BETHLEHEM / KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

North of Philadelphia lies steel town, Bethlehem, and twenty miles southwest, tiny metropolis, Kutztown. Visited December ’05, Main Street Commons Mall corner pub, BETHLEHEM BREW WORKS, is marked by windowed street corner copper kettles. Upon entering, bar and peculiar metal-enforced seating booths are situated to right side while quieter dining area is leftward behind glass-encased brew tanks. Unique ‘Beer Infusions’ (liqueur mixers), excellent single malt Scotch selection, fine wines, martinis, and Christmastime ‘hot buttered rum’ contend with choice Belgian beer assortment (at downstairs bar) and several estimable Lewis Thomas-handcrafted brews.

Soft-toned grapefruit-lemony Hallertau-hopped Valley Golden Ale, raw honeyed rye-dried tea-hopped dry-bodied Fegley’s ESB, and tame dry-fruited toffee-tinged sugar-malted Doppelbock soothe neophytes. Viscously brandied bruised orange-licked fig-slicked Big Bad Barleywine, mild espresso-fronted coffee-roasted black chocolate-dried walnut-quipped Steelworkers Oatmeal Stout, and especially, perfect 9.5% alcohol Belgian candi-sugared brandy-soaked Rude Elf’s Reserve (with its cinnamon swirl and nutmeg-coriander twist) suit connoisseurs.

www.thebrewworks.com

If you like this, try:

1. FEGLEY’S ALLENTOWN BREW WORKS
2. THE CHURCH BREW WORKS
3. PITTSFIELD BREW WORKS
4. KUTZTOWN TAVERN
5. BOSTON BEER WORKS (FENWAY)
6. UNION BARREL WORKS
7. BLACK FOREST BREW HAUS
8. NATTY GREENE’S PUB & BREW. CO.
9. BOSTON BEER WORKS – FLEET CENTER
10. BLUE CAT BREW PUB