Texas Road Trip: Day 1 - You got your Tennessee in my Virginia!

The time had come. 

Yes indeed, it was time to make a serious dent into our brewery bucket list. In recent years, our long-time beer friends Deuane and Carolyn had inspired us to visit at least one brewery in each of the fifty states. Several years ago, they stuck a fork in their list with a trip to Alaska for a premier barleywine festival. (Note to self: must add that to our list!) In looking at our own list of brewery visits (yes, I keep track of them all via an Excel spreadsheet), I realized that we were just over the halfway mark, with 26 states under our belt. Not too shabby, right? Of course, the number of breweries we'd visited since we began our beer travels a decade or so ago was well over 800. Nevertheless, we knew we still had a lot of ground to cover if we wanted to hit our goal before we get too old and senile to travel. 

So, after a year-and-then-some of being cooped up in the house (thanks, 'Rona), we felt it was time for a road trip of epic proportions. We'd been wanting to get to Texas to visit Ingenious Brewing Company for the last three years, and we decided that this was the year to do it. Originally, we'd planned on flying down for a few days, staying with our friend and Ingenious mastermind, Justin, and hitting up some breweries in the greater Houston area. However, in light of all the issues with traveling and airlines in general (thanks again, 'Rona), we decided to bite the bullet and drive the 1500-odd miles (one way, mind you!) to Texas and bypass all those meddling airlines. I mean, we already had driven to Minnesota to visit the Twin Cities a few years back. What was another 4 hours? We could do it. Actually, I could do it, as Brewslut wasn't behind the wheel for even one mile of the trip. Although we did Uber around Houston with Justin for a day, it was all me, baby. 

First, a little backstory on how we became friends with Justin, proprietor of Ingenious Brewing. 

We met Justin over a decade ago at the good ol' Brass Rail Deli, where Brewslut used to work part-time. Back then, he was in the process of completing his residency at Hershey Medical Center and he eventually came to be known as "Dick Doc." After all, he was studying to become a urologist. Over time, he became part of our extended beer family, inviting each other to tastings and other events like Imminent Liquidation and Ffej of July. He'd also been homebrewing with a fellow medical colleague, Mike (ask Brewslut about him), and they would share their creations with us when Justin hosted a tasting night. I specifically remember one evening when they had six different beers on their makeshift tap system (essentially a converted chest freezer). I tried all of them, and they were fantastic. I said something to the effect of, "Man, you guys should open a brewery. These are all better than most of the beers the new breweries are making around here." I wasn't blowing smoke, either. They were legitimately fantastic. I remember one Imperial Stout they brewed that was inspired by Westbrook's Mexican Cake, with chocolate, cinnamon and peppers. It was off the hook! Justin's goal was to land his dream "dick doc" gig in his home state of Texas and open a brewery, where at the time there really wasn't much going on craft beer-wise. 

Well, turns out that's what happened. Fast forward three years, and the brewery is crushing it in the Houston area and the surrounding region. As if getting to hang with Justin wasn't enough, our old pal Nate, who'd worked at Pizza Boy for a few years and was part of our extended beer family, had recently moved to Houston to take a job at Ingenious too. So we got to do a bit of double-dipping. 

I started working on our itinerary months in advance, first sketching out a general travel route with a laundry list of brewery options along the way. After a few weeks of piecing the puzzle together, it was already starting to look like an ambitious undertaking to say the least. After several weeks of tweaking and seeking the advice of a few well-traveled beer friends (thanks Deuane, Uncle Jedi and Cornelia!), we landed on a firm itinerary that would have us traverse a grand total of eight states (nine if you count the northwestern tip of Georgia), six of which were uncharted Pour Travelers territory. (Technically, the grand total is ten, because I left out Pennsylvania, our home state.) That's a lot of miles to cover in eleven days. So, I assumed about seven to eight hours of driving for each of the first three days with several brewery stops along the way. Our goal was to leave on Friday morning and make it to Texas by Tuesday afternoon. (Hint: we achieved our goal.) 

Day 1: Home > Roanoke, VA > Abingdon, VA > Bristol, TN/VA

So, let's begin at the top with Day 1, which began with a lengthy drive from Annville, PA, to Roanoke, VA, for our first afternoon of the trip. 

Inside Roanoke's Golden Cactus Brewing.

I firmly believe that the first brewery we visit sets the tone of the whole trip. If we have a great experience, it tends to be a good omen for what's to come. I absolutely loved Golden Cactus. The atmosphere of this place transported me directly to San Diego. Once we discovered there was a legit taco restaurant a block away, it really felt like Ocean Beach. 

The spacious brewery occupies the old Nehi soft drink factory, a company that produced fruit-flavored sodas in the first half of the 20th century and changed its name to Royal Crown (RC Cola, anyone?) in 1955. After clearing out the factory's interior, the folks at Golden Cactus brought in some talented Interior Design students from Virginia Tech, who transformed the utilitarian warehouse into a magnificent brewery and tasting room. 

Another interior shot of Golden Cactus Brewing.

As I meandered around the spacious tasting room to snap a few photos, I discovered a small koelschip (or coolship for all you yanks) behind the bar area. Although it was empty, I was surprised to find one at such a small brewery. If you're not in the know, a koelschip is a broad, flat, open-top vessel used to cool wort. Oftentimes, it is used to inoculate wort naturally. As it cools, a variety of airborne particles, bacteria, microflora and other "funk" in the air float in, allowing the beer to ferment spontaneously and capturing the terroir of a specific region. It's quite rare to stumble across this piece of brewing equipment at a brewery. Two that immediately come to mind are Allagash and Pen Druid. Sadly, the current tap list didn't feature any beers utilizing this process.

Koelschip at Golden Cactus.

We ordered our inaugural beers of the trip and I placed an on-line order with Tuco's Taqueria Garaje, which was just a block away. We hadn't eaten yet, and it's never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach. About fifteen minutes later, I returned with a variety of delicious tacos that paired fantastically well with our beers. First up was a farmhouse-style Saison called Thistle brewed with agave and Saaz hops. Sweet, citrusy and slightly spicy, this beer really hit the spot and worked well with my shrimp tacos. 

Pleeps loving life!

I followed it up with another enjoyable beer, Pils R Güd, a dry-hopped Italian Pilsner. So, what exactly qualifies a pilsner as "Italian"? Well, it obviously has its origins in Italy, but the style was popularized by one of my favorite American breweries, Firestone Walker. But before it gained some momentum in the states, the style began its life back in 1996 as a failed attempt by a brewer at Birrificio Italiano to brew a traditional German pilsner. It's an intriguing story, and if you'd like to go down that rabbit hole, check out this great article from Hop Culture. 

Cool painted bar at Golden Cactus.

All in all, this was an amazing first stop on the trip. The beers were definitely up to snuff, the ambiance was right up our alley, and the woman tending bar was friendly and talkative. Golden Cactus even has a "brewery dog," although I can't remember her name. She was a sweetie, though, and we gave her some tortilla chips for being so well-behaved. So needless to say this place is very dog-friendly, for those of you who travel with your puppers. What a great start to our trip! 

Careful not to get pricked, Pleeps!

Diagonally across the street from Golden Cactus is Big Lick. We didn't even have to find a new parking spot. How convenient! Touting itself as Roanoke's first microbrewery, Big Lick opened its doors in September 2014. The spacious location houses a 15-bbl brewhouse, tasting room, and - at more than 6,000 sq. ft. - the largest permanent beer garden in the area. We're more indoor types, so we opted to sit inside and scope the place out. 

Outside Big Lick Brewing

Inside, the Tasting Room sits atop the brewhouse, so you can peek down and check out what the brewers are doing while you sip your beer. (HINT: They're either brewing or cleaning.) Accented with lots of natural wood and black railing, it's a clean, modern space that's casual and unpretentious. 

Conversely, inside Big Lick Brewing

Up first was a half pour of RND Coffee Stout. At first, I thought this was a small batch "R&D" (i.e. research and development) beer, but it turns out RND is the name of a local Roanoke coffee roaster. This tasty stout features a blend of Ethiopian and Tanzanian beans to impart hints of French roast, chocolate, and a spritz of citrus. It was a tad thin for my personal preference, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I rarely find a coffee stout that I don't like. 

Chillin' with Pleeps at Big Lick.

As I was perusing the beer menu for my next pour, I noticed another Italian Pilsner, which prompted my mind to announce quietly, "Look at that! Another Italian Pilsner on tap. Let's get that!" Peste Italian Pils is a crispy (that's becoming a buzz word descriptor for lagers these days) beer with a clean malt character and Euro hop flair. According to the beer description, "peste" translates to "naughty girl" in Italian.

Pleeps + beer = happy!

Of the three breweries we visited in Roanoke, the only one I knew about was A Few Old Goats. I'd actually never tried any of its beers, but I found out about this brewery after my friend Eric from Covered Bridge Brewhaus - knowing my affinity for goats - brought back a T-shirt for me from this brewery after one of his beer trips. I mean, I probably would have planned to visit anyway based solely on the name of the place. You know... GOATS!!! 

Located on the west end of downtown Roanoke, A Few Old Goats Brewing (AFOG) opened in 2018 on a small 2-barrel nano brewhouse. The 2,000-square-foot brewery is situated at the West Station Flats, a building that previously housed Roanoke's health department until 2016. Inside, the small brewery and adjoining tasting room featured - obviously - lots of sweet goat artwork, toys, wallpaper, and other decorations adorning the greatest of all animals. Clearly, the owners have a collective penchant for all things goat. Can you blame them? 

With just a handful of beers on tap, I decided to pull up my big boy pants and try a pair of higher gravity beers. First up was an Imperial Milk Stout called Collusive Resistance. Clocking in at a humble 8.5%, this beer boasts plenty of milk chocolate character with splashes of coffee and cream. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, I must say.

Goats really are the G.O.A.T.

BBA Big Red/Stuck On Stoopid Blend with Cinnamon - This sucker is a blend of AFOG's Big Red Riding Wood, an Imperial Red Ale, and Stuck on Stoopid, a 13% ABV American Barleywine. The addition of cinnamon tempers the boozy heat with a hint of sweet spice, but make no mistake: this is a mammoth beer! There's a lot going on here: sticky, resinous hops; dried stone fruit; a smack of bourbon with some cooling vanilla; and a touch of cinnamon. This one was quite tasty, and I enjoyed chatting with owner/brewer Ken (I think) about beer, music... you know, the usual. Turns out he and his wife got hooked on craft beer while living out in Cleveland (a pretty good beer city by my account), and migrated to Roanoke to open the brewery. All in all, this was a mighty fine visit. Between the beers, the conversation and - of course - the goat references and paraphernalia, this was a no-brainer stop for this goat lover. Turns out the beer was very good too, so that was an added bonus. 

Pleeps is always making new friends!

On the way to Bristol, where we'd be spending the night, we stopped at Wolf Hills, which was recommended by Uncle Jedi. This was kind of one of those "out in the middle of nowhere" places with a roadhouse (that's right, all you Swayze fans) vibe. I feel like we kind of got the hairy eyeball from at least a few its patrons, but the staff were friendly. It seems like one of those places that is always filled with locals, and passers-by are few and far between. So, we set up shop at a small table near one of the windowsills. 

Situated in Abingdon, VA, the brewery's namesake is derived from a reference Daniel Boone made about the land while hunting in this uncharted area. Local folklore suggests that Boone and one of his hunting companions spent a sleepless night along a hill after their dogs encountered a pack of wolves, which had a den in a nearby cave. There's wolves in them thar hills, indeed!

Outside Abingdon's Wolf Hills Brewing Co.

I kicked off with Flatpicker Pilsner, a clean, crisp, simple beer featuring pilsner malt, German Tradition hops, and lager yeast. I was already starting to see the writing on the wall; this was going to be the Summer of Pilsner. (Note to self: I need to do a final count of all the lagers consumed on this trip!) 

I followed up the pilsner with a pour of Blackstrap Pecan Porter. If I had a gun to my head and was asked to name my favorite type of cookie, I'd most likely blurt out molasses. I know it's not a favored flavor to most, but growing up in PA Dutch country with shoo fly pie helped solidity my love for molasses. In addition to using pecan extract, this porter features a hefty malt bill of honey malt, caramel 40, chocolate malt, and black patent, resulting in a rich, dark body. Northern Brewer hops add a tinge of earthy spiciness to balance the sweetness, while an addition of blackstrap molasses adds its signature blend of baked gingerbread cookies, brown sugar and a hint of smoke. As much as I love molasses, this one didn't really hit the "pastry" mark but the flavor was enjoyable. I was hoping for a beefier texture and fuller mouthfeel, but it came across as pretty thin overall. 

There's a wolf in them thar hills, Cletus!

My last beer at Wolf Hills was For Science! IPA, an experimental IPA focusing on low bitterness and sweeter flavors. The brewers often tinker with new and different hop varieties for research... you know, for science! They've featured such hops as Amarillo, Azeca, Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic but this beer is constantly in a state of evolution. This one came across as pretty light on the palate and drank like a session IPA. 

Nothing here knocked my socks off, but it seems like a great place that caters to locals, and I could see myself visiting once or twice a week if this was my watering hole option. The beers were all pretty solid overall.

After our stop at Wolf Hills, it was time to head a little further south to our first destination of the trip. Bristol, Virginia. Or is it Tennessee? Actually, it's both, because Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee, are twin cities. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. While I wouldn't call it a "destination," I chose it because the hotel prices are reasonable and there are three breweries in town... none of which were amazing by any stretch of the imagination... but more on that shortly.

Elderbrew... our first brewery in Tennessee.

We checked into our hotel and headed to Elderbrew, situated on the Tennessee side of town. We managed to score a parking spot about two blocks down the street. Touting itself as "Bristol, TN's first small-batch brewery," Elderbrew crafts its beers on a 1-bbl system. I mean, how much more nano can you get? The answer is none... none more nano. 

Tap handles at Elderbrew.

Inside, the vibe of this place is awesome... kind of like 60's psychedelia meets Victorian. Sadly, we encountered just one lone Enderbrew beer on tap to be had. Even worse was the fact that said beer was an Irish Red, one of my least favorite styles. Worse than that was the fact that I just didn't enjoy it at all. To be fair, this was Brewslut's choice; I opted for a guest tap, which I rarely do, always preferring to try a house beer. So I suppose that's a testament to how much I dislike Irish Red ales. This one (named Dalcassian) came across as a malt bomb with a harsh, almost astringent finish. I just wasn't digging it. Brewslut didn't seem to mind, though. The other beer we tried was the oddly named Manuscripts Don't Burn from Print Shop (more on them at the tail end of the trip). The beer is a margarita-inspired gose with hints of key lime, salt and orange peel. Slightly tart, light and refreshing, it was much more enjoyable than the Irish Red.

I'd hoped to spend a little more time at Elderbrew, but with no other house beers available, we decided to move on. (Editor's note: Elderbrew will turn up again later on in the story... but you're going to have to wait.)

Pleeps kicking one back at Elderbrew.

Next on the agenda was a stop at State Street, which is on the Virginia side of the tracks. It seems as though State Street is the "main drag" of Bristol, as there were lots of restaurants, shops and whatnot. 

Inside, the place is pretty huge and could actually double as a small music venue. There were maybe two or three other patrons occupying the tasting room when we arrived, which never bodes well for a brewery on a Friday evening. The atmosphere reminded me of an old-school brewpub that's been around for 15-20 years and stopped caring about 2-3 years in. You know those places; the ones who have been brewing same halfhearted red ale, brown ale, pale ale and fruited wheat beer since the dawn of time. There are plenty of those places around, and I can typically sniff them out. I didn't really have super high hopes for State Street - or any of the breweries in Bristol - in the first place, but I figured we might as well stop in for one while we were in town. To be fair, they have a really nice web site and have incorporated some fine photography and "beer porn." Turns out State Street just opened its doors in March 2019, so they'd only been around a little over two years by the time we'd visited. I wouldn't have guessed it. Hey, even I'm wrong from time to time. 

After securing a seat at the mostly vacant bar, I scoped out the draft list and settled on Barrel Aged Smoke Show, a bourbon barrel-aged smoked amber ale. This beer should have been called Barrel Aged Shit Show, because it was a hot mess. Actually, Brewslut loathed her beer. Mine was just... well, it was pretty undrinkable but I sucked it up because it was the first day of the trip. 

By this time, we were in dire need of sustenance, and after a few failed attempts of trying to procure some much-needed nourishment, we were left with little options. So off to the nearby Quaker Steak & Lube for dinner! We generally dislike eating at chain restaurants; not that the food is bad, but most of them employ this phony schtick (Chachi's from Office Space, anyone?) that rubs me the wrong way. The food was OK but I felt dirty. Sometimes you just have to suck it up when there are no other options available. 

After dinner, we made our way up the street to Cascade Draft House and in the process got caught in a heavy thunderstorm. I hadn't heard of this place, but while we were trying to find a place to eat, we wandered into this place because it seemed like they served food. No dice. The food truck out back was closed. On the way out, we noticed the tap selection boasted a wide variety of regional breweries with which we weren't familiar, many from Tennessee and Virginia. We decided to swing by for a quick one after dinner. It proved to be a great idea, because the bartender recommended Xül, which turned out to be a revelation... but more on that in Episode II. While we were at Cascade Draft House, I enjoyed an IPA from a brewery based out of Johnson City, TN, called Watauga Brewing Company. The beer, named Divine Rights, is a hazy NE-style IPA with plenty of citrusy and tropical notes. I couldn't find any details about this particular beer on Untappd or even the brewery's official website, but I recall enjoying it, which I more than I can say about the previous place we visited. 

We ended the night at Bristol Station, also on the Virginia side of the tracks. Situated inside the old Historical Bus Station in downtown Bristol, this brewery has allowed the history of the building to shine through. Before I knew the brewery used to be a bus station, I actually said to Brewslut, "Man, it feels like I'm waiting for a bus or a train." The brewery employs a 10-bbl system and brews primarily classic styles like pilsners, pale ales, porters, and even a rauchbier. Sadly, I didn't snap any pictures here because we were fully engaged with the customers. 

Our visit here started off with a drunk guy... scratch that, a fucking obliterated guy... singing the Celine Dion classic from Titanic (a movie I've never seen... it's true, and it's going on my tombstone as my epitaph... if I don't get cremated, that is), "My Heart Will Go On." It was epic, and I managed to grab a few seconds of it on video, which I shall cherish forever. After reveling in that unforgettable snapshot for about a minute (sadly, we only caught the tail end of this Grammy-worthy performance), it was time to focus on beer. 

Since it was our last stop of the night, I kept things light and ordered a glass of Bristol Helle Raiser, a Helles lager. The folks we encountered at Bristol Station likely did not follow suit, because everyone we encountered - save for the brewery staff - were well lubricated to the point that it was time for them all to go home. How they'd get home is another story. I spent the better part of half an hour chatting with a young Asian guy (probably in his early to mid-twenties) about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness... and also some woman (with whom I became Facebook friends but can't recall her name) that he wanted to take home, presumably for a good old-fashioned shag. I had just enough alcohol in my system to speak in a completely liberating fashion, and I'll admit that it was probably the highlight of our first day of the trip to me. It was one of those nights where you just had to be there. All in all, it was the perfect way to end the inaugural day of our trip. And with that, it was off to the hotel for some much-needed rest before another full day of travel, which would take us through Knoxville, TN, and onto Birmingham, AL. See you in the deep south. Until next time...

Into the Valley of Lehigh rode the Pour Travelers: Part II

Sunday wasn't quite as ambitious as the previous day, but we still managed to get in three new breweries and make some other stops along the way. We kicked the day off at The Proper in downtown Quakertown. I must admit that I don't really recall much about this place, and I had to visit its website to jog my memory. "Oh yeah, that place!" I must have been excited to go to the Quakertown Flea Market... or the "Dirt Mall," as Andria called it. Well, there was a pretty awesome record store situated in there amongst the tchotchkes and other assorted bric-à-brac vendors. If anything, the people-watching here was delightful, and rivals one of my other favorite locales - The Tower City Carnival - where we saw a shirtless, skinny white kid with a tattoo across his stomach, which spelled out "Thug Life" in a pretty dope hip-hop font. Anyway, I found a stack of Little River Band albums for a buck each. Have you heard about the lonesome loser? Nope, because I win! 

Anyway... beer. Unfortunately, I couldn't really dig up more details about any of these beers other than their styles. Here's what I samples while visiting...

• I'm Walking Home - hazy IPA
• You Can't Fix Stupid - American IPA
• Rosario - Mexican Lager

I'd like to say that these were somewhat enjoyable, since I had a few half pours... but who knows? I'm usually not this forgetful so early in a particular day, so perhaps the beers were lackluster. I guess I'll need to visit again to make a fair assessment. 

We also swung by a place called Sage Alley for a one-and-done. I remember sitting at the bar here, and the place was screaming with assorted Memorial Day decorations and other patriotic flair. I do, however, remember enjoying my pint of Wise Crack, a West Coast IPA dry-hopped with Azacca, Simcoe, and Mosiac hops for a big citrusl and floral punch with a fair amount of that dry bitterness that's a signature of the style. I'm fairly confident this one produced some tasty hop burps, something I really miss in a world overrun by hazy IPAs. 

However, my favorite of the day was probably Yergey. I had a feeling that Yergey was someone's name, and I was correct in my assumption. Owner and head brewer Jim Yergey is in fact a retired chemist who decided to open a brewery in Emmaus, PA, back in 2016. We decided to sit outside for our first round because the main tasting room was pretty full. 

I rarely gravitate toward Scotch ales, but I couldn't resist Wee Love Scotch. Once I saw that it featured a touch of peat-smoked malt in the grain bill, I was sold. Big and malty, this tasty ale boasts notes of dark caramel, toffee, stone fruit and, of course, peat. 

I followed up the enjoyable Scotch ale with a West Coast IPA called Runners Reward . Wow, back-to-back westies at two breweries! Hop forward with tropical fruit and subtle cedar notes, this complex IPA also features splashes of coconut and a tinge of pine resins, then finishes dry and bitter, as it should.

After a pleasant visit to Yergey, it was time to head back to basecamp for additional drinking and other assorted festivities. (Saj knows what I'm talkin' about.) We spun some of our new vinyl acquisitions and got a few more rounds of karaoke in before hitting the sack. Stick a fork in another memorable Memorial Day weekend!

But that's not all, folks! 

On Monday, we realized we were pretty close to one of Freewill Brewing's tap rooms, but when we arrived we realized we'd miscalculated their hours and were over an hour early. D'oh! So we decided to head to nearby Round Guys, a brewery that's been around for close to a decade and we'd still hadn't visited. Back when they opened in 2013, one of the brewery's flagship beers was a Berliner Weisse (still is, actually). This was still a relatively unknown style to many beer-drinking folks. We'd stumbled upon this style a few years earlier while visiting Nodding Head in Philadelphia, a brewery generally credited to reviving the style in the U.S. Brewslut in particular immediately took a liking to this style and it has since become a favorite of hers, if not her absolute favorite beer style. We'd actually had Round Guys Berliner and, truth be told, we weren't too jazzed with it. With that said, we decided to test the waters with some other styles, so I opted for a flight of four beers across a broad spectrum of styles. Here's the lowdown:

• Desert Cruiser - German pilsner. Simple enough. 
• Professor Booty - NEIPA. Aaaaah, Professor... what's another word for pirate treasure? Four out of five professors say, "Well, I think it's booty!" 
• Rebirth of Cool - Collaboration with Back Yard Beans featuring Punch in the face Cold Brew Coffee blended with Round Guy's Russian Messenger Stout. "Messenger" stout? That's the first time I've heard of that descriptor for a stout. Must be some sort of Russian traitor. 
• Pagan Poetry - Quad aged in mead barrels. Rich, smooth, and dangerous. Hopefully that's a reference to the Bjork song of the same name. 

Nothing really stood out to me as above average, so we just stuck with our initial flights and hit the rocky road. Still, it was cool to get to Round Guys after so many years. Put another notch on my lipstick case, right? 

On the way home, we decided to hit up Collusion at its new site in Lititz. Easily my favorite brewery in York, PA, I'm glad they opened a new taproom half an hour closer to home. The new site is pretty bitchin'. While it doesn't have the same charm as the original site, I like the multi-level vibe of the Lititz spot. Plus it's got a stage in there, which I will hopefully grace with one of my various musical projects one of these days. 

Sniffing out some hops from down under, I opted first for a pour of Half Nelson, a pale ale with Nelson hops. Collusion generally does justice to hoppy beers, and this one didn't disappoint. I love the white wine fruitiness of this particular hop varietal, even though I'm a dry red wine guy all the way. Still, I think this flavor works well in the contest of beer more than wine, so hooray for Nelson. 

Up next was a hazy IPA called Been Jammin' that's hopped with Sabro incognito, HBC 586 and a touch of Eukanot and benefits from the addition of pineapple puree as well as toasted and also raw shredded coconut for a tropical twist. So, we've got lots going on with hops here, including the use of the newfangled "incognito" hops. If you're new to the blog, you might have missed my hop lesson during an earlier post. Essentially, it's an all-natural hop flavor product specifically designed to be used in the whirlpool. In other words, it delivers the impactful, variety-specific flavor outcomes brewers want, but without the process loss. So you lose unwanted vegetal flavors and gain the essential hoppy goodness of a particular hop variety. 

We finished up with a shared pour of a Lemon Lime Cheesecake iteration of Collusion's house DIPA, Homunculus. This was pretty God damned awesome, if you ask me. Even if you don't ask me, I'll tell you. I can't recall having too many "cheesecake" inspired beers in the past, but this one gets an A for effort... and flavor! Nicely done.

Well, that about wraps things up, doesn't it? All in all, it was a more-than-enjoyable long weekend in Lehigh Valley with some old friends, plenty of beer, and some other assorted shenanigans as well. We're already looking forward to another weekend at Joe and Andria's pad. Until next time...

Into the Valley of Lehigh rode the Pour Travelers: Part I

During the bulk of my COVID-19 lockdown, I reconnected with two old friends I hadn't spent much time with for the past decade. It's a peculiar conundrum one experiences as one gets older, whereby the passage of time seems to churn in blocks of 10 years rather than a single year. For the most part, the 2000s have been a complete blur. To me, the years between 1989 and 1999 seem far more elastic than 2000 to the present. Sorry to get all philosophical in the midst of a new beer blog, but I felt I had to bring that up. 

With that said, it had certainly been a while since I spent a considerable chunk of time with two of my oldest friends. Joe, whom I'd known since 9th grade, had been a close friend during high school, college, and that odd early twenties phase where we hang out in his tiny apartment and drank a lot. He also played guitar in my first original band, Blather's Kite (I still love that name), and is currently living in the Lehigh Valley while making a living as a professional musician. 

I met Saj my freshman year of college while attending Penn State Berks Campus. I walked past him in the library when I was wearing a one-of-a-kind handmade Rush T-shirt and the rest is history. The story of our friendship is just one example of many throughout my life that is a direct result of being a Rush fan. Saj has also been getting into craft beer lately, though he's one of those guys that just buys a bunch of crazy shit on Drizly, whereas I prefer visiting breweries. So this may have been his first legitimate "brewery tour" or whatever you care to call it. 

So, how did we reconnect with each other? Back in the early onset of COVID, Joe invited me to participate in a Zoom call with a bunch of old friends and acquaintances from our hometown of Shamokin. Saj (though not from Shamokin) was also on the call, and we enjoyed playing Joe's warped version of Hollywood Squares. Aside from that, we just cracked a few beers and caught up and reminisced about old times. So if there's a silver lining among all of this COVID nonsense, it was re-establishing a friendship with these two moes. Thanks 'Rona... except I'm serious this time. 

Without going into too much detail, I'll just leave it at this: We had all gotten into beer at some point during our lives, and we decided to form a band called Sea Donkey. (The story behind that would require its own lengthy blog post.) Saj thought the name was so funny that he got shirts made for us all to wear with pride. Since we already had merch, we figured the next logical step was to try and write a few songs. Our goal was to put together a set to perform at my annual Ffej of July music and beer backyard extravaganza. So, we felt a weekend hang was in order. Joe and his wife Andria graciously offered to have us spend the long Memorial Day weekend at their lovely 18th Century farmhouse in Lehigh Valley. In the time leading up to our visit, I put together a list of possible breweries to visit and conferred with Joe and Andria on the geography of it all. 

We arrived on Friday and decided that we'd do dinner at the house, then set up and jam, leaving Saturday and Sunday open for brewery hopping and other adventures. (In the essence of time, I'll leave out most of our extracurricular activities, which included visits to antique shops, music stores, a "dirt mall," karaoke, awesome burritos, jam sessions, etc. and just stick to beer.)

First up on Saturday was a stop at McCall Collective. For now, it was the four of us minus Andria, who had to catch up on some work. A fairly small brewery, this place reminded me of a corner deli for some reason. It just had that particular vibe. But instead of hoagies, they have beer. I was excited to see a schwarzbier on tap, so I kicked off the day with LV Gehts. By now I'm sure you know that "schwarzbier" translates to "black lager" in German. A traditional style with notes of chocolate and coffee, it comes across as crisp and clean due to being lagered for over 4 weeks.

I decided a second beer was in order, and something called Bee Kind piqued my curiosity. Brewed to pay homage to "our fuzzy, flying friends," this beer boasts 60 pounds of locally sourced honey as well as honey malt in the grain bill. Belgian farmhouse ale yeast ties in a layer of bubblegum and clove,  while Nelson Sauvin hops add traces of white wine and mango. I rarely pass over a beer featuring Nelson hops, and this one was pretty solid all around. 

Our next stop took us to Nazareth, home of Martin Guitars, for a stop at Birthright. Opened in March 2018 at the old Nazareth Run Inn building, Birthright offers a constantly rotating tap list of fresh beer with a complementary menu featuring wood-fired pizzas and more in a space that is equal parts rustic and industrial. Decorated with lots of natural wood, concrete floors, metal accents - including mammoth saw blades sourced from a Kutztown mill used as communal tabletops - this place felt like a pizza parlor with a brewery. Pizza and beer... two of my favorite things! 

If I had to pick a favorite brewery from this weekend, I'd most likely put this place at the top of the list. Joe and Saj had a quick one before heading down the street to a guitar shop to ogle over some vintage axes, while Brewslut and I stuck around to dig into Birthright's tap selection.

I kicked off our session with Natural Mystic, a New England IPA. I couldn't really find any specific details on this beer, but I do know it was named after a Bob Marley song. I remember this one being quite good, so given the Bob Marley reference I'm sure this one was rife with plenty of dank cannabis and tropical notes with a hint of island reggae. Jammin'! 

Although I don't eat pork anymore, my one caveat is that when I see a beer brewed with bacon, I allow myself to partake in the festivities. Birthright has one such beer, and it's called The Aftermath . Dubbed a "Bacon Breakfast Stout," this smoky, malty, coffee-forward treat is aged in Social Still bourbon barrels. According to Birthright's Instagram channel, they actually used pork belly rather than bacon. The beer itself is smoky, meaty and chewy, but not as think as you'd imaging. Clocking in at under 7% ABV, it's not your typical viscous imperial stout. It's smooth like a traditional oatmeal stout with hints of caramel, coffee, chocolate and smoked meat. 

I finished up with a pour of Multiple Personalities, a double dry-hopped DIPA with Mosaic, Citra and El Dorado. Aptly named given its versatile hop combo, this beer was heavy on tropical notes but soft and pillowy, and certainly easy to drink. 

While I didn't have this beer until later, Brewslut was raving about Da Bomb Pop, a Berliner Weisse brewed with cherry, lemon and blue raspberries. If Kool-Aid was beer, this would probably be it (although I prefer Hi-C). Oh yeah?! Oh yeah! This was definitely her favorite beer of the trip, and she bought a crowler of this to enjoy at home, which is how I had it. I agree... it was, indeed, da bomb!

Lost Tavern is another place we enjoyed very much and had ample time to dig into its beers and enjoy the atmosphere. A local musician was playing a variety of popular songs on solo acoustic guitar, which provided an enjoyable setting and background ambiance. While the brewery's vibe is rustic and steeped in tradition, the beers are fresh and forward-thinking. 

The brewery's motto is: "Honor the Past. Craft the Future." Its story begins in Hellertown, PA, when in the 1740s Dutch settlers arrived and established a small community, with one of its first buildings being a tavern. It was common for colonists to brew beer, and taverns were generally at the epicenter of these small colonies. Over the course of time, the exact location of Hellertown's tavern had been forgotten and its details of its whereabouts is somewhat ambiguous; hence the name of this small, colonial-inspired brewery. Gone is the original tavern but not the importance of sharing a beer with a fellow neighbor. That's where this brewery fits into Hellertown's story. 

The beer list offered quite a variety of styles and flavors, so we opted for several half pours. First up was 6:10 AMber, a coffee-infused amber ale brewed with locally sourced coffee. The rich coffee notes complement the toasty malt flavors and subtle fruitiness, akin to a cup of morning coffee with some toast and jam on the side. 

Brewslut decided on Adult Coloring Can, a big-bodied sour ale meant to mimic a dessert cobbler. Brewed with milk sugar and conditioned on blueberry, blackberry and a touch of lemon, this flavorful and nuanced ale also includes cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar to sweeten the pot. 

Of course, I had to try one of its IPAs, so in comes Not a Game, New England-style Triple IPA dry hopped with Galaxy, Sultana, and Citra for intense notes of candied peach rings and tropical fruit cocktail.

We ended with one of our favorite styles, a Mexican Stout called Fiesta Mole. Touted as an Imperial Mexican Hot Chocolate-inspired Dessert Stout, this rich, frothy treat was brewed with a grain bill of midnight wheat, caramel malt and flaked oats. Cold-conditioned on chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and ancho chili peppers, this intense beer offers sweet notes of hot cocoa, cinnamon spice and mild chili heat, finishing with a cool wash of smooth vanilla. All in all, no complaints here. I enjoyed our visit here very much.

Our next stop, Bonn Place, is one of Joe and Andria's local favorites. After visiting, I definitely concur. Every town needs a place like this. Inside, it was bustling with happy patrons throwing down a few pints. The vibe was part roadhouse, part saloon and part arts-and-crafts workshop (you can't help but notice the large chalkboard mural that adorns a large chunk of one of the walls). The time of our visit coincided with the highpoint of the day for me, meaning I was in a perfect frame of mind and my liver was adequately lubricated. The ambiance at Bonn Place is conducive to kicking back with a few beers and enjoying some great conversation with friends. In terms of the latter, you never know what you're gonna get when you put Saj, Joe and I in a room together. I'll just leave it to the imagination. Case in point... Sea Donkey.

First up at Bonn Place was a pale lager with a twist. A Helles Mosaic features two-row pale malt and Mosaic hops exclusively. Think of it as a SMASH lager. I love me a good Helles, and this one straddles the line between crisp lager and hoppy ale. Overall, this beer provided a solid first impression. Sign me up for a second beer! 

Joe and Andria said that I couldn't leave without trying Mooey, a light, easy-drinking pub ale that is Bonn's flagship of sorts. The beer promises notes of biscuit, toffee, and sexual desires. Now that's a winning combination! This was kind of like a craft version of Boddington's with a slightly elevated flavor profile and the same smooth nitro finish... you know how we do!

We ended our Saturday brewery hop with a stop at Hop Hill, a small brewery that's been around since 2017. There was a pretty awesome musical duo performing on this particular night, and a quick scan of Hop Hill's Facebook page confirmed that it was Skylar Love, a female acoustic guitarist/vocalist accompanied by a dude playing electronic drums. While the beer here was solid (from what I can remember), I think I was more into the music. By this time of day (night), I was feeling good vibes and was drawn more to the tunes than the beer. 

But beer is why were here, and I opted for a pour of a fruited ale called Beach Bum. Featuring the winning combination of pineapple and coconut, this beer was enjoyable and transported me to a small tropical island somewhere in the Pacific. 

I followed this up with the awesomely named Skadoosh, a West Coast hazy IPA hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, and Azacca. Wait, what?! West Coast and hazy don't belong in the same sentence, unless you're saying something to the effect of, "West Coast IPAs are far superior to hazy IPAs." Then it's OK. Seriously, by now it was a good time to head back to the homestead for more shenanigans, as Brewslut and I particularly were well lubricated and feeling no pain. 

But wait! There's more to come. Join us next time for the conclusion of our jaunt to Lehigh Valley. Until next time...

Cape May - Part II: Last of the Summer Barleywine

I knew it was going to be a long day on Saturday. However, the clock had a different story to tell. Turns out, both Doug and I were out of commission by 9 p.m. I've said it before and I'll say it again: having a DD is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you don't have to drive, so you can drink as much as you want. On the other hand, you can drink as much as you want. Actually, you can drink more than that. As a matter of mathematical fact, the amount you drink when a DD is in tow is directly proportional to the amount of beer it takes for one to be crowned "Drunkie McGee" at my annual Ffej of July festival. I'm sure the equation would look way more complicated than the Quadratic Formula, but you get the gist. I think the appropriate measurement is a metric shit-ton. Scratch that. I ain't moving no decimal points. It was an English shit-ton plus a hefty amount of pood (or even more so, funt) if we're talking antiquated units of weight measurement. I don't even want to get into how many slugs that would be, so we'll just stick to the good ol', tried-and-true shit-ton. 

Ceiling at Avalon Brew Pub

First up on our agenda was a stop at Avalon Brew Pub. This place had lots of beach charm and looked inviting, but it also reeked (or perhaps I just caught a slight waft) of tourist trap. Well, maybe not a "trap" per se, but it definitely had that "chain brewpub" feel based on the names and styles of its available beers. The brewpub offers a slightly more upscale menu compared to most similar breweries and produces five different house beers and one rotating release. I decided a flight was in order so as to test the waters. Here's the scoop: 

• Chill Pils - Brewed in the tradition of a classic Bohemian style pale lager.
• Belgian Beach Bum - wheat beer with hints of bubblegum, clove and banana.
• Cooler by a Mile - Session IPA with a hint of citrus.
• We Don't Play - "true" West Coast style IPA with a very deep malt base and notes of citrus.

Pleeps and a paddle.

As anticipated, nothing here really struck me as anything but average, so I felt a second round wasn't in order. Some of the others in the group liked the West Coast IPA, but I wasn't having it. Brewslut was in the same boat if I remember correctly. Still, it was a nice, clean place with good service and a suitable first stop of the day. 

Up next was a brewery I'd wanted to visit for the last 5+ years. Cape May Brewing had somehow eluded us for many years. I remember the days of visiting a brewery within the first month of its grand opening; sometimes even within days. Well, it took us a decade to finally get to Cape May, as it opened its doors back in 2011. Better late than never, right? Plus we'd heard good things from many friends who had visited Cape May, so I had high hopes for a fine experience. 

Inside Cape May Brewing Company

I kicked off our session with a half pour of a beer called Cococabana. Brewed with Sultana and Cashmere hops and weighing in at 5.8% ABV, this pale ale boasts house-toasted coconut for a gentle and silky-smooth mouthfeel, with an enticing aroma showcasing the tropical notes of the hops. This beer was absolutely delicious and I wish I'd ordered a full pour. 

Up next was Summa Down Unda, a "crusher" of a pale ale brewed with wheat and copious amounts of Citra and Motueka (the latter a new-ish variety from New Zealand). They finish this one off with a hint of Kiwi juice (a good choice of fruit if you know anyone from New Zealand). This one was pretty light and refreshing but in retrospect, I probably should have drank this one first because it paled in comparison to Cococabana. Not that it was a lesser beer; it just wasn't as flavorful. Ok, I guess it was the lesser beer.  

Sing it, Pleeps! "...at the Coco, Cococabana!"

Time for another half pour, so in comes Sea Chest, a NEIPA brewed with a hefty malt bill of Golden Promise, honey malt, flaked rye, flaked oats, and flaked wheat to give this beer its haze for daze! This one is dry-hopped with Cashmere, Motueka, and Sultana to churn out notes of pineapple, lime, coconut, and orange sherbet. This one was enjoyable as well but still fell short of Cococabana, in my humble opinion. That beer set a pretty high bar for Cape May, unfortunately. 

Lastly, Brewslut and I shared a pour of Chocolate-covered Strawberry Milkshake IPA. This decadent IPA attempts to mimic chocolate-covered strawberries to create a sweet, luxurious flavor profile. Brewed with a generous helping of sweet milk sugar, this IPA is then conditioned on strawberry juice and Madagascar vanilla beans to sweeten the pot even more. Another enjoyable beer from Cape May, bringing the total to four. All in all, it was a great first visit. Pleeps concurs. 

How about Pleeps' new blue mask for the beach?

Over to Cold Spring next, which - according to its website - is New Jersey's first non-profit microbrewery. All profits from beer sales at the brewery support the Historic Cold Spring Village Foundation, a non-profit living history museum. While it was one of the coolest places of the day as far as ambiance - as well as one of the most packed places we visited - I'd heard the beers were less than stellar. Still, I really enjoyed the colonial vibe of this place, and it's great to see a small brewery giving back to the community. Inside, the tasting room is situated in a rustic barn with high beamed ceilings and plenty of wood. Outside, the beer garden was bustling with people; good for me, because it wasn't shady and I opted to sit inside, where there was a nice breeze blowing through the open barn doors. 

The colonial-inspired Cold Spring Brewery

Upon perusing the beer list, I noticed a beer called Beer That Built the House, a robust porter brewed with local fudge in collaboration with a laundry list of Cape May County breweries (apparently all of 'em). The chocolately richness of the fudge really came through in this beer, and it was easily the best beer sampled by our group. Even cooler was the fact that sales of this beer supported Cape May County's Habitat for Humanity. Giddyup!

The Beer That Pleeps Drank

This next place on our agenda, Gusto, gets a gold star. Touted as "NJ's Southernmost Brewery & Taproom," this brewery was one of the more memorable stops of the day. When we arrived, the inside was pretty packed so we set up shop on the wrap-around patio next to a few loud-ass people (in Jersey? No waaaaay)! I suppose it's fitting to sit outside once in a while whilst visiting the beach. 

The beer I ordered, named Amigos in High Places, proved to be quite memorable and a favorite of the day. A soft yet substantially textured Imperial Stout, the backbone of this beer boasts green coffee from Puerto Rico’s Hacienda Tres Ángeles. Featuring Maris Otter malt from the UK as well as lots of specialty malts, the folks at Gusto teamed up with their friends at the local Out There Coffee to source some freshly-landed beans processed to medium-roasted perfection. This enjoyable stout is reminiscent of milk chocolate, caramel, and - of course - coffee. Good stuff all around! 

Pleeps has lots of Amigos in High Places!

By now, I was experiencing a pretty heady mid-afternoon haze after visiting four breweries. Of course, you know how we roll. This marked the halfway point of the day, so there was plenty more drinking to be had... especially for Doug and I. Enter 7 Mile. If memory serves me, this was one of the places Brewslut enjoyed during her inaugural "girls' weekend" at the beach house. A relatively newcomer on the NJ scene, 7 Mile has been around for five years and fits in well with the beach vibe of the area. 

I sampled two beers here, which makes me think that Brewslut and I shared full pours. The first one, New White Bronco, is an American style Hazy IPA brewed with wheat and loaded with fruity and candy-like hops. This was a pleasant beer with the softness of a NEIPA but a decent hop punch. I'm not sure what hop varieties are used in this beer, but it came across as citrusy with a hint of tropical fruit and floral perfume. 

Pleeps is goin' all OJ on this one!

The other beer, 7MIPA, is known as the little brother of one of 7 Mile's standard offerings called 7 Suns. This session strength version displays a balance of fruity, citrusy, and resinous hop flavors with a light mouthfeel and touch of bitterness. 

Up next was Coho Brewing. Situated in Cape May Court House (yes, that's what the town is called), the name COHO is derived not only from its location (COurt HOuse) but also as a homage to the judicial theme of the brewery itself. Even the beer names feature some clever and amusing legal jargon. 

In keeping with the theme, may I present Exhibit A: Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, a ginger ale brewed with Jamaican allspice and aged on rum-soaked staves. This sounded like a fun diversion from all of the IPAs and fruit beers most of the other breweries were offering. This one wasn't as woody as I was expecting, but the booziness of the rum was pretty heavy-handed. Same with the spices, which really pushed their way to the forefront once the boozy heat subsided a bit. 

Our next witness was Chalk Outline, a dry, slightly funky Farmhouse Ale aged on juniper berries. I've been digging gin barrel-aged beers for a while, and will typically order one when I come across one in our travels. While this wasn't barrel-aged, I thought the juniper berries might give it a gin-like character. If I recall, I believe I preferred this one over my previous selection. Regardless, it was cool to visit a place doing something a little different than most of the other places we visited. It's always nice to come across a brewery that digs experimentation. 

Pleeps is never guilty of being lame.

You'd think that we'd slow down by the time we got to our second-to-last brewery of the day, Slack Tide. Nope. Upon perusing the beer board, I noticed a barleywine; a style for which both Doug and I share an affinity. I can sometimes be a bad influence on friends, especially when it comes to beer. This was one of those times. "Look," I said to Doug. "They have a barrel-aged barleywine on tap!" His wife, Lynn, gently urged him not to partake. "I don't think you should order that, Doug." But there I was, the proverbial devil on his shoulder opposite Lynn's more reasonable angel. Of course, the devil will always bitchslap the angel and send him or her packing. So it was because of this scene that this portion of the blog was named "Last of the Summer Barleywine." I need to give credit where credit is due, though. It was, in fact, Darin who coined that phrase, which seemed to sum up this beer-soaked day perfectly and might I add quite poignantly. Well done, my hetero life-mate. 

And here comes the barleywine... and another rummy beer to add to our laundry list. Doug and I ordered pours of Rum Barrel Aged Brew of '62, a traditional barleywine aged in Jamaican rum barrels. The aging process coaxed flavors of tangy rum, vanilla and light spice, giving the beer a smooth sweetness despite its high ABV of 13%. Yup, there's no turning back now. We'd officially now gone off the deep end. 

Taps at Slack Tide.

I opted for another farmhouse ale with Shore Break. This one is brewed with sweet orange peel and a Belgian yeast strain - then dry-hopped - to elicit a crisp, sweet and citrusy flavor. But that's not all! The beer is then aged and re-fermented in Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces for more than a year to bring out even more complex notes of fruit and funk. 

A third beer? Um, sure why not! Here comes Jacob Jones. Originally called Tackle Box #4, this DIPA utilized Kveik yeast, which ferments at very high temperatures. Additionally, this type of yeast strain also helps to accentuate the tropical flavors of the hops used in this particular beer. The beer gets its name after a WWII destroyer dubbed "Jacob Jones," which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Cape May in 1942. Given that little fun fact, I suppose it's only fitting that this beer was the one to sink my figurative battleship.

Surprisingly, I actually can remember bits and pieces of our final stop of the day, Ludlam Island. Maybe not. The last three brewery visits all kind of blend together. Some highlights include: Jenny being licked by a dog; me almost losing Pleeps (apparently he fell from the hood of Brewslut's hoodie, where I placed him in a drunken stupor, after which some little girl found him); talking to random people about a number of topics; and, most memorably, Doug yelling "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE" to a female driver who was either confused or oblivious and blocking part of the parking lot. This has since been entered into our lexicon of inside jokes. 

I do, surprisingly, remember my final beer, which was Harry's Coffee Pale Ale, a rye pale ale featuring coffee from neighbors Harry and Beans in the form of fresh, single-origin organic Honduran coffee beans straight form the roaster. Spicy rye notes mingled with roasty black coffee notes and floral and citrusy hops, which made for an enjoyable combo. 

Before I knew it, I was lying on the couch back at the house and it wasn't even 9 p.m. What did I tell you about DD's, kids? The beer had gotten the best of me, and I was kind of embarrassed to go to bed at 9 p.m. But I was dozing off already, not to mention Doug wasn't faring much better over at the kitchen table. He had the "sitting up with head in hands" pose going on for about half an hour or so. 

Postscript: Unfortunately, we didn't really do much on Sunday. We took a slight detour and checked out a brand new brewery in Atlantic City called The Seed: A Living Beer Project. Turns out they'd only been open for a few weeks. The people were friendly and willing to chat, the place was chill and the beers were fantastic! As a matter of fact, I recently read that The Seed had been voted "Best New Brewery in America" by readers of USA Today. Right around the corner is a cool little craft distillery called Little Water, where we samples some fine spirits and cocktails. We also took home a bottle of its pre-made Chocolate Martini, which was delicious. Afterwards, we stopped at a record store in a nearby Jersey mall and later had pizza at UNO down off the PA Turnpike. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to the Seed, although I'm not a huge fan of AC. However, this place is enough to entice us back for sure. Until next time...