustrated volume preserves his most essential knowledge for future generations, featuring time-tested guidance on such varied subjects as . . .

The art of persuasion
“The best lies are seasoned with a bit of truth.”

Fine dining
“A little honest loathing can be refreshing, like a tart wine after too much sweet.”

The fair sex
“The young ones smell much better, but the old ones know more tricks.”

Royal politics
“Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them.”

Common ailments
“A sword through the bowels. A sure cure for constipation.”

At once charming, insightful, and ruthlessly irreverent, The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister is short on pretense and overflowing with finely crafted gems—just like the man himself.
GoodReads: The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister

So…. this is certainly something I would never ever have paid full price for. Back cover price lists it as 16$ American. It is 177 pages with several middling illustrated images – in a cartoony and uninteresting way – of Tyrion Lannister. There is several chapter break pages and a few other blank pages. The quotes themselves are just one page for each quote. So all in all, this should take less then forty minutes at most to read, and that’s counting in the time to pour yourself a beer, and to take sips, and to answer a text or two.

I was able to get this far cheaper (I forget if I got it from the Hershey Public Library book sale, or the Hummelstown Library sale, or from AbeBooks – but I know I didn’t spend more than 2$ on it), otherwise I would never have gotten it.

Firstly, if you like Tyrion Lannister, which is something I would suppose anyone who is reading this book would be; then you should already be well acquainted with at least the majority of the quotes in the book. There shouldn’t really be much in the way of ‘surprising’ content for you, more like memory jogs of things you had read previously, or quotes you remember from the show – depending on your level of involvement with the Westeros universe.

It honestly screams ‘cash grab’ and its small size and smaller reading structure reads as a “neat little gift book” to give someone for Christmas or their birthday. But at its price, it’ll most likely come from someone who knows “oh hey, my buddy loves Game of Thrones, he talks about it all the time, this looks like a fun book for him” type of gift, rather than someone who also knows the material well and is gifting it to their also knowledgeable friend. Its in the vein of the knick-knack gifts you get from friends and family who know that you love Star Wars and get you some esoteric thing just because it has the Star Wars logo on it.

And for that, obvious cash grabs are always kind of an annoyance to me. Especially in the literary world. It just always “makes me sus” right out the gate on something, and this is no different. Its also interesting to point out that this was published in 2013, and at this point George R.R. Martin had (and still has) only released five of the books. And as for Game of Thrones the show, the finale didn’t end up airing until May 2019. Seems odd to release this book in 2013 before the written series isn’t done, and the television series isn’t done… unless you wanted to capitalize on the new found fame of it all for the sake of money, and to have a hold over until George R.R. Martin is able to finish the series – spoiler alert – he still hasn’t finished even the next book of the series by March 2022.

Are the quotes good and entertaining? Sure… but is it worth an entire book for them? No. And is it worth 16$? Certainly not! Especially given that you get roughly 116 quotes (if my counting was correct from a quick leaf through of the work). With each quote being a single sentence or two at most, you are spending 16$ for at most 232 sentences of text. Seems an absurd cost.

My GoodReads Rating: **
My LibraryThing Rating: *.5
Global Average GoodReads Rating: 3.56 (as of 3.12.22).

More Information

For more information on Tyrion Lannister I suggest checking out the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ Wikipedia:

Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire Wikipedia)

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister from HBO’s Game of Thrones

Thanks For Reading

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely off and on good and bad weather we’re having here in Central PA (lovely SMARCH weather – Homer Simpsons). At least it gives me a chance to catch up on my “to read” pile, and to hit the library and get more books that I’ll start and hopefully finish before their due back. I am trying to keep up with reading and doing book reviews as soon as I get done. Hope you are all enjoying the book reviews on top of the beer reviews, and hike reviews, and other beer related articles here on the blog.

Also, be sure to check out the March Madness tournament that’s going on. You can find that here: March Madness (2022) – Bigger, Badder, Bolder.

Well, thanks for reading all! And remember to drink and to know things! Cheers!

-B. Kline

Other Half in Philadelphia Opening This Friday

BKline — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 20:30:00 +0000

Other Half posting on their Instagram an hour ago

Grand Opening This Friday

This Friday is the grand opening of Other Half Brewing Company’s Philadelphia location. Located at the previously used brewery of Goose Island.

Just an hour ago, Other Half posted on their Instagram the above picture with the below quote:

Alright, Philly, let’s do this! We’re beyond thrilled to finally open our doors this weekend, starting this Friday at 3pm. We’ll be slinging your favorite OH brews with tasty bites from the kitchen ‘til 10 pm. We will have 20 lines of OHB beers, and plenty of cans and bottles to go. ⁠
⁠
We’re ramping up to being fully operational as fast as we can. This weekend we’ll be open Friday 3-10, Saturday 12-9, and Sunday 12-8. We will be closed Monday and Tuesday next week and reopened Wednesday-Sunday hours to be announced next week. ⁠
Other Half Philly (Instagram)

So set your calendar and set your Google Maps for 3PM Friday – February 18th, 2022 for 1002 Canal St, Philadelphia PA 19123.

July Announcement

Other Half’s new brewery location in Philadelphia Pennsylvania

The announcement of their opening is very welcome news. They had been rumored to be moving into Philly for a while, and had made the announcement of their moving into the Goose Island Brewery back in July 2021. With the initial hope of a late Winter 2021/early winter 2022 opening.

You can read some articles from when their announcement was made in July 2021:

At the time of their announcement, the COO and co-founder of Other Half – Andrew Burman was quoted talking about Philadelphia:

Philadelphia has a long & robust brewing history and when the opportunity presented itself to open an Other Half location here – in between our DC and NYC breweries – we couldn’t pass it up. The bones of the space are great and over the coming months, we’ll refresh the indoor and outdoor areas and work on sourcing food partners.
Our team is really excited to join the city’s dynamic brewery and restaurant communities and we look forward to opening Other Half Philly’s doors and sharing some of our signature IPAs and other site-specific brews later this year.
Andrew Burman (co-founder of Other Half Brewing Company)

Other Half Beer Reviews

Please check out these Other Half Beer Reviews we’ve done in the past:

The Beer Thrillers Traveling to Philly

We are hoping to get there Friday for their grand opening (if not Friday, maybe Saturday). So if you are there, be on the lookout for us. Despite the loss, I might be rocking my Bengals hoodie still, or my Boneshire Brew Works hoodie.

In the meantime, make sure to check out our other articles on Brewery Openings, Expansions, and more:

Thanks For Reading

Thank you for reading everyone. This is certainly exciting news. I am a big big fan of Other Half Brewing, and can’t wait for their opening and can’t wait to get there!

Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

Modern Times Beer Announces Closure

BKline — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 23:30:00 +0000

Modern Times Beer today released an announcement about their upcoming closure.

Modern Times Beer Announcement

In very un-Valentine’s Day like news, we have the sad news that Modern Times Beer has announced their upcoming closure. This is tough news as they are a very popular brewery with a large distribution market and some really incredible beers.

Their announcement that they posted at 4PM today (2.14.22) with the above image reads:

As of the end of this week, we will be closing our Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles locations. It is a surreal and painful turn of events for us, and we realize that the suddenness of it puts many people we care about in very difficult positions. We wish that there were another way to resolve the financial issues we now face, but we have been put in a position—by the pandemic and global declines in the craft beer industry—from which this tremendously difficult path is the only way forward for us. While it is a path that we feel will lead to a renewed vision and new life for Modern Times, it doesn’t make taking these drastic measures any less heartbreaking. An instagram caption doesn’t seem like adequate space to go into great detail here, but we have prepared a statement on the closures and what’s next for MT, which you can read via our blog (link in bio). We know we’ve asked a lot of our friends and family within the last 2 years, but if we could ask just one more thing, it would be that you pay some of your favorite beer enthusiasts a last visit this week. The affected locations final day of business will be Friday.
—
*League members and those with pickup items at the affected locations will receive separate communication about next steps
Modern Times Beer (Facebook Post)

You can find their blog here: Modern Times Beer Blog – Hard Decisions and the Path Forward.

Their blog post leads off with the following:

Today is the most difficult day we’ve ever had at Modern Times. Over the last two unimaginably challenging pandemic years, we’ve done everything we could to keep all of our newly-opened locations afloat in a landscape we never could have imagined when we began building them. As new leadership has stepped up and taken the helm over the last few weeks, it became clear that the financial state of the company that we are now tasked with directing is not just unsustainable, but in immediate and unavoidable peril. As a result of this, we are forced to make some incredibly hard choices, which—while necessary for the health and continued success of our company—will result in many of our talented, hardworking staff losing their jobs.
As of the end of this week, we will be closing our Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles locations. It is a surreal and painful turn of events for us, and we realize that the suddenness of it puts many people we care about in very difficult positions. We truly wish that there were another way to resolve the financial issues we now face, but we have been put in a position—by the pandemic and global declines in the craft beer industry—from which this tremendously difficult path is the only way forward for us. While it is a path that we feel will lead to a renewed vision and new life for Modern Times, it doesn’t make taking these drastic measures any less heartbreaking.
Modern Times Beer Blog – Hard Decisions and the Path Forward.

Stay tuned as we update this post as more comes out leading up to their closure.

50% Off

(Articled Edited: 2.16.22 – 8:05PM)

HEADS-UP: Everything is 50% off at our Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles spots. This offer is valid on-site only through the end of the day on Friday (hours for each location are updated at moderntimesbeer.com). We’d be honored if you swung by to say goodbye.
—
Here are those hours, just in case:
–
DTLA
Wed-Thurs 12PM-8PM
Fri 12PM-5PM
–
SB
Wed-Thurs 12PM-8PM
Fri 12PM-5PM
–
OAK
Wed-Thurs 12PM-10PM
Fri 12PM-5PM
–
PDX
Wed-Thurs 12PM-8PM
Fri 12PM-5PM
Modern Times Social Media Accounts

Closing

(Article edited: 2.17.22 – 9:45PM)

Modern Times posted about their closure tomorrow with a series of pictures:

(Photos courtesy of Modern Times social media.)

Tomorrow at 5PM, we will close our doors in DTLA, Santa Barbara, Oakland, and Portland. We have so many great memories at these spots; a whole lot of rad beers—and even radder people—have sat at our bars, and we are eternally grateful to every person that had a hand in making these places what they were. Thank you to everyone who has come out over the past few days; our kitchens are officially out of food, and we are moving through packaged and draft beer and coffee swiftly. We heartily encourage folks to swing by and close it out strong tomorrow.—NOTE: If you have outstanding orders to pick up at any of these locations, we highly recommend collecting them tomorrow. If you are unable to, information on how to proceed is forthcoming.
Modern Times Beer Social Media

Closures

Unfortunately it seems like the bubble is not quite near bursting yet on breweries and closures. COVID-19 / coronavirus certainly hasn’t helped things (exasperated many breweries, the country, and world wide). There has been large growth for years in the number of breweries, and it seems like we are now at that tipping and bursting point where we might start to see more and more closures than openings. Hopefully not.

Other Half Brewing Company will be opening this Friday (in Philadelphia) and that is good news, and is nice to hear in counter to Modern Times Beer closing on Friday. Maybe its a yin and yang kind of thing. Who Knows. Hopefully there will be more openings than closures in the future.

For more articles on openings, closures, and brewery news, please see below:

Thanks For Reading

As I’ve said in the Other Half article, I will be making my way out to Philly on Friday to check out their grand opening. Hopefully I’ll see some of you there. The place looks banging and the tap list looks killer!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Benjamin Kline - The Beer Thrillers

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Thanks For Reading

Modern Times Beer Announces Closure

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50% Off

Closing

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Thanks For Reading