A Day of Tomfrippery

It's rare that I get a weekend all to myself. Brewslut was recently invited to go on an extended "girls' weekend" to the beach with some friends, which left me alone to my own devices. With a few days to myself, I decided to round up Darin and Doug (see The Point of Bro Return for a refresher) and head to the fabled Princeton Record Exchange, an iconic record store in New Jersey. Upon looking at my trusty brewery map, I discovered a plethora of craft breweries both on the way and in the general vicinity of Princeton. I scoped out some familiar - and unfamiliar - names and came up with a short list of places to hit after digging for records for about an hour and a half. Turns out I'd wanted to visit these places for quite some time, and now the opportunity had presented itself.

After mining for plastic for about an hour and a half, it was time to celebrate our hauls with a few cold ones. First on the agenda was a visit to Vault Brewing in nearby Yardley, PA. I'd first come into contact with Vault's beers during my frequent visits to the good ol' Corvette Bar & Grille in my adopted hometown of Annville, PA. Turns out that Travis, one of the Vette's long-time bartenders, is friends with one of the owners of Vault... at least that's how I remember it. So I'd had a few of their beers in recent years and have generally enjoyed them quite a bit. One that comes to mind is the Full City Coffee Stout, which I recall was quite good. At any rate, it was good to finally visit the source after having enjoyed some of their beers for about three years or so.

Outside Vault Brewing Co. (photo courtesy of patch.com)

With the 'Rona still in full force, Vault (like many other small breweries) has adopted a makeshift beer garden area for outside seating. I'd perused the food menu in advance and decided it would serve as a suitable spot for lunch. The beer garden is set up in the adjacent parking lot, complete with a large pop-tent affair... the kind that cost like $1000 to rent for a wedding. The shade was definitely welcome - although I always prefer inside seating with air conditioning - and despite being around 92 degrees outside, it was fairly comfortable at our table.

I started the day off with a pour of a NE-style Pale Ale called Of Hops and Clouds. We joked that it sounded like the name of a prog rock album title. Brewed with a hop combo of Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo, this fruity ale boasts a juicy smack of pineapple and citrus with tropical notes of guava and  mango. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

For lunch, the waffle grilled cheese sandwich sounded too damn good to pass up, so I opted for carb overload... always a good decision when drinking all day! This was essentially a grilled cheese sandwich with homemade waffles standing in for plain old bread. I believe there was also smoked gouda in the mix, but I could be wrong. At any rate, this was bangin' and provided a solid base on which to lay lots of beer.

Speaking of beer, my second beer was one Darin had just had called Chasing Nickels. This NE-style session IPA is hopped with Idaho Gem and Mosaic for bright aromas of sweet citrus, grapefruit, and a hint of pine. I got more of a tropical fruit vibe with a twist of  lemon meringue pie. This was quite enjoyable albeit a tad muted after my initial hoppier beer. I did get inside for a bit to use the restroom, and the place is bigger than I'd anticipated. It kind of reminded me of Iron Hill, with lots of dark, smooth wood and a similar layout. I'd love to visit again when we're able to sit inside. Plus Brewslut needs to get to this place. I imagine we'll be back within the next year. 

Up next on the agenda was Huntindon Valley's Naked Brewing. This brewery has been around for the better part of the last decade, and I'd wanted to visit for quite some time. Naked debuted its beers at the Newtown Beer Fest (I performed there once with herbie) in 2011. After receiving a positive response from attendees, the brewery decided to go full time and was officially licensed on April Fool’s Day 2012. Within just a few months, Naked moved from a tiny garage to its present location. Again, we were forced to sit outside in the heat (thanks, 'Rona!), but like so many other small breweries, Naked had erected a pop-up beer garden and employed a food truck to keep its customers hydrated (or should I say libated?) and nourished. As you can see from the photo below, the beer garden was nothing fancy; a few scattered picnic tables and a covered bar with about eight seats. We grabbed a few seats at the bar as there was only one guy occupying a stool when we arrived. 

Naked's pop-up beer garden (courtesy of Trip Advisor)

After enjoying two IPAs at Vault, I decided to switch things up a bit at Naked. I spotted a beer called Ground Effects on the menu that sounded tasty described as a cream ale brewed with coffee roasted at Calm Waters Coffee Roasters. I'll typically order one of these whenever they appear on a beer list, and I've typically enjoyed these more often than not. This one features a nice balance of vanilla and light coffee with an almost blondie (blonde brownie) vibe going on.  

I decided to stay on the lighter side, and once I saw a beer name referencing Motorhead bass god, Lemmy, the decision was made. Lemmy Czech is a crisp Czech-style Pilsner brewed with the classic German noble hop Saaz for a grassy, citrusy bite in the finish. This was pretty solid overall, though not as super crisp as other examples of the style I've had. Still, it's refreshing to see more lagers being brewed by small breweries these days. I'd drink it again. Plus... Lemmy! \m/ However, I think that any beer named after Lemmy should taste like cigarettes and whiskey. Maybe a smoked beer next time? 

All in all, this was a pleasant first-time visit... even with the heat. The three of us always engage in lots of silly music geek humor (i.e. Tomfrippery, a term taken from our self-penned Prog Rock Dictionary, which includes 40 different entries thus far). Also, I did get to meander inside for a peek while waiting for the bathroom to become vacant. The brewery and adjoining tasting room definitely has a dimly lit warehouse vibe, which is totally fine with me. I tend to like my breweries to straddle the line between utilitarian and one-of-a-kind. I enjoy a space has its own unique character and doesn't employ a generic cookie-cutter design thats typically of a chain restaurant. I'd rather have no-frills than no personality. I'm looking forward to getting back here in the post-Rona world as well. 

In researching breweries for this little jaunt, I was surprised to find that Conshohocken Brewing Company has five different locations. The location in closest proximity to us was situated in Bridgeport, PA, so we set the GPS for Puddlers Kitchen & Tap, one of Conshohocken's satellite tap rooms. With PA liquor laws constantly changing (fortunately for the better), small breweries can now operate multiple tap rooms under a single license, which means other nearby communities can share the wealth while the brewery spreads awareness of its brand. This building is pretty damn cool too. Check it...

Conshohocken's Puddlers site (courtesy of plymouthnbeyond.com)

When we arrived, all of the tables under umbrellas were already reserved, so we had to sweat it out in the sun. We found a partially shaded table, but I'm prone to burst into flames during especially hot summer days, so I made a quick bathroom visit and popped back to the car to grab my own umbrella to provide a bit of shade. Brewslut and I had visited the original Conshohocken site shortly after it opened back in 2014 and were somewhat impressed. We weren't necessarily wowed but we also weren't underwhelmed. At any rate, it had been a while since I had the opportunity to dig in for a second run, so I was glad to be back to see what they'd been up to. I mean, they have five locations, so they must be doing something right, eh?    

Beer Garden at Puddlers site (courtesy of Facebook)

After perusing the beer list, I settled on Type A, a 7% ABV west coast-style IPA hopped with a blend of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe against a backbone of pale and pilsner malts. This one boasts a full hop aroma with flavors of citrus and pine as well as that textbook dry finish that defines the style. It turned out to be a good choice. This one a one-and-done stop for me, as I was driving. 

Not sure what else to do since we had more time, we ultimately decided to end the evening at one of our collective favorites, St. Boniface. One of my regular quarantine libations has been SB's coffee IPA, recently matriculated from the Offering Series to a bona fide beer now named Whiff Roasters. The beer borrows its name from the Lititz, PA-based company that provides the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans for its recipe. Seriously, folks... this beer is bangin'! It may very well be the best coffee IPA I've had in my travels thus far. I simply can't get enough of it. As a matter of fact, we're heading down to check out the newly opened Tied House, SBC's new Lititz, PA taproom. Here's to hoping it's on tap this evening! I'm glad to see them thriving, as they've been one of my favorite central PA breweries since the get-go. 

Well kids, that's all for now. Brewslut and I recently made a weekend jaunt up to Penn's Creek Campground (not too far from our beloved chalet... RIP) to hit some new breweries and a few old favorites. Stay tuned for an account of that weekend, coming soon to The Pour Travelers blog. Until next time...

Pour Travelin' in NY: COVID-19 diaries - Part III

By Pour Travelers standards, Sunday proved to be a pretty leisurely day. We had just three breweries planned for the entire day; this coming from a trio who is able to leap up to ten breweries in a single bound. All kidding aside, it was actually nice to spend a little more time at less places. I'll be the first to admit that I'm usually drawn to quantity over quality. I'm always quick to try and squeeze in as many brewery visits as possible on any given day. But the whole COVID-19 thing had forced us to slow down our pace, kick back, and just enjoy ourselves. Since pretty much all of the breweries we planned to visit on this trip were operating under limited hours, we had to make the best use of our time. So rather than swing by a brewery, have one beer, cross it off the list and move to the next one, we opted to breathe a little bit. 

In hindsight, I'm glad we decided to slow down, because the first stop of the day allowed us to finally cross a much overdue brewery from our bucket list: Ithaca Beer Company. Picture it. The year is 2010. Long before Pizza Boy Brewing Company, we spent a lot of time frequenting the original Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA. One of my absolute favorite things about the place was the abundance of fresh - and when I say fresh, I mean you could almost smell it when you walked in - Flower Power IPA. Somehow by the grace of God, Al would have the freshest Flower Power on tap at all times. I'd  enjoyed the beer since first getting into IPAs a few years prior to discovering Al's, but it was there that my love afair with this beer truly revealed itself. To this day, I still name-check it as a favorite East Coast-style IPA and - believe me - that says a lot coming from this jaded beer drinker. Like the majority of craft beer enthusiasts, IPAs are at the top of my totem pole, and Flower Power has long since secured a notch amid the uppermost heirarchy of my favorite hoppy beers. But don't just take my word for it. Flower Power has been named one of the “25 Most Important American Craft Beers Ever Brewed” by Food & Wine magazine. 

So yeah, you could say I was excited to finally visit the mothership and drink some fresh Flower Power from the source. Prior to our visit, I decided to reach out to the general "contact us" email and introduce myself. Sometimes, the luxury of being employed at a brewery works in my favor; not that I'm trying to obtain any kind of special treatment. I just like to meet people from breweries I admire and, if possible, geek out with them. Turns out the actual owner of the company (although she introduced herself as the wife of the owner, Dan Mitchell), Mari, responded to my email and was happy to meet us to chat and show us around the brewery. I was giddy. 

Waiting to enter Ithaca Beer Co.

The brewery is situated on a lovely farm just on the outskirts of Ithaca between two state parks. Founded in 1998, the brewery remains an independent, family-run business. Ithaca's 50bbl brewhouse produces roughly 20,000 barrels of beer each year, and a smaller 5bbl pilot system allows Ithaca to experiment with small-batch trials and experimental, brewery-only beers. In addition to beer, the on-site taproom restaurant offers farm-fresh produce and a seasonally rotating menu. There's also a fantastic beer garden that creates the atmosphere of sitting among trellises of hop bines, which is where we spent the majority of our time during our visit. 

Even though we arrived about ten minutes prior to opening time, there were about a dozen or so folks waiting to get in. Once they officially opened for business, we took a quick stroll down a little nature path to the beer garden area, where they had a kiosk set up for ordering beer. Having done my homework prior to our arrival, I wanted to make sure that Flower Power was indeed available (it's their flagship year-round beer, so duh!). So you can guess which beer I kicked off our visit with, right? Yes indeed, Flower Power. I was also surprised to see a variation of Flower Power with Citra hops, which Brewslut promptly ordered. While we waited for our beers, I inquired about Mari at the greeter's stand, and in a few moments she appeared and we sat down at one of the beer garden's spacious communal tables. 

The short trail to the beer garden area.

After chatting with Mari for a good half an hour - about everything from the history of the brewery to some hardships both of our breweries have faced during COVID-19, she offered to take us on a stroll through the brewery. Before heading behind the curtin, I grabbed a pour of a 60-shilling Scottish ale called More or Less 60/-. This quaffable ale weighs in at under 3% ABV but boasts a well-rounded flavor profile consisting of caramel candy, raisin, and molasses. You just don't see too many Scottish-style beers on tap these days, so it's nice to change gears every once in a while and go outside the box. Brewslut opted for a pour of a beer called Früt, a Berliner Weisse brewed with cranberry and grape. It was quite tasty, and Brewslut agreed. Anyone who knows her is well aware of her infatuation with this tart German wheat beer style we discovered by accident many moons ago at Philadelphia's now defunct Nodding Head Brewery. RIP.

Enjoying the beer garden at Ithaca Beer Co.

For someone who works at a brewery every day, I still get excited to go behind the scenes and check out other breweries I admire. Of course, it was extra special this time, because not only have I been working remotely from home since mid-March, it was nice to have one of the owners guide us through the brewery. After the private tour, Mari was kind enough to send us home with a mixed case of beers... including a 4-pack of craft ginger beer that I can't wait to use in a mule! It was above and beyond what I'd anticipated. I brought along a few Splinter beers to share with her, and just ended up giving her all of them. All in all, it was a wonderful visit and it felt good to finally cross this one off the bucket list.  

Our view of the beer garden from our little table in the shade.

Actually, we're not done just quite yet. After parting ways with Mari, we decided to grab a small table in a shady spot of the beer garden and enjoy one final round of beers. Keeping things light, I chose Lakeside Lager, a refreshing pilsner with a balanced blend of lightly toasted grain, biscuit, light citrusy hops and a touch of wildflowers. It reminded me that a well-crafted pilsner is never a bad decision. Brewslut opted for another Berliner Weisse, this time Raspberry Soiree (which I would guess is a clever nod to the Prince song, "Raspberry Beret"). We took our time with these two beers and just enjoyed the surroundings. And with that, our much overdue visit to Ithaca had come to an end. However, our day was just getting started. 

Pleeps gets lost in Ithaca's wilderness.

Turns out the area has a few other breweries. I suppose that makes sense. I mean, it IS a pretty big college area. Next on the agenda was Hopshire Farm, a small family-owned farm brewery situated about 10 miles northeast of Ithaca in the village of Freeville (population 523), built on preserving New York's agriculture industry. Craftbeer.com named it "one of 8 farm breweries in the U.S. you must visit." As I mentioned in Part 1 of this blog series, NY state was America's primary hop producer throughout the 19th century. Hops were grown on small family farms in tiny plots. Hopshire is one such farm brewery that hopes to help usher in a revival of NY's hop-growing history and connect customers with ingredients. Not only does Hopshire brew with NY-grown hops, they also use as many local ingredients as possible - everything from cherries and raspberries to honey and maple syrup.

Inside the Shire... Hopshire Farms, that is!

We moseyed on in and opted for a table inside, as it was pretty hot outside again. However, Hopshire does have a spacious beer garden out back. Since Pleeps prefers air conditioning, we decided to stay indoors. Things got off to a good start with my first beer, a blonde coffee stout called Beautiful Buzz. Brewed in collaboration with Oregon's Portland Brewing and Copper Horse Coffee, this beer is lighter than a traditional stout but boasts big, roasty notes thanks to dark roast coffee as well as amber and Maris Otter malts. It doesn't surprise me that this beer was a collab with an Oregon-based brewery, because blonde coffee stouts were all the rage when we visited Portland and the surrounding area back in 2016. It's a style that I simply can't get enough of, and I'll typically order one every time I encounter one on tap. 

Pleeps says, "No Hobbits were harmed during our visit!"

Brewslut opted for Haze in the Hollow, a juicy New England IPA. True to style, this beer is brewed with no hops in the boil, but rather with copious amounts of Citra, Mosaic, Centennial and Galaxy added after the boil and during dry-hopping. This one was quite citrusy with notes of orange and grapefruit. 

Since our beers were solid, we decided to share a pour of a third beer, an IPA called NearVarna. Starting with a malt backbone of pale and caramel malts, this hopped-up IPA features a variety of hops added at five different times during the boil. They also add hops directly to the serving tank, which Hopshire describes as the "laced with hops” process. This was more of traditional IPA with a sweet malt backbone and modest hop bite. I initially thought the name was odd, but when we left the brewery we noticed a road sign for the town of Varna, which was only a few miles away. Then the lightbulb lit up. Ahh, yes to yes! 

After a nice visit to yet another cool little farm brewery, it was back to Ithaca for our final stop of the day. Established in 2016, Liquid State was started by two beer-loving friends looking to throw their hat into the upstate NY beer ring. Focused on creating fresh beers in small batches on a 20-hectoliter system, Liquid State seems to have a penchant for IPAs and sours, although we were greeted by a vast selection of beer when we arrived. 

You're now entering a state of liquid.

Liquid Crush, a hazy, juicy IPA, caught my eye after scanning for an IPA on the beer board. Rife with stone fruit, citrus and tropical notes, I enjoyed this one enough to purchase a 4-pack of cans following our visit. I must also say that I really dig their can artwork, which feature colorful, abstract, mosaic-like illustrations using only two or three dominant colors. You can peruse them at their web site.

I followed up with a black lager called Stache. Light bodied but full-flavored notes of chocolate and a hint of coffee, it was yet another enjoyable Schwarzbier I got to sample during our trip. It's refreshing to see more and more breweries embracing lagers these days. I also really wanted to try a beer called Hula Hoops and Bubbles, so we decided to share a pour as our last beer. This fruited sour is bursting with zesty lime and juicy watermelon notes with a tangy, floral kiss of rose hips. 

I also need to give a quick shout-out to the food at Liquid State, who decided to team up with "chicken slingin' masters" - their words, not mine - of Silo, who provides an on-site food truck that boasts some bangin' fried chicken. Brewslut and I both loved our green coconut curry fried chicken served over purple coconut sticky rice with house-made Asian pickled slaw. It was finger-lickin' good, y'all! After dinner, we grabbed some beer to-go, including the aforementioned Liquid Crush as well as a sour called Fruit Adventure, a tropical sour ale brewed with a mango and pineapple. 

Pleeps loving life at Liquid State.

Since we got back to the hotel earlier than usual, we decided to crack open several beers we'd picked up on the trip thus far. I somehow forgot to grab the bottle of Blackberry Tizzy I'd brought along as something to share, but must have left it in the fridge. So I busted that out, followed by a pounder can of Lime Life from Breaker. Man, that beer just crushes! We followed that up with a can of Liquid Crush, a hazy IPA we'd just tried earlier at Liquid State and enjoyed quite a bit. We capped off the evening by splitting a pounder can of Ommegang's BBA Three Philosophers with Cherries, which we enjoyed much more than the Coffee Blueberry variant we'd had the previous night. The combination of bourbon tang, sweet vanilla, and sweet-tart cherries was delightful, and capped off yet another fine Pour Travelers jaunt.

Well, I hope you enjoyed our exploration of some of south central New York's finest breweries. Thanks for reading! Be safe everyone, and we'll see you again on another installment of The Pour Travelers. Until next time...

Mask on!

Pour Travelin' in NY: COVID-19 diaries - Part II

Saturday started off by calling another audible when we realized that The North, one of our favorite breweries in these parts, was going to be closed for the holiday. The previous week, they'd held a "Sidewalk Saturday" and asked folks to bring their own camping chairs because the city was allowing them to extend service to the sidewalk since their tasting room is so tiny. While I was disappointed we wouldn't be enjoying a few beers there, we regrouped and found a place in nearby Corning that piqued our interest (more on that in a few shakes). 

So I made a few tweaks to our itinerary, and after a quick breakfast at a nearby local eatery, we were off to make an early record store stop, which was on the way to Corning and was scheduled to open for about an hour prior to the first brewery of the day. We arrived a few minutes before 11 a.m., so I waited on the sidewalk in the increasingly warm weather. A young kid also waiting outside helped pass the time with some small talk. After about 15 minutes, the kid left so I decided to walk across the street and join Brewslut at Broad Street Pub, where she was enjoying a beer while I was supposed to have been sifting through some vinyl. When I arrived, she was already a few sips into a delicious beer called Juice Bomb by the NY-based Sloop Brewing Company. I'd heard of them, and after a few swigs of this fine beer, they're now on my radar. No sooner did I take a leak and get situated at the bar when the owner of the record store strolled in across the street and opened for the day... twenty minutes late. Better late than never, I suppose. At any rate, we probably would have just left, but Brewslut was already occupied with a cold one and a book, so I had some time to kill. Lucky for me, I found a really nice copy of the last King Crimson studio album I needed for my collection (Red, in case you're wondering). I also picked up a beautiful new pressing of Pink Floyd's Division Bell album. After about forty minutes of digging - and sweating! - I moseyed back across the street to find Brewslut just about finished with her beer. Perfect timing! And with that, we were off to our first brewery of the day.

Corning's hidden gem: Liquid Shoes Brewing!

As I said earlier, we called an audible once we learned that The North was closed, which lead us to the one and only new-to-us brewery of the day, Liquid Shoes. The name of the brewery struck me as rather peculiar, so I decided to dig deeper. Turns out the brewery is owned by two brothers whose surname is Shoemaker. One handles the brewing side of the operation, while the other attends to the business. The small tasting room opened for business in July 2018 in downtown Corning right on Market Street, and let me tell you, this place was the find of the trip! 

Based on their web site, I was already convinced that I'd made a good decision to visit here... but, then again, you never know. However, I immediately felt comfortable here and knew we'd be in for a treat. Brewslut quickly noticed an abundance of happy gnomes, which populated the entire tasting room. We're both pro-gnome, so that set the mood of our visit. Pleeps was a happy camper, too, and he even made fast friends with one of them. The tap list was small but eclectic, with just six house beers on tap as well as a guest cider. 

Inside Liquid Shoes' tasting room.

I was initially drawn to a beer called Twiggy Things, a chocolate and vanilla pastry stout brewed with roasted malts and milk sugar. This delicious stout was conditioned on cocoa nibs and Madagascar vanilla beans for 10 days to deliver a full-flavored beer with decadent chocolate notes and a hint of vanilla. Meanwhile, Brewslut worked on her pour of Natsu, a slightly hazy summer IPA brewed with a touch of milk sugar and hopped with Citra and Mosaic. While these two beers were exceptional, it was the next two beers that really wowed us beyond our expectations. 

Pleeps getting his first taste of Liquid Shoes!

For round two, we went with a pair of sours we'd been eyeing up since we arrived. The first, Umoja, is a lush sour ale conditioned on a butt-load of blackberries, blueberries and milk sugar. The other, O'Cyrus, is a sour ale is fruited with strawberry, pineapple and dragon fruit. Both of these beers were stellar and among the best of the trip. Umoja featured a blast of sweet-and-tart berry tang with a hint of vanilla and finished smooth thanks to the addition of milk sugar. O'Cyrus might have even been a notch better, with an artfully balanced touch of sweet strawberry amid dank tropical pineapple notes. The addition of dragon fruit, an exotic fruit of the cactus species that looks like a fireball belched up by a red dragon, in the mix lends delicate notes of juicy pear and kiwi. Both of these beers were absolute home runs.

We were also elated to learn that the gnomes populating the brewery were for sale! It's no secret that Pleeps has dozens of brothers and sisters (if you've ever visited our house, then you know what I'm talking about), but after our visit, we had a new member of the family. Meet Great Grandpa Thoughtweaver!

Pleeps with his new friend, Great Grandpa Thoughtweaver.

Liquid Shoes kicked off the day in style, and it reminded me that new breweries can still come out of the gate swinging and keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done with four basic ingredients and a ton of imagination. This place will definitely be in the running for my Top 10 breweries of 2020! 

Since we were driving right past the town of Horseheads (greatest name for a town ever, by the way), we decided to check to see if Horseheads Brewing was open. Turns out they were, and not only that, but they'd just put a fresh keg of their Pumpkin Ale on tap! That was enough incentive for us to swing by for a pint. When we arrived, we discovered that the tasting area had been completely renovated - for the better. I remember the tasting room being very rectangular and starkly white, with small barrels with glass tabletops and little uncomfortable stools scattered about the space. The transformed area felt much more cozy this time around, with woodgrain tones, hightop tables and sturdy stools with backrests, and a bit more color. 

Tap handles at Horseheads.

But back to the beer. Now, the thought of a pumpkin ale - especially in July - might be enough to make most folks bring up their lunch. However, Horseheads brews a truly world-class pumpkin ale. As a matter of fact, it might be only second to Selin's Grove's amazing pumpkin ale. Brewed with all-natural pumpkin and spices, this is everything a pumpkin ale should be. 

Pleeps is pro-pumpkin!

Meanwhile, Brewslut was chillin' with a pour of Tropical IPA, a tasty IPA brewed with blood oranges and orange peel. We had this during our last visit about three years ago and recalled enjoying it quite a bit, and this time was no different. If you like super citrus-forward IPAs, then you'll love this one. Since this was a quick unplanned, one-and-done stop, we finished up our beers and bid farewell to Horseheads. 

Pleeps' mask also doubles as a Shakespeare scarf.

Up the road in the town of Chemung is Diversion Brewing. We'd first visited back in 2017 during our annual Memorial Day Weekend Trail trip and liked what we encountered. Beer aside, the thing that I remembered most about the place was its use of recycled and re-purposed materials, including barn wood, metal siding, and a number of other things to decorate the tasting room. When we arrived, the outside area was brimming with customers, a food truck was up and running, and an acoustic guitar player was about to begin his set. Somehow, we managed to get a nice little table right inside the door of the tasting room. 

Inside the barn-like tasting room at Diversion.

After reviewing the beer list to find a pair of imperial stouts, I decided to go big. Both of my selections were variants of Diversion's imperial stout, which is called Reroute; an apt name, I suppose, for a mammoth, high ABV stout by a brewery named Diversion. After these two monsters, I was hoping we didn't need to reroute our itinerary back to the hotel for a nap!

The first variant, Reroute Coconut, is aged with toasted coconut and a touch of coconut rum to elicit a subtle island flavor. The other, Reroute Bourbon Barrel Maple, is aged in bourbon barrels with maple syrup. Sadly, I couldn't find any "geek" details about this one, like the type of barrel or brand of maple syrup. I always dig when breweries procure materials and ingredients from local purveoyrs, so I'm hoping this was perhaps the case with this beer (at least the maple syrup). Both of these were quite enjoyable. I'm the kind of beer drinker who can enjoy a big stout on a hot July afternoon. Hell, the last time we went to Great Taste of the Midwest, I think 60% of the beers I drank at the festival were barrel-aged imperial stouts... and it was the most sober I've been for the three times I attended the festival!

Afterward, we headed over to the familiar town of Owego for a visit to Farmhouse Brewery. There's always a ton of styles - everything from hoppy and light, to dark, sour, and just plain weird - represented here. We were able to grab a small table in the back of the tasting room, where only a few scattered patrons were hanging out and enjoying some afternoon suds. We've been here quite a few times in the past, so we've had just about everything they brew regularly. The first time we visited, I believe we shared the full flight of like 18 or 20 beers! So we have some favorites here and know which ones to avoid based on our personal preferences. 

This time around, I opted for a beer I'd had previously, while Brewslut tried something new on for size. My beer, a barrel-aged version of The Barb, is a saison made with local rhubarb, aged in a red wine barrel, and then soured. I'd had this before, but something just didn't sit right with me this time around. I was getting a weird, slightly off-putting pickled red beet finish with origins unbeknownst to me. I just couldn't get past it, unfortunately. However, Brewsluts pour of Forelsket, a new beer neither of us had tried before, fared much better. This tasty Berliner Weisse was fermented with 100% Lactobacillus and aged on blackberries, Aronia berries and vannilla beans. It was quite tasty, at least compared to The Barb. 

It turned out to be a one-and-done stop for us, but not because we weren't compelled to try something else. I think we were just too excited to get to the next brewery. 

Perhaps the brewery we were most excited about visiting again was Port Crane's Beer Tree Brew Co. We stumbled upon this place during last year's Memorial Day Weekend Trail excursion and were smitten. 

Port Crane, NY's Beer Tree Brew Co.

I was immediately drawn to a beer called Trippy Tree, and I quickly realized that this particular variation featured a combination of Cherry, Vanilla & Lemon. It sounded delicious on paper, and couldn't wait to have this in my gullet! A mixed fermentation sour NEIPA brewed with oats, white wheat, wheat flakes, barley and milk sugar, it's also hopped with a generous whirlpool addition of Citra, then double dry-hopped with Citra and Michigan Copper, THEN conditioned on sweet cherries, vanilla and lemons. Hot damn! Let me tell you, this might have been the beer of the trip (or at least tied with the two sours at Liquid Shoes). 

Brewslut started with one of the Slightly Fuzzy variations, this one brewed with Blueberry, Mango & Lime . The Slightly Fuzzy series features a variety of mixed fermentation ales conditioned on various fruit, this one obviously being the aforementioned blueberry, mango, and lime. During our last visit, we enjoyed the Strawberry, Rhubarb & Lime variation quite a bit, and even brought home some cans. While this Slightly Fuzzy variant was indeed enjoyable, I was too busy to full appreciate it because I was mesmerized by the Trippy Tree. 

Outside Beer Tree's spacious tasting room.

Since it was our last stop of the day and only a few minutes from our hotel, we decided to end on a high note... high gravity, that is! We followed up our initial beers with a DIPA called Uber Everywhere and a TIPA (yes, that's TRIPLE IPA) by the name of Leave No Trace. The former is a smooth, refreshing NE-style with notes of juicy citrus fruit, peach and apricot as well as a hint of pine. Creamery with moderate bitterness, this one went down all too easy with minimal alcohol presence. After a few of these, you'd most likely find yourself taking an Uber ride home. The latter beer, a behemoth 10.2% monster, features fresh Equanot, Mosaic, Michigan Copper, and Citra hops. Big, bold and delicious, this one didn't disappoint and held its heft at bay... as well as it could, anyway. 

Last time we visited, we enjoyed the on-site taco truck, so it was only natural that we'd relive that part of the experience as well. We each ordered three chicken tacos and split a large plate of seasoned hoestring fries with a delicious chipolte cream dipping sauce. Can you say "hit the spot"? 

I wanted to stay for another round, but they'd already kicked two beers before we got there due to the holiday weekend, so we decided to call it a day and head back to camp. At the hotel, we cracked open another one of our newly procured cans, this time a pounder of Blueberry Coffee Three Philosophers by Ommegang. The blueberry and coffee notes came through a bit, but the Belgian yeast and fruity esters really dominated the flavor of this one. It's pretty tasty overall, but when there's coffee in my beer, I prefer it to be the dominant flavor. After that, it was time to hit the hay and get some shut-eye before our final day in New York. 

Well, that's all for part 2, folks. Stay tuned for part 3, the conclusion of the COVID-19 diaries, which follows us northbound to Ithaca. Until next time...

Pour Travelin' in NY: The COVID-19 diaries - Part I

I'm not gonna lie to you... 2020 was shaping up to be an epic year for the Pour Travelers. By the end of February, we'd already visited 42 new breweries throughout the mid Atlantic region. To put things into perepective, in 2019 we'd only visited a total of 79 breweries that were new to us. Now, that might sound like a big number to novice beer travelers; but to seasoned pros like ourselves, it was a modest number. In 2018, that number was 110, so that became our benchmark to exceed in 2020. After the first two months of the year, we were certainly on the right trajectory, and I was feeling confident that we'd crush that number by the end of 2020.

Then COVID-19 reared its ugly head and life as we knew it came to an ass-grinding halt.

Between mid-March and this past week, Brewslut and I did our part to try and keep our favorite small breweries afloat by picking up beer to-go via curbside service. As the days began to blur into one another, we found ourselves consuming more beer than ever. We'd frequently engage in Zoom chats with long-distance friends, and I even started doing a weekly virtual music trivia. All of this translated to lots of beer consumption in the comfort of our home. At one point, we drove to Selin's Grove four weekends in a row to pick up growlers. During this time, I discovered that Boneshire's Green Machine is probably my favorite PA-brewed IPA available in cans, and that St. Boniface brews one kick-ass Coffee IPA. While we weren't "visiting" these breweries and enjoying a few beers among fellow friends and local patrons, we felt it was our obligation to continue patronizing these places during such trying times. It was our civic duty to down some brewskies.

As our part of the country slowly turned from yellow to green in the past few weeks (Lebanon county, where we live, was crowned the COVID-19 state champions aka the last county to go green), I was happy to see breweries begin opening with limited seating. It was also wonderful to witness so many small breweries adapting to post-COVID life and embracing - I hate this term, but I'm going to use it - the "new normal." Some towns even closed off streets so establishments could offer outside seating to accommodate guests while maintaining social distancing... yet another phrase to enter our lexicon over these last few months.

So here we are, a week into July. Since we'd been forced to abandon our annual Memorial Day trail beer excursion, we decided that it was time to hit the road and enjoy a much-needed, long, beer-soaked holiday weekend. Pleeps was chomping at the bit. Brewslut even crocheted him his very own mask.

Pleeps was born a ramblin' monkey.

After much deliberation, we decided to set up camp in Binghamton, NY, which turned out to be a good idea since it was centrally located among all of the breweries we'd planned to visit. On Thursday afternoon, we were able to skedaddle out of Dodge around 2:45 p.m., which put us at our first stop, Benny Brew Co., approximately 15 minutes after they'd opened for the day. I must admit, this place is crushing it with local NEPA drinkers. The last two times we visited, it was packed. Last year over Memorial Day weekend, we couldn't even get a seat, so we stood and watched the musical act, which was quite entertaining. The beers seem to improve with each visit, and they straddle the line between traditional styles and forward-thinking creations.

This time, we had no trouble getting seated, as we arrived so close to opening time. Immediately, I could tell that they were excited to be back in the swing of things... especially the servers. Our server was so friendly and I could tell she was just so thankful to be back to work.

I kicked off with a pint of Dunkel, a dark lager with notes of chocolate, raisin and a hint of roast. Dunkels sendom miss the mark, and this one was flavorable and easy to drink with a crisp, refreshing lager finish despite its porter-like flavors.

Pleeps has taken flight!

Up next, I opted for a flight of four different single-hop IPAs from Benny's "Bomb" series: Azacca, Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe. Each hazy IPA is brewed exclusively with a single hop variety and milk sugar. While all were enjoyable in their own way, my order of preference was in this order: Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Azacca. The Mosaic wasn't very hazy compared to the others, but it was cool to try these side by side and taste the nuances of each hop variety. Ironically, the one I was most excited about (Azacca) was my least favorite of the lot. Go figure.

While we worked on our beers, we decided to order something to nosh on. We decided on the smoked chicken bites with sassy sauce and blue cheese, which really hit the spot. For "dessert," we shared a pour of Parkway Peanut Butter Porter. I tend to stray from peanut butter beers, but for some reason this one was calling to me. I was happy that this porter boasted more of a roasty finish with only hint of sweetness. Usually it's the other way around. By and large, I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter beers, but this was pretty well done. And with that, we continued our north-bound journey to our next destination.

For our usual Memorial Day Weekend Trail as we call it, we typically head to Breaker Brewing in Wilkes-Barre and eventually end at Sabatini's. This time, however, we opted to swing by the newly opened Breaker Brewing Outpost. Situated north of Scranton in Archbald, PA, this large tasting room is aptly named "Outpost" because it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, there's plenty of parking and space inside to enjoy Breaker's ever-expanding beer selection. Also, our good friend Kristen recently had been appointed as its manager, so it proved to be a good opportunity to catch up with her and get the skinny on Breaker's latest endeavor. Of course, COVID-19 had put a damper on the otherwise successful launch of the location. After several weeks of more or less a packed house, like many small breweries, Breaker had the wind knocked out of them for a while. However, it seems like this new location is on the upswing as people are starting to get used to going out in public again.

View from the bar at Breaker Outpost.

The self-proclaimed "official microbrewery of NEPA's coal region," Breaker has been on the scene since 2005. Over the last 15 years, we've seen them start from humble beginnings and struggling to find their niche, to producing some seriously awesome beers - like Lime Life Key Lime Sour IPA, one of our favorite beers produced in the region. Sadly, it wasn't on tap this time, but there was plenty of other brews to be had.

I started with a pour of Patchtown Chocolate Coconut Porter. A variation on its standard Patchtown Porter, this English style porter features additions of tosted coconut and Dutch cocoa, which gives the beer additional notes of a Mounds candy bar. The coconut and chocolate flavors were pretty well balanced together, and the mouthfeel was nice and smooth without being too viscous or cloying. All in all, it was quite tasty.

I wasn't feeling like an IPA (and Breaker likes to dabble in hazy NE styles), so I opted for a pair of lagers for my next two selections. The first, Lantern, is an amber lager with notes of toasted grains, biscuit, and a touch of caramel. Amber lagers (obviously) fall in between pilsners or helles lagers and schwarzbiers or dark lagers, and I tend to like them on either end of the spectrum more than when they fall in the middle. Still, this was a fairly solid lager, so no complaints here.

Pleeps posin' with a pour of Lantern.

We ended with a shared pour of Santa Fe Pils, described as "a simple Pilsner with a crisp and refreshing lime finish."  I'm always down for a good pilsner, but I must admit that the "lime finish" reeled me in. Brewed with Pilsen malt, flake maize, and generous amounts of Motueka and Hallertau hops, this one straddled the line between classic Euro pils and Mexican lager. The Motueka and Hallertau hops worked nicely together to coak hints of citurs - and the expected lime - in the finish.

Since its food had always been enjoyable, we had planned to eat dinner at Breaker. I must admit I was initially disappointed that the Outpost's menu didn't feature the panini sandwiches we've come to love at the original location. However, this was quickly diminished once we dug into our bowls. Brimming with teriyaki chicken, broccoli and pineapple rice (me) and ahi tuna poke (Brewslut), these bowls were delicious, filling, and a very good value for money. Our bellies were sufficiently placated.

We made sure to grab a few 4-packs of the aforementioned Lime Life, which we were stoked to see was available in the beer cooler when we arrived, as well as a new IPA called GO V2.0 (more on that one in a bit) and a bomber of a barrel-aged stout. However, it was time to hit the rocky road, as we still had to drive a good hour to Binghamton, where we'd set up shop for the next four days. Until next time, Breaker!

Mullz with her main monkey!

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Friday was rife with new brewery visits... five, to be exact. While it wasn't a "double digit" day, it's pretty impressive when you consider that all of these breweries are currently operating with limited hours. First up was pretty much the impetus for the trip: Brewery Ommegang. Yes, it's true. We'd never been to Cooperstown, NY, to visit this regional craft beer staple. Some of the first Belgian-style beers I've had during my formative years are Ommegang staples: Hennepin, Three Philosophers, and Rare VOS all come to mind. Many beer friends have regaled us with tales of road trips to the annual Belgian Comes to Cooperstown festival, which is held at the brewery's sprawling rural grounds. It was a long time coming, and I was estatic to be there once we'd arrived. Pulling into the brewery grounds, we were transported to the picturesque European countryside (even though the sky was a bit overcast).

We made it!

Since Ommegang is currently open from 12 noon to 6 p.m., I decided it was best to arrive at opening time. This proved to be a sound decision, as we were quickly seated upon our arrival. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, there was a line of folks waiting to be seated. While the main tasting room still wasn't open to the public, the brewery store and beer garden were. It was a pleasant day to sit outside, and a cool breeze at a shady table swept over me. I felt amazing to be sitting outside and enjoying a beer at a brewery I'd been wanting to visit for more than a decade. But enough with the sentimental musings. Let's talk about beer!

Brewery Ommegang: a slice of Belgium in New York.

I was hoping to start the day with a pour of Hennepin, Ommegang's world-class saison, but sadly it wasn't on tap amid the dozen or so beers available. So, I switched gears and decided something hoppy was in order. I opted for Nirvana IPA, brewed with seven different hop varietals to deliver an array of piney aromas and juicy flavors. This one displayed a fair amount of bitterness with a long, dry finish. Coincidentally, Untappd reminded me that I'd been drinking this very beer exactly five years ago to the day! I followed that up with a pour of Black Lager, a limited draft release. This proved to be your typical dark lager or Schwarzbier with plenty of roasty flavor, smooth, chocolatey notes and a crisp bite in the finish.

Outside the (closed) Tap House at Ommegang.

We followed up with a pour of Neon Lights, an unfiltered hazy session IPA with lots of citrus and tropical notes. Dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops, followed by a second round of dry-hopping with Topaz and Simcoe, this limited release packed a lot of flavor for a session IPA weighing in at 4.3%. This is a fine beer to enjoy in the outdoors!

While we were here, I had to try the pilsner. Idyll Days Pils, described as an unfiltered Belgian-style lager, is a new year-round beer brewed with floor-malted barley and fermented with a special Belgian yeast strain. Earthy and rustic yet soft and fruity with trademark notes of busciut and honey, this was an insanely drinkable beer.

For our final beer, we went with Homefront IPA , limited release for which I unfortunately could find no details. Sweet and malty with a hint of floral notes and citrus fruit, this one wasn't quite as enjoyable as neither Nirvana nor Neon Lights, but it was a decent old-school East Coast variation on the IPA style... certainly one you don't encounter all too often these days.

I would be remiss without mentioning Ommegang's on-site food truck, which serves up some seriously delicious creations. Brewslut went to scope out the menu, and when she returned to our table, remarked: "I already know what you're going to get!" Yup. Chicken and waffles for the win! But this was no mere ordinary chicken and waffles dish. This was served as a crispy buttermilk chicken breast on an Abbey Ale Liege-style waffle topped with maple bacon bechamel and raspberry jam. Dee-freakin'-licious!

Afterward, we perused items in the mercantile and left with a few 4-packs of pounder cans - limited variants of the tasty Three Philosophers, a blended Belgian Quad and Kriek - as well as a few cork and cage bottles. Even an impromptu thunderstorm while we were leaving couldn't put a damper on this visit. I can't wait to return and really experience this brewery in all its Belgian-esque splendor!

Everybody's got something to hide except...

On the way to Ommegang, we drove right past Cooperstown Brewing and saw they were open. We decided to backtrack a few miles and swing by for a beer. Wen we pulled into the small parking lot, there was a small group of people congregated outside enjoying some beers. Inside, the small tasting room had two separate rooms, both decorated with a baseball theme. (Not surprising, as Cooperstown is pretty much the baseball capital of the world. Most folks - even me - know that the baseball HOF is situated in Cooperstown.) I mentioned to Brewslut that this would be a quick one-and-done stop. We all know the drill by now, as we called countless audibles over the years when we catch wind of a brewery that could turn into a missed opportunity.

We scored seats right behind the dugout!

I decided to go light and ordered an All-American Lager, a crisp, pale straw-colored lager brewed with locally grown Saaz from nearby Hager Hops. Saaz is a fine Noble hop variety, especially for largers, and I enjoy its subtle grassy and citrusy notes in lagers and pilsners. I'm also see that more and more local hop farms are cropping up around the country. Nowadays, everyone immediately thinks of the Pacific Northwest region as the hop capital of the U.S. However, I once read that upstate New York was a hotbed for hop growing back in the pre-Prohibition days of the mid 1800s. A quick Google search revealed I was, in fact, correct. Central NY was the epicenter of hop growing in the U.S. back then. But after prohibition, and later a devastating fungus in the early 20th century, sadly played a huge role in snuffing out the New York hops industry.

Pleeps, the masked monkey!

Meanwhile, Brewslut was dabbling in a pour of Mango Milkshake IPA, a guest tap from Northway Brewing. Cooperstown featured a few of its beers as guest taps as well as a few canned offerings to-go, which initially made me wonder if Northway was either a sister brand or if they did some kind of contract brewing or packaging for Cooperstown. Either way, it seemed like both breweries are friendly allies. Turns out Northway is a neighboring brewery located in Queensbury, just north of Saratoga Springs on the edge of the Adirondack Park. Google to the rescue again! This beer was quite enjoyable and boasted a pleasant tropical fruit flavor with a slightly viscous mouthfeel typical of the milkshake style. I wish I would have had more, but it was time to move on.

Up next was a little place with a curious name: Council Rock. A bit of research revealed the origins of its name, which pays homage to a Native American meeting place that's a landmark of the local Cooperstown community. When we entered the small red building, the aroma of fried fish swept across my olfactory, and I wished I hadn't just eaten (although I have no regrets for scarfing down the chicken and waffles at Ommegang)! 

Outside Council Rock Brewpub. Can you spot Pleeps?

Inside, the place struck me as grandma's kitchen meets tiny family diner frequented by the geriatric populus... except with beer, of course. Speaking of which, the tap selection was rather meager but not lacking variety. I noticed that the brewery's own Leatherstocking Brown Ale - a style to which I typically don't gravitate - won a NY beer competition medal in 2017. So I decided to go with that. It was a fine brown ale, with equal parts sweet caramel and cocoa notes with a touch of coffee in the backend and plenty of nuttiness. Brewslut wasn't too wowed with her selection, however, which was a Pina Colada Gose. I had a few sips, and while I wouldn't say it was flawed in any way, we felt it just didn't have very much "pina colada" character. It drank like a typical gose - tart and salty.

Pleeps trying a Leatherstocking on for size.

For some reason or another, I mentioned Trailer Park Boys in passing to Brewslut, and the bartender overheard me, and I saw his ears perk up. Soon enough, we were talking about the show with him and trading impersonations of our favorite characters Bubbles, Ricky, and even Conky. They were kind enough to give us each a taster glass of the Oatmeal Stout, which was pretty solid albeit a tad thin for the style. It had a nice roasty flavor with a good bit of coffee aroma, though. 

Pleeps likes to climb.

Outside at our next stop, Red Shed, the building reminded us of Coulcil Rock with its red, wooden frame and brewery sign written in a bold, all uppercase block font. Adjacent to the inside tasting room area was a quaint beer garden boasting long strands of lights, a few pop tents and a small exterior stage for entertainment. There were a few tables available inside, so we opted for the AC since it was a bit soupy outside. 

Outside Red Shed Brewing.

Inside, the high sloped ceiling with wooden slats provided the atmosphere of hanging out in a barn, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Upon perusing the beer list, my eyes quickly focused on the Cherry Valley Smoked Porter. Score! I always like to encounter at least one smoked beer when we travel, and this would ultimately serve as the lone smoked beer of the trip. Medium bodied with a warm, smoky cherry wood character, this porter also boasts a roasty underbelly with a touch of chocolate sweetness around the edges for a balanced flavor. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. One of these days, I'm gonna get Brewslut into smoked beers. It might not be soon, but it'll happen. 

Pleeps ain't afraid of no smoke!

After a smoked beer, I always crave something hoppy. Enter Loose Rooster, a juicy DIPA with balanced hop notes of peach and mango and moderate bitterness in the finish. This one was another winner in my book. It incorporated pretty much everything I like in a DIPA: hoppy with a citrusy/fruity backbone and kick of bitterness with minimal alcohol burn, medium carbonation (slightly soft but with a bit of prickle on the tongue), full aroma, and just a touch of haze. Nicely done, Red Shed!

Since we were digging this place, we opted to split a pour of a third beer: Mohawk Pilsner. Featuring subtle notes of honey, nutty biscuit, and a pinch of black pepper, this bright American-style Pilsner features low bitterness and a malt forward flavor profile. Enjoyable as well, bringing Red Shed's tally to 3 for 3. I could have stayed a bit longer as there was plenty of beer to be had, but it was time to fire up the CRV and head to our final brewery of the day. 

Beer Garden at Red Shed.

We ventured just outside of Cooperstown to nearby Oneonta for our last stop of the day. Roots Brewing Company feels like equal parts brewery and art gallery, which makes perfect sense because it was built with the help of local artisans and tradesmen from the community. Colorful local artwork in many shapes and sizes graces the exposed brick walls that frame the tasting room. Founded in 2012 by a pair of beer loving friends - one, a homebrewer and the other, a scientist - Roots sought to bring community into its beers. As a matter of fact, the brewery uses Oneonta-grown hops in ALL of its house beers. That's pretty cool! 

Inside Roots Brewing in Oneonta, NY.

Inside, it was pretty empty so we easily snagged a cozy table and sized up the beer menu. Roots definitely has a penchant for Belgian-style ales, so we opted for a pair of beers with some Belgian flair. I settled on Joy, a French farmhouse ale, while Brewslut opted for Inebriati, a Belgian IPA with local Nugget, Chinook, Cascade, and Fuggle hops from Hilltops Hops in Oneonta. Both beers were solid (if memory serves me... things always get a tad hazy toward the end of the day) and in hindsight, I wish we would have tried the two other house beers that were on tap during our visit. Aside from the four Roots beers, there were several guest taps, which leads me to believe that they employ a very small nano brewhouse. However, we'd had enough, and it was time to head back to the hotel and recover, as we had a full day in store for us the following day. 

But the day's not over quite yet. Back at Hotel, we decided to break into some of the beer we picked up at Breaker the night before, so we split a can of GO V2.0, a hazy IPA brewed with pilsen, white wheat, and malted oats for a silky texture. This one is primarily hopped with Sabro, but also includes just a touch of Eldorado to evoke notes of tangerine, fresh mint, cedar wood, and a hint of shaved coconut. Bedtime now, children! 

See you all on Saturday - the Fourth of July! - for part 2 of 3. Until next time...