Beer Reviews - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Sun, 07 Sep 2025 15:11:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Beer Reviews - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 The Top 5 Oktoberfest Beers in Pennsylvania https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/09/07/the-top-5-oktoberfest-beers-in-pennsylvania/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-top-5-oktoberfest-beers-in-pennsylvania Sun, 07 Sep 2025 15:11:56 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16614 The Top 5 Oktoberfest Beers in Pennsylvania

As the air turns crisp, leaves shift to fiery reds and golds, and pretzels, bratwurst, and lederhosen begin appearing across Pennsylvania, one thing is certain: Oktoberfest season is here. And with it comes a flood of Märzens and Festbiers—those malty, toasty, smooth lagers that define the season.

Pennsylvania, with its deep German brewing roots, doesn’t just celebrate Oktoberfest—it owns it. From Philly to Pittsburgh, Hershey to Pottsville, PA breweries churn out some of the best seasonal lagers you’ll find anywhere in the country. Whether you’re a malt-forward Märzen loyalist or a fan of the lighter, crisp Festbier, the Keystone State has you covered.

So, grab your stein, dust off your dirndl, and let’s dive into the Top 5 Oktoberfest Beers in Pennsylvania (plus a few honorable mentions).

The Top 5 Oktoberfest Beers in Pensnylvania Are….

(See our recent article: Embracing the Season: The Return of Fall Beers)


1. Tröegs Oktoberfest Lager (Hershey, PA)

Tröegs doesn’t do anything halfway, and their Oktoberfest Lager proves it. Brewed with a traditional decoction mash (a rarity in American brewing), this Märzen glows copper in the glass and bursts with notes of caramel, toasted bread, and gentle floral hops. At 6.1% ABV, it’s rich without being heavy, making it dangerously drinkable by the liter.

This one isn’t just a local favorite—it consistently earns national praise as one of the best American Oktoberfest-style lagers brewed today. If you’re hitting Tröegs’ beer hall this fall, a stein of this paired with their pretzels and beer cheese is mandatory.


2. Human Robot Festbier (Philadelphia, PA)

If Tröegs is about tradition-meets-accessibility, Human Robot is about absolute technical precision. Their Festbier, brewed with a double decoction mash and lagered cold and long, is a masterpiece of restraint and balance.

Think: buttered crackers, honey sweetness, and a touch of noble hop bitterness that keeps it endlessly refreshing. Beer geeks have been raving about it for years, and Untappd scores back that up—it’s one of the highest-rated Festbiers in the country.

Pro tip: If you’re in Philly this fall, don’t just drink it—drink it fresh at Human Robot’s biergarten.


3. Victory Festbier (Downingtown, PA)

Victory has been around long enough to be considered a Pennsylvania institution, and their Festbier is a shining example of why. It balances malt depth (think chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit) with an earthy hop character that makes it richer than most Oktoberfests.

Wine Enthusiast gave it a 90-point rating, and for good reason—it’s hearty, bold, and just different enough to stand out from the crowd. If you’re into darker, maltier lagers that still stay drinkable, this is your pick.


4. Boneshire Brew Works Pigtoberfest (Harrisburg, PA)

Harrisburg’s own Boneshire Brew Works has quietly built a reputation for balanced, flavorful lagers, and their Pigtoberfest is no exception. Malty and smooth, with just enough hop bitterness to keep it crisp, this beer captures the essence of the German Märzen style. It’s a perfect companion for bratwurst, pretzels, and festive gatherings.


5. Penn Brewery Oktoberfest (Pittsburgh, PA)

Over in the Steel City, Penn Brewery has been flying the German beer flag for decades. Their Oktoberfest has the pedigree to prove it, too—it’s a Great American Beer Festival medal winner.

Brewed with caramel and roasted malts, it’s a clean, medium-bodied lager that leans traditional. At 5.5% ABV, it’s smooth, approachable, and exactly the kind of beer you want in your stein while polka bands play and sausages hit the grill.


Honorable Mentions 🍂

Pennsylvania has so many stellar Oktoberfests, narrowing it to just five is almost unfair. A few more worth tracking down this fall:

  • Love City Brewing – Love Fest (Philadelphia): Weyermann malts give it a nutty, bready character with a kiss of caramel sweetness.

  • Neshaminy Creek – Creekfestbier (Croydon): Toasty, crisp, and bone-dry—a Festbier lover’s dream.

  • Sly Fox Brewing – Oktoberfest Lager (Malvern): Caramel and spice on the nose, crisp and malty on the palate. A yearly favorite.

  • Yuengling Oktoberfest (Pottsville, PA): Crisp large scale Oktoberfest

Final Thoughts

Oktoberfest season in Pennsylvania is something special. Between its rich German-American brewing heritage and its thriving modern craft beer scene, the state produces lagers that stand toe-to-toe with the best from Munich.

Whether you’re looking for tradition (Tröegs, Penn), precision (Human Robot), wide availability (Yuengling), or malt-forward richness (Victory), there’s an Oktoberfest beer here for you.

So, this September and October, skip the pumpkin spice latte and raise a stein of copper-colored lager instead. Prost!

See More Articles About Fall and Pumpkin Beers

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16614
Embracing the Season: The Return of Fall Beers https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/23/embracing-the-season-the-return-of-fall-beers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=embracing-the-season-the-return-of-fall-beers Sun, 24 Aug 2025 03:45:56 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16611 Embracing the Season: The Return of Fall Beers

As August gives way to September, a familiar rhythm takes hold in the craft beer world. Shelves start filling with copper-colored bottles, pumpkin-spiced cans, and Märzens brewed for Oktoberfest. Whether you love them or groan at their arrival, fall beers signal one of the most exciting times of year for drinkers and brewers alike.

(See Amy’s column: Fall Beers)

Embracing the Fall Season: The Return of Fall Beers

The Tradition of Märzen and Oktoberfest

Before pumpkin ales ever hit the scene, autumn belonged to the Märzen. Originating in Bavaria, Märzen was traditionally brewed in March and lagered cool over the summer, ready to drink as the leaves began to turn. The style is smooth, malty, and built for steins and beer halls. Today, American breweries continue that tradition, putting their own spins on Oktoberfest lagers — from classic amber-hued versions to hoppier, modern takes.

The Pumpkin Beer Debate

Pumpkin beer remains one of the most divisive styles in craft beer. Some drinkers eagerly wait all year for the first taste of nutmeg, cinnamon, and roasted pumpkin in their pint glass. Others roll their eyes at what they see as gimmicky or over-saturated. But whether you’re team pumpkin or not, it’s impossible to deny its place in American fall beer culture. Breweries from Dogfish Head to Southern Tier — and countless smaller locals — have carved out seasonal favorites that pack taprooms every year.

Beyond Pumpkin: Other Fall Favorites

The fall season also brings a wave of creative limited releases. Brown ales, wet-hop IPAs (brewed with freshly harvested hops), and stronger stouts start making their seasonal appearances. Many brewers use the cooler months to experiment with barrel-aged versions of their beers, teasing drinkers with limited bottle drops and taproom-only specialties.

Pennsylvania Fall Beer Highlights

Here in Pennsylvania, we’re spoiled for choice. A few fall standouts to keep an eye out for this season:

  • Tröegs Brewing – Master of Pumpkins (Pumpkin Ale brewed with local PA pumpkins and pie spices)

  • Victory Brewing – Festbier (A clean, malt-forward Oktoberfest lager)

  • Sterling Pig – Hocktoberfest (A smooth Märzen that hits the malt/hop balance just right)

  • Wyndridge Farm – Pumpkin Cider (Not beer, but worth mentioning — crisp and autumn-ready)

Raising a Glass to the Season

Love them or not, fall beers embody the cozy, communal spirit of the season. They’re about more than just flavors — they’re about bonfires, football games, festivals, and gathering together as the weather cools. Whether you’re cracking open a can of hazy IPA fresh from the hop harvest or settling into a Märzen at your local Oktoberfest celebration, fall is the perfect excuse to slow down, savor, and sip something seasonal.

So, what’s in your glass this autumn?

See More Articles About Fall and Pumpkin Beers

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16611
Beer Review: UltraCush Hazy IPA (Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/21/beer-review-ultracush-hazy-ipa-neshaminy-creek-brewing-co/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-ultracush-hazy-ipa-neshaminy-creek-brewing-co Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:48:30 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16605 Beer Review: UltraCush Hazy IPA (Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.)

Hazy IPAs are kind of the craft beer world’s comfort food at this point. You know what you’re going to get—juicy hops, that signature hazy pour, and a soft body that’s made for summer evenings. For International Hazy IPA Day, I figured it’d be fitting to crack into something fresh from Pennsylvania. Neshaminy Creek’s UltraCush fits the bill perfectly.

The can itself pops—bright, eye-catching artwork that screams “drink me cold, drink me now.” And let’s be honest, when you’re reaching into the cooler at a cookout or tailgate, that’s half the battle right there.

For another recent Hazy IPA beer review, see our review of Tired Hands’ DDH Alien Church.

UltraCush Hazy IPA by Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.

Brewery: Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company – Croydon, PA
Beer: UltraCush
Style: Hazy IPA (New England Style IPA)
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: 21

Appearance

Pouring it out into the glass, UltraCush is a glowing golden-orange haze bomb. It’s opaque, but not murky—there’s a difference between a well-crafted hazy and a muddy pour, and this is definitely the former. A nice pillowy head forms on top, sticking around just long enough to leave some clingy lacing on the glass.


Aroma

The nose is a citrus fruit salad. Loads of pineapple, orange zest, and a pop of mango hit right away. Mosaic and Citra are doing the heavy lifting here, and Sultana sneaks in with that distinct pineapple punch. There’s a slight floral undertone, but the fruit is front and center.


Taste

This is where UltraCush earns its name. Smooth, mellow, cushy even.

The first sip bursts with juicy pineapple and orange, followed by softer tropical fruit notes—mango, a touch of passionfruit. It’s not a tongue-scraper bitter IPA, which I know turns some folks off the style. Instead, the bitterness is dialed way down, leaving a soft sweetness and silky mouthfeel. The oats in the grain bill give it that pillowy texture that makes hazies so drinkable.

At 6%, it’s a sweet spot beer—light enough to have a couple, strong enough to keep you interested.


Mouthfeel

Soft, smooth, and medium-bodied. It’s got that “ultra cush” name for a reason. Not heavy, not cloying, and absolutely crushable. If you’re the kind of drinker who likes your hazies with a bit more heft, this might come across as light, but that’s also what makes it approachable.


Final Thoughts

UltraCush doesn’t try to reinvent the hazy IPA wheel—and that’s exactly why it works. It’s the kind of beer you can hand to a diehard craft drinker or someone just dipping their toes into the hazy waters and both will be happy. Neshaminy Creek has been around long enough to know their audience, and UltraCush feels like a crowd-pleaser designed for summer cookouts, backyard hangs, and, yes, celebrating International Hazy IPA Day.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.75 (as of 8.21.25)

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16605
Missile Site Turned Taproom: Grist House Command Launches in Collier Township https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/19/missile-site-turned-taproom-grist-house-command-launches-in-collier-township/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=missile-site-turned-taproom-grist-house-command-launches-in-collier-township Tue, 19 Aug 2025 22:02:26 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16598 Missile Site Turned Taproom: Grist House Command Launches in Collier Township

You ever walk into a room that’s heavy with history? That’s the vibe when you step into Grist House Command, the newest spot from Grist House Craft Brewery, tucked inside what was once a Cold War-era Nike missile command center in Collier Township. This isn’t your typical craft beer launch—it’s a full-on story, a place where aviation relics meet hazy IPAs and dog-friendly patios.

Grist House Command

From Military Mission to Malt Mission

Originally built in 1957 and activated in 1960 to guard Pittsburgh from aerial threats, the massive bunker—known as PI-62—sat quietly on one of the highest points in Allegheny County for decades. Now, it’s being reborn, with the heart of a brewery beating where a radar once blinked.

Grand Opening: September 6–7

Clear your calendar: Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., marks the grand opening, followed by a Sunday session from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Expect to walk into something that’s equal parts blast from the past and cutting-edge craft beer haven.

What’s On Tap (Literally and Figuratively)

  • A 30-barrel brewhouse right on-site—hello, more core favorites and adventurous new brews

  • Four bars, each pouring from 24 taps—yes, that’s 96 taps total waiting to be conquered
  • Indoor seating for around 140, plus three dog-friendly decks to accommodate up to 300 patio-loving patrons
  • A full kitchen dishing out family recipe–inspired fare that pairs just as well with conversation as it does with the suds
  • History on display—glimpse photos, signage, and memorabilia from the bunker’s military days, where former service members are encouraged to drop by and reminisce over a pint

Why This Spot Matters

Co-owner Brian Eaton, along with partner Kyle Mientkiewicz, took over the property back in 2018, and today their vision is turning one of Pittsburgh’s hidden high-ground pieces into a landmark—beverage-style. While Grist House’s Millvale location started life in a repurposed slaughterhouse back in 2014, this new command-post-style taproom is something else—a bold next chapter with 30,000-barrel potential per year, compared to the current 2,500.

This place isn’t just beer-adjacent history—it’s built on it. And in a beer market that’s pretty crowded, there’s no better way to stand out than by honoring the past while embracing the present.


Thanks for reading, friends! Can’t wait to see you there—dog in tow, glass in hand, ready to cheers history.

See Our Other Articles on Grist House Brewing

For More Information on Grist House Brewing

The following comes via Untappd.

Grist House Craft Brewery is a micro brewery from Pittsburgh, PA. They have 284 unique beers and over 255,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 4.00 (as of 8.19.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Grist House Craft Brewery is located in the heart of Millvale, PA just minutes north of downtown Pittsburgh. Family owned and operated, we strive to produce high quality beer that is delicious and easy drinking. Plenty of outdoor seating, and a brand new Taproom, this family and dog friendly space is ideal for day drinkers and happy hour go-ers, or for those who just want to enjoy a great atmosphere with their pint. Cheers! 

You can find them at these social media outlets:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, 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.

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16598
Beer Review: DDH Alien Church (Citra & Galaxy) (Tired Hands) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/19/beer-review-ddh-alien-church-citra-galaxy-tired-hands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-ddh-alien-church-citra-galaxy-tired-hands Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:46:51 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16587 Beer Review: DDH Alien Church (Citra & Galaxy) (Tired Hands)

Background & Brewing

DDH Alien Church (Citra & Galaxy) is a New England-style (hazy) IPA brewed by Tired Hands Brewing Company in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. It’s built on their “Reptoid Alien with Photosynthesizing Tongue Oat IPA” foundation, featuring fluffy malted oats and heavy hopping with Cascade and Columbus at the base. The dry hopping process is dialed up significantly—first with a hefty dose of Citra, Mosaic, and Chinook, then “blasted over the skull” with even more Citra plus tropical, punchy, hyper-fresh Galaxy hops as a secondary dry hop.

DDH Alien Church (Citra & Galaxy) by Tired Hands

Visual & Aromatic Profile

The pour reveals a hazy, bright orange/tangerine body with a fluffy, pillowy head that leaves clinging lacing on the glass.

Aroma notes include:

  • Light biscuity malt

  • Citrus zest

  • Lush tropical fruit (grapefruit, passion fruit, mango, pineapple)

  • Slight dank/grassy undertones

Flavor, Mouthfeel & Finish

On tasting, you’ll encounter a vibrant interplay of flavors:

  • Citrusy layers: grapefruit, lime peel, passion fruit, mango, pineapple, peach

  • A balanced biscuity malt base

  • Dank, grassy, slightly herbal and resinous hop character—thanks to Citra and Galaxy—yielding a tropical, juicy feel without overwhelming bitternessBeerAdvocate

  • Another reviewer highlights the bold blend of tart lemon, grapefruit, peach, tropical fruit, and a biting, earthy hop bitterness that grows more enjoyable with every sipBeerAdvocate

Mouthfeel is soft, somewhat thick, and creamy with moderate carbonation and medium body. The overall finish is medium on bitterness, leaving lingering tropical fruits, citrus, and dank accents.

Summary & Verdict

Appearance: Hazy, vibrant orange; fluffy, persistent head.
Aroma: Juicy tropical citrus (grapefruit, passion fruit, mango, pineapple), bready malt, dank undertones.
Taste: Bursting with tropical and citrus fruit flavors, backed by a malty backbone, dank hop complexity, and balanced bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Soft, pillowy, medium-bodied, with smooth carbonation.
Overall Impression: A well-crafted, intensely hopped NEIPA that leans into both fruity and dank dimensions—excelling in aroma, flavor, and drinkability.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.34 (as of 8.19.25)

Whether you prefer it to Tired Hands’ original Alien Church or not, there’s no denying that this version is bold, juicy, and memorable—a treat for hop lovers who appreciate layers of tropical fruit complexity with a dank, resinous finish.

Let me know if you’d like food-pairing ideas, variations comparison, or similar beer suggestions!

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16587
Cincinnati Craft Legend Listermann Brews Its Final Chapter https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/16/cincinnati-craft-legend-listermann-brews-its-final-chapter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cincinnati-craft-legend-listermann-brews-its-final-chapter Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:44:03 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16590 Cincinnati Craft Legend Listermann Brews Its Final Chapter

When a place you’ve been raising pints at for years closes its doors—without much warning—it cuts deeper than you’d expect. That’s exactly what happened on—and yes, I’ll say it—Saturday, August 16, 2025. That day marked the final pouring for one of Cincinnati’s most storied staples in the craft beer world: Listermann Brewing Company.

Listermann Brewery (photo courtesy of Listermann Brewing Company)

A Sudden Farewell, A Lifetime of Flavor

On Friday, August 15, 2025, the taproom, nestled at 1621 Dana Avenue in Evanston, posted a heartfelt message:

“Tomorrow, Saturday, August 16th, will be our final day of operations. We are deeply grateful to our amazing staff, loyal customers and community… You’ve been part of our story, and it’s been an honor to share our beer and our space with you.”

They didn’t lay out a reason why they had to close—and that silence echoes even louder in this town. The beer scene here has taken hit after hit lately—Brews like Humble Monk, 16 Lots, Taft’s, and even BrewDog Cincinnati have faded from the taplines this year alone.

What Made Listermann More Than Just a Brewery

To really get what we’ve lost, you have to go way back. The name “Listermann” started as Dan Listermann’s homebrewing gear business in 1991—not as a brewery, but a beacon for homebrewers, who’d gather, curious and tinkering. By 1994, it evolved into a full-blown homebrew shop; and by 2008, they’d flashed a brewery license and launched the Listermann Brewing Company on that same Dana Ave campus.

This place was a workshop, a classroom, a microbrewery, and a community hub—all rolled into one. Any local brewer you ask? There’s a good chance they got their first gear, their first guidance, their first inspiration right here.

Passing the Torch—Then the Lights Go Out

Founders Dan and Sue Listermann stepped back in 2023, handing the reins to Terrie and Steve Ipson. In January 2024, the new team opened a taproom kitchen—adding food, giving explorers one more reason to stay.

It all seemed like a path to longevity. But then August 2025 arrives, and bam: the beer stops flowing.

What Now for the Craft Community?

With Listermann gone, what’s next for Cincinnati’s beer lovers? We’ve lost a pioneer—but maybe, just maybe, that vacuum will spark the next wave. There’s a lot of spirit, literally and figuratively, in this town. I still believe—knowing this crowd—the drought won’t last. In the meantime, let’s raise a final pint to Listermann: to the memories, the homebrews born here, the casual chats over new taps, and the sense that this place, in its unassuming glory, wrote a massive chapter in our local beer history.

For More Information on Listermann Brewing Company

The following comes via Untappd.

Listermann Brewing Company is listed as a brew pub, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Since its already considered “closed” by Untappd, it has 0 listed for unique beers, but it does have over 395,000 ratings, with a global average of 3.97 (as of 8.16.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Listermann Brewing Company is a neighborhood brewery and home brew supply store that focuses on innovative beer and the local community. The home brew store has been operating since 1991 and the brewery has been producing a variety of award-winning beers since 2008. The taproom boasts an inviting, friendly character and historic charm. Come for the beer, stay for the people.

You can follow them at these social media outlets:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, 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.

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]> 16590 Arizona Craft Beer Giants Unite: Huss Brewing Co. and PHX Beer Co. Merge to Launch Zonafide Beverages https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/13/arizona-craft-beer-giants-unite-huss-brewing-co-and-phx-beer-co-merge-to-launch-zonafide-beverages/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=arizona-craft-beer-giants-unite-huss-brewing-co-and-phx-beer-co-merge-to-launch-zonafide-beverages Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:34:03 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16608 Arizona Craft Beer Giants Unite: Huss Brewing Co. and PHX Beer Co. Merge to Launch Zonafide Beverages

In a major shake-up for Arizona’s craft beer scene, two beloved hometown breweries—Huss Brewing Co. and PHX Beer Co.—have officially merged to create a new powerhouse: Zonafide Beverages LLC.

Huss Brewing Co. and PHX Beer Co. Merge to Make Zonafide Beverages

What’s Brewing Behind the Merge?

This exciting partnership positions Zonafide Beverages as the second-largest craft beer producer in Arizona, with a combined production capacity approaching 30,000 barrels annually. Centralizing operations in Tempe, the consolidation at Huss Brewing’s facility aims to streamline production while enhancing efficiencies.

Keeping the Flavors You Love

Despite joining forces, both breweries will maintain their individual brand identities and preserve their fan-favorite brews—think Scottsdale Blonde, Arizona Gold, and other signature offerings—just as lovers of local craft beer would expect.

Leadership & Shared Vision

  • Steve Robbins, currently at the helm of PHX Beer Co., has been named President and CEO of Zonafide Beverages.

  • Jeff Huss, co-founder of Huss Brewing, steps into the role of Brewmaster, leveraging decades of brewing expertise to guide the merged entity’s craft and innovation vision.

Their unified approach speaks to a growing trend in the craft sector—breweries combining strengths for expanded reach without sacrificing the unique identities that define them.

Community Cheers and Distribution Support

The merger has garnered positive feedback from Crescent Crown Distributing, a longtime partner for both breweries. Their leadership sees this union as a promising move toward “a stronger and more efficient organization”.

Why This Matters

  • Expanded Reach, Local Roots – Zonafide Beverages’ increased scale could mean wider availability of craft favorites across Arizona, with all the local authenticity you expect.

  • Innovation Meets Tradition – With Jeff Huss as Brewmaster and Steve Robbins steering the helm, expect new creations built on decades of brewing mastery.

  • Efficient Production, Fresh Flavors – This merger ensures high-quality beer stays flowing, coursing through Tempe’s brewing systems to thirsty Arizonans.

 

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, 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.

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16608
LAKEFRONT BREWERY TEAMS UP WITH BADGER STATE BREWING TO DELIVER A NEW TAKE ON GREEN BAY’S GOLD PACKAGE https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/12/lakefront-brewery-teams-up-with-badger-state-brewing-to-deliver-a-new-take-on-green-bays-gold-package/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lakefront-brewery-teams-up-with-badger-state-brewing-to-deliver-a-new-take-on-green-bays-gold-package Wed, 13 Aug 2025 01:40:17 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16570 LAKEFRONT BREWERY TEAMS UP WITH BADGER STATE BREWING TO DELIVER A NEW TAKE ON GREEN BAY’S GOLD PACKAGE

After a successful release last year, both breweries look forward to back-to-back wins. This year’s Gold Package collaboration is a Golden Helles Lager brewed at Lakefront’s facility in Milwaukee.

Gold Package

Two breweries with matching reputations for great beer have teamed up once again. Aptly named after Green Bay season ticket holders primarily based in Milwaukee, Gold Package will be available in both kegs and 6-packs across Wisconsin with an emphasis in the Milwaukee and Green Bay markets.

 

“I knew Kevin Kuzlik since before he joined Badger State as their Director of Sales, so I reached out as soon as I knew he landed in Green Bay”, says AJ Belling, Northern Wisconsin Sales Rep for Lakefront Brewery, “this collaboration is all about great friendships, quality beer, and showcasing our collective brewing expertise.” “Our former Lead Brewer, Ryan Hillesland, is now the Head Brewer over there, which gave us all the more reason to partner with our friends up north,” says Belling.

The Gold Package Six Pack

“It is quite an honor for us to collaborate with Lakefront Brewery again this year on Gold Package”, says Kuzlik of the Green Bay brewery, “last year we went through 21,000 cans and 150 kegs of it. I can’t wait for beer drinkers across the state to get their hands on this year’s version!”

 

Just in time for preseason, Gold Package was brewed with Pilsner, Light Munich, and Vienna malts making it a light-bodied, easy-drinking, golden brew rich in flavors of freshly baked bread and honey, with a crisp lager finish. Enjoy this one all season long while supplies last, available wherever you get your Badger State or Lakefront fix in Wisconsin.

A can of the Gold Package

Lakefront Brewery, Inc. is an independent craft brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin founded by brothers Jim and Russ Klisch in 1987 when they scaled up their homebrew equipment to a 7-barrel brewhouse. They have grown to produce over 20 full-scale offerings yearly including Riverwest Stein Amber Lager, Hazy Rabbit IPA, Dive Beer Milwaukee Lager, and New Grist Gluten-Free Pilsner, the first Certified Gluten-Free beer in America.

Lakefront Brewery is committed to using business as a force for good by achieving the high social and environmental standards verified through B Corp™ certification. Experience Milwaukee’s brewing legacy by taking their award-winning brewery tour and indulge in top-notch traditional Bavarian and Midwestern fare at Lakefront Brewery Beer Hall, one of Milwaukee’s premier tourist destinations. Lakefront distributes its best-in-class products to over 30 states, Canada, Ukraine, and Sweden. For more information, visit lakefrontbrewery.com or call 414-372-8800.

 

Badger State Brewing, based in Green Bay, is a leading craft brewery serving customers across Wisconsin with a diverse lineup of innovative beers available in sustainable cans and on draft. The brewery is renowned for its welcoming tap room, beer garden and private event space, The Barrel Haus – named “Best of 2024” by Wisconsin Bride. Badger State lays claim to two of Wisconsin’s top beers: BRW-SKI and Grassy Place Hazy IPA among its range of beers. For more info on Badger State visit www.badgerstatebrewing.com or connect with them on Instagram or Facebook: @badgerstatebrewing.

Other Lakefront Brewery 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

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16570
Beer Review: Leaf Seeker IPA (Troegs Independent Brewing) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/07/beer-review-leaf-seeker-ipa-troegs-independent-brewing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-leaf-seeker-ipa-troegs-independent-brewing Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:53:31 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16566 Beer Review: Leaf Seeker IPA by Troegs Independent Brewing

Happy National IPA Day, everyone!

You know, there’s no shortage of IPAs in the world. From the hazy juice bombs of New England to the palate-wrecking resin bombs of the early West Coast era, we’ve seen the IPA evolve into a hundred sub-styles and “IPA-adjacent” beers. But every once in a while, a brewery takes a classic template, sharpens the edges, and gives you something that makes you remember why you fell in love with hops in the first place.

For me this National IPA Day, that beer is Leaf Seeker IPA from Tröegs Independent Brewing.

I got to try this for the first time at Ffej of July just a few weeks ago, and went out and got me a can of it, it definitely deserved to be drank again!

(See our article: Troegs Brewing Releases Leaf Seeker IPA to Replace Hopora)

Leaf Seeker IPA by Troegs Independent Brewing

Beer Review

Leaf Seeker is replacing Hopora in the Troegs Brewing release schedule. Let’s see if it lives up to the replacement and deserves its own spot on the calendar!

First Impressions

Crack open the can, and it’s like you’ve just walked into a Pacific Northwest hop farm mid-harvest — dank pine needles under your nose, sticky citrus oils clinging in the air. The pour is a crystal-clear golden amber, with a lively white head that sticks around just long enough to leave a lace map of your drinking pace. No haze, no murk — this is a beer that wears its West Coast style on its sleeve.


Aroma & Flavor

Leaf Seeker IPA is all about balance without losing the bite. The aroma jumps with bright grapefruit, orange zest, and mango from the Citra and El Dorado hops, grounded by earthy, resinous pine from Chinook and CTZ. The first sip leans crisp and bitter up front — a throwback bitterness that makes your tongue sit up straight — but the bitterness doesn’t bulldoze. The malt backbone, courtesy of Pilsner and Vienna malts, keeps things grounded with a lightly biscuity sweetness that fades into a dry, lingering finish.

It’s 6.4% ABV, but drinks lighter, thanks to a snappy, clean body. That’s dangerous on a warm August afternoon.


Seasonal Vibes

Leaf Seeker is a fall seasonal, but it’s debuting just in time to bridge the gap between late summer patio sipping and crisp autumn evenings. I can already picture drinking this while watching the leaves just start to turn, hoodie on, fire pit crackling. The name isn’t just clever branding — it feels like the kind of beer you’d bring along on a road trip through the Appalachian backroads when the foliage hits peak.


National IPA Day Context

Today is National IPA Day, so I’ve been running through my mental catalog of IPAs I’ve loved over the years — Heady Topper, Pliny, Bell’s Two Hearted, Tröegs’ own Perpetual. Leaf Seeker doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it polishes it until it shines. It’s proof that a clear, bitter, West Coast IPA still has a place in 2025, even in a haze-heavy market.


Final Thoughts

If you’ve been craving a clean, hop-forward, no-nonsense IPA with just enough nuance to keep it modern, Leaf Seeker should be on your radar. On National IPA Day, it feels fitting to celebrate with a beer that respects the roots of the style while still feeling fresh and relevant.

Untappd Rating: 3.75 / 5 – Crisp, piney, citrusy, and a perfect seasonal sipper.
Global Untappd Rating: 3.83 (as of 8.7.25)
Would I Drink Again? Absolutely — especially outdoors in the fall.

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 164 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). (A lot of vintage and variants get consolidated into single unique listings as well.) They have 2.4 Million ratings and a global average rating of 3.79 (as of 8.7.25). Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Troegs Independent Brewing logo

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

]]>
16566
YAH Brew and Cartel Brewing Team Up to Revive Middletown Space with Collaborative Venture https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/08/07/yah-brew-and-cartel-brewing-team-up-to-revive-middletown-space-with-collaborative-venture/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yah-brew-and-cartel-brewing-team-up-to-revive-middletown-space-with-collaborative-venture Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:46:22 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16550 YAH Brew and Cartel Brewing Team Up to Revive Middletown Space with Collaborative Venture

YAH Brew and Cartel Brewing and Blending have teamed up on the newly acquired space in Middletown – the old Tattered Flag location at 1 S Union St, Middletown, PA 17057. (See our recent article about YAH Brewing acquiring the Tattered Flag space.) (Or the Tower Investments press release on it here – YAH Brew Preser.) Cartel Brewing and Blending has also made expansion growth of their own, by announcing their second locationThe Safe House – coming to Manheim, PA, opening in late Fall / Winter of 2025.

Cartel Brewing and YAH Brew team up over the Tattered Flag location in Middletown

Cartel Brewing and Blending’s Social Media Announcement

The announcement came via Cartel Brewing and Blending’s social media earlier today:

FUN ANNOUNCEMENT:
For the last few months, we’ve been working on a pretty rad joint venture project with our friends at YAH Brew…
We are stoked to announce that we have the keys and begun the next stage of bringing this amazing space back to life in Middletown, PA!
We will launch a multifaceted community space that will allow us to use the brewery for both of our brands as well as our collaborative new brand and taproom. We also plan to create a cooperative production facility for other breweries to share and expand their brewing and canning needs and foresee a distillery brand arising in 2026….
All in all, we can’t be more excited about this project and partnering with Justin and Aimee from YAH Brew. More details to follow in the coming weeks…..

YAH Brew and Cartel Brewing and Blending Team Up

Two of Central PA’s most creative brewing minds are joining forces to breathe new life into a familiar location in Dauphin County — and beer fans have plenty to be excited about.

Back in July, YAH Brew made waves when they announced plans to take over the former home of Tattered Flag Brewery at 1 South Union Street in Middletown, Pennsylvania. The 5,000-square-foot space, which had sat idle since Tattered Flag closed its doors in late 2023 due to rising inflation and labor challenges, is now being transformed into something bold, collaborative, and community-driven.

But the story just got even more interesting.

Earlier today, Cartel Brewing & Blending announced via social media that they’re officially partnering with YAH Brew on the Middletown project — turning the solo endeavor into a full-blown joint venture between two of the region’s most experimental breweries.

“For the last few months, we’ve been working on a pretty rad joint venture project with our friends at YAH Brew,” Cartel wrote in a Facebook post. “We are stoked to announce that we have the keys and begun the next stage of bringing this amazing space back to life in Middletown, PA!”

According to both breweries, the revitalized space will serve multiple purposes: an event venue, a collaborative brewing hub, and a future home for a distilling operation.

What to Expect from the New YAH Brew x Cartel Project

  • Event Venue – The updated venue is designed to host a variety of gatherings, from retirement parties and birthdays to corporate events and wedding receptions. With a large open floor plan and Yah Brew’s nostalgic flair, the space promises a unique, relaxed vibe for private functions.

  • Shared Brewing & Canning Facility – In a move that underscores the cooperative spirit of craft beer, the site will also operate as a production facility for both Yah Brew and Cartel Brewing, helping both brands expand their brewing and canning capabilities.

  • Future Distillery in 2026 – Cartel hinted at an exciting long-term vision: the creation of a new distillery brand housed within the same space. While details are still emerging, this points toward a multi-beverage future for the Middletown location.

A Second Life for a Storied Building

For locals and longtime fans of the Central PA beer scene, the building at 1 S. Union Street holds a lot of history. Once home to Tattered Flag Brewery — a veteran-owned favorite that helped put Middletown on the craft beer map — the space now enters a new era with two ambitious and community-focused breweries at the helm.

This collaboration is more than just a shared address; it’s a symbol of what can happen when independent brewers unite, pool their resources, and think beyond the pint glass.

We’ll be keeping tabs on developments as the project evolves — including grand opening dates, beer releases, and any sneak peeks into the distilling side of things.

Want to Book the Event Space?

Looking to host a wedding reception, retirement party, or company event in a unique beer-forward setting? Yah Brew and Cartel are already taking reservations for the event space. Stay tuned for updates via their social media channels or visit their websites directly.


Follow The Beer Thrillers for continuing coverage of the Central PA craft beer scene, brewery expansions, collaborations, and more. From Harrisburg to Hershey, Lancaster to Lebanon — we’ve got your hops covered.

🍻 Support local. Drink local. Celebrate community.

More Articles about YAH Brew

More Articles about Cartel Brewing and Blending

More Articles about Tattered Flag Brewing and Distillery

Looking to read more about Tattered Flag, check out our articles here:

More Information on YAH Brew

The following comes via Untappd. YAH Brew is listed as a micro brewery from Hershey, PA. They have 93 unique beers and over 6,700 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.85 (as of 8.6.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Production brewery located in Hummelstown, PA. Follow our socials for info on limited releases and festival info so you can enjoy our beer.” (They currently are producing their beer in the Mount Joy location.)

You can find them on the following social media platforms:

More Information on Cartel Brewing and Blending

The following comes via Untappd.

Cartel Brewing and Blending is listed as a nano brewery from Lancaster, PA. They have 183 beers and over 16,500 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.89 (as of 8.6.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Cartel Brewing & Blending is a nano brewery and beer cafe located in Lancaster, PA. Specializing in recipes that embrace classic beer styles as well as progressive recipes, blended beers and flavor exploration.

You can follow them at these social media platforms:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, 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.

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 are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. 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 also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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 #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) 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.)

 

]]>
16550