Pennsylvania Breweries (Paperback)

by Lew Bryson (Author) "Welcome to Pennsylvania and its breweries!..." (more)
Key Phrases: good beer sites, potential annual capacity, mainstream brewers, Microbrewers Guild, Valley Forge, The Lion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
53 logos 44 maps 6 x 9 Praise for the first edition (0-8117-2879-X): "Pennsylvania Breweries is written in a friendly conversational style, as if the author himself is conducting the tour or simply explaining a lot of history and beer over a cool one. Don't travel the Keystone State without it." -American Breweriana Journal In this second edition, 15 new breweries have been added and all others have been updated. Tourists and beer lovers will learn about the history, current output, and types of beer produced at the 53 locations, as well as information on tours, food served, and nearby lodging and attractions. The author, a beer connoisseur, recommends a "pick," or favorite beer, for each brewery. Lew Bryson writes about beer and the brewing scene for Malt Advocate and Ale Street News. He lives in Newtown, Pennsylvania

About the Author
Lew Bryson

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 2 edition (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811728986
• ISBN-13: 978-0811728980
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,369,886 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only guide you'll need!, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pennsylvania Breweries (Paperback)

This book is tremendous, and every state in our union should have one!

I knew there was a microbrew revolution occuring in this country, and especially in my state of Pennsylvania, but I wasn't aware of how quickly it occurred. As much as I enjoy brewpubs, I wasn't even aware of how many were so close by until I bought this book. Now I can find about 10 or so about a half hour drive from me.

This book gives a brief history of all of the breweries and brewpubs in Pennsylvania, and includes hours of operation, styles brewed, tour information, and most importantly--maps!

The only problem with this book is that so many brewpubs are appearing that the book will probably be outdated in a few years. No matter--I'll buy the updated editions. Overall I was very impressed with the book and plan on visiting many of the newer brewpubs in the area to make sure they thrive and are successful enough to encourage others to start their own business.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Than Just Another Beer Guide, November 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Pennsylvania Breweries (Paperback)

"Pennsylvania Breweries is a wonderfully informative book that goes beyond the usual fare, providing the reader with a unique insight into Pennsylvania's rich brewing heritage. Author Lew Bryson describes each brewery and brewpub in vivid detail and his engagingly personable writing style makes you feel as though you are touring right along with him.

The book divides Pennsylvania into six geographic regions, and also includes a section which the author has thoughtfully dedicated to the state's "Old Guard Breweries". The beginning of each regional section contains a wealth of information on items such as the region's history, cultural points of interest, and other available activities. Additionally, each brewery and brewpub entry is accompanied by information regarding local attractions, lodging, and dining spots.

Between the regional sections are segments entitled, "A word about..." which discuss subjects such as ales and lagers, the brewing process, and beer traveling. These sections provide pleasant diversion while adding valuable resource information, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the book.

You won't find point scales or stars (like the, uh, ones above) in this guide as Bryson doesn't attempt to critique every beer sampled. Rather, after discussing the offerings at each stop he recommends one or two beers in particular. In doing so, he subtly drives home the idea that beer traveling is more about the enjoyment and celebration of the brewer's art than it is about grading each offering.

"Pennsylvania Breweries" is a great read and an excellent resource for all beer enthusiasts, from novice to connoisseur. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine guide for locals and travelers in PA, April 1, 2005

By	C. Ebeling "ctlpareader" (PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

After watching a tie-in PBS documentary, I purchased this book for the beer connoisseur in my life. We were familiar with two of the breweries mentioned and found the write-ups to be accurate, so now we're setting out on occasional trips to others in the state. The good news is, many of them have very decent restaurants where the beer can be sampled. One caution: this edition is 5 years old. Do call to make sure the information is current before jumping in the car. A postscript: Mr. Beer Connoisseur has found several local beers that stand up to or even exceed his European favorites.