PERKASIE, PENNSYLVANIA
In the heart of Perkasie since opening in August 2022, MYSTIC WAYS BEWING COMPANY has a cool mystical psychedelic vibe uniquely tantalizing all who’ve experienced the small kaleidoscopic pub. Its black art deco ceilings with glowing celestial starlights perfectly suits the back-walled enchanted forest themed mural, bright magic mushroom surrealism and elliptical wood-lacquered aquamarine figurines at the 20-seat left side bar.
Right side wood tables plus two TV’s fill out the phantasmagorical hideout. There are ten taps including a side pull handle at the bar. Stored brew tanks exist downstairs.
Complexities abound for former homebrewer Joe Winiarski’s winningly diverse elixirs ranging from creamy black kolsch to sour fruited porter to wood-chipped Basil Hayden bourbon stout – many utilizing locally sourced ingredients. Winiarski gained experience at Quakertown’s Red Lion Brewing and boasts “cutting edge” technique brewing his own unique fare.
My wife and I enjoyed our festive two-hour junket on a cold Saturday afternoon, January ’25. We spent time kibitzing with Mystic Ways partner, Alice Krier, Winiaski’s mother.
Muskily herbal Saaz hops greeted barnyard graining for Mystic Premium, a dry Czech pils with mildly creamed sourdough breading.
Offbeat juniper berry-integrated, gin-barreled Scandanavian sahti, Juni, benefited from sparkly-watered Kviek yeast, ‘herbal rye breading’ and minty fern licks, picking up desiccated fig, plum and prune tartness atop creamy Vienna malts.
Resilient lemon zesting and yellow grapefruit tanginess combined with salted guava misting for dry-hopped Celestialdelic, a hazy IPA with heavily wheated oats creaming and slight compost waft.
Creamily smooth black kolsch, Midnight Mystolsch, let ‘dark chocolate-covered biscuit’ entry gain toasted wheat breading to counter its champagne-sparkled kolsch yeast for slightly eccentric fun.
Light-roast coffee picked up cocoa-dried carob riffs and light-roast hop bittering for Ymave Mystic, a dark version of Mystic Premium that stays smooth.
Conditioned on raspberry puree, Elixir Of Krampus, a sour porter, let its dark-roast chocolate malts gain Philly sour yeast musk as well as prune-dried green raisin and black grape tartness plus pipe tobacco sweetness.
Aged in Basil Hayden Bourbon barrels, mighty 11.6% ABV nightcap, Mammothus Imperial Stout, regaled vanilla-creamed bourbon chocolate sweetness for syrupy maple sapped French Toast finish.