Team D(r)INK Reunion Tour

Readers of the Pour Travelers are likely privy to the escapades of Team D(r)INK, our bona fide "drinking team." The term was coined by me (with a slight tweak provided by Brewslut) around nine years ago during a trip to Philadelphia. As the story goes, Brewslut and I were traveling by Amtrak with Dan and Kristen (D&K) to meet Deuane and Carolyn (D&C), Heath and Kim (H&K), and Scott and Vicki (S&V) for a beer-soaked romp around the City of Brotherly Suds. While en route to Dock Street Brewing Company by foot, we were asked by two small African-American children, "Are you all on some sort of team?" I replied, "Yes! A drinking team." Perplexed, the children carried on with their activities, and we went our merry way.

When we arrived at Dock Street, everyone got a kick out of the story, and Team D(r)INK was born. The term DINK stands for "Double Income, No Kids," and Brewslut suggested adding the parenthetical (r) into the mix to bring the two together. While Scott technically wasn't a DINK (he has three lovely daughters), he and Vicki didn't have children together, so they became honorary members. Over the years, Team D(r)INK has grown to include several other members (some of which are single, some of which have children), but the original group consisted of these four couples. And when a photograph of that original trip came up in Brewslut's Facebook "Memories," she re-posted it to her feed and suggested a reunion with the original group. Unfortunately, D&K would be visiting San Diego for its beer week festivities, and Heath was unable to attend, but the rest of us found a mutually agreeable date and scrawled it on our collective calendars. 

It was on. We're getting the band back together. Team D(r)INK reunion tour 2018!

The original Team D(r)INK circa 2009.

The first order of business was to meet up with D&C at a new brewery in Shillington prior to meeting the rest of the group at Hidden River at 2 p.m. Since it was on the way and opened at 11 a.m., we decided to check it out. 

Exterior of Schaylor Brewing Co. in Shillington, PA.

The brewery we would be checking out was Schaylor, situated in an old car dealership just up the road from the Tom Sturgis pretzel factory. We used to live relatively close to Shillington in nearby Sinking Spring, and used to frequent Paolo's restaurant, just a few buildings down from Schayler, for AYCE wings and pizza. It was dirt cheap too! 

I'd perused the beer menu in advance, and unfortunately the beer I was most excited to try - something called The Pike, a dark sour mild ale brewed with maple mesquite walnuts and coffee - had kicked the previous night. Next time, right?

Our view from the bar at Schaylor.

With about ten different beers on tap, Brewslut and I decided to get our own flights of four beers each. Here's the low-down on my flight:

• Killed by a Daewoo - IPA brewed with a laundry list of ingredients including oranges, sweet orange peel, coriander, wheat, rye, and a variety of hops such as Amarillo, Citra, and Columbus.
• El Diablo - hazy IPA with English yeast and hopped with Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Warrior.
• Dr. Rick Marshall - hazy IPA brewed with lupulin powder and heavily dry-hopped with a variety of hops including Apollo, Citra, and Magnum.
• Chaka - hoppy, roasty black IPA with a huge grain bill (12 varieties!) and six different hop varieties.

Overall, we were all pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beers. Everything was pretty solid overall. Following my original flight of four beers, I decided to order a sample size of S'moreo Speedwagon based on Brewslut's recommendation. (Love the name, by the way!) This sweet stout utilizes crushed graham crackers, cocoa powder and nibs, lactose, cinnamon sticks, Oreo cookies, and vanilla bean to achieve a Thin Mint (you know, the Girl Scout cookies) flavor. This was quite tasty albeit a tad thin in body. If they ever make a higher gravity version of this with a thick, chewy texture, though, look out! This one was definitely the most memorable of the lot, in my opinion, though the other beers were all good in their own right. 

We almost forgot Pleeps at home, but he was glad we went back for him!

We first visited Hidden River back in September 2016, and right off the bat we were smitten. The beers were elegant, delicious, and slightly off-kilter. We loved everything about the place: the beer, the people, the vibe, and the house (yes, it's actually situated in an historic building known as the Brinton Lodge). The owners saved it from being demolished and opened Hidden River. Since our initial visit, we've only been back one other time. Sadly, it was following last year's Sly Fox Bock Fest & Goat Races, so needless that particular visit registers as a bit hazy in my memory banks. 

We arrived about fifteen or twenty minutes earlier than S&V (with Kim following a bit after that), so we got situated at a table (actually two of them) and ordered some beers. Hidden River was having some kind of can or crowler release that day, so there was a lengthy line of people in queue at the main bar. We decided to stick to the dining room area even though the tap list was a truncated version of the beer list available in the bar area. Still, plenty of good beer to be had until the line died down. 

I started off with Down in the Cone, a DIPA well-hopped with Motueka, Citra, and Lemondrop. According to its description, the beer is named after a saying at the brewery when they're brewing hoppy beers. Apparently, brewing with copious amounts of kettle hops results in a cone-shaped mound of hop remnants at the bottom. Hence the phrase "down in the cone." The intriguing hop bill elicits notes of Mandarin orange, sticky mango puree, vanilla custard, and lemon bars. This beer was pretty damn delicious and went down the gullet all too easily. 

Meanwhile, Brewslut was working on a lovely pour of a beer called Primordial Energy . She had to correct me on the pronunciation of "primordial" (with its long "I" sound in the first syllable). Oh, grammar how we love thee! Described as a Peach Hibiscus Sour IPA, this cloudy but silky smooth beer boasts an exquisite fuchsia hue that bordered on lavender. It truly was a beautiful beer! Named in honor of Kali, the Hindu goddess, this beer was brewed with lactose and conditioned on peach puree, vanilla, and hibiscus flowers. The hop combination of Azacca, Galaxy, and African Queen (formerly an experimental variety now grown in South Africa) yields notes of ruby red grapefruit, peach smoothie, lime zest, and delicate flower pedals. This beer was Uh. Maze. Ing!

I made the classic rookie mistake (shame on me) of starting with a DIPA and then moving to a session IPA. But I didn't want to do two DIPAs in a row because we still had a long day ahead of us. Plus, the back bar area was limited in its taps. For my second beer, I ventured over to the smaller (but main) bar area to peruse the selection, which featured about a dozen different beers, some of which were also on tap in the room we were occupying. I decided on a pour of  Wind of the Mountain, a "small IPA," according to Hidden River. I like that better than "session." Named after an ancient Irish poem, this tasty IPA features a blend of Mandarina Bavaria, African Queen, and Mosaic hops for hints of melon rind and citrus zest. Hidden River also suggests notes of "light grape soda" and "alfalfa in the fields." How poetic! 

After catching up with everyone and enjoying a few beers at Hidden River, it was time to get the show on the road and head to the next destination. I'll admit that I hadn't heard of Pottstown United until Deuane suggested we go there as part of our "reunion tour," so we were, of course, game. Turns out the beer was quite good! 

Gonna keep on drinkin', never stop... united!

When we arrived, there were a few other patrons scattered throughout the tasting room, but we were able to secure a large table in the back. While the place is pretty small, there is a large one-piece lacquered log-style bar along the right side that is pretty impressive. The opposite side features a brick wall and additional tables. Our table was similar to the bar. We perused the menu and, while everyone else ordered snacks and such, we decided to wait until our next stop (La Cabra) because we heard the food was excellent. Plus we'd already eaten a sizable breakfast earlier in the day, so we had enough fuel in the tank for a few beers here.

I think they commissioned Jackson Pollock for this.

Speaking of beer... Snoochie Boochies! The first beer I ordered was named Snoogins, which is a reference to one of my favorite movie characters, Jay (of Jay and Silent Bob fame). If you've ever seen Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, etc. then you know the Mack Daddy of Jersey. Recognize! Even if I didn't want this beer (which I did; it's a NE-style IPA) I felt obligated to order it based solely on its name. This one didn't scream hazy NE-style, though. It didn't really scream anything, actually. It was just a pretty damn delicious IPA boasting lots of peppery grapefruit rind, dank pineapple, and juicy overripe mango. The mouthfeel was pretty thick and viscous for an IPA, but I really enjoyed its texture. It turned out to be one of the most memorable beers of the day for me... even if it had a dumb name. Snoogins, indeed! (Editor's note: Unfortunately, our server mispronounced it as "Snoojens" with a "J" sound. Also, I ordered a half pour but was given a full pour instead - and at the full price too. Lucky for me I enjoyed it so much.

Pleeps chillin' with his buddy Zeke.

Meanwhile, Brewslut was working on a pour of a creamy oatmeal stout called Slick Rick (presumably named after the rapper of the same name). Dispensed via nitrogen, this stout was well appointed with heavy notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee. I had a few swigs; enough to know it was a solid nitro stout. If they really wanted to nail the presentation of this beer, they should have served it with an eyepatch garnish.

All in all, Pottstown United was better than I'd anticipated. It was also a one-and-done stop for us, and soon it was time to head to La Cabra. Even if La Cabra's beer sucked (which it definitely didn't!), I still would have loved it just for the goat connection. When we arrived, there was about a 35-minute wait for a table. Yup, this place was brimming with people both upstairs in the loft and downstairs on the main floor. I'd been aware of the brewery but didn't know much about it. Aside from my familiarity with the goat logo, I also had sampled one or two beers at local beer festivals (most likely Lititz). So it was nice to finally get to the source. 

Entrance to La Cabra. I'm gonna like this place!

While we were waiting for our table, we corralled in the corner over by the bar and grabbed some beers. I spotted Co-Pilot, a porter brewed with cold press coffee, on the board. Coffee beers are hard to pass up, and I'm glad I didn't let this one slip through my hands. This velvety, nitro-dispensed porter boasted rich notes of chocolate, fresh roasted coffee and a hint of caramel vanilla cream candy.  

Meanwhile, some of the team was talking up a beer called Hipster Catnip. Its moniker is one of the most evocative beer names I've come across lately. Sure it's a juice bomb (hence the hipster reference) bursting with tropical fruit and zesty citrus. And of course it has a silky smooth oat-laden mouthfeel. What about a dank, dry finish? You bet yer ass! Although it's listed as an American IPA on Untappd, it's pretty obvious that this is a NE-style hazy brah IPA. However, if they ALL tasted like this, I wouldn't be quick to condemn the style on most occasions. This beer was epic. It was delicious. It was everything I love about the style. And the beer's name is the icing on the cake. Needless to say, I ordered a pint of my own after snagging a few sips from Brewslut. Seriously, this may very well have been my beer of the day!

Best. Wallpaper. Ever! 

Food-wise, the menu was diverse and forward-thinking with a variety of interesting ingredients and dishes. We decided to share an appetizer, so we settled on the Smoked Fish Trio featuring 

smoked whitefish yuca chip, salmon and ricotta crostini, fried smelt and roasted peppers. It was small but extremely flavorful and paved the way for our entrees. I went with the Becky Bowl, a tasty concoction of house smoked salmon, farro, roasted pumpkin, Swiss chard, sweet corn, toasted pistachio, and maple vinaigrette. It was quite tasty. I've been digging these "grain bowls" that some places have been serving lately. It could have been a bit more substantial, perhaps, but the mix of ingredients was delicious and healthy. At least it tasted healthy. 

For my "after dinner" beer, I opted for a pour of Johanna, a luscious NE-style DIPA rife with lemon candy and gentle lactose sweetness atop a hoppy, citrus-forward canvas. This one was definitely a sipper and I took my time with it as we all conversed about life, beer, travel, and music. I really look forward to our next visit to La Cabra. I mean, they've got awesome beer, great food, an amazing atmosphere, and - best of all - goats! Well, not living, breathing goats, but goat wallpaper, a goat logo... you get the idea. 

Until next time, La Cabra.

We'd planned on two more breweries for the day, but we ended up spending a bit more time at La Cabra than we had anticipated. Therefore, we settled on Locust Lane as our final stop for the day. The brewery is situated in an industrial warehouse-type building among other similar buildings, much like many other breweries we'd visited in the past (particularly in California). Inside, the place is pretty non-descript: lots of white walls, a generic bar amid brewing equipment and fermentation tanks, and a few tables. We actually snagged the one table that was set up actually in the brewery's cellar. S&V informed us in advance that the beers here were hit or miss. However, it was a new place we could cross off the long list of breweries we'd visited. 

Outside Locust Lane. It was, like, dark out and stuff.

After perusing the beer list, I decided on Experimental IPA #8: Hybrid, a hazy, fruity IPA loaded with Idaho 7, Mosaic and Simcoe hops. This one didn't strike me as a NE-style IPA, although it was hazy. Idaho 7 hops tend to impart a sometimes odd vegetal note that I'm not 100% sold on. However, it seemed to gel with the Mosaic and Simcoe, coaxing traces of pulpy tropical fruit and melon. It was also a pretty dense beer for an IPA, if memory serves me correctly. Much like the beer, I was pretty hazy by this time of the day. When all was said and done, it was a pretty solid introduction to this brewery. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was great, but it was good.  

Some of the team was passing around a pint of Three Tun Citra IPA, a 100% Citra Hopped IPA that S&V assured was Locust Lane's most consistent beer. As expected, this one featured abundant grapefruit as well as a hint of floral notes. Again, it was good but not great. But sometimes solid is perfectly fine. I don't expect to be blown away every time I try a new beer. 

Locust Lane's brewhouse.

In addition to the two IPAs, Vicki passed around a pour of a Kolsch. Overall, it's a pretty crisp, delicately-balanced beer with a subtle fruit and hop character. It didn't speak to my palate too much, especially after drinking two pretty flavorful, hoppy IPAs. Still, I could tell it was a decent representation of the style. Same goes for the Belgian Golden Ale, a strong but easy drinking ale with notes of pear, green apple and a touch of black pepper. Think Tripel. Again, good but not great.

Although our last stop didn't live up to the other breweries we visited throughout the day, it was great to get the band together again for an enjoyable, beer-soaked day hopping around a few new breweries. Until next time...

Trio of PA Newbies

This past Sunday, Brewslut and I decided to check out a few new-ish breweries in the area we hadn’t visited before. This is the kind of quick decision married couples have the luxury of making when they have no children or pets to prevent such a spontaneous outing. So, it was off to Berks and Montgomery Counties to check out a trio of breweries new to us.

First on the agenda was Hidden River Brewing in Douglasville, PA, in the same general neck of the woods as Boscov’s Department Store corporate headquarters, where I worked in my early twenties (a lifetime ago and well before I went through my metamorphosis from beer hater to craft beer enthusiast). I heard some chatter over a year ago before they had opened for business, but they quickly fell off my radar due to dozens of other new breweries opening. However, my memory was jogged when I picked up the current issue of Edible Philly magazine at work and started leafing through it. I immediately remembered the name of the brewery. Plus its turtle logo piqued my interest.

Outside Hidden River Brewing Co.

Our GPS unit had difficulty navigating us to the correct location, and after driving back and forth down a one-mile stretch of road, decided to call the brewery and have them guide us in. After a quick chat with who turned out to be one of the owners, we arrived to find a property brimming with patrons enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon on the porch of a picturesque Victorian-era house and also off an adjacent deck featuring a trio of local musicians performing some light music. Upon setting foot on the grounds of this brewery, I knew it was something special. Turns out, the owners (a married couple) saved the building (the historic Brinton Lodge) from being destroyed. Good thing too, because it would have been a travesty for such a unique building to be torn down.

Inside the main dining room at Hidden River.

Inside, visitors can stroll through most of the rooms of the house and take a trip back in time (the rooms are all still decorated with period furniture, books, paintings, and other assorted knick-knacks). This is also where Hidden River brews creative and unusual small batch beers using as many local ingredients as possible. Needless to say, I was pretty blown away. Since it was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon, most of the patrons were out on the deck enjoying the music and atmosphere. The nearby lawn was clearly dog-friendly, and there was also a food truck on-site. Actually, Sundays are also BYO grub. We bumped our beer friend Tom, who informed us that he’d been a frequent visitor since they opened 13 months ago. I admitted I was ashamed that it took us so long to make our inaugural visit. Still, better late than never, right?

Another dining area inside Hidden River.

But enough of my yackin’. Let’s talk about beer.

Hidden River had one of those chalkboards where EVERYTHING sounded awesome! I literally wanted to try every beer. Unfortunately, their smallest pours were 10oz. (see Pizza Boy isn’t the only brewery that doesn’t do flights). I asked a group of locals at the bar which IPA they recommended, and I was met with a unanimous response: Dynamics of Living Organisms. This beer reminded me of a name Tired Hands might come up with. The beer was similar too: ultra-cloudy and NE style to the core (think Tree House and Bissell Brothers). It looked like a glass of grapefruit juice. Still, this one reeked of grapefruit and had a very pithy finish, which I enjoyed quite a bit. While it didn’t knock my socks off, I’d easily drink more next time (should it be available). Brewslut went with Helen, a Saison brewed with cherries from the nearby Weaver’s Orchard. It wasn’t super tart, but it boasted a pleasant natural cherry aroma and flavor with hints of wildflowers and pepper. 

Beer on the mantle during a stroll through the house.

For my next selection (I almost got this first, but my rule of thumb is generally to lead off with an IPA and go from there), I chose Madcap Backslap, a Grodziskie style brewed with pineapple. For those not in the know, a Grodziskie (and I only know this because Selin’s Grove brewed one) is a traditional smoked beer historically brewed in Poland. The addition of smoked pineapple gave this beer an amazing Hawaiian pizza vibe. Overall, I was probably my favorite of the six beers we tried during our visit. Brewslut opted for a pint of the lower ABV Sirius Finis, a cream ale brewed with local peaches (also from Weaver’s Orchards), corn, lactose and oats. Overall, this was a tasty, refreshing beer albeit a bit thin on the palate. Up next, I grabbed a small pour of Kickboard, described as a grapefruit wheat ale. The third beer in its series of fruit wheat beers for summer, this one was conditioned on grapefruit purée and hopped with a blend of American hops including Herkules, an underutilized German-bred varietal that imparts hints of melon and citrus fruit. 

Me and my Madcap Backslap!

For our last beer, we went out on a high note. I’d been eyeing up this beer called Old Swede on the chalkboard. This one, however, was a gin barrel-aged version of their Gruit, an ancient spiced ale. I’d just had a gin barrel-aged IPA out at Gigantic Brewing Company (which you can read about here) and loved it, so I was eager to try this one. Oddly enough, I’m not a fan of gin at all. For whatever reason, the flavors that come through in gin seem to work with key ingredients in beer, because this was another winner! To go into more detail, this beer was Hidden River’s Old Swede Juniper Berry Hyssop Gruit aged in a Hidden River gin barrel from Manatawny Still Works for more than 4 months. Man, was this one complex beer! This one also has an intriguing story attached to it, which you can read about on Hidden River’s Untappd page. This one fell smack dab between an Imperial Stout and Belgian strong ale, and was packed with lots of dark fruit notes, molasses, licorice root, and chocolate with a berry-like tanginess. It reminded me of an artisan cola without all of the carbonation. I really enjoyed this one!

Pleeps was diggin' the Gin Barrel-Aged Old Swede.

I really wanted to stick around at Hidden River longer, but they were closing at 6 p.m. anyway, so we decided it was time to shove off to stop #2. Our friend Tom had just told us about Stickman Brews during our visit to Hidden River. We had planned on swinging by Sly Fox's Tastin' Room in nearby Pottstown, but we called an audible and headed south on Rt. 422 to Royersford in Montgomery County. Coincidentally, Stickman's location was right behind Sly Fox's old Royersford location before they moved the operation to Pottstown. We'd been to Sly Fox many, many times before, so we figured we'd try a new spot based on Tom's recommendations.

The Stickman Van was parked outside.

Stickman's shtick seems to encompass brewing slightly off-the-wall concoctions rooted in the Belgian style but Americanized with the use of odd ingredients and bold hops. The beer names and artwork mirror this image and decorate everything from its beer menus to the walls of the tasting room itself. All of the drawings were crude but whimsical stick figure drawings of people, animals, ingredients, and funny little beer-inspired scenes, which created a lighthearted, we-don't-take-ourselves-too-seriously vibe. Oddly enough, the tasting room was dimly lit and sparsely decorated. It reminded us of one of the many warehouse breweries out in Southern California.

Faux handwritten notebook page for a beer menu.

My first beer choice was Cooperative Conundrum, a dry-hopped sour brewed in collaboration with Hidden River. This was my favorite of the bunch. With a dry, tart, citrusy bent, this one straddled the line perfectly between mouth-puckering and hoppy. Brewslut surprised me by ordering a huge 10.5% ABV Double IPA called Sensible Portions. While this one was quite dry and bitter, as the description promised, it fell a little short on one of the other adjectives - "juicy." Still, at 10.5%, it was quite smooth and lacked the alcohol burn that similarly heavy DIPAs tend to have. We stuck with a sensible portion of 4oz. with this one. 

Stickman's beer menu... some cool names!

Her second choice was equally as surprising: a Grand Cru brewed with orange peel, coriander, and chamomile called Cousin Stoopid. For me, I went with Lady in the Streets, a barrel-aged Saison brewed with white grapes. This one was a bit odd and had a distinct grainy finish like Cheerios (yes, the cereal). We finished up Capitalism, a Belgian style ale brewed with cherries. Described as a Trappist style ale processed like a German Maibock, this one had a similar finish as the Lady in the Streets but was much more complex with a slightly sweet, subtly tart cherry character and fruity esters. I also forgot to check it in to Untappd and forgot we even had it until I looked at the beer menu again.

Stickman's dimly-lit, industrial vibe.

About midway through our visit, a guy in his late 40s/early 50s came in and sat near us at the bar. He asked the bartender if they had any beers that we're "similar to Miller Lite." OK. Now, I get that there is a huge learning curve when it comes to craft beer. The general public as a whole still isn't really educated enough about the industry, the people, the product, etc. to know much about anything other than their own (generally misguided) tastes. Case in point: "I don't like those heavy, dark beers." Whatever. What perplexes me is this: why on earth someone would walk into what is clearly a small brewery (not a bar) and order "something similar" to a beer that doesn't even really resemble beer. To me, that's like a slap in the face. I mean, what's the point? I get that there are those people who don't like to venture too far out of their comfort zone when trying new things, but isn't the point of going somewhere different to experience something different? Why drink Miller Lite when there are so many other flavors to discover? This also raises the question: why would a small, independently owned craft brewery even care to make something like Miller Lite? Ugh. At any rate, I really hate getting sidetracked and could add a lot more on this subject, but I want you to continue reading this. So, I'll spare you of my general disdain for this type of ignorance. For what it's worth, Miller Lite is the only "lite" beer on the market that doesn't offend my palate. Coors Light and Bud Light, though? I'd rather lap up Deuane's urine after drinking a gallon of Pliny the Younger. and now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Pleeps was kind of silly at Stickman.

Up next on our little Sunday afternoon tra-laa-laa, we headed back towards home for a stop at Oakbrook Brewing Company. I'd first learned about Oakbrook through our friend and pro brewer Colin Presby (who also is the owner of my favorite athlete of all time... two-time winner of the Sly Fox Goat Races, Peggy the three-legged goat). The brewery itself is situated in Reading, PA's historic Oakbrook Fire Station. In addition to a spacious tasting room with several long communal "beer garden" tables, they also have plenty of outdoor seating. We opted to enjoy some cool, fresh air avoid the group of boisterous roller derby fanatics viewing a roller derby match on TV inside. 

Inside Oakbrook Brewing Co.

With only about 6 offerings on tap, I started off with easily the best named beer of the lot - Venerable Parrot. This IPA is named after the former mascot of the fire station. They actually describe it as a "malted grapefruit drink that has to be experienced rather than described." In addition to a special blend of hops, they add a good bit of grapefruit purée and serve with a sprig of rosemary. I must admit I was bowled over by the aroma. This smelled so fresh and vibrant, and the herbaceous aromatics of the rosemary complemented the zesty quality of the grapefruit. I really enjoyed this beer a lot. I was actually taken aback because I honestly wasn't expecting this place to be amazing. But this beer served as an amazing introduction to Oakbrook. Brewslut opted for the Blood Orange IPA, which is basically their Oakbrook IPA fermented with blood orange purée. This one was also a winner, and I enjoyed this variation more than the base beer itself. 

Oakbrook Brewing's exterior (courtesy of Google Images)

While we were sitting outside waiting for our nachos, we struck up a conversation with a guy accompanied by an adorable little mutt named Sadie. Brewslut and I love making friends with animals (and their owners, of course) when we travel, and Sadie was extremely friendly right off the bat. We ended up staying a bit longer than we had anticipated, but we enjoyed the beautiful evening outside talking about music, beer, dogs, and plenty of other things while scratching Sadie behind the ears and on her belly. She was one of the sweetest dogs I ever encountered. 

Two pairs of kinky boot beasts on display.

We concluded our evening by sharing a pour of the flagship Oakbrook IPA, a West coast-style IPA that honestly paled in comparison to the other two beers we had. Not to say it was bad; it just didn't wow me like the other two. Still, this place has tons of potential and is housed in a really cool building in a good part of town. Believe me, we used to live in the Reading area and we stayed out of Reading as much as possible. But this place has enough charm and good beers to bring us back, as we find ourselves in the Berks County area from time to time. 

All in all, we enjoyed our leisurely day of brewpubbing just outside our own backyard. I have a feeling Hidden River will be seeing much more of us in the future. What a gem! I promise to return to the Oregon trip soon. Sorry for the diversion! Until next time...