This past weekend Mike and I spent a beautiful fall day in Allentown exploring three of the best spots for beer in the third largest city in Pennsylvania: HiJinx Brewery, Cork and Cage bottle shop, and grain. restaurant. Allentown has been experiencing a bit of a revival through an influx of new restaurants and businesses in addition to the shiny new PPL Center in the middle of the city, which hosts the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, our professional hockey team. Our three stops highlight some of the best of Allentown for beer enthusiasts, but there is far more to check out in the city if you find yourself in the area.
We started our journey at HiJinx, which is located in an unassuming small business incubator building, the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, on the outskirts of downtown Allentown. With humble roots in a 400-square-foot garage, Hijinx brewmaster Curt Keck has expanded from a single barrel brewing system to a 10-barrel system in 2014 with distribution with many bars in the area. 
His beers have also grown in complexity and originality over the years, which was clear during our visit. We recently enjoyed their offerings when we attended the Lehigh Valley Brewers’ Guild Beerfest several weeks prior. At the brewery, they offer a (very affordable) sampling flight of all six draft beers, which we happily imbibed.
We especially loved the CitraSqueeze IPA, which is brewed with only the Citra hop variety, giving it a bright, bitter and full-bodied flavor profile. We also loved the Mischief Night Pumpkin Ale, which is an imperial pumpkin that was not overly spiced, as many pumpkin beers can be. It was dark, smooth, and malty with just enough pumpkin spice flavor to remind you what season we’re in.
All that beer sampling gave us quite an appetite, so we then headed over to grain. restaurant on Hamilton Street in the center of Allentown’s downtown district. The restaurant scene in the Lehigh Valley has been steadily growing and improving over the years, with many options for everything from cozy pub fare to fine dining throughout the region. 
We had been excited to try grain., as we are longtime fans of the Bayou in Bethlehem, which shares the same owners. They offer a unique menu with classed up comfort food, like soy glazed pork belly (a must!), chicken and waffles, and root beer glazed brisket. Their beer menu is a real winner with plenty of beers you don’t typically see in your average local restaurant. Moreover, they have 24 beers on tap and a solid bottle list, so you will definitely find something you like. We hit up the draft list – Mike enjoyed some Sole Turbo Nerd, which is a fantastic IPA from a local brewer. I was smitten by an experimental beer from Victory, the Blackboard #4 Hazelnut Oatmeal Porter.
The hazelnut flavor was overt in smell and taste, which, paired with the chocolatey porter backbone, made the beer taste like it was infused with Nutella. My fingers are crossed that Victory will send this experimental beer to the bottling line!
One of the best parts of dining at grain.? Cork and Cage, which is the bottle shop right next door to the restaurant. Cork and Cage is owned by grain. and is jam packed with an unreal selection of beer, ranging from local PA varieties to hard-to-find Belgians. They even have a couple of taps to offer growler fills in addition to their bottled selection. Mike and I were like kids on Christmas morning in the store, and before we knew it, we had armfuls of different cans and bottles to take home. The staff at Cork and Cage was knowledgeable and helpful in directing us to limited edition or difficult to find items. Check out our finds below!
See any ones you like?
If you find yourself in Allentown, be sure to check out one-or all- of these awesome stops for beer lovers. Swing by these Allentown gems and let us know what you think!
Cheers!
Bethany
Bonn Place: We have 
Cave Brewing: Cave is close to the top of our list for a full blog post feature. They are a nano brewery located near Bethlehem, PA with plans to eventually open their brewery doors to the public. Despite not being open just yet, their beers are popping up all around the Lehigh Valley and are garnering a loyal following. They poured the Gourdolious Spiced Pumpkin Ale and Drew’s Hand Stout. The Gourdolious is a single-batch heavy-hitting pumpkin ale, made with two pounds of pumpkin. Crazy. Meanwhile, the stout has sweet notes of cocoa and roasted coffee that complement the malt-forward taste nicely without being too overpowering. Mike was a big fan of the stout and was craving more after the festival ended. Can’t wait to check Cave out again in the future!
Lost Tavern: Lost Tavern has a special place in our hearts. It opened only a few months after we bought our first home in Hellertown, and we 
Funk Brewing: Funk Brewing became a popular Lehigh Valley brewery right off the bat when it opened in 2014 in Emmaus, PA. Their beers pop up in many area restaurants and are highly sought out in the valley and beyond. They have even opened a second location in Elizabethtown, PA due to their high demand. While we plan to do a full blog write-up of Funk in the coming months, we can tell you that their brews are not to be missed. They poured the T-Rex IPA and the Falliage Chai Saison at the Beerfest. We sampled both, and the T-Rex was the front-runner for us. While bitter with the classic IPA hoppiness, it packed a juicy, fruit-forward brightness that left us craving more. The Falliage was a unique saison with its notes of chai tea and a bitter finish.
Two Rivers Brewing: Two Rivers, the host of the festival, opened in 2013 in Easton, PA. A full-service restaurant plus brewery, it is a great place to enjoy a gastropub menu (hello, duck fat fries with truffle oil!) while drinking excellent craft beer. Two Rivers recently blew up in 
Yergey Brewing: We are 
We have to give a quick shout-out to Colony Meadery who produce a wide range of meads right in Allentown, PA. If you haven’t had mead, you should give it a try for something a little different! Made from fermented honey, we love its smooth texture and versatility for mixed drinks or enjoying on its own. The Better Sasparilla variety, which they offered at the Beerfest. is downright addictive. Another special thanks to 
We could go on and on about our excitement for the craft beer scene in our region, but you probably already stopped reading a while ago. So we’ll pack it in and see you next time!
Jim’s commitment to and enthusiasm for his craft were evident from the moment we shook hands. Although he does have an impressive beard, Jim is not your typical craft brewer. He brings to the table a doctorate in chemistry and a 30-plus year career as a research chemist for Merck, resulting in a complex understanding of the brewing process on the molecular level. He guided Mike and me through his brewery with unbridled excitement, highlighting his Criveller brewhouse setup and pre-insulated ABS glycol system. He spoke of some of the challenges with adjusting from a small home-brewer’s system to a much larger nano-brewery set up, though you wouldn’t know it from the quality of his system and brews.
So, how did a retired chemistry PhD end up opening a nano-brewery in Emmaus, PA? “My wife is letting me do my thing!” he stated with a grin, pouring us samples of his Friend of the Devil (FOTD) Belgian Strong Ale. Jim is actually quite seasoned when it comes to brewing beer; he began home-brewing more than 20 years ago while living in Montreal. He noted that there was a dearth of beer varieties during that time, and he wanted to drink something richer than the run-of-the-mill options available. Jim continued improving his home-brewing skills until taking a brief hiatus while raising his children. However, once they became of drinking age, home-brewing soon became a family tradition. Jim and his two sons would brew together every year between Christmas and New Year’s Day, creating more nuanced and flavorful varieties each time. Jim’s beers indeed reflect maturity and refinement – it is clear that he is no rookie to brewing. FOTD is excellent (Mike’s favorite!), with a nose of clove, a dark fruit flavor profile, and a punchy 9-9.5% ABV. Jim and his family eventually left Montreal and have now been living in Center Valley, PA for more than 17 years, making Emmaus an ideal location for Yergey Brewing.
What is Jim’s biggest hope for Yergey Brewing? “I just want people to have fun and share stories,” he replied after a moment of thought. For Jim, it’s all about the interaction with his customers, the connection he has with other brewers and home-brewers in the region, and producing excellent beer that reflects not only his brewing skill but his connection with his family. Yergey Brewing is ultimately a personal reflection of Jim, from the recipes he developed with his sons, to the beautiful black walnut bar and table tops he constructed by hand. For Jim, that’s what brewing is all about.
Look out, Dogfish Head – the Delaware craft beer scene is on the rise, and 
Mike and I adore tent camping, and Cape Henlopen is our favorite place to go, mainly for its nice campsites and proximity to the beach – you can’t beat falling asleep under the stars with the sound of the ocean in your ears. We always take a pilgrimage to the Dogfish Head Brewpub a bit south in Rehoboth; however, when we spotted Crooked Hammock just around the bend from the park, we felt like we hit the jackpot. We popped in to sample their beers and food and left feeling impressed not only by the fun ambiance but the menu offerings as well. Beer-wise, they offer a selection of American-style ales ranging from their flagship Suns Out Suds Out Golden Ale, which is a quintessential easy-drinking beach beer, to a set of delicious IPAs, including Mootzy’s Treasure IPA and Beach Escape White IPA (our favorite!). The Beach Escape packs in a bright citrus and coriander flavor from a heavy dose of citra hops. It had that perfect taste we look for in White IPAs – heavier on the citrus than the classic IPA, but not so heavy that you lose the punchy bitterness from the hops. 
They also brewed up some unique options, including the Pucker Down raspberry sour ale and the Maui Wowie pineapple brown ale. Food-wise, we have to talk about the pretzel. Crooked Hammock offers a Giant Bavarian Pretzel which is shipped from Germany and served with both a saison beer mustard as well as beer cheese. Now, to be fair, Mike and I had been doing the 21 Day Fix and used this day as a cheat day, so our perceptions may have been a little off. But we remain convinced that this was the best pretzel and beer cheese that we have had in a very long time. It had a perfect contrast of slightly crispy and salty exterior with soft, slightly chewy interior that remained light and fluffy. The beer cheese and mustard were both excellent accompaniments. All in all, it was a perfect cheat snack.
To say that Sam Masotto is passionate about beer is a gross understatement. He and his wife, Gina, are co-founders of the Bonn Place Brewing Company which opened its doors for the first time on July 31st of 2016. Bonn Place is nestled in a cozy, compact-yet-impressively-efficient former garage on the corner of Taylor and Mechanic Streets in the heart of south Bethlehem, PA. The space exudes a harmonious blend of rustic warmth with industrial modernity, and Sam’s eye for unique and historic decor makes the place feel as comforting as your grandad’s living room – that is, if your grandad had massive oak-clad tanks of beer in his home. Everywhere you look reveals something exquisite and often personal, from a chandelier made from wooden wheels dating back to the 1860s, to the red Bethlehem Steel I-Beam spanning the ceiling, to the growler on display paying homage to 
The first beer we sampled was the Mooey Pub Ale, a classic English bitter at 4.8% ABV, which Sam told us about like a proud father. He noted that this beer came out as close to ideal as possible, highlighting its incredible clarity in both appearance and taste. Indeed, the Mooey was remarkably drinkable with a smooth malt-forward body and clean finish. The Mooey earned some bonus points with us when we learned that it’s named after “Big Fat Moo,” an oversized polydactyl Maine Coon cat belonging to Gina’s family. We have a similar giant Maine Coon ourselves, so we were of course excited to hear about Mooey and her impressive girth.
numerous challenges with the farmhouse which resulted in revisiting their love for Bethlehem as a potential home for Bonn Place. It wasn’t long before they were notified of the building available at 310 Taylor Street, and despite its drab drop ceilings and stark white walls, they took the plunge and began construction in April of 2015. Sam spoke of many nights spent in the building with his Subaru parked inside, a small cot on the floor to sleep on, and meals of liverwurst and Genesee Cream Ale while he worked to transform the space. Discovering beautiful brick walls beneath the Sheetrock and the red steel I-Beam hidden above the drop ceiling helped him visualize the impossible – turning this former garage/Pizza Hut/dojo/plumbing supply company into Bonn Place.
Sam took us behind the scenes to check out the brewing equipment. Despite the small space for the operation, the Masottos have clearly made the most of what they have to work with. Bonn Place has a number of tanks, with some gorgeously clad in oak to exemplify the English style. The real show-stopper is a 1,000 liter 100% French oak foudre, which is typically seen at wineries and distilleries. Foudres have been popping up in breweries more often due to their use for wood-aged beer, especially sour ales. Sam was currently brewing a fiesty wood-aged wild ale in the foudre when we visited, and he gave us some samples of the beer despite it not being fully complete. The beer had a lot of personality with a very sweet nose of overripe peach and Romano cheese, but a tart, bright and somewhat biting fruity flavor profile. We also sampled a double IPA that is still in the works. The double IPA had been hit with one dose of dry hopping, though may get a second prior to being served. It had a delicious fruit-forward flavor of mango and apricot, and Mike and I both voted for one more round of hopping before it hits the floor to bring out some more bitterness.
Sam and Gina’s interest in experimenting with beer left us with a lot of excitement for what is to come at Bonn Place. In fact, if Sam himself was a beer, he stated that he would be a “spicy chipotle brown ale” because he loves spicy food, is loud, slightly crabby, and dark due to his Italian roots. Would he ever brew this “Sam Ale?” Believe it or not, he has already made a batch of it back in his home-brewing days. We’ll have to keep an eye out for the “Sam Ale” to pop up at Bonn Place!
Prior to moving to Hellertown, Mike and I spent two years as Quakertown residents ourselves. We were ecstatic when we first discovered Proper while attending 
Since their opening, Proper has consistently offered a great collection of beers. Their IPAs and stouts have been the stand-outs each time we have visited. On Saturday, we both got a flight and sampled 8 varieties of their beer. The Cinema Citra IPA is incredibly balanced and refreshing and makes excellent use of the Citra hop, adding a zesty, fruity bitterness. It was a perfect pairing for a hot, humid day. Mike was also very impressed by the No-Name Stout, which is a chocolate malt stout that offers just the right touch of cocoa sweetness with a slightly hoppy, barley-focused finish. Despite not being too big on fruit beers, I was impressed by Your My Boy Blue, a limited release which features a Belgian-style witbier with a dose of blueberries. Although the blueberry flavor was present, it wasn’t overly sweet due to a bright, slightly tart and bitter finish.
In addition to beer, Proper offers a full food menu featuring classics like Bavarian soft pretzels with beer cheese (drooling), a variety of flat-breads (try the BBQ pork with bacon and slaw!), as well as burgers, sandwiches, and even desserts (stout float anyone?). They have also joined forces with some Bucks County wineries to offer a selection of wines and hard ciders. It appears that cocktails may also soon be on their menu – yet another reason to visit! We love the community-oriented approach of Proper – they are part of the Quakertown Revitalization Project, aimed at revamping the historic town center. They also value their connections with other local business and are active in featuring live music from local artists.
In honor of our recent wedding anniversary (not really that recent but I needed an introduction) I would like to recount one of the best brewery/pub tour days from our honeymoon spent in France and Belgium. On day five of our honeymoon we took the train from Lille, France to Bruges, Belgium. Bruges is an amazing little town near the North Sea in the Northwest corner of Belgium. It is known for its seemingly untouched medieval buildings, beautiful cathedrals, canals, and its historic Grote Markt.
After lunch we continued touring the Markt, following the canals and buying Belgian chocolates at 
As we entered we were greeted by a garden patio filled with tables and gleeful patrons. I absolutely don’t remember what I drank but if I know me, I had the Straffe Hendrick Qaudrupel. The next morning, I blurrily read that name on a goblet that I found in my bag which confirms my suspicion. This is a big, dark, malty, spicy beer that finishes with hints of dark fruits as most quads do. You won’t find this beer around here so you have to go to Bruges if you want to try it, but I can assure you that it is well worth the trip.
Two Pints, Please! 