The subtitle I used for the recap article about Day Three was “I woke up in Washington and ended up in Dayton, how did I get here?” And its pretty accurate. Counting West Virginia (which I was only supposed to be in for all of about six to eight minutes) I traveled in three states and a fair bit of distance. So lets discuss how I got from Washington (Pennsylvania) to Dayton (Ohio) all in one day, and what all I did therein.

Also, before we go on, I believe my picture above of the lake at Salt Fork State Park is an optical allusion (that or maybe I’ve finally fully lost it and I’m going nuts); but to me it feels like if you stare at the picture long enough it looks like the waves are moving. Let me know if you see it… or if I have just lost my marbles. (Maybe its both?)

Day three saw me leaving my hotel outside of The Meadows Casino around 9:30AM, and heading to Ohio. Unfortunately, I have to go through West Virginia to get to Ohio in this part of the region… and that involves me getting pulled over by a West Virginia State Trooper. Sigh. So it goes I guess, but it does suck, and is a needless 190$ expense to add to the total cost of my trip, it also made me a bit later getting to my first stop which was the Salt Fork State Park.

There is a large beautiful lake at Salt Fork State Park, as well as several hiking trails over by the golf course. The lake was gorgeous and so serene, and at 10:30-11AM the park and lake area was completely empty. Just me, some blobby dead jellyfish looking things on the beach, lots of deer footprints, and the sad, quiet, solemn sound of the waves of the lake lapping onto the beach. I sat by the beach for a fair bit of time, just taking in the quiet and solitude, the solemnity of the here and now and the sereneness of it all.

The wooded trails there were nice though easy and not much to see, but they were quiet, serene, and peaceful. The whole place had a very serene atmosphere, a malaise or laze-faire peace and serenity to it all. Seeing nobody in sight pretty much the entire time I was in the state park certainly helped add the elusive nature of the place, like I had stumbled back in time and found a beach and lake and small wooded grove that only I knew about and nobody else ever would.

From here I traveled further into Ohio on my way to Columbus. Stopping briefly at a brewery / winery / restaurant / pizzeria on a hill. The restaurant was called Georgetown Tavern on the Hill; the brewery located there was called Southside Brewing Company. Had a gorgeous view of a vineyard and down an impressive hill.

The pizza was very good, and the beer was refreshing and nice on a beautiful, gorgeous, sunny day.

Beer: Blueberry Wheat
Brewery: Southside Brewing Co.
Style: Wheat Beer – American Pale Wheat
ABV: 6%
IBU: 30 IBU
Untappd Description: Traditional wheat beer with a hint of blueberry.

It was refreshing, and nice and there was a hint of blueberry. Perfectly acceptable on a sunny day in early November as a quick-stop pint to grab while breaking up the drive through Ohio.

My Untappd Rating: ***.5
Global Untappd Rating: (Only 9 ratings, not enough for a global rating yet.)

Next up, I stopped at Blackhand Gorge. Which was a series of trails on two sides of a main road. On one side, you had a trail along the creek / river which also included being able to walk down into what was the remains of the Erie Canal; and on the other side you had a walk that took you through a rock tunnel and you could also climb to the top of this giant rock plateau. The one side of the river was more of a bike trail that stretched for miles and miles, the other was a hiking trail. Both were very cool, and had numerous spots to stop and take pictures.

The drive to Blackhand Gorge was interesting. At one point on the highway a firetruck was coming up behind me, so I got over for it, and soon after it passed me, its hose came unattached from the top, and followed behind the firetruck like a long kite tail until it eventually completely unattached. The firetruck unaware the entire time kept speeding on. I was making sure to keep a good 10 – 15 feet back from the hose, which was trailing for probably about 20 – 30 feet from the firetruck itself. Once it became unattached and flew back, I had to quickly swerve so it didn’t hit the car, and it nearly clipped the car behind me who was riding my tail pretty aggressively.

After the Gorge it was finally time to head into Columbus. On the way there, I passed the Longerberger Basket building, office, headquarters, what have you. Reminded me of my aunt who used to sell their baskets, as well as my (ex) mother in law who did as well.

Once in Columbus, the first brewery to hit was Wolf’s Ridge Brewing. Parking was about a half block away, and was only 3$ for 6 hours, which for a city, is fantastic. Also, next to the parking lot was Elevator Brewing, where they were working on inside – unfortunately they weren’t open yet, and were still doing the work on the building, so I had to skip them. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing though more than made up for it.

Due to COVID, instead of eating and sitting inside, they turned the alley to the side of their brewery into a make-shift patio with a construction set barrier around the place. I had two full drafts there while reading and talking to an amazing bartender / server. Very beautiful and sweet lady who chatted with me about their brewery, my trip, Indianapolis, Harrisburg, and all kinds of things.

The first beer I got was the Buchenrauch. I can’t turn down a Rauchbier when I see it on a menu. I just can’t. Always have to give it a try, just to see how the brewery handles doing such a hard beer style. Luckily (and unsurprising for anyone who knows Wolf’s Ridge Brewing) they absolutely nailed it.

Beer: Buchenrauch
Brewery: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing
Style: Rauchbier
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 20 IBU
Untappd Description:

2016 Gold Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

2016 Gold Medal: Alltech Commonwealth Cup

2017 Silver: Alltech Commonwealth Cup

2016 Bronze: Indiana Brewers’ Cup

2015 Bronze Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

This traditional smoked lager style hails from Bamberg Germany. The name literally means “beech smoke,” which pays homage to the time honored tradition of smoking the malt over beech wood to create the signature smooth smokiness. Mahogany in color and rich in flavors of campfire smoke and crusty bread. Buchenrauch is crisp and savory. The lager yeast and cold aging provide smooth drinkability and will leave you wanting more than just one.

Delicious, lovely beer. Compared to the medals and awards this beer has won, my recommendation means very little, but I do certainly highly recommend it. If you are in the Columbus area, this is worth the stop at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing alone.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.69 (as of 11.27.20)

Beer: Dire Wolf
Brewery: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
ABV: 10.4%
IBU: 50 IBU
Untappd Description: 2017 Gold: Beer Army Beer Wars

2016 Silver Medal: Best of Craft Beer Awards

2015 Gold Medal winner: San Diego International Beer Competition

Canis Dirus, or “fearsome dog,” is the scientific name for the Dire Wolf. One of the largest known breeds of wolf, the Dire Wolf went extinct at the end of the last ice age. Similarly, the Russian Imperial Stout was a beer style destined for extinction until craft brewers in America began to resurrect historical styles. Our Imperial Stout is named for the Dire Wolf because it is big, bold, and fearsome. Brewed with copious amounts of oats and brown sugar. Black as night with a dense tan head and chewy texture. Notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and espresso stand against a hefty bitterness to balance this monstrous beer.

Another style I absolutely love – Russian Imperial Stouts (RIS). For any Game of Thrones geeks out there, the name is great too. This was a boozy, heavy, delicious, rich, strong and very powerful beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.04 (as of 11.27.20)

Sadly, I had to move on and say goodbye to the bartender and the great brewery. I had enough time to hit one more brewery in Columbus before heading out to Dayton, my stop for the night (to shorten the trip for the next day). The second brewery I got to try out in Columbus was Land-Grant Brewing Company. Which was kind of set in a hipster like location, right across the street from BrewDog Ohio. Their ordering system was all on the phone, and was actually a bit of a challenge, as you had to pick your flight of beers all from their online menu which made things a bit more difficult than need be, but I don’t begrudge any breweries right now with strong COVID-19 / coronavirus safety protocols.

At Land-Grant Brewing, I ordered a flight that I had to wolf down pretty quickly to be able to get to Dayton in time for both the brewery there and the hotel and to call it on the day, and be somewhat near Indianapolis for tomorrow. According to Untappd, Land-Grant Brewing is a micro brewery; obviously located in Columbus Ohio, it has 531 Unique Beers, and over 163K ratings, with an average rating of 3.7 (as of 11.27.20). There is no Untappd description for the brewery.

The flight I ordered was:

• Beard Crumbs
• Make Mine Irish
• Skull Session
• Son of a Mudder
• Bottomless Coffee

Beer: Beard Crumbs
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Oatmeal
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 42
Untappd Description: Beard Crumbs is a smooth dark stout teeming with notes of chocolate, coffee, and an extra punch of holiday cheer via the addition of carmelized raisins. It delivers the joy of an oatmeal raisin cookie, minus the crumbly clean up.

It’s a festive ale that old Saint Nick himself would love.

This was a fun, tasty oatmeal stout. Ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon rounded out the chocolate and coffee to make it feel more ‘festive’ and like a Christmas or Thanksgiving beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.71 (as of 11.27.20)

Beer: Make Mine Irish
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 8.4%
IBU: 33
Untappd Description: Sometimes a well brewed cup of coffee isn’t quite enough on its own. Sometimes a well brewed glass of beer needs a little something extra to push it over the top. Both benefit from a warming dose of whiskey. For that reason we brewed this hearty Irish Coffee Stout with Stauf’s whiskey-barrel-aged coffee beans, creating a compound of smooth chocolaty stout, roasted coffee, and rich, smoky whiskey. So when you’re craving a beer, a coffee, or a whiskey, might as well make yours Irish.

A good ‘Irish’ coffee stout. Strong and bold and powerful. Good full stout flavor even in a taster, very nice.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.89 (as of 11.27.20)

Beer: Skull Session
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Red
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 15
Untappd Description: This easy drinking Scarlet Lager owes a tip of its cap to a timeless autumn tradition. A chance to clear your mind before Saturday’s main event. This beer draws its ruddy hue from Red X malt, while maintaining a bright, classic balance from the addition of Tettnang and Chinook hops. This is a lager that’s in formation and ready to march.

An interesting lager. A lot going on flavor wise, but still pretty crispy. A fun and interesting take on the lager style. Wouldn’t mind trying some more Red Lagers in the future especially back home; see how other breweries do the style.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.63 (as of 11.27.20)

Beer: Son of a Mudder
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale – American
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 30
Untappd Description: Nevermind the conditions. This Brown Ale’s father was a Mudder, and his mother was a Mudder. This is a true and true American Brown Ale with a subtle hop presence at the turn and toffee, caramel, and coffee notes waiting at the finish line. When they’re calling for rain, dig in deep and grab a Mudder. It’s a sure thing.

I love brown ales, and I think the older I’m getting (ugh, scary thought) the more I’m enjoying them even moreso. This was no exception. Fantastic brown ale that is true to the style.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.6 (as of 11.27.20)

Beer: Bottomless Coffee
Brewery: Land-Grant Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Vienna
ABV: 5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Perfect any time of day, this easy drinking Vienna Lager gets a rich, roasty pick-me-up from a big old pot of Stauf’s India Malabar Coffee beans—roasted right here in Columbus, Ohio. Grab a stool, get comfortable, and we’ll keep your cup topped-off.

Another interesting lager take. A coffee Vienna lager. Not your normal thought for a lager is coffee. This works really well though actually, and I really enjoyed it, more than I thought I would. I always love it when a beer exceeds my expectations.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.51 (as of 11.27.20)

Sadly, I pretty much had to wolf these beers down and bolt, and couldn’t stay and enjoy the ambiance of the place. In an outdoor patio next door looked like there was a big game of trivia going down. Not sure if this was tied in with Land-Grant Brewing or with the BrewDog from across the street. It might have been a communal area or for just the one brewery. If I had to guess, I would say it was tied in with Land-Grant Brewing or maybe the old school bar nearby too. I don’t think it was tied in with BrewDog. But it looked impressive with a big seating area, a huge screen for the trivia, and a lot of people…. hopefully socially distanced and wearing masks when not drinking.

But, I was off now to my last stop, and had to book it too. I had to get to Dayton, and had to get there fast. I was heading to The Wandering Griffin, a brewery just outside of Dayton (technically considered Beaver Creek, Ohio) and right by my motel stop for the night. From Land-Grant to The Wandering Griffin its a 1 Hour and 1 Minute drive if Google Maps is to be believed. I wanna say I made it there a bit faster than that… but not going to incriminate myself.

I get to Dayton (or Beaver Creek) just before shutting down. I sit outside on their patio and enjoy a pint of Oktoberfest (2020). The place had an Applebee’s turned brewery vibe to it, or pick your own chain restaurant type place. Chili’s, Red Robin, Jiffy State, or whatever is local to your area type place. Not taking anything away from the place, it was nice, great patio area, nice bartender / server / worker, and the beer was good too.

According to Untappd, The Wandering Griffin is a brew pub in Beaver Creek, Ohio. They have 41 Unique Beers with 2,400+ ratings and an average global rating of 3.66 (as of 11.27.20). Their description reads: “We are The Wandering Griffin Brewery. We brew some really killer beer. We have lots and lots of room (over 10,000 square-feet) for you to drink our killer beer. Our floor is brown. We also have one really big ass patio. You can drink our killer beer there to. We also make some really killer grub. Did we mention that our beer is really good? We look forward to seeing you soon. Really. Parking? We have the largest parking lot in Dayton. Bring the bus! Brewery, full-service restaurant, beer garden and 3 bars. Great space for your event – large or small! Conveniently located off 675 exit 15 near WSU, WPAFB and Nutter Center.”

I ordered the Oktoberfest (2020), and went out to the patio to sit, it soon started to drizzle slightly, but nothing horribly, and I had a table umbrella over my head, so I enjoyed my pint.

Beer: Oktoberfest (2020)
Brewery: The Wandering Griffin
Style: Lager – Amber
ABV: 6%
IBU: 28
Untappd Description:

Prost! Our 2020 Oktoberfest is brewed using a blend of select German hops, Pale, Munich, and Vienna malts. Together, these ingredients bring notes of freshly toasted bread and a touch of fruit character to the brew. At 6% ABV and 28 IBU, this year’s Oktoberfest is a big yodel to beer’s biggest party…Even if we’re doing it from 6′ apart.
Küss unseren Arsch COVID!!!

I enjoyed it. It was a little weaker than some Marzens – probably because (according to their Untappd page for it) its a Lager – Amber rather than a Marzen, but it was still serviceable, especially after I’ve already stopped at two breweries in Columbus and the one earlier in the day (like a lifetime ago) in Georgetown. Was a nice enough end cap to the day.

My Untappd Rating: ***.50
Global Untappd Rating: 3.63 (as of 11.27.20)

After bidding adieu to the bartender / server I hopped the two blocks over to my motel and finally crashed for the day. Day three in the books. It brought me from Washington Pennsylvania to Dayton Ohio. As I carried my stuff into the motel, it started raining (more than a drizzle, but not hard), my friends at home said it had poured earlier in the day. Fun note – this would be the only rain and “bad weather” on the entirety of my trip. And it was overnight while in Dayton. Can’t say a bad thing about the weather I had in early November while traveling from PA to IN. I got extremely fortunate there. So as Tuesday came to a close, I had another wonderful day on my trip. I went to a State Park, went to another hiking place (Blackhand Gorge), visited four breweries in three different cities of Ohio (Georgetown, Columbus, and Dayton) and pretty much traveled the entire way across Ohio. Tomorrow brings on Day Four and takes me into Indianapolis to finally make it to the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library – the reason and purpose for my trip. So make sure to come on back to check in with us here at The Beer Thrillers for that! We still also have Days Five, Six, and Seven to get through! Be sure to come back to read the conclusion to the whole trip!

Thanks for reading everyone. Hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday, etc. Make sure to shop craft beer and not just scoop up the Goose Island Bourbon County crap, help the local breweries in these hard times, especially as the virus numbers keep getting higher and higher and shut downs look imminent. Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

The Trip to Indianapolis – Full Articles:

• Day One: Thousand Steps Trail, Juniata Brewing Company, Ghost Town Trail, Levity Brewing
• Day Two: Rock Furnace Trail, Allusion Brewing Company, Couch Brewery, Riverview Park, Hop Farm Brewing Company, The Meadows Casino
• Day Three: Salt Fork State Park, Southside Brewing Company, Blackhand Gorge, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing Company, and The Wandering Griffin
• Day Four:
• Day Five:
• Day Six:
• Day Seven:

The Trip to Indianapolis – Recap Articles:

• The Trip to Indy
• The Trip to Indy – Day One Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Two Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Three Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Four Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Five Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Six Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Seven Recap
• Recap and Stats

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

• Going on the Road
• The Trip: Day 1 Recap
• The Trip: Day 2 Recap
• The Trip: Day 3 Recap

Rickett’s Glen (2020) Road Trip Series:

• A Road Trip to Rickett’s Glen
• The Trip to Rickett’s Glen

Monocacy Battlefield Road Trip:

• Impromptu Two-Day Trip to Frederick Maryland
• Road Trip to Monocacy Battlefield (June 19th – June 20th, 2020)

Visiting Reading Pennsylvania:

• A Visit to Reading
• The Birthday Trip to Reading Pennsylvania – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

A Road Trip to The PA Grand Canyon:

• Visiting Wellsboro PA and the Grand Canyon

Hiking Hawk Rock

• Hiking Hawk Rock and Visiting Liquid Noise Brewery

Hiking Pinnacle Trail and Pulpit Rock

• Hiking to Pinnacle Overlook, Pulpit Rock, Visiting 1787 Brewing and Schaylor Brewing

Hiking Around Ephrata Pennsylvania:

• Hiking Around Ephrata Pennsylvania – Pour Man’s Brewing, Black Forest Brewery

Hiking Sunset Rocks and Checking Out Maxie’s Brewhouse:

• Hiking Sunset Rocks and Checking Out Maxie’s Brewhouse in Shippensburg Pennsylvania

Other Brewery Hopping Articles:

• Brewery Touring York and Hanover PA
• Brewery Hopping – 12.27.19
• Breweries Around the Outskirts of Harrisburg – 9.6.19

My Article for Breweries in PA:

• Touring Breweries Around Harrisburg

My Podcast About Breweries in Central PA:

• Beers with Strangers – A Beer Thriller in Hershey

Some other brewery tour and road trip articles:

• A Sneak Peak at the New Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown
• A Brewery Tour of Mellow Mink
• Brewery Review: Battlefield Brew Works
• Brewery Review: Cushwa Brewing
• A Trip to Gettysburg and Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Road Trip Snacks (Panther Island Brewing)
• Brewery Review: The Ministry of Brewing
• Beer Review: Esmeralda (Ministry of Brewing)

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

• Beer Review: Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot)
• Beer Review: Unicorns Stomping on Lanternflies (Saucony Creek Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: Griddle (Funk Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Up the Creek Extreme Ale (Thomas Creek Brewery)
• Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery)
• Beer Review: Dropout (Rubber Soul Brewing)
• Beer Review: Pigtoberfest (Boneshire Brew Works)
• Beer Review: I Voted Today (Tired Hands)
• Beer Review: Super Villain (Urban Village Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Shallow Grave (Nitro) (Heretic Brewing)
• Beer Review: The Growfather (Stickman Brews)
• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)

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!

Quick, short answer is – yes. Yes they are. On October 16th, they posted on BrewBound a job posting looking for an experienced brewmaster. You can find their job posting here: BrewBound – JB Lovedraft’s.

Their posting reads:

“Seeking experienced Brew Master/ Head Brewer for upcoming Brewery location in Central PA area. Competitive Salary. Full input on brewery installation, direction, and styles. Location near major shopping areas along heavy traffic routes. Installing 10-15 bbl system, with canning line. 

Brewery is to be an extension of an existing area franchise with a focus on live music, the addition of a distillery, and a smoke house restaurant concept.

Projected launch date May 2021.”

Other information included on the posting lists:

• Posted date – October 16th, 2020
• Job Title – Head Brewer/Brewmaster
• Employment – Full Time
• Company – JB Lovedrafts Brewing Co
• Compensation / Salary – Not Specified
• Location – Harrisburg, 17050

On October 27th, they posted to their Facebook page “We’re growing” with a link to the above BrewBound job posting.

On the 28th, they posted the following (picture and text):

“Our tentacles are spreading #jb“

They haven’t outright specified where the location of the brewery will be, but it could be either their upcoming West Shore location, or it could be at their current location in Harrisburg. If I was a betting man, I would bet on it being the Mechanicsburg / West Shore location.

Their current location is at 225 N 2nd Street Harrisburg. Its a burger bar / music venue, and in recent history (pre-COVID but within the past year) they’ve ran into a few issues with the Harrisburg area on the loudness of their music. Their venue has been a wonderful music scene for the ‘misfits and outcasts’ for the ‘freaks and the geeks’ and for the ‘fringe aspects’. Their page lists their place as: “Beer, Burgers, Fries, Music, Nerds, Geeks, Freaks”.

They also have a portable food truck called the JB Lovedrafts Canteen.

Their Harrisburg location is all inclusive, celebrating people of all diverse backgrounds and cultures and ideas. It is one of the greater stops in Harrisburg and an area where everyone is welcomed. So it’s absolutely great to see them getting to expand and to even have their own brewery and brewing line. Will be something to keep your eye on and to look forward to. The job opening page says planned launch date May 2021. (Planned launch date and planned opening are two different things, and with most things, schedules can change, especially now with COVID and the pandemic and everything going on.)

So definitely put this on your calendars and keep an eye on their sites for more information.

• JB Lovedrafts Website
• JB Lovedrafts Micropub Facebook
• JB Lovedrafts Canteen Facebook
• JB Lovedrafts Instagram
• JB Lovedrafts Twitch
• JB Lovedrafts YouTube
• JB Lovedraft’s Brewing BrewBound Job Posting

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

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)
• Grand Opening: Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown)
• Tap Room Opening: Howling Henry’s Brewery (Hummelstown)
• Is JB Lovedrafts Opening a Brewery?

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!

Thanks for reading everyone. Have a Happy (and safe) and Spooky Halloween!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Technically this should be “Dropout 2020” by Rubber Soul rather than just Dropout. Its the same, but not the same, as the original Dropout that the original Rubber Soul made (back from when they were in Salisbury Maryland with a different head brewer). For ease and brevity of the blog I have it listed as just DROPOUT, and don’t think I really need to include the 2020. I will be interested to see if going forward if Rubber Soul makes new entries on Untappd for “Dropout (2021)” and “Dropout (2022)” etc. They also did this with Garage Racer calling it Garage Racer (2020).

So, brief backstory on this, Rubber Soul was a brewery out of Salisbury Maryland with ties to the midstate area of Central Pennsylvania. So a lot of their beers were kegged and sent up to local bars in the area. They went bankrupt roughly two years ago, and a LLC bought them, and then subsequently bought the old borough building in Hummelstown and spent the majority of 2020 (and some of 2019) turning it into their new brewery. The LLC bought all of their old equipment and recipes, but did not retain the same brewer, instead getting a new brewer, and moving from Salisbury MD to Hummelstown PA.

You can read my two articles on their opening:

• A Sneak Peak at the Rubber Soul Brewery
• Grand Opening of Rubber Soul

This was their first ‘add-on’ from their original tap list, which not quite a week in, they already had kicked a keg (or two or however many they had to replace one of their beers) which is pretty impressive.

Last night after getting done at work at 7PM, driving home, I decided to head over to Rubber Soul for dinner and then a block up to Tony’s house to watch the Bills – Titans game. How often do you get to watch Tuesday night football? Especially with your buddy whose a Bills fan. So I decided why not!

Firstly, let me say, I had the stromboli with it, and that was one of the most delicious ‘boli’s I’ve ever had. I don’t normally order stromboli, but I picked the short rib poutine but unfortunately they were out of it (sold out during the day) so I decided on the stromboli. My dad had it the night we were there when I met him and my mom there for dinner, and he said it was delicious, so I figured why not.

Enough about food (who cares about food anyway right?), lets get to the beer:

Beer: Dropout (2020)
Brewery: Rubber Soul Brewing Co
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 8.2%
IBU: 70
Untappd Description: Double IPA. This hop forward double IPA has a big presence of grapefruit and flowery spice. A clean finish with a little bite. Hopped with citra mosaic and cascade.

The original Rubber Soul Dropout has the following statistics:
ABV: 8%
IBU: 100
Untappd Description: We’ve taken a classic Big IPA and modified it to epic, or rather, citric proportions. Thoroughly loaded with Citra hops and German specialty malts like Vienna and CaraFoam, the roasty middle of this otherwise pungent power pale will have you screaming “Dropout!” wherever you are.

I wish I could say I could give an honest comparison between the two, but its been four years (four years ago in June) since I last had the original Dropout. My Untappd notes for it say: “Bitter but very flavorful”.

That’s not the same case for the newest version of this. So, lets get into it, and break it down.

Appearance is a nice darker hued NE-IPA looking drink. A cross between a West Coast IPA and a New England IPA in appearance. Its somewhat hazy, not fully opaque, but far from translucent. It looks like an IPA, but just a bit darker / cloudier than a normal IPA, and there’s nothing wrong or bad about this. It has a very nice look and is a well done appearance for a new IPA and new brewery. It had a wonderful foamy head to it with nice bubbles.

Nose is a strong juicy hoppy IPA. The citra hops really sparkle here and take front and center stage. This has a wonderful IPA aroma to it, strong, scented, powerful, slight malt notes, but strong hop presence in the nose. Fun beer to smell before taking that first delicious sip.

First sip…. very good. Second sip…. very good…. third sip…. oh look, who are we kidding. The beer is good, from first to last sip, and its super quaffable making you wanna get a second drink before you know it. There is a bit of a large variety of hop notes to this new version of Dropout, and ‘bitterness’ is not one of them. This is very juicy, dank, and it is most importantly delicious. There is a citrus flavor to the hops, there’s a lot of grapefruit flavor as well. I got a little spice on this, but not much, very subtle, and almost as if you need to look for it. The hops leave this with a really nice floral, grapefruit, juicy, dank, citrusy, with a hint of earthy undertones, and then there’s the light subtle hint of the spice, and some malt backbone to this, that all really blends together into a very drinkable, delicious brew. I’m usually not a huge fan of grapefruit tastes but this doesn’t border on that ‘ugh grapefruit’ and more of a ‘oh, this is nice’ grapefruit, no bitterness, no pungent-ness, no over powering grapefruit or too bright grapefruit, this is blending, mellow, but tasteful. Sitting in the brewery, reading, and eating, this went down incredibly smooth and easy. The 70 IBU leaves a bit of a bite but not really noticeable, as the juiciness of the beer really smooths that out and overpowers the hop bite. So for those fans of New England IPAs, this will be more on their side than the traditional West Coast IPA side. As a Double IPA (DIPA) it is a bit higher ABV – 8.2%, but its not too noticeable, and even after two (with food) its not too strong to knock you on your ass, which is always a definite plus. A crowler of this would be just the right amount for a good night watching a football game…. even if it is on a Tuesday due to COVID.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.01 (as of 10.14.20)

After the two beers and ‘boli at the brewery, walked the block up to Tony’s and watched the Bills – Titans game. He certainly didn’t enjoy the game (as a Bills fan), and afterwards we got to watch the exciting final of the Braves – Dodgers game (Braves nearly blew that one!). I had a crowler of the Garage Racer (2020) while watching the game, and that’s another very fine and enjoyable beer from Rubber Soul.

I am certainly going to be enjoying having them in town, a mile walk to the brewery and back, is perfect. It’ll let me feel like I’m being productive and healthful with the walk, plus enjoy some great beer and food. Win. Win. Win.

Look for a new review from Josh tomorrow – and shocker everyone – it’s not Adroit Theory. Its great having him back reviewing again, you can check out his latest review here: Beer Review: The Octagonal Stairway (Adroit Theory and Pig Destroyer Collaboration).

You can see my latest beer reviews here:

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

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

-B. Kline

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.

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 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.

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).

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.

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 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!

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

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)
• Grand Opening: Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown)
• Tap Room Opening: Howling Henry’s Brewery (Hummelstown)

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!

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

In more sad news, another brewery will be shuttering their doors and turning off their taps soon for good. This time its Spigot Brewing located in Ford City, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh).

Yesterday (10.5.20 at 7:17PM) they posted this on their Facebook page:

What we’re about to say brings us no pleasure and, quite frankly, sucks.For the past several months, the strict regulations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have proven to be quite a fiscal challenge to deal with. To be completely honest, we have been operating at a deficit for six months now…and yet we have done our best to try to adapt, push on, and hope for a break. However, the breaks simply haven’t come. Our biggest challenge is the size and layout of the taproom. Even as the various phases of occupancy restrictions lift, we cannot accommodate an increase of patrons due to the tangled web of rules that govern us. To bluntly summarize, at this point we have been financially damaged beyond repair and simply cannot continue to operate at a loss any longer.So, what’s next? For starters, we will continue to be open for growler fills for a few weeks. While we will not be brewing any additional product at this point, we just tapped a batch of Fest ‘20 & Ford Street Fog IPA, and have a new IPA kegged up that will get us through for a bit until the Spigots run dry. If we had to guess, that will probably happen near the end of October. Between now and then, all outstanding gift certificates should be cashed in as quickly as possible to prevent any forfeitures. Additionally, you can bring in any beer tokens that you have and use them toward purchases of growler fills or merchandise.Words cannot describe the gratitude that we have for those who graciously supported us over the past few years…especially those super-loyal patrons who stopped in for their weekly growler fills since the inception of the shutdown back in March. You are the sole reason that we were able to survive for as long as we have…a HUGE thanks goes out to you!Please know that we are deeply saddened by this decision, and are sure that you feel the same way. However, you must admit that we had a good run and had a lot of fun together along the way. And as we have said many times over the years, we hope to have a beer with you soon. Except for this one, we may simply be on the other side of the bar with you when it happens…and that’s ok too. Cheers! Doug & Cindy

Spigot Brewing Facebook Page

They follow in the footsteps of some other Pennsylvania breweries that closed their doors for the last time this year – Stoudt’s Brewing, Crystal Ball Brewing, and Voodoo Lancaster.

2020 has certainly been a challenging year for breweries, as well as people in general. From wildfires in Australia and California, from COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic and various laws and restrictions and issues therein, from murder hornets, aluminum shortages, coin shortages, Tiger King, spotted lanternflies, and a host of other things; it has been a trying time for all of us. Least of all small businesses. It is in times like this that we need to best support our small businesses and smaller breweries. Visit your local microbrewery, buy a growler, share it with a friend, rave about them, write Untappd and Beer Advocate reviews – or even submit a review to me, and get them some attention and publicity. Tip their servers well. Help out where and however you can.

Spigot Brewing was established in April 2018, in one of the many historic buildings in Ford City. They are technically being listed as the first PA Brewery to close due to COVID-19 / coronavirus.

They are selling the remainder of the beer they still have on tap and in their tanks through growler sales. So if you are in the Ford City area (a bit over three hours from Harrisburg, about forty five minutes from Pittsburgh), I would recommend stopping in and picking up a growler to at least try them before they close. Also, if you have any gift certificates, now is the time to use them.

You can follow Spigot Brewing and get the latest information on their Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and Untappd.

In other industry and brewery news, there has been a few openings lately. I have just gotten home from day two of Rubber Soul’s opening. I will have a review of the place, food, and beers up soon. You can check out my two articles on their opening here:

• A Sneak Peak of Rubber Soul Brewery (February)
• Rubber Soul Grand Opening (September / October)

I also was recently at Highway Manor’s opening. You can check out my articles on them here:

• Brewery Opening: Highway Manor
• Brewery Review: Highway Manor

And for more openings:

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

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)

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!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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

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.

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

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!

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

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)
• Grand Opening: Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown)
• Tap Room Opening: Howling Henry’s Brewery (Hummelstown)

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

• Beer Review: Tattered Soul

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!

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

-B. Kline

Pilger Ruh Brewing is currently looking for your help. They have finally found the location for their future home, in Pottsville Pennsylvania, they just need your help to get this dream up off the ground and get those taps flowing.

As with any older building, its going to need a lot of renovations, innovations, changes, and modifications to get it turned into a thriving business… let alone a bustling brewery. Which is one of the great thing about craft breweries – turning old buildings into brand new beautiful rustic but modern restaurants and breweries. Look at how Rubber Soul has turned the old police station (borough office building) in Hummelstown into their brewery. Or how Tattered Flag renovated their old building in Middletown. Its a common theme for many breweries; take an old building in a town they like, and renovate and modify it to meet their needs. It preserves the building, gives the brewery a unique look, helps the town, and helps the brewery. Seems like a win all around right?

Right.

So let’s help out Pilger Ruh Brewing get the money they need so they can do the same in Pottsville!

How can you help? Well, its really simple. Similar to a GoFundMe page, they have a indigogo page. You go there, donate what you can, and it all adds up. Want to help Pilger Ruh Brewing out and help them hit their goals and meet their dreams? Click here to donate: Pilger Ruh Brewing IndieGoGo Page.

Why should you help out?

Well…. firstly, you would be helping a brand new brewery start up. You would be helping brewers, community members, friends, and family meet their dreams and achieve their goals. And secondly… you’ll get some perks out of it too!

Some perks include: free t-shirts, hoodies, limited edition glasswear, tickets to conventions, discounts on mug club memberships, getting to name some of their fermenters and tanks, brewing with them, hats, and getting to name some of their beers.

Thats a lot of incentive just right there to help them out.

Want to read their story? (You can go to their IndieGoGo page to read it) or read the following:

“Pilger Ruh Brewing is a new craft brewery coming to Schuylkill County PA! The whole dream started three years ago in the summer of 2017 when owners Tyler Budwash, Anthony Deppen, Conlan Budwash, along with friends Matt and Alex started brewing together.  We quickly joined the beer festival circuit and received great reviews from consumers all over the state.  Our brewery has over 14 years of combined brewing experience and we plan to bring great local beers of all styles to Pottsville PA in 2021!  Co-Owner Tyler has been homebrewing since 2013, started the Schuylkill County Brew Fest, and has been to over 250 different breweries in the US, a graduate of Kutztown University where he has a BA in Political Science.  He currently lives in Schuylkill County with his 2 children and girlfriend Corine.  Co-Owner Anthony Deppen has been homebrewing since 2017, world traveled professional wrestler, currently lives in New Cumberland PA with his wife Cassidy where they are expecting their first child in November 2020.  Head Brewer Conlan Budwash has been the assistant brewer at Snitz Creek the last 4 years, worked at Troegs Brewing Company the last 5 years, lives in Pine Grove, and graduated from the Brew Science course through HACC.

We started this campaign to help raise some money to cover additional renovations to complete our taproom and gain some extra working capital upon opening. (we aren’t asking for a lot).  Getting this brewery off the ground has been financially challenging for us, but we have faith that we can make this work no matter what the situation is. Instead of asking for money outright, we want to offer you a number of different options where you gain something as well.  No matter what you decide to give we are very appreciative of you for that and each and every person that has supported us on this journey.

Our goal is to raise at least $25,000 to complete our renovations (floors, walls, bathrooms, reinforcing the basement etc). As we said earlier, we want to offer you something for helping us.  Some of the perks we have lined up are limited edition glasses, shirts, deals on mug club memberships, naming tanks, brewing with us, exclusive beers, hoodies, hats, free tickets to events ran by us and more!  We set our goal a bit higher than we wanted to, so no matter what amount we reach, ALL proceeds will be going into getting the taproom ready for early next year.

The brewery plans to be very community oriented, which is why we chose to move our operations to Pottsville PA.  We want to bring something new to the area and help it gain more traction and give back to the community as much as we could.  Five years ago there weren’t any actual craft breweries in Schuylkill County, now after we open there will be technically six. Anyone that has had our beers over the last 3.5 years knows what to expect when we open, and that’s quality beers.  Our beers have been speaking for themselves at each and every event and we plan to continue that quality when we open next year.

We are aware that starting a new business comes with a ton of risks, especially when it comes to beer.  I mean we could fail in a year and be gone, but we will not let that happen because we cannot fail and we will not fail.  We chose the not so expensive route for all of our equipment, we bought things that made sense with our budget, not dropping thousands of dollars to look good or buy huge name brands.  This project has been trying to get off the ground  for 2 years now, we were unable to obtain funding from quite some time before we were able to save up a lot of our own money and gain a small SBA loan for our equipment.  Unfortunately COVID19 set up back a few months with getting our plans and permits ready, but we are now ready to go.  We’re very happy to be in the situation we are in now and want to finish up renovations so we can open and start paying back all of our debts.  Every last penny will be going towards the brewery, whether it be our glassware or something as small as a floor mat. 

If our perks aren’t something you’re interested in you can still help.  We would greatly appreciate you sharing our Facebook page and inviting all of your friends to like it.  Give us a Like on Instagram, tell all your friends and family about us, and when we open come say hi!

Thank you!

-Tyler, Tony, and Conlan”

The building’s location is 213 N. Centre Street in Pottsville, PA. They have quite a few renovations they need to do to make the building into a brewery. Namely flooring, walls, reinforcing the basement, drainage, ditches, new bathrooms, etc.

Their current goal is 25,000$. As of posting time (9.23.20 – 10PM) they are up to 3,468$. So there is a ways to go, and every penny will help add up!

You most likely have met, known, or heard of Pilger Ruh Brewing, or the Budwash brothers from the various events and brewfests. They are typically a staple at the Litiz, Mount Hope, Lancaster, and Schukyll Brewfests (they actually run the Schukyll Brewfest). They are also usually seen at Ffej of July, at the Kegs and Eggs at Rotunda, and many other events, brewfests, and charity events. They have been working at Troegs Brewing and Snitz Creek Brewery, behind the scenes things, and as of now, brewing for Snitz Creek. You can also find their own Pilger Ruh beers on tap at the Snitz Creek Annville (the old Funck’s – right next to the Fort Indiantown Gap Cemetery) location.

I’ve gotten to know all three quite well over the years, from different events, from the Central PA Whalerz, from Tyler’s love of the civil war, all three’s love for professional wrestling (Anthony Deppen is actually a professional wrestler – Tony Deppen – who wrestles for promotions such as Ring of Honor [ROH], amongst many others), and their collaborations with Tattered Flag.

They are all a bunch of great dudes, so let’s help them make this happen. The world needs more great beers and more great breweries and brewers. So lets band together and help them out!

You can follow them on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

You can read our interview with Tyler Budwash here. Brewer Interview Series: Tyler Budwash.

Some beer reviews of their collaborations:

• Beer Review: Social Distancing
• Beer Review: Should Have Put Him In Custardy
• Beer Review: Abbra Collabra 6-Way Collaboration: Banana Milkshake

So let’s get this done guys! Donate now!

Donation Link: Pilger Ruh Brewing IndieGoGo

Links:

• Pilger Ruh Brewing
• Pilger Ruh Brewing – IndieGoGo – Donations

Lots more stuff happening here with the blog. Look for an interview with Scott Smith (of East End Brewing) soon. An interview with a Cape May brewing scientist. More beer reviews. A Poconos trip soon. (Finally!) The YouTube Video. Highway Manor’s Opening. And lots more. So be sure to stay here and check it all out. So be sure to follow, like, subscribe, and follow us on our social media pages – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Thanks!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Yesterday Tattered Flag Brewing and Distillery announced that they are the latest craft brewery in Pennsylvania to jump into the shipping game. Following breweries like Levante Brewing, Tired Hands Brewing, The Larimeer, and many others, Tattered Flag will also now be shipping to all of Pennsylvania.

While some breweries have been able to ship out of Pennsylvania, currently Tattered Flag is limited to Pennsylvania only, this is still a huge step for both the brewery and fans of great craft beer the whole state over. For people as far as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, it can be hard to get your hands on Tattered Flag, so this is a great way for them to be able to try their amazing beers and spirits.

This is not just limited to their award winning craft beers, but also their award winning spirits like their Tequila and Vodkas and their other great liquors.

They dropped this bombshell at roughly 3PM yesterday, and this was their press release on their official Facebook page:

“Introducing Tattered Flag Supply Drop – your online source for DIRECT SHIPPING of Tattered Flag’s award-winning Beer, Spirits, and Ready To Drink Canned Cocktails! Head to www.tatteredflagsupplydrop.com to create your account and place your first order! FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more! We are now accepting PRE-ORDERS for shipping on Wednesday, September 9th! To celebrate, we are releasing a limited supply of our Reposado Agave (barrel aged tequila) for purchase on the website only!#tatteredflagsupplydrop#directshipping#beer#spirits#toyourfrontdoor” (with the above image)

So if you are in the state of Pennsylvania and haven’t been able to try their fantastic beers yet, be sure to jump on this fantastic new way of getting to try them, and make sure to take advantage of the free shipping (on orders over 75$).

Its great seeing some of the success stories coming out of COVID for some of these local great breweries, like Tattered Flag, and some others that are expanding or opening soon (like Rubber Soul in Hummelstown soon due to open) and The Englewood.

Be sure to check out the many beer reviews of Tattered Flag’s beers we’ve done here on the blog to get an idea of what you can order from them.

Lots of big news coming soon here to the blog, so please stay tuned, especially if you live locally in the 717 area!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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 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.”

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.

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 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)

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

Happy Father’s Day everyone. Hope you all made the best of your day, I certainly did. Home from Frederick Maryland and with some fresh beer to boot. You can read about my trip Monocacy Battlefield and Frederick Maryland here: Road Trip to Monocacy Battlefield (June 19th and June 20th, 2020) and the lead-up article to it here: Impromptu Two-Day Trip to Frederick Maryland. But now home, safe and sound, and feeling a lot better, its time to spend time with the family and enjoy a nice, relaxing father’s day with some cold, refreshing, craft beer.

The day started with me making the girls scrambled eggs on the grill and them giving me my gifts; which was a ‘The Dadalorian’ shirt, and a small mini-fridge that can hold six cans. It can be plugged in regularly or into a car, so that’s pretty cool. The shirt:

As a fan of Star Wars and especially the Mandalorian show, its definitely a cool shirt. After my shower for the day I made sure to put it on when we went to my sister and brother-in-law’s for a lunch / dinner picnic gathering.

Social distancing was done, don’t worry, (though I did not bring any Social Distancing), but the gathering was only myself and my girls, my parents, and my sister, her husband, and their son. So everyone whose been in contact with each other in recent history anyway. Also, while there, due to an upcoming stomach procedure my father had to be tested for COVID-19 and he got his results by phone – negative. Which was a gift in and of itself for father’s day.

For my father I had gotten him a book about Eagles’ Zac Ertz, as well as a new hand-made broom for their porch, and a rose I planted in their garden.

The get together was nice, and relaxing, the kids played in a water pool and played with squirt guns and water balloons, my brother in law grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and I drank a few delicious Fredhead Red IPAs. Even having one later watching a nice storm roll through.

So let’s check it out….

Beer: Fredhead Red IPA
Brewery: Attaboy Beer
Style: IPA – Red
ABV: 7%
IBU: 50
Untappd Description:

Piney, Roasty, Rich. Fredhead is formally named Fredheaded Stepchild. An ode to the great Red IPA’s out there.

Starting Gravity 14
Final Gravity 3.8
Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Horizon, Cascade

Malts: 2 Row, Munich, Crystal 80, Black Malt, Black Prinz

I enjoy the Untappd descriptions for Attaboy Beer’s; they include the malts used, the hops used, the starting gravities and the final gravity. All great for home brewers who would want to replicate (or attempt to) their recipes or make a clone. If anything, it at least gives them a base idea to start from. Plus, for consumers (drinkers) its a great way to learn more about the beer and the ingredients in it that you are drinking. Always cool, a smarter consumer, smarter drinker, is a better consumer and better drinker.

Appearance is similar to Amber Ales; in that its just that – Amber. Red. Red… and an IPA…. Oh, I get it now! Now do take note – this is a IPA – Red; not an Amber Ale, like Nugget Nectar. So remember folks – Nugget Nectar is NOT an IPA, its an Amber Ale, this – Fredhead Red – IS an IPA, and its a RED IPA. Ok? We got all that sorted? Though I do have to confess loving sitting at the bar at Troegs Brewery watching people call Nugget Nectar an Amber IPA or Red IPA or just an IPA in general and everyone roll their eyes, sigh, and try to begin to explain. But anyway….. getting back to the appearance of this redheaded stepchild….. First off, color is a dark amber red, still fairly transparent but not completely (due to its darker hue; not due to filtration). Super carbonated, but not a gusher. Big foamy, fluffy head with randomized and large bubbles.

Aroma is hoppy, but with a much more distinguishable malt backbone to it. Definitely not a hop bomb or a malt bomb either way, by any means. This is certainly closer to being a West Coast style IPA and there is a nice piney, resin, earthy heavyness to the nose on this. A hint of citrus, some of the simcoe making its presence known, but for the most part this smells more like a roasty, malty West Coast IPA.

This drinks like a darker, more malty, roasty, version of a West Coast IPA. It is malty, but not a malt bomb. It is hoppy, but not a hop bomb. It mixes nicely and makes a very nice combination of the two. There is a very healthy piney, resin taste to it that gives it that good old fashion West Coast IPA taste, thats nice to get back to every once in a while. In the current New England IPA dominated beer trends, its nice to kick back every once in a while with a good old fashion West Coast style IPA (even if its a ‘Red IPA’). With the piney-ness and resin, I also get some faint hints of grapefruit, bit of citrus, bit of roasted malt, darker, bread-crumb like malt, slight biscuit, and earthy notes. The mouthfeel for this is pretty much spot on, not too thick, not too thin, right where an IPA should be. Its well carbonated and is a lovely brew. This, along with the other two beers I had at Attaboy Beer were downright fantastic. And definitely makes Attaboy Beer worth a stop if you are in the Frederick Maryland area. This is a great Red IPA, a great West Coast IPA, and just a downright great beer.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.6 (as of 6.22.20)

Cheers everyone, happy father’s day, and make sure dad gets to sit back, relax, and drink a nice cold craft beer!

My Trip to Frederick Maryland:

• Impromptu Two-Day Trip to Frederick Maryland
• Road Trip to Monocacy Battlefield (June 19th – June 20th, 2020)