Posts

Una Storia Italiana a Venezia

Image
 Birra Moretti L'authentia, ricetta dal 1859 - la birra de Yuengling in Venezia. Per human tendency, one compares new with what they know. After trying and thus seeing Birra Moretti's brewskis all around me, I'd equate it similarly to a Yuengling (I'm a central-PA gal after all) albeit a bit smoother in taste. Interestingly enough, Yuengling was founded before  Birra Moretti - gotta tie in that good ol' history lesson in there. Italy is renowned for its fines wines, exquisite fashion labels , and pasta so fresh you swear you can feel your taste buds perform jumping jacks in ecstasy. I felt as though my beer-venture might be one in vain but was pleasantly surprised in my findings. Similarly to US supermarkets, the local COOP grocery store proved to be invaluable in finding new brews to find in single bottles and cans. As a traveler, trying local cuisine and immersing in the culture, interacting with locals to truly get a better appreciation for a new location - th

This is what dreams are made of

Image
 Hey now! Hey no-ow! If you are a 90s baby like I am, Lizzie McGuire running about with Paolo crosses your mind when you think of Rome. Venice, Florenze, Pompeii, Rome, and Sorrento for my 26th birthday...hey now, hey now!! But first, a few pre-flight brews since that's my special defense against pre-trip jitters and getting through long travel journeys. I have horrible flight luck so I'd say a few brews to calm my nerves are well deserved. It also helps with sleep and sets a tasty tone for the trip. I've found airports also have quite the eclectic selection of brews as they want to keep a variety under their belt in anticipation for the many different palettes traversing through their restaurants. Little secret - for as much traveling as I've done, both domestic and international, I get insanely wild jitters the minute I set off at the airport. I blame it on my bad luck at airports: numerous delays, missed flights, missed connections, cancelled flights, crying in term

Club XL Live

Image
By name alone, this name could mean so many things, among them a few highly ambiguous double-entendres but those close to the Harrisburg area would know this to be a rather newish venue offering live music and baller club nightlife. Maybe I don't even need to mention the potentially sexual inferences to which this could  refer, but if you're like me, your sense of humor can go dark all too quickly. Perverted minds will be perverted....yet I digress per usual. If you've come this far, I trust you have come to become accustomed to little side notes and if you don't know me on a more personal level, you may not realize the internal struggle it has become not to type every single aside I have with myself in my little noggin before I hit that orange Publish button . I'm trying to be as concise as I am in my professional life but with more creative flair, I swear. It's a balance. Where were we? Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Club XL - there we are. Reel it in. Reel.It.

Passions of Greece

Image
Okay, maybe we're not talking actual  Greece nor any Biblical references, but Yorgos offers a sliver of Grecian touch with that homey feeling of family as is traditional Greek life. This Mediterranean golden gem is tucked away in Lancaster, PA on the corner between North Queen Street and West Orange Street. The menus are flavorful without that standoffish, pretentious smugness you may come to find in other areas trying to "globalize" the community through means of different foods and culture...aka authentic, tasty freakin' food. Alas, this is not a food blog, but a b e e r blog (albeit I love both). Upon entering the downstairs bar, it was rather difficult to decide which brew I wanted to try as they offer a revolving variety of local brews on tap as well as some go-to staples such as Yuengling. Side note: Yuengling is more like the Miller or PBR of Pennsylvania, in that it's usually on draft at a bar and if it's the "fanciest" draft on tap, you k

Six by Six

Giant Food Stores, as I've mentioned before,  or , if it's your first time visiting, I'll reiterate because I do love a long-winded narrative....they have an interesting array of mix-a-six units for sale which is an increasingly more efficient way to try new beers without the commitment if one only frequents a particular Giant Beer Garden every month or two because they all offer their own variety with varying rotations of styles and specific beers. Summer Blonde by River Horse Brewing Co.: a light beer with a refreshing aftertaste and, as the name suggests, a solid candidate for a summer brewski The Blondie by Owl's Brew Radler: this blondie had a little bit more body than the prior albeit still light enough to be enjoyable for summertime Oktoberfest by Sly Fox Brewing Company: I haven't met an Oktoberfest I haven't liked yet and this one did not disappoint. While Sam Adams Oktoberfest holds a special place in my heart, Sly Fox does not disappoint

New Brew-ginnings

Image
Tonight is about new beginnings, a truce of sorts. My former SO and I had a reconciliatory date on which to discuss, eat, and try new beers, something which he also enjoys from time to time. I'm going to pompously take credit for expanding his hoppy horizons outside of the limited taste range of Coors Light and Corona. Of all the styles outside of what I consider party beer or piss water, he hovers towards a dark porter or stout, something I totally was not expecting. Tonight we chatted over only two rounds with our dinner of burgers and Tr รถ egs Beer-style BBQ sauce at Smoked Restaurant which boasts of many  delicious bites and beers. As a personal favorite of my prior supervisor, I've eaten here quite a few times for celebratory meals and tonight is no different as we celebrate my new car and new apartment, and to working on our halted relationship. Blackberry Jacuzzi by Mispillion River Brewing Company: ultra sweetness abundance without being too sickly sweet tow hich

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brewski

Image
A new flavoring for me: pumpkin and pumpkin spice beers. There may be split reactions to this: either I'm not "extra" or I've finally caved to the frenzy...but man, have I realized that I have missed out on a whole world of brew flavors. I've been all too naive in thinking that they tasted like straight pumpkin, for which I'm not overly gaga. There real break-through stars of these brewskis are the spices and who knew there were so many various spices in pumpkin pie? As someone who does not eat pumpkin pie, certainly not I. Heck, I also avoid the Charlie Brown great pumpkin movie, albeit that's more of a longtime dislike and distrust of Charlie Brown and his goody-two shoes act. I said what I said. The past few weeks have been spent off the radar to allow my heart necessary time to heal plus contend with the influx of work as the office approaches busy flu season. Along with the hectic work season, I've also managed to pick up a cold from the ce