Pandemic - The Beer Thrillers

Hemauer Brewing and The Adventure’s Guild – Board Game Night

B. Kline — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:05:49 +0000

Hemauer Brewing and The Adventure’s Guild are Hosting a Board Game Night at Hemauer Brewing

Do you like board games? Settlers of Catan? Scythe? Game of Thrones the Board Game? Risk? Monopoly? Exploding Kittens? Trash Panda? Organ Attack? Ticket to Ride? Pandemic? King of Tokyo? Dominion? Small World? 7 Wonders? Tiny Towns? Etc, etc, etc. Or how about even card games like Uno, Poker, Trash Panda, Wild Fox, War, etc?

Then come on out to Hemauer Brewing on March 5th, from 5PM to 9PM (EST) and get to play some of your favorite board games, or learn a brand new one!

Board Game Night

Our neighbor, The Adventurer’s Guild, is partnering with us to bring you a board game night at the taproom! Join us on Tuesday, March 5th, from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM for games, pizza, and drinks!

The Adventurer’s Guild will bring a stack of board games to play, but feel free to bring your own! We hope to see you there!

#hemauerbrewingco #hemauerstrong #beer #boardgamenight #brewing #drinklocal #localbeer

— at Hemauer Brewing Co.

Hemauer Brewing

Hemauer Brewing Co. has carved out a distinctive niche within the craft beer industry, rapidly gaining recognition for its innovative approach to brewing and community engagement. Founded by Brooks and Shannon Hemauer, the brewery emerged from his passion for crafting unique beers that reflect both tradition and creativity. Situated in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Hemauer Brewing Co. has become a local hub for beer enthusiasts, offering a wide range of styles that cater to diverse palates. From robust stouts to refreshing lagers and experimental ales, each brew is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, showcasing the team’s dedication to quality and flavor.

Beyond the beer, Hemauer Brewing Co. is deeply rooted in community involvement, setting it apart from many of its contemporaries. The brewery frequently hosts events that bring people together, from live music and food truck festivals to educational brewing workshops. These gatherings not only serve as a testament to Hemauer’s commitment to community engagement but also help foster a culture of inclusivity and shared passion for craft beer. Furthermore, the brewery often collaborates with local businesses and charities, reinforcing its role as a community pillar that extends beyond the confines of the brewing industry.

Environmental sustainability is another cornerstone of Hemauer Brewing Co.’s philosophy. The brewery implements various eco-friendly practices, from sourcing ingredients locally to minimize transportation emissions to employing energy-efficient brewing processes. This dedication to sustainability not only reflects Hemauer’s respect for the environment but also resonates with a growing segment of consumers who prioritize ecological responsibility. By balancing innovation with tradition, community engagement, and sustainability, Hemauer Brewing Co. continues to make a significant impact on the craft beer scene, promising a bright future for this forward-thinking brewery.

Shannon also runs the PA Boudoir Photography Studio.

The Adventure’s Guild

The Adventure’s Guild originally started on Derry Street in the Lawnton / Rutherford area. Then it moved onto Union Deposit Road, and now it is in Mechanicsburg.

The Adventure’s Guild stands as a beacon for enthusiasts of tabletop role-playing games (RPGs), board games, and the broader realm of fantasy and strategy gaming. Situated in the heart of a bustling city, this establishment has quickly become a sanctuary for individuals seeking to immerse themselves in the rich tapestries of imaginative worlds and complex gameplay. The Guild offers an extensive library of games, from classic favorites to the latest releases, catering to a diverse audience ranging from seasoned strategists to curious newcomers. Its walls are adorned with maps of mythical lands, and shelves are filled with game boxes, dice of every hue, and guides that spark the imagination, inviting patrons to embark on countless adventures.

Beyond merely providing the tools for gaming, The Adventure’s Guild fosters a vibrant community of like-minded individuals. It hosts regular events, including game nights, tournaments, and narrative RPG campaigns, allowing members to gather, share strategies, and forge friendships through their shared passions. These gatherings are facilitated by experienced game masters and storytellers, who guide players through epic quests and intricate plots. The Guild’s welcoming atmosphere and inclusive ethos make it an ideal place for anyone looking to explore the world of gaming, regardless of their experience level. Its commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment encourages creativity, collaboration, and the development of social skills.

The Adventure’s Guild also plays a significant role in supporting the local gaming industry. It collaborates with game developers, offering a platform for them to showcase their creations and receive direct feedback from the community. This symbiotic relationship not only enriches the Guild’s repertoire but also contributes to the growth and innovation within the gaming sector. Moreover, the establishment is dedicated to education and outreach, organizing workshops that teach game design, storytelling, and critical thinking skills. Through these efforts, The Adventure’s Guild not only serves as a hub for entertainment and socialization but also as a catalyst for personal growth and the advancement of the gaming culture.

Highway Manor Brewing Temporarily Closed For Remainder of 2023

B. Kline — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:48:00 +0000

Highway Manor Only Temporarily Closed

Closed? Permanently Closed? or Temporarily Closed? I guess it all just depends on who you ask. If you ask the owner of the brewery the answer would be “Temporarily Closed”; if you ask Google the answer is “Permanently Closed” and if you ask Facebook it would be “Complicated”.

After our piece – Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed – was published on October 26th, 2023, PennLive’s writer Sue Gleiter followed up and released her article on October 30th: Brewery in Cumberland County is closed for now.

Unable to get a response myself from Johnnie Compton III (who had previously reached out to me about the opening of Highway Manor – Highway Manor Opening in Camp Hill – as well as to do beer reviews for them); Compton did respond to Gleiter, giving her quotes for her article.

Despite no public announcement of any kind on any social media platform, despite the Google page listings and searches showing a “Permanently Closed” section for the brewery, and despite some really odd and troubling comments by people online, Johnnie Compton III tells Gleiter that Highway Manor Brewing is only temporarily closed, and that he is planning on re – opening in 2024.

Their liquor license as per PLCB ended in December 2022, and Compton is saying that he will be renewing it start of January 2024 and plans to reopen the brewery starting 2024.

Controversy

Firstly, let’s go over again the controversy during COVID. As stated in the previous article – Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed – Highway Manor Brewing had some “controversy” over signs they had on their door.

On December 27th, 2020; PennLive ran an article discussing how Johnnie Compton III took the sign down; primarily at the urging of his daughter.

In the most recent of pandemic-related controversies, a West Shore brewery owner has taken down a sign that brought allegations of racism to his door.

Johnnie Compton III, owner of Highway Manor Brewery in Camp Hill, said once the COVID-19 regulations hit his business, he and his staff put up “funny signs” to alert customers to their new methods of operation.Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’

The second shut down for restaurants, businesses of the social sort, casinos, etc; was done as a way to curtail problems with COVID – 19 that might arrive during the holiday seasons of Christmas and New Years Eve after Thanksgiving.

Johnnie had stated that he and his staff enjoyed putting up signs on their door, as well as internally during the tumultuous 2020 as a way to bring levity to the time. And with the second shut down, he was ‘agonizing’ over what to put up next when he thought of his “TO GO ONLY – BLAME CHINA” sign; thinking it was funny.

I’m sick of hearing about COVID.Johnnie Compton III – Owner and Head Brewmaster for Highway Manor Brewing

The sign was originally posted on Wednesday, which was the 23rd. Compton stated that only the day of the PennLive article did the sign go viral on social media. (But it seems the sign was both up longer than Wednesday, despite the article and Comtpon saying so, and that it made the rounds of social media sooner than had been stated as well.)

While talking about it with his staff, someone made a joke about the coronavirus coming from China, which Compton said is a simple fact. With that, came their latest sign:

“TO GO ONLY BLAME CHINA” with the taproom’s hours and Compton’s phone number listed alongside it.

While the sign went up on Wednesday, Compton said it was only in the last day or so that the sign began making its rounds on social media and people began complaining about it, with some calling him a racist.

One post viewed by PennLive said the person was trying to support local businesses when they saw the sign. “So ignorant and xenophobic,” the person wrote, adding they would not be returning.

Compton said people have been messaging and calling him, including a woman who called him at 9:30 p.m. Saturday to call him a racist.

In the end, he said he decided to take the sign down.

“People are misinterpreting it, clearly,” Compton said.Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’

Writing controversial signs certainly isn’t new for Compton at the brewery; previously he had written one sign saying: “Wear a mask by order of the Big Bad Wolf.”

For more information on the controversy, you can read the full news article here: Controversial sign on central Pa. brewery gone after owner says joke was ‘misconstrued’ by PennLive.

Comments, Reactions, etc.

After our story was posted and went onto social media, there were numerous remarks, replies, and comments from several people about the brewery. Most of them pretty troubling or at least interesting to say the least. Here is some snippets of some of the comments.

I stopped in a few months ago and the doors were locked and the lights were off.. no mention on FB that they were closed that day. Kinda figured this was coming.
Redditer – Mustang46L

I remember when they were only selling their beers in Philly and NYC. When we asked him why we can’t get it in Harrisburg, he said “Harrisburg isn’t ready for my beer”. Then he proceeded to show his ass during COVID times.

So I am not taking this as a huge loss.
Redditer – Ed5275

Guy has very questionable hygiene with his beer production. Also that manor was more of a crackhouse.
Redditer – clownus

This is my shocked face😐. Johnny has not exactly built up goodwill with anybody, always looks for shortcuts and has gone out of his way to piss off customers. Pretty talented brewer but just a terrible person and businessman.
Redditer – Live_Podcast_Junkie

I went there once last year and actually had a pretty good time with a few good beers and I tried going there earlier this year once and all the lights were off like they were closed at like 8 pm on a Saturday night which I thought was weird but the door was open.. I yelled in asking if they were open but got no response and left. It was definitely interesting.
Redditer

Google says open….. sign on door says open!!!! But closed!! UPDATE YOUR HOURS!!!!!! May actually have good beers ….. but I will never know!!!!! 5pm on a Monday!!!!!
Google Reviewer – Josh Elkins (3 months ago)

I’m confused why a brewery would put themselves in a position to only target a certain percentage of consumers in the area. We do not drink sours so will never visit and that could be the thought of other beer lovers. Just my opinion but it cuts revenue a good bit and that’s bad business. I’m sure the place is creative but as of posting this, the place looks abandoned and there are tons of others around.
Google Reviewer – Amanda McBride (5 months ago)

I really debated putting this review up, but I feel like people need to know about the owners of this establishment. An incident occurred while I was there that they drove their forklift into my unoccupied, legally parked car. They then tried to buy me off (at a discounted price of repairs, of course) and threatened my safety when I reported it to the police and insurance company. This establishment is shady at best. If you want to worry about damage to your vehicles and being threatened by the owners- then this is your place.
Google Reviewer – Lisa Rose (1 year ago)

I went there last Saturday around 1:00 PM and it was a confusing experience. The hours on the building said they were open, the door was unlocked, but no lights were one. There was a Futon mattress on the floor in a side room and no one was around. It looked abandoned, or closed for a while at the least. Not sure if this is closed permanently or what.
Google Reviewer – Matt Hendrick (8 months ago)

Stating its a Temporary Closure

In the PennLive article, Johnnie Compton III tells Sue Gleiter that its just a temporary closure. That he’s currently helping his family’s business – Miracle Steel, Mechanicsburg PA.

Highway Manor Brewing Co. at 2238 Gettysburg Road in Lower Allen Township appears to no longer be in business and is listed on Google as closed, but owner Johnnie Compton III said he decided to take a year off and will reopen in January.

“I was too busy,” Compton said, noting he’s noticed a rash of other breweries closing and many struggling to find enough employees.
Brewery in Cumberland County is closed for now – PennLive

The PennLive article doesn’t give much more information than that quote – which was added in the update to the article (original publish time was October 30th, 11:35 AM, and the updated time was October 30th, 5:53 PM). The updated edit byline states that the article was updated to include his quotes.

The remainder of the article goes on to discuss the start of Highway Manor Brewing, how it got its name, and how Johnnie Compton III got involved in sour beers and brewing.

Currently the business has made no public announcements of any kind about the business itself. Be it closed, temporary closed, or permanently closed. Their social media is still quiet, and their last Facebook post still remains the April 16th one. Their official website is still active, even including their “hours of operation”, with no word on any sort of closure.

For More Articles on Highway Manor Brewing

Highway Manor Brewing Has Seemingly Been Closed
Highway Manor Brewing Temporarily Closed For Remainder of 2023
Brewery Opening: Highway Manor
Brewery Review: Highway Manor
Beer Review: Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot) (had at Highway Manor Brewery)

For More Information on Highway Manor Brewing

The following comes from Untappd. Highway Manor Brewing is listed as a micro brewery from Camp Hill, PA. They have 54 unique beers and over 27,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.69 as of 10.26.23. Their Untappd description is blank.

You can follow them on the following social media platforms:

The brewery’s location was: 2238 Gettysburg Rd, Camp Hill, PA 17011.

Brewery News

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

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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With Heavy Hearts Tattered Flag Announces Last Day

B. Kline — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:40:00 +0000

With Heavy Hearts Tattered Flag Announces Their Last Day of Operation

Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery announced on their social media just minutes ago (at 8:30 AM) when their last day of operation will be. Saying with heavy hearts that Sunday, October 1st of 2023 will be their last day of operation.

We had previously announced their sale – Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery For Sale – which is a complete buy out / turn key sale. All product, all equipment, full brand, full building sale. (More on the sale later in this article.) The sale was announced to the public on July 7th, 2023 (it had been internally and privately on sale for a solid month before that).

Today, July 28th, 2023 just minutes ago (8:30 AM) Tattered Flag announced their upcoming closure. The following was their announcement on Facebook:

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that after seven incredible years, our final day of operation will be Sunday, October 1st. Had we known the pandemic was coming, we would not have expanded as quickly as we did. When the Covid shutdowns happened, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would likely go out of business…but Pat said, “Let’s do as much good as we can before the end.” So we made hand sanitizer and fought like hell to survive. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the resulting inflation/labor crisis have finally caught up to us. Many of you will ask how you can help. We ask that you come see us several more times in the next two months, and when you do, take good care of our amazing staff.

We want to thank everyone who supported us…our Middletown neighbors and friends, near and far, who raised a flag with us. We shared good times and great experiences that we will cherish forever.

#sevenincredibleyears #drinklocal #raiseaflag
Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery – Facebook Post

Lancaster, Gettysburg, and Hollywood Casino Operations

The Lancaster Barrel House, the Gettysburg Tap Room, and the Hollywood Casino Upstairs Bar have been closed for several weeks now. Their tap room and bar lounge in Hershey has been previously leased to YAH Brew.

They were up to five locations at one point – the main brewery and restaurant location in Middletown PA, their Gettysburg PA tap room, their barrel house in Lancaster PA, the Hershey PA bar lounge, and their upstairs restaurant and tap room at Hollywood Casino in Grantville PA.

Tattered Flag Brewery For Sale

The following comes from our article about their sale:

The Middletown brewery and distillery appears to be up for sale. Nearly ten years in business, they opened in 2015, as a veteran owned brewery and distillery (the first in the state). In recent months (less than two years or so) they have opened a location in Lancaster – their barrel house – as well as took over the upstairs bar and restaurant at Hollywood Casino (Tattered Flag at Hollywood Casino).

They previously also had a location in Hershey – the Tattered Flag Bar and Lounge – which they are sub leasing to YAH Brew.

PennLive broke the story this morning:

Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works in Middletown is for sale.

The nearly 10-year-old brewery and distillery at 1 S. Union St. is listed for an undisclosed price by Nik Sgagias of NAI CIR, a commercial real estate company in Lemoyne. Tattered Flag remains open for business.

The sale includes a 13,000 square-foot state-of-the-art brewery with canning and bottling lines, distillery, and full service restaurant with seating up to 200 guests, according to the listing.Dauphin County brewery / distillery with restaurant listed for sale – PennLive

In 2020 they announced they would be shipping statewide with their “Supply Drop” feature, letting you order their beers anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania.

Their locations in Lancaster (the Barrel House) and Gettysburg (the tap room) are currently listed as temporarily closed.

Justin Hoak, a former head brewer of theirs, now runs his own brewery – YAH Brew – at their former location in Hershey, next to Duck Donuts.
Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery For Sale

Our Articles About Tattered Flag

Looking to read more about Tattered Flag, check out our articles here:

Tattered Flag Brewery Information

The following comes from Untappd about Tattered Flag Brewery – they are a micro brewery from Middletown, Pennsylvania, with 637 unique beers, and a global average rating of 3.78 (as of 7.28.23). They have 119,110 ratings. Their Untappd description is currently blank.

You can follow them on the following social media pages:

Brewery News

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

Thank You For Reading

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

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Couch Brewery Announces Upcoming Closure

BKline — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 02:46:22 +0000

Couch Brewery (Facebook)

Couch Brewery’s Announcement

It is with complete sadness today to announce – and especially today, with it being Small Brewery Sunday – that at 6PM today (just 3 hours ago, while I was at work) – that Couch Brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced they will be closing.

They posted on their Facebook page today at 6PM that they will be shuttering their doors, with their last day being scheduled for Sunday December 19th, 2021.

You can read their post here:

They say all good things must come to an end and boy have we had a beautiful run. With a tear in our eye and a beer in our hand we are sad to announce our last day will be on Sunday, December 19th. It has been a pleasure to serve you all over the last few years. Having you all in our “living room” has been like sitting on a couch and chatting with family. The stories, laughs and friendships we have created are extraordinarily precious to us and we will treasure them forever. With that said, we invite you to join us for our “12 days of Christmas” to help kick our kegs. Be sure to check our hours for the next couple weeks as we do have a few private parties already booked. Soon, another fantastic brewery will be occupying our space. Tortured Souls Brewing will introduce their awesome beers as well as some of your Couch favorites. Check them out at https://torturedsoulsbrewing.comFrom the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank you for your patronage and friendship these past few years. It has been our privilege to serve you.
Facebook – Couch Brewery

This is very sad news to hear, and certainly reinforces the belief of ‘shopping small’ on today, and every day.

Couch Brewery

I got to visit Couch Brewery last year on my trip out to Indianapolis. Bobby Nacho took me around on a little tour of the brewery and gave me samples of all of their beers on tap. Was a wonderful experience, and I enjoyed the time spent with him talking beer, and enjoyed the beers as well. So this is very sad to see happen.

On Untappd, Couch Brewery is listed as a Micro Brewery from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With 136 unique beers and 14,245 ratings (as of today – 11.28.21). They have a global average rating of 3.61. They have their description section left as blank.

The Importance of Small Breweries and Shopping at Small Breweries

Today is “Small Brewery Sunday” (#SmallBrewerySunday), and this shows how vital it is to shop at the small local breweries. Helping those who give back to their communities. Those you live with as neighbors, those you see on a regular basis. Shopping at the small breweries helps your neighbors, your friends, your community; rather than helping some corporate conglomerate who is actively trying to hurt small breweries.

Bobby Nacho summed up his thoughts as a comment on the closing page:

“I really enjoyed my 11 months working there. Darren, Beth and Mel are three of the best people I’ve ever worked with with, and I’m so happy to call them my friends.”
Bobby Nacho

This shows just how much these small breweries mean to their communities. How impactful and needful they are, and how much we need to reinforce and help them. Especially in this troubling times. With COVID-19 still very much a real and present danger to communities, businesses, and the like. With economic hardships as a cause of all of this. With the rise in aluminum and grain on the horizon. We need to be shopping closer, local, and near us more and more.

Tortured Soul Brewing

There isn’t a lot of information yet on Tortured Soul Brewing, but you can visit their website here:

Tortured Soul Brewing

Their site has a load up video talking about a “craft brewery with a unique style” and “coming soon”. We will keep everyone updated on this.

Couch Brewery and The Beer Thrillers

We would like to wish our condolences to the closing of Couch Brewery and wish the best for all who helped make it, worked there, and who is affected by this closing. We hope for the best for everyone involved.

Couch Brewery’s social media links:

Our Couch Brewery related links:

Brewery Closing News:

Other Brewery News, Openings, Merges, and Other News:

Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway

We are just about to finish and finalize our Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway for #FreeBeer. You still have time to enter and win, check that out here:

Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway (2021)

Couch Brewery’s Closure Announcement

Thanks For Reading

Despite the bad news, thanks everyone for reading. Hopefully we’ll have much better news in the near future.

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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!

Fury Brewing Company Announces Closure

BKline — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 14:23:00 +0000

Fury Brewing Company’s Facebook post

Announcement

Scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed just a few minutes ago, (which is mostly breweries and beer related pages), I passed over Fury Brewing Company’s post. Which you can read here: “Fury Brewing Company – Facebook”.

This was posted at 9:40AM (and I saw this at 10:02 and writing this very post up right now at 10:05AM).

Their post reads:

All of us here at Fury Brewing have loved serving you all for the past four and a half years. With those years come many memories we will always cherish!
We are very sad to announce that we are officially closed.
For some people who didn’t see our original post about our closing – Unfortunately, Covid has taken a toll on many business’ including ours, but we are thankful for the years spent with our customers.
We love each and everyone of you and are going to miss the conversations with you!
Thank you for continuing to come in during our last month!
Fury Brewing Company (Facebook)

The Closure

Sadly, this isn’t the first closure in the area, and unfortunately its not the only one listed as a result of COVID. Certainly COVID-19 has not been kind to the brewing industry, and quite a few breweries, businesses, restaurants, and various other companies have also shuttered doors over the past year or so.

Fury Brewing Company was located on the outskirts of Pittsburgh in Irwin. Spigot Brewing also located in the Pittsburgh area has also recently closed, citing COVID as one of the reasons. You can still check out Fury Brewing’s website here: Fury Brewing Company Homepage.

It is with a heavy heart making this announcement. Fury Brewing had a devoted following and was very involved with their community, so it is sad to see them go. We wish the best for all involved in their futures and hope some good may come of this with their workers and the property.

More Information

For more information on Fury Brewing, you can still visit their social media pages:

Links to Other Brewery Closings and Openings Covered by The Beer Thrillers

You can read about more brewery closures here:

On the other side of the coin, brewery opening news:

Thanks For Reading

Thank you all for reading. Hopefully things will turn around, as COVID starts to get more under control, and life gets back to normal more and more. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and happy. Today I’m looking to get to do another road trip of breweries and will be heading my night at Boneshire Brew Work’s 5th Anniversary Celebration. Hopefully I will see you there.

Prost!

-B. Kline

Rubber Soul’s One Year Anniversary Bash

BKline — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 22:55:00 +0000

Rubber Soul is Celebrating Its First Year Anniversary in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

It’s Time to Celebrate

It’s certainly been a very interesting first year for the (new) Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Opening amidst a pandemic, and not only just opening – but surviving and thriving in this difficult new environment for restaurants (including a shutdown around Christmas time), this past – and their first – year has certainly had its set of challenges. Its up and downs. Thats for sure.

So its time to celebrate! On October 3rd, at their Hummelstown Brewery – Rubber Soul Brewing Company is throwing their 1st Year Anniversary Bash!

Year One Anniversary Bash

On October 3rd, 2021, from 11AM to 9PM, Rubber Soul is celebrating, and their celebrating big. With live music, new beers on tap, and a loaded brewery. The brewery is located at: 136 S Hanover St, Hummelstown, PA 17036-2207, United States. The event lasts from 11AM to 9PM with the first music act kicking off at 1:30PM, and the beers going on tap at 11AM.

The following is their Facebook Event page listing:

Event by Rubber Soul Brewing136 S Hanover St, Hummelstown, PA 17036-2207, United StatesPublic · Anyone on or off FacebookJoin us as we celebrate YEAR 1 with live music, good beer and good food from 11:00AM-9:00PM! Live music:
1:30-3:00PM – The Faves (https://www.facebook.com/thefavesacousticpa)
3:30-5:00PM – Dave McCullough (https://www.mcculloughmusic.net/)
5:30-7:00PM – Pair of Aces (https://www.facebook.com/AcesDuo)Beer:
We will be releasing three new brews just for the party! Year 1 – India Pale Ale – 7.4%, Anniversary IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Idaho #7. Citrusy, tropical and smooth. Hummelsfest Lager – Festbier – 6.1%
Notes of fresh baked bread and dry earthy undertones pave the way for a toasty clean crisp finish. Perfect for a cool Fall day. House Pumpkin Porter – Spiced Porter – 5.8%
Roasty, bold and smooth with just the right amount of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. Like taking your first bite of pumpkin pie.Call us at 717-220-1741 or email us at drinkingbuds@rubbersoulbrewing.com to make a reservation! For more information, visit www.rubbersoulbrewing.com/events
One Year Anniversary Bash – Rubber Soul Event Page

Live Music, New Beers, and a Stein

Live Music For the Celebration

The above pictures show you the music line – up for the ‘anniversary shindig’. You have ‘The Faves’ kicking things off at 1:30PM, and then Dave McCullough taking over at 3:30PM, and finally ‘Pair of Aces’ takes “the stage” at 5:30PM.

They are also releasing three beers for the celebration. They are:

Hummelfest – this is a Festbier that released when they first opened and was only available for a little bit of time a year ago. “Notes of fresh baked bread and dry earthy undertones pave the way for a toasty clean crisp finish. Perfect for a cool Fall day.” 6.1%
Year 1 IPA – “Anniversary IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Idaho #7. Citrusy, tropical and smooth.” 7.4%
House Pumpkin Porter – “Roasty, bold and smooth with just the right amount of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. Like taking your first bite of pumpkin pie.” 5.8%

To go along with the great (and free) music, as well as three new beers on tap, they are releasing a commemorative stein you can purchase at the brewery that gives you a free fill.

The One Year Anniversary Bash commemorative stein

Rubber Soul Brewery will be selling these pretty steins for 20$ on October 3rd. If you purchase it at the brewery you get your first fill for free. (For more information and details you can check out their events page. Link provided below.) You can also order it online through their website.

Celebration

Can’t wait for the event! Its been a long, winding, arduous, fun, hard, and tough year, for not just Rubber Soul, and Hummelstown, but for everyone. It’s time to enjoy the fall weather, enjoy some great live music, wonderful food, fantastic beers, and great company.

Hopefully we’ll get to see you all there!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Links

The Beer Thriller’s ‘Rubber Soul Articles’:

Burley Oak Shipping To Your Door

BKline — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 01:25:00 +0000

Burley Oak Announces Its Shipping

Another Brewery Giant Shipping Into Pennsylvania

Hot off the presses of Southern Grist Brewing announcing that they will be shipping into Pennsylvania, comes another big ‘hype time’ brewery announcing they are also shipping into Pennsylvania – this time its Burley Oak.

Burley Oak, famous for their JREAMS series of beers, as well as high quality IPAs and other sours, has been sending beers to distributors in Pennsylvania, but now is offering shipping to residential. They join a large group of in – state breweries shipping state wide, as well as some bigger named breweries shipping into the state.

Burley Oak

According to Untapp, Burley Oak is a micro brewery from Berlin Maryland, with over 600 unique beers, and over 580,000 check ins, with a global average rating of 4.04. Their info blurb reads: “We built our brewery from the ground up, utilizing sustainable practices with local materials and craftsmen. We love our town of Berlin, Maryland and hope you join us in our taproom for a couple pints and growlers. Our goal is to produce distinctive beers with unsurpassed quality while blending contemporary and traditional brewing methods.”

You can visit Burley Oak’s social media pages here:

Shipping News

Burley Oak Articles on The Beer Thrillers

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Southern Grist Brewing Is Shipping

BKline — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 00:46:00 +0000

Southern Grist Brewing Is Shipping

Good News Everyone… Southern Grist Is Shipping

One of the few good things (in the brewing community) of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the increase in breweries shipping right to your door. And the latest to do just that is Southern Grist Brewing.

They announced on Facebook and Instagram that they will be shipping to the following states: Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Kentucky, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia – as well as the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.). They join a growing list of breweries shipping into Pennsylvania.

Southern Grist

Southern Grist is a brewery from Nashville Tennessee. Untappd lists them as a microbrewery with over 800 unique beers, and over 360,000 check ins, and an average score of 4.11.

For more information on Southern Grist Brewing, you can check out their various social media pages:

For Other Shipping News

Check out these articles for other breweries shipping in the Central PA area:

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Miscreation Brewing is Closing It’s Doors in Hanover

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

Miscreation Brewing Company LLC

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

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

Miscreation Brewing’s Facebook post on December 28, 2020

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

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

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

It reads:

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

Miscreation Brewing on Untappd

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

A loss to Hanover Pennsylvania

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

-B. Kline

For more information and links:

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

You can read about more brewery closures here:

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

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

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!

Miscreation Brewing Company LLC – Brewed in Hanover Pennsylvania

Beer Review: F*CK 2020 (Abomination Brewing Company)

BKline — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 13:24:00 +0000

F*CK 2020

Seriously. F*CK 2020. I don’t think I’ll hear too many disagreements with this statement. F*CK it. 2020 has been everything everyone keeps saying it is: a train wreck, a dumpster fire, a dumpster fire full of dog excrement traveling on a train headed right for a train carrying a dumpster fire of ostrich excrement, it sucked, it blew, etc, etc, etc…..

This has been a crazy time for all of us. Terms like “unprecedented times” became the norm for news stations, hundreds of thousands of people dying to a pandemic level virus, ….a pandemic level virus!…., shut downs and lock downs and quarantines, civil unrest, altered sports leagues, massive economic changes, unemployment and furloughs from the shut downs and just loss of jobs due to the pandemic, all in all,…. yea…. F*CK 2020 and F*CK COVID-19.

This has been a hard time here for me, and for The Beer Thrillers in general as well, as I’m sure its been for a lot of you. Dealt with two lock down / shut downs by the government that closed my work and forced me into unemployment twice. (The latest of which, due to how horrible our unemployment system, I still haven’t received a penny for the three weeks I was unemployed – thankfully I’m back to work now.) A divorce amidst the pandemic and quarantine and lockdown.

But, it hasn’t been all bad (no year is all bad); I did get to do a lot more hiking. I did get to do a little bit more traveling due to now being single and having a lot more extra time, I got to hike lots of new places that I never did before, got to visit 57 (new to me) new breweries. And I got to do a lot more work on the blog and site here. Which has been a great bit of fun. My friend started his streaming and got do do that a lot with him, and we got to do some more podcasts with his podcast group.

(I will have a whole “End of 2020” and recap of the year, as well as a “Looking Forward to 2021” post coming soon, the site migration and things have kind of made things wonky with getting it all moved over and posts published up, due to us hitting our bandwidth wall on the old site and having to migrate, so some things got all garbled up.)

I went to Breski’s Beverage and had to pick up a four pack of this – and knew – I needed to make it the last beer of 2020 and the first beer of 2021. Thankfully it’s a fantastic beer and its not just a “cool name / bad beer” like some of the other cool name, cool can art, cool pop culture reference beers, I’ve had in the past. I also picked up the RBG beer as well as Breski’s.

So my 31st was pretty simple; being by myself, with no places open, and my first New Years Eve / New Years Day off in quite a while – due to the shut down of Pennsylvania. Early in the day I went to Breski’s and picked up the four packs. Despite the rain, I took my dog (Leela) to the Greenbelt walk off of Derry Street, stopped at Boneshire Brew Works for my last pint of 2020 at their location, and then stopped at Rubber Soul Brewery for take-out (pierogies…. *drools like Homer at thought of food*….) and then pretty much just went home, read, wrote, and stayed in my bed. My friend did an overnight stream on his site – Knights of Nostalgia – and I had that up on one screen and tuned in just for the last 2 minutes to a ball dropping ceremony on another screen. All in all – a lame New Years Eve. Which about sums up how 2020 was.

So I also started this post and beer review on December 31st, but with the bandwidth limits, and the problems of the migration, I didn’t get to finish it until January 1st. So this is a “two year project”. Hahahahaha…. oh I crack myself up. It was written and finished on January 1st, but with the bandwidth and everything, and having to re-upload media, I’m not sure when it’ll finally get published, hopefully soon into the new year.

I’m not too great and technically savvy, so this move of nearly 300 blog posts, and several pages, as well as a homepage, users, links, followers, and everything else, was a lot harder than I imagined it would be. I started everything on December 31st, and wanted it all set to go on January 1st, but noooooope….. that didn’t happen. Was really hoping everything would go smoothly into 2021…. but 2020…. said NOPE to that, and I’m thinking 2021 might have a rockier start than we all wanted it to have.

But anyway…. we have beer!

So let’s do it and drink!

Beer Review

F*CK 2020 by Abomination Brewing Company

Beer: F*CK 2020
Brewery: Abomination Brewing Company
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double New England
ABV: 9.1%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: “Fuck 2020” is a slightly amped up 9.1% version of our Fog series, double dry hopped with a blend of two of our most popular variants … Galaxy & Citra.

Abomination Brewing Company has had some amazing beers, and they have done a ton of collaborations with a lot of local Pennsylvania breweries. Rotunda Brewing Company, Tattered Flag, and stuff with multi-collaborations with Pilger Ruh Brewing, Snitz Creek Brewing, Wolf Brewing Co, etc. Untappd lists them as a micro brewery from North Haven, Connecticut. They have 159 unique beers on Untappd with a global average rating of 4.04 out of 140K+ ratings. Their Untappd description simply reads: “Crafting liquid chaos. #beermonster”

Starting off with appearance; this has a beautiful golden orange hue. A gorgeous looking New England IPA appearance, its got a nice dank hazy orange look, its not full of turbid and sediment, but its still dank and hazy looking, and its opaque and not see through. It had a thin white foamy head and great carbonation from the can.

Aroma is a lovely hoppy New England IPA nose. The nose comes through with the galaxy and citra very heavily, you get lots of tropical fruit, citrus, some peach, mango, and wee bits of passionfruit, guava, and grapefruit. It smells juicy, it smells delicious.

Whooo…. this is the way to go out of 2020! With a banger of a good beer and a way to say F*CK YOU 2020 with both middle fingers up like Stone Cold Steve Austin. This was just a delicious all around good beer. A perfect end note to 2020 and a wonderful start note to 2021 (drank one early in the day of 2020, had one right before midnight, and cracked open another one two minutes into the New Years). Galaxy and Citra hops are wonderful hops and work very well together. You get a very heavy dose of citrus, peach, mango, the tropical fruits, and there is so much more hidden and buried underneath that adds to those heavy hitter flavors – like the passionfruit, guava, and grapefruit. There’s a right balance to all of this. The mouth feel feels right on, not oily, slick, not watery or thin, no cloying; just a nice drinking NE IPA. This is is a consistent beer and reason for why the New England IPA style has caught on so much with craft beer drinkers. There’s a bit of hop bite, but its covered in all of the fruity wonderful flavors, there’s no bitter aftertaste, no bad off flavors, and its a really drinkable beer. Even the 9.1% ABV is hidden by how wonderful the flavors are. You don’t taste that ABV, and you don’t even notice it until you’re done. This isn’t a crushable beer where you could drink the whole four pack in one sitting, but you could have two, and be happy and content afterwards, especially with a really good meal to go along with it. This is a great ‘nap inducer’ as I like to call some of the mid-range double IPA area beers (8-9.5/10%), especially with a meal, it just fills the belly and makes you sleepy. This was the perfect way to end out 2020.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Average Untappd Rating: 4.34 (as of 1.1.21).

So this might be the first post of 2021, or it might not be; and it might be the first post on the new The Beer Thrillers page, or it might not be. Who knows with migration, work starting back up, moving domain hosts, moving links, uploading pictures (since the bandwidth put a halt to that), etc. There’s a lot of other posts that are in various states of being done, that also will be published soon too, once again, with the migration and start of the new year, who knows. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Been a little hectic here.

I hope everyone had a wonderful end to 2020. Hopefully despite everything, you still had a great 2020, and lets hope 2021 starts off so much better. Things are looking up. The vaccines are rolling out. Hopefully by the end of 2021 we are back to a level of normalcy. One can only hope. I want to get to some brewfests in 2021!

Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

See some of our latest beer reviews here: