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...

The Memorial Day Weekend Trail: 2019 Edition - Part I

You guys know the drill by now. Every year for the last few years, my band herbie plays at a private festival out in the sticks somewhere betwixt the PA/NY border. Brewslut and I always do a loop of some favorite breweries and try to incorporate one or two new destinations as well. (Check all of them out if you're a new follower of our blog and feel so inclined: 2016, 2017 and 2018. The 2016 blog is the one that brought me out of retirement.) This year was no different. Our story begins as it typically does on a Friday evening after work. Ever since we had the ingenious idea of abandoning town on Friday night to avoid the dreaded Memorial Day parade that barrels down Main Street right in front of our house, that's been our MO.

Friday began with a quick detour off the usual I-81 N. trail to hit up a new-to-us brewery in the metropolis of Shickshinny, PA. Yes, that's the name of the town, people. As someone from a town called Shamokin, I can safely assert that this place definitely fits nicely in the description of "podunk Pennsyltucky." To be honest, the only reason I caught wind of this brewery is because my cousin (who lives in the general region of said brewery) got us a gift certificate for the brewery at a charity fundraiser he attended. The brewery in question is Five Mountain. This place is definitely off the beaten path, and at points I feared for my life as we traversed the 10-plus miles of crooked (sometimes gravely) back roads to get to Shickshinny.

Chalkboard at Five Mountain.

The place was kind of what I was expecting: a garage-turned-brewery with a few taps, a small bar, and some random seating. A display featuring mug clubber mugs adorned some of the walls. Other than that, the decor was pretty bare bones. That's not to say that I don't enjoy hanging out in a garage and drinking beer. I've had some memorable experiences in tiny hole-in-the-wall breweries over the last 15 years. One that comes immediately to mind is the original One Guy Brewing, which later became Berwick Brewing. Oh, the memories!

Five Mountain's taps.

While our gift certificate was good for a growler fill, I asked if we could get three different pours, as we wanted to stay for a bit. The bartender was fine with it (as she should have been; our drafts totaled $1 less than a growler fill and she got a better tip). The three beers we tried were as follows:

• Miffle Sipper - NE-style IPA 
• The Preferred Nomenclature - West Coast IPA. Brewslut actually pointed out the name to me, which is a reference to a line from my favorite movie, The Big Lebowski, spoken by Walter when the Dude refers to an Asian American as a "China-man." 
• Downhill in Neutral - vanilla maple porter

Unfortunately, I couldn't really find any information about any of the beers other than their styles. Sadly, all of these beers possessed classic textbook flaws and off-flavors that even the most unrefined palate should be able to detect. I wish I would have taken notes, but I definitely remember Hydrogen Sulfide (which elicits a sulfur-like aroma), diacetyl (classic buttered popcorn), and metallic (harsh, rusty, and blood-like). I hate trashing breweries, so I'll just kindly direct the brewer to this page, which includes 18 common off-flavors found in beer as well as how to detect and avoid them. Cheers!

The always cheerful Pleeps!

Thankfully, Brewslut took one for the team and consumed the lion's share of these three beers. After all, I was driving. 

After a rocky start, it was off to Wilkes-Barre for our third visit to Benny Brewing. When we arrived, there were maybe two available parking spots. This place was absolutely packed inside and out, so you can tell they're doing something right. Since we weren't eating there, we decided not to take up a table (valuable real estate to hungry patrons) and stand for a while. Lucky for us, there was an entertaining musical duo performing on the small elevated stage area during our visit. Turns out the bassist was a member of the legendary local band, Strawberry Jam, who used to play at the Coal Hole in Shamokin back when I was a kid. Every time we come here, the beers improve and there are more people. I guess NEPA-folk finally got on board with craft beer!

While we were there, we tried three beers from Benny's "Single Batch Series." These beers aren't part of its flagship or seasonal lineups and are brewed in smaller batches. First up was ‘Tis Noel Saison, an odd choice for me, especially as we were fast approaching the start of the summer season. This dark saison brewed with vanilla bean was concocted by homebrewer Patrick Granahan, and it took home The Crystal Lederhosen Champions Cup in 2018. I'm not sure if Benny took the recipe and brewed it themselves, or if it was a collaborative effort, or if this was the original homebrew batch. Either way, it was pretty damn tasty and had a nice mix of vanilla sweetness and spiciness courtesy of the yeast.

Benny taps (photo courtesy of Google Images).

Meanwhile, Brewslut was enjoying a pour of Reckless Endeavour, a triple dry-hopped DIPA with milk sugar. She's been hell bent for milk sugar IPAs lately and we both enjoyed this one as well. It boasted moderate viscosity with minimal chalkiness (a byproduct of lactose I sometimes find in lesser milkshake IPAs) and a bold hop profile. Nicely done!

Since we were batting 1000, we decided to go balls out and split a pour of 4 Day Weekend, an Imperial Cherry Stout aged for six months in bourbon barrels. After all, we were on a 4-day weekend. At 10% ABV, this one had some warmth and boozy bourbon presence, but it felt pretty tame thanks to the addition of cherries.

All in all, it was a fantastic visit to Benny and easily my favorite thus far. We enjoyed all of the beers and I was happy to get to soak in some live music for a change (since I'm usually the one on stage). It takes a lot to impress me, but these guys were solid musicians with fun personalities and amusing banter, which I love. I mean, clever microphone banter is an art form in and of itself and can really enhance any musical performance... which is why I love having a microphone when I perform!

Next up, we headed across town to nearby Breaker Brewing. We've been following Breaker since the beginning, which is 2009. Damn, I can't believe they've been around for a DECADE! We first had Breaker's beers at the infamous Elmer Sudds, a cool beer bar in Wilkes-Barre, many moons ago. After several years of trial and error and struggling to find its footing, I think Breaker has finally discovered its niche. These days, they crank out some pretty stellar fruit-infused sour/IPA hybrid beers like Lime Life, one of Brewslut's absolute favorite beers. (Editor's note: she recently visited Wilkes-Barre for a work-related class and made it a point to swing by just to pick up cans of this beer to bring home. She also drank a few while she was visiting.) They also do some pretty tasty milkshake IPAs.

Breaker Brewing Co. (photo courtesy of Google Images).

After checking out the beer list, Brewslut was eyeing up Grapefruit Bash, a NE-style IPA brewed in collaboration with Beer Tree (stay tuned for more on those guys in our next episode). Hopped with Michigan Copper hops from New York, a relatively new variety boasting fruity notes of cherry and fruit punch, and double dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic for additional citrus and tropical fruit goodness, the beer was then rested on gallons and gallons of juiced ruby red grapefruit and vanilla beans. You definitely get a huge smack of grapefruit in this bad boy with a lot of peppery rind and pith. The vanilla softened it a bit but this was fairly bitter. It was pretty solid but didn't live up to the beers we had during our last two visits.

I settled on a pour of an beer called Hey Man Nice Shoes since the beer I wanted had kicked (sorry, I don't remember what it was). Brewed with flaked and malted oats and raw white wheat for a soft mouthfeel, this IPA features Idaho 7 hops with backup of Citra, Warrior, and Azacca. You don't see Warrior too often in beers (though it is a key hop variety found in nugget Nectar). This one is also double dry hopped with Idaho7 and Citra Lupulin powder for notes of grapefruit, pineapple, and mango smoothie.

We typically eat at Breaker Brewing, and we chose not to deviate from the norm. The folks at Breaker serve up some slammin' panini sammies that are always enjoyable, and this time was no different. They change up their menu fairly often, or at least it seems like they do, as we only get up there about twice a year. My usual is The Simpson, a turkey panini with smoked gouda and house-made blackberry jalapeño jam. Can't go wrong with that combo, folks!

We closed out the evening with our requisite visit to Sabatini's, a place I often call the NE branch of Al's of Hampden. Pizza + beer = good, indeed! I was stoked to see a few offerings from New Trail, Billtown's newest craft beer player on the scene. We also had to get a pizza, and nothing quells my hunger pangs more than a chicken pizza. They have two great ones on the menu, but we opted for the Chicken Wing pizza this time, which is basically like wings on a pizza. Yum!

Back to the beer. I really enjoyed a one-off version of Hay Stacks IPA on cask conditioned on mango and peach. And again, we find your friendly neighborhood narrator salivating over the use of peach in a beer. I gotta say, I freakin' love peaches. Perhaps I'll move to the country... you know, so I can eat me a lot of peaches.

The other beer, Strawberry Haze, is a collaboration with Almanac Beer Co. Brewed with wheat and oats and "bluntly hopped with Sabro and a blend of some old favorites," the beer is then fermented atop "bundles of sticky icky strawberries and tangerines" for a blast of berry and citrus goodness. I hadn't heard of Sabro hops before, so I did a bit of Google exploring. Turns out the variety was developed by the Hop Breeding Company and released in 2018. An aroma hop, Sabro is notable for its complex fruity and citrus-forward character including a predominant tangerine note. It also imparts hints of coconut, tropical fruit, and stone fruit aromas, with traces of cedar, mint, and cream. So, lots going on there, right? (If you feel like geeking out a bit, check out this article about the history and lineage of Sabro hops.) While I enjoyed both of these beers quite a bit, I must give the nod to Hay Stacks. Because, you know... peaches.

And with that, the day had come to a close. Still, it was nice to leave a bit early and get to squeeze in a new brewery (even though it was only worth a visit so we could check it off our ever-growing list). Stay tuned for more Pour Travelers hijinx as we head into New York and hit up some old favorites as well as a new-to-us brewery that blew us away. Until next time...

The Memorial Day Weekend Trail

By now, most of our readers are well aware of our Memorial Day weekend drill. To refresh your memory, feel free to check out last year's account (Part I and Part II) as well as 2016's blog (the one that brought me out of retirement...or at least off of a lengthy hiatus), both of which delve into varying degrees of detail about this beer-soaked long holiday weekend.

Since Brewslut and I no longer train at the gym on Fridays (we switched to Thursday so as not to disrupt our weekend travel plans when they manifest), we hit the highway shortly after I got home from work. Aside from enjoying an extra night of beer activities, departing on Friday has the added benefit of being out of town for Annville's annual Memorial Day parade (I heard it's the largest in Pennsylvania), which storms right past our house on Main Street bright and early on Saturday morning. It's not that I have anything against celebrating the sacrifices of our fallen veterans; it's because we are literally land-locked until the parade ends in the late afternoon due to the location of our house.

So, we were off to NEPA, baby! Our first stop of the evening? Benny Brew Co. in Wilkes-Barre. We first visited last year on the very same weekend trip to DetFest and were pleasantly surprised by not only the quality of the beer, but the space itself. Since we enjoyed the outside beer garden last time around, we decided to set up shop in the main tasting room area. I spied two open stools in the corner of the front bar, so we snagged them quickly, as it was pretty packed inside. Looks like business is good for Benny & Co.!

Pleeps is ready!

Upon perusing the beer list, we decided to forego flights and get a pint each and share. It would be a one-and-done stop for us. I settled on the Buck Tree 80, an 8% NE-style IPA brewed with flaked wheat and oats, and hopped with Citra and Simcoe. Now, some hipster brahs might not find this particular "hazy" enough, but I had no complaints.

We really enjoyed out last visit to Breaker Brewing Company back in April, when we had a beer called Lime Life, a freaking delicious sour key lime IPA. Brewslut and I both agreed that it was far and away the best beer they've ever released. We've been following Breaker since the beginning (partly due to its coal region roots) and admittedly their beers have always been hit or miss. Well, it seems like they have things pretty dialed in right now. I heard they recently moved brewing operations away from the kitchen where they also prepare food for the pub customers. This was good thinking, as I'm sure the likelihood of contamination is pretty high under those circumstances.

The beer menu was brimming with interesting-sounding beers that looked amazing on paper. Let's see how some of them translated to the glass. My first selection was a 13-oz. pour of Strawberry Shortcake IPA. The grain bill for this cloudy, pinkish ale included wheat, spelt and flaked oats. Citra and Mosaic hops lent a tangy berry character with some juicy citrus fruit notes. But Breaker went all out with this one, as they conditioned this beer on copious amounts of fresh puréed strawberries, milk sugar, and Mexican vanilla beans. As if that wasn't enough, they double dry-hopped this concoction with Ekuanot. Their flavor notes for this beer had me salivating before I even took a sip: Notes of strawberry sherbet, vanilla custard, canned berry jam, papaya chunks, peach citrus, and candied pine sap. This beer was quite enjoyable, and both Brewslut and I deemed it the best of the bunch we had at Breaker during this particular visit.

Photo session with Pleeps!

Meanwhile, my partner in crime was working on a beer called Pinekiwi, a sharp yet sweet and refreshing sour IPA. First, they brewed with a mix of wheat and Pilsen malt and loads of flaked oats and left to sour for an undetermined amount of time. After souring, Citra and Mosaic hops joined the party. For dry-hopping, they added even more Citra and Mosaic, then dry-hopped one more time with Sorachi Ace to add lemon and soft herbal notes. To top it off, they conditioned the beer atop puréed pineapples, juiced kiwi, and Madagascar vanilla beans. Again, this beer was accompanied by some serious tasting notes: Notes of pineapple lifesavers, kiwi sorbet, lemon zest, dill weed, mango chunks, and vanilla icing. While this one didn't wow us like the Lime Life, it was quite tasty and shows Breaker finding its own niche with this type of beer. I look forward to more of these sour IPAs on return visits!

In case you were wondering what day it was...

For round two, I chose Mule Driver Mango, West Coast-style IPA brewed with mango. Breaker wasn't as verbose with their description or flavor notes for this beer. As a matter of fact, there wasn't really much information on this beer at all. This one was pretty hazy and boasted a strong, sweet tropical fruit aroma with mango at the forefront, making me think they used a ton of mango puree or even blended in mango juice to the beer, perhaps. Either way, it was tasty but a little too sweet and maybe even peppery for me.

Our final beer we got especially for Pleeps. He's always asking about banana beers, which are few and far between. So we got a sampler of the Banana Hazelnut Ale to appease him. Quite simply, this was a brown ale brewed with bananas and hazelnuts. Sounds like it would make a sweet dessert of some sort, but unfortunately bananas really don't lend much flavor or aroma to beer (if any), so what you're left with is a slightly nuttier beer than your typical brown ale. Oh well. It was a cool idea.

Beer aside, we also had an awesome conversation with a beer-loving couple next to us at the bar. We talked in detail about beer traveling specifically, which is always fun to recall past Pour Traveler treks to breweries far and wide. I had one last business card in my wallet, so if you're reading, I hope you enjoy the blog!

As usual, we ended the evening at Sabatini's, NEPA's craft beer mecca. One can always be assured a well-curated and diverse draft selection at this fine establishment. The pizza is legit too! This time, we were meeting two friends - Kristen and Erin - for additional conversation and good times.

Perusing the beer list, I'd forgotten about the recent Pizza Boy collaboration, a stone fruit IPA brewed with plums and apricots called Pizza Party. This is the second Pizza Party collaboration beer from Pizza Boy Brewing Co. and Sabatini's, and it was tasty! I find that plum flavor rarely translates well in beers, but here is was apparent. There was a nice dark fruit note paired with a juicier apricot presence that made for a sweet and tangy combination.

We're having a pizza party!!!

The day before the trip, I checked out the tap list for all of the breweries (as I typically do to get an idea of what I might want to drink), and noticed Adam from Hair of the Dog was on the list! Apparently, this Portland, OR, brewery is back to distributing into PA! Great news to me, because I freakin' love their beers! It had been a while since we enjoyed this beer (or any HotD beers, for that matter), so we decided to splurge on a full pint of this 10% ABV hearty old world ale and share it. For all intents and purposes, it's a barley wine. Or at least a strong ale. Either way, it's awesome! I'm glad to see HotD stuff in PA again after an extremely long hiatus. Finding their Blue Dot DIPA on tap while we're out in California is always a rare treat!

Kristen posing with Pleeps.

For our final beer, I'd been eyeing up an imperial stout (something barrel-aged, I'm sure, but the name of the beer escapes me, unfortunately) but it had recently kicked. Out of luck, I settled for a pour of Atmospheric Black Metal by Separatist Beer Project (aka the brewery formerly known as SOLE). I'd had tried this previously during our brewery field trip to the Martin Guitar Factory a few months ago. (Check out the full blog post.) I love their description for this one: "Atmospheric Black Metal is our really fucking metal’d out Imperial Cocoa Stout, conjured into being using the blackest of malts and conditioned on cocoa nibs harvested from the devils loins." Sounds like my kind of beer!

By the time we'd finished that beer, I knew it was time to hit the happy trail. It was fun to sit outside at Sabatini's for the first time, and with the added company of Kristen and Erin, it was an enjoyable visit. We scarfed down a delicious chicken and banana pepper pizza (my favorite combo), so my belly would be plenty full until the next day.

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For Saturday travels, I put together an itinerary taking us into upstate New York and looping back around to Montrose, PA, where the DetFest festival grounds are located. Our first stop of the day was in the quaint town of Owego, NY, about an hour and twenty-odd minutes from our hotel in Scranton.

We'd been to The Farmhouse Brewery enough even for me to know that its location was just outside of town. The key word in that last sentence, folks, is was. We had to double and triple-check the address of our destination, because our GPS (more fun with Garmin later in the weekend) took us right downtown. Turns out Farmhouse has new digs! Yup, the new tasting room is situated in the heart of downtown Owego, two doors down from the Owego Kitchen, where we'd enjoyed a nice lunch during last year's jaunt.

We parked in a free municipal lot back behind the new location that we hoped was on the other side of the building. We took a shortcut (a narrow alley connecting the lot to Owego's main drag) and - lo and behold! - there she was!

Always tons on tap at the Farmhouse!

It's always a challenge to pick what beer to drink at Farmhouse because they always offer a varied and extensive selection. Customers can opt for a "Taste of the Farmhouse" flight for $25, which includes a 2oz. pour of EVERYTHING on the board (in this case like 19 beers). This time around, we settled on a flight of four beers each, with the caveat that we'd enjoy a full pint of something else afterwards. I love it when a plan comes together. Here's the dilly-o, yo:

• Peachy Keen - Sour peach roggenbier (aka rye beer) brewed exclusively with NY ingredients
• Imperial Post Hole - DIPA with Centennial, Cascade and Chinook hops
• The Barb - Barrel Aged - sour rhubarb saison aged in wine barrels
• Thousand Pound Sow - Belgian quad brewed with two pounds of local maple syrup per gallon

Pleeps has taken flight at the Farmhouse!

I'd have to say that the Imperial Post Hole was my favorite of the lot. It was pretty juicy and well-balanced with a smack of grapefruit and soft mouthfeel. The Peachy Keen, which I was most excited to try, fell a little short of my expectations, unfortunately. The peach was a bit muted, and the spicy character of the rye seemed to dominate. The Quad was solid but maybe just a tad a thin overall for the style. I dug The Barb quite a bit, and the rhubarb seemed to play nicely with the wine barrel notes of dark fruit, oak, and vanilla.

Bathroom break! Had to snap a pic of this clever sign.

Full pour of Blind Alpaca, a straight up classic Porter with plenty of roast and coffee notes. Brewslut wasn't feeling it for some reason, but I thought it was well done. Perhaps the body wasn't quite as robust as I prefer, but the flavor was nice and roasty with equal parts cocoa and coffee.

Pleeps and a Blind Alpaca.

Pleeps was extremely photogenic during this trip, so we were able to snap many extra photos of him in action. Here's another:

Pleeps and O-We-Gose.

Pleeps was already starting to get a little tipsy, and this was only our first stop of the day. Slow down, eh!

Two-fisted Pleeps and his monkey paws!

It was time to move along to our next stop, but first Pleeps needed a quick nap to regain his composure.

Time for a little nap.

The brewery I was most looking forward to re-visiting was The North. Situated in the somewhat run-down village of Endicott, NY, the brewery itself is kind of rough around the edges (as it should be); the beer, however, is anything but. We thoroughly enjoyed our initial visit during the previous year's trip, and we were eager to dig in to the small but constantly rotating tap list. Sadly, we missed a recent IPA and Coffee Stout, both of which sounded amazing.

Down North is where I should be!

This time, the tap list was stout-heavy, featuring three stouts: an American-style, a Milk Stout, and a Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout with lactose. So, three of the available five beers were dark... and we have no problem with that! With that said, we both kicked off our visit with the lone IPA on tap, named Floor Rachel. This easy-drinker was hopped with Citra and Simcoe to provide an abundance of orange and grapefruit notes. This one really hit the spot. The mouthfeel was nice and soft, and the finish was super-clean.

Backdrop behind the bar at The North.

In typical Brewslut fashion, she recognized the bartender immediately as the same woman who slung our beer last year. She also remembered that we had a mutual friend in common, but for the life of us, we couldn't figure it out again. I also noticed an inordinate amount of WWF wrestling action figures strewn about the brewery. Some were posed in the front window and some were dangling from tap handles, while others were piled in a large plastic tub off to the side of the bar area. Someone at The North is a huge wrestling fan. And you could tell he was a legit fan. Sure, he had Hulk Hogan, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, and many A-class wrestlers represented, but he also had some obscure guys like Cowboy Bob Orton and even Kamala... you know, the Ugandan giant! I'm surprised I remember him because I stopped following (i.e. outgrew) professional wrestling by the time of the original Wrestlemania in 1985 (which premiered just days after my 11th birthday).

It's a steel cage grudge match at The North!

OK, let's get back on track. Moving on to more about beer because that's why we're here, right? After our enjoyable IPA, I was in the mood for something different. I'll typically follow up a tasty IPA with a dark beer, preferably a stout. With that said, you'd think I'd go for one of the three stouts available. Nope. Let's do the Japanese lager. Enter Kampai Ichiban, a 3.2% ABV Japanese rice lager. Crisp, light and refreshing, this beer was very saki-esque with hints of white grape, melon and rice. Apparently this is the only "year-round" beer they brew regularly. It's cool to see something a bit unusual as a session beer at a brewery, and this one fits the bill nicely.

Meanwhile, Brewslut was digging into her pour of Orthos, the aforementioned chocolate oatmeal milk stout with lactose. Perhaps her inner mythology geek drew her to this particular beer. Why? In Greek mythology, Orthos is the name of a two headed dog, who is the brother of Cerberus. I was familiar with Cereberus but not Orthos. Hercules killed him, that son of a bitch! Oh well, we killed Orthos too... the pint, that is. That stuff went down so smoothly and wasn't overly sweet. This sucker was lush, rich, and cocoa-rific!

Pleeps chillin' with Orthos.

Based on our initial visit, it seems that the folks at North are prone to opening beers and sharing with customers. Today was no exception. One of our bartenders cracked open a bottle of what turned out to be my favorite beer of the weekend - Barrel Aged Big Bad Leather Daddy. This huge 12% Imperial Stout boasted complex notes of chocolate, tobacco, peat, roast, and a hint of smoke. Thick and chewy, the way it should be! I absolutely loved this beer!

Peek-a-boo! No gimp mask for Pleeps!

Speaking of cracking open beers, one of the guys also cracked open two Equilibrium cans - Mmm...Osa and Tachyon - as well as Trillium Scaled to share. Sweet! More Untappd fodder! That was mighty nice of him! I reciprocated by bringing in four different Troegs cans as a gift, to which I was additionally gifted a bottle of the excellent BA Big Bad Leather Daddy to take home. Schwing!

It was now time to ship off to our next stop, which takes us to Binghamton, NY. We decided to skip Galaxy this time, even though its literally right around the corner from Water Street Brewing Company, our next destination. We were already feeling a little fatigued due to the extra liquid at The North, so we settled on a pair of pints for this one-and-done stop. Beer aside, I also like the owner's taste in music. Looking around the tasting room, I noticed Judas Priest and Iron Maiden artwork, and even a Lemmy action figure! Now that's metal! 

I opted for the Surf and Slam, NE-style IPA. For someone who bitches about this style, I sure do order enough of them, eh? Brewslut ordered Head Smash, a single malt and single hop (S.M.A.S.H.) IPA brewed with Marris Otter malt and Ekuanot hops. Both were enjoyable and helped wash down our killer nachos with queso, black beans and guacamole.  

Now, it was back to Montrose for our final stop before heading over to DetFest. Endless Brewing is a perfect example of the kind of brewery every small town needs. We always encounter friendly patrons each time we visit, and the owners are super-nice! We even got to meet the new brewery dog (although her name escapes me at the moment). It's true, I suck with names. 

Up first was a pour of Hop Session, a 5.5% sessionable beer somewhere between a Pale Ale and an IPA. This one featured caramel malt notes with citrusy hops and a hint of pine. We also shared a short pour of the NEPA IPA, their take on a NE-style IPA. This one wasn't terribly hazy, and it was a bit more malt-forward than I typically like, but it was pretty tasty. Plus... NEPA, baby!

Sticking with the hoppy offerings, up next was a new IPA called Workin' Fool IPA, another variation of an IPA with a similar profile to the Hop Session but with more gusto. We finished up with a shared pour of E.B. Loves Jayne, a crisp hard cider brewed in house. 

There's usually a good flow of people in and out the doors of Endless during our visit, and this time was no different. We chatted with the owners for a while, especially after the crowd thinned out, and it was nice of her to say, "I was wondering when you guys would be stopping by!" Usually, people remember us by Pleeps (as evidenced by the folks at both Farmhouse and The North earlier in the day). So it was nice for the two of us to be remembered for a change (although Pleeps definitely relishes in his fame). I shared some Crimson Pistil cans with them, and they gave us two cans of their recently packaged Hop Session to take home and enjoy. Don't mind if we do! 

The colorful new chalkboard at Endless.

Soon enough, it was time to take off my beer hat and change into my drum hat. Yes indeed, it was off to DetFest for my fifth year in a row to melt some faces with my band herbie. I think I played pretty well considering I was drinking all day. I finished out the night with a few Sunshine Pils cans and, later, Perpetual IPA. Oh yeah, and a shot of Jameson for good measure... because, why not?

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We woke up on Sunday morning somewhere in the vicinity of 9 a.m. The weather was cold and dreary. It rained all morning, making clean-up rather wet and, therefore, messy. We decided to skip Nimble Hill since we would have arrived more than an hour before they opened for the day. So, it was off to North Slope.

But first, sustenance!

We decided to use the address for Endless Brewing since we had no service with our phones, thinking our GPS would take us right past the civilized part of Montrose (you know, where there is actually stores and such). There was a pretty sweet convenience store called Pump N Pantry that had made-to-order food akin to your typical Sheetz or Wawa. However, our GPS went into full-on spaz mode and took us on an ass-backward route with unpaved dirt roads and lots of unnecessary turns. You know, the "scenic route." At one point, I experienced a slightly unnerving Deliverance vibe as we turned onto a narrow dirt road (strike that, a path) and drove by a few - let's call them dwellings - before I decided to turn the car around, opting instead for an actual paved road. The GPS would need to recalculate. Or, more appropriately, re-fuck-ulate, as Ricky would say. I think it took us half an hour to drive five-and-a-half miles when all was said and done. 

So, we finally made it to Pump N Pantry, where we enjoyed breakfast sandwiches, hash browns and coffee. We also enjoyed a quick wash up in the restroom, as we hadn't had the luxury of bathing this morning. 

After some much needed nourishment, it was off to North Slope in the town of Dallas, PA. We'd only been there once, (during our DetFest trek two years prior) so I was curious to see if they made any improvements, as I remember not being wowed by anything save for a dry-hopped Witbier (of all things). When we arrived, I noticed the sign on the door read "Closed." I thought perhaps someone forgot to flip the sign over to read "Open." As we parked, we saw a few women dressed somewhat fancifully (at least compared to my unbathed body donning soiled shorts, a sweaty wife-beater and unkempt hair) walking in with gifts and bottles of wine. I knew something was amiss. As I approached the entrance, I saw a white piece of paper taped to the door. Yes, indeed, they were closed for a private event until 1 p.m. I looked at my watch. It was barely 11:40 a.m. "Fuck this," I thought. "Let's get some tacos." 

Which is exactly what we did.  

Steve from Selin's Grove recommended an awesome taco truck called J Zapata situated in - of all places - Drums! I'd always wanted to visit the town (or as Wikipedia calls it, an "unincorporated community") for obvious reasons. We were familiar with the area, as we'd been to Conyngham Brewing a few times, which was about three miles south just down Rt. 93. Steve promised we'd enjoy "the most authentic Mexican food in PA." But do they have tamales? Answer. You bet yer sweet as they do! 

J Zapata taco truck in Drums, PA. Where else?

As we pulled up, I had to chuckle at the dichotomy of very loud rap music being blasted from a food truck serving authentic Mexican cuisine. There was also a sign that read, "So good, Trump wants to build a wall around it." Zing! We ordered three chicken tamales and three tacos Mexicanos with hot sauce and camped out in the dining area (two lopsided picnic table about 30 paces away from the truck). This shit was legit! I can't imagine ever visiting Conyngham Brewing without stopping here for tacos. Thanks Steve! 

Since we skipped Nimble Hill and were denied access to North Slope (hope you enjoyed your shower, bitches!), we decided on an impromptu visit to Conyngham Brewing, even though we were just there in April when Solar Federation played in nearby Wilkes-Barre at River Street Jazz Cafe. I was glad to see a few new beers peppering the menu. First up? Enigma IPA, a (yes, another) NE-style IPA brewed with hops from Australia and New Zealand. As the name implies, this one predominantly features the Enigma hop. I enjoyed this overall, but there was a faint nutty note in the finish that may have been the result of changing over the beer line to a new beer. This could have been the result of a previous dark beer that didn't get flushed out enough when the IPA went on tap. It was minimal, but perhaps my palate has become extra sensitive since I've been doing this for a while.

Brewslut went with the Peanut Butter Porter, a creamy, nitro-dispensed porter brewed with peanut butter. This was nice and creamy, but I already had my eye on my next beer, which would be a small 5-oz. pour while Brewslut finished up her PBP.

Did someone say peanut butter?

What beer, you ask? How about a Jalapeño Gose aged in Tequila barrels? This light bodied, mildly tart beer features sea salt, limes, and jalapeño peppers, which is then aged in tequila barrels. It seems like Conyngham has the pepper thing dialed in because I've enjoyed all of the jalapeño beers I've had there. Its Jalapeño Lager is a mainstay there, and I recommend it to anyone who stops by, even if you're hesitant about trying a beer with a bit of spicy heat. It's quite balanced and tasty with a pleasant flavor.

Meanwhile, Brewslut had moved on to her final selection, Somewhere on a Beach, a refreshing light bodied summer lager brewed with lemons and limes. Brewslut was digging this one much more than her previous choice. I had a few sips, and it was kind of like alcoholic Sprite, though not as spritzy as its soft drink doppelganger. This beer was appropriately named, though, as you could imagine sipping this refreshing, citrus-forward beer whilst relaxing beachside with your significant other. And with that, it was time to move on.

Since Berwick Brewing was in close proximity, we decided to swing by for a visit. I'll admit that our visits have been infrequent since Guy Hagner parted ways with Berwick many years ago. (Those of you who remember One Guy Brewing will remember Guy. Aaah, those were the days!)

The tasting room was pretty poppin' with peeps when we arrived, but we were able to snag the remaining two seats at the bar. Berwick always boats a full tap list of 20+ house beers, including 4 or 5 lagers at any given time, plus a variety of ales, wheat beers, darks and Belgian-inspired ales. I've always enjoyed the Hondo Keller Pils, an unfiltered Pilsner, but this time I noticed a Zwickel Pils on tap for the first time that I could remember. I was surprised to see this, as I always used the terms Keller and Zwickel interchangeably. Turns out they are slightly different. Zwickelbiers are weaker and not as full-flavored as a Kellerbier. The term "zwickel" refers to a small amount of beer taken from a barrel with the aid of a special siphon called a "Zwickelhahn." Another major difference is that a Zwickelbier is typically bottom-fermented, but a Keller is often top-fermented.

Brewslut opted for a full pint of the Dry Hopped IPA, which she wasn't too thrilled about. After my Zwickel Pils, I tried a half pour of a new beer called Fruhling Ale, a dry-hopped pale ale.

Unfortunately, both of us were less than thrilled with all three, as each featured a noticeable diacetyl finish. If you're not familiar, diacetyl is an off-flavor found in beers that elicits an unwanted buttered popcorn or butterscotch flavor. To delve a bit into brewing geekery, diacetyl is a natural occurring process of fermentation produced by yeast. The good news is, just as yeast produces diacetyl, it will also get rid of it. However, the beer needs to rest on the yeast for a few days after the fermentation process ends. This is a typical (for lack of a better term) "mistake" found in many beers, especially at small nano or microbreweries. I've encountered it many times, and my sensory panel training at my place of employment has only heightened my sensitivity of diacetyl. This is a blessing and a curse. I can deal with a hint of diacetyl. Unfortunately, I've encountered many, what I call "diacetyl bombs", where the diacetyl character completely dominates the beer's flavor. This is no bueno. While these three beers did have some promise, I just couldn't get past the diacetyl, which led to a less than enjoyable experience, unfortunately.

After our visit to Berwick, we headed over to our hometown of Shamokin to visit my mom before heading back to the ol' homestead. Sorry to end on a downer, folks. To remedy that, here's a sweet pic of Pleeps enjoying the day with us...

Stay tuned for our next installment of The Pour Travelers, a quick jaunt to Baltimore to attend a Primus and Mastodon concert with some beer worked in, of course. Until next time...