Farmers Get Thirsty, Too!

 Adams County, Pennsylvania, is a reminder of a time when America was still growing into its own.  With rolling hills covered in fields and orchards, and the occasional small village dotting the landscape, it could be mistaken for a Wyeth painting, seemingly plain at first, but on closer inspection, full of vibrant life.  A taste of this vibrancy can be found at the Thirsty Farmer Brew Works. (www.thirstyfarmer.com)

  

   

Opened in 2018 by the Knouse family who own and operate the Historic Round Barn Farm Market across the street, we were lucky enough to get to experience The Thirsty Farmer in 2019.  We thought we might return in 2020 to see what a difference a year can make in the growth of their industry, and we were not disappointed.  Boasting nine original beer recipes regularly on tap and a few seasonal experiments, this year, they have added ciders to the already-exciting menu. 

     Smiling faces greet you inside, and after ordering a couple flights, we ventured to the covered porch (we REALLY like porches) where our tasting backdrop was a view of sunflowers and hops, waving in the wind.  A haywagon-turned-bandstand offers a prime location for outdoor entertainment on a Saturday night – or, really, any day that ends in the letter “y.”   Our tasting commenced, we were once again impressed with the offerings (in order of our tasting):

·         Traditional Cider – Crisp and light, this cider was almost tart instead of sweet, this feels more like a European tradition of hard cider. Excellently done and very tasty.  We could see this going well with simple fish tacos, shrimp cocktail, an herbed chicken, or vegetarian dishes.

·         Semi-Sweet Cider – Noticeably sweeter than the Traditional, this had a long and complex finish to it that we had a tough time placing.  We found it enjoyable with chicken fingers and fries, and found it paired well with honey-mustard sauce or ketchup.  We tried it chilled, but perhaps letting it sit and acclimate to room temperature would be better for our palate?

·         Backweetened Cider – “Backsweetening” refers to adding sugars after the brewing process in order to make a beer/cider/mead/wine more palatable.  In this case, Thirsty Farmer proves that they can achieve that main-stream flavor, while still remaining true to their sustainable roots!   We liked the idea of this offering with a nice salad, crab boil, grilled pork, or even some simple sweet-onion rings.

·         IPA – A lovely example of this brew, it made us long for a smoky English pub.  Classic style, bold yet controlled flavor, bring on the fish and chips (don’t forget the malted vinegar), lamb pie – or any meat pie, really!

·         New England IPA – the American cousin of the standard IPA, versatile and lighter, while maintaining a coastal pub feel.  Would go great with lobstah, chowdah, and could be a great addition to your favorite beer-batter recipe, providing some extra pizzazz to it.

·         Hefeweizen – Heavy wheat taste (but not a heavy beer) with a lemony goodness on the finish, we would love to taste this with a lemongrass or Asian dish, or pair it with a fruit tart/custard for dessert!

·         Hazlenut Brown – A brown ale is always good, but when you add hazelnut, it gets better!  A round, full flavor, almost meaty in mouth feel, a low-sweet finish and aftertaste, this brew would probably be best for dessert (we were thinking creme brulee, homemade vanilla ice cream or bread pudding) it’s certainly enjoyable anytime.

·         Chocolate Porter – this was last on our tasting list, so it got a little warm before we got to it, probably affecting the flavorings. Like most porters, it has a big flavor – for us, it was a lot of coffee/chocolate notes, but more bitter than the standard porter.  It felt almost more like a stout to us, which could be entirely temperature-related.  We would enjoy it with beef, a dark chocolate ice cream, flan, or an egg custard.

     On the whole, the Thirsty Farmer offers extremely solid versions of a good many beer options.  In the year between visits, they’ve become even more solid as the recipes are honed to perfection.  We are very grateful for the opportunity to sit on their porch, and get the Thirsty Farmer’s point of view.  We can’t wait to see what future awaits this exciting young brewery.

Your Friendly Neighbors,

Krystal and Bill