Centre County’s beer culture has grown right along with the rest of the county
By the time you are reading this, the World Cup may seem like a distant memory, but as I am writing, the global event is still going strong. I have not been able to make it to any games (a writer’s salary isn’t going to cut it at those prices), but it has been a lot of fun watching the world come over to North America and celebrate.
Like many others, I was particularly amused by the Scottish football fans who seemed to have drunk Boston dry. Evidently, Sam Adams could not keep up with their appetite for Boston Lager and had to bring in reserve barrels. What a sight it was to watch these crazy, kilt-wearing men and women on Instagram painting Beantown red. It was bigger than St. Patrick’s Day.
And they were not the only ones having a great time celebrating in the United States. All over in cities that were hosting games, folks from around the world were enjoying American beer and culture. I saw it in action during a trip to Philadelphia the day after Brazil was in town for a match. In the pubs and bars, Brazilians were taking in all the City of Brotherly Love has to offer. It was awesome to see.
But what made me kind of chuckle was that it was not that long ago that American beer was considered a bit lacking. Up until the 1990s, it was common for international beer lovers to call American beer industrial swill.
Back then, if someone wanted a so-called good beer, they would usually pick up an international beer like Heineken or Guinness. Back then, the biggest beer treats for me and my friends were taking the plunge on a large bottle of Samuel Smith, a very old British brewery. Yes, international beers were all the rage back then.
That is, until the craft beer revolution took over the United States during the last 30-some years. Before that, America was known for a distinct style of beer that is still well known and commonly found: a slightly sweet, American-style pilsner that is golden in color and easy to drink. You know, these are your Millers, Budweisers, and Coors.
These beers haven’t gone anywhere (in fact, they are kind of having a revival of sorts, perhaps due to the high inflation we keep dealing with), but now U.S. craft and regional brewers are considered to be some of the best and most innovative in the whole world. It has been a complete 180 in terms of the United States’ beer reputation.
So, it was fun to see all these international soccer fans (typically big beer drinkers) come to the United States and appreciate our beers and beer culture.
You can see that change in U.S. beer-brewing culture in action right here in Centre County with our many craft beverage producers and brewpubs. It seems like you can’t turn a corner without running into one of these places, and you know I am not complaining about that.
The growth over the past 25 years has been pretty crazy. When I first moved here in 2002, Otto’s Pub and Brewery was just opening as the only brewpub in the county. Since then, Otto’s has grown into a bigger space, and at least 10 other brewpubs or brewery taprooms have opened in spots all over the county (better check my math on that).
We also are home to multiple cideries, distilleries, and wineries. And it seems that every bar in the area has a selection of local brews on tap and a variety of other regional craft beers to choose from. Yes, it has been a brewery explosion that helped put Centre County on the craft beverage map.
What I love about our craft beer scene is that each of our establishments is unique in its beer offerings and atmosphere. From cafes and taprooms anchoring our charming small towns and rural areas (The Dead Canary, The Blonde Bistro Brew Works, and Elk Creek Café & Aleworks) to an ever-growing nanobrewery in the heart of a college town, Antifragile, and from hotspots with great gathering spaces either indoors (Axemann Brewery) or outdoors (Boal City Brewing) to longtime favorites (Otto’s, Robin Hood, and Happy Valley Brewing Co.), all make their beer on location. Taprooms for breweries that brew in locations outside the area (Marzoni’s and Voodoo) add to the variety of tasty beer options in Centre County.
There truly is something for everyone.
Now, we won’t ever get groups of Scottish soccer fans to town for a World Cup match, but we sure do get plenty of international folks coming to study or visit, and they surely must be impressed with the beers they find here. I know I am. Cheers! T&G
Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at Central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
