Craft Breweries in Communities - The Beer Thrillers

Miscreation Brewing is Closing It’s Doors in Hanover

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:49:00 +0000

Miscreation Brewing Company LLC

Sadly, another brewery is shuttering its doors for the last time. 2020 (and now 2021) has not been kind to a lot of breweries. From normal strain of business, to the economics of a pandemic, to shut downs and lock downs, to the craft brewery market blowing up and there being a new brewery nearly every other block, there has sadly been a lot of brewery closings in the past 365 days.

A few other breweries have shuttered their doors this year citing “coronavirus / COVID-19” and lock-down and shut down issues as the impetus for their closings. Spigot Brewing and River Bend Hop Farm and Brewing both closed in 2020 stating COVID-19 reasons. And this is just Pennsylvania. There has been many others across the country )and the world) that have closed citing similar reasons. (Mikkeller in NYC closed this year – permanently as well.)

Miscreation Brewing’s Facebook post on December 28, 2020

On December 28, 2020, just before New Years, during the second shut down in Pennsylvania for breweries and entertainment establishments (casinos, restaurants, gyms, etc.) they posted the above message. Saying that effective Thursday December 31st they would be closing until further notice.

Miscreation Brewing’s Facebook post on January 10th, 2021

Earlier today (January 10th, 2021) Miscreation Brewing Company LLC posted the above message on their Facebook page.

It reads:

It is with great sadness that after almost 6 years, Miscreation Brewing Company will be closing its doors. Due to the financial burdens that COVID-19 has inflicted into our business, we must make this very difficult decision. We understand although this will impact many of our faithful followers/patrons, we take solace in knowing we have fostered many friendships over the past 5-1/2 years that will last a lifetime. We played a part in other introductions and in some cases even a place for first meetings that have ended in marriage!We can’t express enough gratitude to our many employees/team members over the years for their dedication, contributions to the vision and ultimately the customer experience.Additionally, we are pleased that we were able to contribute to the revitalization of downtown Hanover and partner with Main Street to bring a vibrant experience to so many.We would like to wish continued success to our fellow breweries in the area: Something Wicked Brewing (Great collaborators and friends of ours from inception), Aldus Brewing Co., Center Square Brewing, Sign of the Horse, Warehouse Gourmet and of course The Circle!We would like to offer all Mug Club members an opportunity to come by and pick up their mugs and enjoy a beer on us until we kick the final keg that is tapped. This will be available during the following hours:
Friday January 15th from 5:00-8:00 pm
Saturday January 16th from 12:00-3:00 pm
Thanks for all your support over the years and we wish each of you the best in 2021 and beyond! Miscreation Ownership and Team!– Cheers.
Miscreation Brewing Company Facebook

Miscreation Brewing on Untappd

Miscreation Brewing Company has an Untappd page (as does every brewery), which listed them as a brew pub in Hanover Pennsylvania, with 118 unique beers. Founded in 2016. As of January 10th, 2021, they had 20,700+ ratings and a global average rating of 3.69.

A loss to Hanover Pennsylvania

This is certainly a loss to Hanover Pennsylvania and the craft brewing industry and local area. They have had a great following in the town of Hanover and a strong presence in the community since 2015.

Last year on a trip with a friend into York and Hanover we got to stop there, and enjoy some beer at their location, before taking a four pack to Codorus State Park.

Beers from Miscreation Brewing (left to right: MBC IPA, Mediocre Security Blanket, Smashing Pumpkins)

We here at The Beer Thrillers wish them good luck in their future endeavors. We also hope something good comes to the business front, perhaps another brewery, or fine restaurant, as the location is a wonderful spot and could serve a new brewery or restaurant perfectly.

This is indeed tough times for many small businesses, breweries, restaurants, and people in general. We all need to support each other and these businesses and breweries we want to survive the upcoming year. We are seeing the end of the tunnel and the light is on; vaccines are being sent across the country, relief looks to becoming for some small businesses and restaurants, and hopefully more in the future.

So I urge everyone who can, go out and support your local businesses and breweries. Buy to go food or a four pack at your favorite small craft brewery, take it home, talk them up with your friends, give them good reviews on social media, share their posts, help get their names out there.

Likewise, if you are a struggling brewery or restaurant or business and we here at The Beer Thrillers can help you, reach out to us, and see what we can do to help. We would love to help out!

Stay safe everyone. Mask up, wash your hands, and support and love each other. This has certainly been a tough time, but we are nearing the end, lets stay strong!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

For more information and links:

Miscreation Brewing Company’s Facebook Page
Miscreation Brewing Company’s Untappd Page
Brewery Tour of York and Hanover PA

You can read about more brewery closures here:

And in better, happier news, check out our articles on brewery openings:

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

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Miscreation Brewing Company LLC – Brewed in Hanover Pennsylvania

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Brewery Opening: Howling Henry’s (Hummelstown)

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 13:25:20 +0000

Howling Henry’s Brewery logo – the latest brewery to open; opening on October 9th, 2020.

To little or no fanfare, the latest brewery, and another to Hummelstown, opened on October 9th, 2020 (yesterday). They had posted on their Facebook page their permit and that they would be opening soon, but, to my surprise, I had seen no notice of their actual opening date.

Howling Henry’s Permit

Their last Facebook post was on September 28th, and with the above picture, it stated:

“A temporary permit was given to me to open my taproom this morning. Shooting for October 9th for the grand opening of Howling Henry’s Taproom. Check my website for more information.”

I had seen this notice and post and re-shared it on our Facebook page, but for some reason, the little notice of “shooting for October 9th” I overlooked. I unfortunately, despite having my day off was out of town with friends (we went to Wellsboro, PA for the PA Grand Canyon), so I was out of town and unable to attend the opening.

They are the second Hummelstown brewery to open this week. Rubber Soul Brewing Company opened on Monday, October 5th, 2020, along South Hanover Street (across from the Rita’s) in the former borough building.

Howling Henry’s Merchandise Stand

Howling Henry’s has been around for a while in the Hummelstown area. They have been at the Mount Hope Renaissance Faire brewfest for several years (with their unique stand and jockey box of the doghouse). They have also been selling their bottles to the local shops and bars (JoJo’s Pizza Shop Restaurant on Main Street often carried their bottles in their cooler), and they distributed some kegs to local bars (Warwick Hotel would occasionally have them on tap). They’ve also been selling their bottles in the recent year or so at various farmer’s markets (the Hershey’s Chocolate Street Market primarily).

COVID-19 (the coronavirus) has certainly played an interesting issue in their opening this year, and has delayed much in the way of the taproom opening. Several other breweries opened amid the pandemic – Hemauer, Rubber Soul, Highway Manor, Cox’s Rally Point, etc. This is certainly an interesting time and a hard time for businesses to open, thrive, and grow their brands. There has been a lot of uncertainty, but it’s great to see Greg get to realize his dreams and open Howling Henry.

Greg – the owner and brewer for Howling Henry’s (per their Twitter)

Howling Henry’s taproom is located at 35 East 2nd St in Hummelstown. This is located near the exit of Hummelstown (the underpass) heading towards South Hanover (where South Hanover street becomes Grandview leading out towards Route 39 and East Hanover / Hershey). It is across the street from M&S Auto (a used car shop and garage). It is about three blocks down from the square of Hummelstown (Main Street / South Hanover crossing).

A walking map of Hummelstown, showing Howling Henry’s and Rubber Soul

This will become the second brewery / taproom in Hummelstown now (coincidentally both opening this week as well, going from 0 to 2 in five days flat!). The above map shows a walking path from Howling Henry’s to Rubber Soul. Making the town a nice tourist stop for craft beer enthusiasts now.

The Hummelstown Area enlarged (Howling Henry’s and Rubber Soul route by car shown)

Howling Henry’s joins a growing community of breweries within five-fifteen minute driving distance from the Hummelstown area. Including:

Troeg’s Independent Brewing (Hershey)
Iron Hill Brewing (Hershey)
Tattered Flag Distillery Lounge (Hershey)
Tattered Flag (Middletown)
Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
Howling Henry’s (Hummelstown)
The Englewood (Hummelstown / Hershey)
Boneshire Brew Works (Rutherford)
Official BBQ – Pizza Boy (Rutherford)
Newfangled Brew Works (Rutherford)
The Millworks (Harrisburg)
ZeroDay Brewing (Harrisburg)
Appalachian Brewing Company (Harrisburg)
The Vegetable Hunter (Harrisburg)
Lancaster Brewing Company – Harrisburg Location (Harrisburg)

You can use the Brew Baron’s App to find more in the larger (Central PA) area. So as you can see from the above list, and the app, within just this small subset local area of Central PA there is many brewery choices. All good and well done establishments with wonderful beer offerings. You can see an older (and mostly outdated article I wrote about the breweries in the Hummelstown area here: Breweries On the Outskirts of Harrisburg 9.6.19).

Currently, on Untappd, Howling Henry’s is listed as a Nano Brewery, and recently updated their description page with the following: “Opening our taproom on October 9th at 6 PM. Howling Henry’s Brewery is crafting beer without rules, which causes our beers to be an nontraditional representations of their contemporaneity styles. Are you ready for a different take on traditional beer styles, then you should give Howling Henry’s a try? Our beers are not filtered, so we can offer as much flavor as possible. Tap room coming to Hummelstown soon; check my website out for details.” They have 11 Unique Beers listed, with a global average rating of 3.21 out of 3,825 ratings.

Their hours on their Facebook page for the taproom are listed as:

MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: CLOSED
WEDNESDAY: 5:00PM – 10:00PM
THURSDAY: 5:00PM – 10:00PM
FRIDAY: 5:00PM – 10:00PM
SATURDAY: 11:00AM – 6:00PM
SUNDAY: CLOSED

They use the old Theo’s Attanasoff pizza warehouse to brew their beers in a corner of the building. The old Theo’s warehouse is located at the corner of Duke and 2nd Street in Hummelstown, and is now primarily used by Pnuma Outdoors. (You can see a map of the Howling Henry’s brewing location and taproom below). The brewing location is off limits to tourists though.

Howling Henry’s to Pnuma Outdoors

Howling Henry’s has several social media outlets which you can keep abreast of their activities. Including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also check out their website.

On their website you can read their backstory, which is:

My brewing story began after a department store wine kit was hauled off by the trashmen. Yes, a wine kit started my passion with brewing beer, and in time my business. I trashed the kit because I lacked knowledge in the process of wine-making, and more frighteningly, in how to clean and sanitize the equipment. The instructions emphasized sanitization, but the concern that I may get someone sick caused me to drop kick the kit into the waste can.
I then read a magazine article about home brewing. Who doesn’t like beer, right? This article made it clear that cleanliness is a very important part of the process, but as I read, I realized that I was overthinking it. I began to understand that all of debris needs to be removed from the brewing equipment, and then a sanitizer is added to the equipment to kill most of the bacteria, so that your pitched yeast has no competition when it infects your bitter wort. Simple! I am a simple guy, and I figured that I can do that.
I bought my first brewing kit: 5 gallon brew kettle, a 5 gallon carboy, and a 7 gallon food grade bucket. The recipe was a brown ale. It was good for a month or two, and then it started losing flavor. I came to realize that bottling introduces oxygen to the finished beer. Oxygen in finished beer after time will degrade that beer’s flavor.
After a year of making my own recipes my wife and I were seated at a local watering hole for lunch (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving). She said, “Why don’t you start a brewery?” To be honest it was in the back of my head, but I figured that thought would never become a conversion with my wife. So, I agreed with her, as a good husband would do. Although, at the time, neither of us really understood what we were getting ourselves into.
I started reading from a website devoted to the entire brewing process. With this knowledge, I began brewing beers around ingredients I knew a little brewery could access without to much hassle. Through this site I also learned of a movie made in the mid 90’s called ‘Frankenbrew’. This video showed me that one guy with some determination, out of the box thinking, and hard work could start a brewery without investors, a bank loan, or a truck load of cash. I then followed the movie’s suggestions on what to buy from the used dairy equipment market. This offset the price of starting a new brewery significantly, since I had already priced out a real brewery’s equipment prior to seeing the movie. I knew I could never come up with a million or so dollars myself, and I wanted this brewery to be mine. Yes, you read that correctly! I am the only owner, investor, employee, brewer, boss, maintenance guy, and janitor. I did it all with help from some wonderful family members and great friends when they had time to help. It is a wonderful feeling to know I only have me to answer to.
Years later, I had the stainless steel equipment needed. I found a space three blocks from my home. By this time, I realized that I needed a real brew kettle. Having well over 200 gallons of boiling wort would be very dangerous in anything less than a proven kettle, so I ordered and purchased a 10 bbl Bennett Forgeworks brew kettle. I then started getting the paperwork inked with both the Federal and State government agencies. Approvals took a lifetime, okay about 6 months (a lifetime for a guy with barely any budget).
Please check out the pictures of my equipment here (if you’re interested in seeing what my frankinbrew system looks like).
Howling Henry’s Backstory.

So when in the Hummelstown area, be sure to check out the newest brewery – Howling Henry’s. Make sure you are in town during their hours (5PM-10PM on Wednesday through Friday and Saturday 11AM-6PM). The taproom is limited currently due to COVID restrictions, but its still a place to check out. Be sure to do so!

Howling Henry’s Brewery – of Hummelstown, PA – logo

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

Cheers everyone! Hopefully I’ll see you at Howling Henry’s. Its just a few blocks away and within walking distance, so I’ll be sure to be there a time or two. Cheers!

-B. Kline

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Rubber Soul Grand Opening

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:44:42 +0000

Rubber Soul Brewing Company – in Hummelstown Pennsylvania will be having their grand opening shortly.

Amidst the chaos and craziness that was the Presidential Debate, Rubber Soul Brewing made their own waves, announcing last night around 8-9PM their grand opening date. In the town of Hummelstown as well as the Central PA area their announcement might have caused more chaos than was on stage at the Presidential Debate, and at least no one had to shout “OH SHUT UP MAN” or look like they were falling asleep either.

While out walking my dog despite the rain – and even walking past the Rubber Soul Brewery itself – on Facebook, Instagram, and their own website, Rubber Soul posted the official date for their grand opening.

Are you ready for it?

DRUM ROLL

Rubber Soul’s Announcement Photo

The grand opening for Rubber Soul is set for 10.05.20. As per their Facebook post:

“10.5.20 [cheers emoji]”

Simple. Effective. And to the point. They did reply to some comments and elaborate, and posted their website to point out more information. As per their website, their hours will be as such:

Monday: 6:30AM – 10:00PM
Tuesday: 6:30AM – 10:00PM
Wednesday: 6:30AM – 10:00PM
Thursday: 6:30AM – 10:00PM
Friday: 6:30AM – 11:00PM
Saturday: 6:30AM – 11:00PM
Sunday: 11:00AM – 9:00PM

They also posted their rules for entering the brewery and drinking and being there (due to COVID-19):

To keep our customers and sOul tribe safe and healthy, please read our general information below. We greatly appreciate your patience during this #COVIDTIME.

Masks are required unless you are seated at your table.
All orders are to be placed from your table by a Refueler (Rubber Soul Server).
All onsite beer & alcohol orders require a food purchase.
Please respect a 2 hour time limit during peak times.
Seating is first come, first serve.
Do not move tables or seating as they are measured out for social distancing.
We are not filling growlers, only 32 oz. crowler cans at this time.
One hour before close we will go to pizzas only.
Children are welcome but must stay seated or in the accompaniment of an adult.
Please no pets. We love them but they make social distancing hard.
Our water station is not available at this time.
*If you have experienced symptoms related to COVID-19 or have had exposure to COVID-19 in the past 14 days, please refrain from visiting.

You can check out their website for the latest on their food menu, their beers that will be on tap on their opening day, as well as some pictures. You can also read my article I did back in February detailing the brewery and its transition from former borough building / police station to brewery. A SNEAK PEAK AT THE NEW RUBBER SOUL BREWERY COMING TO HUMMELSTOWN, PA.

Rubber Soul Brewery back in February, 2020

A few days ago, on the blog’s Facebook page I posted some pictures from a dog walk by the brewery, as well as their Untappd menu (screenshot). They have their brewery as a ‘verified venue’ on Untappd so you can keep track of their beer offerings, as well as use their website, which lists the following beers for their opening day:

Soul Patch – Pilsner – Czech
Fresh Dew – Pale Ale – American
Humdinger – IPA – American
Soul Searching #1 – IPA – American
Garage Racer 2020 – IPA – American
Awake My Soul – Porter – Coffee

Screenshot of Rubber Soul’s Untappd Menu

If you have driven or walked by the Rubber Soul brewery the past week or so, you would see groups gathered inside, with the lights and televisions on. They were doing invite parties for different groups, preparing for their big opening, which will take place on Monday, October 5th, 2020.

From walking by it (quite often, as I love walking my dog through Hummelstown, and they are in between my parents and my house, as well as my friend Tony’s is only a few houses down from it through the back alley leading to Railroad Street), they did a tremendous and beautiful job on the building. I absolutely can’t wait to check it out inside, let alone drink the delicious beers.

Donovan Krebs, the brewer for the new Rubber Soul, has worked for some fine breweries in the past, including Levante Brewing, Neshaminy Brewing Co, and others.

His beers will be wonderful for the area and will be well sought after I am sure.

Be sure to check out the article to see the brewery inside and out and to read up on some of the things the brewery will offer: A Sneak Peak at Rubber Soul.

Be sure to check them out sometime Monday, October 5th, 2020. I will be there, thats for sure. I can’t wait to try out their delicious beers and wonderful food! Can’t wait to see you all there!

Rubber Soul – front

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

And check out our beer review of the Tattered Soul collaboration beer between Tattered Flag and Rubber Soul Brewing:

Beer Review: Tattered Soul

Rubber Soul – Parking Lot

Rubber Soul Brewery Hummelstown, PA

Thanks for reading! Can’t wait to enjoy a beer together at Rubber Soul!

-B. Kline

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Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 15:43:59 +0000

Hemauer Brewing is due to finally open on May 1st

Finally after a long arduous journey to get opened, Hemauer Brewing is set for their grand opening on May 1st. It certainly hasn’t been easy, especially with the novel coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. Typically its far from easy for the opening of any business, let alone a brewery, (especially in PA it seems at times), least of all during one of the biggest outlier times and affects of our lifetimes (hopefully). For those unfamiliar with Brooks Hemauer and Hemauer Brewing, we featured him in a post before where he discussed the current events: A Brief Message from Brooks Hemauer of Hemauer Brewing Co.

Thankfully that journey comes to an end on Friday, May 1st (2020). And from there, a new journey will begin for head brewer and co-owner Brooks Hemauer as Hemauer Brewing will open in Mechanicsburg. So far Google Maps has not been updated, so you can’t do a direct search for the brewery, but you can plug-in the address: 1010 Wesley Dr Ste 109, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055.

Map of the area on Google Maps

For those who might not be familiar with Hemauer Brewing, its worth pointing out that Brooks Hemauer has built a strong following as a home brewer even before jumping into the commercial market. He has been a staple of the home brewing community in the Harrisburg area for a while now, going to all kinds of events, competitions, and charities. He has won several competitions, but in his own words: “But the real success to me is when someone tries our beer and a beer festival for the first time and just absolutely loves it. Then comes back for more.” If you have done or gone to any of the beer festivals in the area, you’ve probably seen him at Little Big Beer Festival or Brews and Bacon or one of the other numerous events in the area.

For opening day (May 1st), the beer menu will be bountiful and looks great! The food is being put on hold right now due to the current climate and situation, but when the taproom is fully open there will be a full food menu; for right now the only non-beer items are chips and snacks and craft soda. But don’t let that fool you, there is a huge selection of beer to choose from, and certainly something for everyone. Here is their opening day list:
* Americanization (most likely a version of their American Pale Ale)
* Frank-O-Lin (English Bitter)
* Guy Francois
* Hemauer Helles (Lager)
* Leaner is Meaner (pineapple seltzer)
* Jimpy (Pilsner)
* Lucky Lobsta (NE-IPA)
* McFadden (Irish Red Ale)
* Mickey McFinnigan (Irish Stout)
* Oats-n-Hoes (Oatmeal Stout)
* Quaker Race Trail Stout
* Wild Ways (possibly a variant of their Wild Saison)
And in bottles only: Brett Saison (Farmhouse Ale / Saison)

That is a strong line-up to kick things off with and makes for a fantastic Grand Opening! Stouts, IPAs, Pilsners, Lagers, Saisons, and even Seltzers and Craft Soda for the non-beer people, there is definitely something there for everyone! I got to ask Brooks what styles people can expect from Hemauer Brewing and what his personal favorite styles were, he replied: “We offer a broad style offering trying to appeal to a variety of pallets. There will be traditional, sour, barrel aged, experimental, and seltzers. There isn’t a style per say that I prefer more than the other as long as it’s well received by our guest I’m more than happy to brew it for them.”

From the start Hemauer Brewing will offer curbside, to-go, and online ordering. The preferred method is to call ahead or order online, but you can come inside the store to pick up. If doing so, they remind guests to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and follow safety and health procedures. To order by phone, their number is (717) 477-3002. If ordering online, they have a website specifically for that: https://shop.arryved.com/preOrder?locationId=BKeRyYFD. For more information you can always visit their website: Hemauer Brewing or their Shop Site. Their hours of operation will be:
* Monday – CLOSED
* Tuesday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Wednesday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Thursday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Friday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Saturday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Sunday – 11AM – 4PM

To say Brooks Hemauer is excited to finally be open is a bit of an understatement. This has been a goal and a dream for a very long time. Made all the more difficult by the current issues of the world, but finally a dream and goal coming to fruition. He shared a few thoughts about what he’s looking forward to once open: “I guess it would be finally being able to implement all the plans and hard work which has been done for such a long time. All the hard work was worth it to achieve my dream. Also just to see everyone again who have been waiting so patiently all this time once we made the initial announcement that we were starting the brewery. ” It is unfortunate to see them opening on a restricted basis rather than getting to FULLY open, but the realities dictate things go differently. Hemauer is very optimistic, not just on the opening, but for the brewery as a whole.

What were some of the difficulties getting to this point? “First and foremost was the uncertainty of our license. I was 3 days away from contacting the PLCB to schedule our final inspection to receive our license when the forced shut down happened. There was a real fear that all my hard work from the last 3.5 years will be lost and just right before we were available to achieve it. Being members of the Brewers of PA they helped us work with the PLCB to achieve our license to open for business. And also the unknown. How long will the shutdown last? My wife and I are both self employed and how are we going to be able to support our family when we have no source of income. Our staff was just recently hired and all were excited for the taproom to open but then suddenly having to tell them that we will have to wait out the pandemic before we all can get back to work.“

Especially with the coronavirus/COVID-19 and everything that changed because of that?
“One big thing is trying to figure out how to survive when the taproom is closed? Since we are not able to pour draft beer for consumption on site, what means do we have to package beer to go? We purchased a crowler machine and cans which was part of the original plan but not to be implemented until after things died down. We recently purchased a small canning system to offer 16oz cans to go for mixed 4 packs. Now we believe this option will not be available May 1st but as soon as the equipment arrives we will work hard to provide the option.” For more that Brooks had to say about everything, you can check out the blog post we did with him back on March 22nd; ‘A Message From Brooks Hemauer of Hemauer Brewing Co.’

Since I haven’t gotten an opportunity to visit the location and go inside yet, Hemauer was nice enough to send a few pictures of the newest Central PA brewery and tap-room.

Hemauer Brewery Bar Area

The bar area at Hemauer Brewing

As you can see from these two pictures, there is a nice bar and counter area for ordering. Non-register digital pay-screen that is fast, easy, and common in many restaurants (I know Ever Grain Brewing, Troegs Brewing, and Boneshire Brew Works use it). Behind the bar you can see they have a digital list using Untappd on big easy to read screens which should make it nice and simple and easy to pick exactly what beer you want when ordering.

A view of the seating area

Another view of the seating area

The taproom is sparse, Spartan, and with varied and plenty of seating. Different style seats and tables, and plenty of room to move about. I count 12 tables in total; 4 that seat 3, 4 that seat 4, and 4 that seat 2, plus the bar itself. This should provide an intimate atmosphere, and have enough seating and still also feel intimate and personal. The building set-up looks nice and the tables can be moved to change the layout for events and for different seating arrangements. The bar area is nice, pretty, and roomy as well. Overall I really like the setup and look of the brewery and tasting / tap room.

An opening date is set – May 1st, 2020!

This is such good news for Hemauer Brewing, for craft beer lovers and enthusiasts, for the beer community, for the community itself, for the Mechanicsberg area, and for everyone involved. In this time of uncertainty for the industry it is so great to see this brewery finally open and it is such an uplifting event. I know I’ll be stopping out Friday to check them out and order some delicious beer, and I definitely know I’ll be checking them out once all of this craziness subsides and they can fully open their taproom. I can’t wait!

To learn more about Hemauer Brewing and to follow them, you can follow them through these various ways:

Website: Hemauer Brewing Co. Official Site
Facebook: Hemauer Brewing
Instagram: Hemauer Brewing
Twitter: Hemauer Brewing on Twitter

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this. If you are interested in our blog, you can check us out through our various ways as well:

Website: The Beer Thrillers Blog
Facebook: The Beer Thrillers on Facebook
Twitter: The Beer Thrillers @ Twitter
Instagram: The Beer Thrillers on Instagram

We here at The Beer Thrillers would like to thank Brooks Hemauer and Hemauer Brewing Company and wish them a very successful grand opening, and a cheers to their anniversary in a year… and their ten year anniversary in 2030! Cheers Brooks and cheers Hemauer Brewing Company! Good luck!

Thank you everyone for reading, and looking forward to reading your comments after the opening day. And here’s to getting out soon and enjoying a pint together at Hemauer Brewery! Please stay safe, and can’t wait to see you all after this is all over! Cheers!

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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Book Review: For the Love of Beer (Dr. Alison E. Feeney)

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 03:45:00 +0000

For the Love of Beer by Dr. Alison E. Feeney

I got to pick up this book by Dr. Alison E. Feeney last Thursday at the Mid-Town Scholar ahead of her panel discussion (alongside Hannah Ison, Jeffrey Musselman, and Sara Bozich). You can read about that here: “For The Love of Beer – Panel Discussion“. It was a fun and entertaining (and informative) night at the Mid-Town Scholar getting to listen to the three of them discuss breweries, beer, brewing, and community.

And that is the heart of this book. Communities. Even moreso than the breweries this is ‘about’, the heart of the book though is communities. And at the heart of a lot of communities, and growing, is craft breweries. Breweries, in particular craft breweries, are the seat of many things in communities now adays. Places like Boneshire, Moo-Duck, Troegs, and many other breweries that give back to their communities through charities and other activities. Breweries like ZeroDay and Millworks that act like centerpieces for revitalization of downtown areas.

There is so much to love about craft breweries and what all they do (and can do). And Dr. Feeney’s book covers that so well. From revitalizing downtown areas, or old historic buildings, to providing a center and a place for a community, to being an employment opportunity for the local town, to sustainability and environmental help, providing spent grain for local farmers, to helping charities, to hosting events, to having delicious food, to having local ingredients, etc, there is so much that breweries do for their local communities.

Dr. Alison Feeney has traveled all across Pennsylvania checking out various breweries, hop farms, malts, grains, communities, universities, etc, and has gotten a feel for the state, its history, its brewing industry, and the breweries and the people. She’s interviewed tons of people, she’s talked to customers, brewers, hop growers, home brew shop owners, just about everyone you can think of attached to the industry.

The book covers a lot of different breweries across the state. From big to little. From regional powerhouses like Victory and Troegs to smaller localized shops like Moo-Duck, Boneshire, Bonn Place, etc. She has traveled all across the state, all of the regions covered.

There is a wealth of information in the book detailing the history of beer, the history of brewing, the history of Pennsylvania, and brewing and beer in Pennsylvania, as well as a wealth of information and knowledge on brewing, the beer industry, and hops and other things in general. There is a ton of information on the breweries she’s visited as well, small details like the beers they have, or the information on how they restored the buildings they occupied, or little bits and info on the brewers or their styles.

The book is filled with pictures and images from all assortments of things, like hops, to the various breweries, to beer, to the workers at the breweries, to signs, to locations, etc. These pictures help fill in an overall image and idea of the breweries from across the state for those who haven’t gotten to visit them yet. Also with each brewery mentioned there is a small map of Pennsylvania showing where its located with an actual address as well. Its not a complete map of every brewery, and Dr. Feeney even states at the beginning that she isn’t providing a comprehensive listing of every brewery in PA as it’d be out of date before the book even saw print. Case in point – the book mentions Harty Brewing which has since folded up (relatively recently). But don’t let that fool you, this book is chock full of information and knowledge about PA beer and breweries.

At the beginning of the book is a note saying that a portion of the proceeds of the book are going to animal shelters and local places for animals. After this is the chapter previews which list which breweries are mentioned in which chapters and provides an outline for the book. Early chapters discuss beer and the history of it, progressing from Europe and Africa and Asia to America. Detailing the early pioneers to America and bringing beer over on the Mayflower, etc. It then discusses the history of beer and brewing in Pennsylvania.

Following this is how breweries affect communities, how they revitalize communities and buildings, and a chapter on historic buildings and how breweries are reusing old buildings. A chapter on the sustainability and environmental issues and help that breweries are doing and then a closing chapter on looking forward.

This book is a good read for anyone interested in beer, brewing, and especially for those interested in the craft breweries of Pennsylvania. She has provided lots of knowledge on the inner workings from the beginning to the present day on just about every tangential topic with the beer industry. I would certainly recommend this for anyone looking to learn about brewing and beer in Pennsylvania or just loves reading about breweries in Pennsylvania.

My GoodReads Score: ****
Global GoodReads Score: 4.00 (two ratings, three now, as of 10.9.19)

This was the first book review on the blog, hopefully you all like it, I know its a bit different then the beer and brewery reviews. But I am looking forward to doing a few more of these as I have a lot of beer books to read and go through. This is combining two of my loves – literature / books and beers, so this is definitely a double-win for me getting to review books about beer here for the blog. So if you are interested in this, let us know! Also if you have any beer book recommendations, be sure to leave them in the comments!

Thanks and cheers all!

-B. Kline
My GoodReads review link can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3007622590

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Beer Event: For The Love of Beer

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 12:03:03 +0000

For the Love of Beer – Speakers: Dr. Alison Feeney, Hannah Ison, and Jeff Mussleman

Dr. Alison Feeney has recently published and released a book, called For the Love of Beer: Pennsylvania’s Breweries (clicking the link will take you directly to the book page on Amazon where you can purchase the book). In celebration of this and to kick off the Harrisburg Book Week and Festival she spoke (alongside Hannah Ison of ZeroDay Brewing Company and Jeff Mussleman of The Millworks) at the Mid-Town Scholar. The speakers talked from 7PM to 8PM with a beer tasting before hand from 6:30-7PM and afterwards from 8-8:30PM (times being rough estimates). Dr. Alison Feeney also signed copies of her book purchased at the Mid-Town Scholar. The Facebook event listing can be found here: For the Love of Beer – Speakers Conference and Symposium.

Dr. Alison Feeney is the professor of geography and earth science at Shippensburg University. A press release from the university about her book can be found here: Dr. Alison Feeney Releases a New Book. Shippensburg University has started up several courses and classes based on brewing, home brewing, the science behind brewing and making beer, as well as many adult classes (enrichment and for the work force and industry) based around beer and brewing. They were given a $70K grant to “boost beer brewers” and provide the education to make this possible. This grant was given by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). To learn more about their brew science you can click here for the inquiry form to receive information. They are serving both the industry with these classes as well as home brewers looking to better their own craft for their own enjoyment. Shippensburg University cultivates future brewers : Home Brew Course Success. A listing of their courses, online information, and Shippensburg created articles about their brewing programs and classes can be found here: Shippensburg University Brewing Education.

So there is a lot to be excited for with the brewing future thanks to Shippensburg University and with Pennsylvania being such an integral part to the craft beer and brewing industry as a whole there is much to be excited for with the future of the hundreds of breweries in Pennsylvania. If you’ve been to just a few breweries in Pennsylvania, it might feel like you’ve been to a lot, but I guarantee you haven’t even scratched the surface. Pennsylvania is currently home to 300+ breweries and it is constantly a number in flux with openings, closings, and expansions. Thankfully there are far more openings than closings, but sadly there is some closings. Some websites and groups like Breweries in PA keep an updated list and map of all of the breweries in Pennsylvania operating.

The back of the book, as well as the Amazon description for Dr. Alison Feeney’s book is:

“Pennsylvanians have enjoyed a long, rich love affair with beer. The state not only ranks first in the nation for the number of barrels produced but the breweries, beer, and their craftsmen all have interesting stories to tell. This book examines Pennsylvania s brewing history, geography, and cultural richness while highlighting over 100 of the states thriving craft breweries. It explains some of the enjoyable stories and local legends behind the naming of beers, while detailing the unique buildings and architectural treasures that contribute to the renovation of urban areas and revival of small communities. Short descriptions of each brewery provide the reader with an understanding of which brewers use local hops, fruits, and grains in their recipes and how proceeds support local rail trails, waterways, animals shelters, and community events. From long-lasting breweries that survived Prohibition to the most recent openings with upscale food and cutting edge technology, this book describes how craft breweries in Pennsylvania have something to offer everyone. Set out on the road and record your visit to each brewery and enjoy first-hand facts about local breweries with someone who lives, works, and studies this fascinating and dynamic industry. “

Dr. Alison Feeney’s biography on Amazon reads:

“Alison Feeney is a Professor in the Geography and Earth Science Department at Shippensburg University. She earned B. A. degrees in both history and geography from the University of Connecticut, a M.S from Portland State University, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She truly loves to blend work with pleasure as she travels around Pennsylvania to research breweries.

When she is not working she enjoys time with her friends and family riding bikes, playing tennis, snowboarding, kayaking, and learning to sail. Her passion for coral reefs leads her on several trips to the Caribbean each year to scuba dive and kill invasive lionfish. “

The Millworks’ Oktoberfest (with Albert Camus books in the background)

Just like most people, I love hearing people in an industry speak and talk about their industry. Shows like Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and things like that are fascinating to me. To hear those who create discuss their creations, and those who do discussing their …. doings. So getting to hear Dr. Alison Feeney, Hannah Ison, and Jeff Musselman discuss their works and creations and their businesses (writing, brewing, owning a brewery), was a definite must for me.

I dropped my youngest off at her cheerleading practice at 5:45 in Hummelstown (don’t worry, her grandparents were picking her up, she wasn’t going to get left there), and I then went downtown. Arrived and parked by Mid-Town at about 6:15 (slow and go on I-83 due to the rain). Checked out the Mid-Town Scholar’s Tent Book Sale (which is going on today; Friday – as well as Saturday and Sunday). After finding a few books (I could literally buy thousands if I really had the energy to, but decided on just a few) I purchased them and then took them back to the car before heading over to the Mid-Town Scholar itself. Got inside around 6:30 and went up to the sample table immediately. Grabbed the Oktoberfest by The Millworks to begin my browsing of the store (my first time ever being inside it). Independent bookstores are such a low-level thrill (ok…. big high level thrill, but it just doesn’t sound as cool to say) for me. Browsing through endless aisles and tables at places like this, like The York Emporium, or at independent bookstores at beaches, is just love. Independent bookstores are losing more and more to the tide of places like Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc. in a similar way to how craft breweries have to constantly fight against InBev and Miller Coors; small independent bookstores have to fight against these giants. Sadly, where craft beer is doing pretty well (as a whole) against their large titan competitors, independent bookstores aren’t. So we all need to shop local, shop independent, shop individual, shop craft, over macro, over major, over non-caring owners, over-CEOs raking in $8Billion a year for themselves while paying employees 8.50$ an hour with minimal benefits.

(Ok, small rant over. Stepping down from my soap box.)

Grabbed another sample, this time “When Did We Get a Dog?” by ZeroDay. I had the watermelon version of this recently (at the RenFaire Brewfest). I then made my purchases (picked up Dr. Alison Feeney’s book, as well as The Rebel by Albert Camus, since I read it back in high school, loaned it out to a friend, who promptly lost it, and I’ve been meaning to give his canon and collection a re-read, so might as well start with lost Camus). I then grabbed a third sample – Single Hop Series #11 – Citra Hops – by The Millworks, and took my seat, third row to the right.

Setting up for the conference / symposium / speakers / whatever you want to call this event.

A worker for Mid-Town Scholar introduced the panel (sitting from left to right – Sara Bozich, Dr. Alison Feeney, Hannah Ison, and Jeffrey Musselman), and introduced the Harrisburg Book Week Festival, and discussed the slew of speakers they were having over the next several days, and mentioned the book sale tent outside, among other things.

Sara Bozich then took over as moderator and ran the panel (I guess panel is better term for it, than conference, or symposium, or motley crew, or whatever terminology one might use). She began introducing the members on the stage and discussed Dr. Alison Feeney’s work at Shippensburg and a barebones description of the book.

Hannah Ison of ZeroDay Brewing talking during the panel discussion.

Sara Bozich asked several questions of the panel that related to central themes to breweries and those in the book; like community, revitalization, diversity, the beer itself, and breweries in general.

Hannah and Jeff then talked about some future projects for their breweries and themselves (Hannah soon welcoming a child into the world, December due date; Jeff with The Millworks opening a second location in Camp Hill, hopefully spring 2020).

After about forty minutes or so of the panel they opened it up to an audience Q&A to close out the last twenty minutes. There was a wide range of questions during the Q&A. Topics ranging from women in the work force, diversity, things to know about as a brewer (like any head brewer will tell you, the job is mostly sanitation, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning), the new Pennsylvania brewery tax, Untappd, favorite beers/breweries/styles, and the last question went out to a woman who talked about community displacement. Like breweries coming in and displacing the current population. This possibly provided the most interesting question of the night. Dr. Alison Feeney discussed how Yards opening their giant new production and tap facility in Philadelphia, where once was a very urbanized and African-American central area, now has very few African-Americans, and that the lines into the brewery are predominantly white people (typically white males). Jeff discussed how despite what they are doing, craft beer is essentially a completely luxury, even moreso than macro beer. That beer in general is a luxury item, craft beer especially so. Where a pint might run 6-8 or even 10 dollars, compared to Bud Light or Miller Lite or Coors Lite always being 2-4$. And unfortunately there is no easy answer to this. Its a fine line to create a new thriving business where something didn’t exist before, and as much as a place (be it a brewery or any new business) wants to identify and become one with the community, there is going to be a change with that new business going in, and that business will already have its own clientele established before opening its doors, and that might not align with the local community one hundred percent.

Single Hop #11 – Citra Hops, by The Millworks

After the Q&A the Mid-Town employee went over the panel one last time, and talked about the weekend’s events again, as well as brought up the beer tasting and book signing to follow.

During this part of the tasting I had the Watermelon When Did We Get a Dog?, the Mango Habenero staple from ZeroDay, and one last Oktoberfest while standing around chatting with Dr. Alison, Hannah, and Jeff.

Saying goodbye to the panelists (and their respective special persons) I dropped my books bag off at the car and walked a block and a half over to The Millworks brewery and enjoyed myself a flight of some of their recent beers, including two ‘PA Preferred’ beers, just discussed during the panel.

This was a wonderful two hour (ish) event with dedicated individuals who wanted to talk about their works, be it the author – Dr. Alison Feeney – or the brewers – Jeff Musselman and Hannah Ison or Sara Bozich who has helped collaborate and set up the Harrisburg Beer Week as well as many other events and activities in the Harrisburg area. The dedication, interest, and love for their work and the works of others, and for community, and for what craft beer and brewing can stand for was evident from all, and it showed in their talks.

I highly recommend picking up For the Love of Beer by Dr. Alison Feeney, I’ve begun reading it (started there at the bar at The Millworks) and I’m currently about thirty pages in (don’t worry, there will be a book review on here when completed), and I am enjoying it, and it is very informative.

For The Love of Beer by Dr. Alison Feeney

Please keep checking out the blog, make sure you like, subscribe, follow, comment, etc, we have a lot of exciting things coming out in the upcoming days, some even sponsored by breweries and lots of fun events. So make sure you keep up to date and check in on us daily, as we are looking to be posting daily!

Until next time, keep the brain sharp with books, and the liver busy with beer!

-B. Kline

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