• In 2016, Gov. Tom Wolfe signed laws that loosened restrictions on beer sales! For the first time, beer distributors were allowed to sell beer in small amounts – before then, beer was only sold in full cases.  At that time, grocery stores and gas stations were also allowed to buy licenses to sell beer (see below).
• Beer Distributors have a different type of license than grocery stores and gas stations. We are allowed by law to sell beer in any quantity – no limit. Grocery stores and gas stations have restaurant licenses – they need to have food, seating, and can only sell 192 fl.oz. at a time. Everyone is required to produce ID at these stores.
• Beer Distributors are allowed to sell cider and fermented fruit beverages (wine-based products) only if they are at or under 8.5% alcohol.   
• Beer Distributors are not allowed to sell any distilled beverages – vodka, whiskey, rum, etc.  That’s why we can’t sell High Noon, Stateside, Cutwater… Everything at the beer distributor is made from malted (fermented) barley or other grain. You’ve gotta get distilled beverages at the PA Wine and Spirits Store.
• Hard slushies sold in beer distributors in PA are required to have a label/sticker over the opening which stops the customer from drinking them in the store – our license dictates that we are selling for ‘off-premise’ consumption. 
• Beer Distributors are allowed by law to offer samples of up to one serving (of the smallest size available).
• Any other questions?  Ask the experts at Beer Towne!

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We rotate beer styles weekly in order to please everyone.  Here are some beers next up in our Sampling lineup:

*Von Trapp Brewery (Stowe, VT)

*Sour beer styles, including a Cellarworks smoothie (Sarver, PA), a gose, and a berliner weisse

*Hofbrauhaus Freising Jagerbier, Dunkel, and Hefe Weiss

*White Claw & Truly 8% vs.12% ABV versions

*Bell’s Oberon 

When the weather is warm enough, we put up a tent outside our store and have the Sampling Event outside!  Look for us, inside or out, every Friday night starting at 4 pm!

FUN FACT: Since there are so many beer, cider, seltzer, and malt beverage items – some of which rotate every week! – we could taste 3 different items weekly in perpetuity and not ever get through all of our inventory – at least not in the lifetimes of Karen and Kevin!  

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Once long, long ago, Kevin and I saw that the upcoming Groundhog Day was on a weekend. We had the bright idea of taking the kids up to see Phil. I was excited! This sounds crazy, but after a lot of years spent teaching elementary school, we always had a lot of fun on Feb. 2 (think paper plate groundhogs, stick puppets, songs, and cupcakes) and I had always wanted to go to see Punxsutawney Phil.  We made a reservation at a motel – but not too near Punxsutawney, because all of the motels near there were already booked. We packed up all of our winter gear X two adults and three kids, snacks, etc, and set off.  

We went to bed early because we had to wake up WAY before dawn!  Not sure how it is now, but back then, we had to park in downtown Punxsutawney and take a ‘shuttle’ up to Gobbler’s Knob. We estimate that we got up at 4 am, left the Punxsutawney Elem. School parking lot at 5 am, and got to the groundhog sanctuary at 5:30 am.  Lots of time til sunrise! 

Ha! You can imagine our surprise when we got off the school bus and saw HUNDREDS of college-age kids with their coolers and KEGS full of Miller Lite, Bud, and Coors! It was a BEER PARTY for sure! (Not really a family event.) AND it was sleeting! AND we were already VERY late and there was no way at all that our kids would be able to see anything over the SEA of people who had arrived before us. Eventually, KJ found a nearby tree to climb – he was determined not to miss a thing! Ryan sat on Kevin’s shoulders, and with Maura in a pack on his chest, Kevin was at least warm! 

We could hear everything, and after all of the officials in the Inner Circle spoke – it seemed like an eternity – Phil, of course, saw his shadow. So many camera lights around him – of course he did! It WAS fun!  Finally it was time to get out of the wet and cold (I was nerve-racked because we had brought our baby into this place!) but there was a new problem: how do we make our way through what was now THOUSANDS of people (but very few families!) to the four school buses that were taking people down into town? Yikes! Kevin grabbed KJ and me pushed us forward through the throngs, who were slower because of their early-morning beer. We hopped on one of the first buses, and sat down in relief while all of the crowds still outside banged-banged-banged on the bus windows. 

PHEW!  Lucky us – we got outta there alive!  We warmed up on the ride to town, peeled off our wet jackets, and went to the school cafeteria where the church ladies were selling hot cocoa and sandwiches. KJ and Ryan even got chocolate groundhogs – really Easter bunnies with their ears chopped off!  

At Beer Towne we have Straub’s Groundhog Altbier in stock, and, if Phil sees his shadow, plenty of winter brews left:

*Allagash Ski Report

*21st Amendment Fireside Chat

*Troegs Blizzard of Hops

If there’s no shadow and spring is on its way, there are spring beers:

*Genessee Spring Bock

*Dogfish Head Nordic Spring

*Sam Adams Breakaway Blonde 

Happy Groundhog Day!  

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Pshhhhst! Can you hear that sound?  It’s the sound of a fresh beer opening!  Happy Beer Can Appreciation Day!  Eighty-nine years ago, in 1935, the first beer can was introduced. In a can, beer is kept at its peak freshness – no air or light can penetrate. Since the inside of the can has a special lining, the can’s metal never touches the liquid gold inside. (Bottled beer lovers, take note!) Also, beer in cans cools down faster than bottles when in a fridge or an icy cooler.

We appreciate the utility of the beer can for sure, but let’s talk now about the outside of the beer can.  Breweries have really taken can label art to the next level, haven’t they?  Talented artists working for the breweries use their beautiful designs to help to give their breweries a certain identity and style. Examining the artwork in Beer Towne’s 7 cooler doors full of local Pittsburgh and exclusive beers is an awesome experience.  Sometime when you’re waiting for your Sir Pizza Pine Twp to be ready, come into Beer Towne to check out the labels!  Some of the artists that we particularly appreciate and follow are from Hop Farm Brewing Co. , Butler Brew Works, Grist House Craft Brew and Coven Brewing. But those are only some of our favorites! There is so much cool artwork – stop in to check the cans out, and let’s discuss your favorite beer can illustrations! By the way, @misspiperandmrfitz artisans sell their beautiful earrings made from beer can labels at Beer Towne! You need to make a trip just to see them!  

Here are some other fun facts about beer can history:

*A New Jersey based brewery called Kruegers released the first beer can.

*Beer can production slowed during WWII as metals were needed for battle, but after the War, canned beer became mainstream again.

*In 1969, canned beer sales exceeded sales of bottled beer for the first time.

*Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale was the first beer to be hand canned in 2002.  Nowadays, many small breweries hand can, and lots sell ‘crowlers’ which are canned right in front of the customers. Cool stuff!

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Just 6 German breweries are Oktoberfest suppliers, so if you want an official Oktoberfest brew, you should try a Spaten, Hofbrau, Augustiner, Hacker- Pschorr, Paulaner, or Lowenbrau Oktoberfest! We carry 4 of them right now at Beer Towne! Originally, way back when Oktoberfests began in 1810 (King Ludwig I’s wedding party!), the beers served were Marzen beers – bready, malt-forward lagers that were made in the spring (March = Marzen) and ‘lagered’ or stored all summer before they were drunk. (Brewing was outlawed in the summer partially due to fear of fires during the brewing process.) By the time fall came, the beers went up in ABV by a few percent for sure!

More recently, the strong lagers were replaced by ‘fest biers’ that are lighter and lower in alcohol (about 6V). In Munich now for the Oktoberfest, festbier is served exclusively – so that there are less sloshed people! Beer Towne sells both Oktoberfest Marzen beers and the lighter Fest beers – check out our huge selection! We have put together some variety packs, too, so that you can try several different brands!!

This whole thing sounds like fun to Kevin and I, and a fall trip to Munich is on our bucket list! Maybe we will organize a tour – want to join us? Meanwhile, we will be content with tasting our way through each and every Oktoberfest Marzen and Festbier in stock!

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Driving down the pine-lined highway from Boston to Sandwich, Massachusetts, we looked forward to some good beer at Tree House Brewing Co. Fast roads gave way to weather-worn cedar shake homes, then beachside parking. We opened the back of the truck and piled in the cases Kevin had preordered. We had even bought draft tickets online in advance, but in March, there was no need. We think it would be a different story in June! Upstairs there was a tasting room which provided sweeping views of Cape Cod. We were the only ones on the porch, enjoying nature’s beauty and some spectacular beers: 

King Julius – American Double – creamy mouthfeel bursting with tropical flavors. Extraordinary! Even Karen thought so! 

Very GGGrennn – Imperial Double – smooth and fruity

Breakfast Shake – Triple IPA with bananas, strawberries, and lactose – rich, velvety! Citra hops pop, but don’t overwhelm

Nervous Energy – Maple Milk Stout – smells like Saturday mornings in Mom’s kitchen. Sweet and oh so creamy!  

Karen had a Concord Grape cocktail made with Tree House distillery vodka. Tree House also makes a variety of other distilled spirits, canned cocktails, and cold brews.

Our Beer Lovin’ Crew’s Review

Tree House beers are VERY highly rated on the Untapped app. Our inquiring minds want to know … is it truly the beer itself that earns those great ratings? Or is it partly the view? Or the atmosphere? Maybe it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, we highly recommend this place and this beer. We vow to be back this summer, sipping more great beer with a lobster roll from the food truck, at one of the picnic tables near the beach. Next time you stop in to Beer Towne, please ask us about our trip! 

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British brewers double hopped the beer so that it would remain fresh and drinkable for their comrades, soldiers fighting in the English colonies around the world.  Hops acted as a preservative then, but nowadays hops are used in a variety of ways to flavor IPAs with fruit and pine notes.  

When Kevin opened his beer distributor – several short years ago! – the IPA craze was taking off.  For years prior, American consumers were happily drinking malty lagers and ales which had some hops but not much hop taste.  Once people tried these hopped-up IPAs from some of the larger craft breweries, they didn’t go back to their regular stand-bys.  Bell’s Two Hearted, Stone IPA, and Dogfish Head 60 Minute were among the upstarts – the newest and greatest hop taste sensations. Kevin couldn’t keep them in stock! (Hazy wasn’t an option then…West Coast was the king!)  Eventually, the local Pittsburgh beer scene ramped up and broke the (beer) glass ceiling.  Today there are more than 80 individual breweries in the Pittsburgh area, all creating new IPA flavors EVERY week. 

The Future of Flavors Has Arrived 

This blog, though, is meant to be an ode to those big craft breweries who first made the IPA a ‘thing’ and are still coming out with new takes on their old IPA standards.  Some of the newest releases stocked at Beer Towne include Bell’s Hazy Hearted IPA, Sierra Nevada Juicy Little Thing, Southern Tier 2X Juice Jolt, and New Belgium Fruit Force (the latest in their Voodoo Ranger IPA series). These beers are tasty with a capital T and won’t break your wallet in these trying times… cost-effective IPAs compared 

to those more expensive ones in the cooler doors at Beer Towne. On Friday nights this spring, we’ll be tasting some of these National Craft IPAs

The post IPAs Throughout History appeared first on Beer Towne.

Get this: the term “session” was defined by the British legislature during World War I. It allowed factory workers to drink on the job (!) during two daily sessions. The workers would have low ABV (alcohol by volume) beers so that they COULD go back to work. The question is, should you? 

So, the more recent idea of a session being a lo-cal, lo-carb, light–tasting knockoff of its big brother beer is far from the truth. Lots of beers that are not labeled as “session” really are, if you are paying attention to the 5% alcohol guideline. Many lagers are sessions – the popular Czech beers Pilsner Urquell and Czechvar are examples. Lots of sour beers are also sessions – stop into Beer Towne and ask Peter about his favorites – he is a lover of all things sour! Even some Belgian-style beer is below 5% – remember Hoegaarden and Allagash White? 

Additionally, brewers are pushing hop flavors while cutting carbs and alcohol – ah, maybe these are what come to mind when you think “session.” Beer Towne carries Founders’ All-Day IPA, Harpoon Rec League, Bell’s Light-Hearted Ale, Fat Head’s Sunshine Daydream, and Cigar City Jai Low, just to name a few of the most sought-after. Right now, a variety of summer session beers are being delivered to Beer Towne that are a bit hoppy and have a limited release time. Have you tried Victory Summer Love or Brooklyn Summer Ale? Last but certainly not least are radlers and shandies that mix beer with fruit juice. The juice addition really re-energizes you after exercise and often brings the ABV down, sometimes under 3%! My favorite radler is Burgkopf’s Pineapple beer. Delicious and sweet! 19.2 oz. cans even have reclosable tops!

However you slice it, session beers are here to stay! Our store is full of gourmet sessions that will delight every one of your taste buds. Here’s to spring!

-Karen

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

When I was younger, being Irish in the ‘burgh meant watching my aunts and uncles gather at my grandparents’ home to drink Guinness and chablis. Yes, I said chablis (and by the gallon) and ate my grandma Mimi’s authentic homemade Irish soda bread. Nobody made it better! She always made it in a cast-iron skillet and stuffed it with plump black juicy raisins then melted mounds of gooey and crisp sugar on top! How did she do that with the sugar? Oh my gosh, how good that was to eat while stealing sips of Irish beer. Since my Grandparents are from Ireland, I always figured that’s how they did it back home. If so, the Irish really have a secret that needs to be shared. My wife Karen tries to make it but it’s just not quite the same. But don’t tell her that!! She recently purchased a cast iron skillet as the last secret ingredient in the recipe.

As I grew older, that is to a more respectable drinking age, my Uncle Mike always asked me, “Hey Kevin, come and march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with me” like it was some kind of right of passage to my Irishdom, is that even a thing? Or was it just an early version of the DD? Hmmm… I always thought it was clever to march down Pittsburgh streets while having a beer, get into bars for free, and make new drinking buddies. After all, the Irish never lack a friend with whom to hoist a pint of Smithwicks…hmmm, maybe my Uncle Mike is the cool uncle?

Now as I get older and continue to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, I’ve come to understand that it’s about family, friends, and comradery. It’s not really just about drinking St. Patrick’s green beer, Irish beers like Guinness and Harp, and Irish coffee in my wife’s case. It’s about celebrating family, heritage, and friends. The things that bind you and yours together in life. A unifying commonality in our lives.

So on this special day, call your cool uncle, aunt, cousin, brother, or long-lost friend and invite them out for a pint, to just shoot the breeze and catch up. I bet it’s been far too long since you’ve done that! You can never spend too much time together laughing, arguing, and eating Grandma Mimi’s Irish soda bread. Hell, have two pints. They are small after all!

So, on St. Patrick’s Day 2022, be like the Irish and hoist a pint of your favorite Irish beer. We will be hoisting a pint to you and yours. Here’s an Irish toast for you: 

May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you! May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

By: Kevin

The post What It Means To Be Irish In The ‘burgh appeared first on Beer Towne.

So, what yummy things should I cook so that everyone will have the best time ever and want to come home again and again? (Yep, that’s how I really feel!) And, since I’m the Beer Towne owner now, how can I incorporate some beer flavors in our food and drinks? I am busy experimenting with that idea and wanted to let you in on what I’ve learned so far.  

Beer & Turkey

First off, beer isn’t that complicated…really!

I always make the stuffing like my dad once did, but for the turkey, old ways aren’t necessarily better! My dad, though, would be happy with any beer and turkey combo! If I ever did make a deep-fried bird – not sure I am that much of a risk-taker – I would definitely choose an IPA, probably one of Beer Towne’s great Pittsburgh locals. Yinz know where I’m coming from on that point! My sister-in-law who lives in Charlotte would appreciate a good local. This year, though, my daughter-in-law is brining and roasting the turkey, and we’ll pair it with a hefe weissbier (yeast wheat) that will connect us to my mom’s German roots. 

Sours & Appetizers

Since we are eating later in the day this year, we will have plenty of time for pre-game noshing! We will try gose (goes-uh with the accent on the first syllable) beer, which is a salty sour. There are so many varieties of gose, most with fruit ingredients. We like that in our family! 

If you know our daughter Maura, you might know that sours are her specialty. Gose beers are perfect for appetizers because their salty flavors match perfectly with our chips and dips traditions and are a lovely complement to Kevin’s usual charcuterie board.

Stouts & Desserts

To finish things off after dinner, we are going to try Great Divide Yeti stout beers with sugar cookies and pumpkin pies. My cutouts are the best! (Ask me for my recipe, I will have copies at BT.) We will only need a few large cans of stout to accompany our desserts— we are having Macaroon, Horchata (cinnamon & vanilla), and Pumpkin Spice Yeti. 

Yum…It will be a perfect end to our perfect Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful holiday with YOUR family!  Karen

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