Raising The Bar

Tunkhannock Pa.monthly beer club.

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:28:00 -0700

click on the link for a list of beers needed for the next meeting.

raisingthebarinpa.com

Podcast 8. Shawnee Craft Brewery

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Wed, 6 May 2009 20:03:00 -0700

Podcast 8 Shawnee Craft Brewery!

On this episode I interview Leo Bongiorno, Brewmaster of the new Shawnee Craft Brewery at Shawnee on the Delaware Resort. I was my honor to spend many hours last weekend with Leo. The Brewery is located in a renovated ice skating rink with stacks of bourbon barrels waiting to be filled. For over a year now Leo has been building this brewery from the ground up doing everything from carpentry to legal battles with PLCB for Licensing. The brewery is nearly finished and will be a huge asset to the craft beer drinking community. Have a listen! And tell Leo, Raising The Bar sent you.
Cheers!

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:34:00 -0700

Raising The bar Podcast 7!

On this episode I am joined by Vitamin-D and Bad Chris. We sampled 2 Dogfish Head beers, Rogue’s Chocolate Stout, Lindemans Framboise and Victory’s V-Saison. Click on each beer or label to link for more information.
Cheers!

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:47:00 -0800

Podcast 6 Split Rock Beer Fest!
I am still spinning from this weekends Beer Fest and home brew contest at Split Rock Resort. My brother (silent Phil) and me sent in our entries for the competition. A Pumpkin Porter an Irish Red and a Cider. We also signed up to help judge and steward the competition. Some of the best BJCP Judges and very experience home brewers in our area were there. From 9 am until noon over 130 beers were judged. We were having a great time talking to other judges and home brewers. After the main judging was through, all that was left was the best of show. The top 5 judges all gathered at one table to pick the Best Of Show, of all the Gold Medal winners from each category. I was amazed and honored when Al Hazen, the competition organizer and last years Best of show winner announced my name for GOLD in Ciders! And then Best of Show! And to top it all off, I got a 3min. interview with Dave Houseman BJCP Grand Master 3. ( I’m not worthy) It truly was an honor to be a part of the competition. Many thanks to all.

Recipe for the BOS Cider:
5 gallons of pasteurized cider from Braces Orchards Pa. they tell me the cider is a blend of 7 to 10 varieties of apples. Pour into a fermenting bucket, add 1 pack of dry Nottingham yeast. Keep near 65 deg f. for one week. Then add a dash of yeast nutrient. Raise the temp to 70 deg. f for 7 days or until the hydrometer reads 1.000 or less. Transfer to a keg or bottles. Cheers!
Link to the Winners list

Click on the link for a video tour of Braces Orchard for Senator Bakers website

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:05:00 -0700

Raising The Bar Podcast 5!

Join me along with, Vitamin-D and new guest Preston D’grapes as we sample some pumpkin beer, local wine from Nimble Hill and a special concoction.
Special thanks to Ron Lane and Sean lane, for the finale tasting.
And a super congratulation! to Terry Hawbaker brew master from the Bullfrog in down town Williamsport Pa. For winning a GOLD medal at the Great American Beer Fest. The won the wood aged category with their Beekeeper. Listen to the first podcast with Terry and Steve, to here all about it!

podcast 4 Seasons Restaurant

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:26:00 -0700

Seasons Restaurant Podcast 4!

On this episode I interview Bruce and Kathryn Arrowood , owners of Seasons Restaurant, in down town Tunkhannock Pa. The food is excellent and the beer selection is very well tailored to the menu. After the interview I had a crab cake sandwich with Cesar salad and a Franziskaner’s Hefeweizen. This style of wheat beer lends itself well to most salads, the aroma is fruity, like banana and bubblegum with some spicy notes of clove, all derived from the yeast. This is an excellent summer style of beer, very refreshing and flavorful. Hefeweizen is similar to a Belgian witbier. The grains are the same but the witbier usually has spices, such as orange peel, coriander and others. An excellent example is Victory’s Whirlwind
Wit.
Cheers!

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:43:00 -0700

The Plantation Bar and Grill Podcast 3

On this episode we sample a couple of beers with Chris Kappler owner of the Ithaca Plantation Bar and Grill. Along with vitamin D bad Chris and Kenny. This show is allot looser than the others. It was a real "gas" but we all had a great time. we sampled the Harpoon Munich Dark and the Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue). Listen to the end, to find out how to claim a free!! Bottle of Chimay. Click on the links to these beers for more info.
Cheers!

Raising The Bar with B&R Beer Distributor

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:50:00 -0700

B&R Distributor Podcast 2
Check out the 2nd podcast with Jeff Ruddell, new owner of B and R Beer Distributor in down town Tunkhannock, Pa. Jeff and I discuss beer buying trends, and 2 Pennsylvania craft beers. The first is Stegmaier’s Brewhouse Bock and the second was the Troegs Troegenator Double Bock. Click on the beer for more info.
Cheers!

Raising The Bar at the Bullfrog

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:23:00 -0700

http://raisingthebarinpa.com/podcast/01%20Raising%20The%20Bar%20at%20the%20Bull%20Frog.mp3Listen to our first podacast at the Bullfrog Brewpub in downtown Williamsport. Pa

Raising The Bar Mission

raisingthebar@epix.net (Michael Simmons) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:16:00 -0800

This is the preliminary blog, for Raising The Bar. the purpose is to raise awareness of craft beer and excellent food, mostly designed for the Northeast, Pennsylvania to be more specific.
more to follow.
Michael Simmons