Harrisburg, PA Beer Adventure

Me and my father took a relatively spontaneous trip down to the state Capitol that, in my book, has a fighting chance to be Pennsylvania's beer capitol.

Calm down, Philly... I'm just joking.











Feeling a little hungry, we decided that the Appalachian Brewing Company would be a great place to start with some lunch and brew. We enjoyed a pint of Jolly Scot Scottish Ale while the busy brewpub worked on retrieving the necessary resources to construct us a sampler tray. We got some awesomely crafted meals from and then got our sampler. It included the Purist Pale Ale, Mountain Lager, Water Gap Wheat, Jolly Scot Scottish Ale [It tasted familiar...], Pennypacker Porter [in lieu of a Susquehanna Stout shortage], Grinnin' Grizzly Spiced Ale, Trail Blaze Organic Brown Ale, and Hoppy Trails IPA. All in all, we walked out with a couple of glasses per guy and a vanished appetite for a very reasonable price.

A stone's throw away, we made the minute-long treck to Tröegs Brewing Company. It was the first time I've been there since they've remodeled their modest giftshop into a massive bar. They've also included the convenience of shopping for 22 ounce bombers, 6 packs, and 12 pack varieties into their already growler, case, and keg sales. Not to mention the fact that they are not able to serve pints and sampler trays for very fair prices.





I got a 6 beer sampler tray of their flagship brews and the Scratch #10- a beautiful Belgian-style Triple.



They have displayed their abundance of fan-submited bottlecap artwork for conversation pieces as well as some windows that show the brewery in action. During my visit, they were currently brewing the Dreamweaver Wheat Ale.

I wholeheartedly recommend a trip to the area and I look forward to sharing my beer adventures to other worthy beer communities.

B-Rad's Blog Gets Playlist

Check it out down to the right.

It'll have all of your new favorite bands playing on it. I'll update it periodically to keep things fresh.

I dig a lot of really different shit, as you'll see. For this generation of the player, I have everything from Indie Rock to Hip Hop to Metal. All very enjoyable.

More beer columns coming soon...

Tröegs' Mad Elf

Hands down, Tröegs' Mad Elf is my favorite seasonal beer-- let alone my favorite Winter brew. Harnessing such a controlled collision of toasty chocolate malts, fresh sour cherries and honey, a subtle kiss of hop balance, and an exotic, spicy yeast, it is truly a unique holiday brew to share with any and all who can appreciate quality flavor and culinary experimentation.

With an initial sensation of spicy yeast, this brew's main character of tactful fruit, honey and roast chocolate barley will leave a lasting impression on your palate.

Clocking in at 11% ABV, this deep, ruby red ale will warm the spirit of even the coldest Ebenezer Scrooge. Mad Elf has been gaining popularity and demand in its native commonwealth of Pennsylvania; provoking brewers and brothers Trogner, Chris and John, to increase production of the jolly nectar over the last two years as well as create the 3 liter special edition bottles of the phenomenon that debuted for the 2006 holiday season.

As well as creating a unique experience for craft beer enthusiasts, I would credit Mad Elf to inspire those faint of hops to explore the vast world of beer variety.

Procrastinators beware: Mad Elf being a seasonal beer. I wouldn't expect to see it around much after the early weeks of January. Moreover, the month of December has proved in the past to be one very scarce of the Elf; especially in time of need.

My suggestion? Stock up! Buy a case (at least) and even if you don't utilize all of them by the holiday's end, these are beautiful beers to cellar and enjoy all year round. And at 11% ABV, they're not going anywhere but up.

Happy Holidays,
Brad Beneski