E-Town - The Beer Thrillers

Cox Brewing Company (CBC) Announces Closure At End of the Year

B. Kline — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 02:36:30 +0000

Cox Brewing Company Announcement

Just moments ago Cox Brewing Company (CBC) made the unfortunate announcement – that their brewery will be closing at the end of 2023. Just twenty minutes ago on Facebook they posted a “Brewery News” update, stating that December 31st, 2023 will be their last day.

This is the second veteran owned brewery to be closing in the Central Pennsylvania area (with Tattered Flag closing in Middletown, Dauphin County).

Cox Brewing Company has been brewing for over eight years in the Rheems / Elizabethtown area of Central Pennsylvania. A huge proponent of home brewers, always offering assistance, as well as running events and local home brew meet ups, as well as participating in the Lititz Brewfest with giving prizes to home brewers.

Their closure will be felt in the brewing community as well as the home brewing community. A staple at many Central PA brewfests – like the Reinaissance Faire Brewfest at Mount Hope, at the Autos and Ales Brewfest in Hershey, the brand new Hershey Brewfest, the Fort Hunter Brewfest, the Lititz Brewfest, the old Lancaster Brewfest, and many more.

The Announcement

At 9:33 PM on 10.11.23, Cox Brewing Company posted the following on Facebook:

After running this family business for 8.5 years, we’ve decided that December 31, 2023, will be the last day we are open. With the rising cost of goods and services coupled with a 2024 military deployment, it’s time to let go.

Our families are incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to build together for the members of this community – we know it is more than just a place to drink craft beer. Our garage is sacred ground, and this decision was not easy for us.

We have watched love grow here and friendships develop; we also lost friends who were like family, and miss them. It has always been our priority to make the garage comfortable for our Veterans and first responders.

We dedicate these last three months to our loyal customers. We are grateful (especially during the shutdowns) for your support, showing up, and choosing Cox Brewing Company.

So, some good news…

Wednesdays are back, we have a lot of beer to drink, and the parties and events will continue! So come over, get some pints, visit with the BEST brewery staff in this business, and help us finish strong! We will not go gentle into that good night. We’ll see you at the garage.

Cheers and with much gratitude,

Nick and Tim
Cox Brewing Company (CBC) – Facebook Post

Cox Brewing Company

Cox Brewing Company was one of our absolute favorite stops and breweries. I’ve gotten to meet so many great people there and at the many different hang outs and parties at both the Rheems location as well as their Elizabethtown location next to the Pizza shop.

I will miss sitting with Ron Bell and others and listening to great stories and getting home brew advice.

Amy also enjoyed the location as well, and we had a tremendous time recently when we had brought Scarlet along.

I wish nothing but the best for Nick and Tim and hope the deployment is safe, and wish them the best in their future endeavors. Hopefully only good and better things to come from them, the area, the brewers of the area, as well as so much more. We know this decision couldn’t have been easy and I’m sure it was a fraught and tough decision.

For More Articles From The Beer Thrillers

For more articles from The Beer Thrillers that we’ve written about Cox Brewing Company, check out the following:

The Battle of the Breweries (2023)

Cox Brewing Company had a fantastic showing in this year’s Battle of the Breweries; losing to fellow veteran owned brewery – Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery in the Conference Finals.

Voting is still going on (for about three more hours) for the tournament finals. You can vote here:

The Battle of the Breweries (2023) – Finals Fatal Four Way (Voting Page)
The Battle of the Breweries (2023) – Conference Finals (Results Page)

For More Information on Cox Brewing Company

Cox Brewing Company (CBC) – The Garage – Brewery Sign

For more information on Cox Brewing Company – check out their Social Media Platforms. But first, Untappd describes Cox Brewing Company thusly:

Cox Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. It has 152 unique beers and over 14,100~ ratings. It has a global average rating of 3.76 (as of 10.11.23). It’s Untappd description reads: “Cox Brewing Company (CBC) is a veteran-owned brewery located in Elizabethtown, PA in the village of Rheems.”

Find them on social media at the following:

Brewery News

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

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

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

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

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

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

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you would like to help keep the blog running soundly and smoothly, you may donate to us to help us keep the costs of the blog to a minimum. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you. (Clicking this link will take you to the page to make a donation. Thank you very much for helping us stay afloat!)

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

Beer Review: Griddle (Funk Brewing)

BKline — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 02:38:12 +0000

Griddle by Funk Brewing Company at Funk Brewing in E-Town, PA

Sorry for a slow amount of articles lately. I know things have kinda gotten down to a trickle with only weekly articles, but I do have a lot of backburner ones, and hoping for my weekend (Wednesday – Friday) I will be able to get up a lot of them. Quite a bit of them are backdated ones, so be sure to be on the lookout for them (best way to automatically be notified is to become a subscriber and follower, so make sure to follow us). I am also hoping to finish up the YouTube video (FINALLY!?!!!!!??!?!?!?) and get that posted this weekend as well.

But I do have a TON, and I mean, ___A___TON___, of beer reviews to go over and get published up on here. From a lot of different breweries. Hopefully also J. Doncevic will jump back in with a review soon (every time I see him he hints to me that he’s getting back in the review game…. and…. then…. nothing….) (….maybe if we bug him enough…. he will….). Also looking forward (still) to A. Parys’s soon to be released interview article that he did / is doing / has done / is working on.

So as always, lots of stuff going on here at The Beer Thrillers, so always be sure to like, follow, and subscribe, and follow us on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our Facebook group (all of the links are above) and soon on our YouTube channel as well (link above also).

I ended up at Funk Brewing in E-Town a while back (September 4th) when Cox Brewing’s newest location – The Rally Point – was at max capacity. So, unable to get in, I got a draft to go, drank it in the parking lot, then went to Funk Brewing. Where I first had their Oktoberfest, and then this – Griddle – a barleywine that was delicious and worthy of a beer review. So here goes!

Griddle by Funk Brewing

Beer: Griddle
Brewery: Funk Brewing (Funk Brewing Company)
Style: Barleywine – English
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with over 50 gallons of Vermont maple syrup this barleywine a huge maple nose but the heirloom english malt shines through cutting the sweetness. In 4 words or less: Flapjacks and Jack Daniels.

I am a huge Barleywine fan, of all shapes, sizes, flavors and breweries. Funk’s is no different. Funk Brewing is well known in the Central PA, primarily for their Double Disco and Mic Drop and Citrus and a few others. Their location in E-Town is typically pretty hopping (even during COVID) (….get the pun?). To read more about Funk Brewing click here for their Untappd page: Funk Brewing’s Untappd Page.

Appearance for Griddle follows what most Barleywines look like; a malty looking dark, heavy beer. Akin to tobacco spit, which might not be the most appetizing way to describe it, but I think a pretty apt one (just don’t think about it from now on). Despite having to drink it in a plastic cup (which I hear is a bit of a no-no for some people in PA and that sometimes post in a Facebook group and run their own brewery……….) it still had a nice small ring of a head.

Smell is very syrupy, very maple, very malty. The description does a good job describing the nose to this; very heavy maple. Very. Heavy. Maple. A. Very. Maple. Forward. Nose. The. Nose. Is. Very. Heavy. In. Maple. Ummm… did you pick up on that its got a very heavy maple aroma? There are a few more underlying hints and whiffs, but its primarily the maple, a bit of a brown sugar smell, and English malts. Possibly a hint of some of the English hops, but it would be so extremely diluted that it’d be hard to say.

This is definitely flapjacks and Jack Daniels. Its strong boozy right out of the gate, but with an extremely heavy maple flavor. The English malts (and perhaps English hops too) bitter out the sweetness of the maple syrup and tame it a bit, giving it – alongside with the booziness – a bit of a bite. Not fully a bitter bite, but a definite eye – opener. Mostly bitter to cut out the sweet, the bite also has that boozy undertone kicking you a fair bit. Thats not to say this isn’t sweet though. Its certainly still very sweet, but with the heavy boozy undertones, and with the English malts providing a nice malty bitterness, that the maple sweetness doesn’t become too cloying or clinging to your tongue (like Lizard of Koz was from Founders……. shudders….. I still have nightmares of drinking that beer). This seems like a very strong Pennsylvania beer, the idea of a boozy flapjack strikes deep to the core of a good hard working lumberjack breakfast. A can of Griddle, some flapjacks, scrapple, bacon, eggs, and maybe coffee to wash it down, would be a great breakfast and start to the day for any hard working man ready to go out and cut down a hundred trees and deforest the rural lands. The beer might even give said lumberjack the edge he would need if he had to race a giant flannel wearing man with a big blue Ox…… (Do people even remember the old folk tales and folk legends of yore?) At 10.5% and with the boozy taste, a 16oz can of this is all you need at a time, but its a wonderful time, and a great drinking beer. Enjoy! (I know I did!)

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.65 (as of 9.21.20)

For those interested, the book I’m reading in the picture was a great book by Daniel Klein. You can find it (and even find my book review of it there) on GoodReads here: Everytime I Find the Meaning to Life, They Change It: Wisdom of the Great Philosophers on How to Live Life. I highly recommend the book as much as I do the beer. (In fact I highly recommend Daniel Klein as an author, his philosophy books are fantastic, and the joke series he did with Thomas Cathcart are great – Plato and A Platypus Walk Into a Bar and Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates).

This was a shorter beer review, and a bit of a quick launch one, but I wanted to get an article out tonight, because primarily, because I feel like I haven’t been writing that much lately, and I need to get a lot more writing done. I have all of these “drafts” set-up on my WordPress and just need to finish them. Plus I have had a ton of great beers lately that all deserve reviews. So I need to get through them and get them done! So I’m trying.

As always, please, please, please, please – like, follow, subscribe, follow us on social media, and comment your questions, comments, suggestions, etc. Always love to hear from you.

Enjoy and cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

Rally Point – Cox Brewing Company – Taproom Opening Friday, September 4th 2020

BKline — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 22:15:00 +0000

Cox Brewing Company’s Rally Point Taproom (Photo Courtesy of Cox Brewing Company Facebook page)

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020, marks the final day of Cox Brewing Company‘s current location and brewery and taproom. But its not the final chapter for the veteran owned brewery.

Their new taproom has been in the works for a while now and despite all the difficulties of 2020, it is finally due for its grand opening on September 4th, 2020, at 5:00 PM. The new taproom is located at 50 Veterans Drive in Elizabethtown.

As per Cox Brewing Company’s website there is some rules to visiting the new taproom on opening day (primarily due to COVID-19 guidelines by the state), a brief summary is here:

“Briefing: When you plan to visit, please enter through the main entrance (not the patio door) and as always, please wear your mask while not seated at your table. Anyone who has dined out recently knows that any customer who wishes to consume alcohol on premises must also purchase a meal. Being neighbors with PizzAtown makes this very easy.

Customers can go order their meal at the PizzAtown counter or use their smart phone to order take-out online and eat it at your table with your pint or flight. This will ensure the state guidelines are being met, it’s much appreciated! Check out this article from Breweries in PA on visiting protocol.” (Cox Brewing Company’s Website).

The Rally Point Taproom Interior (Photo Courtesy of Cox Brewing Company’s Facebook Page)

The new taproom is a big step up for the veteran owned brewery. The new taproom is set-up to be a much bigger improvement upon their old location. As per their website, the new tap room will boast: ““the new space will have a 20-foot bar, a dedicated stage for live music, a bunker, outdoor patio, and delicious menu options on the property from our friends at Pizzatown.”

Cox Brewing Company (Rheems Brewery) (Photo Courtesy of Lancaster Online)

The ‘old’ facility in Rheems is closing on Wednesday September 2nd, 2020 and was the home base for the brewery for the past several years. I (B. Kline) had gotten to visit it a few times, once being their 2nd Anniversary party, which was a complete blast. The old Rheems location was a garage and was an intimate, Cheers like place where people knew everyone, and everyone knew everyone, much like many hometown breweries in the Central PA area. It will be missed, but the new location looks to be offering a lot that the old place could not and will be a massive step up for the brewing company.

Cox Brewing Company (Rheems location)

The old location was the home base since 2015, and has served the brewery well. Cox Brewing Company started in 2015 and has been located there since the beginning. Cox Brewing Company is a veteran owned brewery and in the five years since they’ve opened, as been one of the highly regarded Central PA breweries, making some extremely delicious beers over the years.

Their Untappd page reads: “Cox Brewing Company (CBC) is a veteran-owned brewery located in Elizabethtown, PA in the village of Rheems.”

On opening day (Friday) the beer lineup for Rally Point (as per their website on 9.1.20) looks to be as such:

Liberty Lager
82nd Amber Ale
CH-47 IPA
Fat Cow Coffee Porter
Cryo Citra
Tropic Lightening
IP-X
Clockwork Oranjse
The Big Red One
SR71
Worthog Wit
17022

An impressive lineup for their opening day that I can’t wait to personally dive into. They will be offering flights and drafts on Friday, so you will definitely be able to get your fill! I know I’ll be there Friday, and can’t wait.

Cox Brewing Company – Rheems (Photo courtesy of their Facebook page)

Cox Brewing Company on their Facebook page posted the following about their last day in Rheems tomorrow – September 2nd, 2020:

“Just a quick reminder we’re open tomorrow in Rheems for our last night up on the hill. We’ll be pouring take-out only. There will be an off-premises location open if you decide to hang out for a bit. #veteranownedandoperated, #gratitude #community #goodtimes #rheems ##CBC #elizabethtownpa #coxbrewingcompany #craftbeer #customerexperience #pabreweries #pacraftbeer #pabreweries #drinklocal #coxbrewingcompany #cbc #lancastercounty #veteranowned“

The hours for the new location will be:

Wednesday – Thursday: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Friday: 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
(Monday and Tuesday: Closed)

Cox Brewing Company’s current logo

For more information, you can follow Cox Brewing Company on their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. As well as check out their personal website – Cox Brewing Company Homepage.

For more information: Grand Opening: Rally Point, September 4th. (Breweries in PA)

Be sure to follow us here at The Beer Thrillers by clicking the subscribe and follow buttons below. Leave any comments you wish, we always love hearing from you all and will respond. Let us know if you are planning on coming out tomorrow for the Rheems’ location’s last day or if you are coming out Friday for the grand opening; I’m (B. Kline) planning on stopping out both days.

Make sure also to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as our YouTube page which will be starting up shortly. You can find the links for these at the top of each page on our blog here, as well as a link to our Facebook group as well.

And make sure to check out the other grand openings, closings, and brewery news pages as well to keep up to date.

Cheers everyone and hopefully see you in E-Town on Friday!

-B. Kline

Cox Brewing Company – Rally Point Taproom (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania) (Photo courtesy of their Facebook page)