The Memorial Day Weekend Trail: 2019 Edition - Part II

The Saturday of DetFest has turned into one of my favorite days of the year. Not only do I get to play music for some of my band's biggest fans and hang with great people, Brewslut and I have come to love the brewery loop we take before heading to the fest. This year, however, we were able to add a new place that has become a fast favorite of ours. That brewery is Beer Tree.

Based on the name alone, I must admit that I didn't have very high expectations. However, once I perused this new brewery's tap list and story, I was sold. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sure this place was going to be awesome. Fortunately, I was correct in my assumptions. Beer Tree is legit!

We arrived at around 10:30 a.m. (yes, they open at 10 a.m. people!) to a pretty empty house. There was a guy tending to a huge grill, prepping items for the impending food truck opening. So, first off... points for having a taco truck! Unfortunately, it didn't open until noon, and I made an executive decision to skip breakfast so we could eat at Beer Tree.

Situated in the small town of Port Crane, NY, about 15 minutes NE of Binghamton, Beer Tree Brew Co. is a farm brewery highlighting beer brewed with local ingredients and hops sourced from Willet Hop & Grain a neighboring raw ingredients provider based out of Willet, NY. Sometime in the near future, Beer Tree also plans to offer a variety of local farm goods and products for sampling and purchasing. Inside, the place was much bigger than I was anticipating. We set up shop at the large, wrap-around bar, which was the focal point of the tasting room. I also noticed that they host live music regularly. More bonus points! Once we settled in, we checked out the beer menu. We both quickly discovered that we wanted to try too many beers, so we had to choose wisely and share the wealth.

Tap list at Beer Tree during our visit.

After a few seconds of perusing the list, I honed in on my first selection: Morning Timber - Blueberry, a breakfast stout brewed with coffee and wood-fire evaporated maple syrup from Willet, and conditioned on blueberries. I'd been on a blueberry kick for a few weeks, so that sealed the deal. What better way to kick off the day (on an empty stomach, no less) than with an imperial stout? Well, it was a coffee stout, after all.

Pleeps getting his share of Morning Timber.

Meanwhile, Brewslut worked on her beer: Slightly Fuzzy, a mixed fermentation ale conditioned on strawberries, rhubarb and limes. This beer was crazy good! So good, in fact, that Brewslut had to take home a 4-pack, which she rarely does when we travel. So it's gotta be good, right?

By this time, we were both sufficiently impressed enough to order a second round. I was actually pretty giddy on this particular day, even more so than usual. For our next two beers, we decided to head into the hoppy end of the spectrum and try a pair of IPAs. There were several that sounded awesome on paper, so it was a tough decision. Ultimately, we went with Euphoric Colors and Feeling Cute.

The former is a mixed fermentation sour NEIPA. The malt base of oats, wheat and barley combined with the addition of milk sugar creates a soft canvas onto which a generous whirlpool addition of Michigan Copper hops shine. Double dry-hopping with Amarillo, Citra and Mosaic create a waft of dank citrus fruit and hard candy. But wait, this beer isn't finished yet! This sucker was then conditioned on passionfruit, almonds, and vanilla. Yes, there's lots going on here, folks. Almost too much, actually.

The latter, a milkshake IPA, features a similar malt backbone with the sweet addition of milk sugar. This time, Beer Tree double dry-hops with a combo of Idaho 7, Citra, and Belma before aging the beer on a blend of strawberry, banana, and vanilla. Belma is a newer hop variety said to impart an ambrosia-like melange of orange, melon, pineapple, and strawberry. My mom calls it "heaven" instead of ambrosia, and it's delicious!

Pleeps is always feeling cute!

The two IPAs were pretty solid but didn't wow us like our initial beers did. Still, these came across as forward-thinking flavor combinations, which we both appreciated. I really enjoyed our visit and can't wait to get back to Beer Tree next year... or even sooner!

We first visited to The Farmhouse Brewery back in 2016 during the very same "Memorial Day Trail" as we've come to call it. Situated in the quaint town of Owego, NY, the original location was on the outskirts of town and reminded me to drinking in someone's basement. The place was adorned with assorted chachkies you'd expect to find in your grandma's parlor (not living room, mind you... parlor; you know, the place where the Davenport resides). They even had a Nintendo Wii set up for customers to play, and we enjoyed some competitive 100-pin bowling during that inaugural visit. Last year, Farmhouse had moved and since set up shop on the main drag in Owego, which must have given the business a boost, as the town is brimming with little stores, boutiques, eateries, and antique shops.

Farmhouse loooooves the cock!

Speaking of eateries, I'd remembered a great meal we had during one of our previous visits at a place called The Owego Kitchen, which is basically two doors down from the new Farmhouse location. We were hungry, so we decided to order food and eat it at Farmhouse while we enjoyed our beers. I opted for the Gourmet Gobbler featuring turkey, Brie, cranberry chutney, and lettuce on a baguette. I'm a sucker for Thanksgiving sandwiches and typically order one when its available.

Back at The Farmhouse in Owego, NY.

Back to beer, though. Since we spent a little extra time at Beer Tree, we decided to slow down and share a sampler flight. Here's the skinny:

• Grinder - Saison brewed with 100% NY ingredients and aged in wine barrels with Aronia berries (aka chokeberries)
• Don't Miss a Beet - Saison brewed exclusively with NY ingredients including locally grown beets.
• Momma Maple Llama - Porter brewed with maple syrup, coffee and sweet potatoes. This one took home the gold medal at 2017 TAP NY. 
• Peat & Repeat - Wee Heavy brewed with peat smoked malt. 

Pleeps in his natural habitat.

Of the four beers we sampled, two were familiar and two were new to us. We'd both had Grinder and Don't Miss a Beet on previous occasions and remembered liking them quite a bit. The other two were up to snuff with the usual quality of their beers. Peat & Repeat wasn't too terribly "peaty" (good for Brewslut but not-so-good for me) and Momma Maple Llama might have been my favorite of the bunch. I mean, coffee and maple syrup? Come on.

Another angle of the ever-pleasant Pleeps!

The beers at Farmhouse are always full of flavor and experimental in nature. I usually stray from the "regular" beers such as IPAs because honestly we just don't run into too many beers brewed with ingredients like beets or peat smoked malt. That's what I love about this place. The beers are fun and whimsical, and Marty (the brewer and owner) definitely thinks outside the box. Sadly, he wasn't around this time. When he's there, he's always good for a few funny stories and available for you to pick his brain.

Tap handles at The Farmhouse Brewery.

After our flight at Farmhouse, we ducked into a cool little place on the same block called The Goat Boy. Yup, there was no way we were leaving Owego without a quick visit to this place. Because goats, of course! Turns out the coffee shop was situated next door. Featuring local art, live music and a variety of drinks, this place (actually now called Carol's Coffee & Art Bar; Goat Boy is a gift shop) was worthy of a stop. There's a lot to soak in, and it was welcome deviation to our typical rinse-and-repeat agenda of brewery followed by brewery.

You had me at GOAT!

As usual, I was most excited to return to The North. We'd first visited this small brewery based in the somewhat depressed town of Endicott, NY, back in 2017, and I loved the rough and tumble charm of the place. At that point, they'd been churning out some amazing beers on a pretty small system for about five years, and seemed to have a penchant for bold, complex barrel-aged stouts. To be honest, I can't believe the brewery had eluded us for so long! Still, better late than never, right? Now it is a place that we HAVE to visit at least annually. 

Since our last visit a year ago, the North added a small enclosed patio area (basically right outside the brewery's front door on the sidewalk), which added space for an additional ten people or so. I happened to be wearing my Mastodon tour shirt, and upon walking up to the entrance, I received acknowledgement from a fellow fan. I gave him the horns aka \m/ and we grabbed some beers at the bar.

Whatever this is, it's pretty METAL!

I started off with a pint of Eye Candy, a sticky, hazy IPA hopped with El Dorado and Azacca. After grabbing our first round, we decided to check out the patio and strike up a conversation with the Mastodon guy. He was visiting with his son, and they were chatting with a random young guy about his recent Tesla purchase, which was parked a few feet away. We spent a good deal talking about our beer travels as well as music (including Rush, of course), so it kept me occupied while we worked on our beers. The weather was perfect and conversation was plentiful, so we kept to the patio until everyone had to leave. Once our new friends vacated the patio, we decided to head back inside to see what was going on.

For my next beer, I went big with Pastry Klouds, a delicious whiskey barrel-aged Russian imperial stout aged on Vietnamese coconut and cinnamon. This kind of beer is what The North excels in. I first became enamored last year with one of its barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stouts called Big Bad Leather Daddy, which was one of my favorite beers of 2018.

The North is like a museum of strange toys.

I also sampled God Complex, a stout brewed with coffee, hazelnut and chili peppers. Tasty it was, but it was no Pastry Klouds. I love the name, though: God Complex. Of course, they have a few different variants of this beer, as well they should. Two years ago when we visited, someone bought a bottle of this beer - then apparently called Loaded God Complex - and cracked it open for all to share. I recall liking it quite a bit, although it was heavy on the hazelnut (not a problem for me, as I love the flavor of hazelnuts). The version we sampled during this most recent visit didn't have the same prominent hazelnut oomph. Perhaps it was because we'd just finished Pastry Klouds and this one paled in comparison.

As per usual, a small group was congregated at the back end of the bar and cracking open a variety of cans and bottles, some from The North and some from other breweries. Of course, I was quite prepared for this eventuality and had a few Splinter beers in tow. Here's what we sampled (the first three are from The North):

• Eight Banners - whiskey barrel-aged stout
• Oreo Klouds - imperial stout brewed with Oreo cookies
• El Chupracabra - rauch roggenbier brewed with smoked rye and habanero
• Triple Citra Daydream from Other Half Brewing - DIPA brewed with oats and lactose, and triple dry-hopped with Citra and Citra Lupulin powder
• Double Dry-Hopped Double Mosaic Daydream from Other Half Brewing - Imperial IPA brewed with oats and lactose sugar

The El Chupracabra was a 2016 vintage, if I'm not mistaken, and was drinking quite nicely. Oreo Klouds was a little too sweet for my liking, but it was better than the one The Veil did when we visited Richmond a while back. As for Other Half, they do a fine job with the dry-hopped IPAs, so no complaints there. 

Another random oddity at The North.

All in all, it was another fantastic visit to the North. We always have a blast here, and Brewslut even got to talk shop with a fellow English teacher, who also happened to be one of the guys sharing beers with us at the bar. This is exactly why we love "pour traveling." Drinking the beer might be the cake, but meeting cool locals is definitely the icing!

Since its located in Montrose a few miles from the festival, we always finish up our day of brewery hopping at Endless. Endless is a great example of the kind of brewery every small town should have. We always encounter friendly patrons each time we visit, and the owners (Jon and Morgan) are incredibly nice. Morgan is always tending the bar, while Jon is usually in the brewery concocting his next libation. And you'd think by now that I'd remember the name of the big, fluffy white dog who's always there... but nope, I suck.

Tap handles at Endless Brewing in Montrose, PA.

I started off with a pour of a new IPA called Texahio Armadillo.  I found it to be an odd name for a beer, so I inquired. Like the name of the dog, I also failed to save the story behind the beer to my memory banks. But hey, I got to try a new beer! If I recall, it has something to do with the hop variety, Texas and Ohio. It was the end of a long day of drinking, so excuse me if my mind was a little hazy. On a side note, armadillos are weird.

I followed this up with another new-to-me beer called Dunkel Yum, a dark German wheat ale. I like me a good dunkel, and this one was kind of middle-of-the-road. But it served as a quick diversion from hops so I could then move onto another hoppy beer.

That beer was Bombshell Blonde, a traditional West Coast style IPA. This is Endless Brewing's flagship beer for a reason. It's always fresh, tasty and consistent. It might be my favorite of their hoppy beers too, except maybe for Grasshopper, a really good pale ale that has eluded us for the past few years. We always seem to miss its release by a week or two. M'wah.

Full tap list at Endless!

After our visit to Endless, it was time to head over to DetFest to play some drums for a few hours. Although attendance was lower than usual and the weather was a bit spritzy, we played an awesome set and it was good to see some peeps I only get to see once or twice a year. 

Typically, our journey wound end there. This time, however, there's a brief post-script. We stopped by our hometown of Shamokin on Sunday to visit my mom and take her to an appointment in Danville, so we hit up Old Forge for lunch. It had been a while since our last visit, but my mom actually likes that place (for the food, though... not the beer). I always joke that I drink more beer in a day than my mom has consumed throughout her now 74-year existence. I enjoyed a pour of their new-ish IPA called Hopstache, which I'd never had before.

Anyway, it looks like Pleeps is already anticipating his next adventure. Until next time...

Fairweather Fall Frolicking & Fun Fermented Festivities

Having grown up in Shamokin, the Bloomsburg Fair was always a highly anticipated event for me. I was never much of a "ride guy" (especially the sketchy rides at carnivals and state fairs), but I loved the vendors, food, and games... in that particular order. I could find some sweet pins or patches for donning the names of my favorite heavy metal bands for my jean jacket, or maybe even a cool studded wristband, leather wallet with chain attachment, or some other piece of flair I used to think was cool. Who am I kidding? I still think these items are cool. Metal is a lifestyle. You either abandon it completely, or it engulfs you for life. I fall under the latter category. As for the food, I definitely had my favorites: Benton Cider Mill, St. Mary's potato cakes, and many others. Between scarfing down hundreds of calories of comfort foods, I would try my luck at winning glassware or - even better - goldfish! I once won so many goldfish that I traded them in for a super cool "fish house" so I had somewhere to keep all of my fish. Aaaah, the memories.

These days, I'm more concerned with checking out the livestock exhibits and connecting on some cosmic level with a Nubian goat or miniature donkey. I must admit that the animals are the main reason I enjoy going to the Fair in my older years, although the food is a close second. Since there's no beer (except of the root and birch varieties) available at the Fair, I won't bore you with a detailed account of our day at the Fair. Instead, here are some pics I snapped throughout the day (mostly of animals) for your enjoyment.

Little webbed-footed friends outside the Rabbit Exhibit.

How now?

Alpacas look like they're from the swingin' 60s!

We saved the best for last... GOATS!!!

Obligatory beer content: Hops are part of the agriculture competition!

We never go anywhere without first scoping the area for beer destinations. Fortunately for us, we were staying at the Chalet, so we know the area all too well. Backtracking to Friday evening, we landed at Selin's Grove around a quarter to nine, and I was bummed to find that Saison de Peche (my favorite beer) had a little frowny face sign covering its intricately drawn name on the chalkboard. For those of you who have never been to the Pub, the little frowny face means that the beer has kicked but will return soon. "Soon" means whenever Steve (the owner) is around the change out the keg. Unfortunately, he wasn't around, so no Peche for us that night. Oh well. It's not like they don't make a bunch of stellar beers. Sadly, the Whole Hop IPA was also off, and I must admit I was craving something green and hoppy. Plan C. I ordered a Shade Mountain Stout (back after a recent hiatus in favor of the newer Roasted Oat Stout) with cold brew coffee. I love blending darker beers at the Pub with this amazing cold brew, which is dispensed alongside all of the beers and ciders via a nitro tap. I followed up with a Market Street Fest, a variation on the Oktoberfest, or Märzen, theme. I was surprised to learn that I'd never checked this beer in on Untappd. New check-in for me, even though I've had it numerous times in the past. I finished the night with an 8oz. pour of my Kryptonite - Stealth Triple. Every time I end our visit with one of these high octane suckers, Brewslut has to drive home. She didn't have to this time, as I only imbibed a small amount. Still, this beer is aptly named "Stealth," as it can really sneak up on you like a ninja sneaks up on Hellen Keller.

Shade Mountain Stout with cold brew coffee!

Back at the Chalet on Friday night, we shared a can of The Alchemist's Focal Banger, graciously donated to us by Al (Kominski) by way of "Lawyer Steve," one of our many acquaintances from the Pub. He stopped in to see Al after a recent trip to Vermont, and he had plenty of beer in tow. Lucky for us, Brewslut was working and able to procure a can of this hoppy treat (as well as one you'll read about a little later).

Fast forward to Saturday after the Fair. We made it out of the fairgrounds just as it had started to rain (albeit a light mist rather than the downpour they were expecting) and were on our way to nearby Turkey Hill Brewing Company. I'd heard they were doing some good stuff in the form of sours and barrel-aged beers lately, so I was eager to swing by and check out what they've been up to since our last visit. I'd been a fan since our initial visit, not long after they first opened to the public.

Taps and chalkboard at Turkey Hill Brewing Co.

For my first selection, I went with my tried-and-true favorite - Revelation Pale Ale. However, this particular version was cask conditioned and dry-hopped with Citra. It went down way too quickly and I found myself still thirsty. I also had a few swigs of Brewslut's Berliner with Raspberry from Turkey Hill's new "Abandoned Sour Series." It appears that Turkey Hill is kicking things up a notch and dabbling in sours and other interesting styles. I noticed a variety of cork & cage 750mL bottles for sale in the reception area - everything from barrel-aged beers to blended sours - so it seems like they are doing a fair amount of experimentation, which I always appreciate.

Pleeps guarding our Berliner with Raspberry.

We decided to have another round and followed up our first selections with two tasty beers new to us: Mango-Habanero Pilsner and Urban Abbey Pumpkin Lager. Both of these were very well done. The Pilsner was sweet and fruity up front with a moderate amount of heat in the finish. The crispness of the malt helped bolster the sweetness a bit, which is a good thing because this flavor combination is all about balance. This combo is picking up steam and becoming quite popular among craft breweries. It almost seems like the next big trend after the Gose explosion of the last few years. I guess we'll have to wait and see. The Urban Abbey was also quite tasty. Pumpkin beers can be hit or miss for me. More often than not, it depends on the spice combination. I tend to prefer cinnamon-forward pumpkin beers versus ones heavy on clove or nutmeg. This one had a dominant cinnamon flavor but it wasn't over the top. Brown sugar sweetness mingled with the piquant cinnamon, ginger and other pie spices nicely, and I like the fact that they used a Märzen style as the base beer rather than an amber ale or lighter base. Hints of molasses and caramel came through in the malt, which thickened it up a bit, giving it the subtle chewiness I crave in pumpkin beers. Overall, it was nicely done.

We ate conservatively at the Fair, so we were starting to get a bit peckish. I spotted fish tacos on the menu so I didn't need to look any further. Brewslut ordered a Thai noodle bowl with chicken. This small meal held us over for a while and allowed us to keep the beer flowing, as we were on to our next stop.

I'd been following Old Forge Brewing Company in Danville since well before they were open for business. They were probably the first brewery to open in such close proximity to my hometown of Shamokin (although Selin's Grove is pretty close too). I remember seeing photos of their brewing equipment being delivered, and I was excited to have a place close to home when we visited our families. It was also easier to keep track of all the new PA brewery and brewpub openings back then. Nowadays, there are multiple openings every month instead of one every six months or so. At any rate, I love the philosophy of Old Forge (even though their beers have been hit or miss for me since the get-go). I love the fact that their approach to brewing beer echoes everything from the food they serve to the decor of the brewpub. All of the furniture at their location (including the bar itself) was handcrafted by a local wood and metal worker, while the tap handles, dinnerware, mugs, and sampler trays were hand-made by local potters and artisans. Now that's pretty damn cool!

Mug Club carousel at Old Forge.

We were meeting my cousin (who happens to live nearby) for a few beers. I decided to go outside of my comfort zone for a pair of beer styles I rarely order. Of course, I don't really see these styles on beer menus too often. Despite them having one of my favorites on nitro, Slack Tub Stout, I opted instead for 10oz. pours of the Ryetious Roggenbier as well as a Rauchbier. For those not familiar with the styles, a Roggenbier is a traditional German style made with a grain bill containing about half malted barley and equal portions of rye and wheat. The spiciness of the rye stands out in both the aroma and the flavor, giving a slight pumpernickel bread quality to the beer. Rauchbier, or "smoked beer," is exactly that - a beer brewed with smoked malt. This gives the beer a wood-smoked, beef jerky, or even a bacon flavor, which some people just don't care for in beer (Brewslut included). I, on the other hand, love them! This one was pretty solid, too. We were enjoying good conversation, so I opted for a third choice, this time Overbite IPA poured off the beer engine. I've had this one before a few times and it definitely benefits from cask conditioning to smooth out its rough edges.

By this time, it was getting pretty late and we decided we had to get to the Mifflinburg Oktoberfest for at least one beer. We'd attended a few times in the last couple of years and have always enjoyed the festivities. They serve a pretty solid roster of authentic German beers, the only recent deviation is the locally brewed Oktoberfest from the neighboring Rusty Rail just down the street. By this time of day, the rain had subsided and, although the field was pretty muddy in spots, our boots made it in and out of the tent unscathed. The food vendors were just shutting down for the evening, but we were able to score some free potato dumpling soup and tater tots. We made sure to reciprocate with a hefty tip. With our official Mifflinburg Oktoberfest mugs in tow, we filled them with Köstritzer Schwarzbier (me) and Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb (Brewslut). We've had both beer several times in the past, and I didn't remember liking the Schwarzbier as much as did on this particular occasion. I wasn't even going to get it, but by the time we arrived it was late and they were sold out of a few selections. It went well with a bag of roasted peanuts Carolyn's friend gave us when they left.

Speaking of Carolyn (Deuane's wife), she's the reason why we know about this event in the first place. Although Mifflinburg is just a few miles from the Chalet, she grew up in nearby New Berlin, a small town just down the road. Mifflinburg and Lewisburg are considered the closest "big cities" in that particular neck of the woods. This year, she was entertaining some friends from Vermont who were staying in town at - of all places - the Scarlet D, which was just down the street. I didn't even know they had rooms for rent! After Oktoberfest wound down, they decided to convene at the VFW for a drink, while Brewslut and I headed over to Rusty Rail.

Pleeps clilli' with some NOktoberfest!

When we arrived, I noticed the considerable lack of crowd typically inhabiting the place. Plus it was a Saturday night, so I was even more surprised. There was plenty of room at the bar, so we grabbed a pair of seats and perused the beer menu. I spotted some new Side Track beers on tap (Rusty Rail's limited, small batch series) as well as a new seasonal called NOktoberfest, which Brewslut ordered. I went with Side Track #7 - Mixed Berry Imperial Stout. We found both of these beers to be vast improvements on the beers we sampled during our last visit. The NOktoberfest was a Märzen hybrid brewed with rye malt and blood orange juice. Kind of an odd combination, I know, but it seemed to work. The Side Track #7, which I suspect is a variation of its year-round Wolf King Imperial Stout, was also quite good and featured a blend of blackberries, blueberries, and boysenberries. On the insistence of Pleeps, we also decided to try our luck with an odd-sounding beer. Sidetrack #9 - Imperial Peanut Butter Hefeweizen was brewed with "peanut butter flavoring" and Jarrylo hops, a variety with which I wasn't familiar. (Upon further investigation, I learned that this variety imparts notes of pear, orange, fruity spice, and banana.) Optimistically, I was thinking this could be like a peanut butter-dipped banana (since most Hefes have a distinct ripe banana note as a result of the type of yeast strain used to brew the style). Instead, what we got was more like roasted peanuts with a hint of spice. It was definitely more dry that I was anticipating, and the roasty, nutty quality really overpowered everything else. Still, it was an interesting experiment I was happy to try. It actually wasn't that bad, just rather odd.

We were going to head back to the Chalet, but then Brewslut noticed Carolyn & Co. checked in at the Scarlet D just down the street. We'd stopped in the Scarlet D a few times over the years, mostly because it used to be a cool spot our families took us on occasion to have dinner or get roasted peanuts. (Aside from my family owning land in Millmont since I was a toddler, Brewslut's family also had a summer cottage in the area.) Almost every bar in PA has Yuengling Lager on tap. As a matter of fact, the flagship offering of America's Oldest Brewery has become synonymous with "lager" in Pennsyltucky. But what about the under-appreciated (and far superior)  Lord Chesterfield Ale? The Scarlet D has the distinction of having this (as well as Yuengling Porter) on tap! We enjoyed each of these at the Scarlet D to cap off a fun evening. We arrived just after last call, but the bartender was kind enough to allow us one beer each. Plus Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" was blaring out of the speakers, which was a huge plus for me! Apparently, the bartender likes to listen to "House of Hair," a syndicated radio show featuring hard rock and heavy metal from the 1980s. \m/

After our fun, impromptu visit to the Scarlet D, we headed back to the Chalet and enjoyed another treat from the Alchemist, Heady Topper. If you haven't heard of this beer, then I'm surprised you are reading a blog about craft beer. This is one of the most hyped-up beers in the pantheon of craft beer, and although its shelf life is shorter than that of an already ripened avocado, when this beer is in its sweet spot, it's tough to beat. This particular can was indeed right on the nuggets.

On Sunday morning, we had breakfast and packed everything up to return home. More times than not when visiting the Chalet, we do what I call a "Selin's Grove sandwich," meaning we stop in on Friday evening and again on Sunday afternoon. I guess this time we also had some dessert, because we'd planned on hitting up a few additional destinations on the way home.

Back at Selin's Grove, I was excited to see two open seats at the bar among a group of regulars. I was also stoked to see that not only had Whole Hop IPA returned, but Wild Peach was now on tap! I had both during our visit. While the Wild Peach is indeed an amazing beer, I actually prefer the standard version. Still, it was great to see this rare treat back on tap for a limited time. I also noticed that Hop Nouveau was coming out soon, as the chalkboard advertised a firkin event the following Friday. I wish the firkin tappings occurred later than 3 p.m. so we could attend them. Oh well. I'll get my fix of this sweet elixir brewed with locally grown hops during our next visit. The arrival of this beer also means that Pumpkin Ale is right around the corner! September through November is definitely my favorite time of year to visit the Pub. At the time of writing this, we'd visited the last 5 weeks in a row. The proof is in the pudding.

Wild Peach... what a surprise!

After yet another enjoyable visit to the Pub, we were off to Al's of Hampden to try some new Pizza Boy beers. Brewslut has the luxury of trying new beers more often than me because she works there once a week. So I always put in a request to visit when we're in close proximity. Al recently installed some new TVs to be used in conjunction with his rotating beer menu. In addition to all of the draft, nitro and cask selections, the new screens include all bottle releases available for on-premise consumption.

Al's new wall of TVs. That's a lot of beer!

First up was a new Saison brewed by Al (with help from the new Assistant Brewer, Roger) called The Hell That is My Life. Brewslut had it recently and mentioned it was awesome, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. This was a solid straight-up Saison with lots of zesty citrus fruit, some earthy herbs, and a hint of barnyard funk. I also had the Wet Shore, a wet-hopped version of their flagship West Shore IPA (recently re-named Hampden IPA due to a small entanglement with a West Coast brewery that will remain anonymous). I'd had this about two years ago when it first came out, and this year's version was killer! If you like fresh hop IPAs, this one is juicy and insanely drinkable. Check it out before it's gone. Up next, I settled on Washed Up, a bacon-washed beer. Brewslut opted for On the Fritz, an India Pale Lager. While I don't eat pork anymore, my one caveat is that I will still drink beers brewed with bacon (or any meat, really). I asked Al what the base beer was for this, and he said it was an Oatmeal Porter, so I was sold. Man, this beer was awesome! It featured just the right amount of smoky meatiness backed by a luscious mouthfeel and robust chocolately, roasty malt character. I had some of Brewslut's On the Fritz as well (another one new to me) and it was crisp and hoppy, just as I'd anticipated. We used these last two beers to wash down our tasty subs.

After Pizza Boy, it was off to a brand new Central PA brewery. Evergrain Brewing Company in Camp Hill had opened the week prior to our visit. Owned by the same two guys (Norm and Larry) who own the Brewhouse Grille, a beer bar in Camp Hill and mainstay of the local craft beer scene, Evergrain features a roster of ten house brews and food available through the adjoining Our Kitchen Table (where you literally order at a window connecting the two establishments). Brewmaster Bruce Tanner used to work at Tröegs for a number of years, so I knew the beers would be solid.

I was dying to try Joose Juicy, a NE-style IPA with a "hop character of dank, resinous hops" I'd heard from several friends to be excellent. Brewslut went with the Dark Necessity, a 10% Russian Imperial Stout. She doesn't mess around! Both were solid and enjoyable. We also enjoyed sharing a pint of the Wet Hop Cascade IPA, which was brewed with local hops grown and harvested at Painted Horse Hop Farm based in Dillsburg, PA. It was quite busy for a Sunday evening when we rolled in, and there was a hefty constituency of Tröegs peeps in attendance, which was nice to see. This place boasts a huge, open floor plan with the brew deck and tanks in plain sight, plus spacious seating options and even a ping pong table. Overall, it has a boomy warehouse vibe similar to some of the larger "industrial park" breweries in California. It seems like Evergrain is off to a great start, so I'm anxious to see what lies ahead for them.

Inside Evergrain's Tasting Room.

Thanks for reading. Perhaps we'll cross paths one day while seeking out some fresh, local beer. Until next time...

Leisurely Saturday Brewpubbing

This past Saturday was a rare day off for me from my hectic band schedule, so brewslut and I decided to head north to visit a few brewpubs before taking my mom out for an early Mother's Day dinner at Ghezzi's, just outside my hometown of Shamokin, PA in nearby Paxinos.  (Not much of a beer menu, by the way, but they have a great wine list and some solid food.)  We had wanted to take her to The Inn at Turkey Hill in Bloomsburg, but with Bloomsburg University's graduation, they were all booked up.  I was also anxious to check out the new brewpub at Turkey Hill, but alas it would have to wait until another time. 

Our first stop was our favorite, Selin's Grove, where we had a quick lunch and a beer.  I said to brewslut when we were leaving that it was probably our quickest visit to SGB ever.  I think we were there for about 45 minutes!  I opted for the BYO (Build Your Own) Sandwich, which turned out to be a hummus wrap with an assortment of veggies.  They also make some amazing soups, and this week was no exception - a Thai spiced coconut milk soup with Asian veggies and shrimp.  Yum!  Brewslut got her usual vegetarian chili and curry chicken salad salad.  No, I didn't stutter... it's a chicken salad SALAD.  Surprisingly, the tap selection was a little less than stellar during this particular visit, although the IPA was on, so I was happy.  Brewslut got the Snake Drive Stout, which is a dry Irish stout with a bold, robust roasty flavor.  We landed at an odd time, so were were able to get a seat at the coveted bar area, which has been a challenge on most of our recent visits, as this places seems to get busier with each visit.  Bobbi, our waitress, indicated that a Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale would be coming on the hand pump very soon, perhaps as early as Wednesday, May 11th.  Looks like another trip is in order, especially since we missed out on the Owen's Russian Imperial Stout event last Friday, much to my disappointment.

Our next stop was River House, just across the river between Lewistown and Milton.  During our first visit there a few months back, I really enjoyed the Vanilla Latte Stout.  This time around, they didn't have it on, but they did have several other seasonals and rotating taps that were not on last time, including Nitro Blaster IPA (a nitro dispensed IPA) and a new pale ale called Hopscape.  I had both aforementioned beers as well as the Buggytown Red (an Irish Red), which I shared with brewslut.  She also opted for the Canal Porter.  We had a pleasant conversation with Ron, the bartender, and he informed me of a possible beer and music festival to be held in late July or early August.  I gave him a laundry list of band contact info for my various musical endeavors.  You can check out my reviews for these and other River House brews on my BA profile.  Click below for reviews of the beers I sampled on this particular visit.

Nitro Blaster IPA
Hopscale Pale Ale
Buggytown Red

We had wanted to hit Marley's and the brand new Inn at Turkey Hill as well, but we discovered that Bloomsburg University's graduation was happening, so we decided to avoid the crowds of parents and recent grads likely heading to both places in droves to celebrate their entrance into the real world.  We had planned on visiting Berwick Brewing Co. as well, but decided the drive was too far to make it back to Shamokin in time for dinner.

So, we made the short drive from Lewisburg to Danville and stopped in to Old Forge Brewing Co. for a quick "beer and a half".  Located right downtown on Mill Street, Old Forge is a relatively small brewpub that really packs a lot into a small space.  With that said, they do have an upstairs seating area and bar as well as an outside patio area (also upstairs) for additional seating.  I really like the decor at Old Forge.  Everything from their mug club mugs and serve ware to their tap handles were crafted by local artisans, giving the atmosphere a very local, DIY vibe.  I thought the carousel mug club display attached to the main bar was really unique and well-done.

During our hour-long visit, I enjoyed a goblet of Slightly Rood, a Belgian-style pale ale, as well as my favorite beer on their roster, Slack Tub Stout, which I shared with brewslut.  The Slack Tub is worth a visit to Old Forge alone.  It's not a monster Imperial Stout or anything like that.  Instead, it's a nice, low ABV dry Irish stout with a flavorful roasty malt character and touch of hop bitterness.  Their Petey's Porter is also solid, although it wasn't on tap during our visit.  Check out some of my reviews of Old Forge's beers below.

Slightly Rood (from this visit)
Slack Tub Stout (from a past visit)

Stay tuned for next episode, which will include a recap of recent trips to Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks, Turkey Hill Brewpub & Grille and much more!