"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -- attributed to Ben Franklin

Such a strange product is beer. Its history goes back thousands of years. Reams of quotes reference the drink, drinking, and the effects of drinking. Opinions abound for and against every bottle or glass of beer. And the stories that go with the drink are just so memorable... or forgettable, depending on which side of the tale you stand.

My friends enjoy the brew. I never acquired a taste for it. I do, however, like a good story. As an historian and an aspiring creative being, I believe beer holds a unique place at the crossroads of history and art. On top of it all (and to the benefit of my pals), I enjoy driving.

No surprise then that those same buddies of mine jumped at the chance to tour Pennsylvania's beer scene. A one-day trip, the plan was to drink and eat our way through the long tradition of Keystone State beer.

The state's beer industry is booming today as at no other time since Prohibition ended. Wikipedia lists 51 active breweries and 49 active brewpubs in Pennsylvania, and that does not count the state's famous former beers, such as Rolling Rock (formerly of Latrobe) and Schmidt's (formerly of Philadelphia). Pennsylvania is witnessing a renaissance in malt products.

With so many options, we decided to confine our travel agenda to the hot-bed that is Southeastern Pennsylvania. Joe and Tom piled into the Infiniti QX56, and we were on our way.

One of the newest and most successful of the modern craft brews is Troëgs Brewing Company. Founded by Chris and John Trogner in 1996, Troëgs started on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. Their brews soon achieved such popularity that they quickly outgrew the tiny plant. In the fall of 2011, the brothers moved their venture to a new property in Hershey, just down the street from the famous chocolate company that gave the town its name.

Arriving at Troëgs, we were greeted by Andrea, Hershey's Queen of the Nugget Nectar. This veteran of "big