Pennsylvania Breweries Release and Events!

At last, at last...Pennsylvania Breweries 4th edition is about to hit the streets. The newest edition of my travelguide to the state's breweries -- from Yuengling to The Brewerie, and all points in between -- comes out on September 21st (approximately...Amazon lists it as coming available on the 15th, so what do I know?). The price went up a bit -- $19.95, and I will be packing nickels -- but it's a lot thicker: 73 breweries this time!

Accordingly, I've been scheduling events. Here's what's up so far; hope you can join me for one of them!

September 23 -- The first signing is right down the road from my home, 6:00 at the Hulmeville Inn, where we'll tapping into some Pennsylvania-brewed firkins to give the book a proper baptism.

September 25 --  At noon, I'll be at the Weyerbacher visitor center, signing books and drinking up the latest Brewers Reserve special, Lima. Can't have too much, though, because I'll be leaving at 2:45 to head down to the Bulls Head Public House in Lititz for a 5:00 event, where we'll be quaffing some fine cask-conditioned ale (and I'll be happy to talk up session beers!).

October 2 -- Another two-a-day: I start at noon in the tasting room at Tröegs, where I'll be talking up their wildly independent Scratch and Splinter series till about 1:30. At that time, I'll be ready for rehab; no, I mean ReHAB, the Regional Harrisburg Area Brewers homebrew club! I'll be at their Oktoberfest, having some seriously local PA beers. (Not open to the public, but if you're in Harrisburg and love beer, this would be a great time to join this club!)

October 4 -- Two days later, I'm close to home with a 7:00 signing at the Richboro Public Library; count on some lecture at this one, a little edification...but no sampling: sorry!

October 5 -- The Official Pennsylvania Breweries 4 Launch Event at Victory Brewing! Ron and Bill wrote the foreword to this edition, and they're hosting this big launch, which starts at 6:00 PM. What's going down? How about a special deal book/beer/app combo package, a star-studded panel of Pennsylvania brewers, a Q&A session, and all that great Victory beer -- can't beat it! Watch for this to come open on the Victory website: a limited number of places are available. See you there!

October 14 -- It's not a Lew Bryson Breweries book without a Grey Lodge Pub event: I'm joining up with the first homebrewers' night for this one, and we'll be going from 7:00 to 9:00. Come on down to the bar I call "my local."

October 21 -- Hungry? Join me for a delicious Pennsylvania beer dinner at The Farmhouse in Emmaus at 6:30. This will be an emotional evening for me: The Farmhouse was where I first participated in a professional beer event, a 1994 tasting with John Hansell, Ed and Carol Stoudt, Nick Funnell, and Bill Moeller. Quite a night, and it's led directly to this.

November 3 -- In my former life, I was a librarian, and I still like to do signings at libraries: like the Spring City Library, near Royersford. We're doing a signing this evening, but the location hasn't been set yet; the library's too small for one, so they're going to get a place. I'll update when they do.

November 4-6 -- I'm headed to the Wyoming Valley for a number of events, including taping a show with Chip The Beer Guy for his Friday morning program on Rock 107, a Berwick Bulldogs football game Friday night (just for fun, but followed by some beers at Berwick Brewing, also just for fun, but...), and a signing at Berwick Brewing on Saturday Nov. 6, noon to 2. Watch for more: we're working on expanding this schedule with maybe a beer dinner and a guest bartending spot or two.

November 13 -- Another work in progress: I'm still filling in the blanks, but this is going to be a western swing that starts at noon at Otto's: this one's going to be fun, and with luck, we should be at the big new location down the hill! I'll be leaving Otto's at 2:00 sharp and sailing west on I-80 for a 5:00 event at North Country Brewing Company in Slippery Rock, which I have to admit is one of my favorite brewpubs anywhere: amazing look, fantastic beer. Worth a trip if you haven't been.

Watch for more events in western PA on the following days, I'm just getting started...

November 15 -- I'm back at Bocktown Beer & Grill, hanging out with Chris and Tera and the crew for a big-ass beer dinner. We're gonna pack the place!

November 16 -- I'll be dropping in on the local brewers night at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Beer School with Tony "Beer Man" Knipling and brewers from Voodoo, Erie, East End, and Rock Bottom: that's going to be a fun night. I'm just going to be hanging out in the back, signing books (we put this together too late to make me part of it), but I'll be happy to answer your questions, sign your books, kiss your babies, all that jazz.

That's it for now, but there will be more (if you want to do an event at your brewery, bar, or library, let's talk). Craft beer in Pennsylvania is hot, and we're gonna celebrate!