The craft beer craze doesn't appear to be going away soon, but the timing is right to shift the focus to our local brewers.





In the past few months, we’ve talked about the growing number of bars specializing in craft beer selection, the home brewing clubs and contests. Now, we welcome

, which centers on the area’s ever-expanding breweries.

Similar in style to the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail, the Susquehanna Ale Trail includes seven breweries, brewpubs and craft brewing outlets in York, Lancaster and Dauphin counties: Mudhook Brewing Co., Good Dog Taproom, Mr. Steve’s Homebrew & Wine Supplies, Bube’s Brewery, Stoudt’s Brewing Co., Lancaster Brewing Co. and Troegs Brewing Co.

From noon to 5 p.m. this weekend and April 20-22, visit four of the seven locations to qualify for an official Susquehanna Ale Trail beer mug as part of its inaugural passport event.

Word about the program two weeks ago sent the local beer community into a frenzy. This is an obvious interest for those who already consider themselves beer nerds, but, interestingly, many of the people I talked with — even those who pride themselves on their beer prowess — hadn’t been to every stop on this list. It’s the perfect way for newbies to learn more about making and enjoying craft beer.

There is no order to the passport program, but the affable Mr. Steve hopes you’ll stop first at his Homebrew & Wine Supplies store across from the York Galleria Mall in York. Mr. Steve’s not only sells the materials you need to start homebrewing (or winemaking — or even soda-making), it also offers free — yes, free — classes.

For Ale Trail weekends, Mr. Steve’s will host “Home Brewing Made Easy” classes, featuring fun and informative demonstrations about home brewing. The classes will help attendees better understand what they’re seeing while touring the breweries on the rest of the trail.

Troegs Brewing Co. opens in Hershey 13 Gallery: Troegs Brewing Co. opens in Hershey

Nearby, in downtown York, Mudhook Brewing Co. is one of the newer breweries on the list. We sampled their brews, all of which were remarkably soft and smooth. My favorite was the Scottish-style Tweed River Strong Ale, while my husband favored the Monster Mouth Caramel Porter seasonal brew. The Mudhook Sampler includes four signature beers and up to two of the seasonal brews for $7.

Good Dog Taproom is not yet open for business. However, owner Scott Eden will open his doors to passport carriers for a meet-and-greet. He will offer beer samples and a tour of the brewpub’s progress.

Over in Lancaster County, Ale Trail visitors can stop at Stoudt’s Brewing Co., Lancaster Brewing Co. and Bube’s Brewery.

Last and most certainly not least, Troegs Brewing Co.’s new colossal headquarters in Hershey is on the list.

Troegs’ has been open in its new location for months, but I just recently made the voyage. I was blown away by the sheer size of the new facility, including its uber-spacious tasting room featuring a expansive bar, long wooden tables befitting a medieval feast, and regular booths and tables — most of which were filled on Good Friday afternoon.

Visitors along the Susquehanna Ale Trail can take Troegs’ self-guided tour and sample any of its beers, including whatever scratches are on tap those days. Need a snack? Troegs has you covered with snacks and sandwiches, such as popcorn ($3) and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches ($4). My pick — make it dessert and get a scoop of vanilla ice cream in your Javahead Stout.

This group of breweries isn’t all-inclusive. Hopes are that, as the passport program and Ale Trail grow in popularity, more local breweries and brewpubs will join in.

The Susquehanna Ale Trail Passport is $10. It is no longer available online, but can be purchased at any of the participating breweries.

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