Kelli and I started our second annual Brewcation by heading into Pennsylvania.
Our first stop was York, PA.
We cut through a market to…
Mudhook Brewing.
While I really didn’t like their beers last time we were there…
We had a $5 gift card, and they were on the way to the other places we were visiting.
And who doesn’t like a bowl of fries? (They were just OK).
Stop number 2 for the trip was Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
They were located in a non-descript warehouse. We were greeted by about 3 guys 2 seconds later.
A lot of their beers were available for tasting, but not in pint glasses.
You could, however, get beer to go.
We were given a tour of the brewery.
Their bottling line.
The brew tanks.
Some barrels for aging beer.
In that back corner is the secret stash of all the old vintages of beers they are saving.
They had a great setup with a large brewing capacity.
If only I could take all this beer home with me.
We left Weyerbacher and headed to…
Our hotel for the night.
We got room 402…
And it was huge!!!
We were staying in Bethlehem, PA and before dinner we walked a few blocks to…
Bethlehem Brew Works, our third brewery of the trip.
They were a smaller, restaurant style brewery…
And we sat at the downstairs bar.
I had some of their beers, but also thought I’d try a sour, too.
Turns out the place we were going for dinner was BYOB, so I went upstairs to the wine store…
And bought a bottle of local wine to go with dinner.
We left Bethlehem Brew Works…
And headed to Mama Nina for dinner.
It was an Italian restaurant…
And we got a seafood plate.
Me being goofy for a picture Kelli took.
The next morning we stopped at a bookstore in town before heading out.
Our next destination was a recommended drive south to Milford, NJ…
To brewery #4, The Ship Inn.
They were a really small brewery that made just enough beer to satisfy their local customers.
New Jersey’s oldest brew house.
The bartender made cupcakes and let us have one.
The bar was small, but quaint.
From there it was on to the resort we were staying at for the rest of the weekend.
Our home away from home.
The inside of our unit was well appointed and spacious.
There was a loft upstairs that would have been great if you had kids.
After we got unpacked we headed out to Brewery #5, The Pocono Brewing Company.
We had been there before, but it was almost across the street from where we were staying, so why not.
The fish tacos were nothing to write home about.
It was getting late, and we decided to head into Stroudsburg, PA.
We had heard about a good beer bar in town…
Andd with a name like Yard of Ale, we thought it might be worth the trip.
The place was really nice and had lots of great beers on tap.
We made a split decision to visit an old favorite that was close by for dinner, Peppe’s Bistro.
They, too, had a good beer selection.
We ordered a pizza for dinner and it was REALLY good.
The next morning Kelli relaxed while I slept in.
After going for a 3 mile run at the resort we headed out to brewery #6, Barley Creek Brewing.
This place was mostly a tourist destination being located directly across from Camelback Ski Resort.
The food was just OK and the service was so BAD we left after only a couple of beers.
Our 7th and final brewery for the trip was The Gem and Keystone.
Another small restaurant that brewed beer for themselves…
But their beers were really good.
There was a small bar on the main floor…
Another one downstairs…
And seating only (no bar) on the top floor.
On the way back to the resort we stopped in here and did some shopping.
That night it was out to dinner at one of our other favorite places to eat in the Poconos, The Stone Bar Inn.
It’s a little out of the way…
But definitely worth the trip.
We were seated in a very private booth…
And served course…
Aftrer course…
Of great food!!
That next morning it was time to end the trip and head back to Maryland.