Category Archives: Beer News

Happy New Year!

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I hope 2022 is a year filled with lots of brewery visits and good beer!

I know it’s been a while but I’m back. I ended up taking a few months off from brewery visits and beer in general. Shocking I know but I made it through. However, I was able to squeeze in two brewery visits, Bitchin’ Kitten & Old Hights Brewing Company, in the final 10 days of the year and only missed one 2021 Breweries to Visit on the list.

Leading up to Christmas my day drinking buddy was back in town and we were able to find a time to check out Bitchin’ Kitten. Beings we both love cats and beer it was the Purrfect (see what I did there) place to kick back and catch up. Naturally I wore my I Love Cats & Beer hoodie for my first visit to the Kitten. Even though is was my first visit to the brewery it wasn’t my first time enjoying their beer. I was able to try a couple of their beers at an outdoor store tasting back in the Spring of 2021. The brewery only opened their doors a couple of months ago and I like to give new places a bit of time to work out any kinks before I visit.

The brewery is located in the heart of Morrisville, PA and I feel will become an anchor business in the area. Already a distillery opened up down the street and there’s a fun shop, Mandy’s Magick Witch Shop and Healing Center, across the way if you want to do a little shopping before or after beer drinking. As far as parking goes, don’t worry, there’s limited parking on the street out front and a huge parking lot in back of the brewery. The challenge may come finding a place to sit in the brewery beings it’s small and popular.

We happened in on the Thursday before Christmas and the place was hopping. There were two seats at the small bar but we opted to sit out on the beer patio with standing heaters and small fire pits to help keep us warm. Adding to the charm of the patio was Santa going by on the Morrisville Fire Truck. You know this girl was waving and happy to see the big guy! The atmosphere was truly festive!

The patio is dog friendly and has four or five tables and a heater for each table. You can walk to and from the back parking lot via the patio and enter the brewery from the side entrance or walk around to the front. Inside has a rustic, industrial and yet warm feel to it. There’s a mix of high and low top tables plus the small bar. The staff is on their game, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I was impressed with the attention the owners gave to their guests and making sure every thing ran smoothly.

On to the beer! My friend and I both opted for flights. I chose the…

Calt Sidhe: The King of Kats – Dry Irish Stout 4.1% Really one of the smoothest stouts I’ve had in a while and chock full of malty delights.

St. Nick-Claw-Us – Belgian Red Christmas Ale 8% I chose to have it with the sugar rim and it was truly a Christmas treat with strong notes of cherry and other stone fruits that balanced the spices.

English Rose – Mild English Porter 5% This beer was brewed in honor of a foster kitten. Just when I didn’t think I could love this place more I learn they foster cats! You know this Gal is all about animal rescue. #beercats It was a nice robust porter full of roasted goodness, malts and a hint of caramel.

Dewclaw – West Coast Style IPA 6% Yay, a West Coast IPA! So happy when there is a non hazy option. The Dewclaw had the hops you expect but they were nicely balanced by the malts which resulted in an enjoyable but not over powering bitter finish.

The beer list was pretty diverse and in addition offered a New England IPA, a sour, German wheat, a few hard ciders plus hand crafted cocktails. The Kitten also serves food and is meat, vegan and vegetarian friendly. We opted to share the Charcuterie Tray which was beautifully presented, larger than expected and accompanied the beer perfectly.

It was really a fun evening and I look forward to visiting Bitchin’ Kitten soon and watching them grow. They have already built an impressive following and came in 3rd place for Best Taproom in PA after being open only two short months. Bitchin’ Kitten ~ FB ~ IG

Stay tuned to read about my end of year visit to Old Lights Brewing Company.

Trails4Tails Fest

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Join Geeky Beer Gal this Saturday, Oct. 16 at Washington Crossing Park, NJ for the 5th Annual Trails4Tails Fest. T4T consists of 5 races: 1 Mile Fun, 5K, 5K w/Dog, 15K, 50K Ultra and a full Festival that is Open to the Public and includes the GeekyBeerGal Beer & Wine Garden featuring Troegs Independent Brewing , Food Trucks, Dog Agility Course, Hatchet Throwing, Live Music, Adoptable Dogs, Antique Car Show, Vendors and more! T4T is a fundraiser for It’s A Ruff Life Rescue a non profit all breed dog rescue. Co-hosted but the Bucks County Triathlon Club and produced by WHP Events. To learn more visit trails4tailsfest.org!  

Making Lemonade

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Looking to make 2020 a bit brighter for those that follow me on Facebook I started posting contests for folks to win small beer related prizes. I just really wanted to try and brighten things up for folks. After I awhile I started using my graphic design background to design some fun stickers and magnets as prizes. Fast forward to December of 2020 when the universe handed me a big bag of lemons. I took a long look at those lemons and I decided to brew a batch of some kick a$$ lemonade. That lemonade landed me on Etsy with the Geeky Beer Gal Store! I decided to turn the fun I was having designing the prizes into a business with a line of Beer, Dog and Cat themed merch.

Let’s face it with 3 #beercats, 2 dogs and a love for craft beer it was inevitable that I would find a way to combine these three passions into one. Beer journals*, t-shirts, beanies, hoodies, stickers, magnets, earrings and more with fun beer sayings and cute dog and cat related images.

Cat Peeps:
I Love Kitties And Beer
Love, beer & cats
All I need is beer and my cat
I just want to drink beer and pet my cat
Cat Mom Beer Lover

Dog Peeps:
I Love Dogs And Beer
Love, beer & dogs
All I need is beer and my dog
I just want to drink beer and pet my dog
Dog Mom Beer Lover

Two Easy Ways To Help A Small Business: Like & Share!
This Gal would greatly appreciate you giving the shop a look, fav the shop (click heart in upper left corner) and share, share, share! It’s great way to show a #smallbusiness support without spending a dime! (although, if you wanted to spend a dime…)

Oh and there will still be FB contest with plenty of opportunities to win beer related prizes and G.B.G. merch but you have to follow and play to win!

DROP ME A LINE
geekybeergal@icloud.com

Geeky Beer Gal is based out of New Jersey and lives with 3 cats named after beer/breweries (Avery, Salvator and Celis) and mother and son rescue dogs (Mama T. and Sullivan). Sullivan thinks he’s a cat and we just let him live that dream out.

Let’s hang out

*Beer Journals are available on both the Etsy shop and Amazon.
Click for StickerMule Discount

Coming Full Circle

Beer Articles, Beer News

First off – I know – it’s been forever and a day since I last posted. Life has taken me many different directions and the writing fell by the way side, my apologies. Geeky Beer Gal is is very active on social media so please take a moment to follow me on FB, Instagram @geekybeergal and Twitter @geekybeergal.

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Brasserie d’Achouffe N’Ice Chouffe

Coming Full Circle. One recent Friday all I could think about, while trying to survive the work day, was how much I wanted to kick back later and enjoy a beer. As you know, I love beer but what you probably don’t know is that I actually don’t drink it as much as one might think. I enjoy and savor it when I do. My decision wasn’t whether to have a beer or not but wether to pick one from my beer frig at home or to go out and have something on tap. Home was winning until my brother texted me a pic of himself enjoying a Brasserie d’Achouffe N’Ice Chouffe at Uno Hamilton. Decision made! This Gal loves N’Ice Chouffe.

Unfortunately, our schedules didn’t match up so I missed having a beer with the World’s Greatest Brother. As I was enjoying my Chouffe it hit me….after all these years of traveling round, enjoying a variety of craft beers and my beer taste changing (next blog) in the end this Gal enjoys Belgian beers the most. So much so I once had an amazing cat name after the beer Chimay!

I enjoyed Belgian beers long before microbrews and craft beer became a thing. Back then the only place to really get them around my area was Isaac Newton’s in Newtown. They still have a nice selection of Belgian beers on tap complimented by a variety of craft beers. I find myself in need of a visit every Christmas season. For what ever reason Christmas screams Belgian beer time to me. Not sure why – it just does. Not that I don’t enjoy them year round, I do, just Christmas time I enjoy them even more. Part of my Christmas tradition is going to NYC to see the tree and enjoy a few beers at BXL Cafe…this Gal’s fav Belgium bar. It’s not Christmas until I sit at the BXL bar with a Delirium Noel!

Thing is it doesn’t matter if the beer is hoppy, malty or, in the case of a Framboise, fruity…I enjoy them all. They have such a rich, smooth quality to me that is meant to be savored and respected. I still love craft beers to the moon and back but Belgian beers will forever be my first love.

Some of this Gal’s fav places to find Belgian beers on tap: BXL Cafe, The Belgian Cafe, Monk’s Cafe, Uno Hamilton, Isaac Newton’s, and Bridgids.

Some of this Gal’s favorite Belgium breweries and beers: Chimay, Leffe, Delirium, Duvel, La Chouffe, Rodenbach Grand Cru, St Feuillien, Leifmans, Westmalle, Tripel Karmeliet, Westvleteren, Orval, Duchesse De Bourgogne, Arabier, Rochefort Trappistes 10, Cantillon and Lindeman’s to name a few cause really there are just too many to name. Cheers!

 

The Future of Craft Beer

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I’ve read a lot of articles about the future of craft beer but since I keep getting asked, “Is the craft beer bubble about to burst? Is there a future for craft beer?” here’s my thoughts on the future of craft beer.

Trends come and go but craft beer is here to stay. The “It” folks, you know the ones who have to be part of the latest cool craze, are moving on from craft beer and personally that makes this Gal happy. At the same I know quite a few folks who are just discovering the joy of craft beer and it’s been fun to see their taste and knowledge of beer blossom.

Is craft beer still the new cool kid on the block? Nope, that title now belongs to distilleries. They are popping up left and right just like breweries once did and that is one of the differences you will see as the craft beer world settles fewer breweries opening. Fine by me. We don’t need one on every corner and frankly, far too many have opened that never should have. It will be survival of the fittest. If you brew good beer, take care of your customers, offer reasonable prices and have a sound business plan then you should be ok.

I do, however, feel a shift in the craft beer world has started and will continue…#drinklocal.  Folks want to see more local brews on tap at restaurants and beer bars. Yes, folks will still enjoy beer from across the country but see the value in supporting their local breweries. I think the acquisitions of craft breweries by mega corporations like Anheuser-Busch is a factor in the #drinklocal movement. Beer lovers want their local breweries to be successful but not by the big guys taking them over but rather from customer and community support.

However, I also see a return to Belgium beer. I think we are going to be seeing them pop up more on tap list and more craft breweries brewing Belgium styles. Belgium beers were this Gal’s first love so I don’t mind at all.

So to recap craft beer will be sticking around
Some breweries will close
Fewer breweries will be opening
More acquisitions of craft breweries by big corporations
Lots more distilleries popping up
#drinklocal
The Return of Belgium Beers

Black Beauties

Beer News, Beer Tastings, , , , , ,

FullSizeRenderThere for a while it seemed the “in” thing with craft beer was to make sure when you drank a beer the hops exploded in your mouth and took over every taste bud. Thank goodness that trend is fading some and a beautiful beauty is rising up as the next big thing. I like to refer to it as Black Beauty in other words Black Beers. No not stouts or porter but Black Beers as in Black Lagers, Black IPAs and Black Ryes. I for one am loving this growing trend and hope it trandscends into a main stay brewing style. It’s a wonderful thing that brewers are playing around with some standard styles and brewing them with a twist.

These Black Beauties help put to rest the age old myth about beer – if it’s dark it’s heavy; if it’s light in color it’s light in flavor and body….W R O N G ! ! ! There are many full flavor full bodied light color beers, heck I once had a Blonde that weighed in at 10%,  and plenty of dark beers that would be considered on the light side of the spectrum. So lets just put that misconception to pasture.

1_114565126_3A great way to do just that is the Black beers. These beers are a perfect way to introduce one to a style they may not normally like or enjoy and to those scary “heavy” aka dark beers. I for one can appreciate a well done rye beer but you would be hard pressed to find this gal ordering a pint of one…until now. Welcome the Black Rye, oh my!

The black beers are combining the best of both worlds. These ales tend to be medium bodied beers with a dark hue complimented by just a nice but not overwhelming accent flavor whether it be hops, rye or something else. With the black you have the subtle flavors of roasted malt with cocoa and chicory balanced out by hops or rye. Suddenly this Gal is loving the rye beers, Black ryes that is, Ottercreek Black IPA has become one of my main go to beers and I find Black Lagers to be so delightful. Three styles I previously shied away from and am completely and totally drawn to now.

Black_rye_bottle_webA few favorites:

Founders Black Rye (very happy to see Founders promoting this on the festival circuit)

Broken Goblet Black Rye – my first intro to black ryes

Ottercreek Black IPA – a true delight

Terrapin Brewing  in collaboration with New Belgium Brewing – Black is the New Wit

So next time you find yourself presented with the opportunity to try a Black Beer PLEASE do so. You may just expose yourself to a whole new world of beer.