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Seen Through a Glass – Season 2, Episode 31: Let’s Talk Beer (our interview with Lew Bryson)

joshdoncevic — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:44:05 +0000

Our Interview is Up

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

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

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

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

Season 2, Episode 31: Let’s Talk Beer

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

Seen Through a Glass: Season 2, Episode 31: Let’s Talk Beer

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

The full description of the page reads:

Mass beer hysteria!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Season 2, Episode 31 – Lets Talk Beer

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

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

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

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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 love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seen Through a Glass Podcast Appearance

B. Kline — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 18:02:15 +0000

Seen Through a Glass Podcast Appearance

This Saturday – January 6th, 2024 – at 2:00 PM at Boneshire Brew Works, we will be appearing on Lew Bryson’s “Seen Through a Glass” podcast.

Lew Bryson is an all – star in the craft beer and alcohol industry. He’s an accomplished writer, author, traveler, has a podcast, appears on a craft beer TV show, and so much more. To list his full accomplishments and accolades would take far too long to even make a list. (Maybe we will anyway, just to see the stretch of it all.)

So it is a complete honor to get to be on his podcast this Saturday. We will be discussing Boneshire Brew Works’ beers, the state of the industry, and Central PA. We will keep you updated for when the podcast becomes available for download and to listen.

Seen Through a Glass

You can find the podcast directly at its website here: Seen Through a Glass: A Podcast. You can also download individual podcasts through Apple, Google, PodBean, Spotify, and PlayerFM.

The official homepage description reads:

Seen Through A Glass is about drinks and food in central Pennsylvania, hosted by experienced drinks writer Lew Bryson. There are shows about particular products — maple syrup, soft-serve ice cream, whiskey — and about the attractions of individual towns: Lock Haven, Carlisle, Altoona. We do interviews, visit/reviews, and there’s always What I’m Drinking Today, a review of a beverage; might be whiskey, might be beer, might be coffee. Grab a slice and a glass and join us! The show accepts NO money from the businesses and people I talk to. If that ever changes, I’ll let you know.

Be sure to stay tuned for when we have the podcast, and when its available. Also stay up to date with the Seen Through a Glass Facebook Page.

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.

The Beer Thrillers – Discord Channel

B. Kline — Wed, 10 May 2023 15:59:04 +0000

The Beer Thrillers logo

The Beer Thrillers Discord Server

Hey all! We are getting hip, young, and cool here at The Beer Thrillers. You can now find us on Discord! Yes, thats right, we now have our own Discord Server!

I’ve been fiddling with this and trying to get it set up for a while, and now its finally here!

The Beer Thrillers – Discord Server

Discord is a great way to stay in touch, chat, and keep talking in a more loose and informal manner. Its a fun way to talk about craft beer, breweries, and all kinds of other things.

At our server, you will find channels for the following:

general
our – content
cheers
breweries
local – watering – hole – breweries
literature
gaming
nerd – culture
a – pint – at – the – movies
beer – swag
show – your – content

So lots of fun channels to hang out in and talk with each other.

Rules

Of course there is some rules to the use of the Discord server. And most of these are the obvious type of ones.

21+ For any Beer Discussion
Be polite. At all times. Be polite. Just be kind to each other.
No hate speech. Of any sort.
Keep religious and political discussion to an absolute bare minimum
The Beer Thrillers have the right to block, delete, or remove anyone or any post from the server
No spam. There is a “show your content” server, you can post in there, but do so sparingly, and conscientiously
Again: Be Civil. If you can’t be. Then don’t contribute, don’t chat, and just recuse yourself from discussion and the server.
And most importantly – have fun!

There are lots of features on the Discord server, like uploading your own pictures, audio, video, and PDFs, as well as sharing internet GIFs and memes and links. This should be a great way for our community to grow, and have fun with each other.

I can’t wait til everyone is on board, having fun, toasting each other’s beers, and having a great time!

LinkTree

You can find The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree now as well. This is an easy and great way for us to showcase a group of our links in one go. Makes things easier on places like Instagram, Facebook, Discord, and elsewhere. You can find our LinkTree page here:

The Beer Thrillers – LinkTree

Our Social Media

Articles about our social media:

Thank You For Reading

Like I always say at the end of these articles — thanks for reading. We appreciate all the views and visitors! Let us know what you think of the site and the blog, and how we could improve it!

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.

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.

May the Fourth Be With You (2022)

B. Kline — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:41:29 +0000

May the Fourth

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.

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. (Like just yesterday we shared that Gusto Brewing is releasing two Star Wars themed beers…. which reminds me I need to get back to Gusto Brewing, loved their brewery.)

Star Wars and The Beer Thrillers

Let’s show off that full range of articles we’ve covered here on The Beer Thrillers about Star Wars. And yes, there is certainly a lot! (You can use the search function on the right hand side of the blog to find all of our articles of any type you want, put in ‘Star Wars’ into the search function, a whole host of Star Wars beer reviews, book reviews, and general articles will pop up.)

(To go to the articles, click on the linked headline, and it will take you directly to the article you want to read.)

First up on our look back over various Star Wars articles, let’s talk about my 2020 post discussing May the Fourth.

May the Fourth (2020)

May the Fourth be full of memes

May the Fourth (2020)

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).

Book Reviews

We’ve also covered a few Star Wars book reviews here on the blog. Which you can find below:

Neeeerrrrrrrrrrrdddddddssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have no fear, we are plenty nerdy here at The Beer Thrillers, and there is no shortage of supply of nerd related beers. We’ve covered everything from Space Balls to Game of Thrones to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Mario, and more. You can find a full list here 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:

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Star Wars Beer Discussion

For more Star Wars beer discussion, you can check out the threads created in the Beer Advocate’s forums and on Reddit:

…and more!

You can also check out the Star Wars Day events going on at Erie Ale Works by going to their event page here:

Star Wars Day at Erie Ale Works

Or checking out our article here:

Star Wars Day Fun at Erie Ale Works

Star Wars also posted on Twitter that they will be dropping another Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, you can read the tweet here:

https://twitter.com/obiwankenobi/status/1521746447200305153

Thanks For Reading

As always, thank you all so very much for reading, and leaving messages and comments. I greatly appreciate it. Always love hearing from everyone. Its great to know that people are reading what we’re writing and putting out here. So please let us know!

And cheers and May the Fourth (Force?) Be With You!

-B. Kline

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!

Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway (2021)

BKline — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 01:52:50 +0000

Small Brewery Sunday

This Sunday – November 28th 2021 – is Small Brewery Sunday. Its the perfect day to give back to your favorite local small brewery and buy up all the beer you can! Obviously Thursday is Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, and then on Monday is Cyber Monday. So what better then making Sunday – Small Brewery Sunday!

As per Brewers Association:

Pop quiz: What sits between Black Friday and Cyber Monday and is three or four times better (at least!) than both of those holidays put together?
That’s right: Small Brewery Sunday!
Brewers Association: Small Brewery Sunday

Small Brewery Sunday was devised and created as a way to get small breweries business and to raise awareness of shopping through them for the Holiday Season. Instead of flooding Wal-Mart or Amazon for gifts this year, why not go to your local brewery, like Boneshire Brew Works, or Tattered Flag, or Rubber Soul, or Moo-Duck Brewery, or ZeroDay Brewing, or Ever Grain Brewing, or Wolf Brewing, or one of a billion other small local breweries?

Give Away

So with that in mind we are hosting a give-away!

We will be giving away one *FREE* four pack of ‘Fall Hippo’ by Boneshire Brew Works. It’s a 4pk of 16oz cans, brewed and canned at Boneshire Brew Works in Harrisburg (Rutherford) PA.

So, how can you get in on this sweet deal and action? Its pretty simple really!

Go to our Facebook page: Facebook – The Beer Thrillers. Then check out the post (it will be pinned) saying “SMALL BREWERY SUNDAY GIVEAWAY”. And follow the simple instructions which will be:

1) Be a United States Citizen (sorry, but its the easiest way to do this logically, and since we’re doing free S&H)
2) Like and Share the Post.
3) Tag one friend (or more!)
4) Like and follow our page – The Beer Thrillers
5) Comment on the post itself saying what your favorite local brewery is (and preferably why)

Its that simple! (Check disclaimer at the bottom of this post for ‘small print details’).

Fall Hippo

Be sure to check out our review of Fall Hippo here — Beer Review: Fall Hippo (Boneshire Brew Works).

Fall Hippo by Boneshire Brew Works

Beer: Fall Hippo
Brewery: Boneshire Brew Works
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4.5%
Untappd Description: Next up in our Hippo Series, Fall Hippo. Brewed with Cranberry, Pie Spices, and Lactose. Fall desert in a glass.

Small Print Disclaimer

Ok, let’s break down the small print disclaimer:

The winner will be announced on November 28th, roughly around 10:00PM (EST).
The winner will be selected by a random number generator.
This contest and giveaway is in no way associated with Brewers Association, Boneshire Brew Works, Facebook, or any one other than The Beer Thrillers themselves.
The cost of the 4pk is free and so is the Shipping and Handling.
All contestants must obey the rules above.
Must be 21+ (21 or older and be able to prove as such)
Must have a US Residence
No PO Boxes
Must respond to being contacted within 48Hours of the contest’s end and announcement.
The package will be sent out no later than Thursday the 2nd (if winner contacts within 48 Hours)
If the winner does not respond to messages within 48 Hours, we will re-draw and do another random number generator.
We will only repeat this up to 4 times. After that, we will find another way to give away the four pack.
Good luck and thanks for playing!

Shop Small Breweries

Remember everyone, please, this Sunday (and all days really) shop your local small breweries. They are a crucial part of our economies and our local communities. Patronize them in the ways you would your favorite local restaurants and other businesses! Be sure to use our Facebook group to promote how you are helping your local brewery and shopping your local breweries!

Facebook Group: The Beer Thrillers

Additional links:

Thanks for reading everyone! And cheers and good luck in the giveaway!

-B. Kline

(Edit (8:30AM 11.23.21) – edited to correct the name of the article. In a ditz moment, I titled it ‘Small Business Saturday Giveaway’ instead of ‘Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway’. Also added the year on to the end of it.)

The Beer Thrillers Are on Patreon

BKline — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 10:08:00 +0000

The Patreon logo

The Beer Thrillers On Patreon

We (The beer Thrillers) have just added a Patreon page. You can find the link here: https://www.patreon.com/thebeerthrillers

Patreon is another site and platform attached to our (ever growing it seems) list of social media platforms. Patreon isn’t a true social media platform (or not in the way I think of them), in the same vein as that of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Reddit, Discord, etc, etc, etc. (Geez, is there really that many now?) Patreon lets us – as creators – connect directly with you – consumers / readers / watchers / viewers / fans.

In due time, we will be uploading exclusive content to just our Patreon page for those who pay to see it. Its also a source for fans of the blog here to donate to us, to help keep the blog up and running (and will eventually let us provide more and unique content).

Our Social Media Pages

Patreon: The Beer Thrillers
Facebook: The Beer Thrillers
Twitter: The Beer Thrillers at Twitter
Instagram: The Beer Thrillers
Influence: The Beer Thrillers on Influence
YouTube: The Beer Thrillers
Facebook Group: The Beer Thrillers (Group)
Website / Blog: The Beer Thrillers (Home Page)

As always, thanks for reading everyone, and we look forward to providing you with much more content over a wide spectrum of things. So be sure to be checking back often!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

The Craft Beer Industry Needs to Change

BKline — Tue, 18 May 2021 11:25:17 +0000

This won’t be like most of our articles here on The Beer Thrillers; sadly this won’t be uplifting, or happy, or about how great the craft beer industry is. Hopefully, it will be optimistic by the end, and a voice for change, and hope in the future, that things will be better. But the verdict is out on that. Many times in the past there have been ‘voices for change’ that have been silenced, quieted, ignored, or had their names and reputation ran into the mud.

Hope and change is why this article is even an article. It’s why Brienne is using her Instagram page (@ratmagnet) to shed a light on a very dark corner of the craft beer industry. The beer industry in general.

This will be an uncomfortable conversation. But its one we need to have. Frankly, its one we needed to have far too many times in history, and even more frankly – it’s one every industry needs to have.

It’s a difficult and uncomfortable conversation we need to have with ourselves, with our friends, co-workers, bosses, customers, people of authority, people without a voice; flat out – all people. It’s one of those “THEE CONVERSATIONS” that is talked about, said that it’s talked about, and told to be talked about… but isn’t talked about.

I will give the warning here – this article may be triggering. It will discuss sexism, it will discuss sexual harassment, gender control and gender power, and this all might be troubling to many people, especially those who have been traumatized and lived through this, those who soldiered on and hid their PTSD and their experiences.

I will also be a bit more open, and discussing things that are maybe a bit more personal here, than I have in any other article or post or piece here on the blog. I think this is all relevant, I think it needs to be discussed, and I want to make this discussion happen.

We Can… We Should… We Need To Do Better

This is almost a phrase that is brandied about too much, too often, and thrown around too light heartedly, or without even relevance or reverence. “Men need to do better.” Fair, and true statement. But it doesn’t mean anything. Everyone needs to do better, all the time. Period. We all do. I do. We all do.

Firstly, we are all humans (unless you are a robot reading over this, or an intelligent alien species hacking into my blog, or an evolved Cat in the future), and thus prone to being… well, human. Prone to mistakes. Errors of judgment. Moments of weakness. And propensities of the nature of greed, lust, evil, and all that entails. We are also, prone to ignorance, to not understanding, and to not learning.

One of the biggest crimes after big momentous events, is our unwilling to learn. To see the lesson. To grow. To become better. To examine ourselves. The first person we all need to hold accountable is ourselves. If we can’t do that, if we can’t hold our own heads up, our own esteem up, our own egos up, if we can’t look ourselves in the mirror, if we can’t examine our characters down to the core, then there is no victory in holding the elite, the owners, the businessmen, the workers, the powerful accountable. Even the lowliest serf must first hold himself accountable before he can hold the King accountable.

That is not to say at all that the King shouldn’t be held accountable, far, far, far from it. It means change begins at home. It means that we must be the change we wish to see. This doesn’t give the King slack, or an ability to get off, oh no, he must be held accountable as well – in fact he needs to be held accountable far more than that lowliest serf. Those with power have the responsibility of that power. In whatever form they control and wield it. Be it ownership of a business, be it an authority figure (our leaders, our politicians, our clergy, our philosophers, our social workers, our business owners, our voices), be it a role model, be it a parent.

This also goes for all people. All backgrounds, all creeds, all colors, all philosophies, all thoughts, doctrines, dogmas, all genders, all loves, all faiths, all practices, all people. Plato said that at his trial Socrates stood in front of the tribunal and said: “An unexamined life is not worth living.” And this has become one of the most famous phrases in history, and for good reason. We must examine ourselves daily. All of us. We have all wronged in the past. But if we don’t examine these wrongs, we have no place to grow, if we just give cop out apologies and a non-comital “sorry” and “I won’t do it again”…. what do we do when it happens again? And again? And again?

To be human is to grow. Who we are at 56 is not who we were at 25 or 10 or 5. And that’s because of growth, one of the most powerful agents of the universe is change. Time is change and change is time. But if we are stagnant, and unchanging in time, if we don’t accept our flaws, don’t accept the wrongs we made, and assume ourselves at the point of infallibility, then all is lost right there and then.

I Can’t Believe This Still Happens in 2021

This is another phrase I abhor. And especially in this context, and especially by who utters it the most (men – specifically probably white men in this context). You know who says this? The naieve, the blind, the ignorant, the man who doesn’t want to believe, or the ones who just want to look better on the Facebook page of their female friend. “Oh my gosh, I had no idea this happened in 2021 still! Shouldn’t we be beyond this?! In this industry no less?!?!” (And yes, that is almost verbatim a comment I’ve seen, by a man.) The ‘fake’ or ‘disingenuous’ incredulity.

Its demeaning, and it downplays, and it lessens the impact.

Because you know who does believe this still happens in 2021? Women. Women or who are being sexually manipulated, women who are being harassed at work, women who are being told they can’t do this or that because they are, or might, or never will be pregnant (and yes, women can be belittled at work for NOT being pregnant or wanting to be pregnant just as much as they can be belittled at work for BEING pregnant).

You know who also knows this still happens in 2021? All of us. Deep down, we all know its still going on. We’re not truly surprised when we hear on the news about how this or that celebrity did this or that horrible thing. When so and so had an affair or when so and so turns out to be a behind the scenes creepy producer. We know that 2021 is not different than 2020 in this regards or different or better than 2015 or 2004 or 1995.

…But it can be made to be different.

I would put money on people saying “Its 2005, how can this still be going on?” or “This still happening in 2005? I thought we were beyond this! Better than this!” in 2005. And I bet they said the same thing in 2000. And 1990. And 1980. Etc.

So lets work at actually becoming better.

We All Make Mistakes, So Let’s Learn

What are mistakes but ways to learn and grow? Thats the entirety of the point of them. To learn, to grow, to become better and understand ourselves, our world, our errors, our flaws, our strengths, our weaknesses, and everything in between, so that tomorrow we are better than we are today.

I was in Middle School when I was taught by a teacher to do three things every day: One thing to make the world a better place, one thing to make yourself a better person, and one thing to make someone else better. And over the years since, I’ve heard this same dictum in different ways. Things like, do one thing to make yourself more intelligent, more spiritual, more helpful each day; or make your local area better, make yourself better, make the world better; or do one thing to grow your body, one thing to grow your spirit, and one thing to grow your mind each day. And all of these takes boil down to one thing – making things better. January 1st doesn’t need to be the only day we set goals and try to achieve things and become better. I should be a better person on May 5th, than I was on May 4th. On August 29th, I should be better than I was on August 28th, and August 27th, and June 15th.

I know I make mistakes. I think back to my high school years and middle school years (late 90s / early 2000s) and I would certainly be by no means considered “woke” if people heard my verbiage or actions back then. I would barely be considered more intelligent than pondscum to be honest (and some might consider be still in the neighborhood of pondscum intelligence to this day really). I know I still make mistakes (there’s a reason I’m discussing hiking and reading more than beer on my blog lately). But this is how life is for all of us. We need to grow and learn from these mistakes.

We need to better ourselves. We need to hold ourselves to accountability, and we need to proclaim the wish to do so, so everyone knows, so they see it, and so they hold themselves accountable, so they examine themselves, so they better themselves.

Why are we having this discussion?

Maybe I should have started this article with this. The background, the story behind the story, the reason for this article. I believe most already know it, especially those reading this article. But for those who don’t, I want to discuss it here and now. I felt it rather more poignant discussing the need to change before launching into this. I’ve been somewhat vague and nebulous above about things, but after giving the history and the discussion in this segment, I’ll move onto the more specifics of it.

I was first made aware of the story of “Brienne’s Story” by Aaron Gore, a craft beer writer and friend on Facebook. he posted a GoFundMe for lawyer and court fees and money for Brienne due to people attacking her over her Instagram page.

As Vinepair’s article today states, Brienne Allan (a professional brewer) asked for women’s first hand accounts and stories of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. And she has received thousands of messages in response. Here is a small snippet by Beth Demmon at Vinepair about this:

What started last week on Tuesday, May 11 as an offhand request for women’s stories about experiencing sexism in the beer industry on a personal Instagram page has escalated into a mass callout of craft beer industry members across the world, sending shockwaves across the industry.
Thousands of messages — and counting — sent to brewer Brienne Allan (who goes by the Instagram handle @ratmagnet) include accusations against some of the beer world’s most lauded brewers and breweries: Shaun Hill, founder and brewer of Hill Farmstead; Jean Broillet, co-founder of Tired Hands Brewing; Jacob McKean, founder of Modern Times Beer, as well as Lord Hobo Brewing Company, Union Beer Distributors, BrewDog, and many others. Some allegations accuse brewery owners of complacency toward a toxic work culture under the shroud of progressivism; while others directly accuse individuals in the industry of sexual harassment, assault, and more.
Beth Demmon – VinePair Article: “Sweeping Accusations of Sexual Assault, Rock Craft Beer Industry”

This also comes on the heels of some other big news in recent weeks regarding BrewDog and and Yards and how they have treated female employees.

Brienne’s Instagram Homepage

Brienne, using her Instagram page (her handle is @ratmagnet) has eight stories that you can click through and read detailing the sexual assaults, harassments, abuses, and other horrible things done to women and other people of minority and gender flux. Her about page reads:

“Brienne
THESE STORIES ARE NOT MINE AND I DO NOT VOUCH FOR THEIR ACCURACY. Click the link to report www.brewersassociation.org/brewers-association-code-of-conduct“

She has eight stories with numerous posts in each on her Instagram page. I suggest reading through them all to get an idea of the scale and scope and size of this all. To see how many people have / are / will be affected by all of this. This is certainly not something to be taken lightly.

Several people and organizations have weighed in, with their comments, thoughts, and opinions about the current landscape and the recent news.

Breweries in PA Facebook Page

Typically we begin every Monday with something lighthearted to start the week. But today that does not feel appropriate.Over the weekend a very bright light was shined on discrimination and gross misconduct occurring in the craft brewing industry across the country. And a few prominent Pennsylvania breweries were named directly.We have no knowledge if the stories being shared are true or not, as all involved parties have not weighed in. But regardless, that does not make anyone’s experience of injustice any less valid. So we wanted to take the time this morning to acknowledge these stories, but more importantly stand in solidarity with anyone who feels they have been mistreated, victimized, or faced any other discrimination.Better yet, we must all work with one another to make this industry a shining example of the good that can be done through small businesses. We are working hard ourselves to make a positive impact throughout the industry, and we hope you all have the same goal in mind. We must not let acts of discrimination simply be justified as “playful banter.” Every person, regardless of gender, race, or age, should feel welcomed in the craft beer community, and we all play a part in achieving this.
Breweries in PA Facebook Page

Hannah, head brewer at Naked Brewing in Pennsylvania, made a very poignant and inspirational post on Facebook as well. One I thought that was so thoughtful and needed to be read by all, I asked her if I could use and share here on the blog, and she has graciously allowed me to post it here:

Hannah’s Facebook comments

I have been very quiet since the recent reports of sexual misconduct, assault, harassment and discrimination have surfaced, and there’s a reason for that:⁣⁣
𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. ⁣⁣It is not because I don’t believe them. It is not because it is something I wish to ignore. Believe me, I fucking wish I could ignore it for even 5 minutes, but that’s just not how it works in my brain. ⁣⁣For warriors of abuse(I use that term over victim or even survivor because I AM a fucking WARRIOR), seeing, hearing, reading, listening to these accounts, can be hugely, hugely, hugely triggering. Memories and things that I had pushed way down below have quickly bubbled to the surface like a noxious gas bubble and are permeating every part of my life. The anxiety has been debilitating. I am *barely* holding my shit together. ⁣⁣For now, those things that have happened to me, the things that I have experienced, I have chosen to keep them private and not share within a public realm. Many people do know of the things I have experienced. I reported them many, many times to the organization that I worked for at the time (Note: not currently). There is written documentation. There are people that will read this and wonder if it’s them that I am referring to. And if you have to ask yourself that, then the answer is probably YES. There are people that have been the offender who have worked tirelessly to learn how to be a better person. They have atoned. And while it does not absolve them from the things of the past, I have been able to forgive *some* of them (but not all. Some of you still have A LOT of fucking work to do). ⁣⁣One of the biggest reasons that I am currently choosing to not publicly disclose specifics, is because of the lack of 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇.
You may read this and say “but I’m here! I support you!” And while yes, I know that that is hugely true, is it enough?!? I don’t know. ⁣I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW. But I know that once it comes out publicly, you can’t put it back.
⁣𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩. ⁣𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝. ⁣𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. ⁣𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭… 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝗪𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄.
Every single one of those people is still employed. And I have had to deal with and process those things for years. YEARS. ⁣⁣⁣Telling my stories (because yes it is plentiful) puts me back to a place of having to relive it. While I am currently reliving them, and then remembering even more that I suppressed, it is very different to have to relive it on a public stage. I’ve already lived it on a semi-public stage and saw just how much victim blaming and shaming happened, and I’m not sure that I am in a place to do that again in the present time. We can talk all day long about being an ally and an advocate and speaking up when you see something, but until there is more 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇, I’m just not ready to blow open the experiences that I have had. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I applaud people for doing this. I applaud those that are speaking up and sharing. I applaud those that are allies and advocates. But…It’s tough y’all. 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒. They might not be okay. That’s the kind of support in the aftermath that we all need. Oh. And empathy. Have some. Please. ⁣⁣⁣This is all I have for now. Take care of yourselves. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬. *If you have nothing positive or supportive to contribute to this post, then please kindly keep scrolling and save your keyboard warrior bullshit for another time. PleaseAndThankYou*
Hannah’s Facebook comments

Aaron Gore’s post on his Facebook:

Aaron Gore’s post and link to Brienne’s GoFundMe for Legal Fees.

Please help support the legal fund for Brienne. Some of the people who have been getting called out repeatedly for sexual harassment and assault in the stories she has been reposting are threatening legal action. While they may not have any legal case, that doesn’t mean that they cannot destroy her financially regardless.For us to keep having these hard conversations and continue to weed out the toxic elements of the craft beer community and work toward the ideals we say we believe in, we have to be willing to protect the people who shine a light on stuff like this.
Aaron Gore’s Facebook post

Brienne’s GoFundMe can be found here: Help Brienne with Legal Fees. As of 10:30PM (5.17.21) they are currently up to 12,900$ of the 15,000$ requested. You can click the link above to go and donate.

Where do we go from here?

Firstly, having this conversation is important. Its hard, its difficult, its awkward, its uncomfortable, but it needs to be made. And it needs to be remembered, and it needs to not be muted. It needs to be kept to the forefront. Just like our conversations on racism, our conversations for LBGTQ+? and our many other important conversations. It needs to be remembered, it needs to be ongoing, and it needs to be forefront.

Looping back around to the start of this article, we need accountability. In ourselves. In our businesses. In the breweries in question. We can define what happens with these breweries with our money, with our voices, and with our conversations. We can hold those mentioned accountable. We can require and request they speak up, defend or correct themselves. And we can then handle ourselves accordingly in light of how they handle the situation.

Teach and learn. Discussions and classes and lectures, meetings, etc. Many universities, schools, offices, and businesses offer chances to learn of diversity and to do training, specifically for diversity training, or other similar styled programs.

Teaching isn’t something just relegated to those already in the business. This needs to be taught in the home, to kids growing up; of all persuasions, it needs to be taught to the youth and the elderly. It needs taught wherever and whenever it can be. Every moment of every day, every interaction, everything that happens, is an opportunity to learn. To grow. And thats what we – as humans – as people – need to be doing.

Familiarize yourself with what sexism is. What sexual harassment is. What sexual abuse is. Just like racism, we all think we know what it is. “Bad words” and people saying they hate Group X, but thats not all it is. There’s so many more insidious forms of it. So many different ways to discriminate that we don’t see or might not know of. Especially for those who never been discriminated, abused, harassed, or prejudiced against. Your blinders are there and you cannot see them is no excuse for allowing it to happen in front of you over and over.

Familiarize ourselves with who and what has been mentioned and how they reacted. Are they lashing out? Attacking? Are they defending? Or are they growing, learning, becoming better? Are those who were found guilty still in power? Still in control? Still in ways able to manipulate, abuse, coerce, control, or harass; or are they still able to empower those who still do these despicable things?

Stopping it. When we see it, when we hear it, when we witness it, when we hear others speaking of how they saw it; we need to stop it. We need to listen to those victimized, we need to offer our ears and hearts to them, and we need to help stop it when we see it. The rude comments, the jokes, the harassments, the abuses, we need to stop it from happening in the first place.

Anyone who has gone to AA or to a therapist, or anything similar, can tell you that the first step is to admittance. Denial is a huge problem for anyone with an addiction, an issue, or a root problem. Denying there is a problem, either in yourself, or in the industry, or with the issue at large (in this case sexism) at all is denying the story of others, denying their tales, their lives, their experiences.

Personal

I find this all very personal, and we all should, everyone one of us. Everyone regardless of who we are, what we are, when and where we are, should find this personal. You don’t need to even think in terms of “my mother” or “my sister” or “my wife” or “my daughter”, think of it merely in terms of “Her Name” or “This Person”. This is how personal it needs to be. That we are don’t have to personalize it more than it is, because it is already this personal to us as a human race.

But, we still do, and I do, I think of my daughters. I have been blessed with three daughters. They love going on me to trips, hiking, visiting battlefields, going to great restaurants (they love eating good food), and they have enjoyed going to me in safe settings of breweries. Especially my middle child. She is on a quest and learning as she grows, just like the rest of us. She has a lot of struggles with herself, with people, with life, (don’t we all?). She is having a lot of questions as she journeys through life and navigating young life and where she is in and what she is in it. She loves going to breweries with me and learning aspects of the science behind it. She is my homebrewing partner in crime and helped me with an IPA batch and loved the brewing aspects of it. The science behind it is a science she can get behind herself, its not just figures and equations in a notebook, its something she can do and touch and help, and its not the theoretical or hypothetical, its more of the real. And she also sees how brewing, just like cooking, is an aspect of creativity, and this touches her very artful soul. She’ll be turning 12 just this week, and I think of her future.

If she pursues a job in this field – or any field – do I want this kind of work environment for her? Do I want this for my other daughters in whatever fields they get into?

The answer is obviously no.

One of the many quotes I go back and over with as a father, and I’m not sure of the source, but the quote is: “Look at yourself in the mirror, is this the type of man you want your daughter to marry. If not, change it.”

I think of the many industries that have been “MeToo’d” and how this past few years, this past decade, has been a massive wake up call for men, and for those in power, (specifically white men), and how much needed change and reform has happened, or begun, and how it needs to continue.

I feel like we are on a precipice, and we could easily teeter-totter over either side. We could go backwards and regress, we could mute the conversations, and hide ourselves up in towers or cabins or dark holes. A Texas politician is trying to stop teachers from discussing racism in the classroom. That is how you mute a conversation. That is how you defeat the conversation, defeat the change, defeat the progress. We need to tip to the other side, and progress, to better ourselves, to better humanity, and we can’t do that as individuals. We can’t do that as people who don’t help those less fortunate or different or voiceless or unable to help themselves. A team is only as good as their weakest link; and there is no weaker link in humanity than those unwilling to help or hold up or foster growth in their own colleagues, friends, relatives, and common folk.

At the end of the day, this is all a story about us. About us as people, about how “we need to do better”. How “we can’t believe this is still happening in 2021”. This is a story of hope and change. Optimism can still flourish, and in fact, needs to. We need to see how these conversations we are having, as troubling as they are, are going to affect and offer change, and make the world better; not just for women, or for minorities; but for all of us.

I look at my daughters, I look at my female friends, I look at myself, and I want a better world for all of us. Thats the personal of this. Thats the personal it should be for all of us. Look in the mirror. Do you want a world where you could be discriminated at – for your gender, for your race, for your creed, for your looks, for your philosophies, religions, likes, dislikes, etc?

I think to my own work and my job. The casino industry is certainly no alien to the world of misogyny. Much like the craft beer industry, it is a white man’s power world. I see how customers and co-workers treat the female co-workers. How they stare, and oggle, and make comments. I see how my own co-workers oggle the guests and call out “craps game” when a pretty woman walks by. I see how the girl in the tight pants gets talked to and treated differently than the man or the woman who is older. I’ve seen guests yell at the younger female dealers more than they would yell at a man because they think they can get away with it. Calling them all the most despicable names that they would never utter to anyone else; and this is someone they met for the first time and only dealt with for five minutes. Just yesterday I witnessed an older man (late 60s or older) screaming at one of the servers and calling her a “f***ing liar” over five dollars and following her around until security came over to him and escorted him out of the building. I’ve seen players and guests try and touch the female dealers and managers, small touches to their shoulders or thighs, or even worst touches to their backside and more.

This is why we need this change. Why we need these conversations. It needs to get put out there and blown up. It needs to be the issue that it is.

So I have hope, and optimism for the future. I have hope that in two months, this isn’t just forgotten about and swept over and moved on from. But that this conversation stays in the forefront, and that we continue to learn from it. To grow from it. For all of us to become better for it all. Lets look to the future when we’re all people, together, equal, productive, and happy, together.

I would like to thank Hannah and Aaron for reading over the article and allowing me to use their quotes and for their help. I cannot express enough, how much I suggest everyone read the Instagram stories, the Vinepair article, the GoFundMe page, and the other resources that are popping up. I believe this is a real conversation we need to be having across all landscapes and all fields and businesses. In families, in work, in places of worship, in philosophy centers, and in schools. I remember just a few years ago there would be beer labels with ‘boobs’ or cleavage or sexualized women, with beer names like “Panty Dropper” or “Hike Her Skirt Up” and other “rapey” sounding beer names (the theory being, once she was drunk, she was easy), and its good to see the industry has progressed from this at least. There is still some names out there that are ugly, names that I’d hate to take my daughters to the brewery and they see it up on the tap list, and worst to order it in front of them (needless to say I wouldn’t order it). We are making progress, albeit slowly, and in spurts and jumps rather than a straight continual line, but progress is being made, we just need to make sure it continues.

I thank you all for reading this very long post. I think its one we needed to make, and one I needed to write. With my mood being really down lately, and seeing this, and it hitting home, knowing how guys can be. Worrying about my daughters growing up in the world, wanting only the best for them, in all of their endeavors, and all the choices they make.

Knowing how charged this can be, please keep the comments section civil. I would appreciate if names are not used in the comments section, and we try to remain respectful, polite, and cognizant that this might be read by people you are talking to / about / from. I do have the ability to delete and block commenters, and will not hesitate to do so.

Again, thank you everyone for reading. With the new mandates in Pennsylvania changing, and places opening up more, please be careful, and hopefully soon we’ll be sharing a pint at the bar. Cheers!

-B. Kline

The Beer Thrillers Moving Forward

BKline — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 03:50:00 +0000

Now that the March Madness – Battle of the Breweries (2021) tournament is officially over, and Isle of Que Brewing has been declared the winner (see results here: The Winner of the Battle of the Breweries 2021 is….). So I suppose it’s back to business as usual right?

Well, sorta.

As I’ve discussing on our Facebook page, I am looking to branch out the blog into the other fields that interest me – namely: books, literature, philosophy, hiking. Does this really relate to beer and “beer thrillers”? No, yes, not really, kind of, sorta, not really, but, kind of.

What it really is, is – I have many hobbies and interests, and I want to write about them, and rather than create five hundred different types of blogs or sites, or just keep them on sites like GoodReads or such, I’m going to use the site here to post them. Can you ignore them? Yep, simply, don’t click the articles and don’t read them.

OR….. you can read them. Do you like reading book reviews? If so, then there you go. Do you like reading about hiking and the such? Then there you go! Do you like reading about philosophy or opinion pieces or just personal story type things.

I have gotten a few comments about the books I’m reading and how the books show up in the Instagram posts when I’m out and about, and I made a few posts on our Facebook page (and group page) and people seem interested in the books I read, so this should tie in nicely. Also, a fair number of my “brewery visit” and travelogue posts start off with me hiking (either solo or with Ming or with others), and those posts seem to do well (traffic volume wise). The Rickett’s Glen, Monocacy Battlefield, and the 1000 Steps Trail posts are all some of the most visited.

Am I done writing about beer? No, so don’t worry. I also have plenty of back – logged articles I need to finish editing and post, so those will be coming out as well periodically. Also, there is still Josh writing here on the blog, as well as others, and possibly a few new hands posting soon too. So stay tuned for plenty of beer content as well.

Speaking of that, this Sunday, Josh will be meeting the winners of our tournament – The Isle of Que Brewing at Rubber Soul’s Brewery in Hummelstown, and he will also be meeting Rubber Soul, and taking pictures and such. So he will be doing a write-up about this as well.

Also, in the future there will be much more cross over type stuff planned. Drew and I have planned on doing a YouTube series where we review different things like movies, books, video games, etc; while also drinking and reviewing beer. Drew is the head streamer and creator of Knights of Nostalgia and is a frequent helper and collaborator here on the blog as well.

So have no fear, there is plenty of beer content to come out as well as plenty of brand new kinds of stuff. The main page of the site and blog will also probably be getting a face lift in the upcoming weeks with more links and things in headers and a floating header to make the different pages more accessible.

I am hoping people will like the more varied and larger amount of content. At worst, its a lot more stuff you can ignore, at best, it gives you plenty more stuff to read. So here’s to the growth and expansion of The Beer Thrillers in the future months (and years). Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

(Look for the first book review to be posted tomorrow – fingers crossed.)

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, 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 Battle of the Breweries (2021) – FACEs Conference – The Rock Division – Round One

BKline — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 13:57:17 +0000

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

This is the poll for the FACEs Conference – The Rock Division – Round One. You can vote once per day, and you can vote once per poll (there is a poll for each division in round one). Be sure to share and send to your friends and breweries to let everyone vote!

Voting runs until March 7th, 11:59PM (EST).

To read more about The Battle of the Breweries (2021) you can read the initial post here: The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – March Madness – The Beer Thrillers way.

[perfect_survey id=”7330″]

Any questions, concerns, or comments about the brackets, or tournament, or breweries in question, you can leave in the comment section or message us directly through our Contact Page.

The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – HEELs Conference: Ric Flair Division – Round One

BKline — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 13:21:07 +0000

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

This is the poll for the HEELs Conference – Ric Flair – Round One. You can vote once per day, and you can vote once per poll (there is a poll for each division in round one). Be sure to share and send to your friends and breweries to let everyone vote!

Voting runs until March 7th, 11:59PM (EST).

To read more about The Battle of the Breweries (2021) you can read the initial post here: The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – March Madness – The Beer Thrillers way.

[perfect_survey id=”7308″]

Any questions, concerns, or comments about the brackets, or tournament, or breweries in question, you can leave in the comment section or message us directly through our Contact Page.