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Automotive Traveler Magazine: 2013 01 Beer Tour Of Southeastern Pennsylvania Page 6

kettles would reflect off their shiny surfaces to the irritation of the workers. To fix this, a stained glass window was installed, diffusing the light just the right amount.

At the tour's conclusion, we were offered another sampling of the local fare, this time in the form of Yuengling's seven varieties of beer (and a locally made non-alcoholic birch beer). Over in the gift shop among the t-shirts and tchotchkes emblazoned with the corporate eagle logo is a museum of Yuengling artifacts. Among the treasures are bottles dating to the mid-1800s, advertising posters like the Prohibition-era Juvo near-beer, and a 1920s doctor's prescription for medicinal beer. Which begs the question, "What ailment do we need to have in order for our family physician to prescribe a Black & Tan?"

From Pottsville, Route 61 took us south to the college town of Kutztown, where we stopped for lunch at a local brew pub. Kutztown University is one of Pennsylvania's great state schools, but the place is not known for its beer. When asked about their lunchtime brew, my fellow travelers replied, "The food was good." Bellies full, we were back in our luxurious chariot for a quick jaunt across Route 222 to our last stop on the beer tour.

In the home of the Philadelphia Phillies double-A minor league Reading Phillies, we found a beer festival. This charity event, celebrating its seventh year, is the Pints for Pups at the First Energy Stadium. Dozens of beer companies have joined with the Humane Society of Berks County to raise thousands of dollars for our four-legged friends. Dylan Heckart, the HSBC's director of development, showed us around the venue, placing a beer in our hands almost immediately.

We met the brew masters of great regional companies like Lancaster Brewing and Weyerbacher. The former, a chain of brew pubs, proudly showcased the talents of Bill Moore who, even more proudly, poured samples of his Country Cream Ale and Hop Hog IPA recipes. Easton's Weyerbacher featured samples of the aged anniversary ales along with bourbon-inspired Insanity and Heresy beers. If "just beer" wasn't enough, why not age it in oak bourbon casks first!

Pints for Pups made for the perfect end to our tour. Where else could you sample the likes of Straub from St. Mary's, West Chester's Boxcar, California's Stone, and the downright local (two guys in their barn) Outta Hand beer? Tastes ran the gamut from regal and egalitarian suds to brews that should be wrapped in white labels sporting black "BEER" text.

Even I, beer novice, found some beer to appreciate. Whether it's a taste that brings back memories of some youthful adventure or a wholly new flavor to introduce to your palette, I began to see that there's a beer for almost everyone. Sampling the wares of so many brewers only encouraged the crew on this tour to find our next road-trip adventure. Perhaps the beer makers of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, or even Western Pennsylvania would like to throw their 12 ounces into the ring as a follow-up.

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