Opinion Piece - The Beer Thrillers

Those Beers With My Mom (Happy Mother’s Day)

AmyMWolfe — Sun, 11 May 2025 12:46:35 +0000

Those beers with my Mom

Grandma SueAnn being silly at Sworn Brewing

Happy Mother’s Day

I hope my mom knows she is my best friend and my best beer drinking friend! We could literally enjoy any beverage together and it would be a great time. Well, except rum, Grandma SueAnn can’t do rum anymore.

Ben recently joined me on a work trip and Grandma SueAnn was gracious enough to help out with Scarlet while we enjoyed a couple days away before the work trip. For taking on such a worthy task we, of course, brought her home a selection of beers from our trip.

We started off at RAR Brewing (see my article: May the Fourth Be With You – From a Non a Star Wars Lover at RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Fest), and made our way to Macklin Brewing in the evening. We thought of her often while perusing the crafts and art for sale amongst the street fair May the 4^th be with you but on the 3^rd. That street festival would have been Grandma SueAnn’s vibe. And then in the evening chilling at Macklin Brewery, a completely different tone than the street fair, while chatting with some other brewery goers would have fit her vibe just the same.

Saturday we visited Big Oyster Brewery, Misspillion River Brewing, First State Brewing Company, JAKL Beer Works and Crooked Hammock Brewery.

(See our Instagram to follow along with all of our adventures visiting breweries – The Beer Thrillers on Instagram)

Before we left Big Oyster Brewery I knew we were grabbing a 4pack to go. We decided to grab Pillars of Dankness. It is a delicious IPA that comes in at 7% ABV and has a 3.92 rating on Untapped. Pillars of Dankness is as juicy as it is hazy. You are completely lost in the hazy IPA takeover but there is an over silky pillow like softness that slowly settles you down to get ready for the next sip.

Grandma SueAnn would have loved First State Brewing. I am not entirely sure if she would have played Exploding Kittens with us, but sipping that flight and munching on the poutine would have done the trick. We picked up a crowler of the Vibrant Beats from First State Brewing. We already knew we were indebted to Grandma SueAnn for helping with Scarlet so we knew this was one of the brews to take home. She is a lover of the Belgium tripels. It comes in at 10% ABV and has a 3.94 overall rating on Untapped. It is described as a “blend of Antique Beats (Barrel Aged Barleywine) and vibrant Thoughts (Barrel Aged Belgium Tripel with Peach). We split this crowler with her on our second night home and paired it pizza, chicken boli and chef salad. Vibrant Beats has just a hint of booziness but it quickly grabs your attention with a slight fruity flavor with some maltiness and finishes with a sweet honey taste. We definitely recommend Vibrant Beats and check out the First State Brewing Company. (See our Instagram post here.)

First State Beer and Boli

We ended our evening at Crooked Hammock. We walked in thinking this would be a snack and a flight. Our waitress was so excited about the food and beverage selections we found ourselves ordering a flight, the street corn fries and the Papa Pig Burger. Our waitress absolutely helped make the visit very exciting but the food was amazing We stuffed ourselves but still only ate half of the food. Leftovers are great so don’t worry, we polished those off. But the flight was awesome. We ended up going with the Banana Hammock in a 4pack to split with Grandma SueAnn, since we now have purchased more beer. This 15% ABV Belgian Quadrupel was not boozy tasting and felt very sneaky. We recommend trying this one AT home kids. This has a surprising 3.73% rating on untapped, I thought for sure it would have an average of 4.0 or higher. This one is sneaky and smooth at the same time. It is, as Josh would call it, a big damn beer #BDB It has a beautiful amber color and, of course, has some banana flavor to it. But more of a caramelized banana flavor that still has the spicy Belgian yeast behind it. I can’t wait to drink this one on a hammock

I know my mom would vibe any each and every one of these breweries with us! Visiting a brewery is meant to be a fun and comfortable visit. Some of our fav brewery visits together have been Sworn, Troegs, Boneshire Breworks, YAH Brew and Evergrain. Grandma SueAnn has gotten to visit several breweries now with us, her list is ever growing and we definitely want to get her to more, like Fourscore Beer Co, and more in the area!

Grandma SueAnn has been to Our Town Brewery, Boneshire Brew Works, YAH Brew, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing, Ever Grain Brewing, Sworn Brewing, Official BBQ and Brewing; and she has enjoyed them all. Can’t wait for more adventures with Grandma SueAnn at breweries!

Below you can find pictures with Grandma SueAnn at each of the breweries. (The article would obviously be in remiss if we didn’t post pictures of her drinking!) As well as at her favorite place to drink — at home!

Official BBQ

We took Grandma SueAnn here to celebrate a birthday, she loved the beer, the food, and the gifts.

SueAnn at Official BBQ

Boneshire Brew Works

We got to take SueAnn to Boneshire Brew Works while Scarlet was just little yet, she enjoyed a flight and had a wonderful time hanging out with us.

SueAnn, Scarlet, Amy, and Ben at Boneshire Brew Works

Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

SueAnn came with to hang out for a Fall Fest at Troegs Brewing, we had the soft pretzel, the charcuterie and a few tasty fall beers.

Grandma SueAnn at Troegs Brewing for the Fall Fest

YAH Brew

We visited YAH Brew soon after they opened. Grandma SueAnn loved the atmosphere and the beer.

Grandma SueAnn enjoying a beer at YAH Brew

Ever Grain Brewing

SueAnn came out with me for a work event (Alzheimer’s Association) at the Ever Grain Brewing. She is always so supportive… especially if there’s beer involved!

SueAnn and Amy at Ever Grain Brewing

Sworn Brewing

After the work event at Ever Grain, how could we pass up stopping over at Sworn Brewing? Grandma SueAnn had heard so much about it and wanted to get in on those fantastic IPAs!

Grandma SueAnn being silly at Sworn Brewing

Our Town Brewery

Another work event brought Grandma SueAnn and I out to Lancaster. So of course…. Our Town is right there, and we had to get in on it. Grandma SueAnn decided to give the beers ‘bunny ears’ for my picture!

Our beers at Our Town Brewery (and Grandma SueAnn’s ‘bunny ears’)

Drinking at Home

Grandma SueAnn loves to ‘get down’ with some beers at home. After work, we love popping over to Grandma’s, having a beer or two to relax while Scarlet runs about the room playing. Its a great way to unwind from the long day and get to catch up with mom, enjoy some shared beer, and maybe even a great dinner to boot. She’s been featured in a few of my articles for our beer sharing:

Thanks for reading! Take your mom to a brewery, you are the reason she drinks. Happy Mother’s Day!

Drink More Beer!
- Amy

Editor’s Add – On

Ben here, jumping on. I can’t let Amy post a Mother’s Day article without adding how much I love, appreciate, and respect, her hard work, dedication, and effort as a mother. She is an amazing mother and is always so wonderful, loving, caring, and doing a fantastic job of raising Scarlet. As well as being an absolutely fabulous bonus mother to my older three girls. So I want to wish Amy an above and beyond, extraordinary Mother’s Day. And I want to extend that to my own mother, and to everyone else’s mothers who have played such a pivotal role in their lives. As well as to all the mothers out there reading this article. Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Remember, you are the reason she can’t jump on a trampoline anymore – so let her enjoy some good craft beers today!

-Ben

Amy’s Column Series

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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May the Fourth Be With You – From a Non a Star Wars Lover at RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Fest (Amy’s Column)

AmyMWolfe — Sun, 04 May 2025 15:43:18 +0000

May the Fourth Be With You – From a Non a Star Wars Lover at RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Fest

RAR during the Star Wars Festival on May 3rd

I went to the RAR Brewing “May the 4^th Be with you fest but on the 3^rd” but I am not a Star Wars fan. I don’t mean I don’t like Star Wars I just never fell in love with it. I loved watching the 3 OGs that came out years and years ago. I will drop quotes and funny memes. And I am assuming since I am dating the Editor of this blog, I will be forced someday to do an entire streaming of all things Star Wars. I am here for it.

(See our article: RAR Brewing’s May the 3rd Fest)

(See our article: RAR Brewing’s May the Fourth 2025 Beer Can Drop)

I’m a Star Wars….

We arrived on the scene in Cambridge Maryland and scoped out the parking lot. It was small and not surprisingly already full. We drove a couple blocks away to a free street parking spot and pulled in ready for an afternoon of enjoying a fun brewery and street festival. There was a mix of local older aged attendees mixed with Star Wars lovers and some dressed in Star Wars Cosplay. The entire layout of the Festival was welcoming and relaxing.

May the 4^th be with you; and I also with you (sorry, I can’t help it) fest but on the 3^rd was a fun, relaxing afternoon in the quaint town of Cambridge Maryland. There was art, music, beer, lots of beer, merch and good food.

It was a tad bit confusing on how to participate in the tasting tent at first but maybe I also can’t read the instructions. We quickly purchased our bracelets and tickets to sample all the themed beers. It was exciting seeing all the beers available for tasting for some stellar breweries; Bash Bros Collective, Imprint Beer Co, Burlington Beer Co, 2SP Brewing Company, Autodidact Beer, Tripping Animals Brewing, Clag, Spylgass Brewing Company, Maine Beer Company, Movement Brewing Company, Voodoo Brewing Company, Dewey Beer, Frost Beer Works, Four Point and Finback

We started off with the “Cuddle Buddies” 10% ABV Cream Triple IPA from Tripping Animals and 10.1%ABV “Even Fuller Very Circular” Triple IPA W/ Citra and Mosaic by Autodidact. I think you already know The Beer Thrillers come in heavy. These did not disappoint, and we quickly found a spot in the shade to chill and anticipate our next sample tastings.

Then we had to try a flight of the RAR themed beers for the day. Swamp Planet -Hop Saturated Ale 8.5% ABV, Desert Planet -Hop Saturated Ale 8.5%, Deep Fried Porg, College Deep Friend Beers -Hop Saturated Ale 10.1% and the Dark Side DELUXE -4% ABV Blueberry, Cherry, heavy Saber -Toasted Marshmallow, a touch of Roasted Habaneros, and Midnight Pastry. These all killed with Desert being the fav for us.

We were drooling over the food truck offerings of Fried Porg Bucket (chicken tenders with RAR seasoned waffle friends and choice of sauce), Mojo Pork Tacos, Birria Beef Tacos and Chicken tacos. The Friend Porg bucket arrived in a square brown container; we missed the novelty of the Porg bucket offering. The chicken tenders and fries were amazing along with a side of honey mustard. We saw many other attendees enjoying the “deep friend Porg” along with the various taco options.

RAR’s Deep Fried Porgs

Even Fett had to get in on the Galactic Grill. Good thing he removed his helmet before eating the fries.

The second music act Black Dog Alley band provided a very mellow and friendly atmosphere among Fest goers. Most folks walking by were swaying or bobbing their heads to the beat. A few folks were seen dancing together. We listened and relaxed to cover songs by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Gnarles Barkley.

The music at the event was wonderful

This dog friendly event gave dog loving fest goers plenty to enjoy. A friendly Pit bull puppy near us enjoyed some leftover Porg and fries. We were immediate friends and shared some cuddles.

We purchased beer to go, some merchandise and some art from a local vendor. We highly recommend checking out this yearly RAR May the 4^th be with you events even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan. We highly recommend checking out the quaint town of Cambridge Maryland and absolutely recommend checking out RAR Brewing company. We can’t wait to visit again!

Drink More Beer!
- Amy

RAR’s Promotional Material For the Event

For More Information on RAR Brewing

The following comes via Untappd.

RAR is a micro brewery from Cambridge, MD. They have 931 unique beers and over 549,000 ratings with a global average rating of 4.01 (as of 5.4.25). Their Untappd description reads: “Based in Cambridge, MD on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. ”

You can follow them on these social media platforms:

RAR Brewing – Official Website
RAR Brewing – Facebook
RAR Brewing – Instagram
RAR Brewing – Twitter
RAR Brewing – Untappd

Amy’s Column Series

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

New Belgium Teams Up with Magic the Gathering for Vastwood Seer IPA

Heroes of Barcadia:

Rollacrit Partners with Voodoo Ranger IPA for New Kickstarter, Heroes of Barcadia: Heroes for Hire Tabletop Game

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

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

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles Running Back – D’Andre Swift – Visits Bald Bird Brewing Company

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Mario:

Beer Review: Level Up (Idiom Brewing)

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

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

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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Going back in time to the 90s in Mount Joy: The Fresh Brews of Mount Joy Brewfest

AmyMWolfe — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:32:39 +0000

Going back in time to the 90s in Mount Joy: The Fresh Brews of Mount Joy Brewfest

or – we took a trip to a brewfest and had a ‘kickin’ good time, one that was rad to the max!

Tasting cups from The Fresh Brews of Mount Joy brewfest

VIP Beerfest tickets –Check

Babysitter secured –Check

Uber ordered –Let’s Go!

We are ready to have a good time. We made our way to the Fresh Brews of Mount Joy hosted by Yah Brew Hershey, Yah Brew Mount Joy and Voyage Mount Joy. This was also part of a fundraiser with part of the proceeds benefiting “Donegal Athletic Club” which helps support the needs of our local athletes.

Like all things YAH Brew style, it hit heavy on the 90s nostalgia. Even each brewery announcement on social media was doing a nostalgic reference to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” throwback. And yes, I have had that song in my head while writing this entire article!

It was only the day of the event I took notice to the wear your best 90s themed attire. I couldn’t think of anything that fit this goal so I went with my fav beer shirt. My baby daddy luckily received a Homer Simpson T shirt for Christmas from a wonderful woman, so he wore that.

(See our article: The Fresh Brews of Mount Joy – Upcoming Brewfest on April 26th, 2025)

Even one of the gals pouring beer quizzed us. “ I came to drop bombs. I got more rhymes than the bible’s got psalms” Who is the artist? I can immediately guessed “biggie”. I heard it in his voice when I repeated it in my head. But I was very wrong…”House of Pain, Jump Around.” So now that song is in your head, eh?

What got our attention to attend this event despite all the other events was the stellar lineup.

The brewery lineup for the Fresh Brews brewfest

After walking up and down the blocked off street the Beerfest looked like everyone was in a hustle to get stuff setup but folks still taking time to chat and catch up. I didn’t get the impression that everyone knew each other, although we ran into a lot of familiar faces, but everyone there was genuinely into the beer they were drinking. A large number of the breweries attending have done collab brews together. It was like hanging out with all your beer friends while pretending the 90s weren’t more than 25 years together!

We had VIP tickets so that meant that VIP time was during the downpour. I almost felt like I was playing frogger; jumping from tent to tent to get more beer pours at my quickest pace to avoid getting drenched. But, let’s be honest, if you are giving me beer the rain doesn’t matter that much.

After the Facebook post and a friendly Beerfest goer we decided the bourbon barrel aged stout from Voodoo Brewing company was going to be our first taste of The Fresh Brews of Mount Joy. Black Magick indeed lived up to hype.

If you have been reading The Beer Thrillers for any amount of time, I think you know by now we know how to get a Beerfest started. This one comes in at a %13 ABV. It gives that slight boozy flavor but then finishes off smoothly. There is some definite magick going on with this beer!

It wasn’t long until I needed some food to soak up the beer and our first Stop was Halo’s Eatery. We split the Halo Bowl. It was delicious and paired nicely with several of the beers we enjoyed.

It wasn’t long after I couldn’t stop drooling over the bacon on a stick I saw my other Beerfest goers enjoying. We could hardly wait to chow down on the bacon and it was still very hot. Again, many beers were enjoyed while enjoying Bacon on a stick.

The kicker to the whole event was the 90s cover band. Every other person there would catch a few tunes and immediately start belting our lyrics that we could remember.

Before catching our Uber home we grabbed some Hoagies to go at Hulk Hoagies (the YAH Brewing attached hoagie shop that they run in Mount Joy), then went home to enjoy them on the coach. We ordered Sweet Chin Music (spicy) and the Rock Bottom.

Photo Dump

Here’s a big ol’ photo dump from the brewfest. Courtesy of Amy’s excellent photography skills!

I still have that song in my head!

Drink More Beer!
- Amy

Fresh Brews Brewfest

Ben jumping in here. Just want to give a big shout out to Justin and everyone from YAH Brew for all the hard work they did. The brewfest was absolutely fantastic. Rain or no rain, it was a blast, and we got to hang out with lots of great people over the course of the day, and had some “da bomb” beers. Kudos to all involved for such a job well done!

Amy’s Column Series

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, auctions, 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.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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.

It’s Time to Say Something About Canada’s Reaction to Trump’s Tariff (Opinion Piece by Lew Bryson)

Lew Bryson — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 20:30:39 +0000

It’s Time to Say Something About Canada’s Reaction to Trump’s Tariff

Lew Bryson, a remarkable writer about beer, whiskey, and all things Central PA recently posted this on his personal Facebook account, and said he didn’t have an outlet for posting it. So I immediately offered to host it here.

For those who don’t know Lew, check to the end of the piece to see my quick biography of Lew, and including links to his podcast as well as our podcast we did with Lew. But quickly, I will say this – Lew is a remarkable person, a fantastic writer, historian, and has an excellent sense of character, intelligence, and understanding. Empathetic and understanding, he understands people, all people, and even more importantly for this opinion piece – he knows what he’s talking about. This is an incredible piece, and I full heartedly agree with it (thus why I immediately jumped at the idea of hosting it here on the site).

Canadian Liquor Store Shelves (photo courtesy of Google, and selected by Lew Bryson)

Here goes. It’s time to say something about Canada’s reaction to Trump’s tariff sabre-rattling. For those of you who have been in a cave — and I can’t 100% say that I blame you — part of Canada’s response, part of their retaliation, to the threat of tariffs imposed on Canadian goods coming into the US has been focused on the US booze industries: spirits, wine, beer, and, I suppose, cider.

Some provinces, like Ontario, that have government alcohol wholesale/retail monopolies of various breadths, have not only stopped buying American booze, but have taken what they have off the shelves in their provincial stores. The LCBO, Ontario’s monopoly system, is one of the five largest alcohol retailers in the world; they have, to the best of my knowledge, taken all American-made products off their shelves; boxed it up and put it in storage. (It’s not like the spirits and wine, the greatest part of this, are going to go stale, to be fair.)

I know a lot of people in the industry on BOTH sides of the border. They have had various reactions to this. Some Americans are outraged; some are confused (“They’ve already paid for those bottles! Why not sell them and then not buy more?!”); some are tentatively supportive; a few strongly support these moves. Almost all of them feel that this is personally unfair; they didn’t impose the tariffs, after all, and — honestly, it’s true — why is booze always the first American product to feel retaliation?

What’s worse, in my eyes, is that some Americans have the attitude of “so what, Canada, who cares? Their whisky sucks, and I don’t need them, and neither does American whiskey.” I’m embarrassed when I hear people who should know better say things like that. First, their whisky by God DOESN’T suck, but that’s not the point. The point is that NONE OF THIS HAD TO HAPPEN, and we don’t make it better by pretending it doesn’t matter. More on that below.

But if any of the Canadians I know — some of whom I count as friends of long standing — have a reaction other than blazing defiance, I haven’t heard from them yet. The most common reaction has been pure Canada: a non-smiling “Elbows up!”, echoing Mr. Hockey, Saskatchewan-born Gordie Howe, a player who took no shit off anyone. Anyone who tried to slash Howe was getting a fast elbow to the head. Canada’s ready for this, and they’re not kidding.

Any argument by American producers/suppliers/exporters must be seen in this light. I’ve seen people say that the Canadian response, taking everything off the shelves, leaving only blank space behind, is disproportionate, that it makes no sense, that it goes further than the American tariffs.

Well, they’re right. It IS disproportionate to the tariffs. This doesn’t just affect day-to-day, month-on-month sales. This kind of action also attacks something much more valuable: the brand. Raise the price while leaving the bottles on the shelf, and you paradoxically make people think about the brand more, maybe even realize how much they ARE willing to spend to get it.

But take the bottles away, the facing, replacing it with a “BUY CANADIAN INSTEAD” sign, and the product becomes invisible. You’re not thinking about the Jack, or the Mondavi, and what you’d pay for them. No, you’re automatically thinking “Welp, I guess I’ll get some Lot 40 or Gibson’s 12. I’ll get some Quail’s Gate for dinner, or how about that Italian red? I’ve got no beef with the Italians.” The American brands are no longer even a choice, and that does long-term damage to the brand. As Don Draper put it in his icily cutting response, “I don’t think about you at all.”

Now, multiply that times every American product that we send to Canada. Unless it’s absolutely something where buying Canadian isn’t an option, it’s gone, and the memory is fading, or worse, indelibly tinged with anger.

Why anger? Because of tariffs imposed by an ally, a country that has been an ally for so long, in so many things, that for them to turn on Canada isn’t just economics, it’s betrayal, a shocking discard of trust.

And as I said above, none of this had to happen. We have a trade treaty with Canada, we have over 200 years of trade with Canada with only the ‘small hiccup’ of the War of 1812 to interrupt it (kidding, not kidding, you kicked our asses and sent us home, but we’re cool). We have zero legitimate issues with Canadian trade, and the “look at the tariffs Canada puts on American products!!” misinformation you’ve seen lately are all part of that trade treaty. We have no real trade problems with Canada.

But it’s worse than that, much worse. Trump’s constant needling about the “51st state,” and “Governor” Trudeau, about border issues and annexing part or all of the country, whether or not it’s another of his insanely unfunny jokes, has Canadians concerned, and rightly so. They’re concerned about the intentions of a superpower that has set the tone of restraint in international politics for the past 50 years, but has suddenly begun openly talking about grabbing territory. Canada, Greenland, Panama, Cuba, Gaza; why would they not take Trump seriously?

So for the Canadians, this is not about economics, this is not about money. It is about national existence, and the response should not be expected to ‘make sense’ in economic terms. The Canadians did not choose this fight. It was shoved onto them by one man, President Donald Trump, elected by a plurality of American voters, who apparently support him. If they don’t take that seriously, they’re deluding themselves.

Bottom line, then. Canada has been needlessly forced to this point. They’ve been pushed into the corner, and like any good hockey player, they’ve got their elbows up, ready to push it off and deal it out, and we should not be surprised by that. This game is being played at levels above the liquor store, but it still plays out there, like wars, politicians, and soldiers.

Don’t be angry with your Canadian customer; don’t be angry with your American supplier. Neither of them is to blame. Blame the ones who made this happen.

Lew Bryson Biography

Lew Bryson is a renowned journalist and author specializing in beer and whiskey. He began his career in the beverage industry in the early 1990s, initially focusing on beer before expanding to whiskey in 1997. His writing has been featured in prominent publications such as The Daily Beast, All About Beer Magazine, Whiskey Wash, and Craft Spirits Magazine. Bryson’s passion for craft beer was ignited during a visit to a German beer bar in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he discovered the unique flavors of Altenmünster pilsner.

Bryson has been a full-time drinks writer since 1995 and served as the managing editor at Whisky Advocate magazine from 1996 to 2015. He is known for his extensive knowledge and engaging writing style, which has made him a respected voice in the beer and whiskey communities. Bryson has authored several books, including state brewery guidebooks and “Tasting Whiskey,” and more recently, “Whiskey Master Class,” released in 2020.

Throughout his career, Bryson has been recognized for his contributions to the beverage industry. His work spans multiple platforms, including his blog “Seen Through a Glass,” where he shares insights and reviews on beer and whiskey. Bryson continues to be an influential figure, offering guidance and commentary on the evolving world of craft beverages.

Seen Through a Glass Podcast

To be able to listen, watch, and download Lew’s Seen Through a Glass Podcast, you can use one of these services:

Seen Through a Glass – Lew Bryson’s Blog and Podcast
Seen Through a Glass – PodBean
Seen Through a Glass – Spotify

Our Articles With Lew Bryson

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!

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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.

The German Brewer Making French Beer in the Caribbean

paulrkan — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:35:53 +0000

The German Brewer Making French Beer in the Caribbean

Paul, Maxie, and Michel visited the Gwada Brewery in Guadalupe

We were wrong. Maxie, Michel and I thought we were going to a brewpub in the capital of Guadeloupe. As French language students, we probably misunderstood Gwada Beer’s website. I was expecting a craft brewery with French and Caribbean influences, so were Michel and Maxie. What we encountered was unexpected and delightful.

Paul in the Gwada Brew House

Gwada Beer is a brewery… just not a craft brewery. It’s the beer of the island; a sort of national beer, if Guadeloupe were a country and not a Caribbean territory of France. The only thing “craft” about the brewery was its small size. Troeg’s Brewery in Hershey, PA is larger, so is Ever Grain Brewing in Mechanicsburg, PA.

As the three of us entered the brewery, we saw a very small bar area and couple of glass door refrigerators. Pretty standard stuff. But it seemed the three of us were the only visitors. We greeted the tall guy behind the counter in French. He asked if we were German — Maxie and Michel said they were; I said I was American. He then said speaking German or English would be better for him. He said that he was from Germany. He then explained that we were not in a craft brewery — they weren’t serving beer and food. The place was strictly for producing Gwada Beer… sort of.

The three of us had accidentally met Stefan Fascher, the head brewer of Gwada Beer. We had caught him and his coworker in the middle of working on some fermentation tanks. “I just moved here a few months ago to take the position.” Stefan mentioned that Gwada Original — the popular lager seen all over the island—is currently made in France. The brewery in Guadeloupe had fallen on hard times and he was hired to raise its quality. “So, like a good German, the first thing I started doing was cleaning,” Stefan said with a laugh.

Stefan

From behind the bar, he poured us three glasses of a silky, golden beer. “Try these. This is Gwada Ice. It’s tough to find around Guadeloupe at the moment.” It was a delicious wheat beer. It tasted like a lager and didn’t have any grassy notes of a wheat. I’m not a big fan of wheat beer, but maybe it was the tropical heat because I loved it! He poured us another beer; this one was reddish and amber in color. “This is Gwada Magma with a higher ABV and tastes more like a pils.” It was also delicious. “It’s also rare to find around here,” he said.

Gwada Beer

Stefan then invited us to take a look at the brewery operations. “Come on back here. I can show you around a little.” The equipment was familiar—mash tun, boil kettle, fermentation tanks. As we paused by some of the equipment, I asked him if it bothered people on the island that Gwada Original wasn’t brewed locally anymore. “Well, to be honest, France is not a big beer culture. It’s more wine. And on the island, it’s more about rum. Beer is beer. Eventually, it’ll return to be brewed here.”

We walked back to the small bar area and chatted over more beer. Stefan has been the United States a few times. “My brother lives in Wisconsin. I’ve had a lot of good beer and great times there.” And, thanks to Stefan at Gwada Beer, Maxie, Michel and I had good beer and a great time in Guadeloupe.

More Information on Gwada Brewing and Beer

The following comes via Untappd.

The Gwada Brewery proper is known as Les Brasseurs De Guadeloupe and is located at Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe France and is labeled a micro brewery. They have 12 unique beers and over 3,000 ratings for a global average rating of 2.87 (as of 3.6.25). Their Untappd description is left as blank, and there are no links to any social media platforms or websites (from Untappd).

Les Brasseurs De Guadeloupe – Untappd

However, this website does pop up when doing a Google search: Gwada Beer (Homepage).

Paul R. Kan

Paul R. Kan is the author of Hawai’i Beer: A History of Brewing in Paradise which was a North American Guild of Beer Writers’ award winner and a #1 new release on Amazon’s Books on Beer. He has written for Good Beer Hunting and is Editor-at-Large at The Beer Thrillers. Along with beer reviews, book reviews and interviews, he also writes about the interesting ways beer intersects with people and society. His current book project is Red, White and Brew: The Beers and Battles that Shaped America. He lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

ʻOi kau ka lā, e hana i ola honua (While the sun yet shines, do all you can).

Paul R. Kan Articles

The following are articles that Paul R. Kan has written here for The Beer Thrillers:

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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.

This Isn’t a Short Story (Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy Review)

AmyMWolfe — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:59:46 +0000

This Isn’t a Short Story

Tickets to the Harisburg Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy sounded like a perfect date night with the blog master. We really had no idea what to expect. I was just excited that the Harrisburg area was getting a pop-up experience.

The email confirmation advised us to “dress in your most ravishing cocktail party attire.” I worked all week and we have a 2 year old toddler, you’ll be lucky if I wear pants! But I decided on a nice sweater and some makeup should pass.

On the way to the speakeasy we reminisced about visiting the Edgar Allan Poe Museum on the Viginia Trip (refer VA stuff here) Then we compared the drinks listed on the website so what readings we thought they would be paired with. We guessed The Tell – Tale Heart and The Raven; two of the most famous Poe writings. It was hard to guess 2 more, maybe The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado.

(See our Instagram Post about the Museum Here: The Beer Thrillers at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum – Instagram Post)

(See our Travelogue Article here: Visiting Richmond Virginia, Seeing the Sights, the Breweries, and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum)

A Review of The Edger Allan Poe Speakeasy

We arrived at the Civic Club of Harrisburg off Front Street. I knew parking would be a pain and I circled the block twice hoping to find some street parking. There were cars parked in spots that definitely were going to get ticketed as we saw a meter maid making their rounds. I saw a few folks parking in the small lot and unfortunately had to walk in a bit of mud to get into the mansion.

The setting of the Civic Club building, built in the early 1900s, added to the atmosphere setting up the evening. We waited in the downstairs area with a group of people. We then had our tickets scanned one at a time and ushered up a flight of stairs. One snaffoo, we had bought the 10pm showing tickets and not the 8pm that we showed up for. I was so embarrassed, mom brain was at it’s worst. The 2 cast members scanning tickets were so gracious and insisted they could still accommodate us.

As soon as your ticket was scanned you were handed your first drink on your way up the stairs. The Pale Blue Eye – A classic twist on a Traditional Collins. According to the menu on site is a “citrus and blueberry infused vodka, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup. Topped with a pale blueberry eye.

Entering the Grand Ballroom on the second floor we are greeted by a stage and rows of chairs. I quickly felt like I was in entering a high school assembly and quickly took my seat as people kept entering behind us. I checked before we got here and all the tickets were sold out, so this showing had +2 as well because of our timing goof.

D’oh!

The Drinks

The Edger Allan Poe Speakeasy menu at the venue. (Photo courtesy of Jesse.)

The website and the drink menu at the location had 2 different descriptions for the drinks. That was fine since they were all great, but it was just a little confusing. Thankfully a friend took a pic of the menu at the location (see photo to the left of Jesse’s picture of the menu at the venue). The lemon drink with an “eye” in it (it was really an unripe blueberry floating around) really tasted like minute maid lemonade mix to me. When we entered the room it was light enough to see but the lights were a shade of purple.

After everyone was seated the lights turned red and the MC for the evening who did the introductions and the dialog between readings was young, vibrant and playful. She made some funny jokes and some around us were pre – gaming before this event. Which added to the lightheartedness of the evening. Overall providing a greater environment and theme to the proceedings.

There were lots of different interpretations on the attire recommendations. Some folks were playing the part of dressing for the occasion in some “old timey” looking outfits. One gentleman, who was sitting in front us wearing a bowler hat apologized immediately and assured us he wouldn’t be wearing it during the show. As the show started, he put on a beret hat.

(L: Pale Blue Eye, C: The stage built for the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy actors, and R: the host and MC of the show)

After our playful MC introduced herself and set the “stage” for the evening the first actor came out onto the stage. The lights were red, and it created an ambiance about the room. The first reading was an abridged version of the Tell-tale heart. The actor has a sinister laugh about him and seemed to captivate the audience. I couldn’t help myself. I mean the tone of the room was still lighthearted, here to have fun type of crowd. I kept visualizing in my mind the Tell-tale heart episode of The Simpsons

https://www.tumblr.com/canwehaveapooldad/178462780002

We had our drinks finished before the end of the reading. It was then I was hoping for cocktail like tables in the room. I didn’t feel like sitting there in a seat, school assembly style, holding my drink. The first reading was over, and the actors went up and down the rows of seating with busboys trays and collected the cups. I was at the end of my row, so I was responsible for grabbing and passing everyone’s cups. This first round was easy.

(The Tall Tale Heart)

Shortly after another set of actors were going down the rows with large trays filled with the next drink. The name that was given was different than I remembered from the website. It wasn’t until after I saw my friend Jess post the drink menu did, I realize they were different.

(See Our Instagram post – The Beer Thrillers at the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy – Instagram Post)

The following is the website and event’s pages menu items and showing of the drinks for the event. You can find the website here: Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy Experience.

(Descriptions and pictures courtesy of the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy Experience website.)

Jessica Blouch’s photos in a gallery:

The Show Goes On

They were handing out “The Cat’s Meow” – A twisted version of Poe’s favorite brandy milk punch. The menu describes it as “Aged bourbon meets with fruity brandy, accompanied by vanilla cinnamon milk, sweet cream and maple syrup.” This one was delicious.

Poe’s Twisted Milk Brandy Punch

We should have figured this one might be a reading. There were two black cats at the Poe Museum when we visited (in Richmond, Virginia – see our Instagram Post here) as well as many references in the museum about The Black cat.

(See our Instagram post: The Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, VA)
(See our Travelogue: Visiting Richmond Virginia, Seeing the Sights, the Breweries, and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum)

The friendly MC came out to introduce the next reading but without giving any hints away, I think we already knew it would be the black cat because of the drink’s name. The lights in the room changed to blue and a different actor came out and gave an abridged version. He also gave a great reading. He moved up and down the aisles, feeling a bit more interactive with the crowd.

We were finishing our drink, we both enjoyed it very much, as the reading was ending. Before I knew it I had all the empty cups and I was ready for the busboy tray to collect our used cups.

The next drink was the Nevermore -Quoth the Raven, Drink-some-more! It is described as Fresh lime juice, peach and orange blossom infused vodka, simple syrup, and crushed charcoal. Topped with a dehydrated lime. We knew this reading would happen. Our top 2 guesses were Tell-tale heart and The Raven.

Quoth the Raven Nevermore

The actress for this abridged version of the Raven was portrayed by our cocktail waitress. By this 3rd reading you are feeling like you are hanging out with a bunch of friends; you have just passed drinks back and collected empty cups and you are being entertained. Every single person took on multiple roles in the staffing of the Edgar Allan Poe speakeasy pop up were friendly, joyful and entertaining.

This reading was done before we were done with our drinks, and the busboy trays were coming down the aisle. Like I said about not wanting to be stuck holding my cup, I quickly downed what I had left of my drink. Not everyone in my row was as daring to swish it down and then you are stuck with cups under seats.

The next drink was Cocktail of Red Death – Our Spirited Nightcap is to Die For. It is described as Fresh squeezed seasonal fruits, raspberry infused vodka, cranberry juice, 100 proof vodka and fresh lime juice. This was tasty but I was unsure about the dried flower looking thing floating in it.

The Cocktail of Red Death

This masque of the red death happens to be one of our guesses. A different actor comes out onto the stage wearing a mask and you guessed it, the lights turned red. This actor did another excellent portrayal while wearing a large mask. The MC wrapped us up for the evening, encouraged tipping and escorted us out and down the stairs. Thank goodness you dropped off your empty cup on your way out the door and I didn’t have any other responsibilities for the evening.

The Red Mask

We ran into some friends outside, and we quickly departed as attendees of the last show of the evening were starting to pile in.

At first, I thought this would be a once and done type of experience but now that we are about a month out, I’d attend another Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy Pop Up.

Drink More Beer (….or cocktails at a Pop Up Speakeasy)
- Amy

(Editor’s Notes: This article is long overdue to come out. Every time we tried to get it posted, things went awry. First, us getting terribly sick at the beginning of February, then life being busy with me getting a new job, Scarlet starting daycare, and then our trip to the Kennett Brewfest. But here it is, and yes, it is a large article, coming in at nearly 3000 words all told — I think with my editor’s note it will hit over 3000. We debated about splitting it up into two articles, but decided it was best just to leave it as is. We can always change it in the future if people think that would be best. I will add my two cents that we both really enjoyed the show. The readings were interesting, they were new and ‘updated’ versions of the stories, shortened and changed to fit more of our time than anything else. The drinks were good, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Milk Brandy Punch, especially because I don’t like milk. It was full and sold out for every showing, and we ran into several people we knew, like Gabe and his wife, Amy’s friend Jesse and their friends, and several others. Everyone seemed to have a good time coming out of the show and afterwards, as well as during it. They are touring and doing lots of shows. It was funny how it popped up on our Facebook feeds right as the time we suggested it to each other, so it made for a great date night and escape from work and stress. The night was dreary and rainy and fit the mood and vibe perfectly, and along the riverfront it added all to the atmosphere. If you are able to see them out, I would highly recommend it.)

Amy’s Column Series

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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.

Fall Beers

AmyMWolfe — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:35:31 +0000

Javahead Stout by Troegs Independent Brewing on Halloween night

All the flavors of fall – Let’s do this!

Those cold nights and warm days are here. Leaves are changing colors, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s time to dig into the flavors of the fall and taste all the deliciousness. I love making big pots of stews in the fall. A fan favorite is Chili! You normally can find some chili cook off events. Here is the beer that would pair well the best. And we are first going to talk about some spicy chili. The kind that burns a bit. It is going to pair well with stouts, porters, and amber ales. It’s the perfect time of year for this.

Its Stout Season Now

I’m a sucker for an amber ale but I just had the most amazing stout. There have been 2 times recently we have gotten to taste the Mari by Ever Grain Brewing Company. It comes in at a whopping 14.6% ABV according to Untapped. It has a 4.26 overall rating and it is described as “a rich and decadent stout aged in a variety of bourbon barrels for over 16 months. We then conditioned it with behemoth amounts of coconut, cocoa nibs, vanilla and for a little added joy, toasted almonds.” The balance of flavors would be crazy but they would complement each other beautifully.

(Check out Amy’s article about Winter Beers.)

Our flight of beers at Bald Birds Brewing

Pulled Pork and Beer at Bald Birds Brewing

Then if you prefer your chili on the milder side, you want to go with a more mild beer; something like a cream ale, amber lager, or honey beer. We most recently had the “Kenya Dig it” from Bald Birds Brewing. (Kenya Dig it was a coffee cream ale we got a full pint of, along with Ben’s flight. On Ben’s flight we had two delicious stouts – Birds Reserve and Grand Bald Eagle.) It paired so nicely with the delicious pulled pork over fries when we visited last month.

But this will similarly go with another meaty dish. If the focus is on the beef instead of the spice this will be a dream combo! Kenya Dig It is a coffee cream ale, always an interesting combination. The Untappd description for it is: “Our second collaboration with Valerio Coffee Roasters, we chose a smooth, refreshing Cream Ale as a launchpad for their light-roast Kenya AA coffee. Expect the familiar crushable Cream Ale crispness, with a mellow aroma and extra kick from the coffee.” The coffee cream ale has a 3.78 Untappd rating and is 5% ABV.

There is also the Dig It cream ale by Bald Birds Brewing as well.

Dig it is described as Light, mellow, and smooth, our cream ale is superbly refreshing. Brewed with American 2 row Barley, American ale yeast, and hops from the Pacific Northwest, Dig it! Is the perfect anytime beverage. According to Untapped it is a 4.5% ABV and has a low overall rating of 3.13.

These fall days remind me of my grandma’s homemade chicken corn soup. I mean the kind with the homemade rivals. I’ve tried to duplicate it, she did it perfectly. Also, lots of places, especially churches, have the good homemade chicken corn soup. Make sure to take some home to pair it with an Amber ale or an IPA.

So like I said, I am a sucker for an amber ale. I can’t resist the 409 by Moo Duck Brewery. This brew is a nice smooth amber that compliments the flavors of a chicken corn soup perfectly. It might feel a bit heavy if you are enjoying a chicken corn soup with those homemade rivals. It’s the homemade rivals I can’t duplicate from my grandma’s recipe. The 409 is described on Untapped as “A tribute to the famous PSU football coach and his 409 victories. Featuring victory malt, the bready malt character is blended nicely with just the right amount of hops.” 409 is at a manageable 5.5% ABV.

Now onto my favorite; pumpkin roll. I’ve loved pumpkin roll since a friend’s mom used to bake pumpkin logs every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I really miss those pumpkin rolls. I missed them so much I found an older woman to bakes them out of her home. She also wins me over with chocolate PB rolls, red velvet rolls and fruited ones too. But I love sticking to a classic pumpkin roll. We picked up a Fiddlehead Imperial IPA when we were traveling through Ithaca NY at a gas station. This reminded us of the tall boys we see back home from Troegs and Voodoo Ranger.

The sweetness of the pumpkin roll will balance well with the hoppiness of the Fiddlehead. It is a sneaky 9% ABV but wonderful to relax with any sweet desert at the end of your day.

There are so many more fall flavors to talk about, but I’ll end here, what are you favorites?

The first Mad Elf of the season with Grandma SueAnn

Drink More Beer
- Amy

Amy’s Column Series

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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.

Sweet ‘n’ Savory

AmyMWolfe — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 16:07:47 +0000

Being Able to Find the Perfect Mix of Sweet and Savory Feels Like a Miracle

Being able to find the perfect mix of sweet and savory feels like a miracle. This necessarily doesn’t mean that it must include something spicy but that is always an option.

I’ve been told recently that spicy doesn’t have to be scary, so be daring with me if you tend to shy away from the heat. But I won’t be doing that this evening, ha!

Homer drooling over a hamburger

I’m writing on here about paring foods from time to time. One thing I get stuck on is either find flavors that are matchy or find flavors that are complimenting but different. One random night after work. Ya know, when your exhausted but just need some sort of nourishment. We grabbed Pillar of Beasts from 3 Floyds Brewing at West Connection Beer Vault (we had picked this up in a mix a six, alongside several others, including the recent pumpkin beers I had with Grandma SueAnn) to have with burgers and onions from the grilled and garlicky sauteed green beans.

It. Was. Amazing.

I legit wasn’t picking this out on purpose. It was an evening where we grabbed beer and some food to shove down our tired gullets to try to make it through the week. First of all; barleywine. It’s a favorite so we knew we couldn’t go wrong. It was the perfect combo of sweet and savory. The flavors mixed so well until I realized they were all gone.

This comes rocking in at a 13.7% ABV according to Untapped. This definitely qualifies as a BIG DAMN BEER! #BDB

Homer Drooling over beer and food

Pillar of Beasts has a 4.21 overall rating (on Untappd) and is described as “Our latest Barleywine Ale brewed with Salted Caramel, vanilla beans, and cocoa nibs then aged for 12 months in bourbon barrels. Taste the scrumptiousness.” You can see our post on Instagram about the beer here: Pillars of Beast – The Beer Thrillers on Instagram. (Please be sure to give us a follow on Instagram. Thank you!)

Pillar of Beasts by 3 Floyds Brewing with dinner

Pairing the sweet barleywine with a savory burger and garlicky green beans was one of the best decisions I’ve made since I decided to date the creator of The Beer Thrillers.

Drink More Beer!
- Amy

Amy’s Column Series

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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.

Pillar of Beats by 3 Floyds Brewing (photo courtesy of Untappd)

Beer Analysts Opinion: What is Wrong with the Craft Beer Industry?

Amanda Plezz — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:01:46 +0000

A flight of beer at your local brewery

What is Wrong with the Craft Beer Industry?

We asked a beer analyst who has worked in the industry for several years her thoughts on the current craft beer industry and what’s wrong with it. This is what she had to say:

here are many sides to this question as the industry is split in many ways. This is how I see it from a beer analyst of ten years.

You have the breweries who treat beer with passion and love and their customers are typically die hard fans of the art of craft, usually their beer is found just at the tap room and to go cans. But they’re living slim on margins and just being apart of the community and craft is what is driving them ❤️

Then you have the medium to big breweries that depend more on production and having distribution with beers in grocery. They still do experimentation, collaboration, focus on the craft but certainly are following trends to remain relevant all while having their little side loves.

There is probably an in between level between these two but I’m just generalizing of course. Those would be regional breweries that can get some beer in grocery but it’s local. Probably not leaving your home or border states.

Then you also have a step up from that that maybe a few breweries play in but we’re talking big players. Like $$$$$$ that very much depend on the marketing and branding of their products versus the liquid and craft. It’s about chasing the dollars so efficiency and scales of economy are a must. They track data and flavor preferences intensely.

Again, this is all my generalization. There are also breweries that depend more on the on premise / food restaurant side of things and just happen to make beer.

—-

The problem the industry is facing is in the hey day of craft beer, new breweries had a low barrier to entry and remained “successful” because everyone was drinking it! Instead of a Starbucks on every corner, it felt like there was a brewery on every corner! Speaking from a west coast person here…

You had Gen X and Millennials just drinking for the first time and discovering craft beer and god damn did we drink craft beer!

Now that this age group is growing older and Gen Z is entering drinking age, unfortunately they are not drinking as much as their “Predecessors” and the OG craft fans of Gen x and millennials can’t slam a 6pk of IPA every night anymore.

Shit, we are lucky if we can have one without a hangover the next day lol

There in ties the growth of nonalc beer, but I won’t go there for the sake of this post. But it’s just unfortunately not the same as it has been. Overall between the new generation and old, people are drinking less. Less drinkers = less $$

And so those smaller, regional and even medium breweries just can’t play. Retailers are cutting their beer shelves more than ever to make room for the sugary sweet alc beverages, wine, cocktails and nonalc.

And then even more so, those big breweries who can undercut price, follow trends, spend $$ on marketing will be the ones to survive.

It breaks my heart. I love beer and plan to be in it forever but it is tough. It’s not about the money for me and never has been and I feel so much for breweries that have been around forever that have to close doors.

-Amanda Plezz

What Others Think

We then threw out the question to several others, who gave us some of these quotes:

THC seltzers entering the market and people using wearables to track health data, noticing beers effects on their health, I think are some side aspects of this as well. Craft beer has been dicing for a while and only the big breweries that got a “horse” in the race early on are the ones that remain successful, while the smaller ones are seemingly doing it out of love for the craft.

All being said, we are still seeing new breweries open up more than those closing (at least as a 2023 stat) So some folks are figuring out their little niche. Then again, who knows how long those new breweries are open for? 🤷🏼‍♀️

All in all, it’s certainly not as easy as it was before.

We hadn’t really had any closures in my area. But they all started to hit at the same time. We went from zero to six in the past eight months. I suspect the industry will have more closures as five year leases start to end. Folks who started in 2018-2019, went through COVID, and deciding to get out once the lease is up.

This is quite similar to the distilling field as well. The owners and business execs are about the same in distilling as brewing. Passion is sucked dry for whatever profit can be eked out.

Pretty similar with the demographics as well, however I have seen some interest from Gen Z on whiskey & tequila. That said, I’m watching those spirits lose their soul, and be wrung dry like the beer world too.

I don’t know what the answer is here, but I think your assessment is spot on.

Locally speaking, there are some breweries that are their own space with or without food and that don’t do distro. They may sell to go stuff out of the taproom, but other than maybe the occasional self distro stuff you don’t find them in stores.

Those places seem to be busy regularly, and seem to be doing well.

Then you have the rest of them that for whatever reason went real heavy into distro. They brought in bigger vessels, canning lines, sales teams, etc. They no longer rotate their brands or put anything new and exciting, or hell, just different on tap anymore and instead only make the same shit over and over because distribution. They slow down in the taproom because in a world with tons of options people want the excitement of different beers, not the same shit that’s been there for years. And then those places eventually close.

It’s almost as if going head on into full distribution was a stupid financial decision and maybe it’s something that not every single brewery should do, especially if you’re only being sold in the stores local to you when someone could just go down the block to your brewery instead.

And as a side note, in addition to never having new releases a large majority of these local breweries that focus heavily on distribution also suffer serious drops in quality.

Agreed with everything! Except maybe Gen Z’ers being more health conscious…there are stories every generation of that generation drinking less than the previous. To some extent that is true, but I think the big thing with Gen Z is they have different outlooks on “fun” and how they obtain that dopamine hit.

They’re no where near as interested in going out with friends on a Friday night or hitting up the bar after work. To many of them, the internet and social media is all the networking they need/want.

It’s happening in other industries, too. Gen Z is less likely to buy cars, for instance, mainly because getting a license isn’t the milestone to them as it was for past generations. For millennials and others, a car represented freedom. Now it’s an iPhone.

Whats Your Thoughts?

Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are on the current craft beer industry. We would love to hear it! If you would like to submit your comments to be posted on the blog, use our CONTACT page and let us know. (We can even make a big group post later on with everyone’s thoughts.) As always, you can use our CONTACT page for any reason, let us know your thoughts, opinions, questions, feedback, etc. We are always open to hear and will respond as well. Cheers!

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

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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At the Fuzzy Few Festival: A YAH Brew and a Schmidt’s Sausage

AmyMWolfe — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:00:22 +0000

A YAH Brew and a Schmidt’s Sausage (with Kraut)

A YAH Brew and a Schmidt’s Sausage (with Kraut) at the Fuzzy Few Festival

This delight was enjoyed Saturday August 17^th, the last day of the Fuzzy Few Festival in Hummelstown, PA. This event has morphed since it’s inception over 55 years ago. It felt like much more of a community supporting community. (See our Instagram post from the Fuzzy Few Festival.)

I also spent every single night with an Alzheimer’s Association table setup. I shared information and resources for those who shared concern or were going through a situation involving dementia or Alzheimer’s impacting their lives. We also invited folks to join us at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event on Saturday November 2, 2024 at City Island. (Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Harrisburg Area Walk.)

The Fuzzy Few Festival ran from August 12th until August 17^. Most evenings the crowd walking around to play games and connect with local organizations died down by 9pm. Most everyone had pulled up a lawn chair and was enjoying the free nightly concert. A free event for the community is a gem to find. (See our article on the Fuzzy Few Festival 2024.)

With a wonderful donation from Troeg’s beer (last year, in 2023 – the Fuzzy Few Festival had the beer garden located inside the basketball court’s caged in area) it was nice to see a “beer garden” not far from where concert goers were enjoying their evening. I mean if a community event is fundraising and providing free entertainment, why isn’t it busier here?

There still seems to be a stir amongst some former supporters of the carnival. The move from out of state rides and game providers to come into our town seems to be the main complaint. Although the need for volunteers is always so imperative and more dire.

(Volunteer for the Fuzzy Few Organization.)

YAH Brew continues to be a community supporter. With events like the “Benefit for CJ” and several collaboration beers to benefit local nonprofits. It would be great to see many more communities supporting communities. I can guarantee I’ll be continuing to support YAH Brew and Schmidt’s Sausage; and definitely the Fuzzy Few Organization. (Shout out to Justin for dropping the beer off to me on Saturday night. Megan and Dr. Barisch were hanging out at the Alzheimer’s tent with me, discussing the Bicycle Criterium in Hummelstown, and I sent them over to Justin to talk about Hummelstown and to enjoy YAH Beers.)

Drink more beer
- Amy

Fuzzy Few Festival

(Editor Ben piping up here)

The Fuzzy Few Festival was another fun year. Amy and her mom worked dueling stands / tents at the event. Amy had an informational booth for the Alzheimer’s Association, while Grandma SueAnn had a stand selling magnets with the donations and money raised going to the Walk to End ALZ events.

I helped set up with Amy on Sunday morning before work (Sunday the 11th). Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I was able to attend the event, mostly to help keep an eye on Scarlet (who loved running around, and especially loved playing in the Duck game’s water).

Two of my older daughters got to come and hang out with us on Thursday and absolutely cleaned house at the dime pitch. (We landed the Appalachian Brewing growler, but with no cap, and no real interest in growlers anymore, we let another lay claim to it).

All in all it was an absolutely fantastic event. My parents had a good time when they visited (my dad enjoyed getting to see the final performance of Pentagon), Grandma SueAnn said she sold a good number of magnets, and Amy got to help provide people with critical information about the Alzheimer’s Association.

Amy’s Column Series

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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.