Root Down Brewing Company | Melt Down

Melt Down Oatmeal Stout, a collaboration between Root Down Brewing Company and BeerNERDS, isn’t just another stout. Besides offering terrific, complex flavors, 100% of the proceeds benefit Main Line Deputy Dog, a local nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for those in need.  Read More

Stickman Brews | Obesity Epidemic

“Stickman Brews focuses on American twists of Belgian-inspired beers among other things.”

Smack dab on the middle of the homepage on their website, you will come across this self-description written in all caps. Obesity Epidemic, a Belgian-style stout, truly backs up that claim. This beer fuses those two cultures in perfect harmony.

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Wyndridge Farm | Crafty Cider

Wyndridge Farm does many things, but it truly does cider well.

The cidery, brewery, farm, restaurant, hard-soda maker and event space is in York County Pennsylvania, which borders Maryland and is straight north of Baltimore, south of Harrisburg and west of Lancaster. Wyndridge distributes throughout the East coast, and their Crafty Cider was a surprising addition to a supermarket in Northern Virginia. Read More

Free Will Brewing Company | Micromanager

It’s that time of year again. The time where nights start to become longer and the leaves change to vibrant colors that make for ideal Instagram posts. But before you throw on your scarf, go apple picking, and stock up on your favorite pumpkin beers, remember that there are still warms days left as summer slowly fades out of the picture. And that means still time to enjoy those crushable, refreshing beers while soaking in the sunshine!

Free Will Brewing Company, located in Bucks County north of Philadelphia, has gained a loyal fan base thanks in part to the impressive lineup of sour and barrel aged brews they produce. But that doesn’t mean you should sleep on their more available year-round offerings, including Micromanager. Read More

Event Recap | Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival

Even the forecast for a Nor’easter couldn’t keep the spirits down at the first annual Phoenixville Beer and Wine Festival in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Despite the wind and the rain, the masses descended upon the rain-soaked Kimberton Fairgrounds to attend the sold-out event with raincoats and umbrellas in tow. Twenty-six craft breweries, along with multiple cideries, wineries, distillers and meaderies came to show off their creations for the thirsty crowd.

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Event Preview | Meeting of the Malts VI

Featured photo credit: www.brewersofpa.org

In its next installation, The Brewers of Pennsylvania (BOP), the state’s official brewers guild, is hosting Meeting of the Malts VI, the association’s popular annual event that gathers the most acclaimed breweries to discuss the state of the craft beer industry.

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Cooking With Beer | Beer Glaze for Beignets

For those who have been lucky enough to go, New Orleans is a food mecca. Iconic creations such as jambalaya, fried catfish and po’ boys are abundant amongst the multitude of restaurants, bars and corner cafes. There is one item that is synonymous to this region, that embodies both the French influence of the New Orleans culture and sheer indulgence: the beignet. Sweet, crunchy, yet fluffy, the beignet in some regards is one of the simpler varieties of fried pastries. Usually caked with enough powdered sugar to create a white dust cloud with every bite, they are messy yet simply delightful.

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Free Will Brewing Company | The Kragle IPA

ABV: 6.6% | IBU: 90

There is a beer that I walk past almost every day. Since it comes from a local brewery, I see it in bottle shops and grocery stores ALL the time. There is no particular reason that I had never tried it. I never read a bad review, heard bad word-of-mouth, or disliked a different beer from the same brewery. I just never reached out and grabbed one. When building a mixed six-pack today, I rectified that error. The last spot in my six-pack carrier was filled with The Kragle IPA from Free Will Brewing Company. Read More

Pennsylvania Beer Law Reforms

The last major liquor law reform in Pennsylvania came just after Prohibition. Suffice it to say, that purchasing beer, wine or liquor in the Commonwealth could be a confusing undertaking. If you wanted to purchase a case of beer, a 6-pack, and a bottle of wine, you would have to go to three separate stores. Three. Beer in volumes greater than 192 fluid ounces had to be purchased at distributors, while 6-packs and 12 packs were only sold in bars, restaurants, bottle shops and certain grocery stores. Liquor and wine are sold only at the state-owned “Fine Wines and Good Spirits” stores. The system was antiquated, inconvenient and confusing. Luckily, starting last year, a series of reforms began to update the Pennsylvania beer laws.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

Bell’s creates a special release for its Texas launch, Night Shift starts a distributing operation, and Pennsylvania updates their liquor laws. You’ve read enough election news already, now it’s time to focus on what is important: beer. Keep reading to catch all of the details in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Event Preview | Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest

It’s that time of year again! Something about fall makes it perfect for drinking an amber lager and listening to beerhall music among several thousand of your closest friends. For many, making the trip to Munich for Oktoberfest may be a financial or logistical impossibility, but there is still hope! The Oktoberfest at the Reading Liederkranz in Reading, Pennsylvania, aims to recreate those traditions and warm, cozy feelings of Gemütlichket right here on the East Coast.

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2016 Summer Olympics | Pennsylvania Craft Beer Pride

The upcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio are about to evoke some serious excitement and national pride. Americans everywhere are looking forward to tuning in to swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball. For two short weeks, we will all look to the medal counts, feeling as if our success as a nation is in the balance.

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Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

Craft beer is doing some great things lately — like teaming up with the Denver Public Library and raising money for local schools and charities (way to go Deschutes). On top of that, there will be more craft beer throughout Pennsylvania thanks to New Belgium, and throughout Colorado thanks to FATE Brewing. Want to find out more? Keep reading to get the details on the latest craft beer news in this edition of the Weekly Growler Fill.

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Susquehanna Brewing Co. | Pils-Noir

One of the best parts about living in New York City in the summer is getting the eff out. I spend as much time as possible myself running away to the woodsy wonders of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The combination of plentiful lakes and rivers, scattering of small towns, apparently every single firefighter from New Jersey working volunteer service, and legal fireworks; the area is gangbusters for all you can stand Americana. To sweeten the vacation deal, the area is flush with smaller brew pubs and craft breweries that allow me to discover a new favorite beer each time I go down there. While the 4th of July day was a literal washout for the folks on Lake Wallenpaupack, it did allow me to discover this wonderful fusion of light pilsner quality with dark tastes that matched the gloomy weather.

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Sly Fox Brewery | Phoenix Pale Ale

Few things get you excited after getting home from work late: catching the rest of a game won by your favorite team (or your most hated losing it), a full DVR arsenal locked and loaded for your viewing pleasure, and of course a hidden drawer in your fridge of delicious beers.

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