Me hiking, pre-shellacking

Ben sat the tulip glass gently on our table and looked at me seriously. “This is strong…like, really.” I hiccuped and snorted a little in agreement. We were sitting on the lower patio of the Shawnee Craft Brewing Company, near the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which looked out over a small waterfall and a river that flowed away into a lush forest. Wildflowers. Delicate breeze. Bird song.

We were on our honeymoon and we were thoroughly shellacked. I’ve heard that’s normal. We had ordered a flight of Shawnee’s beers and a glass of the extremely potent Triple Pale Ale on nitro, and that 32 ounces of beer kicked our respective asses.

To be honest, Pennsylvania beers just kick ass, in general. I recognized several of the breweries while browsing the state store a few weeks ago and we took the opportunity to try new varieties.

Victory, out of Downingtown, may be best known for its Prima Pils but my favorite is Hop Wallop, an IPA that does, indeed, pack a wallop, whatever that is (I think it’s equivalent to about one kick in the pants). I also enjoy their Hop Devil, which tastes sharper than Wallop to me, despite the lower abv — maybe more of a smack on the head.

Because we were not far from the Stoudt’s brewery in Adamstown, we were lucky enough to be able to try one of their seasonals, Revel Red. (It’s supposed to be for the winter months, but no matter.) One of the best-balanced beers I’ve had. They distribute throughout the east coast, so check out their pale ale or the double IPA if you’re feeling adventurous and have nowhere to drive.

Tröegs is out of Hershey, PA, and as far as I know brews none of their beers with chocolate. I hold them in very high regard for this display of restraint and class, though I’m sure it would be delicious if they did, and if it was with Hershey Special Dark I might be tempted to try it. As it stands I’ve liked everything I’ve had so far, especially HopBack Amber and Nugget Nectar, even though the word nugget makes me squeamish. Very hop-forward beers that I recommend to anyone with a bitter-tooth.

There are a few breweries in the world whose beer I would drink without question, blindfolded, and riding in the back of an open pickup truck in a rainstorm. Weyerbacher is one of those. Last Chance IPA is a favorite but so is their pumpkin, a style I usually avoid at all cost, and everything else I’ve ever tried. Last Chance is awesome not just for its taste but for the fact that a portion of the proceeds go to a regional animal rescue center, and who doesn’t like getting drunk and helping puppies at the same time?

I feel I shouldn’t close a post on Pennsylvania beers without addressing the elephant in the room: “Elephant. Thy name is Yuengling; your beer, mediocre.” Actually, I have some friends who outright refuse to drink it, though it vies for best cheap beer in my opinion. (Labatt’s got it beat by a skosh, eh?) These are not the same Ohioans who fell into ecstatic fits on the floor of Kroger’s grocery when it became available here over a year ago. I can’t imagine what would have happened if they tried a Hop Devil.