People who have visited Suarez Family Brewery know it doesn’t provide the stereotypical taproom experience. The selection of beer served is thoughtfully curated and intentionally limited. They have Goldilocks pour sizes that are not too small to ensure you fully understand the beer, and not too big, because it’s a taproom, not a bar. (I’m not sure if this is their intent. Just my assumption). Everything from the snacks, furniture, bathrooms, and artwork is humble yet meticulously done.  Their recent expansion this fall is no exception, and an exciting new feature is a hand pump prominently placed at the bar for cask beer.

Opened in 2016 with a goal to make simple, everyday ales and lagers, as well as country ales, the addition of a hand pump in the new taproom is totally consistent with their ethos that celebrates simplicity and tradition with expert execution.  

While this is welcomed news to cask enthusiasts who are fortunate enough to make it to rural Livingston, New York, the potential repercussions may be the most exciting thing for people living further away. This is because of how influential Suarez has been, especially with their lager production.

The lager landscape back in 2016 was much different than it is now for small brewers and their customers. Many simply didn’t make or drink it. With all the attention Suarez had when they opened, people who had previously overlooked lager suddenly began to take notice. Now that they’re serving cask beer, hopefully the same can happen with the traditional British beer serving method.

Of course, Suarez isn’t the only brewery serving cask beer in their taproom. There are treasured breweries like Machine House in Seattle and Hogshead in Denver that have been doing it for years, and they’ve been doing it well. For those breweries, their focus is on English-style beer.

Beyond these, there’s a growing number that don’t focus primarily on English-styles, but have incorporated hand-pumped beer into their taproom service. Places like Good Word in Duluth, Georgia, Wild East in New York City, Bonn Place in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Fox Farm in Salem, Connecticut and perhaps most recently, Marlowe Ales in Mamaroneck, NY. Portland, Oregon is a particular hot spot in the country with Away Days, ForeLand, Steeplejack, and Upright regularly pouring cask beer, among others. These breweries that have more diverse offerings may have greater potential in introducing people to cask beer.

Though the taproom hand pump is new, Suarez planted the seeds for their cask beer service years ago. They’ve been making a few beer styles associated with cask beer that have been well-received. This includes their English-style Dark Mild, Saunter. That’s a style that many were not familiar with here in the US, and, like the influence they’ve had on lager, Suarez’s production of Saunter has likely helped many appreciate the traditional English ale. As a result, it’s not hard to find the style now.

Inspired by Theakston’s Old Ale, a beer that recently began being distributed here in the US again, they also released their take on that style late last year. The beer, Be It Known, is nitrogenated when canned to provide a texture that mimics cask beer.

Suarez has also temporarily installed a hand pump at events outside their brewery, in addition to casks used for bar top gravity dispense. However, having the handpump in the taproom creates a better way to introduce and educate customers to cask beer. This is due to the fact that the simple act of pulling a pint can get the attention of customers as it’s obviously not a standard tap. It usually allows for better temperature control as well. Finally, if you’re a fan of sparklers (which Suarez does use), you can use them to ensure a proper amount of foam.

Somewhat like the production of lager, making and serving cask beer is different than what many brewers and publicans are used to. So, while there is optimism with brewers like Suarez making cask beer, there must be a word of caution. Making good cask beer takes skill, training and experience. This is not news, but it’s worth repeating for a younger generation.  

Those who jump into cask production and service without knowing what they’re doing can really be detrimental if they end up serving lackluster beer to customers unfamiliar with the format. Customers may think a warm, under carbonated, oxidized beer is representative of cask as a whole.

That said, while there has been a ton of bad lager made in the wake of Suarez’s lager production, there have also been lots of good ones. And they keep getting better. This leaves me optimistic about the prospects of cask beer at the moment.

Bonn Place Brewing owner Sam Masotto decked out as Krampus and overlooking Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, ready to visit misbehaving patrons at his brewery. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

If you’ve ever been to a brewery taproom and stolen glassware, left your obnoxious kids unattended, or asked for countless samples before buying a beer, your day of reckoning may be here. It’s Krampus season, and Krampus is popping up at more and more breweries around the US, ready to unleash ruthless punishment for all naughty patrons.

The Krampus tradition comes from European communities centered around the Alps (notably in Austria) and features a frightening mythical figure that is a counterpart to St. Nicholas. While St. Nicholas gives treats to children, Krampus punishes them for bad behavior. One form of punishment is a brutal beating with a bundle of birch sticks known as Ruten. Worse than that, one might be thrown in a sack and taken away forever. I’m not sure exactly where you will be taken. Probably Hell. Who knows? Maybe Mar-a-Lago.

Krampus’ appearance is characterized by goat-like horns, a long tongue, furry body, and hooves. The creature may also wear chains and bells. It’s not terribly unlike me in my late teens. I bet Krampus smells better though.

St. Nicholas and Krampus visiting a family. Source: the internet.

During the holiday season, Krampus begins to appear in Europe around December 5th, which is the eve of St. Nicholas' Day. This is the official Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. Each year around this time, there are parades called Krampuslauf, or Krampus run, where people dress up like Krampus, some wearing ornately carved wooden masks, and they march through town beating drums. As it should be, the spectacle is entertaining for some and frightening for others.

Closer to home, more and more breweries are holding their own Krampus events in December. In a shock to no one who knows him, Bonn Place Brewing owner Sam Masotto has donned his very own Krampus costume for the event, which they have been celebrating since 2016.

St. Nicholas serves Krampus a beer in the Bonn Place taproom. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

Bonn will be celebrating this year on December 5th and 6th with food, music, and beer, of course. And though Sam may dress like Krampus, he’s actually more like St. Nicholas. He uses the event to think of others and includes a clothing and coat drive.

Notch Brewing will be in the charitable spirit as well this year for a Krampus event at their Brighton location on December 14th. In addition to several other forms of revelry, they will be collecting toys and gifts for donation. The festivities will also include a Krampuslauf, a Krampus costume competition, and Krampus-themed holiday card making (Krampuskarten.)

Greetings from Bonn Place. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

Greetings from Krampus. Left image source. Right image source.

In addition to Bonn and Notch, many other American breweries are making Krampus part of their regular holiday festivities. Sacred Profane in Biddeford, Maine, Live Oak Brewing in Austin, Texas, and Wild East Brewing in Brooklyn, New York, just to name a few.    

These celebrations are a relatively recent tradition in the US, and it’s one that presents lots of opportunity. I have some thoughts.

I firmly believe Krampusnacht could be the kickoff to an extended Starkbierzeit. Starkbierzeit is the strong beer season celebrated in Munich during Lent. To me, the perfect beverage for Krampus festivities is a strong and dark lager like Doppelbock. The strength and flavor are perfect for a cold December night. The fact that there’s goat imagery related to Bock beer and Krampus helps solidify this pairing.

A strong beer getting a hot poke in a stein from a bierstacheln at a Notch Brewing Starkbierzeit (strong beer season festival). Source: Notch Brewing.

Celebrations should include fires not only for ambiance, but also to heat metal rods in the bierstacheln tradition, where they’re used to warm a cold beer and nicely caramelize some residual sugars in the malty brews. And forget birch sticks for punishment. The scalding rods can also be used by Krampus to brand some jerk that uses British-style dimple mugs for lager.

As is the case for Starkbierzeit, a proper stein should be used. And not just for drinking. Pound the beer and smash that thing over the head of someone who calls a glass mug a stein.

Let the punishment begin!!!

After a guest hands you a six-pack on their way into your house, you say, “Oh, cool. Yeah, I’ve heard of this brewery.” Though it’s not their thing, they know you’re “into beer”, so they grabbed you something they thought looked interesting.

You crack one open to be polite, but before even tasting it, you’re fairly certain the remaining five are destined to sit in the back of your fridge, ignored and forgotten. Biding their time until their inevitable fate comes. The drain pour.

But now you have to grab a bottle of wine to bring to someone’s party and as a beer nerd not terribly familiar with wine, you’re a little unsure of what to get. Well, I’ve got Ethan Fixell here for assistance. As a beer and wine nerd, Ethan is the perfect person to ask for help.

I gave Ethan six widely available and affordable beer brands that most beer nerds would warmly welcome. Then I asked him to pair each with a wine that is also widely available and affordable. Since comparing wine and beer is often an apples to oranges situation, the idea of “pairing” is just for fun. Don’t take them too seriously. The real goal is to provide a handful of respectable wines that are easy to find and won’t break the bank.  

Here’s what Ethan said for the beers I selected along with some tips he provided at the end to keep in mind when buying wine.

Guinness

Lots of people think of Guinness -- with its iconic creamy texture and notes of roasted barley, coffee, and dark chocolate – as a heavier "dessert" beer. And while it is, indeed, chock full of complexity, at 4.2% ABV and with fewer calories than an average IPA, it's shockingly light on its feet.

Enter Shiraz: This bold grape variety boasts rich dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and often a hint of spice, making it a robust match for Guinness and its roasted notes. However, unlike French "Syrah" (the same grape), when grown in Australia, the resulting varietal wine is far juicier and often -- due to oak aging -- tinged with notes of vanilla and wood.

Recommendation: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, Australia. This classic "down under" Shiraz delivers concentrated dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and a hint of spice -- it's full-bodied, but never feels "heavy." Its fruitiness keeps it buoyant and vibrant.

Allagash White

As a Belgian-style witbier, Allagash White is known for its refreshing citrusy flavors, subtle spice notes, and light body. Similarly, Sancerre, in France's Loire Valley, is renowned for its crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc-based wines that often exhibit vibrant acidity, grassy notes, and a hint of citrus.

Recommendation: Pascal Jolivet Sancerre. This widely available Sancerre is a classic example of the style, with bright acidity and those characteristic grassy, citrusy notes.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -- to many the OG American craft beer -- is celebrated for its hop-forward character, medium body, and light caramel sweetness. While a white wine might seem like the obvious choice for a grape-based stand-in, I've got a particular red in mind that has a lot to offer.

Let's look to Burgundy, perhaps the highest regarded French wine region thanks to its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundian Pinot, specifically, is a lighter-bodied red, and is rich with earthy undertones, red fruit flavors, and a hint of spice. It reminds me of mushroomy, wet ground on the forest floor -- much like the woods at the base of the Sierra Nevada range.

Recommendation: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This widely available and affordable Burgundy is a classic representation of the region/style, and Jadot is as ubiquitous and respected as Sierra Nevada is by beer nerds.

Miller High Life

Miller High Life, the "Champagne of Beers," deserves a sparkling companion that matches its easy-drinking nature and subtle fruit flavors. And this adjunct macro lager may be cheap, but it's still the best of a category. Let's give it the respect it deserves by pairing it with real deal Champers. 

Recommendation: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve, Champagne, France. This non-vintage Champagne offers bubbly effervescence, crisp apple and citrus flavors, and a touch of toastiness (do I detect echoes of the grain used to make Miller High Life?). For Champagne, it's super cheap ($35ish) and you can find it throughout the US.

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner, is celebrated for its crisp, clean flavor, subtle bitterness, and refreshing finish. To complement these characteristics, we head to the sunny island of Sardinia, Italy, home to the Vermentino grape.

Sardinian Vermentino is known for its saline minerality, herbaceous and floral notes, and refreshing acidity, making it a perfect match for the Pilsner's hoppy bitterness and crisp finish.

Recommendation: Sella & Mosca La Cala, Vermentino di Sardegna, is the entry-level wine from one of the oldest and most renowned wineries in Sardinia. Its subtle saline note echoes the mineral character that comes from the soft water used in brewing Pilsner Urquell, while a subtle bitterness and hints of white flowers and rosemary mirror the beer's noble Saaz hops.

Leffe

Leffe Blonde, a Belgian abbey ale, offers notes of banana, clove, and pear, with a touch of honeyed sweetness and a slightly spicy finish. To complement its yeast-driven complexity, we turn to Bordeaux, the renowned French region known for its elegant red blends.

Bordeaux wines, typically dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, offer dark fruit flavors, subtle spice notes, and moderate tannins. The dark fruit in the wine complements the dried fruit notes in the beer, while the wine's subtle spice reflects the clove-like spiciness in Leffe.

Recommendation: Légende Bordeaux. This widely available Bordeaux, produced by the prestigious Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), offers a crowd-pleasing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other Bordeaux varietals that harmonize beautifully, much like the complex flavor components of the Belgian ale.

Wine Shopping Tips

Check the storage conditions: Avoid buying wine from stores that keep their bottles in direct sunlight or excessively warm temperatures. These conditions can damage the wine and lead to off-flavors.

Look for signs of damage: Inspect the bottle for any cracks, chips, or leakage. Also, check the fill level of the wine. A low fill level can indicate that the wine has been exposed to too much oxygen, which can spoil it.

Ask for recommendations: If you're unsure of what to buy, don't hesitate to ask a knowledgeable salesperson for recommendations. They can help you find a wine that suits your taste and budget.

Drink!: At least 90% of all wines are meant to be enjoyed right away. Don't chase older vintages -- which can be more complex but are also more prone to spoilage -- unless you know what you're buying.

Meetinghouse, 2331 E Cumberland St, Philadelphia.

I was in love with Meetinghouse before setting foot in the Philadelphia pub. Opened about a year ago, it quickly became a new classic with its simple and impeccable menu combined with its laidback, welcoming environment. Given the chatter around town and beyond, I’m definitely not the only one in love.

The team that opened Meetinghouse includes folks with great reputations around Philly including Keith Shore, Marty West, Drew DiTomo, and Colin McFadden. Colin and I had previously met through our mutual friend, Jess Reaves.

Though that prior intro to Colin was brief, I saw his incredibly warm, kind, and passionate personality. When Jess told me that Colin was opening a pub, I knew it woud be great.

Colin isn’t the only affable person at Meetinghouse. In something that I like to attribute to Philadelphia, the rest of the team, including his partners and their staff, are down-to-earth, authentic, and kind. It’s a culture, and to be a patron there is to be a part of it. It seeps into your body and warms your soul. That’s a bit dramatic, but a great pub can have that kind of effect.

The aesthetic at Meetinghouse is simple. If you want to experience it as a regular pub, you can do that. It has everything you need. But if you want to pay a little more attention, you’ll notice everything is subtly and stylishly elevated. It’s one of those highly Instagramable spaces, but the place is so captivating that if you actually think to take out your phone, you almost feel guilty.

Baked clams and Creamed Chipped Beef at Meetinghouse.

Highlights from the kitchen for me were the hot roast beef sandwich that manages to be decadent and a little messy without feeling gluttonous, the addictive, garlicky and herbaceous baked clams (I think we had three orders while in town), the tangy green salad that helped me nurse my hangover (it’s comprised solely of greens and a dressing), and the fries. Yes, the fries were a highlight. They’re perfect.  

They have specials throughout the week and it’s frustrating to see them post these on social media when you can’t get there to enjoy. In particular, they do a mussel and frites night, and knowing how good the fries are, I’m sure they’re the perfect vessel to absorb as much mussel broth as possible.

It’s not a typical pub menu, but it is pub grub. High-quality pub grub without being pretentious. The same goes for the beer. Meetinghouse has three house beers designed by Colin and made across the Delaware River at South Jersey’s Tonewood Brewing.

Their marketing makes it simple when describing the beer:

Morning Swim is a Pale Beer.

Mount Pleasant is a Hoppy Beer.

Living Thing is a Dark Beer.

All of these things are true. In just a few simple words, they explain so much. And with simple recipes that are perfectly executed, these beers do so much whether those drinking them see it or not. But I don’t think they’re actually designed to do much besides be enjoyable. The Meetinghouse team is not interested in how many bottlecaps their beers have on Untappd. They just want to make sure their patrons have a solid beer to enjoy in their pub.

So, not surprisingly, they’re all approachable. The use of Kölsch yeast in each beer helps make this happen. It creates simple, easy-drinking beer that straddles the line between lager and ale. They’re all at reasonable ABVs (between 4.9 and 5.6 ABV) and poured in roughly twelve-ounce servings. It’s meant to allow you to have a few in one stop.  

Morning Swim is a pale beer.

Mount Pleasant is a hoppy beer.

Living Thing is a dark beer.

Of the three, Morning Swim is the one most similar to a Kölsch. It’s also reminiscent of a Cream Ale, but more polished. This is high-end lawnmower beer, without feeling gussied up.

Though also a pale beer, Mount Pleasant is a hoppy beer, as advertised. It hits the spot for any reasonable person who claims to like hoppy beer. But if you’re not a hophead, it’s not overly hopped.

Living Thing has a fairly light body, making it somewhat akin to a Schwarzbier, but the flavor profile is a little more nuanced giving hints of Baltic Porter.

In addition to these three, there are two other beers available. Two beers that I personally adore. Guinness and Orval. In a rare instance of chutzpah, Colin proudly notes they serve the best Guinness in Philly. I had one. It was perfect. And while I was there (on a hot summer weekend, mind you), Guinness was regularly being poured.  

The Orval doesn’t move as fast, but we made sure to have some. It’s one of my all-time favorite beers and since they make the effort to stock it, it would have been rude not to have one.

A half dozen pints of Guinness lined up on a hot summer night.

Orval, served by the incredibly kind Al Upshaw at Meetinghouse. (Chcek out Al’s project, Concrete Blues. He’s making cask ale!)

Beyond beer, there’s a brief cocktail list that includes Long Island Iced Tea. Though I was incredibly curious, I didn’t manage to squeeze one in on this trip. I did have an excellent Negroni. Beyond the cocktails, the have a few bottles of staple liquors.

Like the beer menu, there’s a streamlined wine selection. A red, a white, and a sparkling wine. Simple. There’s also a weekly mystery wine. Again, like the beer, these are all interesting but approachable.

Rounding things out, they have the Ploughman cider and a handful of NA options.  

Colin and Jess reunite. Greetings aren’t always this intense at Meetinghouse, but they’re close.

Meetinghouse was our first and last stop on a 24-hour trip to Philly. We grabbed brunch with Brendon from Carbon Copy before heading back to New York. Brendon opened Carbon Copy’s new location in the Port Richmond neighborhood that weekend (another great spot worth checking out. Go for the beer. Stay for the pierogies.) We reminisced while Marty and Colin popped in and out of the conversation before Brendon had to head off for a long day at the new spot.

I watched as Marty warmly greeted customers when they came in. It was hard to tell if they were old friends, regulars, or new customers, but the atmosphere was so relaxed and welcoming that it felt like we could all instantly be friends and join in conversation together. When you enter Meetinghouse, it’s like you’re walking into a get-together in their living room with people that if they’re not already friends, they will be shortly. The warm summer Sunday afternoon called for another Morning Swim and an order of baked clams. It was really hard to leave my new friends at Meetinghouse.

Berwick Brewing, in Berwick, Pennsylvania, avoids the hype, merch, and social media trends that can only go so far for a brewery over time. Perhaps that is why not enough people talk about the unassuming spot making some of the best beer in the country, especially their lager.

I went to Berwick a few weeks back to interview the brewery’s owner, Tom Clark, about the history of lining beer vessels with pitch (a project many of you know I have been working on (and off) for a while, and which is sincerely, actively moving forward. I promise.) Though the topic du jour was pitch, I went home thinking about how fascinating the place was.  

Berwick’s taproom is missing the glitzy bells and whistles that newer breweries have. There’s nothing wrong with these newer taprooms. There are lot of positive things they offer, but Berwick has proven enduring with something different.

It’s the kind of place that feels like it has been around a while, and it has. The brewery was established in 2008, but the building goes back much further, operating as Vaughn’s Bakery for many decades (the exact name of the bakery may have been different.) The brewery’s patina is authentic and part of its charm. For the beer history nerd, it’s also a bit of a mini-museum, but that’s a different story.

There are influences of a Bavarian biergarten, particularly the long, shared tables. This is not surprising as Tom has spent a fair amount of time there over the years. These tables can be found in varying rooms beyond the bar room. This includes a space out in the back that overlooks the Susquehanna River. (You’d think I would have some pictures of the brewery here, but despite taking a wealth of photos related to the whole pitch thing, I have no good photos of the brewery itself. Check out Google Images to get an idea.)

There’s no secret formula to this space. It’s simple and it works. But the beer they serve is world-class. It’s the glue that keeps this third space together. But you don’t need to fuss over it. It’s there for your enjoyment in the background as you share time with others.  

I brought home three lagers and a Cream Ale from my day trip to Berwick. The lagers gorgeously showcase traditional German ingredients. For hops, there’s Tettnang in the Berwick Lager, Spalter Select in the Zwickel Pilsner, and Hallertau in the Hondo Keller Bier. Each of these beers are built on a variety of German malts.

Though I love all of them, I gravitate most toward the Keller Bier with its gorgeous light amber color. And as is my general practice with amber lagers, Berwick recommends it be served in a stein krug (that’s the stone mug. Important to note…Oktoberfest is around the corner. I used a willibecher in the photo above to show off the color.)

Vaughn’s Cream Ale may very well be the best Cream Ale I’ve ever had. It does everything a Cream Ale is supposed to do. It’s a light, crushable beer-flavored beer that doesn’t taste cheap (or fancy). The beer is named after the bakery that previously occupied the site.

To better understand the magic of Berwick, it’s best to go there to experience it.  Sure, it’s in a pretty remote location, but it’s worth the trip if you can make it. Even if you can’t, it’s a reminder to think of other breweries closer to you that you may be overlooking.