Tag Archives: WILLIAMSPORT PA

RIEPSTINE’S PUB & BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Old Forge Brewing Company & Riepstine's Pub | Beer Infinity

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

Terrific family-owned English pub-styled alehouse, RIEPSTINE’S PUB & BREWERY, opened by Bart & Tess Ripple in 2015, creates an expansive range of beer recipes complemented by ‘traditional comfort food.’

Located on the westside in the Newbury section of Williamsport, this white concrete-fronted brewery (with red brick foundation) features a brown aluminum-topped Riepstine’s Pub insignia above the front door.

Inside, Riepstine’s small penny-encased wood lacquer bar (with eight seats, sixteen draught handles and many walled mugs) services four right side wood booths plus one next to the bar and front wood dining seats. An outside cement-floored patio with aluminum-topped canopy sidles a plastic beach-chaired open firepit spot.

My wife and I visit on a muggy Saturday evening, May ’22, to down thirteen efficiently rounded and well differentiated brews leaning on the heavy and/or dark side.

Easygoing yellow-cleared light body, Lycoming Lager, stayed off-dry as mild lemon-oiled corn souring and buttery raw-honeyed pale malts coalesce.

Dry German schwarzbier, Pitch Black Lager, brought dark-roast cocoa malts to bitterly hop-charred tobacco chaw, tannic vanilla astringency and charcoal latte whims.

Riepstine’s Summer Ale received an herbal kick for offshoot Thyme Out Rosemary, placing rosemary and thyme alongside its cologned lemon lime zesting.

Brisk orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering picked up herbal-tinged floral daubs and soft pine tones for flagship Imperial IPA, Alpha Deuce, leaving slithers of tangy peach, pineapple and tangerine on the caramelized backend.

Candi-sugared orange marmalade, lemon meringue and banana puree fruiting picked up buttery Chardonnay wining to engage the briny herbage securing farmhouse ale, 7th Ward Saison.

Beautifully designed Belgian quadrupel, Quadmire 2018, laced caramelized fig, raisin and prune sweetness with whiskey-soaked toffee spicing over dark crystal candi-sugared malts.

Muted coffee roasted nuttiness permeated Jaysburg Porter, draping black chocolate syrup on earthen black peppered hops.

Cold brewed coffee alkalinity settles across creamy vanilla sugaring for Buzzsaw Coffee Kolsch, plying black peppered herbage to lemon rind bittering underneath.

Dry cocoa powdered molasses oats surged forth for KRS Oat Stout, leaving latent black cherry, blackberry and date nut illusions.

Dryer Lumber Jack Imperial Stout, let mossy wood char seep into dark chocolate malts and black cherry snips.

Decadent Madagascar vanilla bean-imbued Vanilla Bourbon Stout sent creamy vanilla bourbon sweetness on a rich black chocolate journey, serenading mild burgundy, brandy and port snips.

Another luxurious dark ale, Society’s Reserve: Bourbon-aged Imperial Milk Stout, unleashed milk chocolate fudging upon light buttercream-frosted bourbon vanilla sweetness and molasses oats.

Even more luscious, Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Stout caressed soft-tongued chocolate caking with bourbon vanilla-daubed bruised cherry tartness, subtle blackberry-boysenberry-blueberry serenity and mild coffee tones.

BOOM CITY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Boom City Brewing Company – Lycoming County Visitors Bureau  Home

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

A family-friendly cafe-styled gastropub with its logo sprawled along a wide green awning above the glass door entrance in the center of Williamsport, BOOM CITY BREWING CO.  opened up in autumn 2016. Making use of rough-cut timber, co-owners William Fredo and Mark Lorson designed their small pub-eatery to recall a cozy dining hall. Its metal-framed overhead door frontage has an antique dime store appeal.

A centralized seven-seat wood top bar with eight draught handles services three front-windowed steel-chaired wood tables and three bark-backed booths. Signature steaks, thin crust pizza, pasta and sandwiches bedeck a fine locally sourced food menu.

Wine, cordials and top shelf liquor are available alongside Boom City’s approachable stylistic beers. My wife and I spent a few hours prior to Saturday dinner in May ’22 to consume seven homemade suds.

Mild Cascade-hopped lemon zesting perked up the musky milled graining of Pine Street Pilsner, sliding trusty rye-pumpernickel breading into the backdrop.

Leathery horse-blanketed straw wheat acridity sidled tart lemon-dropped grapefruit oiling draping rustic moderation, Wheat Pale Ale, picking up celery watered vegetalia.

A tad washed-out, pinkish amber-cleared Raspberry Wheat spread chalky floral-perfumed raspberry tartness atop fragile white wheat bottom, picking up wispy watermelon and lychee illusions.

Creamed coffee sedation gained dry hop-charred black peppering and oaken vanilla tannins for Coffee Cream Ale, a fair breakfast companion.

West Coast-styled Boom Rat Pale Ale brought IPA-like grapefruit-peeled pine lacquering to resinous cannabis-oiled fungi mustiness.

Soft-tongued West Coast-styled IPA, Log Jam, took salty grapefruit rind and lemon pith bittering plus spritzy orange-peeled pineapple zing to tobacco-leafed pale malt crisping.

Espresso-dried dark cocoa resonance saddled Muddy River Porter, guiding day-old coffee souring into hop-charred earthen musk at the finish.

NEW TRAIL BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

New Trail Brewing Company | Williamsport, PA | Beers | BeerAdvocate Image result for new trail brewing

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

On the southside of Williamsport, NEW TRAIL BREWING COMPANY opened its doors April 2018. Crafting a ‘plethora of beer’ styles, the rustic red brick warehouse pub initially offered a traditional pilsner, India Pale Ale and their first beer ever, Trail Amber Ale.

Large silver brewtanks gathered on the left side have increased volume from 3,000 barrels annually to an astounding 8,000 barrels in four years. The flagship beer, Broken Heels Hazy IPA (reviewed in Beer Index), consumes an overwhelming 50% of total production.

Inside the high-ceilinged cement floor pub, a 12-seat slate top bar features a white-tiled draught station and eight community tables front the bar. Overhead doors open up to a patio with slate walkway curling thru a covered deck area, picnic tabled space and a fire pit spot with oversized beach wood furnishings.

My wife and I took a seat outside near the firepit while downing a few New Trails.

Placid light-bodied German-styled pils, Lazy River, caressed laidback lemony orange tanginess with subtle floral perfumed herbal musk and mild maize-dried astringency.

Aluminum clear-hued dry-hopped Japanese rice lager, Forgotten Stream, retained rice-dried lemon liming and relegated perfumed hop musk.

Wildflower-honeyed amber ale, Trail Ale, attached floral red and orange fruited hop dollops to toasty cereal-grained granola nuttiness.

Dryer than most witbier, New Trail White let zestful lemony mandarin orange spicing and sweet banana licks pick up herbal earthiness above wheat-flaked pilsner malts.

Approachable Simcoe-Amarillo-hopped IPA, Gear Head, brought dry lemon, grapefruit and pineapple salting plus spicy orange, tangerine and clementine tang to its oated wheat bottom.

Peaty tea-like fungi wavered thru orange-oiled candied lemon for Indigo Skies, a ‘modern’ West Coast IPA.

Dry moderate-bodied hazy IPA, Lightning Bug, parlayed mild grapefruit-peeled mandarin orange tanginess to light hop pining and celery-watered crisping.

Another dry IPA, Double Broken Heels, placed spicy grapefruit and orange sedation up against coniferous pine resin and mossy hop dewiness, picking up latent perfumed guava-pineapple tropicalia.

Fudgy ice cream-inspired milk stout, Elk Tracks, brought heavy lactic influence to creamy peanut buttered Madagascar vanilla stead, mocha latte caramelization and hazelnut-glazed cola daubs, placing dry truffle-like earthiness next to its chocolate pudding crusted molasses oats base.

 

 

KIMBALL’S PUB

BEER PUB,

Kimball's Pub - Restaurant | 972 2nd St, Williamsport, PA 17701, USA

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

A glorified hole in the wall diner at an unassuming gray barn house just south of the heart of Williamsport, KIMBALL’S PUB proudly features 20-plus draughts and the finest top shelf liquor with fine light pub fare. Hanging fans at the high V-shaped ceiling light the 14-seat L-shaped aluminum-sided bar as well as four chopping block-topped wood tables, one community table, a front pew and a billiard table.

Offering wonderful local craft beer from its middle taps and the two sideling refrigerators, Kimball’s draws a colorful array of neighborhood denizens and traveling beer enthusiasts. A rear kitchen serves food.

During my one-hour stopover in May ’22, discovered two fabulously rich dark ales, Shiner Candied Pecan and Upstate Big Nerd’s Coffee Blueberry Stout.

BAVARIAN BARBARIAN

United States Brewpubs

Bavarian Barbarian 22oz Bottles Coming July 2nd!
WILLIAMSPORT / DUBOISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Opened June ’08 and visited December ’08 with wife, Karen, Williamsport’s newest brewery, BAVARIAN BARBARIAN (since closed),was located inside a pristine old car dealership a few blocks south of Bullfrog. Available on draught, at select local bars, or in half-gallon growlers were six worthy brews. An earthen deep-grained assertion anchored each well-crafted selection.

Dry ethanol-fueled gin-soaked First Snow Ale layered cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger-clove spicing above molasses-soaked raisin, sugared fig, and rye bread illusions for woozy seasonal spellbind.

Soft hop-roasted coffee-dried chocolate-resinous Steel Drivin’ Stout bettered best-selling nut-roasted raw-honeyed phenol-dried Headbangerz Brown Ale.

Dry spice-hopped rye-breaded chocolate-powdered Hammerin’ Ale, lemony banana-soured apple-sweet fig-prune-dried Square Feet Wheat Ale, and dark-fruited pumpernickel-centered herbal-spiced pine-hopped Weldspatter IPA retained brute manliness.

www.bavarianbarbarian.com

BULLFROG BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for bullfrog brewing
WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

First visited home of the Little League World Series at tail end of April ’06 Western Pa. sojourn, putting family up in historic Genetti Hotel’s Bob Hope Suite. Across midtown street in an old red brick building with green awning lied tiny stoic corner tavern, BULLFROG BREWERY, a trusty pub that compared favorably to regarded westerly competitors North Country, Otto’s, and Johnstown.

Opened in ’96, Bullfrog’s exposed ducts, copper tin ceiling and green ‘frog’ walls had blue-collar saloon atmosphere. But the delightful menu and even better fresh beer selection gave this rustic dive class. Copper kettles welcome patrons and silver holding tanks backend the left side bar.

Had beer mussels with ale battered fish sandwich and remainder of kids’ ‘fapizzas’ alongside sour candied Fruit Wheat Beer (a veritable raspberry lollipop with tart apricot eclipsing honeyed wheat) and lagered Bicentennial Blonde (mainstream fodder reliant on raw maize-wheat acridity and passive floral hint).

These light bodied offerings merely set the stage for the truly superb cognac-fronted Old Toad Barleywine, a wonderful digestif served in a brandy sifter. Its awesome candied apricot splurge and juicy orange peel tang enhanced bruised cherry, ripe melon, and fig-raisin illusions belying caramelized butterscotch apple seduction.

In between, I quaffed frothy nitro-injected tea-embittered nectar-daubed Cascadian Cream Ale, bitterly floral citric-dried Lil Slugger Pale Ale (with its glancing tropical punch), caramelized orange-bruised fruit punch Inspiration Red Ale, and dry black cherry-bruised, orange-burnt, coffee-roasted Susquehanna Oatmeal Stout.

Before heading out, I was totally sold by exquisite candi-sugared, nutmeg spiced, floral-daubed, dark rum-finishing Diabolique Belgian Golden Ale and honey-glazed, prune-ripened, orange-bruised, caramel malted Atomic Belgian Dark Ale. Yummy!

Revisited Genetti Hotel and Bullfrog Brewery, November ’06, quaffing pastry-glazed, lemony-hopped, biscuit-buttered, raspberry-cranberry-tart Raspberry Wheat and tangy peach-orange-grapefruit-rimmed, spritzy lemon-licked, resinously pine-hopped, peppery-snipped Edgar IPA with bounteous Cobb salad lunch.

At dinner, returned to Bullfrog to down orange-pureed, cherry-bruised, licorice-blotched, date-fig-splotched, burgundy finishing Friar Frog Dubbel and medicinal, peach-grapefruit-ripened, mandarin orange-crested, lemon rind-embittered, Trappist yeast-endured Unique (a dry-hopped Belgian-American-mingled Pale Ale).

After seafood dinner, had cured meat-wafted, cedar-burnt, beechwood-charred, black chocolate-roasted, espresso-like elixir Smoked Porter.

Ventured again to Bullfrog April ’08 during my son Johnny’s pre-college tour daze. Tried moderate bodied fare such as bittersweet lemony orange, caramel-malted, phenol-hopped Endless Mountain Amber, musty corn-oiled, wheat-husked, floral yellow-fruited Billtown Blonde and orange rind-embittered, mandarin orange-clipped, white pepper-zipped, eucalyptus-tipped, mushroom-snipped Boysenberry Belgian Wheat.

Better were two full-bodied mocha-centered brews: coffee bean-embittered, lactose-sugared, black java-finishing Coffee Cream Stout and dark chocolate-malted hop-charred Chocolate Bock (with its luscious crème brulee, Kahlua, vanilla, and Godiva-Belgian chocolate illusions).

During post-Christmas ’08 jaunt, quaffed tart apricot-candied, tangerine-soured, wood lacquered Apricot Wheat and heady XXXX Quad, a superb Belgian-styled quadrupel with bruised banana and stewed prune overtones prevailing above spiced apple, sugared fig, and green raisin notes.

Thereafter, swigged Fast Eddie’s Pale Ale, a fizzy hop-dried stone-fruited light body with sour orange, leafy twig, and herbal-spiced nuances atop marble rye breading.

Stayed at historic Genetti Hotel across the street to revisit Bullfrog twice during May ’22 W’burg brewpub tour, discovering nine new brews and the ‘latest iteration’ of an evolving dried fruited perennial. I was drinkin’ with the Dead playin’ in the background as I conversed with owner Steve Koch on a hot ‘n sticky Sunday afternoon.

Given a sourer makeover, the current ’22 Apricot Wheat retained a dryer apricot-pitted tartness and lemonier tangerine pucker above a parched white wheat base.

‘Drinkable’ light golden ale, Photon, caressed its mild citrus spritz with moldy fungi mustiness and subtle herbage.

Peaty tea-like Hellbender Red placed dried fruit spicing and sweet chestnut wisps beside its chalky cocoa powdering.

Vinous black grape tannins and acidic citric sharpness dominated cherry-soured Flanders Brown Ale, Jong Bruin Kriek, relegating its black-peppered charcoal singe.

Sharp sweet ‘n sour mango juicing permeated brisky pine-hopped tropicalia, Mango Saison, bringing sunshiny juniper-berried yellow grapefruit bittering to its dry raw wheat rusticity.

Even more rustic, wild apple-soured Graf Saison, an aluminum cleared farmhouse ale, besieged its hard cider bittering with musky barnyard funk, dry wort herbage and musty green grape esters.

Utilizing tropical New Zealand hops to gain its waxy gooseberry-guava-passionfruit souring and lemony grapefruit spritz, Tank Gurl India Pale Ale, let mild cellar-like fungi suit the musty green grape esters beneath.

Dry Simcoe hops galvanized the earthier whiskey-malted grain base for The Elder Barleywine, leaving cedar-tinged bourbon, burgundy and port wining plus delicate raisin-fig snips and mild blackcurrant saucing upon its star anise-laced dark chocolate foundation.

Weedy black tea outdid the oats-flaked dark chocolate powdering of Chocolate Williamsporter, a dryer stylistic departure with miniscule sour dried fruiting.

Softy seductive Alabaster coffee roast and nutty espresso milking greeted Alabaster Oatmeal Stout, leaving mild oaken vanilla tannins inside its chocolate pudding skin.

www.bullfrogbrewery.com