Tellus Three Sixty, Lancaster - Bar # 150

About 15 people attended our "Event" at Tellus360 to mark our 150th bar visit.  If you haven't been there before, it is a great venue with individual bars on each of its three floors situated right in the heart of Downtown Lancaster.  With the weather as good as it was, the logical choice of bar was the one up on the third floor roof!

Before we made our way to the roof, we were served our first beer by John on the first floor.  He was very welcoming and advised that we could sample any of the beers before commiting to a full size glass but, being the experienced consumers that we are, we bypassed the sample and chose one of their Irish reds.  There were 14 taps at the bar and John explained that the other two bars each had 10 taps but the most popular beers were available at each site.  John also set up a tab for us that worked no matter which bar we chose to acquire our liquid refresments.

Greg greeted us when we arrived on the rooftop and basically took care of us the rest of the evening.  It was interesting to observe how Greg handled a temporary problem with the tap system because he showed no frustration at all and assured us it would be fixed shortly.  Within a 5 minute period the problem was resolved and he moved on to happily serving his growing legion of thirsty customers.

At one point I descended to the 2nd floor for a refill and was rapidly taken care of.  My expereince there was the same as the other two floors - dealing with a person who made you feel at home and who appeared to enjoy what he was doing.

With all the company, we had little time to eat but did manage to sneak in an appetizer of tortilla chips with three distinctly different types of salsa.  It was excellent and a teaser to assure our return at a date in the not too distant future.

#150 marked a milestone of sorts and we plan to forge ahead with our plan to visit all bars.  We believe we will be doing this at least well into 2020 to achieve our goal.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

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Cox Brewing Company, Elizabethtown - Bar # 149

This ain't your average brew pub and it's a little off the beaten path and the hours are a bit irregular, but boy do they do their "thing" well.  The Cox Brewing Company, in the village of Rheems, is right down the road from Elizabethtown.  When arriving don't bother the nice people in the house along the road.  Travel up the lane to the open garage door where happiness awaits.

The best description I can come up with for the whole experience is, it's like the neighborhood's friendliest people with their garage door open, great beer on draught and everyone comes to share laughter and fun.  We also had the good fortune to meet Tim, the Head Brewer/Owner, who started as a homebrewer and has taken his passion to a new level with Cox Brewing.  Tim and fellow owner, Nick, are also military veterans which makes it all the easier to pull for them to be successful.

Our server was Cat who was ever present when somebody needed a refill or info on the 12 Cox Brewing masterpieces on tap.  Four taps are constant with the other 8 rotating.  We were told there is a new beer tapped every Wednesday.  The Retired Guys sampled 6 different beers and found them all very good.  From the crowd that gathered I would say many people felt the same way.  Other than the snacks on the bar, there is no food available.  But hey, with beer this good, who wants to fill up on food?

Most of the folks who stopped by seemed to be local and regulars.  Everyone was friendly and willing to speak with the Retired Guys about beer, time in the military and life in general.  We even met the homebrewer who won the homebrew contest at Bube's Brewery in Mt Joy this year.  That was a treat meeting Ron who shared pictures of his operation.  What a set-up!

Today was an experience we will talk about often.  Tim and Cat behind the bar were very attentive, friendly set the tone for a wonderful atmosphere.  The other patrons were all open to conversation and enjoying the moment with others who appreciate beer and good company.  The beer is brewed very well and covers a wide ranging spectrum of tastes.

Lastly, while you're there, thank a vet.

Until next time, CHEERS!

In about two weeks we'll be visiting our 150th bar.  Check out our event notification at  https://www.facebook.com/events/2018659128464564/ and consider dropping by for a visit.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

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Fetish Brewing Company, Lititz - Bar # 148

The Retired Guys have been wanting to go to Fetish Brewing Company at Rock Lititz in Lititz for some time now but its hours of operation were outside of our "normal" environment.  Since we're not so old to be completely inflexible, we finally modified our "normal" and got there today.  I could end this blog right now by simply stating "what the heck were we waiting for?".  This is a place you should not delay getting to as there are so many good reasons to be there.  First to be looked forward to is the very welcome feeling you get when greeted by Aaron, one of the owners or Amy, our barmaid of the day.  In talking with both of them, we could easily see they were happy to be a part of this enterprise and enjoyed sharing their knowledge of the products offered for consumption.  Both were so easy to talk with and happy to answer any questions we had about their operation.

BEER

There were 10 Fetish made beers on tap with an additional 2 "guest beers".  Terry and I  tried a pair of IPA selections which were clearly different from each other but both excellent in their own way.  As we got close to finishing our 2nd glasses of beer, we asked Aaron to explain what the Hophash Infusion for an additional $2.00 was all about.  It sounded great and we pretty much decided that we should return in the near future just to try it out.  Any of our readers who head out to visit Fetish Brewing Company should seriously consider trying it as a special beer adventure.

SNACKS

Fetish Brewing Company does not currently serve food but they do provide some salty snacks.  My favorite chip in the world, Grandma UTZ, was on the bar for all patrons to consume along with some pretzels.  Both of us seriously enjoyed those chips!

MUSIC

We really liked the music selection and the equipment used to play it.  Clearly, the amplifier and speakers were adequate for fantastic brodcasting of songs throughout the bar without overpowering our ears with noise.  The sound system consists of vinyl records played on a real quality turntable producing excellent replay.  The sizeable album selection is there for anyone to peruse and queue up simply by placing the chosen album next to the turntable.

While Fetish Brewing Company is a bit of a drive from our home base of Lancaster, it is well worth the visit and we encourage all beer lovers to get out there as soon as they can in order to enjoy the varied beer selection provided by the talented brewmaster.

In about three weeks we'll be visiting our 150th bar.  Check out our event notification at  https://www.facebook.com/events/2018659128464564/ and consider dropping by for a visit.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

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Red Rose Tavern, Lancaster - Bar # 147

Today the Retired Guys visited a location formerly occupied by a number of other establishments.  I have to say that this operation feels the most comfortable of all.  Upon entry Joe, our bartender, was welcoming and focused on our needs.  Joe is not only employed as a bartender, but he seems to embrace the profession and lifestyle.  He is a perfect fit for the The Red Rose Tavern at the corner of Mulberry and James in Lancaster; a great neighborhood bar with a classy flair.

The well stocked bar has a very nice selection of top shelf liquors and all of the other usual suspects.  They also have 11 taps with a number of craft brews including some local creations.  There are two beers named for the tavern, Red Rose Tavern Lager and Red Rose IPA, both are very good and worth a taste on a visit to the Red Rose Tavern.

The menu is not huge, but enough of a range to fit most appetites and dietary needs.  We went a little wild today and sampled more food than normal.  The quality was outstanding and further cemented our desire to return soon.  Our selections were a bacon Caesar salad, a bowl of bean soup that was tremendous and a soft pretzel with beer cheese dip.

Today was a very enjoyable outing to an establishment that I trust is not a dying breed.  With today's climate of liquor licenses being bought by gas stations and grocery stores, the number of neighborhood pubs where neighbors go to socialize and visit with barkeeps that are like family are dwindling.  Thread by thread the fabric of a community is changing too fast for old Retired Guys to be comfortable.  It's up to all of us to support local business.  Whether it is a locally owned pub, a corner store or your neighborhood pizzeria, they help to build the community you live in and love.

Please support them.

Until next time, CHEERS!

Keep watching our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Retired-Guys-Beer-Afternoon-246464365759312/) as we will post an "event" highlighting the location where we will be visiting the 150th bar.  That visit will occur during the 3rd week of September.  Full details will be provided in the near future in the Facebook Event.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

Facebook page 

Twisted Bine Beer Co, Mount Joy - Bar # 146

What in the heck is a "bine"?  I was questioning this as we drove toward our next bar, The Twisted Bine Beer Company in Mount Joy and found out with Terry's dogged lookup on Wikipedia that it is "a long flexible stem of a climbing plant, especially a hop".  The name now makes total sense!

We got to the brewery a little early on a hot humid day and found that the door was locked.  A moment or two later, Kelly unlocked the door for us stating she didn't want to make us stay out in the heat!  This was just the beginning of our experience of awesome service and customer caring at Twisted Bine.  Before we found our way to the bar in this well renovated location we were greeted by Marge who explained the selection options of beer and wine as well as showed us how to go about ordering food if we cared for any.

Each of us ordered a "flight" so as to sample a broader selection of the offerings.  Terry chose as one of his four 4oz glasses a porter, The Good Ship, and claimed it to be the best porter he has ever had!  Greg, the brewmaster, offered me a small sample and I have to admit it is the first porter I ever liked.

We spoke at length with Jamie the proprietor who fully explained the brewing process right through the cleaning operation between batches.  He mentioned some of the challenges of ramping up volume and how he overcame them.  As a newly opened place we questioned if there were any startup hiccups and he honestly shared that there were some surprises but really nothing that couldn't be handled.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit today for two reasons - the service and friendliness of all people we encountered was great and every beer we sampled was excellent.  To put it as simple as we can, WE'LL BE BACK!

Keep watching our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Retired-Guys-Beer-Afternoon-246464365759312/) as we will post an "event" highlighting the location where we will be visiting the 150th bar.  That visit will occur during the 3rd week of September.  Full details will be provided in the near future in the Facebook Event.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

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Brancyn's Restaurant and Bar, Denver - Bar # 145

The Retired Guys unearthed another Lancaster County gem in Denver today.  Brancyn's Restaurant and Bar, formerly The Black Horse Restaurant and Tavern, was well worth the drive north on Route 222.

There are only 6 beers on tap, but all are local brewery creations that covered a respectable range of styles.  And if the drafts don't grab you, the great selection of bottles probably will.  Along with the beer on our afternoons we have come to look forward to our food sampling.  Today we chose a sampler appetizer that included some wings, tenders, shrimp and mozzarella bites.  Not gourmet, but it was fried and fried is usually good.  This was no exception.

As we walk down this road of beer happiness we have come to appreciate how the bartender sets the mood and atmosphere of each establishment.  Today Dave greeted us warmly and immediately upon entering.  As others entered he was the same welcoming face we saw and very accommodating to those dining as well.

Overall, it was another enjoyable afternoon at a watering hole we may never have traveled to without our beer quest.  It is also necessary to mention that Brancyn's got it's name as a tribute to two young ladies who passed away too soon.  We find it easy to root for success for an operation with a heart like that.

Until next time, CHEERS!



SPECIAL NOTE

Watch for a special gathering the Retired Guys are planning when we go to our 150th bar.  This will be occurring in September with details to be announced on our Facebook page very soon.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

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Shot & Bottle, Lancaster - Bar # 144

After what seems like forever due to vacations and visitations, the Retired Guys have resumed our outings.  Today we visited a relatively new location in the Bar / Restaurant scene right in downtown Lancaster at the historic Griest building.  The Shot & Bottle is situated on the main floor and offers a great view of the bustling Lancaster Square area.  

We entered, then seated ourselves at the far end of the bar so as to maximize our appreciation of the scenery afforded us on this fine summer day.  Our bartender, Liz greeted us with a warm welcoming smile and engaged in an outgoing and friendly manner.  We selected our beer then asked about the available appetizers.  When questioned specifically about the "Dutch Fritters" Liz' eyes lit up as if we had just located a winning doorprize ticket and claimed they were a fantastic snack.  We proceeded to order them and were extremely pleased we had followed the advice offered.

As we moved on to our second beer, we had the pleasure of speaking at length with Mike (another bartender) who was busy doing prep work for the evening rush.  As he clearly was able to multi-task we were able to have a good discussion about some of the bars we had been to and some he suggested we make a point to visit even if they are smoking bars.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 144th visit due in large part to the friendliness of the staff who took care of us.  The draft beer selection was more than adequate to desireably quench our thirsts and our sampling of the appetizer proved that the food selection will at least fulfill the expectations of a casual dining customer.  It is fair to say that we'll be back!

Keep watching our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Retired-Guys-Beer-Afternoon-246464365759312/) as we will post an "event" highlighting the location where we will be visiting the 150th bar.  That visit will occur during the 3rd week of September.  Full details will be provided in the near future in the Facebook Event.

To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:

In sequence, most recent to earliest

In order alphabetically 

In a map

Facebook page