Al's of Hampden - The Beer Thrillers

Seven Harrisburg – Hershey Area Breweries Come Together to Bring Back the 717 Collaboration Beer

B. Kline — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 23:36:09 +0000

Seven Harrisburg – Hershey Area Breweries Come Together to Bring Back the 717 Collaboration Beer

(The following is a press release.)

Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the return of 717 Collaboration Beer, a joint endeavor among the Hershey-based brewery and six other popular local breweries.

717 Collaboration Team Up Photo (showcasing all of the people who worked on the 717 beer) (photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing)

A collaborative effort between Appalachian Brewing, Boneshire Brew Works, Ever Grain Brewing, Pizza Boy Brewing, Wolf Brewing, Zeroday Brewing, and Troegs Independent Brewing, the beer serves as a reminder of the camaraderie that exists among breweries thanks to the thriving craft beer industry in Central Pennsylvania.

Some of the brightest ideas have been developed among sharing stories and laughs with friends over beer. Whether we’re Central PA natives or transplants, we’ve all come together in the 717 with one common goal – to brew great beer and cultivate great friendships.

– John Trogner, Co-founder of Troegs Independent Brewing, and head brewmaster for the 29 year old Central PA brewery – which opened in Harrisburg and then later moved to Hershey

The Resurrection of the 717 Collaboration Beer

As you can see from the team up photo above, the beer was created by Troegs Brewing, Appalachian Brewing, Boneshire Brew Works, Ever Grain Brewing, Pizza Boy Brewing, Wolf Brewing, ZeroDay Brewing, and YAH Brew, created at the ZeroDay Brewing facility. Also in the picture includes various people from other breweries like Hemauer Brewing, YAH Brew, and helpers such as the Harris Family brewers, and more.

The 717 Collaboration label (photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing, as seen on Untappd and the various websites and social medias of the breweries involved)

Brewed at Zeroday’s brewing facility in Harrisburg, the West Coast-style Pilsner weighs in at 6.3% ABV and highlights Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, and Solero hops. The beer combines the light, malty and crisp attributes of a pilsner with the hop-forward aroma and dry bitterness of a West Coast-style IPA.

Collaboration brews are always fun. When you put seven breweries in the same place to come up with a recipe, you’re going to generate awesome conversation and ultimately come up with a great beer. It’s proof that beer brings people together, and this collaboration is a reminder of that spirit.

-Hannah Ison, Director of Brewing Operations at Zeroday

Distribution

All seven participating breweries will unveil the 717 Collaboration Beer on Thursday, July 17. The limited beer will be available exclusively on tap at each brewery’s tap room.

(Note: This is a press release. This beer’s release also comes on the heels of Appalachian Brewing Company announcing the closing of their Harrisburg Brewpub.)

Troegs Related Articles

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

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

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

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We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

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

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You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server).

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

We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written. The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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

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

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

Mechanicsburg Area Breweries

beermapsofusa — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:56:43 +0000

A map of the Mechanicsburg (and surrounding) Area breweries.

Mechanicsburg Area Breweries

There are a lot of fantastic breweries in the Mechanicsburg area! And with the addition of Sworn Brewing – that list is only growing!

Here is Google Directions to take you from the greater Mechanicsburg area breweries (starting at Ever Grain Brewing Company): Google Maps – Greater Mechanicsburg Area Breweries. These directions will take you from Ever Grain Brewing Company to Mellow Mink Brewery to LoveDraft’s Brew Co to Appalachian Brewing Company (Mechanicsburg) to High Road Taproom to Sworn Brewing to Wolf Brewing to Hemauer Brewing and then ending at Marzoni’s Brick Over Pizza and Brewery and Isaac’s Craft Kitchen and Brewery. Total driving time is 53 minutes (at time of making the map). 16.3 miles of driving total.

Google Map Directions of Breweries in Mechanicsburg (starting with Ever Grain Brewing Company)

Map of Mechanicsburg Area Breweries

The following map shows breweries in the Mechanicsburg area. Breweries with the ‘beer mug’ are located in Mechanicsburg (although Ever Grain is listed as a Camp Hill location, it is just two blocks away from Mellow Mink which has a Mechanicsburg address, and Grateful Goat which is further east than both, also has a Mechanicsburg address – so I have included Ever Grain Brewing in with the Mechanicsburg breweries). Also included are breweries in very near by surrounding (West Shore) areas – such as Enola, Lemoyne, Camp Hill, etc.

The yellow pins are those without a Mechanicsburg address (not including Ever Grain which I placed in with the Mechanicsburg locations) – it also includes the Farmers Market (West Shore Farmers Market) which has a GearHouse Brewing stand.

A late addition to the list is Cold Springs Brewery; which has a Mechanicsburg address despite being south of Shepherdstown. (I was tempted to give this a separate pin color, but decided against it due to having a Mechanicsburg location still, and because it would be the only one of that nature).

How to Use the Map

You can zoom in, and click on each of the beer mugs with the paw prints on them to see the breweries. This will call up their address via Google Maps, as well as any other information they have supplied to Google (phone numbers, websites, etc.). You can also save this map to your Google Maps so when you call up Google Maps these locations will be pinned onto your map as an overlay.

The Map:

List of Mechanicsburg Area Breweries

Here is a list of the breweries to be found on the map above:

Mechanicsburg Area:

Mellow Mink Brewery
Appalachian Brewing Company – Mechanicsburg
Grateful Goat Brewery
Sworn Brewing
Highroad Taproom
Hemauer Brewing
LoveDraft’s Brew Co
Wolf Brewing
Marzoni’s Brewery
Isaac’s Craft Brewery
Cold Springs Brewery

Enola and Camp Hill Areas:

Ever Grain Brewing Company (Camp Hill Address)
Jigsy’s Pizza and Brewery
PizzaBoy Brewing / Al’s of Hampden
Wild Rabbit Pizza and Eatery (Ever Grain secondary location)

Vendors:

GearHouse Brewing Company: West Shore Farmer’s Market

Pennsylvania Breweries

Two additional resources we currently have to offer for Pennsylvania Breweries:

List of All Pennsylvania Breweries
Map of Veteran Owned Pennsylvania Breweries
Map of Dauphin County Breweries
Map of Lebanon County Breweries
Map of Dog Friendly Breweries in Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg Area Breweries

Maps of Breweries in the United States of America (USA)

The below is a list of maps of the states, territories, and districts of the United States. As well as a fun map of all the breweries that The Beer Thrillers have been to. I am working on getting these done geographically, starting with Maine. (When the state is underlined and in color, means the map is done and ready to be viewed.)

States

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Territories

American Samoa
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Guam
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Republic of Palau
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Districts

Washington D.C.

Miscellaneous Maps

Hops and Vines for Hunger Participating Breweries (2023)
Map of Veteran Owned Pennsylvania Breweries
Map of Dog Friendly Breweries in Pennsylvania

Fun Maps

Map of All the Breweries that The Beer Thrillers Have Visited (Total)
Map of All the Breweries that The Beer Thrillers Visited (in 2023)
Map of All the Breweries that The Beer Thrillers Visited (in 2022)
Map of All the Breweries that The Beer Thrillers Visited (in 2021)
Map of All the Breweries that The Beer Thrillers Visited (in 2020)

If we decide to add any future maps, we will update the page if necessary. If you have any map suggestions for us, please feel free to comment, contact us, or e – mail us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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.

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

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

Pouring Excellence: Pennsylvania’s Top Craft Breweries of 2023

B. Kline — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 03:48:51 +0000

Pouring Excellence in Pennsylvania

Welcome, beer aficionados and hop enthusiasts, to a journey through the heart of craft beer innovation – Pennsylvania! In 2023, the Keystone State continues to be a hotbed of brewing creativity, with its craft breweries pushing the boundaries of flavor and technique. Join us as we uncover the top Pennsylvania breweries that are making waves, earning them a well-deserved spot in the limelight and your pint glass.

Pouring Excellence: Pennsylvania’s Top Craft Breweries of 2023

Lets take a look at all of the breweries that are pouring excellent beers across the state of Pennsylvania.

1. Troegs Independent Brewing (Hershey, PA): A Craft Beer Icon

Troegs Independent Brewing

Our journey begins with the iconic Troegs Independent Brewing, nestled in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Renowned for their innovative brews, Troegs consistently delivers a diverse range of styles, from the hoppy bliss of Perpetual IPA to the rich and decadent Mad Elf Ale during the holiday season. With a commitment to quality and experimentation, Troegs remains a staple in the Pennsylvania craft beer scene.

2. Yuengling Brewery (Pottsville, PA): America’s Oldest Brewery

Yuengling Brewery

No discussion of Pennsylvania’s brewing excellence is complete without mentioning Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville. Established in 1829, Yuengling is America’s oldest brewery, and it continues to stand the test of time. Known for its traditional lagers, including the iconic Yuengling Lager, this brewery is a living testament to Pennsylvania’s rich brewing history.

3. Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA): Craft Pioneers

Victory Brewing

Downingtown is home to Victory Brewing Company, a true pioneer in the craft beer movement. With a commitment to bold flavors and quality ingredients, Victory has become synonymous with innovative brewing. From the hop-forward HopDevil IPA to the smooth richness of Victory at Sea, this brewery remains a trailblazer in the Pennsylvania craft beer landscape.

4. Tired Hands Brewing Company (Ardmore, PA): Artisanal Mastery

Tired Hands Brewing

Ardmore is the artistic haven for beer lovers, thanks to Tired Hands Brewing Company. Known for its artisanal approach to brewing, Tired Hands crafts small-batch masterpieces that push the boundaries of flavor and style. From the hazy bliss of Alien Church IPA to the experimental delights of the Milkshake series, every visit to Tired Hands is a unique and memorable experience.

5. Weyerbacher Brewing Company (Easton, PA): Bold and Adventurous

Weyerbacher Brewing

Easton boasts the bold and adventurous Weyerbacher Brewing Company. This brewery embraces a fearless approach to brewing, crafting beers that are as complex as they are daring. From the mighty Imperial Stout to the fruity explosion of Berry Monks, Weyerbacher is a go-to for those seeking bold flavors and innovative brews.

6. Pizza Boy Brewing Company (Enola, PA): Artisanal Craftsmanship Meets Culinary Ingenuity

Pizza Boy Brewing / Al’s of Hampden

Enola is home to the culinary-inspired Pizza Boy Brewing Company, a brewery that seamlessly blends artisanal craftsmanship with the culinary ingenuity of its parent company, Al’s of Hampden. Known for pushing the boundaries of beer styles, Pizza Boy offers a diverse range of brews, from the hoppy intensity of Hop Vision to the smooth richness of Sunny Side Up Stout. Each beer is a testament to the brewery’s commitment to quality and the art of flavor exploration.

7. Sly Fox Brewing Company (Pottstown, PA): Tradition with a Twist

Sly Fox Brewing

Sly Fox Brewing Company in Pottstown is where tradition meets a contemporary twist. With a focus on approachable styles that still pack a punch of flavor, Sly Fox has become a beloved name in the Pennsylvania craft beer scene. The crisp Pikeland Pils and the playful Alex’s Lemon Wheat Ale showcase the brewery’s commitment to quality and drinkability.

8. Evil Genius Beer Company (Philadelphia, PA): Wit and Whimsy in Every Sip

Evil Genius Beer Company

Philadelphia’s Evil Genius Beer Company injects wit and whimsy into every brew. Known for their playful branding and creative concoctions, Evil Genius has carved a niche in the craft beer landscape. From the refreshing Purple Monkey Dishwasher Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter to the hoppy delight of I’ll Have What She’s Having, Evil Genius keeps beer enthusiasts guessing and toasting with a smile.

9. Round Guys Brewing Company (Lansdale, PA): Community-Centric Craftmanship

Round Guys Brewing

Lansdale’s Round Guys Brewing Company is a community-centric brewery that takes pride in its craft. With a welcoming taproom and a diverse lineup of beers, including the sessionable Kolsch and the robust The Berliner, Round Guys fosters a sense of camaraderie among its patrons. It’s a testament to the power of local craft beer in bringing people together.

10. Funk Brewing Company (Emmaus, PA): Funky Flavors, Serious Craft

Funk Brewing

Our journey concludes in Emmaus with Funk Brewing Company, where funky flavors meet serious craft. Specializing in a range of styles, from hoppy IPAs to complex barrel-aged brews, Funk Brewing consistently impresses with its commitment to quality and innovation. The Citrus IPA and Silent Disco showcase the brewery’s ability to balance boldness with approachability, making it a must-visit destination for beer enthusiasts.

11. Boneshire Brew Works (Harrisburg, PA): Crafting Flavorful Adventures

Boneshire Brew Works

Harrisburg boasts Boneshire Brew Works, a brewery dedicated to crafting flavorful adventures in every pint. Known for their innovative and diverse lineup, Boneshire Brew Works offers everything from hoppy IPAs to rich stouts, creating a tapestry of flavors that captivates beer enthusiasts. With a commitment to community and creativity, Boneshire is a shining star in the Pennsylvania craft beer scene.

12. Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company (Croydon, PA): Waterside Brews

Neshaminy Creek Brewing

Croydon hosts Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, where waterside brews meet craft innovation. Nestled near the creek that shares its name, this brewery offers a delightful range of beers, from the hoppy intensity of The Shape of Hops to Come to the smooth allure of Croydon Cream Ale. With a commitment to quality and a scenic setting, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company is a hidden gem.

13. The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company (Braddock, PA): Urban Craftmanship

Brew Gentleman

Braddock is home to The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company, an urban brewery that embodies craftsmanship and community. Known for their meticulous approach to brewing, The Brew Gentlemen delivers a diverse array of beers, including the well-balanced General Braddock’s IPA and the seasonal delights of their limited releases. This brewery is a testament to the revitalization of craft beer in urban landscapes.

14. Conshohocken Brewing Company (Conshohocken, PA): Crafting Tradition with a Modern Twist

Conshohocken Brewing Company

Conshohocken Brewing Company marries tradition with a modern twist, offering a diverse range of beers in the heart of Conshohocken. From the crisp and refreshing Puddlers Row ESB to the bold and hoppy 2SPils, this brewery captures the essence of both classic and contemporary brewing styles. Conshohocken Brewing Company is a must-visit for those seeking a dynamic and approachable beer lineup.

15. Spring House Brewing Company (Lancaster, PA): Brewing with Imagination

Spring House Brewing

Lancaster’s Spring House Brewing Company is a haven for those who appreciate brewing with imagination. Known for their creative labels and equally imaginative beers, this brewery offers a spectrum of flavors, from the chocolaty decadence of Big Gruesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout to the fruity escapade of Mango IPA. Spring House Brewing Company is where every pint tells a whimsical tale.

Pennsylvania’s Craft Beer Scene in 2023

Pennsylvania’s craft beer scene in 2023 is a tapestry of innovation, tradition, and regional pride, embodied by these top breweries. Whether you’re a local seeking a new favorite spot or a craft beer enthusiast planning a beer pilgrimage, these establishments offer an unforgettable taste of Pennsylvania’s brewing excellence. Raise your glass to the Keystone State, where every sip tells a story of rich brewing traditions and the continual evolution of craft beer.

Pennsylvania at the start of 2023 boasted 500+ breweries. The above fifteen are just an example of the great craft breweries in the state. There are so many more to visit and try out from all corners of the state. Breweries like YAH Brew, Appalachian Brewing Company, Strange Roots Experimental Ales, Moo – Duck Brewery, Otto’s Pub and Brewery, Human Robot, Gunpowder Falls Brewing, and so many more. Be sure to cross the state and get to experience all of these great breweries. See our maps for more ideas on breweries to visit! Cheers!

A Series of Craft Beer Articles

This is just one of several in a series of over arching ‘craft beer’ related articles. Several alone in a ‘flagship’ series. In the next few weeks there will be some more that come out as well. I would like to have this general level of different ‘craft beer articles’ that everyone can kind of jump to and read and use for informative purposes, and give a better understanding for the other articles on the site.

Some of these articles are about definitions (like “What is Craft Beer?“) and others are about Craft Breweries in general like the Top 50 Producing Craft Breweries, etc.

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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

Amy’s Day Off

AmyMWolfe — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 02:18:21 +0000

Amy likes to envision herself like Ferris Bueller relaxing some days.

This Fast Paced World

Life just never seems to slow down. I have these grandiose plans of things to do when I’m bored. Do I really expect that might happen in my lifetime?

One thing I do have to be thankful for is when meeting the wonderful editor/creator of this blog as he retaught me how to take time for myself and relax. So now that we have a 5 – month – old daughter together, we still make time to do just that. I’m sure you know what I’m about to claim is our favorite relaxation activity? Yup, you got it, go have a beer!

The past couple of outings we have visited some breweries they were definitely at times when both sat down with a beer and let out a big sigh. This is what breweries do for us. They become our 3^rd home. That one we have those relaxation dreams and plan big.

Local Favorites

The past few weeks have consisted of some visits at some fav breweries around our area; many more favs on the list of course! We just had our first outside beer drinking over at Troegs Independent Craft Brewing in Hershey. There we split a flight and shared a smoked brisket sandwich with a side of hop fries. I remember being so excited to be able to sit on the patio outside. It’s about making sure to take that bit of relaxation, squeeze it in your day!

We swung by Cox Brewing Company when we were in the area running errands and trying desperately not to forget a stop. We shared the Gene Wenger’s meats and fine foods snack pack. We were sitting in the open-door garage with the breeze blowing after the morning rain in their new/old Rheems location. Admit it, you took a deep breath in as you read that last line. I did too. We took the time to share some brews, some laughs and some deep sighs before heading out of CBC. Then we tackled the rest of that To-Do list!

(Read Amy’s column last week about Cox Brewing Company – Cox Brewing Company: Back to Their Roots.)

Another awesome moment to sit outside was at Boneshire Brew Works in Rutherford, we enjoyed the picnic table layout in the parking lot. We munched on our fav of their amazing pizza creations, the bacon thyme pizza.

Amy drools just like Homer Simpsons at the thought of Boneshire Brew Works’ beers and pizzas

We each sipped on a beer and enjoyed the evening outside. (Ben got ‘The Heights’ IPA and I got the ‘Pletzfest’ festbier.) It was a beautiful evening, and was fun to see the ‘Death Rattler’ truck pull up.

We did Pizza Boy in Enola in the half outside room they have and it was great introducing my mom to Pizza Boy too. Yup, my mom loves the craft beer too. We actually just took her to Pizza Boy again tonight. We swung by there both times after a couple mile walk. (First trip we walked the Vincent DiFilippo Nature Preserve, and the second trip we walked Grandon Farm Trail starting from Creekview Park South.)

(You can read Ben’s book review about the art of stillness and relaxing here: Book Review: The Art of Stillness – Adventures in Going Nowhere (Pico Iyer).)

Ok that’s it, I need to go relax and so should you.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller

Drink More Beer!

-Amy

Amy is taking the day off.

Thank You For Reading

If you really want to take the day off, you can check out some of our articles, like this one about Hemp and Beer:

Hemp and Beer – Happy 4:20 Day

Or this list of Amy’s weekly column articles:

Thanks for reading everyone. Be sure to like, subscribe, and follow, to keep getting our great content. Comment and let us know what you think, give us your suggestions, ideas, or thoughts. Any questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us through the CONTACT US page.

Cheers!

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

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

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

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

Beer Review: Sunny Side Up – Bacon (Pizza Boy Brewing Co.)

BKline — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 03:35:00 +0000

Sunny Side Up – Bacon by Pizza Boy Brewing Co.

Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up has been a staple of Pizza Boy since…. well, since as long as I can remember; and therefore a staple of the Central PA (Harrisburg – Hershey) beer scene. It is a fantastic stout and showcases how Pizza Boy could always make a really good (albeit rarely made) stout.

Sunny Side Up is a regular / semi – regular beer from Pizza Boy that they make, and is often one of the ‘come home to get’ beers for many who moved away (similar to how Nugget Nectar, Mad Elf, and Nimble Giant from Troegs is).

I’ll post the Untappd description here, since the version I’m reviewing here (Sunny Side Up – Bacon) doesn’t have a description.

Sunny Side Up:

Sunny Side Up – Little Amps! Double Coffee Stout is our rich, smooth oatmeal imperial stout brimming with locally sourced coffee from Little Amps coffee roasters in Harrisburg, PA
Untappd: Sunny Side Up

As you can see from the link, as of 11.15.21, regular Sunny Side Up has a global average rating of 4.16.

Pizza Boy has released a ton of different variants over the year, from hazelnut, to chocolate, to one off firkins, to pumpkin, to all different kinds, and this is no different. Though the ABV for this bacon variant is a bit higher than most of them, and certainly higher than the original (original is a 9.6%; the Bacon wash variant is 11.9%).

Beer Review

Sunny Side Up – Bacon (by Pizza Boy Brewing Co)

Beer: Sunny Side Up – Bacon
Brewery: Pizza Boy Brewing Co.
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 11.9%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: (Blank)

Pizza Boy, also known as Al’s of Hampden, has been one of the staples and giants of the greater Harrisburg area brewery / beer scene. Along with Troegs Brewing and Appalachian Brewing Company, they were the ‘originals’ or ‘OGs’ (as the hip cool young kids say nowadays) of the Harrisburg beer scene. Their Untappd description is low-key and simple:

“A brewery inside a pizza shop. Pizza. Beer. Happy.”

They have (according to Untappd) 295 unique beers (I wanna say its far more than that in their history, but we’ll go with the stats given), with (as of time of writing this – on 11.15.21) 644,984 ratings, 99,695 of which are unique; for a global average rating of 3.88.

I personally would say they are primarily known for IPAs (typically hazy), sours (think Permasmile, etc.), and stouts like Sunny Side Up and all of its variants.

This was a variant that I was very eagerly looking forward to getting to try and so glad I did. So let’s break it down and discuss this. (As always, I break it down going by paragraphs as such – aroma, visual, taste.)

Cracked open the can, poured it out, and you get a wonderful aroma of roasty notes from the coffee, dark heavy stout smells, and a bit of a greasy bacon hint. The bacon and the cooking pan smell is definitely the most subtle to this, as the coffee aroma certainly overpowers it, along with your typical malt and stout and roast notes from a good dark heavy stout.

Visually there’s not a whole lot to say other than what you can see from the picture. It looks as if it could be coffee other than the beautiful head it has to it; which is a nice small ring, maybe a quarter of an inch, with varied bubbles, and left nice lacing. The head was an off white, slightly tannish hue, and lasted til first sip. The stout itself is a deep, dark ocher, or as I often say on the blog “as black as Razor Ramon’s hair” or “black like the abyss we all stare into”. Take your pick.

Taste I think is where your mileage may vary on this one. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this beer and it is one hundred percent a good beer. There’s zero off flavors, there’s zero wrong with it. Why I say the mileage may vary, is on the bacon flavor. I’ve talked to a few good friends who had it, and the person who I drank this with, and we all had different opinions and thoughts on how much the bacon flavor came through. To be honest, when I hear ‘bacon flavored’ in beer, I’m a bit skeptical right out of the gate, wondering how its going to translate and how they are going to make it work. I’m of the opinion that it doesn’t come through too strong. You get the coffee, you get the malt, you get the stout, you get some booziness, (especially with its 11.9%), but I don’t get a ton or even a lot of bacon flavor. More like a whiff of it, like its there, barely hanging on the fringes. I think the bacon comes through a bit on the back – end and the aftertaste. (I burped after drinking it, and I could taste a bit of bacon on the burp, so I suppose it has to be in there somewhere, unless I was over thinking my burp, which is always a very good possibility.) There is a sweetness to this that I don’t recall from the original Sunny Side Up (which I always thought tasted more bitter – though it has been several months since I’ve had the original). This could be from the greasy ‘wash out’ of the bacon in the beer, I don’t know, but it has a nice taste. I enjoy the flavor of this very much, I think like I said above, that the bacon flavor mileage will vary for many, though it seems overall people are saying its subliminal or subtle or minimal rather than being stronger or too strong. If you want to enjoy a good, strong, high ABV stout, this is still certainly a fantastic choice and you can’t go wrong with that.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.07 (as of 11.15.21)

Other Pizza Boy Reviews

Here’s a few other Pizza Boy beer reviews we’ve done:

Thanks for Reading

As always everyone, thanks for reading. This was a great stout to finish my day on, after a 10 hour day working the craps table, followed by errands to Home Depot and Target, and then having to run an errand and go to the bank for my ex-wife, this was a nice relaxing end of my day (while re-watching the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode from Sunday) and finding out my one fantasy football team barely edged out the win by .84!

Thursday and Friday is going to be a big trip for us. We’re running down through Maryland, over into Delaware, and up into New Jersey and then through Philly before heading home. So be on the lookout for big stuff coming out of this trip. And make sure to be checking back in daily here at the blog. News on the street is, our new writer may have her first post up tomorrow, so be sure to check that out!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – Round Two – FACEs Conference

BKline — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:55:44 +0000

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

To view the results of Round One, and for background information on the tournament – The Battle of the Breweries (2021) (March Madness) click here: Round One Results and Round Two and Moving Forward – The Battle of the Breweries (2021) (The Beer Thriller’s March Madness).

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

Voting runs until March 14th, 11:59PM (EST).

For past links, go here:

March Madness – The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

Round One Voting Polls:

HEELs Conference:
* Triple H Division: Round One
* Ric Flair Division: Round One
FACEs Conference:
* Stone Cold Steve Austin Division: Round One
* The Rock Division: Round One

Vote

[perfect_survey id=”7374″]

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

The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – March Madness Continues – The Conference Round

BKline — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:15:02 +0000

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

Voting Polls for Round Two

(Edited: March 8th, 9:02AM). Since this is the landing page when exiting the polls, I am posting the links here for both poll locations, so you can easily jump to the next poll to vote.

Round One Has Finished

Thank you everyone who has voted in round one. We got 3422 votes in one week and thus has ended round one of the tournament! We have gone from 48 breweries and competitors down to 24 breweries left.

First a word on going forward: due to how I have set-up the brackets and how its not a typical “32” or “64” or “128” tournament, that means we will now go from divisions to two conferences. (We’ll keep the wrestling theme going and still call them the HEELs and FACEs conferences.) At this point we will also re-seed the conferences. Just like before, total global average rating on Untappd will be used to seed the breweries.

But first up, some statistics from the first round:

Round One Statistics

Voting statistics:

Total votes for round one: 3422
Total votes for Triple H Division: 388
Total votes for Ric Flair Division: 305
Total votes for HEELs conference: 693
Total “upsets” (any higher seed defeating a lower seed) in HEELs conference: 2
Total votes for Stone Cold Steve Austin Division: 870
Total votes for The Rock Division: 823
Total votes for FACEs conference: 1693
Total “upsets” (any higher seed defeating a lower seed) in FACEs conference: 7

Upsets:

HEELs Conference:

Gearhouse Brewing Company (9) defeating Levity Brewing (4)
Desperate Times Brewing Company (10) defeating Yellow Bridge Brewing (3)
Chatty Monks Brewing (7) defeating Cox Brewing Company (6)

FACEs Conference:

Three Heads Brewing (11) defeating Idiom Brewing (2)
Rubber Soul Brewing Company (10) defeating Breaker Brewing (3)
Tattered Flag (9) defeating ShuBrew Brewing Company (4)
Rough Edges Brewing (8) defeating Wolfs Ridge Brewing Company (5)
The Church Brew Works (12) defeating Cushwa Brewing (1)
The Isle of Que Brewing (11) defeating Jackie O’s Brewery (2)
Molly Pitcher Brewing Company (8) defeating Mellow Mink Brewing (5)

Results of Round One

HEELs Conference: Triple H Division:

Fourscore Brewing Company (1 seed) (52 votes) defeated Black Forest Brewing (12 seed) (15 votes)
Urban Artifact (2 seed) (41 votes) defeated The Ministry of Brewing (11 seed) (23 votes)
Mad Chef Brewing (3 seed) (39 votes) defeated ZeroDay Brewing Company (10 seed) (25 votes)
GearHouse Brewing Company (9 seed) (39 votes) defeated Levity Brewing (4 seed) (33 votes)
Swiftwater Brewing Company (5 seed) (43 votes) defeated Highway Manor (8 seed) (18 votes)
Sun King Brewery (6 seed) (33 votes) defeated Braxton Brewing Company (7 seed) (27 votes)

HEELs Conference: Ric Flair Division:

Dewey Beer Company (1 seed) (35 votes) defeated Couch Brewery (12 seed) (16 votes)
Rotunda Brewing Company (2 seed) (37 votes) defeated Snitz Creek Brewing Company (11 seed) (14 votes)
Desperate Times Brewing (10 seed) (30 votes) defeated Yellow Bridge Brewing (3 seed) (19 votes)
Troegs Craft Independent Brewing Company (4 seed) (48 votes) defeated Saucony Creek Brewing Company (9 seed) (9 votes)
Twisted Bine Brewing Company (5 seed) (30 votes) defeated Land-Grant Brewing Company (8 seed) (17 votes)
Chatty Monks Brewing (7 seed) (30 votes) defeated Cox Brewing Company (6 seed) (20 votes)

FACEs Conference: Stone Cold Steve Austin Division:

Ever Grain Brewing Company (1 seed) (85 votes) defeated Mt. Gretna Craft Brewery (12 seed) (49 votes)
Three Heads Brewing (11 seed) (65 votes) defeated Idiom Brewing (2 seed) (59 votes)
Rubber Soul Brewing Company (10 seed) (65 votes) defeated Breaker Brewing (3 seed) (57 votes)
Tattered Flag (9 seed) (102 votes) defeated ShuBrew Brewing (4 seed) (34 votes)
Rough Edges Brewing (8 seed) (177 votes) defeated Wolf’s Ridge Brewing (5 seed) (40 votes)
Boneshire Brew Works (6 seed) (70 votes) defeated Liquid Noise Brewing Company (7 seed) (67 votes)

FACEs Conference: The Rock Division:

The Church Brew Works (12 seed) (82 votes) defeated Cushwa Brewing (1 seed) (43 votes)
The Isle of Que Brewing Company (11 seed) (146 votes) defeated Jackie O’s Brewery (2 seed) (31 votes)
Pizza Boy Brewing Company (Al’s of Hampden) (3 seed) (106 votes) defeated Taft’s Brewing Company (Taft’s Ale House) (10 seed) (29 votes)
Funk Brewing Company (4 seed) (95 votes) defeated Olde Bedford Brewing Company (9 seed) (34 votes)
Molly Pitcher Brewing Company (8 seed) (79 votes) defeated Mellow Mink Brewing (5 seed) (51 votes)
Moo-Duck Brewing Company (6 seed) (81 votes) defeated Logyard Brewing Company (7 seed) (46 votes)

Round Two

Round two now begins and will run until next Sunday night at Midnight – eastern time. (March 14th – March 15th Midnight). We now do away with the divisions and just go into conferences. So there is now two conferences of 12 breweries / competitors each. The conferences are reseeded (again using Untappd rankings) to create the new brackets for each conference.

Round Two Match-Ups

The new brackets for the conferences, and The Battle of the Breweries (2021) March Madness going forward now looks like this:

HEELs Conference:

Fourscore Beer Company (1) (4.09) vs. GearHouse Brewing Company (12) (3.68)
Dewey Beer Company (2) (4.08) vs. Desperate Times Brewing (11) (3.69)
Rotunda Brewing Company (3) (3.96) vs. Chatty Monks Brewing (10) (3.71)
Urban Artifact (4) (3.90) vs. Sun King Brewery (9) (3.71)
Troegs Craft Independent Brewing Company (5) (3.79) vs. Swiftwater Brewing Company (8) (3.77)
Mad Chef Brewing Company (6) (3.79) vs. Twisted Bine Brewing Company (7) (3.79)

FACEs Conference:

Ever Grain Brewing Company (1) (3.93) vs. The Church Brew Works (12) (3.56)
Pizza Boy Brewing Company (Al’s of Hampden) (2) (3.88) vs. The Isle of Que Brewing Company (11) (3.69)
Funk Brewing Company (3) (3.86) vs. Three Heads Brewing Company (10) (3.71)
Moo-Duck Brewing Company (4) (3.83) vs. Rubber Soul Brewing Company (9) (3.74)
Boneshire Brew Works (5) (3.83) vs. Molly Pitcher Brewing Company (8) (3.75)
Rough Edges Brewing (6) (3.82) vs. Tattered Flag (7) (3.79)

Voting Begins Now

The polls will be going up shortly after this post goes live (about 8:30AM EST). Make sure to share the polls to help your favorite breweries in! And hopefully we can beat round one’s total of votes! (We need 3423 votes to break the first week’s numbers.)

Thank you all for participating in the polls!

For past results and information on the brackets, you can check out the following links:

March Madness – The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

Round One Voting Polls:

HEELs Conference:
* Triple H Division: Round One
* Ric Flair Division: Round One
FACEs Conference:
* Stone Cold Steve Austin Division: Round One
* The Rock Division: Round One

As always, please like us and follow us here and on our social media pages to stay up to date on The Beer Thrillers. We have plenty of content to check out, so be sure to stop by often to see what we have coming out. Beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, events, news, and more!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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

The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – FACEs Conference – The Rock Division – Round One

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

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

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

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

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

[perfect_survey id=”7330″]

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

March Madness (2021) – The Beer Thrillers Way

BKline — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

The Battle of the Breweries (2021) – VOTING LINKS

Since this is the landing page post – survey, I will keep all of the voting links here for quick reference and jumping point, and so they don’t get lost in all the muddle.

HEELs Conference:
* Triple H Division: Round One
* Ric Flair Division: Round One
FACEs Conference:
* Stone Cold Steve Austin Division: Round One
* The Rock Division: Round One

(Updated: 10AM – March 1st, 2021. Continue on for the original introduction to The Battle of the Breweries [2021] – March Madness tournament – article.)

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

Who’s ready for some March Madness? Like everyone else, in March, that means we need to fill out some brackets! And we here at The Beer Thrillers are no different!

BUT….

Instead of filling out NCAA or college basketball brackets, we are doing our own take on it – The Battle of the Breweries (2021)!

The Battle of the Breweries (2021)

So how’s this going to work? Who all is invited? What all breweries are going to be in it? How many breweries? How’s voting going to work? Who decides whose in and whose out? Whats the seeding? Why is Rick such a jerk to Morty? Why is Jurassic Bark the saddest episode of Futurama ever? Why is it also B. Kline’s favorite episode? What does that say about him? Why is the sky blue?

Ok…. enough with the questions!

The procedure for this ‘tournament’ will be similar to most other March Madness style tournaments. Similar to the ones you’ve seen Untappd and Breweries in PA have done, but with a bit of a twist. Because we here at The Beer Thrillers have a terrible time making full fledged decisions, the list of competitors will be 48 instead of the normal 32.

How did I decide what breweries will be involved? Simple. Only breweries that I have physically visited in person. The voting is based on the brewery and their beers; but to be included on this list, I personally had to have been to one of their locations.

How is seeding decided? Thats also pretty simple, the seeding is based on global average Untappd ratings. So the decision of the seeding is out of my hands. Also, bonus, you can’t get mad at me for the seeding. “Why is X above Y? Why is Z below D?” Its all decided by Untappd.

So whats the tournament structure? One total grouping of 48 breweries (in lieu of teams), divided by two conferences of 24 each, which is divided further into a total of four divisions of 12 each. So break down is simple: 4 divisions of 12 each, with two divisions per conference, of 24 teams in each, for a total of 48 competitors / teams / breweries.

How did we decide on who is in what division? Simple – random number generator. I rolled the dice (a D4 to be exact, thank you to my old nerdy DnD days, I just ‘happened’ to have one of these lying about). Rolled the dice for each brewery to locate them into a division. If one division was understaffed and another overstaffed, I re-rolled until they were evened out.

Let’s Meet Our Competitors

So who all do we have facing off in this crazy free for all of brewing expertise? Quite an assembly of breweries actually. There are a heavy abundance of local (Central PA local) breweries but there is an assortment of breweries from my various travels and across a few states. We have a few breweries from the Rochester area of New York; some breweries from Maryland, a Delaware brewery, some from Ohio, one from Indiana, and one from Kentucky as well.

Surprisingly; it actually took a while to curate the list. At even 48 entries, I still had many more to include, and even removed a few to make it a bit more diverse. I wanted to try and make this as diverse as possible (so removed a local brewery for one out of state, etc.). Possibly in the future, maybe the 2022 iteration of this, or the 2023, who knows, it’ll expand to even more breweries.

This has taken up pretty much my entire night to create the list, and to roll the dice for their divisions, and then checking their Untappd scores to get them into the correct seedings. In the case of matching Untappd scores, I did make my own decision, and that was primarily based on my thoughts of their size, notoriety, branding; so there is a few judgment calls due to a few ties, but there isn’t too many of them.

Conferences and division names…. I had to decide on what to pick. I was going to go by hop names, but I saw at last second, that the Breweries in PA have done that this year, instead of their normal divisions based on geography, it appears they decided to use hop names for their divisions, so thats out. I debated doing Jedi and Sith for the conferences and then doing different Jedi or Sith Masters for the division names…. but… instead decided to go with WWF/E names due to WrestleMania 37 approaching.

So I present you two conferences. One is based on HEELs and one is based on FACEs. The names of the breweries are listed in the order of their seedings, and will have their location and their Untappd (global average) rating behind their names.

The Heels Conference

First up, is divisions one and two of the HEELS conference. Triple H and Ric Flair.

Division One: Triple H

Fourscore Beer Company (Gettysburg, PA) (4.09)
Urban Artifact (Cincinnati, OH) (3.90)
Mad Chef (East Petersburg, PA) (3.79)
Levity Brewing (Indiana, PA) (3.77)
Swiftwater Brewing Company (Rochester, NY) (3.77)
Braxton Brewing Company (Covington, KY) (3.75)
Sun King Brewery (Indianapolis, IN) (3.71)
Highway Manor (Camp Hill, PA) (3.70)
Gearhouse Brewing (Chambersburg, PA) (3.68)
ZeroDay Brewing (Harrisburg, PA) (3.69)
The Ministry of Brewing (Baltimore, MD) (3.64)
Black Forest Brewing (Ephrata, PA) (3.62)

Division Two: Ric Flair

Dewey Beer Company (Dewey Beach, DE) (4.08)
Rotunda Brewing Company (Annville, PA) (3.96)
Yellow Bridge Brewing (Pittsburgh, PA) (3.88)
Troegs Independent Brewing (Hershey, PA) (3.79)
Twisted Bine Brewing Company (Mount Joy, PA) (3.79)
Cox Brewing Company (Elizabethtown, PA) (3.71)
Chatty Monks (Reading, PA) (3.71)
Land-Grant Brewing Company (Columbus, OH) (3.70)
Saucony Creek Brewing Company (Kutztown, PA) (3.70)
Desperate Times Brewing (Carlisle, PA) (3.69)
Couch Brewery (Pittsburgh, PA) (3.60)

The Faces Conference

The faces conference is made up of two divisions led by Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. First up, is Division Three, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Division Three: Stone Cold Steve Austin

Ever Grain Brewing (Mechanicsburg, PA) (3.93)
Idiom Brewery (Frederick, MD) (3.90)
Breaker Brewing (Wilkes-Barre, PA) (3.85)
ShuBrew (Zelionople, PA) (3.85)
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Company (Columbus, OH) (3.84)
Liquid Noise (Marysville, PA) (3.84)
Boneshire Brew Works (Harrisburg, PA) (3.83)
Rough Edges (Waynesboro, PA) (3.82)
Tattered Flag (Middletown, PA) (3.79)
Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown, PA) (3.74)
Three Heads Brewing (Rochester, NY) (3.71)
Mount Gretna Craft Brewery (Palmyra, PA) (3.58)

Division Four: The Rock

Cushwa Brewing (Williamsport, MD) (4.11)
Jackie O’s Brewery (Athens, OH) (4.02)
Pizza Boy Brewing Company (Al’s of Hampden) (Enola, PA) (3.88)
Mellow Mink (Mechanicsburg, PA) (3.84)
Moo-Duck Brewing (Elizabethtown, PA) (3.83)
Logyard Brewing Company (Kane, PA) (3.78)
Molly Pitcher Brewing (Carlisle, PA) (3.75)
Olde Bedford Brewing Company (Bedford, PA) (3.75)
Taft’s Brewing Company (Taft’s Ale House) (Cincinnati, OH) (3.72)
Isle of Que Brewing (Selinsgrove, PA) (3.69)
The Church Brew Works (Pittsburgh, PA) (3.56)

Alright, that’s all 48 competitors. Tomorrow the brackets will be published and you will be allowed to vote on the first round matchups. Here’s where things get a bit screwy…. mainly because I don’t do math so good (sigh, sad subject, really, since I work at a job where I do math all day). Well, what really happened, is that I didn’t think through the breakdown. 32 breaks down easily for each round…. 48…. not so much. So…..

Week one will be divisions with 6 matches in each divisions. After that, the divisions will break for week two, and it will be by conference, with 6 matches in each conference. After this, we break apart the conferences, and do another 6 matches. This leaves us with 3 final competitors, for a triple threat for the ending.

So…. I kinda sorta walked myself into a corner…. and kinda… sorta…. walked my way out of it. Glad I chose to use wrestler themed people, so that the finale “Triple Threat” makes more sense.

*Smacks head* D’oh!

But anyway, there will be 7 days of voting for each round. With the final round taking the remainder of the month and ending on the 31st.

Voting

Each day you will be able to come to the site to make your votes in the polls. It will be set-up by IPS, so it limits you to voting just once per day per vote. You can vote as many times as you want per round, but only once per day.

Following each round, I will update the brackets and post them and make up the new polls for voting. Round one begins on March 1st, 2021 and will last until March 7th at Midnight, when it will then become the next round.

I suggest helping your breweries out and sharing the poll pages so that as many of your friends and brewery lovers can vote as well. Good luck to all of the competitors… err… breweries!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Beer Review: Peanut Budder One (Ever Grain Brewing Co)

BKline — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:38:54 +0000

Peanut Budder One by Ever Grain Brewing Co. (with pizza from Al’s of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing Co.)

Well, I certainly had a “busy” day yesterday. …Not really, but it felt like it with ‘all that driving around’ I did. I capitalized on some great deals local breweries were doing, and supporting small businesses and local businesses, I ventured forth, with mask, and while practicing social distancing, and stopped at several breweries (Pizza Boy, Ever Grain, and Tattered Flag). With mask, and hand sanitizer, I was like a gunslinger in the Wild West venturing forth and collecting my wares.

Since I can’t visit as many breweries / or even really check out new breweries, I thought up a way to do both. In a win-win kind of situation for myself, and local breweries here and afar. Using some of the beer groups online, I have set-up a few ‘local for local’ trade boxes. (My first two deals are with South Florida and Fort Worth Texas). What it is, is simple. 40-50$ worth per box (so roughly 9-10 16oz cans) from ONLY local smaller breweries (Boneshire Brew Works, Tattered Flag, Ever Grain Brewing, ZeroDay Brewing, etc. Troegs Brewing is kind of the cap due to their distribution). So while I gather my goods, the guys I’m trading with are doing the same in their areas. So we are still buying local, (both them and myself), and we’re trading, so we get to try out new stuff in the process, most likely from places we won’t get to visit (or not likely anytime soon at any rate). Plus, as a bonus, it helps get the various breweries exposure in areas they don’t normally get seen. Like I said, this is a win-win for everyone. Win for me, win for the traders, win for the breweries.

The booty, the loot, from my travels and errands. Not a bad beer run. My beer supplies consist of: beer from Pizza Boy, Tattered Flag, and Ever Grain. Pizza from Pizza Boy / Al’s of Hampden. Lattes from The Nuclear Bean at Tattered Flag. Not a bad beer run.

As the picture above shows, I stopped at a few places – three to be exact – Pizza Boy, Ever Grain, and Tattered Flag. In these ‘troubling’ and ‘unprecedented’ and ‘uncertain times’ we need to do all that we can to help support local businesses, support local breweries, the small mom and pop shops, those struggling during these rough times. Many are just like us, struggling and eeking out an existence as best as they can, just like us. And if we don’t step up and help them now, they won’t be here afterwards, after the dust (and virus) settles.

Many are doing deals. Al’s of Hampden / Pizza Boy is doing a “3 for 30$ Before 3PM” daily deal. Your choice of any three things for 30$ total. Medium cheese pizza, dozen wings, or six-packs of Pizza Boy beer. I used it to get pizza for the girls and a six pack for myself. A mix six pack of Pizza Boy (2 Mango River, 2 Printemptuous, and 2 Blue Collar Lager), and two medium cheese pizzas for 30$ is one hell of a deal. At Tattered Flag, Sunday through Thursday (so no Fridays or Saturdays) they are doing crowlers – 3 for 15$. Anything on their tap list is available. Thats an amazing deal! Thats 5$ for a 32oz crowler, three times over. You definitely can’t beat that. My first time going I got the Blackberry Gose, the BA Mint Chocolate Stout, and the Rye Peppercorn Saison. This time I got the Oat Lager, Double TMI IPA, and the Rye Peppercorn Saison again (sadly they were out of the Teutonic Hefeweizen Peanut Butter). At Ever Grain I grabbed a four-pack of their newest beer – Peanut Budder One.

Which leads me to the actual beer review….. Peanut Budder One!

Peanut Budder One by Ever Grain Brewing Co.

Beer: Peanut Budder One
Brewery: Ever Grain Brewing Co.
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet
ABV: 6%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Description: The Udder One Milk Stout finished with peanut butter, cocoa nibs, and vanilla.

This is a variant of their Udder One Milk Stout, so if you enjoyed this, most likely this will be up your alley, especially if you love peanut butter. (Which I am a massive sucker for! The Molly Pitcher Peanut Butter Porter is one of my all-time favorite beers.)

Appearance for this gem is just as a stout is meant to look. Razor Ramon dark black hair. Carbonation was spot on, leaving this with a wonderful pillowy and creamy looking brown foamy frothy head. Diverse bubbles in the foam as well as good lacing always shows you the quality and craftsmanship that went into the beer.

Aroma is like a melted Reese’s Peanut Butter cup in stout form. Its peanut butter goodness from as soon as the can is cracked, with a nice good, roasted malt backbone to it. You get the notes of the vanilla, some caramel malt, but its dominated by the lustrous and delicious smelling peanut butter. There is a slight bready smell, but its extremely subtle and just the barest hint of it. The cocoa nibs gives it that bit of chocolaty smell that completes its ‘Reese’s Cup’ aroma.

And to further that analogy…. it tastes just like drinking a Reese’s Cup too. Even more so on the taste than on the aroma. This is a wonderful and well made stout (just like the original – Udder One Milk Stout). Ever Grain is one of the best local breweries, and they put so much skill and craft into each of their beers, and it shows with beers like this, their passion and dedication to their craft – on full display in a beer like this. This tastes just like a sweet, milk, stout should taste. Its got the creamy vanilla smoothness that goes so well with the dark malts, and it has a tremendous mouth feel. It is a good sipping beer but its also a good quick drinker too, and at 6% either is fine. It might be a bit ‘too rich’ to be fully crushable, but at 6% its not going to kill the brain cells too quickly. There’s a lot of really wonderful flavors with this beer that all accompanies and works well with each other that it works really great. This has strong notes of peanut butter, vanilla, coca nibs, and a hint of malt, caramel malt, and even a slight bready note. It has a good mouthfeel that gets a bit watery but not too bad as it drains out of your glass and down your throat, its not cloying, not too sweet, but has a creamy rich smooth taste, and its an easy flowing beer. There is no off flavors and no lingering bad after-taste. This is just simply a really well done and tasty beer all around.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.06 (as of 4.17.20).

I will be sending out my packages to Texas and Florida on Monday and Wednesday and should be receiving mine then about two-three days later. I will be sure to post what I get in response. Beer trading is definitely one of the fun things to do with these beer groups. I know I love seeing the beer mail (porch bombs) on groups like the Whalerz, etc.

Thanks for checking out the blog and reading the review. In the upcoming week I should have a lot of interesting news for everyone (including new writers, and potentially the [slow roll-out of a] new website for the blog). So be sure to stay tuned for all of that! We’re always trying to grow, do new things, innovate, and provide you all with the latest interesting content to read. Potential future things also include podcasts and videos, so we will definitely be having much more in store in the year to come. So be sure to click FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE here, as well as check out our Facebook and Twitter pages and like us and follow us on those as well. And don’t forget our Instagram page as well. (So much to keep up with!)

Cheers everyone and please stay healthy, can’t wait to see all of you again after this is all over! Please continue to support your local breweries and businesses! Cheers!

-B. Kline

(PS Note: Books behind the beer are: You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney and When the Earth Had Two Moons by Erik Asphaug)