going to PA....questions

In PA, there are some supermarkets that sells singles, 6-packs, and 12-packs of beer. In Bucks County, the closest to the Trenton area would be ShopRite of Fairless Hills, owned by Brown's Chefs Market

 

I'm not familiar with the Pocono Mountains area. Just SE Pennsylvania/South Jersey/Northern Delaware area

 

The only place you're going to find bottles or cans of Tired Hands is at Tired Hands. There are a few places that have it on draft, but mostly in the Philly area.
Some supermarkets sell 6-packs and singles along with bottle shops, someone more familiar with the area can maybe get you specific locations.
Barley Creek Brewpub is a decent stop if your looking for a place to grab a bite and a couple of beers.

 

The Weis Supermarket in Tannersville on 611 has a nice selection and they have a "wall" dedicated to PA beers. I like Old Forge's IPA (not a hop bomb) and usually find it there in cans. Also, the beer distributor farther into PA along 611 about 1 mile after the town of Mt. Pocono has stepped up their craft game recently and offers 12 packs now.

Of course there is Barley Creek Brewery along the Sullivan Trail just outside of Tannersville and very close to the Crossings Outlets.

I live in Brooklyn but frequently spend weekends up there. Have a great visit and if you have a chance meander along some of the back roads.

 

Von Trapp is not available in PA, FYI.

 

PA has nothing like NJ does. I have a house on Lake Wallenpaupack and the closest beer store that has anything worthwhile is over 40 miles away. I think it was still in PA but I could be mistaken. Lake Wallenpaupack is less then 40 miles from the boarder. Dutchs Market in greentown on 507 has a nice selection of beers, but again, like I mentioned, nothing like a good NJ spot. This store allows you to buy 22's and 4/6 packs. The distributor in Hamlin sells by the case but the only worthwhile brand he carries is Stone. Hope that helps, goodluck!

 

Bells yes, Shorts no. ShawneeCraft Brewery is pretty good. Floods and Yard of Ale are the best beer bars in Stroudsburg. Brewskies Beverage in East Stroudsburg is the best case dealer around (12s and 24s). I've heard absolutely incredible things about Sabatini's in Exeter. But that's not on the route 80 corridor. If you are just coming through the route 80 area in chronological order (from NY) your best bet beer stops (in my opinion) would be ShawneeCraft (in Shawnee on Delaware), Yard of Ale and Floods (Stroudsburg), then Barley Creek (Tannersville) like previously suggested. And to just get sixers and singles the numerous weis's in the area have a decent selection.

 

Oh yeah so this might sound bezerk but the Cluck U Chicken in East Stroudsburg sometimes has good finds. I kid you not they were the only place in the county to get BCBS and BCBB and I pretty much bought them out. It does not look like a craft beer haven from the outside (college themed fried chicken joint) but they sometimes have some gems.

 

Be careful at all the Weis Market's especially Tannersville and East Stroudsburg. 90% of the stock is severely outdated. I'm talking IPA's from 2014.

I was at Tannersville this past weekend on a whim that I would find Nimble Giant there, and I got lucky as they had two cases stuffed in the corner.

Barely Creek is very average, and they cut a lot of corners on sanitization and overall process (A close friend was a brewer there for 2 years). Shawneecraft is much better, but they keep some really strange hours in their taproom, and they too have sanitization problems (fruit flies constantly around their fermenters). There barrel aged stuff is usually pretty good though.

Cluck U does do a good job with fresher selections, and Weis Market in Stroudsburg (by the Stroud Mall) usually has new arrivals on the end caps, but still sells really old shelf turds like the other locations.

Overall the entire region is a mess though because of the local distributors.

If you venture slightly south into the Slate Belt, there is a good distributor in Pen Argyl called Casscarios. A few miles more into Lower Nazareth and Wegmans has an outstanding bottle shop, with mostly fresh deliveries daily, and a knowledgeable staff. They sell Singlecut, Half Acre, Spring House and they have end caps for Victory, Weyerbacher, Fegley's, Saucony Creek etc..

The problem in the Poconos is that there is only a very small percentage of craft beer knowledgeable people (most of whom are homebrewers). The distributors and bottle shops in the area really don't have a clue, and the locals for the most part are quite content with Yuengling and Corona.

 

Just wondering what does the term "end cap" mean?

 

I live in MD and venture to various parts of PA from time to time. The general rule of thumb is liquor & beer stores = by the case only. The loophole around the law (and where I've bought actually all my craft beer in PA) is generally finding on the web, those craft friendly restaurants that are allowed to have an attachment bottle shop that sells singles and 6ers to get around the stupid case only laws.

 

its the display at the end of the aisle

 

see above

(i forgot to insert your quote on the previous post).

 

Great thanks for the lingo clarity.

That made me laugh...Founders & Bell's slumming it in the end caps with the company of Blue Moon Harvest and Bud Lime-A-Ritas.

 

I highly suggest it. Got their last sixer of Waldos yesterday and I didn't see it anywhere else in the region.

 

If you are okay with a 40 minute drive north from the intersection of Interstates 80 & 81, Sabatinis beer bar in Exeter, PA, off I-81 is a fantastic place. I've found a tired hands beer there the last 2 visits.

www.sabatinis.com