Growth and Odd Contraptions

Last year I returned from my annual Gettysburg excursion and posted about how I felt the eastern side of Pennsylvania knew how to eat and the western side knew how to drink. I based all of this on my disappointment in the Gettysburg beer selection. Alas, I stood corrected by many and my trip last week surely contradicted my claim this year.

I've already spent some time this week detailing how the craft beer community has grown in the Gettysburg area. This is probably my last post explaining the subject. I also visited the Blue and Gray Bar and Grill last year and did once again this year. The bar is in the famous square in the dead center of Gettysburg. The craft selection within the bar has improved in this establishment as well.

I had to pose the Dogfish 60 Minute in front of it.

Last year, I came across a bit from Troegs and Roy Pitz from nearby Chambersburg. I'm pleased to report a tad more this time around. Not only that, but Dogfish Head Craft Brewery had a few appearances on the draft list as well.

I'm not entirely sure whether or not there was a beer-to-go cooler at Blue and Gray last summer, but I definitely noticed it this time. The cooler was stuffed full of six packs from Troegs just north of Gettysburg and a brewery called Starr Hill which I discovered is out of Virginia. Maybe some North vs. South action? A few of the Starr Hill offering found a way on the draft system. One was a pumpkin porter. Despite my feelings on pumpkin beer in the summer, I found this exciting.

Still, the table I was seated at had an interesting gadget built into it. Something I've never seen or heard of before. I had noticed it upon walking past the place and assumed it was just part of the bar's draft system. I was only half right.

Apparently it's something called a table tap. I'm not certain as to how it would work at other places, but at Blue and Gray you would get a wristband that gets scanned by the machine. You would fill your own glass of beer and the machine keeps track of how much was dispensed. Very interesting. I haven't seen many of these elsewhere nor around the places I frequent here in Pittsburgh.

Thomas Jefferson and Beer

Photo via Wikipedia

As we continue on our journey through Yards Brewing's Ales of the Revolution sampler pack, our next look into beer history involves Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is my favorite president in the wide history of our country (I know some of you are surprised that it's not Abraham Lincoln, knowing how much of a Civil War geek I am). Lincoln even thought of Jefferson as one of our most important political figures too!

Jefferson is famous for leading the Louisiana Purchase, which involved big and powerful government. Something that he was strongly against. in essence, he took a major step across the isle. In my opinion, it's one of America's boldest, yet moderate move in political history.

He was also known as bit of an eccentric, which makes him one of my favorite individuals in history as well. He hated his birthday, had somewhat of a clock obsession and even had his bed built into the middle of a wall. Monticello still remains as one of the top tourist attractions on the East Coast, today.

As Benjamin Franklin did, Jefferson actually preferred wine to beer. He actually didn't completely turn to beer until some point in his retirement when he actually ran out of wine and spirits. It was around this time that the War of 1812 was going on. So, embargoes and such meant that winos in the states had less and less of their favorite beverage. Jefferson's wife actually began brewing decades before he did (at least according to what I've read over the years).

Sometime in the early 1800's Jefferson had a beer cellar and brewing room built at Monticello in order to help him produce his beer at a bigger scale. Monticello.org has an entire section devoted to Jefferson and beer. This post simply just doesn't do it justice.

The Tavern Ale that I reviewed yesterday isn't the only Jefferson-related beer out there. Starr Hill Brewery teamed up with Monticello in making Monticello Reserve Ale. This beer is definitely on my list of beers to locate and try. It's a little different from the Tavern Ale recipe since corn and wheat are used in the malting process.