Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
With the proliferation of supermarkets that do double duty as restaurants, I should have guessed that adding beer should have been a no brainer. You can raise a pint at the Whole Foods in Pasadena so why not in one of the original beery colonies, Pennsylvania?
Click HERE to read about the latest Wegman’s and Whole Foods pub concepts.
We here on the west coast are lucky to get some of the offerings from Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing. I have enjoyed Yakima Twilight, Hop Wallop and Baltic Thunder in the past and considering the hearty response to this Philly Beer Week creation, I am sure I would enjoy Summer Love as well.
Here are the specs: “Brewed locally at the Victory Brewery in Chester County, the Summer Love Ale is a golden ale made with pale malts, German hops and Brandywine River water. This specific style of beer was chosen because it has a broad appeal and will be accessible for casual beer drinkers, but will still retain exciting hop notes.
The brew has a vibrant and refreshing pale color derived from its lean and refreshing malt body. And the initially floral aroma of hops segues into a well integrated, refreshing hop dryness of European heritage.”
Even though whenever I see the name “Nugget” I think of Denver and how badly I want Portland to beat them, I had to try this beer that is # 19 on the Beer Advocate ALL-TIME TOP BEERS list.
Loyal readers are now probably sick of my chirpy introductions to beers that I want to try. How I only seem to really love special reserve beers or canned IPA’s. Sorry folks! Here is another one from one of the canning pioneers Sly Fox…
“Available only in 22oz bottles at present, Rt. 113 was the beer customers most requested be added to the brewery’s canned releases.
Rt. 113 will join Pikeland Pilsner and Phoenix Pale Ale as year-round releases and also still be packaged in the 22oz size.”
Since I am not the best dark beer critic, I delegate to someone who really digs the dark side. Here is another quick review…
Surprising aroma of citrus…Medium head, beautiful mahogany color. Complex flavor profile, full caramel roastiness finishing in a medium bitter. Definitely bitter on the back end.
Paired with a meatball sandwich. Probably not the best choice for this beer. Would have been better with pastrami or pot roast.
Tell William Penn that his namesake has been taken from the list thanks to a triple from the famous Stoudt’s Brewery!
I like to highlight beer places that are trying to do better. There are so many striving for mediocrity chains out there getting people’s hard earned money. I think more people need to go here….(if you are in the Pittsburgh area of course)
“Fat Head’s Saloon is a neighborhood bar & grill on Pittsburgh’s Historic South Side. We’re not some fancy-schmancy place or fast food take-out joint where your food is kept alive by heat lamps. Everything is cooked to order. Our huge menu features Headwiches, sandwiches, burgers, wings, ribs & more. Choose from 42 craft-brewed beers on tap, and one hand-pumped “real ale.” Fat Head’s numerous awards include Best Bar Food, Best Wings, Best Burgers, and Best Beer Selection. Stop in. Chill out. Have a beer and a sandwich or somethin’.”
Shifting to the East Coast. Here is another brewery on my list to visit or sample beers from…
First some background, “Weyerbacher History
Weyerbacher Brewing Company was founded in 1995 by Dan and Sue Weirback. The company name is the original spelling used by the first immigrants from Germany about 200 years ago. The spelling has morphed slightly over time, but we thought the original sounded best for the brewery.
How it came to be!
In the beginning, Dan was an avid homebrewer and microbrew connoisseur. One weekend, late in 1993, while vacationing in Vermont, Dan and Sue toured the Long Trail brewery, back when it was in the basement of an old mill. Dan was looking for a new business to get into but it was Sue who suggested he start thinking about starting his own brewery. As they say, the rest is history!”