Untappd

We Are Halfway Through the Year

It is July 2nd, and technically that means we are halfway through the year of 2024!

So let’s take a look at what breweries are doing great, and are the Top 10 Breweries in the United States via Untappd. Most of these won’t be surprises. The juggernauts of the craft beer scene, the established home run (or grand slam) hitters are still the perennial favorites. But all the same, let’s take a look at the list.

For all of the statistical information below (global average rating, number of beers, ratings, etc.) is as accurate as July 2nd, 2024.

Top 10 Breweries in The United States Halfway Through 2024

1. Tree House Brewing Company

Tree House Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.327
Unique Beers: 1,429
Total Ratings: 4,850,072
Location: Charlton, MA
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Tree House Brewing Company, founded in 2011 in Brimfield, Massachusetts, has grown into one of the most revered craft breweries in the United States. Known for its innovative and high-quality beers, particularly its New England IPAs, Tree House has cultivated a dedicated following. The brewery initially operated out of a modest barn, but its rapid growth and increasing demand for its products necessitated expansions. In 2017, Tree House opened a larger facility in Charlton, Massachusetts, featuring a state-of-the-art brewing system, ample taproom space, and picturesque surroundings, enhancing the overall visitor experience.

Tree House’s success can be attributed to its commitment to brewing excellence and its unique business model, which emphasizes direct sales to customers at the brewery. This approach fosters a strong connection between the brewery and its patrons, creating a sense of community and exclusivity. Tree House beers, often characterized by their hazy appearance, juicy flavor profiles, and fresh ingredients, consistently receive high ratings and accolades within the craft beer community. The brewery’s dedication to quality, innovation, and customer engagement has solidified its reputation as a standout in the competitive craft beer industry.

See our links:

• Tree House Opening a Saratoga Springs Location
• Tree House Announces the Hottest Beer of 2023 – the Jalagreeno
• Beer Review: Intemperance
• Beer Review: Sap
• Beer Review: Doppelganger
• Beer Review: Julius
• Beer Review: Haze
• Beer Review: Autumn

2. The Alchemist

The Alchemist

Global Average Rating: 4.327
Unique Beers: 73
Total Ratings: 769,269
Location: Stowe, VT
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

The Alchemist, a family-run brewery founded by John and Jen Kimmich in 2003, is based in Stowe, Vermont. Initially starting as a modest brewpub in Waterbury, the brewery gained immense popularity with its flagship beer, Heady Topper, a double IPA that has achieved cult status among craft beer enthusiasts. The demand for Heady Topper was so high that the Kimmichs decided to focus exclusively on brewing and canning their beers, leading to the opening of a production facility in Waterbury in 2011. In 2016, they expanded further by opening a visitor-friendly brewery and retail shop in Stowe, providing fans with a destination to experience their renowned brews firsthand.

The Alchemist’s success is driven by its dedication to quality and innovation, consistently producing highly sought-after beers that have garnered numerous awards and accolades. The brewery’s emphasis on freshness and local ingredients, coupled with its sustainable practices, reflects a commitment to both the craft and the environment. Heady Topper, known for its hazy appearance and intensely hoppy flavor, is often credited with helping to popularize the New England IPA style. The Alchemist’s reputation for exceptional brewing and its influential role in the craft beer movement have solidified its status as a cornerstone of the industry.

See our links:

• Beer Review: The Heady Topper

3. Trillium Brewing Company

Trillium Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.252
Unique Beers: 684
Total Ratings: 2,998,857
Location: Canton, MA United States
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Trillium Brewing Company, founded in 2013 by JC and Esther Tetreault in Boston, Massachusetts, has quickly risen to prominence within the craft beer community. Renowned for its diverse and innovative lineup of beers, Trillium specializes in New England IPAs, sours, and stouts that consistently receive high praise for their quality and flavor. The brewery started in the Fort Point neighborhood but has since expanded to include multiple locations, including a flagship brewery in Canton and a seasonal beer garden on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Trillium’s commitment to excellence and experimentation has made it a favorite among beer enthusiasts.

Trillium’s success can be attributed to its focus on both innovation and community engagement. The brewery frequently collaborates with other craft brewers and local businesses, creating unique beers and fostering a sense of camaraderie within the industry. Trillium’s use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients and its dedication to sustainable practices further enhance its reputation. In addition to its beer offerings, Trillium’s spaces are designed to provide welcoming and enjoyable experiences for visitors, from taprooms to outdoor beer gardens. This blend of high-quality products and community-centric approach has cemented Trillium’s status as a leading force in the craft beer scene.

4. Other Half Brewing Company

Other Half Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.223
Unique Beers: 1,725
Total Ratings: 4,563,740
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Brewery Style:Regional Brewery

Other Half Brewing Company, established in 2014 by Sam Richardson, Matt Monahan, and Andrew Burman in Brooklyn, New York, has become a prominent player in the craft beer industry, particularly known for its hop-forward beers. Specializing in New England IPAs, Other Half has built a strong reputation for creating intensely flavorful and aromatic brews. The brewery’s commitment to quality and innovation has earned it a dedicated following and numerous accolades. With its flagship location in Brooklyn, Other Half has expanded to include additional taprooms and breweries in Rochester, New York, and Washington, D.C., broadening its reach and influence within the craft beer community.

Other Half Brewing Company distinguishes itself through a collaborative spirit and a relentless pursuit of brewing excellence. The brewery frequently partners with other craft brewers from around the world, producing a wide range of unique and experimental beers. This collaborative approach not only fosters innovation but also strengthens the sense of community within the craft beer industry. Other Half’s dynamic and inclusive culture, combined with its focus on delivering high-quality, fresh beer, has solidified its status as a leading and influential brewery in the highly competitive craft beer market.

See our links:

• Keystone State of Mind – New Trail and Other Half Collaboration
• Beer Review: Cream on the Inside, Green on the Outside
• Beer Review: Space Broccoli
• Beer Review: All Together

5. Equilibrium Brewing Company

Equilibrium Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.182
Unique Beers: 776
Total Ratings: 1,746,824
Location: Middletown, NY
Brewery Style:Regional Brewery

Equilibrium Brewing Company, founded in 2016 by Ricardo Petroni and Peter Oates in Middletown, New York, has swiftly garnered acclaim for its scientifically inspired approach to brewing. Drawing on their backgrounds in science and engineering, Petroni and Oates apply rigorous research and precise methodologies to create their distinctive beers. Equilibrium is particularly renowned for its hazy IPAs and robust stouts, which consistently receive high ratings for their complexity and balance. The brewery’s emphasis on quality and innovation has quickly established it as a standout in the craft beer community.

Equilibrium Brewing Company is distinguished by its unique blend of scientific precision and creative brewing techniques. The founders’ dedication to understanding and optimizing every aspect of the brewing process results in beers that are both innovative and consistently high in quality. Equilibrium’s commitment to freshness and flavor is evident in its wide array of offerings, from juicy IPAs to rich stouts and tart sours. The brewery’s success is also driven by its active engagement with the craft beer community, hosting events, collaborations, and educational initiatives that foster a deeper appreciation for the art and science of brewing. This combination of expertise, passion, and community involvement has cemented Equilibrium’s reputation as a leader in the craft beer industry.

See our links:

• Beer Review: Moon of Vega

6. Russian River Brewing Company

Russian River Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.171
Unique Beers: 225
Total Ratings: 1,405,844
Location: Windsor, CA
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Russian River Brewing Company, founded in 1997 by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, California, and later acquired by brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo and his wife Natalie in 2003, is a celebrated name in the craft beer world. Renowned for its pioneering role in the American craft beer scene, Russian River is best known for its iconic beers like Pliny the Elder, a double IPA that has set the standard for the style, and Pliny the Younger, a limited-release triple IPA that draws beer enthusiasts from around the globe. In 2008, the brewery expanded to a new, larger facility in Santa Rosa, California, enabling increased production and the introduction of a wider variety of beers.

Russian River Brewing Company is distinguished by its commitment to quality, innovation, and the craft beer community. The brewery excels in a diverse range of styles, including barrel-aged sour ales like Supplication and Consecration, which have earned critical acclaim. Vinnie Cilurzo’s inventive brewing techniques and dedication to excellence have not only garnered numerous awards but have also influenced countless other brewers. The brewery’s welcoming taproom and pub provide a destination for beer lovers to enjoy its offerings in a convivial setting. Russian River’s impact on the craft beer industry is profound, cementing its legacy as a pioneer and leader in the field.

7. Great Notion Brewing Company

Great Notion Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.142
Unique Beers: 806
Total Ratings: 1,018,916
Location: Portland, OR
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Great Notion Brewing Company, founded in 2016 by James Dugan, Andy Miller, and Paul Reiter in Portland, Oregon, has quickly become a beloved name in the craft beer industry. The brewery is celebrated for its adventurous and innovative approach to brewing, specializing in hazy, fruit-forward New England-style IPAs, rich pastry stouts, and unique sours. Great Notion’s beers are known for their vibrant flavors, bold creativity, and high quality, which have earned them a dedicated following and numerous accolades. The brewery operates multiple locations in Portland, each providing a welcoming atmosphere for beer enthusiasts to enjoy their distinctive creations.

Great Notion Brewing Company stands out for its commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional brewing. The founders’ passion for experimentation and quality has led to a diverse portfolio of beers that often incorporate unconventional ingredients and techniques. This willingness to innovate has not only set Great Notion apart from other breweries but has also contributed to its rapid growth and success. In addition to their inventive beer offerings, the brewery places a strong emphasis on community engagement, regularly hosting events and collaborating with local businesses. This combination of creativity, quality, and community focus has solidified Great Notion’s reputation as a leading force in the craft beer scene.

See our links:

• Beer Review: Fruit Monster

8. Toppling Goliath

Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.142
Total Unique Beers: 172
Total Ratings: 2,018,862
Location: Decorah, IA
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Toppling Goliath Brewing Company, founded in 2009 by Clark and Barbara Lewey in Decorah, Iowa, has quickly ascended to prominence in the craft beer world. Renowned for its exceptional IPAs and barrel-aged stouts, Toppling Goliath has garnered a reputation for quality and innovation. The brewery’s flagship beer, Pseudo Sue, a single-hopped pale ale featuring Citra hops, has become a standout favorite among beer enthusiasts for its vibrant flavor and aromatic profile. Another highlight is the Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout, which has achieved near-legendary status for its rich, complex taste and limited availability, often considered one of the best beers in the world.

Toppling Goliath’s success can be attributed to its unwavering commitment to brewing excellence and its innovative approach to beer production. The brewery employs meticulous brewing techniques and high-quality ingredients, resulting in beers that consistently receive high ratings and awards. The expansion to a larger facility in 2018 allowed for increased production and a more immersive visitor experience, including a spacious taproom and brewery tours. Toppling Goliath’s dedication to creating exceptional beer, coupled with its active engagement with the craft beer community through events and collaborations, has solidified its status as a leader in the industry.

See our links:

• Toppling Goliath to Release Riwaka Dry Hopped Pseudo Sue
• Toppling Goliath Teams up with Field Museum to Release Nectaron Dry Hopped Pseudo Sue
• Beer Review: Intergalactic Warrior
• Beer Review: King Sue

9. Drekker Brewing Company

Drekker Brewing Company

Global Average Rating: 4.121
Total Unique Beers: 686
Total Ratings: 957,101
Location: Fargo, ND
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Drekker Brewing Company, founded in 2014 by Mark Bjornstad, Mason Montague, Darren Montague, and Breanna Carnes in Fargo, North Dakota, has rapidly gained recognition for its innovative and bold approach to brewing. The brewery is known for its eclectic and experimental beers, including New England IPAs, heavily fruited sours, and pastry stouts. Drekker’s commitment to creativity and quality has earned it a devoted following and numerous accolades. The brewery operates out of a historic building in downtown Fargo, known as Brewhalla, which offers a unique and inviting space for visitors to enjoy their diverse range of beers.

Drekker Brewing Company stands out in the craft beer scene due to its adventurous spirit and dedication to pushing the boundaries of traditional brewing. The founders’ passion for creating unique and flavorful beers is evident in every batch, with each release often featuring vibrant artwork and imaginative names that reflect the brewery’s playful and innovative ethos. Drekker’s emphasis on community engagement, including hosting events, collaborations, and supporting local causes, has helped to foster a strong sense of community around the brewery. This blend of inventive brewing, high-quality products, and community focus has solidified Drekker’s reputation as a dynamic and influential force in the craft beer industry.

See our links:

• Beer Review: Ectogasm

10.

Green Cheek Beer Co.

Global Average Rating: 4.12
Total Unique Beers: 611
Total Ratings: 248,310
Location: Orange, CA
Brewery Style: Regional Brewery

Green Cheek Beer Co., established in 2017 by Evan Price and Brian Rauso in Orange, California, has quickly established itself as a standout in the Southern California craft beer scene. Known for its commitment to brewing a diverse range of high-quality beers, Green Cheek has gained acclaim for its IPAs, stouts, and lagers. The brewery’s approach combines traditional brewing techniques with modern creativity, resulting in beers that are both balanced and innovative. Green Cheek’s taproom, located in a vibrant neighborhood of Orange, provides a welcoming space for beer enthusiasts to enjoy their rotating selection of beers directly from the source.

Green Cheek Beer Co. distinguishes itself through its focus on quality ingredients, attention to detail in brewing, and a genuine passion for beer. Evan Price, a seasoned brewer with a background at award-winning breweries like Noble Ale Works, brings his expertise and inventive spirit to Green Cheek, resulting in consistently well-crafted beers that appeal to a wide range of palates. The brewery’s commitment to community engagement is also evident through various events and collaborations with local businesses and artists, fostering a sense of camaraderie among patrons and fellow brewers alike. Green Cheek’s combination of creativity, quality, and community involvement has positioned it as a respected and influential player in the competitive craft beer market of Southern California.

Other Lists

See some of our other lists based off Untappd data:

• The Top 10 Craft Breweries with the Most 5 Star Check-Ins on Untappd (2023)
• The Top 10 Countries with the Most Check-Ins Outside of the United Stated on Untappd (2023)
• Top 10 Breweries in Pennsylvania (as per Untappd) (2023)

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

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

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

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

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

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A (Keystone) State of Mind

In a bit of a twist of the Billy Joel Song – “New York State of Mind” – New Trail Brewing Company and Other Half Brewing Company are releasing their newest collaboration together – Keystone State of Mind.

They previously worked together on “Pennsylvania Nights”; a wonderful and fantastic New England Hazy IPA.

And here they are – back at it together – releasing another New England Hazy IPA collaboration: Keystone State of Mind.

Keystone State of Mind

Keystone State of Mind is a collaboration between New Trail Brewing Company and Other Half Brewing Company. Other Half is one of the preeminent New England Hazy IPA makers on the East Coast; and New Trail is one of the haziest IPA makers in Pennsylvania. Other Half recently moved into PA adding another brewery to their collection.

So it seems like a perfect fit for the two of them to collaborate on making (another) New England Hazy IPA.

Keystone State of Mind clocks in at 8.7% ABV, is considered a Double New England Hazy IPA, and has no IBU listed. The malt bill is Pilsner, Oats, and White Wheat – which gives it that typical, perfect, soft, cloud like hazy mouthfeel. Each can is overflowing with hops – Motueka, Simcoe, Nectaron, and Nelson Sauvin; so a total hop bomb. This gives it notes of gummy peach rings, Pinot aromatics, and dank tropicals.

The beer is already available throughout the states, with some beer distributors already having it on their shelves (and not for long if its anything like the Pennsylvania Nights release). You can also find it at New Trail’s Brewery location in both 16 oz cans and on draft. Other Half’s Philadelphia location also has it in cans and on draft. The release should follow the New Trail distribution pattern and footprint, not Other Half’s. Other Half’s non-Pennsylvania locations will not have it available.

Billy Joel’s “Keystone State of Mind”

(Lyrics edited)

Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighbourhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But I’m taking a Greyhound
On the Delaware River Line
I’m in a Keystone state of mind

I’ve seen all the movie stars
In their fancy cars and their limousines
Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens
But I know what I’m needing
And I don’t want to waste more time
I’m in a Keystone state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Patriot News,

It comes down to reality
And it’s fine with me ’cause I’ve let it slide
Don’t care if it’s Chinatown or up on Riverside
I don’t have any reasons
I’ve left them all behind
I’m in a Keystone state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Patriot News

It comes down to reality
And it’s fine with me ’cause I’ve let it slide
Don’t care if it’s Chinatown or up on Riverside
I don’t have any reasons
I’ve left them all behind
I’m in a Keystone state of mind

I’m just taking a Greyhound on the Delaware River Line
‘Cause I’m in a Keystone state of mind

New Trail Articles

Looking for more articles on New Trail? Then check these out:

• Multiple Beer Review: Dark Skies (New Trail), Blood Money (Conshohocken Brewing Company), Lost Toys #3 (Wicked Weed), Medora (Wicked Weed)
• Beer Review: Broken Heels (New Trail Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: Icicle (New Trail Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: Snow Tracks (New Trail Brewing Co)

Other Half Articles

If you want more Other Half articles, we got them, check these out:

• Other Half in Philadelphia Opening This Friday
• Beer Review: Cream on the Inside, Green on the Outside (Other Half Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: Space Broccoli (Other Half Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: All Together (Ever Grain and Other Half Brewing)

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

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

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

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

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

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Brewfest Two Years in the Making

In a lot of ways, this is a brewfest two years in the making. Its also kind of a brewfest filling a void that got left open two years ago.

See, there was this little thing called… “covid” or as we knew it better then – “coronavirus” two years ago, and that pretty much put a lockdown on everything in the brewery industry. As a result, the Prototype Brewery Invitational in 2020 got put on hold, hiatus, seemingly cancelled, until now. Also as a result of that (as part of many factors), the Harrisburg Beer Week also came to a close.

So now we fast forward to 2022, and in one week we are finally getting the long awaited Prototype Brewery Invitational.

Prototype Brewery and Meadery

The Prototype Brewery and Meadery has been in ‘start up’ mode for two (two plus) years now. Partly the love and brain child of Kevin Keller (also the event organizer for this), of Evil Genius credit and fame. The brewfest is partly celebration of all their friends that they are hoping to do collaborations in the future with (and ones Kevin has done work with in the past) and sort of a kick off to whenever they finally open. (No date yet.)

Prototype Brewery and Meadery has been pouring at events for a bit of time now, most notably was recently at the Cushwa 5th Anniversary. Kevin Keller is good people, and I love the idea of both a brewery and meadery in one, so I am eagerly awaiting their opening.

The Brewfest

This is absolutely looking like a killer brewfest lineup! Check out this lineup from their ticket page:

• Abomination Brewing Company

• Against the Grain Brewery

• Aslin Beer Company

• Beat Street Beer Project

• Boneshire Brew Works

• Bottle Logic Brewing

• Burnish Beer Co.

• Cellar Works Brewing

• Chatty Monks Brewing

• Cinderlands Beer Co

• Civil Society Brewing

• Collusion Tap Works

• Cushwa Brewing Company

• Dancing Gnome Beer

• Dewey Beer Company

• Dream State Brewing

• Ever Grain Brewing Co.

• Fourscore Beer Co.

• Funguys Brewing

• Great Notion Brewing

• Grist House

• Hidden River Brewing Company

• Hidden Springs Ale Works

• Hitchhiker Brewing

• Imprint Beer Company

• Ingenious Brewing Company

• Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.

• Narrow Gauge Brewing Company

• New Trail Brewing Company

• North Country Brewing Company

• Ology Brewing Company

• Other Half Brewing Company

• Pilger Ruh Brewing

• Rotunda Brewing Company

• Short Throw Brewing Co.

• Species X Beer Project

• Tripping Animals Brewing Co.

• Vitamin Sea Brewing

• Wolf Brewing Co.

• Yah Brew

That is a killer lineup! Other Half, Tripping Animals, Vitamin Sea, Ology, Great Notion, Civil Society, Grist House, Hitchhiker, Bottle Logic, Aslin, Cushwa, Fourscore, Dewey, Against the Grain…. …..some absolute amazing breweries.

Me and my buddy Drew have our tickets, and we got the VIP tickets to be in an extra hour. (I fully suggest going this route if any are available.)

Tickets

Tickets for the brewfest come in three types:

• DD (15$)
• General Admission (1PM – 4PM) (55$)
• VIP (12PM – 4PM) (75$)

Additional information on each:

General Admission: GA will grant you access to samples from over 40 breweries from around the nation from 1-4pm. I’m addition, there will be live music, food vendors and plenty of brewery swag (While supplies last). A special edition tasting glass will be included in this package.
VIP: Early Entry tickets will grant you access to the sampling, music, food vendors and brewery swag an hour early from 12-4p. Select breweries will have limited beers that will be available exclusively during this hour. Have a certain brewery you absolutely need to sample beer from? Here is your opportunity!

Location

The brewfest will be at the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg. This is a great venue for brewfests. Harrisburg Beer Week has done their Little Big Beer Fest there in the past, and other events have been there before. Its a lovely venue. Parking isn’t horrible, but its not the best. I obviously highly highly highly highly recommend Uber or Lyft or getting dropped off, but if you do have a DD, there should be enough parking.

Some general rules and FAQ:

– Each ticket is permitted one entry.

– Must be 21+ to consume alcohol. Must have valid proof of ID.

– Must 21+ to attend

– No ticket or event wristband sharing is allowed.

– We ask that you please do not arrive before 11am

– No backpack or large bags allowed in venue

– No Pets allowed

– No refunds on any ticket sales

– Event is rain or shine

– Tickets are not transferable

– Parking Information TBA

To get your tickets you can go to their Eventbrite page here: Prototype Brewery Invitational – Tickets.

They have hinted that in the upcoming days before the brewfest that they will be posting a beer tap list for each brewery. Can’t wait to see what these amazing breweries will be pouring!

(Post notice: I just saw that their ticket page list of breweries isn’t inclusive of some of the later additions, or they just missed putting some on it. But the logo pictures I have at the top of the heading show all of the 46 breweries that will be there. Some more notable breweries are Heist Brewing, Human Robot, and Hop Butcher!)

For More Information

For more information on the brewfest and to stay connected, check out the following pages:

• Prototype Brewery and Meadery (Facebook Page)
• Prototype Brewery Invitational (Facebook Event Page)
• Prototype Brewery Invitational Tickets (EventBrite Page)
• Prototype Brewery and Meadery (Instagram)

Thanks For Reading

Are you going to the brewfest? If so what breweries are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments! I think I’m gonna be wearing my Mandalorian RAR shirt, so see if you can find me and we can clink some glasses together.

Cheers all!

-B. Kline

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

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

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

Grand Opening This Friday

This Friday is the grand opening of Other Half Brewing Company’s Philadelphia location. Located at the previously used brewery of Goose Island.

Just an hour ago, Other Half posted on their Instagram the above picture with the below quote:

Alright, Philly, let’s do this! We’re beyond thrilled to finally open our doors this weekend, starting this Friday at 3pm. We’ll be slinging your favorite OH brews with tasty bites from the kitchen ‘til 10 pm. We will have 20 lines of OHB beers, and plenty of cans and bottles to go. ⁠
⁠
We’re ramping up to being fully operational as fast as we can. This weekend we’ll be open Friday 3-10, Saturday 12-9, and Sunday 12-8. We will be closed Monday and Tuesday next week and reopened Wednesday-Sunday hours to be announced next week. ⁠

Other Half Philly (Instagram)

So set your calendar and set your Google Maps for 3PM Friday – February 18th, 2022 for 1002 Canal St, Philadelphia PA 19123.

July Announcement

The announcement of their opening is very welcome news. They had been rumored to be moving into Philly for a while, and had made the announcement of their moving into the Goose Island Brewery back in July 2021. With the initial hope of a late Winter 2021/early winter 2022 opening.

You can read some articles from when their announcement was made in July 2021:

• Philadelphia Voice: Brooklyn-based Other Half Brewing to take over former Goose Island location in Fishtown
• Visit Philly: New & Coming-Soon Craft Breweries in Greater Philadelphia

At the time of their announcement, the COO and co-founder of Other Half – Andrew Burman was quoted talking about Philadelphia:

Philadelphia has a long & robust brewing history and when the opportunity presented itself to open an Other Half location here – in between our DC and NYC breweries – we couldn’t pass it up. The bones of the space are great and over the coming months, we’ll refresh the indoor and outdoor areas and work on sourcing food partners.  

Our team is really excited to join the city’s dynamic brewery and restaurant communities and we look forward to opening Other Half Philly’s doors and sharing some of our signature IPAs and other site-specific brews later this year.  

Andrew Burman (co-founder of Other Half Brewing Company)

Other Half Beer Reviews

Please check out these Other Half Beer Reviews we’ve done in the past:

• Beer Review: Cream on the Inside, Green on the Outside (Other Half Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: Space Broccoli (Other Half Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: All Together (Ever Grain Brewing and Other Half Brewing Co.)

The Beer Thrillers Traveling to Philly

We are hoping to get there Friday for their grand opening (if not Friday, maybe Saturday). So if you are there, be on the lookout for us. Despite the loss, I might be rocking my Bengals hoodie still, or my Boneshire Brew Works hoodie.

In the meantime, make sure to check out our other articles on Brewery Openings, Expansions, and more:

• Midwest Coast Brewery Opening
• Brewery Opening: Howling Henry’s (Hummelstown)
• Brewery Opening: Highway Manor (Camp Hill)
• Brewery Opening: Rotunda Brew Pub (Hershey)
• Is JB LoveDraft’s Opening a Brewery?
• Tattered Flag at Hollywood Casino – Grantville – Opening Their 5th Location
• JB LoveDraft’s Grand Opening (Mechanicsburg)
• ZeroDay Opens Their New Tap Room (Harrisburg)
• Victory Brewery Fire and Explosion (Kennett Square)
• Sign of the Horse Brewery is Expanding in Hanover (Taking Over the Old Miscreation Brewery)
• Brewery Tour: Couch Brewery (Pittsburgh)
• Brewery Visit: Mellow Mink (Mechanicsburg)
• A Sneak Peak at the new Rubber Soul Brewery (Hummelstown)
• Rubber Soul Grand Opening (Hummelstown)
• VooDoo Lancaster Closing
• River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery Closes
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing (Mechanicsburg)
• Rally Point Tap Room Opening – Cox Brewing Company – Elizabethtown
• Spigot Brewing Closes
• Full Pint Brewing Closes
• Night Shift Brewing Cancels Expansion
• Mikkeller Brewing NYC Closes Permanently
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Aslin Beer Co. Now Ships to Pennsylvania
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Aslin Beer Company Confirms Expanding to Pittsburgh
• Rural City Beer Company Coming to Beamstown PA
• Grand Opening of Forest and Main’s New Brewpub
• New Bells-gium – New Belgium Owned Company Buys Bell’s Brewery
• Human Robot Expanding to Jenkintown
• High Road Brewing Company Coming to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania in Summer 2022
• Brewery Openings – Archives

Thanks For Reading

Thank you for reading everyone. This is certainly exciting news. I am a big big fan of Other Half Brewing, and can’t wait for their opening and can’t wait to get there!

Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you!

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

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

Other Half

There’s one half…. and then there’s the Other Half….. (see what I did there?). And let me tell you, that Other Half, is some of the best beers that are wonderfully being distributed into Central PA finally. Its like a Christmas day everytime Breski’s gets their Other Half allotments. And Breski’s Beverage isn’t the only one to start getting them, their working their way around to some smaller shops and places too (like West Vault Connection in Hummelstown / Hershey, Brass Rail in Palmyra, The Fridge in Lancaster, and a few other places).

For those who don’t know, Other Half has been pumping out top notch New England IPAs for a long time now, and I mean – top notch.

Here is the Untappd statistics on Other Half:

• Regional Brewery
• Original Brewery location: Brooklyn, New York
• Over 4.09Million check-ins with 256,984 being unique
• 1309 unique beers
• Global average rating of 4.23 (as of 11.16.21)

Untappd Description:

In 2014, Sam Richardson, Matt Monahan and Andrew Burman founded Other Half Brewing Company, a local brewery in New York City with a simple mission: to create beers that they wanted to drink from a company that they wanted to be a part of. Their vision was to build a passionate team that brewed great beers in the state of New York—done so with effort and thoughtfulness—to represent the “Other Half” of the industry. Today, Other Half craft beers in their Brooklyn brewery and are dedicated to collaborating with breweries both in New York as well as across the world in an effort to constantly move the industry forward while elevating the craft. The Other Half team believes that local breweries play an important role in their communities which is why they partner with these other likeminded brewers and brands in local nabes across the country and the world—but always return to their home state of New York and their Brooklyn taproom.

Untappd: Other Half

We’ve covered them in a few other beer reviews here on the blog (I’ll link them at the bottom for you to check out).

Beer Review

Now that we know Other Half is amazing and makes some wonderful beers, lets get down to it and review this bad boy.

Beer: Cream on the Inside, Green on the Outside
Brewery: Other Half Brewing Co.
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 9.4%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: This beer is brewed with 2-row and 50% oats with a small hit of lactose for smoothness. We then furiously hopped it with Citra, Motueka, Riwaka and Galaxy hops at 8 lbs/bbl.

Not quite sure why this is just listed as IPA, because its hazy *AF* as the kids would say, and its very much a New England IPA. There’s very little hop bitterness, and its juicy, hazy, turbulent, and delicious. (Not that west coast IPAs aren’t delicious, but you get my understanding I believe.)

Ok, let’s break this down.

Aroma is bursting with hop flavors. As soon as you crack that can – WA-BAAAAAAM —- HOPS IN YO NOSE. Or something to that affect. But I mean, its a hop flavor and aroma punch right out the gate. You get a very juicy fruity hop nose as soon as you pour it. Its got a hoppy nose of lime, tropical fruit, passionfruit, and lemon.

Appearance is a lovely orange, very hazy, turbulent looking IPA (or New England IPA). Has a wonderful frothy foamy head with unique and varied bubbles. Excellent lacing on the glass as it pours down my gullet so easily. Just a beautiful hue all around to this brew.

Mmmhmmmm mmmhmmmm good. First sip down to the last is very good. No real sediment left at the bottom of the can either for that putrid “ugh what is this” crap that some New England IPAs can be famous for. You just get a very strong hop juiciness from this, with the ever so slightest bit of hop bitterness. It does have a little bit of ‘green’ to it, but its nothing exceptional or bad, or anything that will upset anyone. (Unless you are an adamant anti-IPA -ite, like anti-dentite). This is juicy, this is fruity, this is tropical, and this is so tasty. I get strong notes of lemon, tropical lime, passionfruit, peach, mango, some grapefruit (subtle, thank goodness for my particular tastebuds), some hop greenness, and a slight hop bite / bitterness. But all in all, this is just wonderful, its a well rounded, well crafted IPA. There is some lactose to ‘smooth’ out the edges, and it does that, but I dunno if it would even really be necessary (who knows, would be interesting to try a variant without it just to see). I could sit around all day drinking Other Half IPAs like this, but at 9.4% and with lactose (and also being lactose intolerant technically speaking), it would get to be a bit much. Other Half beers are fantastic, but I’m not sure they lend themselves to drinking pint after pint / can after after can of their IPAs due to the heaviness of the lactose, the New England style, etc. But I could damn well try and see. Had this with a friend who brought Sorbetto #40 by Ever Grain Brewing Co (I believe we will be seeing review of that beer shortly here on the blog… so be on the lookout…) and the sour of the one and the juiciness of this one really accompanied each other and made for a great two-banger.

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.41 (as of 11.16.21)

I know Breski’s Beverage still has Other Half in their freezer, I say run, don’t walk… actually… drive… and not too fast, just right at the speed limit (don’t wanna be accused of telling people to break the law or anything) and get over there and pick some up. As of 8:30PM last night they had 4 packs and mix-a-six selections of their Other Half beers. So be sure to check them out.

Other Half on The Beer Thrillers

Check out our other Other Half (heh…) beer links:

• Beer Review: Space Broccoli (Other Half Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: All Together (Ever Grain Brewing Co and Other Half Brewing Co Collaboration)

Thanks For Reading

As always, I like to end an article post thanking everyone for taking the time to read us and liking us and following us on our social media pages. We have lots of big things coming, and being November, you know that means daily articles, so be sure to be checking in with us. Thursday and Friday we are taking a big road trip down through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Philly. So that should make for a few interesting articles.

We also have a new writer who should be posting her first article today or soon thereafter, so be on the lookout for that.

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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

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

So Thursday was certainly an interesting day for the restaurant, bar, brewery, …. well just the service industry in general in Pennsylvania. I was out walking my dog and doing yard work, and then I had to grab my daughter Lily to run to the Hershey Library before they closed (had a book that was due), and while at the library and on the road with her, all hell broke loose basically.

Had about a hundred texts from co-workers, people in the brewery industry, my parents, everyone wanting to know whats going on, or telling us whats going on, or saying ‘where do we stand now’ or ‘should we defy orders’ etc.

Needless to say, I get Lily back to her mom’s, I handle some of the texts I can, and head home. Reading the news then at home, I see we had until Friday night at midnight to do our inside dining. Drew invited me out to his place as he was starting a stream, I told him I needed to get something to eat, so I walked down to Rubber Soul, ate in – had their fantastic and delicious pierogies and their newest release – Soul Breaker (beer review coming soon), and then walked home. Then went over to Drew’s.

He was playing Super Mario RPG for the SNES on his stream – Knights of Nostalgia. So I joined him and drank along with him as he played. His brother in law from New York sent him a shipment of beers he tells me, a whole assortment of beers, so I check out his mini-fridge and “oh hot damn!” moment, the beer is stocked full of Other Half beer! His brother in law sent him Other Half. Drew loves his craft beer, but didn’t know just how great Other Half was. So we proceeded to drink four and share some others while he finished out his stream.

(Oh, and for those who were wondering – yes, Drew was able to beat Super Mario RPG for the stream. Sorry, spoiler alert.)

I finally left Drew’s at 5:20AM. Now that the mandates and restrictions, both me and Drew are effectively unemployed for the next three weeks. So, you will probably get a lot more streams, and a lot more content here on the blog. Enjoy!

Now, lets get to the beer review!

Beer: Space Broccoli
Brewery: Other Half Brewing Co
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 7.9%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Our classic Broccoli recipe with Mosaic, Simcoe, Hallertau Blanc and then we swapped the Cascade for a ton of Galaxy.

For those ‘not in the know’ Other Half Brewing Co is one of the top notch East Coast breweries, and one of the more traded and sought after breweries from New York. Other Half started in 2014, they have 975 unique beers according to Untappd, with over 2.4 Million (nearly 2.5 Million) ratings. Their average rating is 4.24. Which is just incredible to think about considering the sheer volume of ratings and number of unique beers. Their Untappd Description reads: “In 2014, Sam Richardson, Matt Monahan and Andrew Burman founded Other Half Brewing Company, a local brewery in New York City with a simple mission: to create beers that they wanted to drink from a company that they wanted to be a part of. Their vision was to build a passionate team that brewed great beers in the state of New York—done so with effort and thoughtfulness—to represent the “Other Half” of the industry. Today, Other Half craft beers in their Brooklyn brewery and are dedicated to collaborating with breweries both in New York as well as across the world in an effort to constantly move the industry forward while elevating the craft. The Other Half team believes that local breweries play an important role in their communities which is why they partner with these other likeminded brewers and brands in local nabes across the country and the world—but always return to their home state of New York and their Brooklyn taproom.” Their top beers are listed as – Forever Ever, Green City, All Green Everything, and a lot of various double dry hopped variants of their other beers.

Firstly, this is basically a New England IPA. It doesn’t say that on the label or on Untappd, but thats what it is. As you can see from the picture, it is a gorgeous, beautiful beer. Perfect New England hazy IPA look. Its bright orange, like orange juice, its hazy, cloudy, opaque, beautiful head to it – white, with interspersed and varied bubbles, and left a lovely lacing on the glass as I drank it down (quickly too).

Aroma is a heavenly bouquet of hops. It has that nice heavy handed hop aroma that comes with a very juicy New England IPA. The Simcoe and Mosaic hops come through on the nose the most. The Galaxy is a nice addition, and probably helps this better than the Cascade would have, I do love Galaxy Hops.

Wooooh booooooy….. this drank waaaaaaaay too easily. Especially for a DIPA…. not that I’m really complaining, and really at 7.9% its not too crazy ridiculous high, though its getting on the higher end of the spectrum. (I consider 7.5% the tipping point.) This is one of the best New England IPAs / DIPAs I’ve had, in a long time, or period, for that matter. Its downright juicy and so tasty. This is very smooth with no hop bite, no bitterness, no acidity at all. The mosaic hops give this a nice berry, fruity, stone fruit taste. The simcoe gives it a piney, earthy undertone, and the galaxy hops give it a very strong peach, citrus, passionfruit. The hops blend together very nicely in this. Nothing is too overpowering or too strong. You don’t get too much pine or too much berry or too much peach or citrus or passionfruit, you get them all in equal measures, and this works very well together. Its a very nice conjunction of hops and tastes and flavors, with nothing being too strong, nothing being off, nothing tasting funky or wrong or different. It all just blends so well together, like its a peaceful orchestra harmony or some kind of poetic crap like that. This is a beautiful New England Double IPA. Hands down, it looks beautiful, it tastes wonderful, its just amazing and fantastic. So mad props to Drew for letting me snag this from him (he got some of it too), and for his brother in law shipping quality beers like Other Half down to Harrisburg, and of course to Other Half itself for brewing such a great beer. Seriously, if you’ve never had the pleasure of Other Half, make a note, make ten notes, but make sure you get yourself some Other Half at some point. You won’t be disappointed, I know that much, their IPAs and DIPAs and TIPAs are complete ‘fire’ right now as all the cool kids would say. If you’re not from New York or NYC, your best bet might be to look up some Facebook beer trade groups or Beer Advocate and try and get it that way (trade or $); though $$ might be expensive with secondary mark up. But it will still be worth it. But in the meantime, in the Pennsylvania area, support your local breweries; first, otherwise they might not be here in the future. Anyway, I digress. Summary: Fantastic beer. Delicious. Great NE-DIPA. End summary.

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.24 (as of 12.13.20)

Alright everyone, this is technically day two of the mandatory restrictions. I know a lot of places, restaurants, bars, breweries, etc, are disobeying the Governor’s orders. Its your decision on who to patronize and who to help and support. I’m not taking a side here or there. This is a tough climate and tough decisions for all of these businesses. I know its going to make things harder with them staying open, and gives the Governor more cause to keep the mandates and things going, but hopefully not, and hopefully the numbers will start lowering soon. Fingers crossed. The vaccines are rolling out. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Lets just get there! I want to go to some brewfests in 2021 dammnit!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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

For some other beer reviews check out:

• Beer Review: I Voted for Kang (Second Sin Brewing)
• Beer Review: I Voted for Kodos (Second Sin Brewing)
• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)
• Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Out of Order – Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)

Many of you have probably heard of the ‘All Together’ project, started by Other Half Brewing Co. As soon as I heard about it, I had to immediately find the first brewery in my area to do it and get one; that first one in my immediate area turned out to be Ever Grain Brewing Co. Unfortunately I missed out on the 4pk of it, but I did get in time for a crowler (or two) of it, and I was informed that the crowler sales would go towards the project, just as the 4pk sales did.

I will be posting links to several other sites and sources about this here in this beer review / article, and I highly recommend you checking them out, and I also highly recommend checking out whatever ways you can have of donating.

Here is a direct bit from the Other Half Brewing Co.’s website on their official beer release version of theirs:

A world wide collaboration hosted by Other Half, Stout Collective and Craftpeak to support the enormous amount of hospitality workers laid off during this difficult time. We are donating 100% of our proceeds to the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation. We brewed this recipe with 2-row, oats and carapils and then hopped it with a beautiful blend of our hand selected Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe and Cascade. We intentionally kept the recipe simple so that every brewer that wants to do it can do it. Keep an eye out for versions from over 500 breweries worldwide all working to help others in need. Visit alltogether.beer for all the details and a list of breweries involved. Collect them all 🙂 Brewed in Rochester. 

Other Half Brewing Co.

Many breweries jumped on board, and you can find some lists of who all is doing it on a few other sites, such as Craftbeerdrinking and Hopculture.

Craftbeer.com’s article (All Together Collaboration – Beer to Help Hospitality Workers) lists: Non Sequitur Beer Project, Side Project, Southern Grist, Mikerphone Brewing, Fifth Hammer Brewing, Modist Brewing, Outer Range Brewing Co., Industrial Arts Brewing Co., and obviously Other Half Brewing Co.

The All Together Beer website, a site designed for this and set up for this project, has a wealth of information on the project. I highly recommend checking this out. You can find the recipe, you can find ways to donate, and if you are a brewery, you can also find a way to jump aboard and become part of the project, as well as print out labels, and get ways to promote the beer for yourself as well. At the bottom of their page, they have a map and a running tally / statistic. There is 824 breweries that have participated, in 50 states (of the United States of America), and in 53 countries. That is amazing and just phenomenal! 824 breweries is insane! And every state, and 53 countries helping out, is just downright awesome. I don’t care how you slice it, breweries helping people, will always be awesome, and I will always gladly do what I can to help support that.

There is a map, that you can zoom in and see what breweries are doing the project. So being a Central PA native, I had to zoom in on PA and see who all is jumping aboard, and here is a list of many that are:

(in no particular order)

• Saucony Creek Brewing Company
• Robin Hood Brewing
• Shy Bear Brewing
• Hidden Stories Brewing Co. LLC
• Rotunda Brewing Company
• Ever Grain Brewing Co.
• Fourscore Beer Co
  * Collaboration with: Prototype Brewery and Meadery and Wolf Brewing Co.
• Shabby Deck Craft Brewery
• Suburban Brewing Company
• Voodoo Brewing Company
• Hitchhiker Brewing Company
• Grist House Craft Brewery
• Roundabout Brewery
• East End Brewing Co.
• Dancing Gnome
• 11th Hour Brewing
• Whitehorse Brewing
• Four Points Brewing
• Sly Fox Brewing Co.
• Lost Tavern Brewing
• Birthright Brewing Co.
• Angry Erik Brewing
• Naked Brewing Co.
• Free Will Brewing
• Imprint Beer Co.
• Well Crafted Beer Company
• Ten7 Brewing Company
• Brothers Kershner Brewing Company
• Bald Birds Brewing
• Rebel Hill Brewing Company
• Stickman Brews
• Brewery ARS
• Odd Logic Brewing
• Second Sin Brewing

And that’s just the list of Pennsylvania breweries! And just the ones mentioned so far. Who knows if more will do it (hopefully). And thats also just one state out of fifty, and one part of a country out of fifty-three countries. So there is obviously a lot more breweries doing this! Some big names too like Equilibrium Brewing in New York are on board as well. So there is definitely a lot of momentum and weight behind this movement and project, which is absolutely fabulous! Keep up all the great work breweries!

Another link with information can be found at Hopculture: Hopculture – Other Half’s All Together Beer Project for Hospitality Workers.

Now we got all of that behind us, the whys, the hows, and the whats of this amazing and great beer. Lets get into the beer itself!

Beer: All Together
Brewery: Ever Grain Brewing Co.
Collaboration: Other Half Brewing Co.
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Description: We are proud to be apart of this open-ended beer collaboration masterminded by Other Half Brewing Co. 100% of our proceeds are going to Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania.

Some of the various breweries listed what they changed of the recipe or adjusted, if they swapped hops or malts or added adjuncts. Ever Grain’s Untappd listing doesn’t state any changes. So I’m assuming its near identical to the recipe given by Other Half Brewing. You can find their recipe on their All Together website, and you can click here directly for the recipe. I also saved a copy of the recipe, and I’ll post it here as well:

So this is what I’m assuming Ever Grain did, just on their system, with possible minor tweaks along the way.

Firstly – appearance is beautiful orange. It has that lovely New England IPA look to it. Golden orange juicy appearance to it, like pouring into a tall pint glass your morning OJ (not… the killer… or running back… but the drink); but this time with alcohol added! (Double win!). It has a little foam head to it that is light and fluffy with dispersed bubbles.

Aroma is pound for pound sound for sound pure hoppy juicy, citrus, fruity, and delicious smelling. Just cracking this open and pouring it already has my mouth watering and ready to drink it. I got notes of citrus, grapefruit, passionfruit, orange and tangerine, with a bit of zest or lime to it at the end. There isn’t any west coast IPA notes to be found in this, no evergreen tree, no earthy notes, no forestry like notes, all pure New England typical hop aromas and notes. The dry hopping really brings them out to the forefront.

Taste is phenomenal, and sadly makes this beer go waaaaaaaay too quickly. Me and my friend D. Scott drank two crowlers of this, way, too, quickly, while doing one of our Knights of Nostalgia sessions. I think we finished our crowlers in about fifteen minutes each. Which, thankfully this is only 6.5% so we weren’t rocked from basically pounding 32oz., but this was also just too delicious to even set down. It is very juicy, very dank, very delicious. Its both fruity and citrusy, with notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, orange and tangerine. Theres a bit of a lime / lemon twist at the end, but very subtle, barely noticeable, but there is definitely a citrus vibe to this that goes with the fruity juicy nature of the beer itself. And like I said, at 6.5% its not too heavy or overwhelming, even in a 32oz crowler; or if you get a 4pk of this, (4 x 16 = 64oz) you could probably handle a 4pk in an evening and be fine for work the next day. (Work…. work…. I vaguely recall work….). The mouthfeel is also very nice, its not too thick, not cloying, or heavy, or watery thin either, its just the right level of consistency and feel on the tongue. This is definitely an easy sippable beer or a quick quaffer. Which, obviously, I was pretty quick with mine, but your mileage may vary. Knowing also, that 100% of the proceeds is going to the Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania, also makes this just so much tastier and drinkable.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.26 (as of 5.14.20).

Cheers everyone. Hopefully you are all making it through this quarantine and lockdown relatively safe, sound, and mentally safe and sound. If you are looking to donate for hospitality workers, there is links here in this article, and the All Together Beer link has thee most information on that. As well as information if you are a brewer, home brewer, or commercial brewer looking to make the beer as well. So please check that out here: All Together – Beer – We’re All In This Together.

As always everyone, thanks for checking out the blog, click the like, the follow, the subscribe, and share, and do all those other cool things to help us out. We greatly appreciate it, and love all of our readers. Stay safe and healthy, and make sure to drink up lots of All Together to help our favorite bartenders! They are going to need it. Even when we re-open, things will be tough for them for a while, and probably dealing with idiots not wanting to follow CDC guidelines and the such will be all the more difficult for them. So please, help them out. Cheers!

-B. Kline

On February 8th, 2020, Tattered Flag and Breweries in PA co-hosted an event at the Tattered Flag Brewery in Middletown PA. It was a ticketed event and promoted across Tattered Flag’s social media and Breweries in PA’s social media (their Facebook page and their Facebook group). Tickets were free. Welcome to all that were to come out. According to Justin (brewer for Tattered Flag) 62 tickets were given out. Myself and my friend were two of those tickets, and so let me take you through the event.

Let’s back this up a bit from the time of the event. Starting with the event itself. It was first announced near the beginning of the year. Luckily it was a Saturday I was able to get off from work (a rarity in my case). And my friend D. Scott was also off and along for the idea. So, the premise of the event is simple – bring 2-3 (or more) beers. Everyone who comes to the event, does so, and once the event is underway you place your beers in the corresponding coolers (IPA, Sours, Wheats and Kolsches, Stouts), and then after everyone has grouped up, you start cracking beers and sampling and moving on.

The premise is simple and neat. Anyone whose ever done a beer / bottle / can share or swap at home with friends, its the same premise just on a much larger scale. (A 62+ person scale that is.)

Leading up to the event my friend stopped at Breski’s Beverage and picked up a four-pack of larger beers to bring with. He grabbed Thief Share (2016) by Strange Roots Experimental Ales, Blue Farm (2017) by Free Will Brewing Co, a German Chocolate Cake Stout from a brewery I’m drawing a blank on, and New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk (2019).

I had set up to do a beer trade with a guy from Eureka California. We were both set to send our packages on either January 31st, or February 1st. (I sent on 31st and showed proof.) He unfortunately, kept saying he would get to it… and get to it….. and he kept NOT getting to it…. and NOT getting to it. Finally, he promised he would expedite it next day to make up for its tardiness…. and I get a message from him “Sorry, it’d be 200$+ to expedite, so I sent it regular. Sorry it won’t be there in time.” …..Massive annoyance and disappointment on those fronts. So at last second, I had to figure out what I was bringing.

Unfortunately I had just ran through my cans from Tree House brought home by my friend D. Arndt. If I would have known…. I would have brought the Sap, Autumn, Julius, Haze, or Doppelganger I had. So I likewise stopped at Breski’s Beverage and picked up some beer for the event. I got Grimm Artisanal Ale’s I Still Love the Old World (2018), Lickinhole’s Virginia Black Bear, Clown Shoe’s Coffee Sombrero, and Trial by Wombat (mainly for the name and picture).

Saturday morning comes and I do my typical morning chores and errands and take Leela (my border collie) for a run. D. Scott is Ubering to Tattered Flag, and I’m going to meet him there. Planned to get there at 10:40, but ended up getting there closer to 10:50 with our tickets and my beer and meet him just inside the door. He shows me the beer he’s bringing and we go over our small sample size. At just a bit before 11AM, Justin comes through and tells everyone to follow him down into the brewhouse.

Since 2018 I’ve done some volunteer canning work with Tattered Flag – though recently they’ve stopped using volunteers now that their employee force is big enough to keep it all done in-house, so I’m quite familiar with their brewhouse and back of the brewery operations and location.

At the time, there’s not too many people yet. Maybe 15-20. Justin goes over the rules. (Big rule: don’t touch any valves. Little rule: throw your trash away. Big rule: DON’T TOUCH ANY VALVES. Little rule: put your beers in their appropriate tubs.) They had bussing tubs with a label for each: IPA, Sour / Saisons, Wheats / Kolsches, and Stouts. Bigger bottles were kept in the front or where room was for them.

The guys from Breweries in PA introduced themselves. And then we were off to the races (…or beers). Talked with the lady from Breweries in PA and she was saying how the Dayman can was the last “known in the wild” can to exist, due to them getting hit with a Cease and Desist from Disney. And we talked about Disney with recent news, and how past places have gotten hit with some C & D’s.

After sampling Dayman, and then Nightman, I saw a lovely looking Smoked Porter big bottle. Unfortunately I forget the name of it, and it appears I never checked it into Untappd (something I didn’t do too good of a job of). (Just like pictures, unfortunately I took no pictures of the event either, so I have no pictures of my own, and had to try and remember the beers I tried for Untappd later on.) So whoever brought the big bottle Smoked Porter, I’d love to know what it was. ….but also… oh boy that carbonation! As soon as I popped the cap on it, it just gushed. Foam everywhere, so much so that I had to set it down under the table over the grate, it just wouldn’t stop, for a good solid 2 minutes it kept going. (So yes, I apologize for being ‘that guy’, but….. it wasn’t my fault!)

Me and D. Scott kinda hovered over the Stouts area. Talked to Justin and his girlfriend Aimee, about recent events with Tattered Flag, as well as Hibrewnation that took place, as well as the upcoming Prototype Brewery and Meadery and the Prototype Invitation Brewing Event.

After a few more samples, me and D. Scott headed back into the caverns a bit, where there was more space, as by now we were likely up to about 40+ people in attendance. And out by the brite tanks and fermenters it was getting pretty crowded. After a bit, the guys from Breweries in PA brought a few of the bussing trubs out into the side-room where we used to do the labeling for Tattered Flag’s canning run. They brought out a few beers of each type as well and so there was now a more mixed variety in the different areas.

While in the side-room, I branched out a bit from my stouts and sours and had a few IPAs. Bearded Iris’ Homestyle, Psycho Simcoe by Three 3’s, Ex Novo Brewing’s Spirits of the Dead, and Double Luv by East Branch Brewing. Hanging out, talking with D. Scott and some of our fellow drinkers in the area, we also cracked open the Black Tuesday (2017) by The Bruery, which was amazingly fantastic. While discussing the ridiculously high ABV on it (19.5%), one of the guys talked about the beer he brought from Nimble Hill, a Maple Stout in their Mysteria Series, that was a 25%. I’ve always been a huge fan of big ABV beers…. so my ears and eyes and nose, and mouth, all perked up. The kind gentleman went back and got it and brought it out. After a bit of a struggle getting the cork off of it, we each drew a good sample size of it (and I won’t lie and say I didn’t have two samples of it).

The description on Untappd for it reads:

MAPLE SYRUP STOUT
This super limited creation is an off shoot of Turbo Diesel.
But instead of using hops, we added a few gallons of maple syrup and a dash of molasses and fermented it to the limits.
The result is a thick dessert stout with a strong maple syrup and imperial stout finish, followed by hearty warming from the 25% abv. Served without carbonation for a smooth and velvety finish.

It was smooth, dry, but with an amazing maple syrup flavor. Tasted like drinking a maple syrup wine. It was pretty much fantastic. And the nice 25% ABV to it, certainly didn’t hurt. I would like to throw a shout out to Ryan Haraschak. Fantastic, gorgeous gem to bring to the bottle share! Kudos my man!

We also tried a gentleman’s RIS Homebrew that was wonderful as well. And somehow, quickly, we realized we were approaching the end of the time for the bottle share, so me and D. Scott went back by the fermenters to try some of the beers still over there.

While hanging out there, and chopping on some tortilla chips, the Harris Brewery guys came in. Got to talk to Harris guys for a long time about their upcoming brewery, black culture in brewing and craft beer, Allison Hill, the impact their hoping to make, the old Coke-Cola building / factory on the corner of 19th and Derry, the obstacles their having to overcome for their brewery, their GoFundMe vs. the Kickstarter, and much more. We also drank from their growler of their collaboration with The Vegetable Hunter which was fantastic. If you would like to support the Harris Family Brewery, and add to their GoFundMe you can do so here:

Harris Family Brewery Start-Up Go Fund Me

As the time dwindled down, we quickly tried to sample a last few beers. There was an Intuition Ales that I tried with a large dragon on it (wax sealed originally, no idea on the name), as well as two Hegemony Anniversary Beers from St. Boniface. Also back to back Black IPAs; one from Pour Man’s Brewing – Black Market, and the other from Heavy Seas – Night Swell. Also tried the 2SP and WaWa coffee stout – Winter Reserve. As well as a last sampling of the Candy Hearts by New Trail Brewing.

As it wrapped up, they told us to take anything we wanted that was unopened. Seeing my Lickinghole Virginia Black Bear unopened I grabbed that, as well as an IPA from Mainstay Brewing and one of the bakeries from The Bruery. My buddy grabbed a couple and we put them in the six-pack holder and took them out to my car and then came back in to use our free beer and food discount.

Tattered Flag with the (free) ticket, being the gracious host was giving one free pour with the ticket as well as 10% off food. D. Scott got an order of loaded chips, and I got Because I Was Inverted (Chocolate Covered Strawberry). His free drink was either the Custardy Tropic Like Its Hot or the Custardy Black Crumble. We had also sampled these in cans during the bottle share.

My list of beers sampled (that I was able to record on Untappd) was:
* Nightman (Stable 12 Brewing Company)
* Schmoojee Strawberry Orange Banana (Imprint Beer Co)
* Bible Belt (2019) (Evil Twin Brewing)
* Frucht: Fruit Punch (The Bruery Terreux)
* Churro Sombrero (Clown Shoes)
* Autumn Friend (Forest & Main Brewing Company)
* Spirits of the Dead (Ex Novo Brewing)
* Psycho Simcoe (Three 3’s Brewing Co.)
* Black Tuesday (2017) (The Bruery)
* Maple Stout, Mysteria Series (Nimble Hill Brewing)
* Double Luv (East Branch Brewing)
* Kriek Marriage Parfait (2015) (Brouwerji Boon)
* Black Market (Pour Man’s Brewing Company
* Night Swell (Heavy Seas Beer)
* Pack & Brass Coffee IPA (Wallenpaupack Brewing Company)
* I Still Love the Old World (Grimm Artisanal Ales)
* Bourbon Barrel Aged Hegemony Anniver7ary Reserve (Blue Wax) (St. Boniface Craft Brewing Co.)
* Bourbon Barrel Aged Hegemony Anniver8ary Reserve (Blue Wax) (St. Boniface Craft Brewing Co.)
* Cold Pro (Union Craft Brewing)
* Winter Reserve Coffee Stout (2SP Brewing Company / WaWa)
* Candy Hearts (New Trail Brewing Co.)
* Homestyle (Bearded Iris)
* Custardy: Blackberry Crumble (Tattered Flag)
* Custardy: Tropic Like Its Hot (Tattered Flag)
* Thief Share (2016) (Strange Roots Experimental Ales)
* Blue Farm (2017) (Free Will Brewing Co.)
* Gingerbread Crunchee (Other Half Brewing Co.)
* Double Vice Coffee Porter (Grist House Craft Brewery)
* Chili Nelson Hazy Habenero (The Vegetable Hunter)
* Winter Wassailand (The Vegetable Hunter / Harris Family Brewing)
* Dayman (Stable 12 Brewing)

These are the ones I remembered / checked-in on Untappd anyway. There were so many more I didn’t get to try, some I definitely wanted to. I saw some Aslin cans, I believe 4th Anniversary Sours, that I missed out on, as well as a few Other Half’s and similar. In the comments – for those of you who went – I’d love to see what you brought, had, and what was your favorites.

This was a fantastic event. I’ve been to some friend / home beer bottle / can shares, and its always a blast. Passing around beers, sampling, and talking about beer and just hanging out with good people. The craft beer community is an exceptional and diverse community and its so great to talk to so many different people. Bottle shares are like mini-brewfests in a way, sampling a ton of different beers from different places / breweries that you most likely won’t get into contact with. Its not a bad way to kill a Saturday morning, thats for sure.

My favorites that I got to sample were: Black Tuesday (2017) by The Bruery and the Nimble Hill Maple Stout Mysteria (the 25%). D. Scott said his favorite was also the 25% Maple Stout as well as the Custardy: Blackberry Crumble.

It was great of Tattered Flag to put up some of their own beers in the share, a great gesture on their part. Also, humorous note, I think I did see a Blue Moon in one of the tubs, not 100% sure though, but I think I did. Kudos to whoever brought that. I did think it’d be funny to bring a single Coors Light bottle or Miller Lite High Life bottle and sneak it in, but didn’t know how it’d go over.

As you can see from the kill shot, there was a ton of great beer brought in, and sampled and served. Breweries from all over Pennsylvania, as well as numerous other big breweries like Other Half, Bearded Iris, Aslin, Dogfish Head, Brewery of Omnegang, Grimm Artisanal Ales, as well as some homebrew, and some heavy PA hitters like Free Will, Tattered Flag, Strange Roots, Imprint Beer Co, Dancing Gnome, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing, and New Trail, and even upcoming brewery Harris Family. It was a wonderful and diverse selection, bottles, bombers, growlers, crowlers, cans, and even wine bottles.

Interested in reading some reviews of beers from some of these places, you can check out my beer blog: The Beer Thrillers. We’ve reviewed beers from Tattered Flag like: Should Have Put Him Into Custardy, Inexplicably Juicy, Pink Guava, Fatum Series: Member Berries, and more. New Trail’s Broken Heels. Broken Goblet’s This Is The Way, Burn Them All Away. Boneshire Brew Work’s The Hog, Dillston, Harrishire (with Harris Family), Sunburst, Good Walk Spoiled, Road Less Traveled, and more. Wolf Brewing collaboration with Tattered Flag – Imperial Churro and collaboration with Imprint – Wolf Prints. Rotunda Brewing’s sWheat Tarts: Mango Guyabano and Juicy Fruit. Troegs Independent Craft Brewing’s Fuzzy Nudge, Coco-Nator, and Scratch 400. You can check out our brewery visit and recap (and review) of Mellow Mink and their Scarlet Sunrise. Or our brewery reviews of Battlefield Brew Works and Cushwa Brewery. Or the recent, unfortunate news of the closings – Crystal Ball and Stoudt’s.

You can also read our other article on Breweries in PA: Touring the Breweries that Surround Harrisburg. (Also located here: Breweries Around the Outskirts of Harrisburg.)

We are currently listed on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Beer Blogs at #9, and have been there for a few weeks now (moved up from #11). (If you would like to write for us, you can contact us through our contact page. Or if you would like us to write for you.)

You can check us out on Facebook as well as Twitter. Or just search for us – Facebook – The Beer Thrillers – and on Twitter – @thebeerthriller.

The blog is ran by me – B. Kline, and mainly written by me, but other writers for the blog include J. Doncevic, AJ Brechbiel (of Default Brewing). We also have Let Us Drink Beer Blog do some contributions as a guest writer.

I also do podcasts with D. Scott and Esteban – So a Mexican and a Scot Walk Into a Bar… where we discuss beer, pop culture, movies, TV shows, and much more. Always hilarious and always insightful, so make sure to check that out as well.

(Ok, that concludes the article for Breweries in PA. The rest from here on out, is just for the Beer Thrillers faithful and my blog only. Its also a little more personal and detailed than the above, so keep reading if you want to hear more.)

So as per usual with me, after the beer share event, my night didn’t end. It was about 3:30-4PM by the time we finished up at the Tattered Flag bar. Way too early to call it a day. Being in the area, we decided to check out the Lancaster Brewing spot off of Eisenhower Boulevard in Harrisburg. Neither me nor D. Scott had ever been there. And this checks off a “new brewery location” that I want to do each month. (January was Liquid Noise Brewing, so February will be Lancaster Brewing, and hopefully March – before they close up – will be Stoudt’s.) Its funny that neither of us have ever been here to this location. Its so close, and we’ve jumped and hit all of the Harrisburg breweries numerous times before.

While there we met up with friends D. Arndt, Youngblood, and Youngblood’s girlfriend. I did a flight, D. Scott got a draft of their eggnog, and I have no recollection of what the others got. My flight included:
* Jam Series #22 Mexican Style Lager
* Jam Series #21 Gingerbread Spiced Brown Ale
* Lancaster Lager
* Jam Series – Track #20 Eggnog Blond
* Jam Series – Track #19 Chili Smoked Baltic Porter
* Winter Warmer

All were pretty tasty. I enjoyed the Smoked Porter the most with the Spiced Gingerbread coming in second. Wasn’t a huge fan of the eggnog blond, but I’m not a fan of eggnog so kind of knew that going into it. Drew loved his, but then again, he’s a huge eggnog fan. So mileage may vary on that type of beer.

Finally around 730-8PM or so we left and went to D. Arndt’s house, where we hung out with him and his fiance Kat and his dogs (the one of which is a Corgi named Indiana Bones). While there he had a can of Intemperance by Tree House which was absolutely delicious.

Look for me to be adding the Intemperance to my series on Tree House. Also, most likely tonight Doppelganger will be going up to finish what was originally the series. But now, with the addition of Intemperance, the series will be going from 5 to 6, making it a nice easy and sensible six-pack. Makes sense for a beer blog (a beer blog making sense?!), I like it.

So, this was supposed to be written and was supposed to go up Sunday, the 9th. But… work was crazy, as it was a ticket promotion give-away and we were swamped there, and afterwards, I was supposed to go to D. Scott to watch the Oscar’s (and drink the remaining of the beer share beers), but… Haley forgot the crowler of Rotunda Brewing Company’s ‘Beautiful Trauma’ that I got her, so I had to swing back to work and then deliver it to her at Irgo’s Tavern. Where I then proceeded to stay and play pool with several co-workers until 1AM. So obviously… no posting that night.

Then Monday I did go over to D. Scott’s and we watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (finally got around to seeing it, fantastic movie, and Tarantino is still just as good as he always was). So once again, no blog posting Monday. But, last night I did start this, and sadly, only after editing, getting to finish it this morning. Sorry for the delay in things, but I rather edit and make sure I like the way blog looks, and that there’s no misspellings or grammar problems or anything (though I’m sure one or two will still sneak through). There’s two ways to write:

“You either write sober and edit drunk, or write drunk and edit sober.”

I also finally got that California beer mail Tuesday. Looks like some delicious brews to drink down and dive into and review for you all.

So definitely expect to see some beer reviews come out of that 10-pack. There’s a lot of tasty ones (I am super looking forward to the Chocolate Donut porter.)

Blog news – I am going to be trying to get 2 blogs up a day for the next few days to catch up some of the beer reviews I’m behind on. Fingers crossed anyway. This blog post is also going up on Breweries in PA’s website, so you’ll be able to check it out there (albeit abbreviated). Once its live, I’ll come in and edit this to include it here.

Tomorrow (Thursday, the 13th), I have yet another funeral to go to. This time my Uncle (mother’s brother in law) passed away. (Last Thursday was a funeral for my Great Uncle, my father’s Uncle.) In the evening Funck’s in Palmyra is doing a tap takeover for New Trail. I might be stopping out for that (might not, depends on time). New Trail makes some great beers, so I’d love to check it out.

Some beer reviews that are due up are Doppelganger and Intemperance, New Heights I Cannot Tell a Lie, Boneshire Brew Work’s Anagnorsis, Revision’s Pete’s Stache, Rivertown’s Triple Belgian, and much more. So be on the lookout for a lot of beer reviews coming at you in the upcoming days.

Like I said earlier in the post (mainly for the Breweries in PA page), please check out our Facebook, Twitter, and other social medias, and please click follow, like, subscribe, both on those platforms and here on the blog itself. You can enter your e-mail at the bottom to get notifications immediately whenever a new blog post hits the internet, and we’d greatly appreciate it. We also love it when you use the ‘rating’ at the bottom so we know how we are performing, and click the LIKE down below as well. Also, even more importantly, we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, feedback. So leave us a comment, or two, or three, or forty-four. I try to respond and reply as quickly as I’m able to. And if you ever want, you can contact us at our contact page and leave me a message.

Thanks everyone so much for reading, and hopefully you enjoyed it, and if you were at the event, hopefully you had as much of a blast as I did (and D. Scott). (Which speaking of, be on the lookout for some new podcasts on LOST Seasons 3 & 4, Fullmetal Alchemist, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and potentially / possibly / hopefully BoJack Horseman.)

Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline