The Point of Bro Return

It seems 2019 was a pretty good year for concerts. I definitely filled my quota and even crossed one or two acts off the bucket list. Much like our recent trip to the Keswick Theatre to see Dennis DeYoung of Styx, I threw out the idea of going to see Kansas at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading to Darin and Doug, two of my music buds, and we decided to make it a "Dude's Night Out." You may remember Darin from our recent outing to see DDY last month, which concluded with a day of brewery hopping around suburban Philadelphia. I met Doug through Darin when he started attending my monthly rock trivia nights at the Corvette Grille. Not only does Doug have the most ridiculous CD collection I've ever seen in my life (somewhere between six and seven thousand, all meticulously alphabetized and in chronological order), he's also an old-school craft beer fan. As a matter of fact, he was one of the earliest employees of Tröegs back in Harrisburg during its infancy, and his shrine of old Tröegs memorabilia is only rivaled by his music collection. He also has many stories of being on the road with Clair Brothers. So yeah, he's a keeper.

Similar to DDY's presentation of The Grand Illusion album in its entirety, Kansas was celebrating the 40th anniversary of its quadruple platinum-selling magnum opus, Point of Know Return. (And yes, it is actually "know" not "no," which even I didn't realize until decades later despite my brother having this cassette during the formative years of my rock music upbringing.) The album was originally released in 1977, so I suppose the band found it necessary to celebrate the shit out of this album. Since the show was taking place on a Friday night, I got the notion in my skull to get an early start and - what else? - visit a few local breweries.

Our first stop of the day was Schaylor Brewing Company situated in Shillington, PA, a few miles off the turnpike exit for Reading. I'd first visited Schaylor during our Team D(r)INK reunion tour about a year ago and thought it had promise. Shillington is the back yard of our stomping grounds dating back to the mid-late 1990s. Brewslut's first teaching gig was actually at the Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington.

Outside Schaylor. Photo taken from our original blog post.

While the tasting room is pretty spacious, the brewhouse is tiny. Surprisingly, they had about fifteen beers on tap running the gamut of hazy IPAs and sours to more traditional styles like pale ales and a Kolsch. They also like using fruit. Many of the beers listed on the menu had some kind of fruit. I opted for three of them (four if you consider pumpkins fruit) and was quite pleased with everything. Looking back to that initial visit, I also remember enjoying my flight, which consisted entirely of IPAs. So I was happy to see this little place keeping up to snuff.

As for my flight, it consisted of the following beers:

• Aim for the Bushes - IPA with pink guava and tangerine. While I love the name, it was perhaps my least favorite of the lot. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable; I just preferred the other three. The blend of guava and tangerine produced a grapefruit pith kind of flavor. 
• Plumus Rubus Hibiscus - Sour ale with blackberry, plum, hibiscus, and honey. Nice blend of flavors overall with a dominant earthy berry and dark fruit character. 
• Functional Prototype - Sour ale with cherry and vanilla. This was my favorite of the four beers in the flight. The vanilla counterbalanced the tart cherry flavor with a hint of soft sweetness, giving this otherwise thin-bodied ale a lush finish. 
• Basic Witch - Ale with pumpkin, graham cracker, gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla bean, pumpkin pie spice and lactose. That's a lot of ingredients! The lactose didn't come through as much as I'd anticipated, but the beer was nicely balanced overall despite the hefty spice bill and adjuncts. Otherwise, no complaints here. 

Luckily, I planned ahead and made sure we had somewhere to eat. Schaylor has a very reasonably priced menu including various flatbreads, salads, and sandwiches, as well as signature items like stuffed pretzels - I got the buffalo chicken version and it was bangin'! - and build your own mac & cheese featuring twenty-odd "toppings." Overall, a great way to kick off the evening.

As we were about to park the car before our next stop, I noticed a sign on the corner for Vertigo Music. I'd been there several times, but the store actually originated in nearby West Lawn, which was one town over from Sinking Spring, where we lived between 1997 and 2000. Since the three of us are all avid music collectors (Darin and especially Doug have vast collections of CDs), I'll always jump at the chance to dip into a music store for a quick dig through a few rows of records. I picked up a couple of things and spent less than $30, which is good for me. I'm really glad to see this place is still in business after 22 years!

More or less across the street from Vertigo is a new-to-me brewery called Broken Chair Brewery. I was surprised to learn that this place had celebrated its 2nd anniversary recently, which prompted my comment to the bartender: "I must be slacking in my old age." Had this been 10 years ago, I would've been there opening week. There are simply too many new breweries to keep up with these days. But, as always, better late than never, right?

Tap Handles at Broken Chair.

We immediately noticed framed original pressings of classic records by the likes of The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, and others decorating the exposed brick walls of the place. Bonus points! Any time a brewery marries beer with music - unless it's, like, The Eagles or some bullshit like that - I appreciate a little more.

Since I was driving, I decided one 12-ounce pour at each brewery was the responsible thing to do. I glossed over the lengthy computer screen beer menu and after a bit of debate, settled on Beach Bomb, a milkshake IPA with toasted coconut and fresh pineapple. The aroma was pretty juicy and tropical, reminding me of a piña colada cocktail. Coconut dominated the flavor with a hint of fruit in the mix. There was also just the faintest burnt flavor, which might have been a byproduct of the toasted coconut. Still, it was enjoyable and went down pretty easily despite not really possessing any qualities of a "milkshake" IPA.

Darin got a pour of a habanero IPA called Hot Pants and said it was the hottest beer he's ever had. We joked about flaming anal cavities and all that fun stuff you tend to discuss during a "Dude's Night Out." (Stay tuned for more funny "ass" stories coming shortly.) Doug enjoyed a pour of Beerhemian Trappsody (I see what you did there, Broken Chair!), a Belgian-style Tripel. 

Overall, this is a cool little unpretentious place with a music-centric vibe and solid beers. I'm glad to see the Reading area adding more decent drinking establishments over the last few years. I remember a time when Canal Street and the Northeast Taproom were two of the only options for good beer in the area.

Outside Chatty Monks. Photo courtesy of Beer Busters Podcast.

About a block away (on the same side of the street, even) is Chatty Monks. I'd been there twice in the past, but it had been some time since our last visit. Also, I'd never featured the brewery in any edition of The Pour Travelers, so I figured we'd swing by for a quick one if time permitted. When we arrived, the downstairs area was pretty packed. We ordered our beers at the bar, had a fun conversation with a woman about the human rectum and Brussels sprouts, and eventually meandered upstairs to sit at the bar. Actually, I didn't even know there was an upstairs area at Chatty Monks. It served as a good final place to relax - and also drop my pre-show "D" - before heading to the venue.

But enough stuff about asses.

Upon perusing the chalkboard, I eventually landed on the evocatively named Drunken English Football Hooligans. That pretty much sums up European soccer fans in one convenient phrase, doesn't it? This variation takes the base beer, Berks English Ale, and ages it in Hidden Still bourbon barrels for more than a year. Despite having a hefty bourbon nose and flavor, this sucker is less than 6% ABV. It drank like a classic English bitter with caramel and toffee notes, but finished with a warming bourbon note. No heat, just flavor. It was pretty enjoyable overall.

After finishing up at Chatty Monks, it was time to head over to the venue for two hours of fine American progressive rock courtesy of Kansas. While there are only two original members left - guitarist Rich Williams and drummer Phil Ehart - the band was incredible tight, the set list was fantastic, and the sound quality of the venue was top-notch. It was a very enjoyable show to say the least!

...and if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know.

After the show - and a few altercations with one-way streets, we made our way to the Ugly Oyster, a classic Irish pub-style corner bar that's been a hallmark of downtown Reading since opening on St. Patrick's Day in 2000. Actually, the history of this drinking establishment can be traced all the way back to the 1700s. As a matter of fact, the building is the oldest pub operating in Berks County. It's a great spot for a post-show beer, as it's only about three blocks away from the venue. The last time I went to a show in Reading, it was Kansas at the same venue, and we did in fact stop at the Ugly Oyster afterward.

The kitchen was about to close and I was hungry, so without examining the menu too closely, I ordered a large plate of fries, which turned out to be small than I had anticipated. I washed 'em down with a pint of A Tiny Beautiful Something, a solid pale ale from Maine Brewing Company, which I was surprised to see on tap. Darin picked up the tab, but I must say that $8 was a little dicey for a 5.5% ABV pale ale. A group of concert-goers came in after us, hungry and wanting some grub. I told them the kitchen was closed, and one of them bummed a fry off me. They reciprocated by passing around some Tootsie Pops, which I enjoyed on the ride home.

It was great to get some guy time in with these two music and beer lovers, and we plan to do it again next February when Blue Oyster Cult rolls into Lancaster for a show at American Music Theatre.

Your brothers, they echo the words
"How far to the point of bro return?"
"Well, how long?"

Next February, I reckon. Until next time...

The best of times are when we're all drinking brew

I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a fan of Styx. As a matter of fact, I love 'em... especially their original singer, Dennis DeYoung. One of the earliest memories of rock music I can recall is when I'd sneak into my brother's bedroom, switch on his awesome stereo, and listen to Paradise Theatre with headphones. Many people might say that DeYoung tainted the band's hard rock cred with songs like "Babe" and "Mr. Roboto".  You know what I say to that? They can eat a bowl of dicks. And not a mere soup bowl, but an entire tureen. Scratch that. A cauldron. They can devour a cauldron of huge, girthy, veiny, sweaty dicks. One of the many items on my personal bucket list was to witness DeYoung (DDY as he will be called hereafter) belt out the aforementioned hit from Styx's 1983 magnum opus, Kilroy Was Here. Well folks, I can finally scratch that one off my long list, which also includes visiting the pyramids in Egypt and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. For you see, we recently traveled to nearby Glenside, PA, to the Keswick Theatre to experience the legendary singer in concert. But more on the greatness of DDY in a bit.

We met our friends Darin and Jeni at the homestead on Friday, October 18 to head down to the show. I coerced them into getting a hotel after the show and hitting several breweries on Saturday, all of which were new to Brewslut and I... and, of course, Pleeps. They both appreciate good beer, so that worked in our favor. Even better was the fact that Jeni offered to pilot the caravan since the rest of us liked to drink beer more than her. This was our first overnight excursion with our newish friends, so taking one for the team was certainly appreciated on our end. Of course, I had planned an itinerary in advance, which included a stop for dinner before the show, followed by an overnight stay at a nearby hotel and five local breweries on Saturday.

The last time we attended a show at the Keswick, we decided to forgo our usual visit to Union Jack's and check out the Neshaminy Creek Borough Brewhouse. We enjoyed our visit quite a bit. The beer was solid, the food was legit and the atmosphere was chill. So, I decided a revisit was in order.

I must begin by saying that I'm pretty sick of hazy IPAs. While there are some amazing ones, the vast majority of them are garbage. As a result of getting burned so many times with sub par beers, I've been on a lager kick lately. There's something elegant about four simple stark raving nude ingredients. You can't hide behind anything with a lager. Thankfully, some of the best American craft lagers are made right here in little ol' PA. I'm lucky enough to work for a brewery that makes a world class Pilsner. So, I was ready for a lager-heavy weekend. I dove right in when we arrived at Neshaminy Creek. We grabbed four seats at the bar and perused the menu.

Pleeps is ready for the weekend!

First up was Lamp Lady Lager, and unfiltered German-style Helles brewed with Pilsner and Munich malts. This beer boasts a pleasant cereal grain character with hints of baked bread, raw honey and a subtle herbaceous bite courtesy of Tettnanger hops. This was a good start to the weekend.

Up next was Churchville Lager, one of Neshaminy Creek's year-round offerings. As I already mentioned, Pennsylvania is known for its exceptional lagers, and this one happened to take home a gold medal at the 2013 Great American Beer Fest in the Vienna-style category. Crisp, clean and malty, this one features notes of toasted bread and plenty of caramel sweetness. It was very good, although I almost always prefer a Helles or Pilsner over a Vienna.

Food-wise, I was pleased to see a vegetarian sandwich in the "specials" menu during our visit: an eggplant meatball grinder. I've been endeavoring to be a full-on vegetarian for many years, and I'm making progress. I've recently cut out turkey, so I'm only eating chicken and fish at the moment, although I'll almost always opt for a vegetarian or vegan dish when given the option.

We were cutting it pretty close, so we finished up, quickly paid our tab and headed to the venue.

Who the fuck is that other guy?!

I won't bore you with the details of the show (after all, we're a beer blog), but I will say that I've never seen someone of DDY's age - the geezer is 72! - belt out the tunes like he was still in his twenties. Everything was spot-on, the band was fantastic, and the set list was enjoyable (first set included The Grand Illusion album in its entirety, while the second set was heavy with hits from the entire Styx catalog... the majority written by DDY)! After the show, we retired to our nearby hotel for a few more beers before hitting the sack to rest up for a long day of brewery hopping on Saturday.

When I was putting together the day's itinerary, I was pleased to find not one but two small local breweries that also roasted their own coffee. To paraphrase Ricky, "it's like getting two birds stoned at once." First on the agenda was Track 3, a microbrewery and coffee house located in Dresher, PA. The place itself is situated in the Dreshertown Plaze shopping center and reminded me of so many small breweries we'd visited on past trips to California. My initial reaction to the name "Track 3" led me back to a favorite episode of Freaks & Geeks, where Daniel Desario cheats on a test and gets caught, which prompts a seemingly sincere monologue where he admits to being a "track 3" student (you know... where they place the dumb kids). However, I was pleased to learn that the name in fact refers to songs that appear as the "third tracks" on classic albums. As I studied the beer board, I quickly realized I could have figured it out on my own.

Beer AND coffee? Yes please!

Case in point, my first beer (actually a beer cocktail) was Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, the psychedelic tour de force from the Beatles' 1967 Sgt. Pepper album. This tasty concoction features cold brew coffee, one of its stouts, and a touch of maple syrup. It's supposed to be made with a porter, but the bartender insisted it was better with the stout. Not gonna argue there. It was indeed delicious.

Brewslut was eyeing up something called Tart Cherry Upper DUBerLINer Weisse. The reference to this one was lost on me. Apparently, the name of this beer is play on Track 3's home location, Upper Dublin. Slightly tart and low in alcohol, this Berliner Weisse style beer features Michigan-grown Montmorency from Traverse Bay Farms to provide a hint of tart cherry pie filling.

Inside Track 3.

Darin was digging Shake Your Rump, which was listed as a Blood Orange Creamsicle Milkshake IPA. I knew this one was a Beastie Boys song, but it appears as track 3 on the trio's Anthology: The Sounds of Science album. (That's kind of cheating, if you ask me.) Blood oranges, vanilla, and a hint of lactose plays nicely with the beer's citrusy hop bill to elicit a sweet, orangey creamsicle flavor.

I couldn't leave without trying a double dry-hopped beer named Fearless after the fantastic third track from Pink Floyd's seminal 1971 album, Meddle. The beer is actually inspired by another Pink Floyd referenced beer, Set The Controls. The difference is copious amounts of El Dorado, Citra, and Mosaic hops for a balanced but juicy and tropical melody.

All in all, this was a great way to begin the day. Plus we didn't feel weird starting our day of drinking well before noon. Who am I kidding? When do I ever feel bad about drinking? (That's a rhetorical question, kids.)

Up next was Tannery Run, situated in nearby Ambler, just a hop, skip and jump away from Track 3. When I was doing some recon on all the local breweries in the area, I noticed a lot of beers from Tannery Run referred to as "SPLATCH". While it sounded an awful lot like "Scratch" (our limited small-batch beer series here at Tröegs), I didn't really think much about it. Turns out it refers to a  brewing process in which two beers are brewed from the same initial grain bill.

OK, I get it now! SPLATCH = Split Batch. Way to go, brain. High five!

Essentially, Tannery Run takes the same grains and steeps them in the Mash Tun to create the wort, which is then transferred into two different boil kettles. It's there where they begin to become different beers. By utilizing different hops, adjunct ingredients, and yeast strains, you're not simply getting a slight variation on a beer. For example, they may brew a German Pilsner and a Belgian Tripel using the same initial grain bill, but the finished beers will be vastly different. Pretty cool concept, eh?

Although we'd partaken in the free hotel breakfast, by now we were in need of a snack. Upon perusing the menu, the "Chili Con Carly" jumped out at me. Made with three types of beans, fall squash, kale, and plant-based protein, this vegan delight is topped with pickled jalapeños, spiced tortilla strips, and cilantro. This was fantastic and really hit the spot. Plus it's vegan.

Beer-wise, I was still in lager mode, so I decided to try Wild Horses, an imperial pilsner. (I say "imperial" because although listed as a German Pilsner on the beer menu, this sucker is 7% ABV, which is well beyond the pilsner ABV threshold.) I really enjoyed this one a lot. The prominent herbal and floral hop bite is tempered by a sweet graham cracker malt flavor. It finished with just a hint of alcohol twang and lemon zest. I wish I would have ordered a full pour instead of a half.

Wild Horses couldn't drag Pleeps away.

In keeping with the lager theme, I also decided to try Sozin's Comet , a Festbier aka Oktoberfest or Marzen. Malty and Clean, this deep copper lager blends Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna malts to create a toasted graham-cracker and sweet caramel flavor with a touch of herbal hops in the back-end for balance. Perhaps a little too toasty and sweet for me, I'll say it was pretty tasty overall although I definitely preferred Wild Horses.

Inside Tannery Run.

Our third brewery of the day (and third brewery beginning with the letter "T") was Ten7. It was yet another name about which I had to inquire. I've heard of 10-4, which essentially translates to "understood" in CB radio or walkie-talkie lingo. But what about Ten7? Turns out it's the police code of "off duty." Thus, when a cop is Ten7, he can have a beer. I dig.

No Ten7 for The Pour Travelers. We're always on duty.

Despite not being privy to the greatness of DDY, the staff here were really friendly and talkative. Turns out we were talkative too, as we tend to be after already hitting up two breweries with the added convenience of not having to drive. This time, we opted for sample flights. While we're taking numeric codes, here's the 411 on my flight:

• Curling Irons & Elbows - IPA hopped with Azacca, Ella, El Dorado and Denali.
• Jambrosia - mango/strawberry - kettle sour with lots of fruit
• Jambrosia - pomegranate/coconut - kettle sour with lots of fruit
• Pigeon Milkiatto - Collaboration with Abomination Brewing. IPA with cinnamon and coffee balanced by lactose and vanilla in a creamy milkshake base. Think Chai tea and coffee with full-on heavy cream.

First off, the presentation of the flight was pretty cool. They use cupcake tins for the sampler glasses and give you a few handfuls of mini pretzels in the empty cups. I always appreciate some crispy carbohydrates between beers. A small magnetic sign attached to the tin and displays the beers in the flight. I must say that Pleeps was digging this unique photo opportunity. 

Cups and cakes... Pleeps is so full his tummy aches!

Overall, I was definitely more into the two Jambrosia beers over the IPAs, especially the pomegranate and coconut variation. The Pigeon Milkiatto was interesting but still pretty tasty, and it gets extra points for creativity. But the consensus was Jambrosia > all others.

By now, I was fast approaching 10-51 (police code for "subject is drunk"). OK, I wasn't necessarily drunk but was perhaps a bit more tipsy that I normally would have been since we had a DD in tow (thanks again, Jeni).

See ya, Ten7. Duty calls.

Following our enjoyable visit to Ten7, it was time to start working our way back homeward. This led us to King of Prussia for a stop at Workhorse. My initial reaction to this brewery was surprise, in that I was pretty blown away by not only the size of the tasting room, but also the size of the brewery itself. I hadn't even heard of Workhorse prior to this little weekend excursion. The tasting room itself is expansive with a large U-shaped bar in the middle and a variety of seating throughout including communal tables. There's even a shuffleboard. Overall, there's a nice balance of classic and modern, with plenty of colorful signage everywhere you look.

Inside Workhorse.

In keeping with my lager theme, I opted for a pour of the not-too-cleverly-named Helles. A traditional golden lager with origins in Munich, Germany, this example is brewed exclusively with German malt and hops to keep things traditional. The flavor is malty with subtle notes of lightly toasted bread and baked biscuits with a touch of spicy hops. Crisp and easy-drinking, just the way a Helles should be.

Since the Helles was solid, I decided to follow up with a short pour of Sour IPA, a tart IPA with hints of green apple and citrus. I've been digging sour IPAs lately as a general alternative for hazy, NE-style IPAs. Most breweries these days have at least one sour or wild IPA. This one was decent enough, but I wish I would have stuck with my trusty lagers, as I hadn't really been disappointed with one yet on the trip.

The brewery and adjoining tasting room are pretty expansive - 70,000 sq. ft. to be exact - and you can take a pretty bitchin' virtual tour of the entire. It's actually cooler than I was anticipating! The brewhouse itself was also larger than expected. At 30bbl, they can crank out lots of beer. While the place immediately struck me as a production facility, it turns out they only self-distribute throughout PA. Seems like they have a lot of room for growth. Their branding seems pretty on-point for a start-up brewery, too. They've only been open for about a year or so.

Workhorse's 30bbl brewhouse at its KOP facility.

After Workhorse, we set the controls for another brewery/coffee roaster, Stolen Sun. I'm not gonna lie to you... I could get used to having more of these brewery/coffeehouse combos around. Like Track 3, this place was pretty small and seemed to have a music theme, this time more of a Grateful Dead vibe. Dancing bears were replaced with dancing hop cones, and skeletons were abundant as well.

It seems like we were all craving coffee when we arrived, and three of the four of us ordered pick-me-ups. I must admit that the coffee - slow-drip and handcrafted from start to finish - was delicious. After finishing our roasty liquids, it was time to move on to beer.

Now, onto the beer. I kicked off with a beer called Sour Baby, a kettle-soured version of Baby Juices (more on that beer in a few shakes). Described as "crushable hazy-juicy-sour," this 4.9% ABV sour IPA is hopped with a combination of Citra, Mosaic, Lemon Drop, Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon to produce flavors of mandarin orange, honeydew, guava, and mango.

Interior of Stolen Sun.

I decided to move onto the original Baby Juices next. This one replaces the Huell Melon hops with Hallertau Callista but remains sessionable and light yet fruity. Ultimately, the beers here were pretty middle-of-the-road and overshadowed by the coffee.

We decided we had a bit more in us, so we pointed the airship toward Ephrata and set a course for one of our favorite breweries, St. Boniface. Darin and Jeni are regulars there in the way that Brewslut and I are regulars at Selin's Grove. We each visit often even though we aren't "townies." Although SGB is considerably further for us than SB is for them.

I liken a visit to Saint Boniface to swinging by Pizza Boy: I love the brewery even though we only get there sporadically. I've been a big fan of St. Boniface since the beginning, and have always felt they are criminally underrated as a PA brewery. They aren't doing a lot of trendy beers, but just about everything is solid, and they have several outstanding beers. I'd place their Berliner Weisse as one of my Top 5 in the country (that I've had, anyway). They just make great beer across the board. I also love the LSD Lizard beers they've been cranking out for the last year or so. (If you're in the dark about the reference, just search "LSD Lizard" on YouTube... you won't regret it.)

I was excited to see something new on tap this time: Offering #44 - Capo on Four. This Marzen style lager, or Oktoberfest, or Festbier, or whatever you're personal preference is. The name of the beer is a reference to bluegrass, which makes sense because its recipe comes from brewer Jeff Campbell, who performs in a bluegrass band called Colebrook Road. This was a pretty solid interpretation of the style, but by this time I began craving hops and St. Boniface makes one of my favorite easy-drinking pale ales with enough hop character to satisfy.

Enter Paideia. I've enjoyed this beer on many occasions, and it never disappoints. The name of the beer itself comes from a Greek word meaning "education" or "learning" and refers to the development of a perfectly well-rounded citizen through mastery of a variety of scholastic subjects. It uses Citra hops exclusively and a blend of malts to create a bright citrusy flavor and aroma with minimal bitterness. It was a great way to end our little overnight excursion and paired well with our pizzas. I opted once again for my favorite, the BBQ chicken, while Brewslut went with The Shire, a tasty white pizza overloaded with a variety of fancy mushrooms.

And with that, another chapter of our ongoing Pour Travelers companion comes to an end. I find it only fitting to finish with a quote by DDY:

"Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime
We'll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we'll find
These are the best of times"

True dat, DDY. True dat!

Thanks for reading, kids! Be safe out there and don't forget to crank some Styx! Tune in again next time for our recap of Drinksgiving 2019 with our old drinkin' pals, D&C. Until next time...