My wife and I are planning on some long weekend driving trips over the next several months. So I'm looking for places in the Mid-Atlantic region that we might both enjoy visiting so long as the beer is at least average or above. What has been your most enjoyable visit to a Brewpub or Brewery tasting room in the Mid-Atlantic region and why? Was their anything particularly unique or just the general atmosphere that made/makes the place worth visiting? Was the beer outstanding or just average? Thanks in advance for any and all ideas and suggestions.
Tom, I will put on my thinking cap about a long weekend suggestion. In the interim I will ‘plant a seed’ about La Cabra for a potential visit: “My wife and I went last night for some beers and dinner. A brief discussion: Service : Excellent Ambiance: Excellent Food: the two entrees we ordered were OUTSTANDING!! Just a word of warning to those who are big eaters, you may want to order an appetizer before eating the entree (but my wife and I were satisfied with our portion sizes). Now, since this is BeerAdvocate I feel a need to discuss the beers. A number of the beers on tap (4) suffered from varying degrees of diacetyl (butter aroma/flavor). In two of the beers the level was very high and those beers were not enjoyable for my personal palate. The other two had lower levels of diacetyl so I was able to sort of enjoy those two beers. My prediction is that as the brewer becomes more experienced with the brewing system these brewing faults will be eliminated. My wife and I will be going back in the future if for no other reason than the food/service/ambiance. Cheers to the La Cabra team!!!!!!” https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/lacabra-brewyn-pa-october-2016.457658/ Cheers!
So Kane is great for obvious reasons. Conclave has great beer and the owners are great guys. I really like the tasting room of Czig Meister. I would visit there also because there are three breweries to hit in Hackettstown. Triumph in Princeton doesn't have great beer, they have good beer, but the food is great and walking around Princeton is worth the trip. In NY, I recommend Rushing Duck strictly due to their tap list. Tasting room is nothing special but the beer is. Oh and Delaware is worth the trip for DFH brewpub. My two cents.
I have to post in favor of Tired Hands here. both their brew cafe and the fermentaria are excellent in terms of ambience and overall environment. you can always be guaranteed you will try some truly unique beers and be exposed to styles you might not have had before as well as some world class ipas and pales. the two spots are within walking distance from each other and I like both for different reassons
Hit the wrong button didn't mean to end that lol. anyways I have taken many groups between the two, usually starting at the cafe for those beers, plus snack foods (the most entree food they have there are paninis but the apps and other snacks are awesome) then heading to the fermentaria for a whole other beer list and dinner (tacos, burgers etc) where you can sit in an old retired trolley depot amongst the fermenters and barrels. like I said I love both places for different reasons and they are definitely worth checking out. also notes: the candied bacon, bread and pickles at the cafe are awesome, pretty much all of the tacos and the house burger are great at the fermentaria. they have some local wine too as well as house coffee and tea. if you can't tell if just adore this brewery haha. Cheers man have fun!
I see also that you are from Pa so could just be saying things you already know, either way have fun!
If your travels bring you through Richmond, VA I'd recommend Legends. They've been around for 20+ years so they are pretty established. Their pub/restaurant is in an industrial area across the river from downtown so the view is looking back toward the skyskrapers of the banking district. It's quite beautiful. Beer is great food is fantastic. If you are just north of Richmond in Ashland, VA the Center of the Universe brewery is just off Interstate 95 (you can see it from the highway). Beers are good. I think the back story was that the place was a print shop fronting for a meth lab before it was bought and turned into a brewery. Couldn't find that on the internet though. Cheers
We've been to Stickman in Royersford a couple times and enjoyed it. We also liked Levante in West Chester. Both wide open friendly places with a mixed crowd, good beer (IMO) and rotating food trucks. Haven't been to but Hidden River comes up a lot in conversation. Was at Turkey Hill in Bloomsburg once and thought the beer was good and the food very good. Cool place in restored barn with two bars and an inn on the property.
A plug for Central PA, the local breweries have a joint marketing scheme - RIVER RAT BEER TRAIL. I would say Selinsgrove Brewing as the most unique pub - feels like you are in your buddies basement (in a good way), Turkey Hill and Rusty Rail are also great spaces. Old Forge is a kind of glue to hold the whole 'trail' together. Lewisburg as a central hub, if you are staying overnight, with some good food and beer bars...
Also another popular spot getting attention is Hidden River in Douglassville, PA. great beer and the tavern has a cool vibe. if you do go through Richmond swing by the veil. they are canning some world class beers and their facilities are really well done. they don't have food themselves but food trucks are there.
From PA to NJ on a Saturday Vault to Lone Eagle to Conclave to Czig Meister Or do it in reverse (NJ down to PA) since Conclave is open limited hours compared to the others
If you come through Harford County, MD, Birroteca is a favorite. Artisan pizza and modern italian, as well as 20 taps of craft beer.
The food and beer at Evolution Brewing in Salisbury MD was pretty darn good spot to stop for lunch. The original Dogfish Head brewpub in Rehoboth is great to hit up in the winter. No crowds and you can get a hotel room within walking distance for like $75.
Tom (@drtth), are you a baseball fan? If so I would recommend a weekend trip to Copperstown, NY. It is a quaint little town. The beer aspect would be a trip to Ommegang Brewery. It is a beautiful looking farmhouse style building. I enjoyed taking the tour. Attractions in Cooperstown: Baseball Hall of Fame Watching Little League games at Abner Doubleday field A boat ride on the lake Glimmerglass Opera House (I have only seen this from the outside) Unfortunately it is now after the peak leaf color change season. A word of caution, lodging is expensive there during the high season (summer). Cheers!
If you do Cooperstown, you should do the Bed and Brew package at the Inn at Cooperstown. It's a bit pricey at $700-$800, but well worth it. Friday night is a bottle share at the Inn. Saturday is a day to yourself, then Saturday evening is a VIP tour of Ommegang and a beer pairing dinner. They bus you there so you don't have to worry about driving. You also get a 3L bottle of Ommegang beer signed by the brewery. I have yet to open my 5 year old bottle of Abbey Ale. http://www.innatcooperstown.com/package/bed-brew-package-with-brewery-ommegang
Thanks for reminding me about that package and place. So far I've heard nothing but praise about it and, so it will definitely be near the top of our list!
If you're headed to or from NJ on the Turnpike a stop at Vault brewing in Yardley is worth while, in my opinion, particularly if you enjoy old, classic buildings and architecture. They did a great job renovating a ~100-year old bank into an upscale brew pub. They kept or restored as much of the original bank features as possible... ornate columns and floors, fancy teller windows grills, the vault (of course), and many other features/decorations. Their beer is good and generally lower ABV, which is helps because you'll probably have to drive there. The food is generally lighter fare grilled stuff, sandwiches and flatbreads with seasonal/local ingredients, and some unique ingredients or flavor combinations. There is a small outdoor seating area, but it has the ambiance a city alley way, including loud road noises, so just stay inside. Also, a weekend of brewery hopping in NYC is fun and the subway system makes getting around very easy. There is great food to be found all over and many fun side trips if you need a break from beer. My wife and I did this last year and had a good time. I was really surprised at how many breweries there were in the boroughs.
