People sampling the beers on tap for the afternoon

If you find yourself looking for a good beer in the Lehigh Valley on a Saturday afternoon I recommend checking out the Weyerbacher Brewery in Easton, Pa. Weyerbacher is wonderful microbrewery that has the Saturday afternoon brewpub down to a science. What makes Weyerbacher unique is that unlike most craft breweries, Weyerbacher specializes in Belgian style ales and whit biers. It’s a breath of fresh air from the IPA breweries that seems to dominate the American craft brewery scene. They do Belgian style ales better than any American brewery I’ve tasted. They are located on 905 Line Street in Easton, PA . You can check on their website to see what beers they will have on tap each Saturday.

Upon entering the brewery you step into a relaxed atmosphere that has a party feel to it. The visitor center is open every Saturday from 12pm to 3pm. They have music playing at a tasteful level and people just hanging out talking about beer and sampling beer. They are generous in the samples they hand out and can tell you exactly what you’re drinking. The ladies behind the bar handing out samples are extremely knowledgeable and can find the beer for each persons tastes. As soon as I saddled up to the bar, I had two samples in front of me and they were getting ready to give me a couple more. I got to try all of the beers they had on tap (about 12) and then some of my favorites twice. The whole brewpub part of the tour made me wish it was an actual bar where I could hang out on a Friday night.

The tour was well done. Our tour guide was well informed and friendly. I will not bore you with all the details of the tour, but will say that they have a state-of-the-art brewery with the capability to brew a solid amount of beer. The tour is actually optional. You can just go to sample beers or refill your growlers (more on that later), but if you enjoy the science of brewing then I recommend you take the tour because it’s interesting and informative.

The selection of beers for sale

The store at Weyerbacher is great. Every beer they’re brewing at the time is for sale. You have to buy the beer in cases or in growler form because of Pennsylvania liquor laws. You cannot buy just a six-pack at a brewpub in Pennsylvania. At Weyerbacher you can buy your own growler. A growler is a 64 oz. jug that you pay $3 for and can bring it back any Saturday for a refill of any beer on tap. You also look cool walking around with a huge brown jug. This is your best bet if you don’t want to spring for a whole case of beer, which could be pricy. I took the growler route and I’m glad I did. They also have a nice selection of paraphernalia, including some really cool shirts and hats that are affordable.

Cool Threads

Weyerbacher’s Saturday afternoon, “Open House” we’ll call it since it’s much more than a brewery tour is well worth the trip. I met people from Wisconsin there. The combination of atmosphere, information, and delicious Belgian Ales is magic and I can’t wait till next Saturday afternoon so I can fill my growler and talk beer with the folks at the Weyerbacher Brewery. Bottoms Up!

A jolly old pub set about a half hour north of Trenton.

The Shipp Inn is a well kept secret of a brewpub, nestled up against the Delaware river in Milford, NJ. It’s modeled after Shipp Inn’s that are quite common in English coastal towns. The Shipp Inn also happens to be the Garden State’s first brewpub. They have three standard beers on tap plus seasonal brews. Their specials are usually on a real hand pump.

Their flagship beers are: the Golden Wheat Light, The Extra Special Bitter, and the Best Bitter. I personally tried the ESB and the Pheasant Plucker, a seasonal brown ale. They were both extremely tasty. I’m a big fan of English beer to begin with, so the ESB was delicious and smooth. Nothing surprising or original, just a solid Bitter. The Pheasant Plucker was a nice surprise. A powerful brown ale with a lot of nose and lots of action on the palate. Big heaps of caramel and molasses malts are noticeable and the cask conditioning adds that bitter taste at the end. These guys brew old school english style according to their website:

“Each week we brew fine hand crafted ales in 7 barrel batches using freshly milled       whole grain. Our unfiltered beers are made in a Peter Austin system complete with     handmade brick, copper and open fermenters in the old English tradition.”

The Shipp Inn has a beautiful view looking over a small creek and the inside is just as impressive. It looks like you walked into a pub on the English Channel. This old Victorian is complete with darts set and old wooden tables. It has an authentic feeling. They also hold events like Open Mic Night on Tuesdays, where locals play some enjoyable music while everyone enjoys some fine brews. If you are looking for an authentic British Pub experience or just some solid english style beer, The Shipp Inn is a must. Bottoms Up!

The bottle and the two glasses it filled up

        When I saw this special edition brew in the store I had to give it a taste because I’m a fan of Long Trail. The brewery is celebrating their 20th anniversary. The Long Trail Website has the full description of the beer and the reason for brewing it. It has some interesting facts on the website. I’m a history buff so reading the background of pale ales and how they started back in England was very refreshing, Almost as much as the beer itself.

        According to the website the beer is brewed with two-row  and crystal malts, and nugget and cascade hops. It has an ABV of 4.6%. This beer has an interesting flavor. For those who haven’t drank Long Trail for long, The Pollenator was originally a seasonal, springtime beer from 1997-2003. They brought it back for their 20th anniversary celebration. This beer is only being made until the end of September so you need to get on it soon.

       The beer has a healthy, deep golden color bordering on amber and a medium head that hangs around for a while. I got very little in the nose from this beer, but it’s designed to be a light springtime beer so that’s not surprising. It is a fine pale ale though. Smooth enjoyable taste with a light action on the tongue. This was a very refreshing beer that was not a mind-blowing taste but just a great beer to sip on if you’re looking for something light but with some taste to it. Congratulations to Long Trail on 20 years and here’s to 20 more! Bottoms up!

       I investigated further and I think everyone else with a love of beer and New Jersey should too. The concept is that the taste and style of the beer for each exit corresponds with the Exits area. Each year they will release a new brew. They’re only on the second year and they have done Exit 4 (Where Flying Fish Brewery is located) and Exit 11. The Description for Exit 11 is an American Hoppy Wheat Ale that celebrates the crossroads of New Jersey where the Turnpike, the Parkway, and several other highways meet by combining a few different brewing styles. This is a creative and unique concept for a brewery to undertake. I’ve met the owners of Flying Fish and know they will do this right. It’s a nice way to honor the great Garden State. Although I have yet to sample either of the brews, I encourage every New Jerseyian to go out and try it. It can be found at any store that already sells Flying Fish. Bottoms Up!

             I had the opportunity to go to the lovely island of Maui this summer and I did not pass up the opportunity to seek out the local brewery. While the island was very laid back and relaxing, The Maui Brewing Company was all business when it comes to brewing original craft brews. I was able to sample three very different beers while I was there. The beers were the Mana Wheat, The Big Swell IPA, and the Coconut Porter.

             The Maui Brewing Co. was started in 2005 in the town of Lahaina, on the Valley Isle. They are dedicated to fine craft brews made with Aloha to give it a distinct Hawaiian look and taste. It’s very tough to find on the mainland, especially the east coast, but if you do it will be in cans, which might throw you off.  The taste will get you hooked. It’s worth the trip out there. These guys are very young but on their way up. They have made some noise in the U.S. Brew Championships by taking 5th.

             The Mana Wheat was an interesting and original tasting wheat beer. What makes it so original is it’s pineapple taste (Maui is known for their pineapples). This was a sweet, refreshing beer that felt light without tasting light. For those who hate overpowering fruit flavors in their beer, have no fear because this one goes down just right. This is a beer I could drink all summer. A great idea for a beer and well executed. Sadly, this is only a guest beer and is not on their full-time roster.

            Next up is the Big Swell IPA, their flagship beer. This beer is canned and is available on the mainland in California, but that’s about it. This is a very solid IPA. It started with a white foam head that had some staying power. An interesting flavor that was hard to settle on at first. It is dry-hopped and starts nice and malty, but finishes strong with plenty of hops. Almost explodes like a huge wave of hoppy goodness at the end. ABV 6.2.

           We will end with the Coconut Porter, another of their canned beers. I was lucky enough to try a special version of this called “The Black Pearl.” It was the porter after it was aged 3 months in a rum barrel. Maybe this made the difference because I was never a porter drinker, but i enjoyed this porter from the Valley Isle. It had a heavy malty nose, with a taste of caramel up front, and a head the color of a coconut shell. I got a bit of the sweet sting of the rum at first, but then the coconut takes over. I have never drank a beer like this. Very original taste and  shows why they are making waves out there. Hopefully they will ride that momentum to the east coast. If you want to try some great Hawaiian beer you’re going to have to make the trip or look for beer from the Kona Brewing Co. from the Big Island. You can find that bottled on the east coast.

               But if you’re out on the island of Maui, Maui Brewing Co. pub is located just north of Lahaina and has a great happy hour with some tasty food to boot. Aloha.

The Ullr Ale

I was recently out in Breckenridge on a wonderful snowboarding trip. We got plenty of snow, but more importantly, their was plenty of beer to be had at the Breckenridge Brewery.

The Ullr Ale I sampled was a delicious seasonal beer I sampled. Ullr is the Norse god of snow mining and they have a week long celebration for him in the beginning of January. Now for the beer.

The Ullr Ale is an amber ale, which as far as I have seen has not been reviewed. They may only make it during the festival. The beer has a nice sweet aroma. It has a hearty and thick head on it that hangs around. It has a strong caramel nose, which lingers all the way down. Very smooth finish, with not much action but a great beer to have with a winter feast.

I sampled a few of their other beers while I was out there but didn’t take notes on them, but I can tell you if you get the chance to visit (and you most certainly should) you should try the 471 IPA. A delicious and strong Double IPA. It has a 9.2% alc/ by volume. Also I recommend the Agave Wheat. It’s a good wheat beer. Not great but once again, great with one of their many dishes. The Brewery itself has a wonderful atmosphere and their drafts are only two dollars during happy hour.

This beer may be tough to find in the New Jersey area. The only distributor in the area that carries them is Stockertown Beverage. (610 - 746-5611)

Nick

   I found an interesting article on msn about the rise of craft beers in America as a business venture.  The article discusses how fast craft breweries are growing and what it means to big breweries like Anheuser-Busch, SABMiller, and Molson Coors.  It is very well written but a little lengthy.  Definitely worth taking a look at.  Bottoms up!