Keystone Eats

This week the gang goes back in time to an episode we recorded back towards quarantine, where we sat down to enjoy Neshaminy Creek Brewing! While our biggest difficulty was trying to pronounce Neshaminy, we had no difficulty enjoying these delicious beers. We tried a few beers, the Cherry Hibiscus Wheat, Strange Rituals Red IPA and the Shape of Hops to Come Double IPA.

https://neshaminycreekbrewing.com/

"Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company was founded in 2010 by head brewmaster Jeremy Myers and assistant brewers Rob Jahn and Steve Capelli. It takes its name from the nearby creek of the same name, from which it draws water for its beer. The facility itself, located at 909 Ray Avenue, officially opened on June 1, 2012. In 2013, the Churchville Lager won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.[5] In 2016, Neshaminy Creek won two bronze medals at the Great American Beer Festival for their Vienna Lager and their smoked beer.

In 2016, Neshaminy Creek announced the opening of a location and tasting room in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia.[7]

The company brews six year-round beers and several seasonal beers, which are distributed to the greater Philadelphia area and New Jersey."

Give our episode a listen to see what we think of these beers and give you some information on Neshaminy's origin story! Make sure to subscribe and throw us a rating, as well as tell a friend!

Another week with the gang, this week we are enjoying some delicious libations from Levante Brewing! Levante has a taproom down on 208 Carter Drive in West Chester, serving up a wide assortment of drinks from their tap as well as to-go cans! They offer take out and curbside pickup at their Carter Drive location as well as curbside from their stable at 160 Park Rd in Downingtown! Here is a link to their site where you can find all this information. - Link

Levante originated from good friends wanting to make good beer as well as traveling the world and learning from others. Here is an exerpt from their site's about page:

"It all started with a 3-gallon homebrew kettle inside a college apartment. Early experimentation led to leaps of faith by our founding members, who scaled their ambitions into a 15-BBL brewhouse at 208 Carter Drive.

After years of planning, our taproom doors swung open for the first time in 2015. The cornerstone of inspiration came from a trip to rustic Italian vineyards by our founding member and Brewmaster, Tim Floros. He fell in love with the drinking atmosphere in Italy, where customer interaction and quality-focus are paramount. We continue to refrain from TVs in our taproom, though our 10-tap chalkboard menu has been upgraded to a 20-tap digital display. You can expect a new sensory adventure each trip to the taproom."
source: Levantebrewing.com

Give us a listen and enjoy our ramblings about some good beer and some cool guys and gals down at Levante! Make sure to like and subscribe and give us a rate while you're at it!

This week the gang sits down to chat a little bit about their lives, the podcast, how the world is and more in this exciting new episode of Keystone Eats!

Getting bogged down from the coronavirus has been tough, so we sat down to talk about what that has meant for doing our show and how we have perservered through it! Hoping the future gets a little better, we let you know what we have to come in the future and what we hope to accomplish! We also talk a bit about our home life and what has been going on in the Keystone Eats world. Give us a listen and make sure to rate and subscribe!

We also enjoy a PA made delicious canned cocktail from Kiki Vodka with collaboration from Imprint beer! A tasty Mango Vanilla Cola cocktail, this smooth summer drink is perfect for a hot day on the beach or a relaxing afternoon by the pool. Check out imprint beers online store here! - Link

If you give their product a try, make sure to let us know and tag us in the description!

This week the gang is together and trying to decide which side of the republic to join as we try a couple beers from Stable 12 Brewing Company! Stable 12 is a brewery located in Phoenixville, PA brewing up a wide ranges of delicious beers and a cozy environment to enjoy their product.

Stable 12 started out with three beer-loving high school friends. The three of them decided to pick up a new hobby after college, which obviously the best choice was to make beer. They quickly outgrew the kitchen they started in, and decided to take over a vacant barn at the family horse farm that they grew up on. And thus, Stable 12 Brewery was born out of that barn.

The brewery is led by Owner Chris Carbutt, CEO Richard Wolf, and head brewer Mark Thomas. Chris grew up in collegeville, Becoming friends with Richard in middle school, who grew up on his family farm in skippack PA. They kept in contact with each other throughout college, and took up brewing as a hobby. This led to where they are today. Mark as the head brewer is in charge of all things beer, originally coming from Vault Brewing in yardley, PA where he was the founding brewer. As head brewer he is tasked with curating and refining all of stable 12s beer.

Give our episode a listen and make sure you rate and subscribe!

Happy Friday! This week the gang gets together to taste some delicious beers from Chatty Monks Brewing Company. A local favorite of ours, Chatty Monks is located on the hip West Reading Street of Penn Ave, right in the heart of Berks County. Chatty Monks offers a rotating tap of fresh new beers regularly as well as a tasty menu with many options. Their brewery on Penn Ave provides a nice welcoming cozy place to relax, enjoy a meal and try out some of their many brews. Beers are available on location or to go in crowlers or growler fills.

From their website, Chatty Monks gives a little history of how they came to be:
"It all started with Joe & Rob. Nearly every weekend, there they were, tasting every craft beer under the sun, along with a pint or twenty under the moon. And then they heard the calling from the sky (or perhaps from their empty glasses): “brew, and ye shall be blessed.” Not ones to ignore such powerful signs, they quickly set to work in their Beer Bunker (others might call it a kitchen), concocting their own tasty Belgian style ales.

By July of 2013, the Chatty Monks were receiving an abundance of requests to open a tasting room in the Wyomissing area. While this appeared to be quite a daunting task, they took the challenge upon themselves and, not surprisingly, owned it like the Chatty Monk Brethren that they are."

For us, Chatty Monks is a hometown favorite and we highly suggest checking them out. If you're ever in the Reading area and need a place to locally support, Chatty Monks is near the top of the list of places to go to. Let us know if you check them out or have been there before! We would love to hear what you think!

Chatty Monk's website - Link

This week Alex and Danny enjoy some libations from Lancaster Brewing Company! Lancaster Brewing has been putting out amazing product for 25 years right from the heart of Lancaster. Located in an old tabacco warehouse originally built in the 1800's, Lancaster Brewing has been a staple of the rich and long beer history in the county. Continuing on the tradition of the brewers past, Lancaster Brewing puts out amazing product to the mid atlantic region supplying the local area with an amazing range of brews to enjoy.

Visit Lancaster Brewing Company's website here! - Click here

The gang picked up a summer variety pack from Lancaster Brewing to enjoy on these especially hot July days. We sampled the Hop Belly IPA, the Blue Trail Shandy, The Mexican Cerveza Lager, and the Blood Orange Tart Ale. Listed below are the descriptions of all four:

Hop Belly Session IPA: "Who loves a Session IPA? We do!! This crisp and balanced IPA, is sure to get your hop belly moving. Simcoe, Falconer's Flight and El Dorado hops really deliver the flavor in our refreshingly drinkable Session IPA... Perfect for anytime! 
ALCOHOL BY VOL.: 4.5% OG: 10 IBU: 45"

Blue Trail Shandy: "Just how awesome can a Shandy be? We use natural lemon and blueberry flavor, with pure cane sugar, for a zesty, refreshing and incredibly uplifting experience in taste!
ALCOHOL BY VOL.: 5.1% OG: 12 IBU:35 SRM: 5"

Blood Orange Tart Ale: "Cheers to our uniquely delicious, ludicrously refreshing and easy drinking mildly tart ale... Brewing with white wheat, blood orange, lime peel and pink himalayan salt.
ALCOHOL BY VOL.: 4.9% OG: 11 IBU:6"

Cerveza Mexican Style Lager: "Who says we can;t brew an awesome mexican-style lager? Cerveza "beer" is light straw in color with soft spice, tea and green fruit notes from the addition of perle hops. A truly cool, refreshing, easy drinking brew, with or without lime.
ALCOHOL BY VOL.: 4.7% OG: 10.5 IBU:22"

This week we dive into some locally sourced meat from Carnicopia meats! We had the pleasure of cooking up some brisket and pulled pork from Carnicopia and take some time to develop our own recipe.

Carnicopia meats is an online Butcher shop where you can order meat a la carte to be picked up or even delivered straight to you! Carnicopia works with local suppliers in southeastern PA to source the best product that is ethically sourced that you know is coming right from your neck of the woods! Check out their website and look into ordering some real close by meat! - Link

This week we had a nice cut of brisket that we decided to take to Danny's house and use his brand new smoker! We developed our own rub to put on the brisket, as well as tried a premade rub from Traeger. Our rub had a large variety of spices and flavors. If you our interested in trying out our beef seasoning, check out our website for the recipe!

We also had some pork shoulder from Carnicopia, which we turned into a delicious pulled pork carnita meal from Alex's recipe knowledge. This sweet and spicy carnita recipe gives the meat a nice flavor that is delicious on all types of meals, from pulled pork sandwiches to tacos to even just by itself. 

Let us know if you like this episode and if you like our show, tell a friend, rate the show and subscribe!

Welcome back to another episode of Keystone Eats! This week we taste some delicious ciders from Big Hill Ciderworks! Big Hill is a cidery located out in Adams County, Gardners PA and they specialize in making locally grown cider from apples out of their own orchards! Check out their website here - Link

In this episode, we obtained six different ciders to try from Big Hill's website and had them shipped to us. As well as tasting and giving our thoughts on these, we had the opportunity to chat with founders Ben and Troy through email about what they do! Listen to our episode to hear more about what these guys are doing to put out an amazing product for all to enjoy.

"Big Hill Ciderworks was founded in 2013 by Ben Kishbaugh and his business partner Troy Lehman.  Ben and Troy both previously held jobs in the auto service industry and both decided to pursue our dreams of farming.  They met in a dealership in 2006 and started talking about this project in 2011.  Troy is the mastermind behind the cider from apples, blends, pressing and fermentation techniques and more while Ben manages the bookwork, packaging and a lot of the sourcing."

In the episode, we try six different ciders, as follows:

• Standard - Medium-sweet cider with no added sugar - 5.5% abv

"This cider sets the standard with a bright, fruit forward flavor profile and a medium sweetness.  No added sugars or flavors, just carefully selected apple varieties that are grown, pressed and fermented here at Big Hill."

• Little Round Hop - Medium-sweet cider with hops & lemongrass - 5.5% abv

"To elevate this cider’s bright, citrusy personality, we’ve dry-hopped it, using a blend of whole leaf Columbus, Centennial & Cascade hops – the legendary “three C’s.”  Organic lemongrass focuses the hop overtones and adds a citrusy finish to this light and effervescent cider."

• Michaux Mule - Medium-sweet cider with ginger & lime - 5.5% abv

"Our take on a Moscow Mule, this cider has been steeped with organic ginger that warms on the finish. Fresh lime zest also lends a refreshing citrus notes, making it perfect for any weather.  We’ve back-sweetened with just a touch of fresh apple cider for a smooth apple character."

• Manchurian - Cider made from 100% Manchurian crabapples. This cider packs a tart punch, pair it with a meal or use it in a cocktail - 8.2% abv

Manchurian Crabapples by themselves pack a very acidic punch, even with their high brix content.  We’ve blended a bit of Winchester cider to round out the flavor and add some subtle tannins.  Both are barrel aged for one year prior to blending for a smooth vanilla and oak characteristic.  

• Farmhouse - Wild-fermented cider that's reminiscent of an old-world basque style cider - 7.0% abv

This is our take on a wild fermented cider using a yeast strain native to our orchards.  We’ve harnessed the wildbacteria and microflora from our farms to create Farmhouse, a rustic traditional cider that’s mildly funky with citrusy notes.  

• Barrel Aged Reserve - Dry cider made from traditional bittersweet/bittersharp cider apple varieties - 8.4% abv

"Our Barrel Aged Reserve Cider is a unique blend of bittersweet & bittersharp apples varieties grown right here in our orchards.  A complex, tart and tannic flavor profile will pairs well with cheese, pork, shellfish and much more."


Check out their website for more information and to purchase and have these delicious cider's shipped directly to your door! - Link

This week we go back in time a bit to an episode we recorded a few weeks ago! We taste some of Bendy Brooks Farm's beef products, as well as try a beer from Roy Pitz Brewing!\

Bendy Brook Farm is located in the Oley Valley in Berks County and specialize in high quality meats raised in grass fed fields and with the highest level of care. Bendy Brook's animals are raised outside in a pasture, with a shelter nearby. They also only raise their poultry during the warmer time of the year to keep them in their natural environment.
For the past 30 years, Bendy Brook has remained chemical free, non gmo and hormone free which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Check out Bendy Brook Farm's website and consider supporting their endeavors! - Link

Long time friends Ryan Richards (Roy) and Jesse Rotz (Pitz) combined their names to form Roy Pitz Brewing Company. Knowing each other from the age of 6 and growing up together in Chambersburg, the two went to the Siebel Brewing Institute in Chicago to learn the ways of brewing and eventually go on to start their own venture. Roy-Pitz has gone on to win a multitude of medals at the World Beer Championships, as well as partnering alongside many artists to design their gorgeous Liquid Art. Check out Roy-Pitz's website as well as their locations in Chambersburg and Philadelphia. - Link

The gang also grabs a beer from a previous brewery we talked about, Funk Brewing! Funk brewing is a brewery with two locations: one in Emmaus and another in Elizabeth town! They offer all types of brews and have a small menu of food to order at location! We taste an Irish Red of theirs, and give you our thoughts on it! - Link

This week we sit down together for the first time in months and talk Schaylor Brewing Company. Schaylor is a newer brewery opening up just a few short years ago and by best friends Lucan Schmidt and Josh Taylor. 

This week we sampled a variety of food and beer. Our host Alex picked up multiple items including white cheddar bacon popcorn, schaylor style fries, buffalo stuffed pretzel, Mac n cheese, schaylor style sliders, and a 3 cheese personal pizza. Needless to say it was a small feast. 

Co-host Joey picked up some variety 4 packs including Roo's bru, Hoptimus Prime, King Kong Playing Ping Pong in Ding Dang, and Skinny Dipping in my House Pond. Shaylor rotates their beers often and can on site so anything on tap is available within minutes.

Schaylor is located at 2390 Lancaster pike in Shillington PA in an old Daewoo dealership with a wide open design and U shaped bar. We absolutely recommend checking them out next time your in the area and supporting a small local brewery doing great things.

Check them out on their website - Link