Sworn Brewing (photo courtesy of Sworn Brewing Company)

Sworn Brewing One Year Later

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

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

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

The Set – Up

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

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

– Getting Sworn In – A Sneak Peek at Sworn Brewing Company

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

Josh – Getting Sworn Into Dedication

Token to Midnight by Sworn Brewing Company

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

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

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

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

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

Amy – Getting Sworn Into Quality

Sworn Brewing Mexican Lager

Am I too much when I tell you I am writing my article about Sworn Brewing company while wearing my Sworn Brewing company shirt? It’s seriously a comfy shirt. It’s not your regular T-shirt that after a few good washings softens up, it was a well-made T shirt. I could live in this T-shirt.

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

I still remember quoting this a year ago and we are delighted to celebrate the 2 years of Sworn Brewing Company. Each time I see how quickly their beer kicks or a standing room only Friday night I can’t clap hard enough, and I can’t wear this comfy T-shirt any more proudly.

Every aspect of Sworn Brewing company embodies this level of quality in all their products. When Sworn Brewing posts a beer was just tapped you need to leave your house immediately or you aren’t going to get to taste it. Jesse

brews the beer in manageable smaller quantities, it keeps the impeccable quality on point.

We sampled several different brews they had on tap during our visit last month. They are probably long gone by now. But you’d also hope that, so the beer is always fresh. I also tried a glass of the house made non-alcoholic

cream ale. It lasted maybe 30 seconds in front of me. Having non-alcoholic options is inclusive for whatever the reason. (See: I’ve Missed Drinking A Lot.)

On our visit we also enjoyed some of the beloved queso. This house made queso is the perfect pairing with Sworn beer. I do believe the boyfriend understands this is a must order each time we frequent Sworn. It seems natural to wonder why they aren’t expanding and growing? The question stemming from Jesse and Amanda was “why?” And the obvious, they won’t let the level of quality decrease in the slightest. Why not consider how detail oriented their attempt at brewery perfection is?

Ben – Getting Sworn Into Craftsmanship

Sworn Brewing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesse and Amanda

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

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

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

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

The area around the smoker and cooking area for Sworn Brewing

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

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

Wrapping This Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Articles About Sworn Brewing Company

• Sworn Brewing’s September Opening: Celebrating the Mechanicsburg Community
• Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Peek at Sworn Brewing Company
• Troegs Brewing Teams Up with Sworn Brewing, Antifragile Brewing, and Warwick Farms Brewing for Storm the Field
• Beer Review: Storm the Field (Troegs Brewing, Antifragile Brewing, Sworn Brewing, and Warwick Farms Brewing)

More Information on Sworn Brewing Company

The following comes via Untappd.

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

You can find them at the following social media platforms:

• Sworn Brewing Company – Official Website
• Sworn Brewing Company – Facebook
• Sworn Brewing Company – Instagram
• Sworn Brewing Company – Untappd

Some Articles Written by Josh

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

• Beer Review: Colonization (Ghost 779) – Adroit Theory
• Beer Review: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782) – Adroit Theory
• Multiple Beer Review: Envie & Envie 4XDH (Parish Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017) – Cox Brewing Company (CBC)
• Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing)
• Beer Review: The Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859) – Adroit Theory x Pig Destroyer
• Josh on Central PA Pour

Amy’s Column Series

• Brewfests with Anxiety (Amy’s original weekly column start)
• I’ve Missed Drinking (A Look at Non Alcoholic Beers)
• Beer and Pretzel Review: Legends and Lore (St. Boniface Brewing Company) and Garlic Parm Pretzels (Pretzels.com)
• Peanut Butter Eggs, Easter, Beer, and YAH Brew’s Shimmy Shake (Beer Review)
• Cox Brewing Company: Back to Their Roots
• Amy’s Day Off
• It Was All A Dream (A Visit to YAH Brewing)
• Just Another Weekend (A Hike at Saint Pete’s Trail and Hares Hill Brewing)
• I’m Pretty Darn Lucky (Happy Mother’s Day)
• Ready to Kick of the Summer
• Beer Review: Beer Devil IPA (Niagara Brewing Company)
• World MS Day
• Have you ever picked a beer based on the can art?
• Happy Father’s Day
• What is Your Summer Time Go To Beer?
• Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles
• Baby’s First Ffej
• We Can’t Always Be a Glutton Right? – Perfect Portions and Allusion Brewing Company
• Beer Review: Pocono Punch (Barley Creek Brewing Company)
• Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Preview of Sworn Brewing
• Beer Review: Tropical Stout (Troegs Independent Brewing and Windy Bridges Brewing LLC)
• RAR Brewing Brings the Nostalgia with Muppets Out of Order Series
• Happy Birthday to Ben
• Brewery Review: Cold Spring Inn and Brewery
• Hummelstown Doesn’t Deserve Maritza
• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers and Sunshine Pilsner
• Master of Pumpkins, Cupcakes, Cookies, and Bacon Cheeseburgers
• A Beer Review by Grandma SueAnn (Beer Review: Braaaiins! by Spring House Brewing Company)
• Grandma SueAnn and More Beer: Beer Reviews of: Zoktoberfest (KCBC – Kings County Brewers Collective) and Devious Imperial Pumpkin (Fegley Brew Works)
• Oh Ever Grain: 7 Years, 7 Beers
• Pumpkin Beer Review with Grandma SueAnn – Abomination Brewing: Forbidden Pumpkin, Greater Good Brewing: Giant Pumpkin, and Pizza Boy Brewing: Sunny Side Up Double Coffee Pumpkin
• Grandma SueAnn Helps Review More Pumpkin Beers: 2 out of 3 Ain’t So Bad
• Halloween Candy and Beer Pairings
• Brewery Review: Otto’s Pub and Brewery
• Munching on some Thanksgiving leftovers?
• The Holidays Always Bring On Waves of Nostalgia For Me
• YAH Brew and Desserts Pairing
• Christmas Cookies and Beer Styles Pairing (Pairing Christmas Cookies with Beer)
• New Years Day
• Winter Beers
• Two Years Later: Brewfests with Anxiety
• It’s Been a Long Year Already, Wait Its Only April?
• Did you miss me as much as I missed you? (A Look at Lindgren Craft Brewery)
• These Summer Beers Are Slapping… Again
• Benefit for CJ (at YAH Brew Hershey)
• There is Something About Those Back Patio Beers
• Grilling and Beer’ing
• Sworn Brewing a Year Later – A Sit Down with Jesse and Amanda
• You can find all of Amy’s articles here: Amy’s Archive of Articles.

For More Articles from Ben

• Beer Review: I’m 40% Galaxy (Local Craft Beer)
• Urban Artifact Brewery Files Federal Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Over Online Beer Sales Restrictions
• Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game
• Book Review: Big Two Hearted River (Ernest Hemingway)
• Beer Review: Two Hearted Ale (Bell’s Brewery)
• Mastering the Art of Craft Beer Tasting: Your Ultimate Guide to Flavor and Aroma – How to Describe Beer Like a Pro
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Green Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Vader (Mispillion River Brewing)
• Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery)

All Of Us

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

Brewery News

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

• Crystal Ball Brewing Closing
• Stoudt’s Brewing Closing
• Full Pint Brewing Closing
• Night Shift Brewing Cancels Expansion
• Other Half Brewing Company Opening Friday 2.18.22 in Philadelphia
• Midwest Coast Brewery Opening
• Boulevard Presidents Steps Down Amidst Allegations
• Brewery Opening: Howling Henry’s (Hummelstown)
• Brewery Opening: Highway Manor (Camp Hill)
• Brewery Opening: Rotunda Brew Pub (Hershey)
• Is JB LoveDraft’s Opening a Brewery?
• Tattered Flag at Hollywood Casino – Grantville – Opening Their 5th Location
• JB LoveDraft’s Grand Opening (Mechanicsburg)
• ZeroDay Opens Their New Tap Room (Harrisburg)
• Victory Brewery Fire and Explosion (Kennett Square)
• Sign of the Horse Brewery is Expanding in Hanover (Taking Over the Old Miscreation Brewery)
• Brewery Tour: Couch Brewery (Pittsburgh)
• Brewery Visit: Mellow Mink (Mechanicsburg)
• A Sneak Peak at the new Rubber Soul Brewery (Hummelstown)
• Rubber Soul Grand Opening (Hummelstown)
• VooDoo Lancaster Closing
• River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery Closes
• Homaide Brewing Says Goodbye To Their First Home
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing (Mechanicsburg)
• Rally Point Tap Room Opening – Cox Brewing Company – Elizabethtown
• Spigot Brewing Closes
• Full Pint Brewing Closes
• Night Shift Brewing Cancels Expansion
• Mikkeller Brewing NYC Closes Permanently
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Aslin Beer Co. Now Ships to Pennsylvania
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Aslin Beer Company Confirms Expanding to Pittsburgh
• Rural City Beer Company Coming to Beamstown PA
• Grand Opening of Forest and Main’s New Brewpub
• New Bells-gium – New Belgium Owned Company Buys Bell’s Brewery
• Human Robot Expanding to Jenkintown
• High Road Brewing Company Coming to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania in Summer 2022
• YAH Brewing’s First Can Drop
• RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Can Drop
• Arboretum Trail Brewing Company Opens Their Doors Tomorrow
• Macklin Brewing Company in Development
• Michaux Brewing Company Grand Opening
• Shy Bear Brewing Announces Two New Locations
• Newfangled Brew Works Announces Closure
• Fourscore Beer Company Celebrates Their 3rd Anniversary
• Penn Brewery Announces Sale and Owner’s Retirement
• Voodoo Brewing Company To Open Brewpub on North Shore of Pittsburgh – August 27th
• Truth Beer Company’s Grand Opening
• Sobel’s Obscure Brewery’s Grand New Location and Opening
• AleCraft Brewing Company Expands Into Pennsylvania
• Boneshire Brew Works Celebrates 6th Anniversary
• Funk Brewing Company – Elizabethtown Brewery – Fire
• Funk Brewing Company – Elizabethtown Brewery – Fire Update
• Victory Taproom in Kennett Square Re – Opens
• Pour Man’s Brewery Is Moving Their Tap Room
• Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales at World Cup 2022
• Second Sin Brewery Company Celebrates Third Anniversary
• Round Guys Brewing Company’s Brewpub in Lansdale is Getting a Revamp
• VK Brewing Officially Opens at Historic Ship Inn
• Rocket Frog Brewing Company Announces Closure on December 11th
• Co – Hops Brewery and Cannery Appears to be Closed
• Where to Watch the USA vs Netherlands World Cup Game – in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia
• Liquid Noise Brewing Company Announces the Show is Ending (Brewery Closure)
• Looks Like Homaide Brewing Company Might Be Done (January 2023)
• Beltway Brewing Closing at the End of the Month (January 2023)
• Old Soul Brewing Starting up in Waynesboro Pennsylvania
• Cox Brewing Company Returning to Their Roots
• Helping the Hemauer Family
• Cellar Works Brewing Closing Cooper Station
• Imprint Beer Company Unveils The GNARCADIUM
• Blueprint Brewing Company Announces Their Closing on March 31st
• Pilger Ruh Brewing is Expanding into Gettysburg
• Back Porch Brewing Grand Opening
• Jigsy’s Old Forge Pizza and Brewpub is Expanding into Hershey
• LoveDraft’s Brewery Sabotaged
• Homaide Brewing Company Resurfaces
• Sign of the Horse Brewery Announces Closure of Zeichen des Pferdes and Re – Branding
• Mount Gretna Craft Brewery in Palmyra Announces Closing Immediately
• The Englewood Announces Re – Opening
• AB InBev Closes Cleveland’s Platform Brewing Company
• Full Tit Brewing Closing
• Camp Hill Brewery – High Road Brewing – Plans Scrapped
• YAH Brew is Coming to Hershey in Spring 2023
• Bespoke Brewing Moving and Expanding
• BrewDog Pittsburgh Has Closed
• Isle of Que Brewing – The Que Brew Crew – Has Announced Their Closing
• Fermentery Form Announces Temporary Closure
• Separatist Beer Project Announces Temporary Closing of Both Locations
• Fermentery Form Cited for Failing Health Inspections
• Guinness Brewing is Closing Their Maryland Production Facility
• Cox Brewing Company Celebrates 8th Anniversary
• Human Robot Expands into the Schuylkill
• Despite Being Closed – Fermentery Form Selling Bottles Tomorrow
• Cape May Brewing Company Acquires Flying Fish Brewing Company
• Our Town Brewery Expanding into Philly
• Smoketown Creekside – Brewery Operations For Sale
• Founders Announce Closure of their Detroit Taproom
• The Bruery Store D.C. Is Closed
• Founders Brewing Company Sued for Racial Discrimination (Again) Just Before Detroit Taproom Shut Down
• Liquid Noise Brewing Company – New Ownership, New Beer, New Friends
• YAH Brew Grand Opening
• FX Matt Brewing Company Acquires Flying Dog Brewery
• The Beerded Goat Brewing Company Taking over the old NewFangled Brewery
• River Horse Brewing Company Acquires DuClaw Brewing Company
• Carbon Copy Brewing will be taking over Separatist Beer Project’s East Passyunk Location for the Summer
• Anchor Brewing Will No Longer Be Sold Nationally
• The First Hershey Beer and Music Festival Announced
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• Guinness Baltimore Blonde Beer Production Moving to New York
• Black Rock Brewing Company – Downtown Pottsville – Will Not Be Re – Opening
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• Cinderlands Foederhouse Temporary Closure
• Appalachian Brewing Company Coming Soon to Carlisle
• Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery Is Up For Sale
• New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA
• Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold Tomorrow
• Anchor Brewing Company Ceasing Operations and Liquidating Business
• A Sneak Peek of The Beerded Goat Brewery
• Allusion Brewing Company Appreciation Party
• Allusion Brewing Company Expanding to the North Hills
• Sworn Brewing Company Opening in September
• With Heavy Hearts Tattered Flag Announces Last Day
• Appalachian Brewing Company Pairs with The Vegetable Hunter to Release Plant Based Beyond Beer Collaboration
• Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Peek at Sworn Brewing Company
• Arboretum Trail Brewing is Closing Their Taproom
• Mastic Trail Brewing Company Setting into the Sunset – Closing on September 2nd
• A Look at Local Time Brewery
• Second Sin Beer Announces Second Tap Room Location
• Rumor Mill: Snitz Creek Brewing To Take Over Mt. Gretna Brewing’s Old Location
• Howling Henry’s Not Looking to Finish Out the Year
• Brewery Fire Celebrates Their Fourth Anniversary: The Power of the Fourth
• Devil’s Eye Brewing Announces Closure on September 30th
• Walk to End ALZ at Lost in the Wilds Brewing – September 28th, 2023
• 12 Pennsylvania Breweries Collaborate on Buckeye Tears
• Stickman Brews Announces Immediate Closure
• Spring House Brewing to Open The Coffin Bar on Friday the 13th
• Cox Brewing Company Announces Closure at the End of 2023
• High Road Brewing Company Announces Grand Opening Celebration at High Road Taproom in Mechanicsburg
• Circle of Life – A Fond Farewell to North Austin’s Oldest Brewery
• BierHall Brewing Coming to Lancaster
• Smuttynose Brewing and Five Boroughs Brewing Joining Under the Ownership of Finestkind Brewing
• Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed
• Tree House Opening a Saratoga Springs Location
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• Cartel Brewing and Blending Grand Opening of Their New Location
• Wacker Brewing Announces Upcoming Closing
• Mindful Brewing Company Temporarily Closing
• Highway Manor Brewing Temporarily Closed For Remainder of 2023
• Snitz Creek Brewing is Coming to the Old Mt. Gretna Craft Brewery
• Chatty Monks Brewing Company Has Exciting News
• Liquid Noise Announces Opening Soon
• Jackass Brewing Company Adding Williamsport Location in 2024
• Truth Beer Company Announce New Lancaster Taproom
• Truth Beer Company Opening a Taproom in Lancaster
• Moss Mill Brewing Company of Huntingdon Valley is Closing
• Liquid Noise Brewing Company Sets Grand Opening for December 29th
• Three Beards Brewing Announce Closure
• Ingenious Brewing Announces the Upcoming Closure of their Brewery
• Allusion Brewing is Opening a Second Spot in McCandless Township, Duncan Manor in Allison Park
• Breweries that Opened in Pennsylvania in 2023
• Cox Brewing Company Close Out Celebration
• A New Owner Takes Over Olde Bedford Brewing Company
• North Country Brewing is Closing the Corn Crib at Freedom Farms Farmers Market
• Compass Mill Tap House is Temporarily Closed Down for Cleaning and Maintenance
• Aldus Brewing’s Dolphin and Anchor Pub in Downtown Hanover Set for Grand Opening
• HiJinx Brewing Company Adding Second Location
• Truth Beer Company is Having Their Grand Opening on Saturday – January 20th
• Wissahickon Brewing Company to Add a Second Taproom
• Hell in a Bucket Brewery is Moving to Marietta
• Smuttynose Brewing to Acquire Wachusett Brewery
• Sign of the Horse Bierhaus is Closing
• Anheuser-Busch InBev Closes Two Craft Brewpubs
• Species X Beer Project Opening Soon in Columbus
• The Alementary Announces Their Closure
• Our Town Brewery Taproom Set to Open in Philadelphia
• Mount Hope Brewfest is Cancelled
• Hoppy Valley Brewfest Announced for Beaver Stadium
• Grist House Brewery Will Be Taking Over the Taproom at Freedom Farms Farmers Market
• Necromancer Brewing Temporarily Closing
• Hysteria Brewing Company For Sale
• AleCraft Brewery Bel Air to Close
• Necromancer Brewing Permanently Closing
• YAH Brew Looking to Expand
• Voodoo Brewing Company Names New CFO and Employee Owner, Reinforcing Its Dedication to a Diverse and Dynamic Community
• Country Trails Brewing To Open in April
• Voodoo Brewing – Seven Fields Coming Spring 2024
• Allusion Brewing Company’s Second Location is Having Their Grand Opening Saturday
• Kennett Brewing Company is Closing
• Dough Daddy Brewery Coming to Gibsonia
• Willow Creek Brewing Company to Close Permanently
• YAH Brew to Open YAH Brew’s Retro Bar in Mount Joy
• Twelve78 Brewing Company To Open Its Doors on May 17th In Phoenixville
• Ballast Point Shutting Down Production
• Wander Back Beerworks: Vineland’s Newest Brewery Gears Up to Join South Jersey’s Craft Beer Scene
• Pour Man’s Brewing Acquires St. Boniface Brewing
• BrewDog’s James Watt Stepping Down as CEO
• Insurrection Ale Works Closing Saturday
• Hoppy Valley Brewersfest is Tomorrow
• Mindful Brewing is Transforming into Chimera Brewing
• Liquid Hero Brewery’s New Spot
• A Look at Lindgren Craft Brewery (Amy’s Column)
• Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery is Up for Auction
• Ross Brewing Company is Closing Their Taproom in Port Monmouth
• Source Brewing Expanding to Manayunk
• Broken Chair Brewery Announces They Will Be Closing
• Rubber Soul Brewing to Open New Taproom Saturday
• Brew Monkey to Close Thursday
• Bissell Brothers Closing Their Three Rivers – Milo – Brewery
• Mellow Mink Brewery is Closing
• Mad Princes Brewing Announces Upcoming Closure
• Truth Beer Closes Akron and Moves Brewing to Lancaster
• Tied House Abruptly Closes
• 2 Dogz and a Guy Brewing Announces Closing
• Grand Illusion Cider’s Last Week of Operations
• Stony Run Brew House Sells to a Local Brewery
• Breckenridge Will Open Third Taproom
• Sign of the Horse Brewery Bought Stony Run Brew House
• Selin’s Grove Brewing Closing Until Further Notice
• Urban Artifact Brewery Files Federal Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Over Online Beer Sales Restrictions
• J. Wakefield Brewing Announces Closing of Wynwood Taproom
• When it Rains it Pours – ZeroDay Production Slowed Down by Flooding
• J. Wakefield Brewing is Moving
• McAllister Brewing Company Transitions Completely to The Carriage House Restaurant
• Böser Geist Brewing Announces Closure
• Vault Brewing Company Easton is Coming Fall of 2024
• Sworn Brewing a Year Later – A Sit Down with Jesse and Amanda
• Brewery Closings – Archives
• Brewery Openings – Archives
• The Craft Beer Conundrum: Navigating the Troubled Waters of the Craft Beer Industry

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 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 August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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

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

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

After a one year hiatus – the Cushwa Brewing Company Anniversary Beer Fest is back. Two years ago in 2022 they had their 5th Anniversary Beer Fest; and now in January 2024 – its back with their 7th Anniversary Celebration.

You can view the event page here: Cushwa 7th Anny Beer Fest.

The event page description reads:

Ready to join us in celebrating our 7th Anniversary?

Believe it or not, we’re turning lucky number , and we can’t wait to blow out the candles with you on January 27th! We’ve invited an incredible lineup of over 50+ of our best beer buds to pour their favorites just for you. And let’s talk about the food – @radpiesmd will be serving up championship Detroits all day, while @eatfiftyfifty’s food truck will be smashing out their signature patties. To keep the vibe alive, @dj_bizzy will be spinning throughout the fest, join us in Williamsport, MD for a day you won’t want to miss.

There ain’t no party like a Cushwa party, so mark your calendars now and snag your tickets before we sell out!

Tickets for our 7th Anniversary Beer Fest are available via Linktree in our bio or directly through this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/771786372817

Cushwa 7th Anny Beer Fest

The original Facebook announcement by Cushwa shows just how much they love their brewfests:

Everyone knows you can’t have a 7th Anniversary Beer Fest without amazing food and music. Rad Pies Rad Pies will be serving up championship Detroits all day, while Fifty Fifty food truck Fifty Fifty will be smashing out their signature patties. To keep the vibe alive, DJ Bizzy will be spinning throughout the fest.

Swipe left to witness our stellar brewery lineup that’s expanding by the day – more surprises brewing soon! Secure your tickets and join us

to celebrate some of the best beer from across the country on Saturday, January 27th from 12-4pm at our Williamsport taproom location! Ticket purchase includes 7th anniversary taster glass and unlimited sampling.

General Admission tickets available through the direct link below or our Linktree in the bio. Designated Drivers, join us for free—no ticket needed!

#cushwa#cushwa7thanniversarybeerfestival#cushwabrewing#cushwabrewingco

#cushwalove#maryland#craftbeer#beerfest#beerfestival

Cushwa Brewing Company – Facebook Post

Featured Breweries

This is one heck of a list of breweries. You have some of the absolute best of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Washington D.C., and even further – some coming from California, Tennessee, Florida, etc.

Here is the full list:

Brewery Lineup:

@450northbrewingco
@amanibrewing
@arkane_aleworks
@blackflagbrewingco
@bluejacketdc
@babbrewingco
@burleyoak
@burnishbeerco
@chsfermentory
@commonwealthbrewco
@coven.brewing
@crookedcrabbeer
@crookedrunfermentation
@dancinggnome
@deciduousbeer
@definitivebrewing
@deweybeerco
@eqbrewery
@funguysbrewing
@fidensbrewing
@foambrewers
@fourscorebeerco
@frequentembrewingco_
@heavyreelbrewingco
@heistbrewery
@highlandparkbrewery
@imprintbeerco
@interchangebrewery
@kingsbrewingco
@magnifybrewing
@monumentcitybrewing
@mortalisbrewing
@northparkbeerco
@ocelotbrewing
@oddbynaturebrewing
@oozlefinchbeers
@otherhalfnyc
@prototypebrewery
@rarbrew
@residentculture
@sandcitybrewery
@sapwoodcellars
@schillingbeerco
@seekbeerco
@sojournfermentory
@southerngristbrewing
@troegsbeer
@untoldbrewing
@vitaminseabrewing
@widowmakerbrew
@wildeastbrewing
@xulbeer

New New Additions:
@adroittheory
@antietambrewery
@orchestratedmindsbrewing

7th Anniversary Beer Fest – Event Brite Page

Fidens?! Adroit Theory? Xul Brewing? RAR Brewing? Southern Grist? Resident Culture? Burley Oak? Dewey? Crooked Crab? Other Half? Fourscore? Dancing Gnome? Black Flag?

Sign us up!

This is an absolute star studded lineup, and we can’t wait. Amy and I will be going. Looking to meet up with a lot of the Central PA Whalerz and hopefully doing a beer share afterwards as well. (Because… why not do a beer share after a mammoth four hour brewfest?)

Unlike the 5th Anniversary Event where Amy and I took the Friday off, and made a huge brewery trip out of it, this year, we’re just going to be going down Saturday morning, hitting up the brewfest, spending the night, and then hitting a few breweries on the way home Sunday. Still a lot of fun, but possibly a little bit more laid back. (Possibly.)

Tickets

Tickets… tickets… tickets here! Did you get your tickets yet? What? You didn’t? Why not! Get them right here:

• 7th Anniversary Beer Fest

More Articles on Cushwa Brewing

Looking for more articles on Cushwa Brewing, check these out:

• Cushwa Brewing Company Opening Second Location in Columbia Maryland
• Cushwa Brewing Company 5th Anniversary Celebration
• Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)
• Brewery Review: Cushwa Brewing Company
• Cushwa 7th Anniversary Beer Fest

More Information on Cushwa Brewing Company

The following comes from Untappd. Cushwa Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Williamsport, Maryland. They have 465 unique beers, and over 231,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 4.07 (as of 12.26.23.) Their Untappd description reads: Based in Williamsport, MD just minutes away from the historic and scenic C&O Canal used by many for cycling, running, walking and other recreational activities. Our large modern taproom offers plenty of seating and fun while you sip on beer offerings with friends. Hungry? We have partnered with Rad Pies who offer brick-oven Neapolitan style pizza and much more! Our mission is simple: Exceptional Beer. Positive Impact. Respect.

You can follow them on social media at the following pages:

• Cushwa Brewing Company – Official Website
• Cushwa Brewing Company – Twitter
• Cushwa Brewing Company – Instagram
• Cushwa Brewing Company – Facebook
• Cushwa Brewing Company – Untappd

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 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.)

Five Days Away

We are five days away from the five year celebration. So its a perfect time to run it down and get hyped about it. Sadly, the VIP and the general admission tickets have been sold out (for quite some time), but for those of us able to go (myself and writer friend) it will certainly be an event not to be missed. The first brew fest of the year (for us anyway) and we can’t wait for it!

This one certainly looks like a doozy and one that will be remembered for quite some time.

Let’s take a look at the brewery’s Facebook photos as a gallery to get an idea:

What the Event Is

Firstly, as you can see – the VIP and General Admission are both sold out. You might be able to find tickets second hand online, but be very cautious of scammers. Cushwa has posted on their photos page that they have caught some people selling fake or scammed up tickets.

The VIP session is 75$ and lasts from 12 – 5, (giving the attendee an extra hour), as well as a second glass and a specialty bottle. The bottle alone really makes the extra 25$ worth value right there, but add in the perks of an extra hour of drinking, plus a second glass, and its definitely worth it.

The general admission is from 1 – 5, comes with a commemorative taster glass (like most brewfests do), and allows unlimited sampling. For both sessions there is over 50 breweries, which we will get to in just a bit.

There is also DD (designated driver / aka ‘non drinking buddy’) access to the event as well for just 5$.

Who All is Invited

So, this is one hell of a list of breweries that is coming and serving up liquid gold for everyone. With many stand – outs.

The full list of breweries include:

• Adroit Theory
• Amani Brothers
• Aslin Brewing
• Barrel Culture
• Bearded Iris
• Black Flag Brewing
• Bluejacket Brewing
• Branch and Blade
• Burnish Beer Co
• Charles Towne Fermentory
• Commonwealth Brewing
• Crooked Crab
• Crooked Run Fermentation
• Dancing Gnome
• Definitive Brewing
• Deciduous Brewing
• Dewey Beer Co
• Divine Barrel
• Ever Grain Brewing Co
• Finback Brewing
• Fourscore Beer Co
• Good Word
• Graft
• Heavy Reel
• Heist Brewing
• Homaide Brewing
• Imprint Beer Co
• Inu Island
• Kings
• Mortallis
• Mountains Walking
• Ocelot Brewing
• Odd by Nature
• Oozlefinch
• Other Half Brewing
• Prototype Brewing
• RAR Brewing
• Resident Culture
• Sapwood Cellars
• Schilling
• Sojourn
• Southern Grist
• Suffolk Punch
• Thin Man Brewing
• Triple Crossing
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing
• Untold
• Vitamin Sea
• Wet City
• Widowmaker
• Beer Zombies
• The Maryland Mob

Woooooooheeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Thats a line up! Some stand out favorites and interests are definitely Adroit Theory, Barrel Culture, Bearded Iris, Deciduous, Dewey Beer Co, Finback, Fourscore, Good Word, Mortallis, Ocelot, Oozlefinch, Other Half, RAR, Southern Grist, Triple Crossing, and Vitamin Sea.

But you certainly can’t go wrong with any from that list! Its a nice combination of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania breweries, as well as some other heavy hitters thrown into the mix.

Food

The food options are:

• Food For Thought
• The Highroller Lobster Co.
• Rad Pies

So there is some variety and enough food choices to be had for the four or five hour sessions. (If you see me veering for the lobster in a drunken haze, just kick me away so I don’t trigger my shellfish allergies. Thanks!)

Anything Else Fun?

There will also be a DJ on hand – DJ Bizzy, and just recently announced Thicc Bois Glass will also be on hand selling some dope hand blown glassware. They’ve worked with Tattered Flag and a few other breweries in the past to make some really fantastic glassware.

Pumped

Are you pumped? Are you going? I’m pumped. I have finally gotten my days changed at work – and now have off Friday and Saturday (rather than Thursday and Friday); only took me 10 years of working at the casino, to finally get up to having off a weekend day. I also put in a special request and got the Sunday off for travel home.

With the can release for Burley Oak the day before (Friday – Jan. 21st), we are looking to make this quite a trip. Coming down from the Hummelstown area to get to Burley Oak, and then make our way over towards Cushwa (a bit over three hours across Maryland, after driving three hours to Burley Oak), we will be stopping and hitting some fabulous breweries on the way. Then spending the night in the Williamsport area, before stopping by Antietam and maybe Monocacy Battlefields (again), and a few more breweries before making our way back home up into Pennsylvania.

Be sure to check out our travelogues and travel stories here on the blog for many of our wacky adventures through the Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia states that we’ve had the recent months. Also, be sure to check out the following Cushwa articles:

• Brewery Review: Cushwa Brewing Company (original building)
• Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Thanks For Reading

Will you be attending? Know anyone who is? Thoughts on the brewfest or the line up of breweries? Let us know in the comments or on our various social media platforms! Can’t wait to hear from you!

(Also, be sure to stay tuned for a special ‘cold’ beer review tomorrow, and another Star Wars beer review on Wednesday, which will likewise be a ‘cold’ beer review.)

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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.

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!

Road Trip Recap

Like I said in yesterday’s Puzzles and Pagans (2021) beer review – we were taking another road trip, this time to Virginia. So here’s the quick recap of where all we went:

• Wheatfield Spring Farm and Brewery (Waterford, VA)
• Harvest Gap Brewery (Hillsboro, VA)
• Adroit Theory (Purcellville, VA)
• Ball’s Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery
• Ocelot Brewing Company (Sterling, VA)
• Aslin Beer Company (Herndon, VA)

All in all, it was a fantastic trip. Loved each of the breweries for their own different reasons, and will go into that more, when I do the full article on the trip.

We’ve done many other brewery tours and trips, and a lot recently, so be sure to check in the Travelogues section here to see them all.

Thanks for checking out this little quick recap, and stay tuned for when we give the full account! These breweries were a blast!

Also, make sure you check out the still ongoing #freebeer Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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.

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!

Tenebris – A barleywine by Adroit Theory

Adroit Theory

Adroit Theory is a craft brewery based in Purcellville, Virginia. Known for its experimental and bold approach to brewing, Adroit Theory specializes in a wide range of beer styles, particularly focusing on high-ABV (alcohol by volume) beers such as imperial stouts, IPAs, and barrel-aged brews. The brewery is also notable for its distinctive and often dark and gothic-themed artwork and packaging.

Gaming Time

I usually find myself drinking IPAs and DIPAs (or even TIPAs) while doing some gaming, but switched it up with Tenebris by Adroit Theory tonight. This was a fantastic beer to sit back and do a “gaming sesh” (as the cool kids call it). The 10.7% slowly crept up on me as I played and provided a perfect buzz for the gaming. And as Josh would say – “Its a Damn Big Beer”.

Beer Review: Tenebris by Adroit Theory

Tenebris (or GHOST Tenebris) is a Barleywine, in the American tradition. The stats for it are:

Beer: Tenebris
Brewery: Adroit Theory
Style: Barleywine – American
ABV: 10.7%
IBU: 60
Untappd Description:

We haven’t made this beer in over 6 years, but decided to re-address it in the style of an American Barleywine. Full, semi-sweet, and chewy body with a sticky texture offering malt driven notes of honey, toffee, and stone fruit with just enough bitterness for balance.⁠

Brewed with Amarillo + Centennial Hops

Appearance:

Tenebris pours a deep amber to mahogany color with a slight haze, topped with a thin, tan head that dissipates quickly but leaves a delicate lace on the glass. The viscosity is evident, hinting at the rich, high-alcohol content within. Swirling the glass reveals the beer’s thick legs, a visual testament to its bold and syrupy nature.

The clarity of the beer allows light to catch and reveal ruby highlights at the edges, adding to its visual appeal. The minimal head retention focuses attention on the beer’s rich color and inviting appearance, setting the stage for the sensory experience that follows.

Aroma:

The nose is an inviting blend of caramel, toffee, and dark fruits such as raisins and figs. Subtle notes of molasses and brown sugar are present, accompanied by a mild hop aroma that adds a layer of complexity. As the beer warms, deeper aromas of oak and vanilla become more pronounced, hinting at its barrel-aged pedigree.

Inhaling deeply reveals additional layers of aroma, including a faint earthiness and a hint of spice, likely from the interplay of malts and hops. The aromatic profile is rich and complex, drawing you in and encouraging a slow, deliberate tasting experience.

Taste:

The flavor profile is intensely rich and multi-layered. Initial sips reveal a strong malt backbone with pronounced caramel and toffee sweetness, balanced by a robust presence of dark fruit flavors—dates, raisins, and a touch of cherry. As it warms, additional nuances of vanilla, oak, and a slight nuttiness come to the fore, likely influenced by barrel aging. The finish is warm and slightly boozy, with a lingering bitterness that prevents the sweetness from becoming overwhelming.

Each sip uncovers new subtleties, from hints of chocolate and roasted nuts to a whisper of smokiness. The balance of sweetness and bitterness is masterfully executed, making each mouthful a harmonious blend of flavors that evolve on the palate. The complexity and depth of Tenebris ensure that it remains interesting from the first sip to the last.

Mouthfeel:

Full-bodied and smooth, Tenebris has a luscious mouthfeel that coats the palate. The carbonation is moderate, adding a slight effervescence that helps balance the beer’s richness and high alcohol content. The viscosity of the beer provides a satisfying, almost chewy texture that enhances the drinking experience.

Despite its high ABV, the alcohol warmth is well-integrated and adds to the overall enjoyment without overwhelming the other flavors. The mouthfeel is robust yet elegant, making it a pleasure to sip and savor. Each sip leaves a lingering, velvety finish that invites you to take another.

Overall:

Adroit Theory’s Tenebris is a standout example of a barleywine. Its depth and complexity make it an excellent choice for slow sipping and savoring over time. The well-integrated flavors and warming alcohol presence are perfect for cooler weather, making it a great companion for a cozy evening. This beer pairs wonderfully with rich foods such as roasted meats or a decadent cheese platter and can also be enjoyed on its own as a dessert beer.

For fans of the barleywine style, Tenebris is a must-try, showcasing Adroit Theory’s expertise in crafting bold, flavorful brews. Its ability to evolve and reveal new flavors as it warms makes it an engaging and memorable experience. Highly recommended for those looking for an indulgent and memorable beer experience.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Average Untappd Rating: 4.12 (as of 11.21.21)

Adroit Theory Beer Reviews

• Beer Review: The Death of Civilization in Slow Motion I (Ghost 907) (Adroit Theory)
• Beer Review: The Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859) (Adroit Theory x Pig Destroyer)
• Beer Review: Colonization (Ghost 779) (Adroit Theory)
• Beer Review: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782) – Adroit Theory

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Another streaming session with my good friend Drew of Knights of Nostalgia means me drinking some fine craft beers and of course, that also then means, future beer reviews of said fine craft beers. And I couldn’t think of a finer craft beer I had that night than Adroit Theory’s ‘The Death of Civilization in Slow Motion I’ (Ghost 907).

My buddy and co-writer here at The Beer Thrillers – Josh Doncevic – absolutely loves and raves about Adroit Theory and is constantly pushing their beers. And I can see why! I’ve had a few in the past, but sadly not many, and hopefully now in the future I will be getting to try plenty more!

(See Josh’s Adroit Theory reviews here):

• Beer Review: Colonization (Ghost 779)
• Beer Review: Octagonal Stairway (Ghost 859)
• Beer Review: EBK – Gashadokuro (Ghost 782)

Lets Have a Discussion on Can Art….

First, lets have a discussion on can art. I think Adroit Theory is absolutely nailing it. (Here is an article I found from January 31st, 2015 about the can labels for Adroit Theory: Shawn Johnson Signs Can Labels for a Contest). If you are a fan of Warhammer 40K, or steampunk or futuristic dystopic landscape looking art, Mad Max, Fury Road, stuff like that, you’ll love these can labels. Here is a link to The Death of Civilization in Slow Motion I on Adroit Theory’s page, it gives some of the same information thats on the can label here; such as pairings, ingredients, percentages, etc. (It is for a different version of this beer, but the artwork and information mostly holds up.)

For those unaware, Warhammer 40K is a massive tabletop miniatures game that has been around since at least the 90s (back in the day when I used to play it at Omnidon’s in Hummelstown, and then when they moved to be Twilight Games in Paxtonia). My faction of choice was the Chaos Space Marines and the Chaos army in general with the Chaotic God of Korde. Warhammer 40K has gone on to be a massive book library with hundreds of books, as well as some video games, and I believe there is a movie or a Netflix TV show in the works.

Here is a sampling of artwork from Warhammer 40K courtesy of “Inside the Artwork of Warhammer 40K”:

For comparison sake, here is a small sampling of Adroit Theory artwork:

You can definitely see some interesting comparisons between the two. And I absolutely love it. Its gorgeous artwork and deserves all the praise it can get. I also love how Adroit Theory does dabble a bit into the pop cultural realm (they’ve sported GI Joe and Cobra beers this past summer over quarantine / COVID-19 as well as the above Cthulhu reference. Interesting note to point out, in the past I did a beer review about Azathoth – see above reference to Cthulhu for why I am mentioning this. You can find that review here: Beer Review: Azathoth (Edmund’s Oast Brewery)

But keeping this to a discussion on the can art, I have to continue my gushing and say about how much I love it. I can admit to being guilty and buying quite a few beers based on can labels and beer art – usually due to some pop cultural or nerd culture reference (and oh boy, is there a long list of them that I’ve reviewed here on The Beer Thrillers; I’ll post the full list of links at the bottom of this post), but I am also just as guilty of buying beers based on beautiful artwork as well. And this can be a hit or miss practice. I’ve been burnt many a time, as well as been uplifted and surprised by how good a beer is. Thankfully this provides a wonderful segue here, speaking of beautiful can art…. ….and beautiful can liquid…..

Beer Review: The Death of Civilization in Slow Motion I (Ghost 907)

Beer: The Death of Civilization in Slow Motion I (Ghost 907)
Brewery: Adroit Theory
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double New England
ABV: 8%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: A pillowy texture, slight bitterness, and an aroma of tropical fruit with Pineapple and Mango forward notes and Berry and Pine on the finish.

Appearance for this is a beautiful orange, golden glow, and very hazy. Holds up perfectly to the style. Nothing transparent or translucent here, this is pure golden, hazy, dank New England (D)IPA goodness. Wonderful head to it as well, nice carbonation, head retention, and lacing on the glass, with nice dispersed and varied bubbles.

Hmmmm hmmmm hmmm the aroma on this smells just perfectly wonderful. Like a beautiful fruity hoppy aromatic dream. You get a great hop nose-kicking aroma right as soon as you crack open the can, and it mixes in with mango, pineapple, and a wee bit of pine notes from the hops, edging and giving the tropical fruits something to combine with.

Good great Wilbur’s ghost this is a wonderfully smooth beer! It is delicious, tasty, smooth, all the main characteristics of a great New England (D)IPA. There is a wee bit of hop burn at the end, some nice hop bitterness with those pine notes, that makes this not a completely full juicy bomb, and thats just perfect. It compliments the overall hop experience so perfectly well. You get mango, pineapple, berry notes, and the pine notes from the hops, providing a very nice, smooth, fruity, flowery, fluffy like New England (D)IPA. This is (or should be) a standard for the New England IPA and DIPA and TIPA style, like textbook, “Oh you want to learn how to make a New England DIPA? Or you want to know what a really good New England DIPA tastes like? Well here you go!” Textbook definition excellence. The mouthfeel is on point, not too heavy, not watery, not thin, no cloying notes to stick to your tongue or mouth, just a well drinkable beer. The 8% ABV is very nice too; thats a good middle ground. Its not substantially high and its not terribly low either. (For comparison’s sake – Troegs Brewing’s Perpetual IPA – their flagship IPA – is a 7.5%, and Nugget Nectar – their flagship Amber Ale / Red Ale is a 7.5% as well.) So this is really only .5% higher than those two beers, and with how smooth this is, its probably a good thing it’s not much higher. Sometimes too smooth and high ABV just don’t go well together…. especially the next morning. This is a beautiful beer too, well crafted and well made, and an exceptionally terrific smelling beer. The hops work really well in this, and the flavor profile is perfect and on point. The mango, pineapple, pine, and berry are all superb and work so well in conjunction with each other that this is just so extremely tasty. Perfect for a video game session with a buddy.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.14 (as of 2.4.21)

Adroit Theory

Ah, don’t worry, I didn’t forget to include it. Previously, in my last beer review I did – Dunkel Shaun (by Great Barn Brewery) I mentioned that going forward, in each beer review, I will devote a section to the brewery behind the beer. In the above mentioned, previous, beer review, I did it before getting to the review, but due to my beautiful segue in this review, I figured I’d post it at the end. So here you have it.

The following stats all come from Untappd. Adroit Theory is located in Purcellville, Virginia. They are labeled a micro brewery and they have a total of 139 unique beers and just a few shy of 354K ratings. They have a global average rating of 4.04 (as of 2.4.21). Their Untappd description reads: “PUSHING BEER BOUNDARIES IN LOUDOUN COUNTY VIRGINIA Located in Purcellville, Virginia, Adroit Theory makes esoteric + style challenging beers with an emphasis on Hazy IPAs, Fruited Sours, Pastry Stouts, and Barrel Aging Projects. CONSUME LIFE x DRINK ART We typically have 16 beers on draft plus 10-20 options in bottles or cans. Be sure to check our constantly changing Tap List and our full Menu. Message of the Day: ​METAL + EVIL = DESTRUCTION.”

You can find their social media and website links below:

• Adroit Theory: Facebook
• Adroit Theory: Twitter
• Adroit Theory: Instagram
• Adroit Theory: Website

Thanks For Coming

Thanks for checking us out here at The Beer Thrillers. We really appreciate everyone reading our beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, hiking adventures, book reviews, and all kinds of other news and notes we post here on the site and blog. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to leave us a comment here. You can also contact us through our FEEDBACK – CONTACT US page. And as always, be sure to like, follow, subscribe; here and on our social media pages.

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

I’m off to Breski’s Beverage to take advantage of their mix – a – six double discount for the remainder of the week (leading up to the Super Bowl Sunday), as well as picking up the New Trail collaboration expedition pack. I’m sure you’ll see quite a few of these beers up here on the blog soon reviewed.

As always everyone, stay safe out there. (Here in Central PA it looks like their calling for another snowstorm Sunday or Monday or Tuesday, possibly giving us another foot of snow. So be careful!)

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Pop Culture Beer Reviews

As promised, here is all of our “pop culture” / “nerd culture” / etc. beer reviews:

Star Wars:

• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Revenge of the Fifth / Cinco de Mayo
• May the Fourth Be With You
• Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: This is the Way (Broken Goblet Brewing)
• Beer Review: This is the Whey (Bolero Snort Brewery)
• Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)

Space Balls:

• Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

• Beer Review: Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended (Omnegang Brewery)

The Simpsons:

• Beer Review: I Voted for Kodos (Second Sin Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: I Voted for Kang (Second Sin Brewing Company)

Back to the Future:

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

Scrooged:

• Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

A Christmas Story:

• Beer Review: The Soft Electric Glow of Sex (RAR Brewing)

Pro Wrestling:

• Beer Review: Broken Skull – Stone Cold Steve Austin’s IPA (El Segundo Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Macho Man (Couch Brewery)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

• Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

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

Other:

• Beer Review: Super Villain (Urban Village Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Pixels (Seminar Brewing)
• Beer Review: Villeinage (Elder Pine Brewing and Blending)

Welcome back to round number two of the four rounds of four beers I had during the last streaming I did with Drew on Knights of Nostalgia. The first was Pixels by Seminar Brewing, this is the second, the third will be Great Notion Brewing’s Fruit Monster, and the fourth will be Elder Pine Brewing and Blending’s Villeinage. (Spoiler alert: all four beers were really good.)

Aslin Beer Company is one of the many great breweries along the East Coast. In the middle of the East Coast; Virginia, Maryland, D.C, West Virginia, Delaware area; Aslin Beer Company, Burley Oak Brewing Company, The Veil, The Answer, Adroit Theory, Dewey Beer Company, are often mentioned on “must visit” and “top breweries” and “great” lists; they are usually the sought after, the traded for (the Facebook group ISO / FT), and the breweries that people mule back from. So needless to say, it’s fantastic to see some of these breweries (notably Aslin Beer Company and Burley Oak Brewing Company) popping up in distribution (distro) in the area. Breski’s Beverage on Eisenhower Boulevard (outside of Harrisburg between Harrisburg and Middletown) has been getting some wonderful cans from both breweries, as well as many other notable breweries, and is always worth checking in to see what they currently have in stock.

The mix-a-six selection at Breski’s and similar places are phenomenal right now (…phenomenally tasting; horrible on your wallet however). Last Tuesday before stopping at Tattered Flag for their Taco Tuesday, I stopped at Breski’s and got two mix-a-six six-packs (and paid about 60$), but picked up some tremendous beers; like the Isolation Anniversary Beer, two Great Notion beers, a pilsner (Billsner) from Burley Oak, a Black is Beautiful from Non Sequitur, Stickman’s The Growfather (can’t resist a good Godfather pun), two from Stranger Root’s Experimental Ales, Alarmist, Atlantic, etc. All in all, a wonderful selection of beers that you will be seeing reviews of (at least nine out of the 12 anyway, and hopefully in a timely fashion).

So, since I have a ton of reviews to do, and limited time (don’t we all limited time afterall?) I better get right down to this and do this beer review shouldn’t I?

Ok…. lets do it!

Beer: Isolation Anniversary Beer
Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double Milkshake
ABV: 9.4%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: (Blank)

Always a little disappointing to see the description left blank (its nice to see notes from the brewers / brewery, or maybe a joke or pun, or some context behind the beer or the beer name, or why or how it was brewed, if it was a collaboration, if its someone’s favorite recipe, or something at least), but I think this beer doesn’t really need a description, as it stands on its own.

Appearance is similar to that of a New England IPA; its opaque, its hazy, its bright, and orange, and glowing, but its even thicker than a normal New England IPA looks. It has ‘floaters’ especially if you don’t roll it before opening it up and pouring it. Its very well carbonated and has a great foamy white head, with a good pour it has just the right amount of head, with a bad pour I could picture this filling a whole glass with just head. The bubbles on it are nice and it leaves a nice lacing in the glass. It’s turbid, busy, and active.

The nose on this is hoppy, juicy hoppy, citrusy hoppy, but also creamy and vanilla and lactose, like silky smooth creamy milk with lots of fruity, citrus, juice, hops in it. I get mango, peach, citrus, a bit of zest, and a small whiff of grapefruit hop notes in this blended with the vanilla sweetness and cream of the lactose.

First sip… wow. Second sip… double wow. This has a LOT going on. Which is not a fault or problem at all; granted sometimes it can be, but not in this case. This has a lot going on, but all in proportion to the beer itself and within its style and how the beer is supposed to be. It’s not going off into all kinds of different places with varied and confusing mixtures of flavors, or with off flavors, or with competing notes. This just has a lot going on within it, but all with a purpose, all within the style, and all just how you should want it. Its a milkshake, its a hop bomb, its juicy, its turbid, its hazy, its strong, its delicious. Most importantly…. its delicious. And… did I mention yet…. that its delicious? This was hands down my favorite of the night, and it was the boldest, most flavorful, and had the biggest wallop of flavors, notes, aromas, hop, juiciness, and outright drinkability. I could easily kill a four pack of these, and probably in short time too; its just that drinkable. Which is scary at its 9.4% ABV, but it doesn’t feel heavy, or boozy, or knocking you on your face and teeth skittering across the cement floor of the basement kind of alcoholic; its just crushable but at a higher ABV. This is like drinking a smooth, juicy, silky, creamy, orange juice with the fruity citrus juicy hops in for extra flavor. Just like with aroma, I got mostly mango and peach with the flavor, but also got citrus, some zest, and a teeny weensy bit of grapefruit. I do have to say, as much as I could crank down a four pack of this, as someone with lactose intolerance, thats probably not a great idea. These milkshake IPAs and milkshake sours and such with some having an insane amount of lactose in them (this one probably has a rather large amount in it) typically give me some ‘gastro’ issues next morning when I wake up. One or so don’t usually hurt too much, but after that it starts pushing it, especially with the very heavy lacto ones.

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 3.98 (as of 10.25.20)

After wrapping up the beer review here, I wanted to do a bit more research on the beer for the blog, so I did a quick Google search (ASLIN ISOLATION ANNIVERSARY BEER) and the first site was their online ordering form for the beer, which you can find here: Order Isolation Anniversary Beer. It also came with a description for the beer which reads:

“🎉 ISOLATION ANNIVERSARY BEER 🎉 Today‘s the day we opened our (garage) door 5 years ago! 🍻In honor of the 1825 days that have passed since then, we bring you our Aslin ISOLATION ANNIVERSARY BEER. Soft ripe yellow peach, mango, and passionfruit unite with explosively juicy results, and a full-bodied, perfectly zippy taste that finishes off with woody resin notes from Cypress & Sugar Maple wood. This is juicy fruit flesh squeezed into a hazy DIPA!! We’re raising a glass of this to all of you for your incredible support that has helped bring us to YEAR 6. Hang tight, this is not the only drop in our 5th Anniversary series! 🎉 🍻”

Also came with a picture:

Hopefully that provides a bit of closure on the beer and fills in for the lack of a description on Untappd for everyone.

As always everyone, thanks for reading, and be sure to check back soon as I do the other two beers, as well as some recent travelogues (just did a recent hike with my faithful canine companion Leela to the Pinnacle Overlook in Hamburg and stopped at 1787 Brewing Company and Schaylor Brewing Company). As always, there is a ton to check out here on the blog, so be sure to be on the lookout, hit the subscribe and follow button, and always feel free to comment, we love to hear from you!

You can see my latest beer reviews here:

• Beer Review: Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot)
• Beer Review: Unicorns Stomping on Lanternflies (Saucony Creek Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: Griddle (Funk Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Up the Creek Extreme Ale (Thomas Creek Brewery)
• Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery)
• Beer Review: Dropout (Rubber Soul Brewing)

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!

Also, in recent news, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) 2020 ended (their 34th edition; this year virtually rather than in person in Boulder, Colorado), and they’ve announced their winners. You can see what Pennsylvania Breweries won here. As well as the 2020 NAGBW Awards.

Cheers everyone, and stay safe and healthy out there with all the rises in COVID cases. Remember to mask up, remember to wash hands, and most importantly: remember to drink some great craft beers!

-B. Kline

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

The Beer

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

The Review

“Compassion was my weakness
I declared war for no reason“

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

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

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

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

PROST!

J.Doncevic

I always enjoy getting to review (and obviously drink) beers from out of state, ones that I most likely wouldn’t come in contact with. Don’t get me wrong, I love drinking and reviewing local beers and getting them some publicity, and I also love traveling and visiting breweries (just yesterday I was in Wellsboro Pennsylvania, visited the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, and visited the restaurant and brewery – The Wellsboro House), but its also nice getting beers to review, from family, co-workers, and friends. (Hint…. hint…. for any friends, family, etc reading this…. )

A co-worker, Jam, was coming back from South Carolina, and he stopped at a bottle / can shop and grabbed a few beers for me and other co-workers. From Jam, I received a bottle of ‘Up The Creek Extreme Ale’, a can of Sidestepper (Charles Town Fermentary), a can of Pixels (Seminar Brewing), and a can of of a Red Ale / IPA by a collaboration with a radio station (the name eludes me and I left it in my friend’s fridge; but it had a tiger on it, thus why Jam got it for me due to me liking the Bengals). So this is the first of the South Carolina series of brews I’ll be reviewing. (I’ll be doing Sidestepper soon, because I just recently drank that; haven’t gotten to drink the others yet, will probably do the Pixels beer while streaming with D. Scott over at Knights of Nostalgia).

Quickly, before I go too much further, I want to throw a quick shout out to Josh; who is jumping back into the reviewing game (don’t call it a comeback son, he never left). He will have his first review since his Beer Review of Adroit Theory’s COLONIZATION back on November 11th, 2019. Stay tuned, I’m sure you won’t want to miss his newest beer review!

Also, in industry news, Howling Henry’s in Hummelstown just opened this week, as well as Rubber Soul, and Spigot Brewing in Ford City has announced they will be closing.

Now…. onto the review!

Beer: Up The Creek Extreme Ale
Brewery: Thomas Creek Brewery
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 12.5%
IBU: 143
Untappd Description: Up The Creek is a hoppy behemoth of a beer with its 12.5% ABV well hidden under heavy layers of malt. The hops come through powerfully in the mouth, with rich roasted malt, sweet caramel, and a burst of vinous fruit. The finish is malty sweet and fruity, while the hops dissipate. Use caution or you’ll be Up The Creek!

Ok…. so firstly, let me just say, this is the highest IBU we’ve reviewed here on the blog. Probably by a pretty far margin. The highest IBU I’ve ever had, according to the Untappd records of beers I drank is – Gyroscopes and Infrared by Broken Goblet. It was 174 IBU. After that it was the Mean Manalishi Double IPA by Hoppin’ Frog Brewery, clocking in 168 IBU, and in third place is Mango Bomb by Pizza Boy – clocking in at 162 IBU. Up The Creek Extreme Ale is number 7 on my list (according to Untappd), and if you count home brews (at a home brew event I had one that would be number 5 on my list; called Idiot Parade by McCarthy Brewing.)

IBU is a term for IPAs that means: “International Bitterness Units are a chemical/instrumental measurement of the number of bittering compounds, specifically isomerized and oxidized alpha acids, polyphenols, and a few other select bittering chemicals, that make your beer taste bitter. (Last Call for IBUs: Fact, Fiction and What They Mean in Your Beer – May 3, 2017). Overall, its a term that’s not being used as much in the industry anymore, and many brewers aren’t even bothering with testing it or listing it when listing their beers on platforms like Untappd or Beer Advocate. But its still a valuable tool and measurement when it is listed, and I still like to keep track of it, and include it when doing the beer reviews here. Its just not the be – all – end – all it used to be in terms of understanding IPAs (especially since New England IPAs seem to be more mainstream now, actually, being made more than regular old school West Coast style IPAs).

This is an old fashioned high octane ‘pushing the envelope’ West Coast style IPA. Appearance and look for this is on the malty end of IPAs (West Coast IPAs). It has a brown / amber hue, slightly transparent, but mostly opaque. Malt colored and malt looking like a malt bomb through and through. Caramel colored. It has a very rich, frothy, foamy head to it, thick, creamy looking with lots of bubbles.

Aroma is caramel, sweet roasted malt, and then pungent face-punching, nose walloping, hop explosion (can’t even call it aroma, its about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the gonads). You get the idea that this is going to be bitter just by the hop nose to it, and the malt sweetness does nothing to cover it past that initial whiff of the malt.

This doesn’t quite live up to the description provided by Untappd. The Untappd description gives you the impression there’s a bit of hype to this, that there’s more complexity to this than there really is. It starts off with the barest of traces of sweet, or caramel, malt. And then takes a very heavy swan dive off the cliff into a sea of hops. A sea of bitterness, of super hop flavor, super hop bitterness, super hop everything. Overpoweringly so. Too much so. A blend and cornucopia of hops, that doesn’t let you really even distinguish and unique hop flavors or notes. Its just straight hop bitterness in such an overwhelming display of raw power and hop (bitterness) that it doesn’t leave you tasting much of anything else. The malt taste is so minuscule and minimal you don’t taste any of it as soon as you get your first taste of the hops. Unlike the description, the hops don’t really ‘dissipate’, they stay there, punching you like a… like a… like a hop drinking punching bag…. yea… like that! There is definitely no dissipation here. I also don’t really get any ‘fruity’ ending to this. Maybe subtle stone fruit notes… but I think its so awash from the hop bitterness that its too hard to tell, and its too hard to differentiate between hop notes and fruit (stone or otherwise) notes. I think its all just a blend, and whatever notes are supposed to be in there, are so overpowered by the hop bitterness, that its too impossible to tell or to be able to pull them out and take note of them or actually savor them. Now… all of this is to say its not a bad beer; its just not… a great beer. And particularly not my style as much anymore. I do like West Coast style IPAs, and the New England IPA craze hasn’t diminished that; its just… this is too much. Too bitter, too hoppy, not enough actual flavor to it, and too hard to differentiate and tell the various hop notes apart from each other. I’m sure theres lots of ‘ultra’ or ‘uber’ hop heads or hop nerds or beer nerds out there who will love this, and all the better for it and for them, this just isn’t particularly my favorite or something I would outright pursue again.

My Untappd Rating: ***.50
Global Untappd Rating: 3.60 (as of 10.10.20)

Be sure to check out some of our recent beer reviews:

• Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot)
• Unicorns Stomping Spotted Lanternflies (Saucony Creek Brewing Company)
• Griddle (Funk Brewing Company)
• Esmeralda (Ministry of Brewing)
• Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)

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!

Peace, cheers, and prost!

-B. Kline

Firstly, the other listicles I’ve done:
* Our Most Viewed Articles (September, 2019)
* Some Old Posts (September, 2019)

From our friends at Let Us Drink Beer Blog:

Beer Review: ETA IPA (Wild Leap Brew Co.)

Beer Reviews by J. Doncevic:

Beer Review: Colonization (Adroit Theory)

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

Beer Reviews: Envie and Envie 4XDH (Parish Brewing)

Beer Review: Ekuanot Astronaut (BAREbottle Brewing Co.)

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

Beer Review: Enigma (Anchorage Brewing Company)

Beer Review: Ectogasm (Drekker Brewing Co.)

After a few months of us doing the beer reviews, I added the category – styles; where you can click through to find your favorite style or if you want to check out reviews for a particular style. I haven’t gotten to go back through and add the old reviews to the new categories, but I will. In the mean-time, we currently have 26 (and growing) in the IPA Category. You can find it by clicking it here: Categories: Style: IPA.

IPA Beer Reviews by B. Kline:

Beer Review: 40th Hoppy Anniversary Ale (Sierra Nevada Brewing Company)

Beer Review: Icicle (New Trail Brewing Co)

Beer Review: Trial by Wombat (Thin Man Brewery)

Beer Review: Furious IPA (Surly Brewing)

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

Beer Review: Petes Secret Stache (Revision Brewing Company)

Beer Review: Loki – Wild IPA (Newfangled Brew Works)

Beer Review: Doppelgänger (Tree House Brewing)

Beer Review: This is The Way (Broken Goblet)

Beer Review: Julius (Tree House Brewing)

Beer Review: The Hog (Boneshire Brew Works)

Beer Review: Citraquench’l (Heist Brewery)

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewing)

Beer Review: Paradise Lost (Southern Prohibition Brewing)

Beer Review: Fuzzy Nudge (Troegs Independent Brewing)

Beer Review: King Sue (Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.)

And there are plenty more too! From breweries like Boneshire Brew Works, The Millworks, Tattered Flag, South County, New Trail, Troegs Brewing, Anchorage Brewing, Rotunda Brewing, ZeroDay Brewing, Newfangled Brew Works, and so many more! With more getting added constantly.

We’ve been running this blog since late May last year. I (B. Kline) have done a few podcasts (for both beer and pop culture). I am also doing a Beer Education series right now, with a running table of contents. You can see the table of contents (so far) below:

The Beer Education Series:
* Beer Education: Series
* Beer Education: Syllabus
* Beer Education: Introduction
* Beer Education: Module One: The History of Beer Brewing
* Beer Education: Module Two: Barley and Malting
* Beer Education: Module Three: Water

Hopefully (fingers crossed) there will most likely be Module Four released and posted tomorrow.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, hoppy, and happy Easter. It wasn’t my usual, but it was an Easter spent with family. So that in and of itself made it a good day. Got to do some grilling for Easter dinner:

Nothing beats grilling and drinking a wonderful (D)IPA like Time Keeper by Fourscore Beer Co.

So from us here at The Beer Thrillers to your family, we hope you had a wonderful hoppy Easter. Please stay safe, and cheers everyone!