finger lakes ladies' week: ithaca beer company

It has become part of our traditions, since age 23, that my best friend and I flock to the Finger Lakes of New York, at least once a year. Our first visit, which we tagged along with her experienced parents, concluded with a laughable crock of stories, and a fine case plus more of fine wines that I cannot typically find in my local state shops.

Last year, however, we planned two trips, because I suppose it seems that age 25 has just been a hard one, and we get giddy sharing our trips to upstate New York with new wine trail trekkers. Back in November, we packed up our traveling boots and invited my cousins to a mid-week excursion, with the first-stop of the whole journey being at Ithaca Beer Company in Ithaca, New York.

dabbling in adventures of dogfish head craft brewery

As a fanatic of sipping smooth sour ales throughout the dog days of summer, it is appropriate that I visit the headquarters of one of the best one of them all, Dogfish Head Brewery, during the current steamy months. 

An adoring lover of the off-centered brewery's Festina Peche, their Berliner Weisse-styled beer fermented with fresh peaches, I always feel the need to stock up on the tart seasonal brew, hoping it will last me well into the inappropriate months. However, title me an addict, but my fruity and tart pints flooded with this light concoction are already bone-dry, and by the likes of local distributors, others have the same idea.

But, as you may have noticed in previous posts, B and I enjoy journeying to the homes of our favorite beers, so it was about due-time to dabble around Dogfish Head. Since we are lucky enough to have relations with a summer home near the Milton-based headquarters, just one visit this summer was obviously not enough, as we already clocked two curious adventurous throughout the well-liked craft brewery. 

Tiptoeing around the fairly large establishment of Sam Calagione does seem like the thing to do for Rehoboth Beach visitors, so keep in mind, if you plan to hop by for a visit, you must reserve a spot on their arranged brewery tours. Yes, they are for free, although they fill up in a timely fashion.

The most exhilarating investigation I encountered behind closed doors were the massive exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood tanks used to age the incredible 12-percent brown ale that's on the tips of many's tongues as of late. (Watch the video below, DFH's John seems to be quite a fan, too.)

Dogfish Head Brewery Visit from amy strauss on Vimeo.

All tours conclude with four free tastings from their quirky taps, and lucky for me, one of the offerings on each of our recent visits was my peachy pleasure. However, one may argue that I should expand my tasting palate, but that's what having a boyfriend is for (i.e. stealing slurps of all the beers I haven't nabbed on my own).

Visiting twice in a span of three weeks allowed us to become chums with the tasting room's mainstay, John, who serves all of the brewing company's visitors their free beer (how could you not love that job). Clever and quick to nickname, he's a source for speedily spewing what makes the samples you will soon be slurping, and kind enough to agree to star in a quick clip from this blogging fish.

During our summery stops, I must reveal that we also became fans of DFH's Theobroma (brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs), Namaste (made with dried organic orange slices, fresh cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander) and Sah'tea (Chai tea-inspired). And, I have to greedily admit, we will probably be back again soon, before this sultry summer concludes.

satisfying slurps of spring house brewing company

It started with a satisfying slurp of a frosty pint of a specific Imperial Red Ale. The aggressively-hopped gulp, identified as the Atomic Raygun, easily sings boldly on any draft beer lineup, especially at The Epicurean where B had his first few swigs.

After too sharing his love of his newly-favored beer, one that swims in a well-balanced blend of light orange and outrageous hops, with a crisp, candied finish, I instantly delved into what neighbors Imperial Red's brewing company, Spring House, fronted. Lucky for us, we were soon trekking to their brewhouse situated in Conestoga, Pa to see our new adoration in action.

Spring House Brewing Company, plopped on the brim of Lancaster, was established by the excelled chemist, Matt Keasey, who a few years back, transformed his small hobby into a money maker. 

Now, with half of his offerings brewed in his rustic, finished barn, he invites beer fanatics to the home of his brews on Wednesdays and Fridays, 6-9 p.m., and Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. to flood armfuls of growlers from his fresh kegs, or have new visitors marvel in a courtesy tasting of those on tap.

Seven Gates Pale Ale, another variety of Keasey's repertoire, has received a lot of love in a hell of a short time, which is why Appalachian Brewing Company has taken a liken to the full-production of this crowd-pleaser.

During our visit, the rural, inviting space of Spring House happened to be blessed with many brewheads who happened to have the same idea as we had, but although I am impressed with the addicting tastes of the local brewing company, I was bit a disappointed that they had only three varieties on draft last week: Imperial Red Ale, Seven Gates Pale Ale and Beyond the Gates Double IPA.

However, can't say I didn't adore all of the above, I continue to crave for an experience with their Planet Bean Coffee Stout, the Diabolical Doctor Wit and the Goofy Foot Summer Wheat.

boosting on lancaster brewery's beers

I used to consider myself a wine snob.

I swirled and sniffed as if it was my job (well, sometimes it was). By nature, I then would turn my tarty snout to anything hop-related. A tan pint of anything foamy was never a request, and thinking back now, what was I thinking?!

A few months back, B and I attended a beer-tasting shindigg in a friend's backyard. Cases and coolers of microbrewed specialities filled a substantial part of their grassy parts, and sips of Miller Light and Yuengling were satisfyingly scarce. We guzzled Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss and Sunset Wheat, Dogfish Head's Festina Peche, Old Rasputin's Imperial Stoudt, Shipyard Brewery's Pumpkinhead Ale, and my favorite, Lancaster Brewing Company's Strawberry Wheat.

With such an extreme introduction to what the brewing world had to offer, I was automatically hooked into the hoppy world and had decided that I am far from ever escaping. Thus, paying a visit to the brewhouse of my [one of] favorite fruity beer was obviously, a no-brainer.

B and I, with the accompaniment of his dad, journeyed to Lancaster to scope out what really makes this local brewery top-notch. Setting up a private tour with their welcoming brewmaster Bill, and making sure we each had a brew in hand, we sampled pre-beer malted barley in all-of-its forms, had sneak peeks inside their stainless-steel brewing tanks, smelt the bittery potentness of their award-winning hops, punched the mashed spent-grain post-fermentation that's housed in barrels for area farmers, and most importantly, filled our bellies with the freshest and tastiest gulps any girl (plus boys) could wish for!

malted barley one-hand, brewski the other

brewing tanks

hoppity-jarred hops

mashed spent grain

processing Strawberry Wheat

And, while I am already obsessed with the Strawberry Wheat, and now, the Country Cream Ale, I think the upcoming September-release of the Shoo-Fly Porter may just have this Pennsylvania Dutch girl gushing!