Hombrewers BPA: Behind the Scenes at Al’s of Hampden
At the early time of 8 AM on a Saturday, a dozen local homebrewing enthusiasts showed up to a quiet Al’s of Hampden, ready to help contribute to a brew day. The beer, aptly called Homebrewers Belgian Pale Ale, is slated to be tapped on National Homebrew Day on May 3. I was one of the homebrewers eager to attend and help out. We started out by learning how automated the system is compared to what … Read entire article »
Filed under: Al's of Hampden, Belgian Pale Ale, Pizza Boy Brewing Co.
Bitter Brew – Book Review
Occasionally we at The Beer Circle put down our beers and pursue other activities but often those, too, are centered around beer. I have just read “Bitter Brew” by William Knoedelseder. It is billed as a book about “the rise and fall of Anheuser-Busch and America’s Kings of Beer.” There are already many reviews that deal with the book in its entirety but I will concentrate more on the items in the book that deal … Read entire article »
Filed under: Anheuser-Busch, Books
Voodoo Brewery – #22oztofreedom (Hashtag Series)
For best effect, play this in the background as you peruse this post: And now, for something completely different. I’m no stranger to malt liquors, having even reviewed one previously. What we have here is Voodoo Brewery‘s craft malt liquor, offered up as part of their ongoing “Hashtag Series”. A nod to the popular Sublime song, #22oztofreedom was available at Voodoo during my Christmas trip back home to Northwest PA, tempting me with thoughts of what mysterious … Read entire article »
Filed under: Voodoo Brewery
Bluejacket Moving On Without Head Brewer
Megan Parisi is no longer the head brewer at Bluejacket, as the two have amicably parted ways only three months after the brewery’s official opening. Megan, formally of Cambridge Brewing Company, spent the better part of the year spreading the Bluejacket name by brewing collaborations with everyone from Cigar City in Florida, The Bruery and Stone in California to De Struise in Belgium–experience that Bluejacket won’t be quick to recreate. Bluejacket’s beers haven’t hit the DC … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bluejacket
Reserve Society: Am I Getting My Money’s Worth?
“Reserve Society” is the trending word in beer communities across the Unites States as we’ve entered 2014. From California to Washington D.C. and everywhere in between, breweries are charging an entrance fee for guaranteed access to their rarest beers, events, and even some swag. This approach circumvents the need to host beer releases at the brewery, which sometimes can get out of hand, and cuts down on the amount of people that travel to the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adroit Theory Brewing Company, Beer Release, Breweries, Cigar City Brewing Co., Reserve Society, The Bruery, Three Stars Brewing Co., Upland Brewing Co.
Happy Valley Brewing Company’s Bitter Cold Start
State College has a new face in town, officially named Happy Valley Brewing Company (HVBC). It opened in December of 2013, becoming only the second brewery in State College (next to Otto’s Pub). Central Pennsylvania is begging for some new, top notch craft breweries, so HVBC has a big opportunity to succeed. It’s execution, however, has been flawed. The brewery didn’t open with the highest of expectations, as it launched without any house-brewed offerings. It’s curious that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Breweries, Happy Valley Brewing Co.
Better From The Barrel: Prairie and Pirate Bomb!
From the same tasting that brought you the video gem of Greg and I taking down Stone’s Crime, I now bring you the latest in the Better From The Barrel? series featuring Prairie Artisan Ales‘ Prairie Bomb! and Pirate Bomb! Prairie Bomb is an imperial stout aged on coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers and stored in a 12oz wax bottle. The beer is relatively sought after, fitting a recent trend of imperial stouts … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Better From The Barrel?, Imperial Stout, Newport Distilling Company, Prairie Artisan Ales
Best Beers of 2013
We here at The Beer Circle like to think that we drink a lot of good beer. With that in mind, we decided to vote internally on what our favorite new beers of 2013 were. The criteria was simple: you had to have the beer to vote on it and the beer had to make its debut in 2013. The list ended up being, predictably, focused on Pennsylvania. Voodoo Pappy van Winkle Black Magick Probably the most sought … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Beer Facts, Bullfrog Brewery, Perennial Artisan Ale, Pizza Boy Brewing Co., The Beer Circle, Voodoo Brewery
Cellar: Victory Storm King 2011-2013
Back in 2011, when I was fresh into beer, I decided that Victory’s Storm King Stout would be a nice beer to start my cellar. When I lived in Pennsylvania, it was a local beer that was relatively easy to find, so it all came together. A lot has happened since then, including the decision by Victory to sell Storm King in four packs, instead of six packs. I was so taken aback by the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Cellar, Russian Imperial Stout, Victory Brewing Co.
DC Breweries Tour Recap
This past Saturday, despite a continuous deluge of wintry mix in the Washington area, a car full of good friends drove across our nation’s capital to see five different breweries: DC Brau, Atlas Brew Works, Chocolate City, Right Proper, and Bluejacket. A testament to the success of craft beer right now, the longest drive between breweries was 15 minutes. The fun breweries paired with almost everyone being a bit sleepy and hungover made for a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Atlas Brew Works, Bluejacket, Breweries, Chocolate City, DC Brau Brewing Co., Right Proper Brewing Co.
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