Compelling canned Belgian wit retains delicate grassy-hopped citric mist, frothy pearl head and palest straw body. Sweet orange peel briskness seeps into coriander-spiced lemon candied tartness, subtle mango-juiced grains of paradise tropicalia and mild green banana starching. Subtle yeast pungency picks up lightly salted white peppering to winsomely contrast refreshing citrus spritz. Perfection.
3 GUYS & A BEER’D CARBOND’ALIEN
Audaciously soured pale ale loads fig-dried date and plum serenity atop tart lemon-pitted acridity for perfectly askew stylistic rendition best served to seasoned sour ale suckers. Spritzy lemon zest adds misty freshness.
3 GUYS & A BEER’D WHEAT THE PEOPLE
Closer to a rustic American wheat ale or dry-hopped citric-soured saison than a banana-clove-fronted hefeweizen, bringing dry plantain and tart lemon fruiting to raw-honeyed herbal spices. Wildflower, lemongrass, peppercorn and clove enliven yellow grape esters near mild white wheat bottom.
3 GUYS & A BEER’D LADDER DIVE IPA
Off the beaten track copper-toned moderation adapts sour ale qualities and dingy Belgian yeast cellar musk to mineral-grained rye breading, pushing aside usual piney fruited IPA tendencies. Lemon-rotted grapefruit, pineapple, peach and papaya tartness embittered by brisk orange peel uprising. Though rye influence is negligible, herbaceous whim adds a nice touch.
BENNY HOPENSTEIN INDIA PALE ALE
Hophead delight loses none of its fruitful delectability in bottled version. Zesty grapefruit-peeled orange, tangerine, cantaloupe, melon and pineapple tang freshened by piney spruced evergreen luster reminiscent of the prominent northeast Pennsylvania woods. Crystal and caramel malts sweeten the load.
BENNY WIT
Delicate pearl-headed straw-hazed moderation gains modest orange peel bittering alongside pithy coriander spicing. Silken sugar malt creaming inundates mild honeyed wheat base. Fleeting peppercorn and lemongrass herbage adds nice touch.
NESHAMINY CREEK TRIBUTE TRIPEL
Fungi yeast pungency contrasts herbal honey sweetness that serenades mild coriander-spiced orange peel bittering. Rising banana-clove influence picks up candi-sugared pear, apple and honeydew illusions.
NESHAMINY CREEK COUNTY LINE IPA
Viable dry-bodied India Pale Ale stays less aggressively hop fruited than typical stylistic fare. Cereal-grained caramel malting and piney floral resonance envelop juicy grapefruit-orange tang. Candied pineapple, peach and mango sweeten casual citric bite. On tap, sharper piney citrus bittering peaks above previously undetected spruce-tipped juniper bite.
SUSQUEHANNA HOP FIVE IPA
Apprehensive lemony hop spice picks up light piney flourish and delicate floral musk. Expectant grapefruit-orange thrust never materializes.
SUSQUEHANNA PILS-NOIR
Inconclusive dark pilsner profile of brownish cola-hued schwarzbier needs better specificity. Murkily astringent molasses-toasted cocoa malting fades to oblivion. Slick nuttiness ransacks phenol backdrop. On tap at The Drafting Room, better ’13 version enjoined cinnamon-buttered sweetness with honeyed fig-date-cherry scarcity to minimally impact dewy dark-roasted graining.
(PRISM) FELONY INDIA PALE ALE
Well balanced 10% alcohol-fueled Imperial IPA (in bottle) balances English and American styles as citric-pined oily hop resin, toasted caramel malts and flaked maize drape floral pineapple, pear, nectar and honeydew fruiting. Lemony grapefruit bittering picks up metallic astringency inundating the lingered aftertaste.
BACKYARD ALE HOUSE
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA
In the heart of Scranton across from the Court House, BACKYARD ALE HOUSE came on the scene November ’08 and soon became Electric City’s premier beer bar. Offering an outrageously enormous 500 bottled beers as well as 20-plus rotating taps, Backyard’s celebrates America’s proud microbrew generation in grand style. Its pristine tan frontage features Backyard’s brown-lettered insignia, windowed neon signs for the Keystone State’s most popular microbreweries (Stoudt’s/Troegs/Victory/Yards) and gorgeous earth-toned slate footing.
Upon entering the clean open space for the first time, June ’13, there resides a 15-stool left bar with two big screen TV’s, Backyard-etched central mirror, sundry taps and a large refrigerator (with awesome bottled selections). To the right are dining tables and along the middle beams several collectible beer bottles stand front to back. A newly installed kitchen serves pub fare such as burgers, wings and pizza.
Nick Lowe’s cold war anthem “So It Goes” blasts from the speakers as I settle into a beer crafted just down the highway, 3 Guys & A Beer’d Ladder Dive Rye IPA. Its reedy-hopped rye breading and orange-rotted dried fruiting picked up a grainier residue than most typical fruit-forward stylings.
Before getting a few takeout bottled beers from local breweries such as Old Forge, Susquehanna, Evil Twin and 3 Guys & A Beer, I grab a seat outside in the cement-floored open-air back deck. Overlooking City Hall, the red brick-sided space offers an 8-stool covered bar with three TV’s, several tables and chairs and a popcorn maker. On tap at the back bar are familiar Bud-Coors-Miller product as well as Guinness, Goose Island, Ommegang, Stegmaier and a few local indie draughts.
I dip into creamy eggshell-frothed Victory Uncle Teddy’s Bitter (with its orange-oiled lemon pit tartness and nutty respite) and vibrant fruit-candied Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA (where black-peppered hops and alcohol-burnt astringency contrast a bright grapefruit-orange-tangerine-peach tang).
Indoor and outdoor jukeboxes provide alternative and classic rock selections while live music plays Friday and Saturday evenings.
Sat at cement-floored awninged back patio at noon in October ’24 on a beautiful Sunday to try a few local Benny’s brews (Peanut Butter Lager and Birthday Cake Stout) plus New Trail Flannel Weather Imperial IPA, Ithaca Nitro Vanilla Porter and Sweetwater Blue (reviewed in Beer Index).
A favorite watering hole for local businessmen, post-collegiate imbibers and craft beer enthusiasts, Backyard’s perfectly centralized location attracts a diverse crowd to Scranton’s inner sanctum.