Mitch Steele, head brewer at Stone Brewing Co., needs a band, because he has the most metal name in brewing. He’s also a pretty smart guy with tons of experience in both macro- and microbrewing, having previously served as a managing brewer at Anheuser-Busch before beginning his now 2.5-year (and growing) tenure at Stone.

On November 4th, Mitch braved the airlines to trek all the way out from San Diego to Philadelphia, where he headed up Tria’s Election Night edition of Fermentation School in a lecture entitled “Get Stoned on Election Day”.

To accompany the lecture, Mitch brought seven of Stone’s best beers: Pale Ale, IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Ruination IPA, 11th Anniversary Ale, 07.07.07 Vertical Epic aged in red wine barrels, and a 2006 vintage of Double Bastard aged in brandy barrels. Tria, for its part, paired all of this with two cheeses (creamy Cherry Grove Toma from Lawrenceville, NJ, and smoky smooth Vella Dry Monterey Jack from Sonoma, CA) along with spiced, toasted almonds, a few slices of prosciutto, and soft Philly pretzels.

While guiding us through the beer list, Mitch fed us piles upon piles of rich, chewy insight into American brewing. Did you know that 19th century brewers actually prided themselves on their use of rice and corn in their beers, even going so far as to make it a selling point? Did you know that today, it’s actually more expensive to cut beer with those grains instead of simply using nothing but malted barley? Or that a lot of double IPAs are fermented with additional sugar in order to get the ABV nice and high without having to use a lot of malt?

My favorite fact was how Stone stumbles upon some of their recipes. The brewery maintains a 20-gallon pilot brewing system that employees are free to putz around with, creating a democratic process that leads Mitch and his brewers to beers that they wouldn’t have otherwise invented. National phenomenon Arrogant Bastard is one direct result of this system (turns out it was all just a big mistake that happened to taste really good), as is Stone’s impossibly delicious 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.

Which brings us to the beers themselves. You’re probably already familiar with the first three beers on the list. Stone’s Pale Ale smells sweet and floral and fills your mouth with just enough hoppy bitterness to make you want to drink way too much of it; the Centennial dry-hopped IPA fills your nose and mouth with earthy, citrusy hop flavors; and legendary Arrogant Bastard was its usual mysterious self, assaulting you with a barrage of malts and hops. Stone is very protective of the recipe for Arrogant Bastard, even going to far as to deny it a classification, and Mitch refused to say a single word about how it is made.

Ruination IPA is Stone’s Double IPA, though double may be the wrong word. A typical American Double IPA is essentially a regular IPA with twice the malt and twice the hops, but Stone is Stone — double won’t cut it. And so, Ruination IPA uses quadruple the hops of Stone’s standard IPA recipe, and it shows. The beer is crisp and refreshing, yet somehow massive, probably owing to the sheer weight of hop oils swirling through the glass. The nose is so hugely sweet and hoppy that I wouldn’t judge anyone for using this beer as an air freshener.

Needless to say, Stone is famous for their liberal use of hops, but the last three beers show that they have more than a few other tricks up their sleeves.

The 11th Anniversary Ale is an innovative Black IPA, which combines a big IPA — bittered with Chinook and dry-hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo — with a German dark lager. Thanks to a generous helping of German Carafa malts (dark, dehusked malts that provide all of the flavors of roasted malt without the gritty bitterness), the beer boasts a complex balance, beginning with huge hop flavors and aromas and leaving in its wake lots of roasty malt. Everyone in the room agreed that this was a spectacular beer, so we were all pleased to hear that Stone is currently working on making this a year-round offering. All they need, Mitch told us, is a name.

The 07.07.07 Vertical Epic is a 10% ABV Belgian-style strong ale, spiced with grapefruit peel, lemon peel, cardamom, and ginger, and aged in red wine barrels. The nose pops with lots of spice, oak, and dry red wine aromas, making your tongue tingle in anticipation… That might have been a little too colorful. Ah well, it stays. It was delicious, okay?

The brandy-aged Double Bastard is a work of unrelenting madness. I theorize that Mitch peeled back the veils of perception and gazed into the maw of blistered, horrifying reality to bind himself to this mania. Already sinister by way of a doubled Arrogant Bastard recipe, this particular vintage of Double Bastard did hard time in a disused brandy barrel, emerging changed, mutated into a display of smooth oak, spicy brandy, and, you know, a shit ton of malts and hops. Stone claims that this beer is only 10% ABV — I think they lie. I can still feel it more than a week later.

After the lecture, I managed to grab Mitch’s attention for a few minutes to talk about his time with Anheuser-Busch. He explained that, as a managing brewer, he had quite a bit more freedom of creativity than the other brewers in the company had. He even listed several recent Michelob brews that can be credited to him. That said, he was emphatic to point out that he was a big exception: Most macrobrewers are trapped by their company’s recipes, and even Mitch didn’t have carte blanche in his work. It was easy to see that he was leagues happier working for Stone.

We extended a verbal wedding invitation to Mitch before making our way back down to street level, buzzy and full, but satisfied by our generous look into the commercial craft beer world.

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My last entry about Tria was really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the late Sunday afternoon we spent there. Aside from the Sunday school beer and cheese offerings, Ray and I ordered the Herbed Potato Chips with Truffle Aioli and Roasted Beets with Bulgarian Feta Cheese. The beets had a very earthy-topsoil aroma that was very interesting, but I was not crazy about; Ray, however, quite enjoyed them. The herbed potato chips were simply divine and could easily be eaten by the pound, with or without the aioli.

For my entree I ordered the Mixed Greens with Mission Figs, Gorgonzola, Pine Nuts and Gorgonzola-Pine Nut Vinaigrette. It was the perfect portion, had just enough vinagrette, and extremely crisp greens. The only issue I had was that I think I reacted to the pine nuts — the roof of my mouth felt quite funny, and Ray’s mouth also reacted. Oh well. I ate it anyway, and rather enjoyed it. Ray ordered the Spanish Tuna with Black Olive-Red Pepper Tapenade and Arugula Sandwich and was also happy with it, despite having to spend five minutes in the bathroom trying to wash all of the oil off. For beverages, I ordered Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout, which came in a fantastic bottle. At 6.1 ABV it’s not too strong, and on the web site it’s described as “sweeter and smoother than the Kalamazoo Stout.” Well I was sold.

Ray was able to order a brew he had been very eager to try: Weyerbacher’s Harvest Ale, and he did a proper tasting of it:

Appearance: White head with lots of lacing. Clear amber gold.
Nose: Super-floral and sweet. Hops are clearly the focus, but are somehow mellow.
Taste: Bitterness is subdued, giving the stage to the hops’ flavor, which is citrusy and slightly earthy/grassy. Again, subdued despite being so prominent.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, bitey, very refreshing. Hop bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue and throat.

To end our trip, we ordered dessert, as well as the Meantime Coffee Porter to share. We ordered the Rogue Chocolate Stout Bread Pudding with Allagash Cherry Sauce and the Nutella Panino. According to the bottle, each serving of the British coffee porter is equal to one cup of coffee, caffeine-wise. We noticed it had a hint of sour to it, but were not sure if it was intentional. I think Ray enjoyed the beer, while I wasn’t terribly crazy about it.

Our servers were knowledgeable and friendly, and we even scored some swag! Cape Ann’s brewer Jeremy had one of Tria’s staff bring us a baseball cap and a t-shirt from the brewery. “For the homebrewers …” the staff member (I feel like he might have been the owner?) said with a smile. So cool!

We joined the Tria loyalty club, paid our affordable bill, and then headed out into the early autumn night, elated that we found a new place to get lost in … maybe every Sunday.

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A few Sundays ago, Ray and I headed into Philly to go to Tria’s “Sunday School”, a wonderful promo that the restaurant runs every Sunday. The premise is simple: A wine, a beer and a cheese are showcased and priced at least 50 percent off. There is also a substantial write-up for each Sunday School item, drawing people in that might otherwise not have made the trip. Such smart marketers.

We were enticed by the innovative offering of Cape Ann Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout. Cape Ann is located in Glouchester, MA, and its pumpkin stout weighs in at 6.75 ABV. The cherry on top was the appearance of Cape Ann’s brewmaster, Jeremy, making the rounds at the tables and talking to anyone interested about Cape Ann and their funky little beer. Score!

The stout was an opaque dark brown with a thin head and Tria’s bartenders served it at the appropriate temperature. As we sipped, we noted that the beer went through a number of flavor stages, beginning with a stout start, then pumpkin coming out a little later. Pumpkin was prevalent in the nose, and the beer overall was very balanced, with just enough bitterness.

Mid-way through our tasting, brewmaster Jeremy stopped by our table to talk about the brewery, their flagship beers, and the stout. He was friendly and very knowledgeable, chuckling when Ray asked how much pumpkin should be used in the mash on a homebrew level. “You’re going to make me pare down to a homebrew recipe?” he asked with a grin. He wasn’t about to do the math, but he did share with us that Cape Ann uses 50 pounds of pumpkin to produce a 20 barrel batch of Pumpkin Stout. Fair enough. Jeremy also reminded us that “a little goes a long way” when it comes to spices, something that every homebrewer should remember.

We also ordered the Sunday School cheese, a Weinkase Lagrein from Alto Adige, Italy. The rind of the cheese was deep purple due to a 4-day garlic and pepper bath in Lagrein wine. I overheard one of the hostesses comparing it to Havarti. We both enjoyed the cheese, which was coupled with crisp bread slices and dried cherries that were soaked in Allagash beer to refresh them.

But that’s just the beginning of our little gastro journey…stay tuned for Tria’s Sunday School Part II.

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Two Fridays ago, Mel and I took a trip out to Mount Holly, NJ, to have dinner at High Street Grill, located at number 64 on High Street. The surrounding area was your traditional suburban downtown, with narrow streets crisscrossing between shoulder-to-shoulder local shops and restaurants. Jersey gets kind of a bad rap from the rest of the country, owing to smog holes like Newark, Trenton, and the Turnpike, but I daresay anyone’s opinion of the state would be affected positively by a short walk up and down Mount Holly’s main drag. If anything, the signature hills of my home state will give your heart a nice workout.

Like most of the storefronts on High Street, if you didn’t know the Grill was there, you’d miss it mid-blink. Its stark outer facade, however, belies a cozy, bustling downstairs tavern, with brick walls, live music, multiple beer taps, and, at the back, a stairway leading up to the dining room.

The two floors have different menus. For our first trip, we chose to eat in the upstairs dining room. As Nancy, one of the grill’s owners, led us to our table, we passed the kitchen, which lies off of a landing halfway up the stairs and from which all manner of tasty smells wafted. At the top of the stairs, we were greeted by a grand piano, and a fireplace upon which an unused but ornate guestbook and a copy of Ron Paul’s The Revolution sat. Our table was in the farthest corner, in a small alcove that was just big enough for two people to eat comfortably.

The most important thing to do when you arrive at a new restaurant is to ask for the beer list. In lieu of a list, though, High Street Grill has its wait staff recite the list from memory, which I figure gives them the freedom to change the list frequently without having to print new sheets. Nice idea. Not ideal in practice. Our waiter (who appeared to be having a rough night and so I point this out in a forgiving spirit as he was otherwise very good) had some difficulty with the list, and we had trouble retaining enough of it ourselves to make a decision. After a few runs through the lineup, though, we managed to settle on a River Horse Octoberfest for myself and a Stoudt’s Fat Dog for Mel.

We’d both had Fat Dog a few times before, but this was our first taste of River Horse’s idea of an Octoberfest, which turned out to be a winner. Typical of the American version of the style, it was reddish-brown, malty, and medium-bodied, but also featured pronounced fruity esters and lots of roasty, nutty flavors. Fat Dog, of course, was its usual rich and roasty self.

We started our meal with Beer Battered Artichoke Hearts, fried nuggets of artichoke stuffed with crab and spiced cream cheese. We weren’t exactly wowed, but they were delicious. I imagine a non-fried version would have been a step up. All-in-all, not outstanding, but very good. I mean, hey, we really like artichokes.

The main course, however, blew us away.

Mel chose the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, which was served with mashed sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, fennel, and a sun dried cherry demi glaze. The tender and juicy pork was carefully seasoned and spiced with pie spices, and, when combined with the potato, cauliflower, fennel, and cherries, treated the mouth to an explosion of sweet and savory flavors.

For my main course, I picked the Stout Braised Beef Brisket (the waiter told us the stout was Fat Dog), served with herb mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, and caramelized onion demi glaze. The thin strips of brisket melted in my mouth, and the pairing of bitter spinach with the starchy potatoes and sweet onions helped to bring out the flavor of the stout. I can’t imagine how this dish could possibly be improved. Maybe if it came with fifty dollars. Maybe.

Halfway through the main course, we ordered a second round of drinks. Mel went the stout route again, this time picking Sly Fox’s O’Reilly’s Stout, a dry stout with lots of roasty coffee and chocolate flavors and a big, creamy nitro head. I had Brasserie d’Achouffe’s Mc Chouffe, a unfiltered Belgian Scotch Ale that turned out to be an interesting (and tasty) mix of tangy Belgian alcohol and sweet, nutty chocolate. Definitely a brewery we’ll have to explore more of.

As for dessert, though I know it was delicious, I can’t remember it as clearly as Mel does — her being a baker and all.

We shared a molten chocolate cake that was very rich and dense without entering the land of cavity-inducing sweetness. The cake was plated with raspberry puree and cream, with a fancy-sliced strawberry as a garnish. The perfect dish to share to end the night.

While the lack of a printed beer menu made for an early speedbump, and though we weren’t super impressed with our appetizer, High Street Grill ended up treating us to an excellent meal that we’d be only too glad to experience again.

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I really enjoy getting my Bon Appetit magazine, and the most recent issue had a seemingly easy recipe for apple turnovers that I had to try. Lucky for me, the recipe was simple. The only obstacle that came up was I ended up using puff pastry that had vegetable oil in it — the recipe called for puff pastry made with butter, which would have given it a more traditional French taste, but I didn’t have all day to run around looking for it.

The recipe seemed to yield more apple filling than necessary, but I used it all anyway. The effect was apple often bursting from the seams of the turnovers, but hey, who doesn’t like apples?

I used 2 Granny Smith and 2 Gala apples, though the original recipe called for Granny Smith and Golden Delicious (I can’t stand Golden Delicious). I followed the recipe otherwise, and Ray and I were rewarded with warm, flaky, apple-filled delights. I decided to pull out the 12 oz bottle of Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron we had been saving since early June, a bottle I had selected when creating a very expensive “make your own 6-pack” at The Foodery in Philly. We split the bottle into two wine goblets, and at first, I pushed my glass away.

The alcohol bite was fierce, and there was a strong Scotch flavor, and I’m sorry, but I can’t stand Scotch. I thought it would be a nice pairing, since Dogfish is known for their malty beers. Ray sipped his glass along with the turnover, and assured me the beer would mellow once we let it come up in temperature.

Of course he was right (see why I’m marrying this guy?). Quoting from their Web site, Palo Santo Marron is “an unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood … ”

I may have finished my apple turnover already, but I’m still sipping away at the Palo. Perhaps a longer tenure in the fridge would have done this better, but I was reminded of how it tasted at Savor, so I took a chance. What’s life like if you don’t?

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Last Tuesday (Oct. 14) was the final night I was in Vegas for the biggest conference of the year (for my day job), and my boss suggested we should have our group dinner at Gordon Biersch. Apparently she had noticed one of the prior nights when I almost climbed out of the cab window as we passed the brewery and restaurant — hey, I thought I was going to be lost for 5 days amid Miller Lite and rum and Coke.

Once we were seated, only 4 of the 9 of us ordered a beer, which is fine by me because I wasn’t out on a beer crusade for anyone but myself. My boss even ordered a hefeweizen, though she had admitted to me that she’s not crazy about beer; I was thrilled that she was just willing to give it a try. Well, make that a 22 oz try. I had suggested the tasty hefe, but forgot to mention the size it would arrive as. I assured her that it was lower in alcohol than what she had assumed, and that we would not be wheeling her out the front door. Luck be a lady, she enjoyed it a lot, and now I need to make her a list of different hefeweizens she will need to try.

I’m not sure what my other 2 co-workers ordered, but I started my evening with Gordon Biersch’s seasonal, which was a festbier. This style is not normally my thing, but this brew was nice and malty, as well as crisp. I ordered the goat cheese ravioli in brown butter sauce with spinach, mushrooms and pine nuts, and the festbier was a nice complement.

My second beer for the evening was Gordon Biersch’s Schwarzbier, which I had tried before at the location in D.C., following Savor. Though I tend to prefer stouts, this was a pleasantly smooth dark beer to end my night with, and made a nice coda for the crazy days I had spent in Vegas, doing things that were not your typical Vegas-crazyness. Phew, it’s good to be home.

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Roughly a week and a half ago I decided to take a venture down to The Kite & Key on the corner of 19th and Callowhill in Philly for lunch. I was promptly met by one of the staff when I entered the main dining/tavern area and told I could sit anywhere, so I chose the hightop by the large doors that had been opened up allowing the server to pass from the bar to the outside tables easily. Unfortunately, she had to close those doors after the group sitting outside deemed it too cold (wusses), came in, and asked her to close the doors behind them.

Nevertheless, I had a fairly extensive draught list to choose from, as well as a bottle list. I went with Sly Fox’s O’Reilly’s Stout and paired it with a mixed greens salad with grape tomatoes, goat cheese and raspberry mint vinagrette. Delish.

The Kite & Key’s interior is dark wood, and it has another dining area that extends past the bar area. The bar itself seats about 12, and has several tables located in the front room with it. On one side of the bar was an authentic brass hand pump on display (sadly, not in use), and the chalkboard by the door had a lengthy lunch special list that looked inviting as well.

All in all, it was a nice 15 minute walk down to the pub and an excellent lunch. Makes me wish I had more than 45 minutes for my lunch break!

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Welcome to The Session, a monthly event in which beer and brewing bloggers get together to all write about a chosen topic on the same day! This is Session #20, for which we, Ray and I of Bathtub Brewery, have chosen the topic, “Beers and Memories.”

It was March 19, 2003, in the heart of Armory Square in Syracuse, NY. I was home from SUNY Brockport for spring break, and I had met up with my friends Eric and Laura (also Brockport students) and Peggy, my awesome assistant manager from work, at Clark’s Ale House, undeniably one of the BEST bars in NY, the East Coast, the US, and yeah, everywhere.

I had been going there ever since I could drink, joining Eric and Laura for trivia night every Wednesday we were home from college. Clark’s boasts 20+ beers on tap, serves it’s own Clark’s Armory Ale on cask, and provides wine enthusiasts with an exceptional selection of NY state wines. Oh, and I almost forgot: Clark’s makes the best damn roast beef and cheddar on an onion roll sandwich in the WORLD.

We were gathered around a small table near one of the windows. Laura and Eric were undoubtedly sipping a brew from Middle Ages Brewery, I had a pint of Lindemans Framboise, and I think Peg had a diet coke. It was the eve before the US invaded Iraq, and our small group sat quietly wondering what this was going to mean.

I remember Laura telling me that we should become ex-pats and live in France, polishing off bottles of wine nightly and writing (we were both English majors). Eric was fairly quiet, and I recall Peg chiming in with her views about Bush, I, myself, laughing between sips of the framboise, a beverage that I often referred to as “liquid raspberries.” (This was still during the time that I was a novice about beer, and only got hooked on framboise due to a suggestion from Eric when I found out that Clark’s did not serve cocktails. It’s been love at first sip ever since.)

To this day, when I drink Lindemans Framboise, I remember that cold winter night, the cozy warmth of Clark’s and the uncertainty of what lay before us.

Wow, tough act to follow. I think I might have had a Yeungling on 9/11.

My beer-memory pair involves probably my favorite Dogfish Head brew: the 90 Minute IPA. This beer is especially important to both Mel and me because it’s what I was drinking the evening Mel and I began our relationship. We didn’t officially ratify said relationship until a whole freaking year later, when I finally worked up the nerve to say, “You wanna be my girlfriend?” but Dogfish Head’s 90 was there the night I was set inexorably on the path to that question by the bone-rolling hands of fate.

Mel’s gonna kill me, but I can’t remember what the date was…

It was either June 12 or 16, 2006. Wait, let me look at a calendar … ah, it was the 16th, a Friday. It was at the party I was throwing with a former room mate, which we dubbed “Halloween in June.” Ray was dressed as Homestar Runner, and I rocked a post-apocalyptic Mad Hatter outfit. I was drinking some disgusting rum and Coke cocktail, and most likely crap beer. Good thing he saved me from that life!

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I recommend a week spent in Sunset Beach, NC to anyone who needs to get away for a little while, but doesn’t want to be completely in the boonies (there was a Food Lion a little over a mile away and Myrtle Beach is only 30 minutes away).

We brought a trunkfull of craft beer with us, since we have found Sunset Beach’s beer selection a little lacking, though they did have 2 brews from Leinenkugel which can work in a pinch. We brought the following:

• Stoudt’s Heifer-in-Wheat (6 pack)
• Smuttynose’s Hanami Ale (6 pack)
• Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout (6 pack)
• River Horse’s Belgian Tripel (6 pack)
• Founder’s Breakfast Stout (4 pack)
• Ommegang’s Witte (750 ml bottle)
• Avery’s Fifteen (22 oz bottle)
• Great Divide’s Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout (22 oz bottle)
• Southern Tier’s Back Burner barley wine style ale (22 oz bottle)
• Southern Tier’s Big Red red ale (22 oz bottle)
• Southern Tier’s Pumking imperial pumpkin ale (22 oz bottle)

It was a mix of old and new, and for 4 mornings, Ray and I split a bottle of Founder’s Breakfast Stout with our eggs and hot Italian sausage. Yes, it was perfect.

We went to the Carolina Winery, where last February we met Tim, the knowledgable and down to earth vintner. Unfortunately, he wasn’t manning the tasting bar that afternoon, and we were helped by a staffer that was efficient in her pourings, but didn’t offer the same insight that Tim did. Nevertheless, we walked out with 3 bottles, one of which we intend to save until the Christmas season when a spiced cranberry wine will go nicely with dinner.

Other than that, we spent plenty of time on the beach (even suffered a sunburn), the pool, visited a lovely local tea house for “ultimate tea”, fed turtles and giant carp, rode an antique carousel, and spent plenty of time sipping beers and reading beer periodicals.

Did you miss us?

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Roughly two weeks ago, the day after Ray got on bended knee and asked me to shack up with him forever til one of us kicks, the four of us (Ray, Steph, Tim, and me) headed along I-76 to Adamstown to attend the 12-4p.m. session of Stoudt’s 17th annual microfest, with proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association. This was our first time at Stoudt’s Brewery, and I think we may have fallen in love.

First, I really appreciate the way the beer hall is designed, with 2 open-air courtyards and a large hall with a raised dance floor and stage. The ceilings are high and decorated with vintage posters and the most gorgeous Victorian (or perhaps they’re more Art Deco) chandeliers that the four of us have laid eyes on. Breweries were lined along the perimeter of the beer hall, as well as along one wall of the larger courtyard. In the middle of that courtyard was table after table of German food, as well as some staple drinking cuisine such as pizza, chips, and pretzels. We each had a hearty plate full of sausages, sauerkraut, pizza, nachos, etc., and everything was excellent! There was even fresh bread, which I presume was baked on the premises, since there is a bakery, Eddie’s Breads, on location.

We all agreed that this was one of the best fests yet. Barely any lines (yet there was still a good crowd, full of nice folks), an excellent selection of brewers and beers, great food, an excellent band — who even played my song, “Melissa” by the Allman Brothers — and possibly the biggest plus, which was Stoudt’s beers themselves. Stoudt’s was beyond generous and made ALL of their beers on tap available for sampling. ALL. If I had to guess, that meant that there were at least 7-8 at the main bar that had several friendly bartenders working the taps, as well as a table in the courtyard serving up 2-3 more brews, including a dark IPA that I think was called Black Eyed PA (I searched the Web site a bunch, but I believe it was a seasonal that made its summer exit; nevertheless, it was delish with quite the alcohol and hop kick).

After the fest, we headed over to Stoudt’s Brewpub, were quickly seated, and continued our reverence to some of the best brews we’ve ever tasted. I think my favorite was Fat Dog Stout, but they have so many to choose from and love.

So, enough of the gushing. Time for some pictures!

These fermenters stand directly outside of the brewery and were effective in getting us uber excited for the fest. Look at the hops!!!

I want that chandelier for my living room. It is that awesome.

The roof keeps the weather extremes at bay, while still providing plenty of natural light. And look at the trees! And the greenery!

We had such fun. Thank you Stoudt’s.

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