This past Saturday, I had the unique opportunity to spend 4 hours drinking beer.
Sounds like every single Saturday at Penn State right? Well, the average college student never expands his horizons in terms of beer much past Miller, Coors, Bud, Natty (I think some fraternities still believe Natty is the only beer in the world). I, however, can honestly say I have broken this mold (+1 for not being “just another number”).
The 4 hours of beer drinking was of sampling good beer, not of gorging on frat water. 20 breweries piled into the Penn Stater Conference room and opened a few beer samples to around 300 guests. In my opinion, the event could not have gone better. Some of the highlights follow:
1. Unibroue Brewery. Based in Canada, this brewery puts its own spin on traditional Belgian brews. My notes say I hit the stand 3 times, my taste buds wanted me to never leave. Specifically I enjoyed La Fin du Monde (French for “The End of the World”). A Tripel checking in with 9% ABV and a little more spiciness than similar brews.
2. Troegs Brewery. A go to brewery for me already, my group got lucky as we got to the table before all the VIP drinks were gone. We got to try a seasonal beer called Troegs Flying Mouflan. Another high ABV drink (9.3%), this strong ale packs more than 100IBUs, making it very hoppy, but in a good way.
3. The food. Full buffet style and the best the Penn Stater had to offer. After about 2.5 hours of liquid, my body was hurting for a hearty lunch to reset before the final run on drinks. Chicken and rice, pork loin, ziti, salad, and bread sure did the trick.
4. Bullfrog Brewery. Hand crafted wooden taps opened up to one of the most unique brews at the expo in my opinion: The Local Harvest Fresh Hop Ale. Brewed using 67 pounds of fresh, local, hops, this “wet-hopped” red ale was surely no disappointment.
All in all, I hope that this event carries on in the future and that I can continue to attend. Well worth the price, and a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with some friends.
