Star Wars - The Beer Thrillers

May the Fourth Be With You – From a Non a Star Wars Lover at RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Fest (Amy’s Column)

AmyMWolfe — Sun, 04 May 2025 15:43:18 +0000

May the Fourth Be With You – From a Non a Star Wars Lover at RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Fest

RAR during the Star Wars Festival on May 3rd

I went to the RAR Brewing “May the 4^th Be with you fest but on the 3^rd” but I am not a Star Wars fan. I don’t mean I don’t like Star Wars I just never fell in love with it. I loved watching the 3 OGs that came out years and years ago. I will drop quotes and funny memes. And I am assuming since I am dating the Editor of this blog, I will be forced someday to do an entire streaming of all things Star Wars. I am here for it.

(See our article: RAR Brewing’s May the 3rd Fest)

(See our article: RAR Brewing’s May the Fourth 2025 Beer Can Drop)

I’m a Star Wars….

We arrived on the scene in Cambridge Maryland and scoped out the parking lot. It was small and not surprisingly already full. We drove a couple blocks away to a free street parking spot and pulled in ready for an afternoon of enjoying a fun brewery and street festival. There was a mix of local older aged attendees mixed with Star Wars lovers and some dressed in Star Wars Cosplay. The entire layout of the Festival was welcoming and relaxing.

May the 4^th be with you; and I also with you (sorry, I can’t help it) fest but on the 3^rd was a fun, relaxing afternoon in the quaint town of Cambridge Maryland. There was art, music, beer, lots of beer, merch and good food.

It was a tad bit confusing on how to participate in the tasting tent at first but maybe I also can’t read the instructions. We quickly purchased our bracelets and tickets to sample all the themed beers. It was exciting seeing all the beers available for tasting for some stellar breweries; Bash Bros Collective, Imprint Beer Co, Burlington Beer Co, 2SP Brewing Company, Autodidact Beer, Tripping Animals Brewing, Clag, Spylgass Brewing Company, Maine Beer Company, Movement Brewing Company, Voodoo Brewing Company, Dewey Beer, Frost Beer Works, Four Point and Finback

We started off with the “Cuddle Buddies” 10% ABV Cream Triple IPA from Tripping Animals and 10.1%ABV “Even Fuller Very Circular” Triple IPA W/ Citra and Mosaic by Autodidact. I think you already know The Beer Thrillers come in heavy. These did not disappoint, and we quickly found a spot in the shade to chill and anticipate our next sample tastings.

Then we had to try a flight of the RAR themed beers for the day. Swamp Planet -Hop Saturated Ale 8.5% ABV, Desert Planet -Hop Saturated Ale 8.5%, Deep Fried Porg, College Deep Friend Beers -Hop Saturated Ale 10.1% and the Dark Side DELUXE -4% ABV Blueberry, Cherry, heavy Saber -Toasted Marshmallow, a touch of Roasted Habaneros, and Midnight Pastry. These all killed with Desert being the fav for us.

We were drooling over the food truck offerings of Fried Porg Bucket (chicken tenders with RAR seasoned waffle friends and choice of sauce), Mojo Pork Tacos, Birria Beef Tacos and Chicken tacos. The Friend Porg bucket arrived in a square brown container; we missed the novelty of the Porg bucket offering. The chicken tenders and fries were amazing along with a side of honey mustard. We saw many other attendees enjoying the “deep friend Porg” along with the various taco options.

RAR’s Deep Fried Porgs

Even Fett had to get in on the Galactic Grill. Good thing he removed his helmet before eating the fries.

The second music act Black Dog Alley band provided a very mellow and friendly atmosphere among Fest goers. Most folks walking by were swaying or bobbing their heads to the beat. A few folks were seen dancing together. We listened and relaxed to cover songs by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Gnarles Barkley.

The music at the event was wonderful

This dog friendly event gave dog loving fest goers plenty to enjoy. A friendly Pit bull puppy near us enjoyed some leftover Porg and fries. We were immediate friends and shared some cuddles.

We purchased beer to go, some merchandise and some art from a local vendor. We highly recommend checking out this yearly RAR May the 4^th be with you events even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan. We highly recommend checking out the quaint town of Cambridge Maryland and absolutely recommend checking out RAR Brewing company. We can’t wait to visit again!

Drink More Beer!
- Amy

RAR’s Promotional Material For the Event

For More Information on RAR Brewing

The following comes via Untappd.

RAR is a micro brewery from Cambridge, MD. They have 931 unique beers and over 549,000 ratings with a global average rating of 4.01 (as of 5.4.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Based in Cambridge, MD on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. ”

You can follow them on these social media platforms:

RAR Brewing – Official Website
RAR Brewing – Facebook
RAR Brewing – Instagram
RAR Brewing – Twitter
RAR Brewing – Untappd

Amy’s Column Series

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Mario:

Beer Review: Level Up (Idiom Brewing)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

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:

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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 Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, 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’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 April 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.)

Beer Review: Chewbacca (Rotunda Brewing Company)

B. Kline — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 02:45:07 +0000

Beer Review: Chewbacca by Rotunda Brewing Company

I first had this beer back in October of 2019. (Which feels like ancient history.) And I remember wanting to write a review of it even back then for the site…. and for some reason I never did. Not sure why exactly. Maybe I just didn’t get around to it or something, but I even kept my photo of the beer on my desktop screen this whole time. Ironically, I recently had it again, so what better opportunity to revisit the beer for my second beer review release for Andor: Season 2. Last week I reviewed – Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) by Delta Beer Lab – and so this week, we’ll taking a look at a much closer brewery – Rotunda Brewing Company with their Imperial Black IPA (or Imperial Cascadian IPA). This is one of my favorite styles of beer, I love Black IPAs, and Double Black IPAs are event better.

But before we dive in, I want everyone to please take a look at our stream / podcast / video we made on YouTube. It stars myself, Drew of Knights of Nostalgia, and Tim (Aglets). You can view it here:

In the video we cover the first three episodes of Andor. So please be sure to check it out!

And now, onto the review!

Chewbacca by Rotunda Brewing Company (at the Rising Sun in 2019)

The Beer Review: Chewbacca by Rotunda Brewing Company

Beer: Chewbacca
Brewery: Rotunda Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Black IPA / Double Black IPA
ABV: 8%
IBU: N / A
Untappd Description: (Blank)

Let’s check out this Wookie beast (not to be confused with the Wookie Monster by Fourscore). Will someone get this Walking Carpet out of my way so I can type!

Appearance

Chewbacca pours a deep, opaque brown-almost bordering on black-with a creamy, tan head that lingers like a loyal Wookiee companion. The lacing is impressive, clinging to the glass with each sip, leaving behind a trail reminiscent of hyperspace streaks.

Aroma

Right out of the gate, there’s a punch of roasted malt-think dark chocolate and fresh-brewed coffee-balanced by a piney, resinous hop profile. There’s a subtle undercurrent of caramel and a hint of citrus, like orange peel, that peeks through as it warms. The aroma is bold and inviting, promising complexity.

Chewbacca by Rotunda Brewing Company

Taste

The first sip delivers a satisfying interplay between roasted malt bitterness and assertive hop character. Notes of espresso and bittersweet cocoa dominate up front, quickly joined by pine, grapefruit, and a touch of earthy spice. The Black IPA style shines here: the hops never overwhelm the malt backbone, instead weaving together in a harmonious, chewy mouthfeel. The 9.2% ABV is well-hidden, but there’s a gentle warmth in the finish that lets you know this is a beer worthy of a Wookiee.

Mouthfeel

Medium to full-bodied, with a creamy carbonation that lifts the flavors without feeling heavy. The finish is dry, with lingering roast and a pleasant, resinous bitterness that invites another sip.

Overall Impressions

Chewbacca is a robust, well-executed Black IPA that balances dark roast and hop bite with finesse. It’s a bold tribute to its namesake-complex, powerful, and just a little wild. Whether you’re a Star Wars fan or simply a lover of big, hoppy dark ales, this is a beer that deserves a spot in your cantina. Untappd’s 3.8/5 rating feels right, but I’d nudge it a bit higher for the sheer fun and craftsmanship.

Wrap Up

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.8 (out of nearly 1000 ratings) (as of 4.25.25)

May the hops be with you-always.

Chewbacca by Rotunda Brewing Company (RBC) (photo courtesy of Rotunda Brewing Company)

I’m gonna have to check the archives of the site here, or on my computer, to see if I have any notes or anything from the initial first time I drank the beer, if maybe I started a review and then sadly – for whatever reason – never got around to finishing it. Maybe I was waiting for the right chance to post it, and never found it. Who knows, there’s over 70+ articles in my “draft” folder here on the site, some day I’ll get around to posting them…. unfortunately that day is not today though. But be sure to come back to the site, who knows, maybe it’ll be tomorrow…..

And check back next Tuesday for another (hopefully) Star Wars themed beer release. Over the weekened is May the Fourth Be With You, so once again, hopefully I’ll be able to grab some of the RAR Star Wars themed beers and will be able to review them weekly!

Cheers all and thank you for reading!

Chewbacca at Rotunda Brewery

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Mario:

Beer Review: Level Up (Idiom Brewing)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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.

Beer Review: Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) (Delta Beer Lab)

B. Kline — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:45:10 +0000

Beer Review: Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) (by Delta Beer Lab)

In honor of Andor season 2, (and the fast approaching May the Fourth Be With You), here is a new Star Wars (themed at least) beer review for everyone. Who has gotten to watch the first three episodes of Andor released today? (I did, and in the next beer review, I’ll post our YouTube review of it – involving myself, Knights of Nostalgia, and Aglets.)

Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) by Delta Beer Lab

Beer Review

Beer: Admiral (J. Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout)
Brewery: Delta Beer Lab
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Style: American Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged)
ABV: 11.1%

First Impressions

If you’re searching for a bold, barrel-aged imperial stout that delivers on both complexity and craftsmanship, Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) from Delta Beer Lab in Madison, WI, is a must-try. This limited release is making waves in the Midwest craft beer scene, earning an impressive 4.2/5 average rating on Untappd and a 4.42/5 on BeerAdvocate, signaling its strong reputation among stout enthusiasts.

Appearance

Admiral pours jet black with a dense, mocha-colored head that lingers and leaves elegant lacing down the glass. The viscosity is immediately apparent, hinting at the richness to come.

Aroma

The nose is decadent and layered. Expect waves of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and molasses, intertwined with notes of vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak from the J Henry bourbon barrels. Subtle hints of dried fruit and a whisper of bourbon heat round out the aroma, inviting you in for that first sip.

Admiral by Delta Beer Lab

Flavor

On the palate, Admiral is a masterclass in balance. The bourbon barrel aging imparts smooth vanilla and caramel undertones, seamlessly blending with the stout’s core flavors of bittersweet chocolate, espresso, and dark toffee. There’s a gentle warmth from the 11.1% ABV – enough to remind you of its strength, but never overpowering. The barrel character is pronounced but not dominant, allowing the base stout’s roasty complexity to shine through. As the beer warms, notes of fig, raisin, and a touch of leather emerge, adding depth and intrigue.

Mouthfeel

Full-bodied and velvety, Admiral coats the palate with a creamy texture and moderate carbonation. The finish is long and satisfying, with lingering chocolate and a gentle bourbon warmth that invites another sip.

Overall Impressions

Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) is a standout example of a barrel-aged imperial stout done right. It’s robust, complex, and dangerously drinkable for its strength. Whether you’re a barrel-aged aficionado or just dipping your toes into the world of imperial stouts, this beer is a testament to Delta Beer Lab’s skill and creativity.

Perfect For:

Sipping fireside on a chilly Wisconsin night
Pairing with rich desserts like flourless chocolate cake or blue cheese
Sharing with fellow craft beer lovers looking for something special

Why Seek Out The Admiral?

Delta Beer Lab is known for its innovative, community-focused approach to brewing, and Admiral exemplifies their commitment to quality. If you’re in Madison or exploring Wisconsin’s craft beer scene, this is a barrel-aged stout that deserves a place on your must-try list.

Pro Tip:

If you spot a bottle or tap pour of Admiral, don’t hesitate-this is one of those rare releases that lives up to the hype and will leave you wanting more. For more reviews of standout craft beers in Wisconsin and beyond, follow our blog and discover your next favorite pour.

Ratings

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.21 (out of 250~ ratings) (global average as of 4.22.25)

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Mario:

Beer Review: Level Up (Idiom Brewing)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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.

Book Review: Star Wars – Most Wanted (Rae Carson)

B. Kline — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 02:01:50 +0000

Star Wars Most Wanted by Rae Carlson

Star Wars: Most Wanted by Rae Carson offers fans of the galaxy far, far away a thrilling prelude to the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Set on the gritty streets of Corellia, the novel delves into the early lives of Han Solo and Qi’ra, two characters whose destinies are intricately linked.

Good Reads Back Cover

The back cover synopsis on GoodReads:

Set before the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Han and Qi’ra don’t have a lot in common other than not having a lot. They’re street kids on the industrial planet Corellia, doing whatever it takes to get by, dreaming of something more. They each jump at a chance to prove themselves in the perilous world of Corellia’s criminal underbelly, only to discover they are on the same mission for the same unscrupulous boss. When the job goes disastrously wrong, Han and Qi’ra are on the run–from pirates, a droid crime syndicate, the Empire, and their boss–and will have to learn to trust each other if they are going to survive.

GoodReads – Star Wars: Most Wanted

Book Review: Star Wars – Most Wanted by Rae Carlson

(I listened to this on audiobook via Libby. I also then read the in print version as well for comparison’s sake.)

Plot Overview

The story centers on Han and Qi’ra before they became the figures we know from the Star Wars saga. They are both “scrumrats,” orphans who must rely on their wits and street smarts to survive in the criminal underworld of Corellia. Their ultimate goal is to escape their oppressive circumstances and find freedom beyond the stars. But when a heist goes wrong, the two must team up to survive against the odds, racing against time to outmaneuver rival gangs, corrupt officials, and the ever-looming presence of the Empire.

Character Development

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its portrayal of Han and Qi’ra as complex, multifaceted characters. Han is the scrappy, reckless dreamer we’ve come to expect, but Carson gives him layers of vulnerability and determination that make his journey all the more compelling. Qi’ra, on the other hand, is cunning and ambitious, yet haunted by the harsh realities of her world. The dynamic between them is electric, filled with tension, camaraderie, and a touch of romance.

Themes and Setting

Rae Carson does a masterful job of immersing readers in the seedy underbelly of Corellia. The city is portrayed as a living, breathing entity—grimy, dangerous, and full of opportunities for those daring enough to seize them. Themes of survival, loyalty, and the quest for freedom resonate throughout the novel, making it more than just a simple adventure tale. It’s a story about the choices we make, the people we trust, and the lengths we’ll go to achieve our dreams.

Writing Style

Carson’s writing is brisk and engaging, perfectly suited to the fast-paced nature of the story. She captures the voice of the Star Wars universe with ease, balancing action, character moments, and world-building in a way that feels true to the franchise. Her ability to convey the inner thoughts and emotions of Han and Qi’ra adds depth to the narrative, making their journey not just one of survival, but of self-discovery.

Final Thoughts

Star Wars: Most Wanted is a must-read for fans of the Star Wars saga, particularly those interested in the backstory of Han Solo and Qi’ra. Rae Carson has crafted a tale that is both exciting and emotionally resonant, providing new insights into these beloved characters while staying true to the spirit of the franchise. Whether you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan or just looking for a gripping adventure, this book delivers on all fronts.

My GoodReads Rating: ****
Global GoodReads Rating: 3.76 (as of 7.25.24)
My LibraryThing Rating: ***.5

Other Book Reviews

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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.

Book Review: Star Wars: Pirate’s Price (Flight of the Falcon, #2) by Lou Anders

B. Kline — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:16:39 +0000

Star Wars: Pirate’s Price (Flight of the Falcon, #2) by Lou Anders

Book Review: Star Wars: Pirate’s Price (Flight of the Falcon, #2) by Lou Anders

The other day we reviewed the first book of the series – Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland.

Star Wars: Pirate’s Price is the second installment in the Flight of the Falcon series and is written by Lou Anders. It’s a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure set in the galaxy far, far away, with a particular focus on one of the most notorious scoundrels in Star Wars lore: Hondo Ohnaka, the space pirate with charm, wit, and no shortage of tall tales.

GoodReads Back Blurb

All-new adventures starring Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Hondo Ohnaka aboard the Millennium Falcon!

Hello, my friends! It is I, Hondo Ohnaka, greatest pirate in the galaxy, hero of the Rebellion, and if you believe that Obi-Wan Kenobii guy, a villain, too. But what did he know?

I am here to tell you stories of that most amazing ship, the Millennium Falcon, including my very first time on board and a few occasions when I actually flew the Falcon myself! And I did a great job of it, too. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Oh, there might be a familiar Wookie in the stories. And that Han Solo guy. He had a way of popping up. And some other people you may know. And some you may not.

So hang on tight, because this adventure is traveling at lightspeed and it’s going to be a wild ride!

Star Wars: Pirate’s Price (Flight of the Falcon, #2) by Lou Anders – GoodReads

Book Review

Plot Summary: The novel revolves around Hondo’s adventures with the iconic Millennium Falcon. Hondo recounts his wild escapades to Bazine Netal, a spy who is seeking to learn more about the Falcon’s whereabouts. Through a series of flashbacks, readers are taken on a ride through time, revisiting different points in the galaxy’s history where Hondo, in true pirate fashion, becomes embroiled in various schemes that involve the famous ship.

Character Focus: Hondo Ohnaka is undoubtedly the star of the show. His humor, opportunism, and rogue-like charm shine throughout the book. Anders nails Hondo’s voice, capturing his eccentricities perfectly—whether he’s boasting about outwitting Imperial forces or narrowly escaping danger through clever trickery. Fans of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels will be delighted by how the character leaps off the page, maintaining the essence that made him a fan favorite.

Although Hondo takes center stage, Pirate’s Price also gives us glimpses of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the Falcon herself, which is portrayed as a kind of mystical, legendary ship that has lived through countless escapades. There’s even a brief cameo by Rey, linking the story to the sequel trilogy’s timeline, which adds a layer of continuity.

Writing and Pacing: Lou Anders crafts a fun and fast-paced narrative. The story moves quickly from one escapade to the next, almost like a series of mini-adventures tied together by Hondo’s storytelling. The pacing is energetic, which makes the novel hard to put down—perfect for younger readers or anyone looking for a lighthearted romp through the galaxy. Anders’ writing is accessible and full of humor, especially in Hondo’s voice, which is both comical and engaging.

The dialogue is a highlight, with Hondo’s quips and self-serving bravado creating a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. The story structure—being told through Hondo’s unreliable narration—adds a layer of charm, as you’re never quite sure if Hondo is telling the whole truth or embellishing his exploits for dramatic effect.

Appeal for Star Wars Fans: For fans of Star Wars lore, Pirate’s Price serves as a fun side story that enriches the universe’s vast narrative. It doesn’t delve into deep, galaxy-altering events, but it does offer a more intimate look at the everyday chaos of the galaxy, focusing on the smaller, personal adventures of its characters. If you’re familiar with Hondo from the animated series, this book will feel like an extension of his character, and fans of the Millennium Falcon will enjoy seeing the ship woven into another set of stories.

Conclusion: Star Wars: Pirate’s Price is an enjoyable, lighthearted adventure that’s perfect for younger readers and die-hard fans of Hondo Ohnaka. It’s a story packed with humor, charm, and classic Star Wars adventure, though it doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re looking for a fun read that celebrates one of the franchise’s most entertaining characters, this book will certainly deliver.

My GoodReads Rating: ***
Global GoodReads Rating: 4.02 (as of 7.16.24)
My LibraryThing Rating: ***.5

Hondo’s larger-than-life personality and the fast-paced storytelling make Pirate’s Price a delightful addition to the Flight of the Falcon series.

Other Book Reviews

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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.

Book Review: Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland

B. Kline — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 19:50:01 +0000

Book Review: Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland is the first of two installments on the Flight of the Falcon series. (Look for the book review for the second installment in a bit.)

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck, the first book in the Flight of the Falcon series, brings us on an exciting adventure with none other than the galaxy’s most charming gambler, Lando Calrissian. Written by Justina Ireland, this middle-grade novel is a fast-paced, action-packed story that explores Lando’s life as a rogue pilot, highlighting his wit, cleverness, and occasional brushes with morality.

As the inaugural book in the Flight of the Falcon series, it sets the tone for what readers can expect: engaging characters, high-stakes missions, and the legendary Millennium Falcon at the center of it all.

GoodReads Back Blurb

An all-new adventure starring Lando Calrissian and L3-37 onboard the Millennium Falcon. When Lando Calrissian gets caught smuggling on the planet Hynestia, the queen agrees to let him go if he delivers something called the Solstice Globe to the Empire on her behalf. Lando is relieved that his punishment is a simple delivery mission — but things are not as simple as they seem. The queen’s daughter, Princess Rinetta, has stowed away on the Millennium Falcon and demands that Lando and L3-37 take the globe back to its home planet, which needs the globe to survive. Now Lando has to choose: do what’s right or do what’s best for Lando? If he’s lucky enough, he just might be able to do both…

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (Flight of the Falcon, #1) by Justina Ireland – GoodReads

Plot Overview:

The story kicks off when Lando, piloting the Millennium Falcon long before Han Solo won it from him, gets roped into a royal mission on the planet Hynestia. His job? Transport a priceless, sacred artifact known as the Solstice Globe to the Empire. However, Lando being Lando, nothing goes quite according to plan. Enter Princess Rinetta, the young, determined heir to Hynestia’s throne, who becomes Lando’s unexpected ally as they work to avoid the Empire and save her people from oppression.

Throughout the book, readers are treated to a series of twists, betrayals, and daring escapes as Lando and Princess Rinetta face peril and moral dilemmas, all while piloting the iconic Millennium Falcon across the stars.

Lando Calrissian: Scoundrel with a Heart

What makes Lando’s Luck shine is the characterization of Lando himself. Justina Ireland captures his charisma and smooth-talking ways perfectly, balancing his opportunistic nature with a deeper sense of loyalty and justice that only emerges when he’s pushed into a corner. He may be motivated by self-interest, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that even Lando can’t resist doing the right thing when it really matters.

The banter between Lando and L3-37, his co-pilot droid, adds humor and depth to the story. L3’s sharp wit and rebellious spirit are great counterpoints to Lando’s smooth charm, making their dynamic one of the book’s highlights. If you enjoyed their relationship in Solo: A Star Wars Story, you’ll love how it’s further developed in this book.

Princess Rinetta also plays a pivotal role. Her growth throughout the novel is subtle but important, as she learns to navigate the complexities of leadership, diplomacy, and sacrifice. Together, she and Lando form an unlikely but effective team, and their dynamic is one of the book’s core strengths.

Accessible and Action-Packed

As a middle-grade novel, Lando’s Luck is written in an accessible style that will appeal to younger readers and casual Star Wars fans. The plot moves quickly, with plenty of action sequences, from blaster shootouts to high-speed chases in the Falcon. Justina Ireland keeps the story tight and focused, making sure there’s never a dull moment. The stakes are high, but the tone remains lighthearted and adventurous, perfect for readers looking for a fun, fast read.

At the same time, seasoned Star Wars fans will appreciate the way Ireland weaves in familiar elements of the galaxy without bogging down the story in heavy lore. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the saga, you’ll find plenty to enjoy, especially when it comes to Lando’s swashbuckling style of problem-solving.

Themes of Choice and Consequence

Though it’s a fun and light adventure, Lando’s Luck subtly explores deeper themes of choice, responsibility, and morality. Lando’s constant tug-of-war between doing what’s easy and doing what’s right serves as a relatable moral compass for younger readers. The narrative doesn’t preach, but it does present tough decisions that the characters must face, making it a story not just about adventure, but also about growth and integrity.

Princess Rinetta’s struggle to save her people and find her own voice as a leader parallels Lando’s journey of self-reflection, showing that even the galaxy’s most charismatic scoundrel is capable of change. This exploration of moral choices elevates the book from simple adventure fare into something with a bit more weight, especially for young readers learning about ethics and personal responsibility.

Verdict: A Fun and Engaging Star Wars Adventure

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck is a fun, fast-paced adventure that perfectly captures the spirit of its titular hero. Justina Ireland does a fantastic job of bringing Lando Calrissian to life, complete with all his wit, charm, and mischief. Whether you’re a young reader or a long-time Star Wars fan, this book offers an enjoyable look into the galaxy’s seedier side, with plenty of heart and humor to balance the action.

If you’re looking for a quick, enjoyable read filled with adventure, moral dilemmas, and a dash of roguish charm, Lando’s Luck is worth adding to your reading list.

My GoodReads Rating: ***
Global GoodReads Rating: 3.47 (as of 7.10.24)
My LibraryThing Rating: ***.5

Lando’s daring escapades, paired with Justina Ireland’s snappy storytelling, make this an absolute must-read for fans of the galaxy’s smoothest gambler.

Other Book Reviews

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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.

May the Fourth Be With You (2023)

B. Kline — Thu, 04 May 2023 13:30:00 +0000

May the Fourth Be With You

Yes, its that time again! Fourth year running of us mentioning it. (We started the blog in late May of 2019, so we’ve only gotten to tackle May the Fourth in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 now.)

Its that day again. A nerd day of celebratory and galactic proportions. A day to jump on Nintendo Switch Online, on LEGO.com, on Star Wars.com and who knows how many other fan sites and branding sites to get tons of Star Wars related deals.

By now I’m sure you’ve seen it all over Facebook already, every brewery from near and far posting a picture of their workers in costume or a Star Wars movie still with a beer on the picture, usually with the branding of “May the Fourth Be With You” somewhere on the image.

I bet you are probably even within about a 20 mile radius of a brewery or bar doing “Star Wars trivia” tonight.

Its also a day here to celebrate Star Wars in general, and on The Beer Thrillers we are definitely doing that! We definitely love covering Star Wars here on The Beer Thrillers, and I think it shows with our sheer number of Star Wars themed beer reviews, Book of Boba Fett review, and even Star Wars book reviews. On our Facebook page you can find us often linking and sharing to various new beer releases by different (somewhat nearby for me) breweries that are Star Wars themed.

So with the idea of the fact that nearly every brewery is doing some kind of Star Wars themed day or releasing a Star Wars themed beer, I’m going to present a small list of near – ish to me places doing Star Wars beer released themed for this year’s May the Fourth Be With You. (I’m not going to run down a list of every place doing just Star Wars trivia, but the breweries that are at least doing a Star Wars themed beer release, or have a Star Wars themed beer on their menu. And of course, if I miss any, be sure to mention it in the comments section.)

May the Fourth Beer Releases

Star Wars meme our friend Josh at Master Mind X Studios made up for us.

Yes, its that time of year when brewers take their beers they’ve made, and decide to give it a Star Wars themed pun and shoot it out on May 4th or nearby arounds to great critical acclaim (and for people like me, who love Star Wars, to grab up and drink up).

(This is also when the mulers come out in droves, charging you 80$ for two four packs that are being sold for 22$, and willing to ship. I have stretches of DMs from yesterday of Floridians telling me “its totally the acceptable price to sell 40$ for a 4 pack”, and even though S&H doesn’t go up if you ship 4 or if you ship 8, still charging 40$ per pack, so 80$ for 8 beers.

Yea, actually, don’t get me started about the insane DMs I got from mulers and re-flippers specifically from the Miami area, trying to get me J. Wakefield Beers of their Star Wars release. I even had one guy DM and tell me that 105$ for a mixed four pack [two of one beer, two of the other], is a very generous offer.)

(Various Facebook posts about Star Wars themed beer releases.)

Star Wars Day Beer Releases

There is a lot of Star Wars day beer releases for today, the biggest notable one is typically RAR Brewery. Who does a Star Wars themed Out of Order beer release every year. This year they are releasing five Out of Order Star Wars themed beers.

RAR Brewing – Out of Order Star Wars

The RAR Brewing Company Out of Order series is one of their most notable series, and they typically do thematic four, five, six pack releases.

(For the full article click here: RAR Star Wars Day Drop)

This year is a five – pack (not a typical four pack or six pack) that contains two old favorites as well as three new ones; also a new glass and a new ‘mood mat’.

The beers in this year’s drop are:

Out of Order: Sith Sauce (new)
Out of Order: Going Somewhere, Solo? (new)
Out of Order: Blue Milk (returning)
Out of Order: Droid Juice (returning)
Out of Order: Who’s Scruffy Looking? (new)

We have reviewed both the Blue Milk (first batch) and the Droid Juice before. You can find those reviews here:

Mispillion Brewing – Vader

Mispillion Brewing Company is re-releasing Vader for May 4th.

You can find our review here:

Beer Review: Vader (Mispillion Brewing Company)

Neshaminy Creek Brewing – Bantha Fodder

Neshaminy Creek Brewing is releasing a Vienna Lager (German Style Lager) called Bantha Fodder today.

It’s time for MAY THE 4TH STAR WARS TRIVIA NIGHT! We’re pre-gaming our Revenge of the Sixth festivities with a night to flex your intergalactic intellect TONIGHT at 7pm. We’re also tapping Bantha Fodder – our new Spring Bock that is a Croydon Taproom exclusive.

There will be 3 rounds of 10 questions sure to test all you moof milkers out there! Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams and the team with the best name so you better come correct. Don your best Star Wars gear and enjoy the soothing sounds of the Cantina Band on repeat! Our friends from the Moocheeze Food Truck will be here all night with a menu full of galactic goodies too. This IS the event you’re looking for.

And tickets are still available for Saturday’s Galactic Empire show – fulfill your destiny and get yours today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/569816385147
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company – Facebook Post

Magnify Brewing – Blue Milk

Magnify Brewing Company is releasing their Blue Milk (Smoothie Sour Ale).

Black Flag Brewing Company – Nerf Herder

Black Flag Brewing Company is re-releasing Nerf Herder (as well as also releasing a Zelda themed beer called Mouteka’s Mask, a parody of Majora’s Mask.)

Bolero Snort Brewing Company

Bolero Snort Brewing Company is going all out. They are releasing in cans – Rancow Attack and Ahsocow. They are also having the following on draft:

New To The Taps

Never Tell Me the Odds Sour – Fruited

6.1% ABV

Zoochberry Surprise inspired Sour Ale with Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Lemon, Graham Cracker, Cheesecake and Vanilla

12oz Draft $8.50

4pk 16oz To Go $20.00

Try Not Do Or Do Not There Is No Try Sour – Fruited

5.8% ABV

Cliff Dweller inspired Sour Ale with Ginger Ale, Orange, Pineapple, Coconut Cream and Lime

12oz Draft $8.50

4pk 16oz To Go $20.00

Rancow Attack IPA – New England

6% ABV

Thiol Amplified Hazy with Phantasm, Galaxy and Strata fermented with some sleek new thoil enhancing yeast! Watch out for an attack on your taste buds!

8oz Draft $5.00

16oz Draft $8.00

4pk 16oz To Go $18.00

Coruscant Crusher Gluten-Free

4.5% ABV

AKIRAN INSPIRED VIOLET SELTZER WITH LAVENDAR, ORANGE ZEST, CLOVE AND GRAINS OF PARADISE

12oz Draft $8.50

32oz Crwl $15.00

I Have Spoken Stout – Imperial

11.3% ABV

Mando Uj’alayi Cake inspired barrel aged Imperial Stout with Toasted Walnuts and Hazelnuts, Cinnamon, Black Peppercorns, Dried Currant and Orange Zest

5oz Draft $5.00

500ml To Go $19.00

Maz Kowata’s Watering Hole Crispy Fizz Lager – Other

4.5% ABV

PHOTON FIZZ INSPIRED AQUA LAGER WITH GINGER BEER, LIME, ROSEMARY

11oz $6.00

32oz Crwl $14.00

Dagobah Downpour Sour – Other

6% ABV

BLURRGFIRE INSPIRED SOUR ALE WITH LEMONADE, LIME, POMEGRANATE AND HABANERO

12oz Draft $8.50

32oz Crowler $16.00

Ahsocow Sour – Fruited

5.8% ABV

Sour Ale with Orange, White Chocolate and Vanilla Beans

12oz Draft $8.50

4pk 16oz To Go $20.00
Bolero Snort Brewing Company – Now on Tap

Second Sin Brewing Company – Obi Wan Jabroni

In probably my favorite mash up; Second Sin Brewing Company (Bristol, PA) is releasing Obi Wan Jabroni. A mash up of The Rock and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Crooked Crab Brewing Company – Crabdalorian

Always enjoy the pun twists like this one – Crooked Crab is releasing the “Crabdalorian” today in celebration of Star Wars Day / May the Fourth Be With you. (Similarly, Tattered Flag in the past released “The Pandalorian“.)

Brewery Fire – Hoth: Mangalorian

We’ve covered Brewery Fire’s “The Mangalorian” before, but this is a new take on it. A Cold IPA version of it, appropriately titled: Hoth: The Mangalorian.

Allusion Brewing Company – Stay on Target

Our Battle of the Breweries 2023 champion – Allusion Brewing Company – still has their “Stay on Target” on draft.

Divine Barrel – I Did It For the Wookie

Divine Barrel has a re-release of their “I Did it For the Wookie” beer.

Bottle Logic – Three Releases

Bottle Logic Brewing Company is releasing three beers for today, but as of time of writing, they have only announced two. “Tatooine Sunset” and “Unlimited Power”.

J. Wakefield Beer

The last I’m gonna highlight here is J. Wakefield Beer’s two releases for today. Dagobah Downpour and Max Rebo’s Sour Ale. Who doesn’t love Max Rebo? Honestly. Coolest musician ever. Other than maybe Droopy McCool who was a Jizz Whailer. (And yes… thats a real term in Star Wars before you get mad at me!)

Help A Brother Out

Here’s gonna be my call out. Help a Brother Out! If you ever see a Star Wars themed, Futurama themed, Zelda themed, Lord of the Rings themed, Seinfeld themed, Simpsons themed, pretty much anything nerdy pop culture themed, beer, shoot me a message. Maybe we can work out a deal or sale or trade or something.

Always looking to get my hands on Star Wars and other nerd themed beers to review for the site / blog. So if you know of any – let me know! I wanna check them all out!

(An incomplete list of beers I’m looking for on BeerAdvocate – ISO – Star Wars Themed Beers.)

Star Wars Timeline

Just a quick fun video, if you are interested in the complete timeline of Star Wars up to this date, here you go.

https://youtu.be/BvL68ZwWIHQ

A Highlight of Our Star Wars Beer Reviews

May the Fourth be full of memes

(Some of the following comes from my “May the Fourth Be With You” 2022 article and 2020 articles.)

In this article, I broke down what Star Wars Day is (May the Fourth) and discussed what Star Wars articles I had written up to that point. (Don’t worry, there have been PLENTY of new Star Wars content since then.)

Beer Review: This is the Way (Broken Goblet)

This is the Way by Broken Goblet

One of the first Star Wars themed beers I reviewed here on the blog, and one of our most popular beer review articles. A good friend (Roy Ge) picked it up for me and Drew to drink at his place while we did a podcast about The Mandalorian. Was an absolutely wonderful beer. They have released a few variants since. One of which I am covering in the upcoming weeks with the Obi-Wan Kenobi show.

Beer Review: This is Nut The Fluff You Are Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)

This is Nut the Fluff You Are Looking for by Fourscore Beer Co.

Picked this big bad boy of a bottle up when I was in Gettysburg with Ming and Don and brought it back to drink with Drew. As you can see on the blog, you’ll be able to find several Fourscore Beer Co reviews (you can even find Amy’s latest beer review right here – Phantomania). They are a phenomenal brewery that loves delving into Star Wars themed beers. We just picked up a four pack of soft swerves from them that were Star Wars themed, and can’t wait to dive into them here for the blog.

Beer Review: Out of Order – Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)

Out of Order: Blue Milk by RAR Brewing

One of our most popular articles on the blog (right up there with our yearly March Madness tournament posts, our review of Yuengling’s Hershey Porter, and with the Broken Skulls IPA by Stone Cold). This was the first of the Out of Order series I’ve reviewed, and it was a solo one they originally did, but then brought back when they did their Star Wars release in 2021. You’ll find others from that series down below.

Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)

Wookie Monster by Fourscore Beer Co

Another excellent beer, and another Star Wars themed beer by Fourscore Beer Co. Had to work to get this one because I missed out on their initial release and it sold out quickly. Got it through a trade chain through the Central PA Whalerz group, and was I ever so grateful. Delicious beer.

Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)

The Pandalorian by Tattered Flag

From our good friends at Tattered Flag comes this mash-up parody beer called The Pandalorian. This is a very juicy, tasty New Engand IPA that hit the spot on a warm sunny day in November. Soon after my trip back from Indianapolis, (as you can tell by the Vonnegut glass), I got lucky and still had some nice warm November days, and I took full advantage of it laying out and drinking in the sun while reading.

Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)

Java the Stout can art by Jackie O’s Brewery

One of the beers I picked up on my trip to and from Indianapolis was Java the Stout by Jackie O’s. It was a delicious stout that “lived up to its name”. Also, the can art is absolutely phenomenal. Its worth checking out just for that.

Beer Review: This is the Whey (Bolero Snort)

This is the Whey by Bolero Snort

One of the first Star Wars themed beers I’ve reviewed by Bolero Snort, and a fantastic beer. The other was BoBull Fett and I reviewed that for the premier episode of ‘Book of Boba Fett‘.

Beer Review: The Mangalorian (Brewery Fire)

The Mangolorian by Brewery Fire

In early January I hiked with Ming in the Catoctin Mountain area of Maryland. Afterwards we stopped at Brewery Fire and I picked this up to go. This was my May the Fourth review last year. Wonderful beer, and a great brewery that loves their nerd and pop culture references.

Beer Review: BoBull Fett (Bolero Snort)

BoBull Fett by Bolero Snort

Another beer review from Bolero Snort, and this time a crowler. We traveled out to New Jersey to pick this up the day of the premier for Book of Boba Fett and then reviewed it for the show as our first of the weekly beer reviews for our “Star Wars Wednesdays”. A fantastic beer.

Beer Review: Out of Order – Tatooine Tart (RAR Brewing)

Tatooine Tart by RAR Brewing

Back to RAR Brewing and their Out of Order series. Part of their Star Wars batch of the Out of Order series (along with Blue Milk making its return). Jabba’s Palace scene on the background on the computer from Return of the Jedi. As you can also see with the BoBull Fett beer review, the beginning of all the Star Wars LEGOs being shown in the beer pics.

Beer Review: Out of Order – RAWRGWAWGGR (RAR Brewing)

Out of Order – RARWWARRGGRGR by RAR Brewing

On a cold wintery snowy day in January (January 19th), and another Star Wars Wednesday, I took this Hoth like scene pic with another great Out of Order series beer from RAR Brewing.

Mead Review: The Meadalorian (Space Time Meadery and Cidery)

The Meadalorian by Space Time Meadery and Cidery

Our first Mead review on the blog, and it was a fantastic mead. Check out Space Time Meadery and Cidery if you are in the Scranton PA area. You won’t be disappointed.

Beer Review: Let the Haze Flow Through You (Black Flag Brewing Co.)

Let the Haze Flow Through You by Black Flag Brewing Co.

One of several Black Flag beers we’ve covered on the blog. A top notch brewery we love to hit up whenever we’re able to in the Maryland area. (Its about an hour and a half – plus – drive from our location near Harrisburg.) It has quickly become one of Amy’s favorite breweries. In the background you an also see Troeg’s Double Nugget Nectar which we have reviewed as well.

Beer Review: Wookies and Cream (Tall Tales Brewing Co.)

Wookies and Cream by Tall Tales Brewing Co.

On another of our brewery trips (this time making our way from Burley Oak over to Cushwa for their 5th Anniversary Brewfest) we stopped at Tall Tales Brewing Co, where I couldn’t help trying out a Star Wars themed beer… especially a stout!

Beer Review: Out of Order – Droid Juice (RAR Brewing)

Out of Order – Droid Juice by RAR Brewing

Back to RAR Brewing’s Out of Order series for our next Star Wars beer review, another of our weekly Book of Boba Fett “Star Wars Wednesdays” beer reviews. A wonderful sour from RAR in line with their others from the series (and their Out of Order series as a whole).

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Lord of the Rings:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Drunk Phils Fans and Rotunda Brewing Company Collaborate Together on Jam the Batter sWheat Tart

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

Seeing all the different brewery releases everywhere on a day like this always gives me big time FOMO feelings. Like I’m missing out on a ton of beer. I have reigned that in a lot in my older years, I no longer due to line waiting, and I tamper down mule buying too much (doing more per cost, not willing to give mules a ton of extra money, etc.). Because deep down we all know – beer is beer. As long as you enjoy the beer, it could be called “Zapp Branigan’s Fart” or it could be called “The Death Star IPA” or “IPA”, and it would all taste the same. I think its good to keep that all in perspective when getting that “FOMO” feeling.

Thank you everyone for checking this out.

Also, make sure you stay up to date on the latest of the Founders Brewing Company’s current ‘saga’:

Today (obviously) is May 4th. “May the 4th Be With You.” Anyone planning on doing any fun silly Star Wars stuff? Any breweries you are hitting up for some fun beer releases?

Lots of places are turning their normal Thursday night trivia into “Star Wars Trivia” nights.

So what all are you getting into?

Then, Friday is Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). And THEN – its the Craft Brewers Conference May 7th – May 10th. What a busy grouping of days!

Thank you for reading everyone. We are gearing up for the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) this upcoming week. We are traveling down Saturday and Sunday, and going to be at the conference late Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

We are totally psyched and cannot wait.

Will you be there? What do you hope to see, learn, do? Anything cool we should check out? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

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

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

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

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.

RAR Star Wars Can Drop (2023)

B. Kline — Wed, 03 May 2023 23:50:00 +0000

RAR Star Wars Can Drop – May The Fourth Be With You – 2023

May the Fourth Be With You

Its that time of year again – when all the Star Wars nerds and geeks can come out and celebrate. Its also the time when certain breweries are known for their Star Wars themed beer releases.

RAR Brewing is notable for their ‘Out of Order’ series and their yearly Star Wars can drop.

(See 2022’s RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Can Drop.)

RAR Brewing waited a bit on their announcement, only announcing the five beers that would make up their Star Wars drop this year a little bit ago (6:54 PM EST on Facebook). In past year’s they announced it early in the week and did the drop on a Saturday. This year the drop is on May the Fourth – Thursday. (ie. Tomorrow.)

RAR’s Star Wars Can Drop

RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Drop

So tomorrow is Thursday, May 4th, 2023, and that means its “May the Fourth be With You” day. Or “Star Wars Day”. RAR Brewing in the past has done their Star Wars themed Out of Order series drop on the Saturday closest to it, but this year they are doing their drop and release right on May 4th.

This year is a five – pack (not a typical four pack or six pack) that contains two old favorites as well as three new ones; also a new glass and a new ‘mood mat’.

The beers in this year’s drop are:

Out of Order: Sith Sauce (new)
Out of Order: Going Somewhere, Solo? (new)
Out of Order: Blue Milk (returning)
Out of Order: Droid Juice (returning)
Out of Order: Who’s Scruffy Looking? (new)

We have reviewed both the Blue Milk (first batch) and the Droid Juice before. You can find those reviews here:

RAR Brewing’s Facebook announcement of their drop tomorrow:

FIVE NEW OOO’s AVAILABLE TOMORROW AT 11AM May The Fourth

“SITH SAUCE”

– Our lactose-infused sour base conditioned over Raspberry Puree, Strawberry Puree, and Sweet Cherries. We then blended the finished product with our House Pastry Cream.

“GOING SOMEWHERE, SOLO?”

– Our lactose-infused sour base conditioned over Double-Banana Puree, Lime Juice, and a Hint of Fresh Mint.

“BLUE MILK”

– Our lactose-infused sour base conditioned over Bantha Milk.

“DROID JUICE”

– Our lactose-infused sour base conditioned over Strawberry Puree, Guava Puree, Loads of Cake Batter, and Fresh Hydro-Glycolic Fuel straight out of a Droid.

“WHO’S SCRUFFY LOOKING?”

– Our lactose-infused sour base conditioned over Black Cherry Puree, Strawberry Puree, Bing Cherry Puree, Graham Crackers, and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Local release begins tomorrow, May the 4th at RaR. Outside distribution will begin now, and over the coming weeks to these areas:

– Delaware

– Montgomery County, Maryland

– Arizona

– California

– Las Vegas, Nevada

– Ohio

– Georgia

– New York

– Wisconsin

– Coastal North Carolina

– Oregon

– Washington State

United Kingdom jumped on this release as well if you’re across the pond. For those of you enjoying the availability on Tavour you’ll get some of the goods like always. We offer these up in advance to our distribution partners, and it’s first come first served just like retail sales. Beyond that we have little control over where these products land once they leave our warehouse. Just wanted to clarify that to avoid any further confusion or ill will.

Mood Mats $40/ea (huge at 17”) will be available and limited to (3) per person. Glassware $12/ea are the same at (3) pp. Allotments are looking really solid as of this evening. Lots of product for walk-ups. We’ll update tomorrow morning as things progress!

RAR Brewing – Facebook Post

RAR Brewing’s 2022 Star Wars Drop

(Read more here – RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Can Drop this Saturday.)

Last year’s can drop:

Out of Order: Blue Milk
Out of Order: Green Milk
Out of Order: As You Wish
Out of Order: Shooting Womp Rats

RAR Brewing’s 2021 Star Wars Drop

Two years ago the Star Wars (Out of Order) series drop included:

RAR Brewing

RAR Brewing is out of Cambridge Maryland. Down at the very bottom of Maryland (well, now VERY VERY bottom, but near the bottom, especially if you’re like me and traveling from Harrisburg). (Google Maps says its currently a 2 hour and 57 minute drive from my house.)

You can find out more about RAR Brewing and the drop at their Instagram page: RAR Brewing (Instagram) and their Facebook page: RAR Brewing (Facebook).

The following comes from Untappd. RAR Brewing is a micro brewery from Cambridge, MD. They have 734 unique beers, and over 450,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 4.00 (as of 5.4.23). Their Untappd description reads: “Based in Cambridge, MD on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay.”

You can find them on the following social media:

Our articles about RAR Brewing:

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Lord of the Rings:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Drunk Phils Fans and Rotunda Brewing Company Collaborate Together on Jam the Batter sWheat Tart

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

Thank you everyone for checking this out. Tomorrow being May the Fourth / Star Wars day, I will do my annual “May the Fourth Be With You” post. I’ll be highlighting the different breweries doing special can drops (there is some real notables this year – like Second Sin Brewing, J Wakefield Brewing, RAR Brewing, Bottle Logic Brewing, etc.), as well as highlighting our past beer reviews and such.

So be sure to check that out.

Also, make sure you stay up to date on the latest of the Founders Brewing Company’s current ‘saga’:

Tomorrow is May 4th. “May the 4th Be With You.” Anyone planning on doing any fun silly Star Wars stuff? Any breweries you are hitting up for some fun beer releases? I know Bottle Logic is releasing some Star Wars beers. RAR Brewing has hinted that they are doing a Star Wars Out of Order drop soon. (But haven’t given any details as of this morning.)

Lots of places are turning their normal Thursday night trivia into “Star Wars Trivia” nights.

So what all are you getting into?

Then, Friday is Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). And THEN – its the Craft Brewers Conference May 7th – May 10th. What a busy grouping of days!

We are totally psyched and cannot wait.

Will you be there? What do you hope to see, learn, do? Anything cool we should check out? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

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

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

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

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.

Beer Review: The Phantasm Menace (Second Sin Brewing Company)

B. Kline — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:38:02 +0000

The Phantasm Menace by Second Sin Brewing Company

Hop Harvest

First, let’s jump back a couple of weeks (alright… all the way back to Tuesday July 26th), and a fantastic package came from our friends at Second Sin Brewing Company while I’m cutting and picking a few of my Chinook hops here at The Beer Thrillers Headquarters (or Bender Braus Brewery). Wasn’t a full hop harvest day, was just a gentle pickings and cuttings of some of my Chinook and Cascade Hops and getting a gallon bag of Chinook hops. But it was the first of the year and the start for the year for my hop harvest.

Second Sin Delivery

There is absolutely nothing better than beer mail. Especially when it comes as such a great gift from Second Sin Brewing Company! They had just announced the release of The Phantasm Menace, a Star Wars themed IPA using Phantasm powder, and I knew I was going to need it for 1) drinking reasons, 2) for Star Wars reasons, 3) for blog reasons, and 4) for Star Wars TV show day beer drinking and reviewing reasons on the blog…… ok, let’s just be honest with ourselves here — for drinking reasons that I could justify by saying “I’ll review it for the blog”.

Since I wouldn’t be able to get out to Bristol Pennsylvania before they sold out of it, I reached out to the devoted fans of Second Sin Brewing at the Facebook group – Disciples of Second Sin – and asked if anyone could hook a Star Wars beer loving nerd up with a can or more, either for trade or for sale (on the down – low if for sale of course). Thats when Mike Beresky personally reached out to me.

Mike Beresky is one of the owners of Second Sin Brewing Company and went out of his way to not only hook me up with a sweet package, but all on their own dime, initiative, and care. Completely above and beyond and totally unanticipated but very (very, very, very) much appreciated!

Second Sin Brewing Company Beer Delivery

So needless to say I was completely ecstatic while out trimming, cutting, and picking hops when this fantastic delivery gets dropped off here at Casa De Kline (or The Beer Thrillers HQ). Not only did he hook me up with two ‘The Phantasm Menace’, but also two of their ‘Kolsch’ and two of ‘Dragged into Sunlight’ (both of which have reviews that are getting published shortly), as well as a sweet glass to top it all off.

Once again then, let me give a huge shout out to Mike Beresky and Second Sin Brewing Company. I can’t wait to get out to the brewery and give them a huge thanks, hopefully it’ll be by the end of the year (which means hopefully before the end of November, because most likely after Scarlet Emma is born, the traveling to breweries will slow down for a bit).

Second Sin Brewing Company

Speaking of Second Sin Brewing Company, let’s talk about the brewery itself before we get into the beer review. From Untappd:

Second Sin Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Bristol, Pennsylvania. They have 244 unique beers with 22, 393 ratings and a global average rating of 4.09 (as of 9.21.22). There is no description of the brewery listed on Untappd.

Their social media pages are:

Their brewery location on Untappd: Verified Venue – Second Sin Brewery.

Other Second Sin Brewing Company articles we’ve written are:

Star Wars Day

While of course its not THEE Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), it is a “Star Wars Day” here on the blog. Which means – its the day of a new episode of Star Wars TV released. We’ve done in the past, a new beer on each episode’s release of The Book of Boba Fett and the Obi-Wan Kenobi shows. Today is the premier of Andor (the Cassian Andor show) on Disney+.

Unlike in the past where I did a separate beer review for each episode, I’m going to do just one for today despite Disney+ releasing the first three episodes of Andor today (9.21.22). (One, it would be a bit much to do and have three different beer reviews to go today – and secondly, I would run out of Star Wars themed beers in no time.)

My understanding of the Andor show is that its a full season, but kind of broken up in three episode arcs. Which kind of explains why they decided to release the first three episodes as a bundle on the day of the premier. (They did this similarly with the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, which they released the first two episodes at once. Although, that was slightly different, and was a direct straight run of a show.)

I will come back to discussing the show, with spoilers and such after the full beer review. If you wish not to be spoiled, make sure to skip that area of this beer review blog post. And now, without further delay, lets get to the beer review……..

Beer Review: The Phantasm Menace

The Phantasm Menace by Second Sin Brewing Company

Now that we’re finally at the beer review, let’s dive right into this delicious juicy beer!

Beer: The Phantasm Menace
Brewery: Second Sin Brewing Company
Style: IPA – New England / Hazy
ABV: 6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: This beer is our first foray into using the new hotness in brewing – Phantasm. Phantasm is a powder made from dried wine grapes that are high in a chemical compound called thiols. There’s not enough room to go into it here, but suffice it to say thiols can be transformed by yeast into fruity, tropical flavors and aromas.

We paired that with some high thiol hops – Blanc, Crystal, Chinook, and Ekuanot – to amp things up and see what this new product can do in our Hazy IPAs.

The Phantasm Menace by Second Sin Brewing Company (post hop picking)

Let’s start with the coloring of this beautiful beer. Golden hue, hazy, definitely a New England IPA through and through. It has a warm golden straw coloring that is opaque and looks beautiful. This is a wonderfully beautiful looking beer, keeping with the style completely. A great pillowy light, airy foamy head, left great lacing on the glass, and maintained its coloring throughout. Little to no sediment on the bottom with the entire beer poured into the glass. As you can see in the first pic it looked good during the day, and then when I had the second one later in the evening, it looked just as good at dusk and evening.

Aroma is fantastic as well. That great hop aroma that is so lovely and inviting with New England IPAs. It has that “just picked right off the hop vine” smell to it. The Chinook hops are the powerhouse of the aroma with this beer and I feel that the phantasm powder is just such a major boost to it, like steroids or hops on crack. Just lifts and boosts the hops aroma and flavor so much more. This has a great pine resin, woodsy, earthy aroma that gets added to it by a grapefruit and even grape fruit nose. The chinook and the crystal hops are certainly the leaders here, with the blanc hops adding their own distinct aromas as well.

Ok… time to put it all together and the true test of a beer…. and …. (sips… followed by deep sip….) wow – this is a delicious beer! When I want to describe a quintessential New England IPA to someone, this would be the beer I would give them to drink. This has everything you could ask for in a New England IPA; and probably even more. I am becoming more and more addicted to that phantasm powder in beers. Amy and I were even discussing it with the Fourscore Beer she reviewed – Phantomania (Beer Review: Phantomania by Fourscore Beer Company) – back in February before she became pregnant. We were looking at other beers that have used the phantasm powder and to do an article on that. The powder really brings out the smells, tastes, the flavors, the aromas, all of what makes hops… well… hops, but pumps them full of steroids basically. Its like taking the 120 lb kid in middle school and getting him pumped up and letting him loose in the WWE as a 280 lb monster of a wrestler. As for the hops, it has an earthy, woodsy, pine, pine resin, somewhat west coast IPA like taste; but it does get a drier finish most likely from the blanc hops (possibly because of the phantasm powder, but I contribute it to the blanc hops). There is certainly fruity notes and flavors, namely grapefruit, grape skin, there is a light lime lemon touch to it. There is a bit of a tropical hint to it all, I don’t think its super strong or overpowering, but its certainly there and noticeable, this could be from the yeast and thiols, from the Eukanot hops, and all in all the combination therein is probably the answer. I will just repeat that I absolutely loved the beer, it was downright tasty, delicious, quenched my thirst, and certainly made me want to go for the second can. The 6% low level ABV for the beer also makes it a nice steady day beer, not super sessionable or crushable but certainly not knocking you off the bar stool either.

Last but not least, we can discuss the can art. A simple red can art with a nice drawing of Darth Maul, and a great pun of a name (The Phantom Menace to The Phantasm Menace).

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.1 (as of 9.21.22)

Andor

Spoilers alert. Klaxon sirens. Spoiler alert. I will be discussing some spoilers after this.

Disney+ released the first three episodes of Andor this morning (Wednesday, September 21st, 2022). And I am absolutely over the top about the show. If you squint… it looks and feels like Star Wars. Its refreshing, promising, and nice to see; a change of pace really. Unlike Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian and the horrid ‘The Book of Boba Fett’, this feels like a gritty, adult, sci – fi show that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. Its nice seeing that the only characters who have appeared before in Star Wars films will be – Cassian Andor (Rogue One), Saw Guerra (Rogue One, The Clone Wars, Rebels), and Mon Mothma (Return of the Jedi, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, Rebels).

Star Wars Explained – Is Andor The Best?

Its almost like a William Gibson version of what Star Wars could be. Its gritty. Its dark. Its real. Its beautifully shot. But all in a different way to how other Disney offerings have been. Where the sequel trilogy felt like a bad version of new Star Wars, like an addition, a poor man’s add on to the Star Wars universe; or The Mandalorian which feels like its a love letter written by fanboys to other fanboys; or The Book of Boba Fett which was just a horrible show through and through; to Obi-Wan Kenobi which was a hit or miss interesting take on an intimate drama set in Star Wars but also felt… somewhat unnecessary and with some poor scenes that didn’t make sense.

This, feels like its Star Wars, but NOT Star Wars. There’s no lightsabers. There’s little connection to other source materials, but all in a good way. (At least to me anyway.) These three episodes were done very well, with a tightly woven story arc. Which is what the season / series seems to be aiming for – three episode arcs that will tie together as a full story leading up to Rogue One; leading up to the Rebellion’s beginnings; leading to in essence to A New Hope.

Star Wars Explained – Andor Review

Be sure to check back here with the blog next Wednesday for another Star Wars themed beer review, and more discussion about Andor!

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Lord of the Rings:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Phillies:

Drunk Phils Fans and Rotunda Brewing Company Collaborate Together on Jam the Batter sWheat Tart

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Thanks For Reading

As always, let me say thank you everyone for reading. Also, a huge (HUGE!) shout out to Mike Beresky of Second Sin Brewing Company for the great package and beers! Thanks so much!

Sorry for getting this review out late in the day, but time runs out on us all. Worked yesterday 11 to 7, and was hoping to have most of this finished (writing over from my beer notes, adding things, discussions, etc.) so I could just add the Andor parts in the morning. But post work, we stopped at Home Depot to pick up supplies for the baby room (Scarlet Emma will be here before we know it!) as well as everything I need to finish the back patio. Then when I got up this morning at 5AM to watch the show, time slipped away, and had to do a lot of chores about the house and only got two episodes of the three finished, and didn’t get to finish up the article. Then I worked 10 – 6 today at the casino, and we stopped for groceries afterwards, and now I’m finally got episode three watched and got to finish the article.

I hope you all enjoyed it. And can’t wait to look forward to seeing you guys here at the blog for our Game of Thrones Sundays as well as our Star Wars Wednesdays. Please be sure to check out the site and leave us any feedback or comments you have.

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

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

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

Beer Review: Green Milk (RAR Brewing)

B. Kline — Sat, 28 May 2022 01:07:00 +0000

Green Milk by RAR Brewing (Taco Thursday)

Taco Thursday

As you can see, last night was Taco Thursday at Bender Braus Brewing (or Casa De Kline). Deciding on which Star Wars themed beer (out of so many options currently in my fridge) to have along with the meal, I decided on Green Milk – namely because I know I’ll be picking up a second tomorrow at RAR’s Star Wars Day Drop. (Along with Blue Milk coming back, as well as new beers such as “As You Wish” and “Shooting Womp Rats”.) But here at the home of The Beer Thrillers we find any reason to have a taco night, and so last night – Thursday was as good as any. And not to humble brag too much, but we make some banging tacos too.

And of course, with making tacos, and eating tacos… comes drinking some beer. And since the next day (ie. today) was going to be the release of the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, and needing to do a Star Wars review; what better than one of the Star Wars beers from RAR Brewing?

RAR’s Upcoming Star Wars Can Drop

Well, tomorrow’s Star Wars can drop to be exact. I’ve covered it pretty extensively in this article: RAR’s Star Wars Can Drop. We will be there for it, not sure what time, but we’ll be there. Planning on leaving the Carlisle area (have an early morning obligation in Carlisle) around 9:30 – 10 AM, so hopefully getting there around noon to one’ish. We might be leaving Carlisle even earlier (I was hoping to leave at 8 AM but I don’t think that will happen.)

The article covers the beers they are releasing and the time of the drop (spoiler – its 11 AM when they open). They will likely have some on tap, but not all, and maybe not even any, I’m not sure.

So I figured Thursday night would be a great time to check out the Green Milk (Batch 1) before the new release, and review it for my Star Wars day.

RAR Brewing

We’ve got several RAR Brewing’s beers here on the blog. Notably their Out of Order series – specifically for my Star Wars days (as well as just covering Star Wars beers in general on here). You can find our list of RAR Beer Reviews here:

RAR Brewing is out of Cambridge Maryland. Cambridge Maryland is near the bottom of the state, bayside.

You can find out more about RAR Brewing and the drop at their Instagram page: RAR Brewing (Instagram) and their Facebook page: RAR Brewing (Facebook).

Their Out of Order series is one of the most popular series of beers on the East Coast (up there with Burley Oak’s JREAM series, Dewey Beer’s Thrills, and Fourscores Jahmbas and Swerves). According to Untappd, there is 268 Out of Order (unique) beers.

According to Untappd, RAR Brewing is a micro brewery from Cambridge, MD. They have 672 unique beers with an exact global rating of 4 (as of 5.27.22). Their Untappd bio reads: “Based in Cambridge, MD on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay.”

Beer Review

Green Milk by RAR Brewing

Beer: Out of Order: Green Milk (Batch 1)
Brewery: RAR Brewing
Style: Sour – Fruited
ABV: 6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Our lactose sour base conditioned on Thala-Sirens Milk.

Not often do I get to go into descriptors of “green” and “milky” for appearance. But here, today, I find myself doing just that. It looks like someone ate a bowl of Lucky Charms with only the green marshmallows, ate all the cereal, and left the milk. It poured very bubbly, very carbonated, even after having sat in my fridge for a year. I did roll it before pouring, and it poured smoothly, and left a few chunks in the can.

Aroma is sweet, has a cereal like smell to it, but also a sweet… candy, cloying, weird smell to it. Not bad weird, but just an odd smell for a beer certainly. It smells like a sweetness, like a cereal, lactose, sugary, frosty pop, kinda smell. Its a bit hard to describe, and maybe my ‘sniffer’ ain’t up to snuff on this type of stuff (its a young kid’s game anymore, there’s no country left for us old men), but its hard to quite pinpoint the aromas.

Oh boy, lets dive into this one. I grab this quote directly from my review of Blue Milk: “The texture, consistency, and overall look follows suit. It has the texture, a light grittyness, but still overall smooth of a drink still, of melted ice cream. Everything about this just has the appearance of melted ice cream, which I think is the overall attempt of it.” And think it completely applies here…. just green instead of blue. It is very sweet, it is very juicy, and no real sourness to it. This is very smooth, silky, and sweet, and drinks easily enough for how its appearance is. It can be a bit cloying, and it is possibly overly too sweet. I would highly recommend not chugging this beer, thats 100% for sure. Its a slow sipping beer, probably best for desert and a long night, rather than to have as part of a huge group of beers, or to hang out, or maybe even with tacos. It might not have been the greatest combination. All in all, its a fun beer to drink and enjoy, would make great for sharing and having people over with, a full can isn’t horrible, but starts bordering on the ‘too much’ area. Recommend at least giving it a try if nothing else but for the novelty’s sake of it.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Average Untappd Rating: 4.08 (as of 5.27.22)

Spoilers Time

Ok, we’re now up to the spoilers portion of the beer review. I’m going to discuss Episode 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi show. So if you want to stay spoiler free, you can exit out here, or fly down to the bottom of the review.

Earlier today I covered in a beer review – Vader (Mispillion River Brewing Company) and covered Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1. Check out the beer review to see my thoughts on Episode 1 (or Part 1) of the Obi-Wan show.

Some quick links for discussion:

I will right out say I enjoyed both episodes. Imminently, miles ahead of The Book of Boba Fett. Which I pretty much downright panned on here. And I don’t think that was just my cynical Star Wars fan, typical nerd nit-picking either. I just didn’t care for the show much at all. (I’ve expressed my thoughts on that show enough here on the blog that I don’t think I need to go into it any further.)

I will say that episode two is a bit weaker than episode one. The stuff on the streets and everything was interesting, but I feel its a bit straining to think nobody recognizes Obi-Wan, but then again, thats a bit personal bias since we know him, don’t live in a galaxy full of trillions, and its also been 9 years in the show since the end of Episode III (the movie).

The stuff with Leia was a bit overplayed and over dramatic, and forceful just to make it a full episode I think. I’m also not a fan of parkour in shows and movies when it doesn’t really outright need to be used. The shoot out scenes and stuff were fun and interesting, I enjoyed the giant crock head alien. I am a bit disappointed though that there’s not a ton of “Star Warsy” aliens. Like I said previously.

I was not a huge fan of the ending. With Reva turning, and stabbing The Grand Inquisitor, as well as the “big reveal”. I still think it was a very good episode, maybe a 7 out of 10 whereas Part I was 8.5 or 9 out of 10. I have high hopes for next week’s episode. Sad to see its only a 6 part series, but I think that will benefit it in the end. A quick, easy run time, for a straight linear story. And now we’re 1/3rd the way through already. And after next week’s episode, we’ll be 1/2 the way through.

Nerd Reviews

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Lord of the Rings:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Phillies:

Drunk Phils Fans and Rotunda Brewing Company Collaborate Together on Jam the Batter sWheat Tart

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Thanks For Reading

As always everyone, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this second edition of Star Wars friday! Check with us next friday for the next Obi-Wan Kenobi show episode and beer review!

Cheers!

-B. Kline