Spirits of Happy Valley

Every year, when I gather with my family for the holidays, there is always a special gift under the tree for me. It is never wrapped in an elegant way, maybe just a bow on top, but what is inside is a wonderful surprise—six surprises to be exact. Yes, it is a mixed six-pack filled…

Long before there were craft beverage producers all over Centre County, Zeno’s Pub was one of the places where Penn Staters and townies alike went to learn about the world of good beer and local music.    Located, as the saying goes, directly above the center of the earth, at the State College/Penn State nexus of…

Anthropology professor Kirk French hears it all the time—“I wish they had a class like that back when I was at Penn State”—in reference to his Anthropology of Alcohol (ANTH140) class, also known as Booze and Culture. Indeed, current PSU students flock to the class. Since he started teaching it in 2016, the class has…

To me, the perfect way to spend an easy summer afternoon or evening is sitting outside, enjoying a craft beverage with friends.  Luckily for me and the rest of us who live in Centre County, we have a thriving craft beverage scene, with many local producers in unique settings around the county. During the pandemic,…

Much like a painter who meticulously makes every brush stroke just right, or a woodworker who tirelessly shapes their work into the perfect piece for your home, all around Centre County, local beverage makers are perfecting their craft for the public to enjoy.  From wine makers who select each blend from grapes grown right here…

There is something romantic about opening and sharing a bottle of wine. Twisting the corkscrew into the cork and then slowly pulling it out until I hear that subtle pop and pouring the unique blend into glasses to share makes me think I am back in the old country (wherever that is) in a beautiful…

You could say that making alcohol is kind of in her blood. When Barrel 21 Distillery’s new head distiller, Erica Unruh, was a kid in northern California, her family was big into homebrewing. Naturally, when she grew up, she picked up the hobby, too, learning to enjoy the process of mixing and fermenting new concoctions.…

In my opinion, there is something magical about the beer brewing process. You take your grains, your yeast, your hops and mix it all together with water the right way. You let it ferment and, if you do it right, you get a tasty and bubbly alcoholic beverage that is best enjoyed with friends. Some…