It’s a new year, which means new businesses, and new opportunities to try great food and libations. We’ve gathered some up and coming local spots for great drinks (beer, wine, cocktails, etc.), along with a few other longtime favorites that are doing some exciting things. Cheers!
Just a stone’s throw away
Since the change in Pennsylvania liquor laws last year, wineries, breweries and distilleries in Pennsylvania can also serve libations made by other Pennsylvania spirit manufacturers (as long as 51% of their sales remain from their own product).
So don’t be surprised to see some interesting establishments start to pop up, including a cozy spot called The Stone’s Throw at Shady Brook Farm right between the farm market and the greenhouse, where guests can chat around locally brewed craft beer, Rose Bank Winery wines (made right down the street in Newtown, PA), wine slushies and hard ciders.
And fun fact, The Stone’s Throw got its name because everything they serve is from “a stone’s throw” away. Shady Brook Farm wants to “enhance your farm experience by offering homegrown, homemade, and locally produced goods.” Check it out this winter and into the spring!
Fun, expertly crafted cocktails at Hops Scotch Dram and Barrel
If you’re into whiskey, be sure to check out Hops Scotch Dram and Barrel in downtown Doylestown (Main Street Marketplace). The bar opened last fall, offering old school craft cocktails and other unique drinks (try the Smoked Old Fashioned – so cool!).
They have a nice selection of bourbon and whiskey, including single malt scotch, rye and Asian whiskeys too. Here’s a full cocktail menu. You can also order food from the Pennsylvania Soup & Seafood House, Andre’s Wine & Cheese, and Spuntino Wood-Fired Pizza, and they’ll deliver it to the bar!
Coming up on Tuesday, January 9, Hops Scotch Dram and Barrel is hosting a craft classic cocktail class complete with fresh squeezed juices, handcrafted syrups, and exotic bitters.
The $45 ticket includes: welcome cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, one and half hour lesson with an award-winning bartender, liquors, fresh juices, syrups, and cocktails.
The session will cover gin from Philadelphia Distilling, to be used in some of the oldest documented cocktails. Enjoy a talk, a tasting, and a demonstration. Find more information here.
Drinks with a view
If you’ve ventured over the bridge into New Jersey (into Lambertville and Frenchtown) you’ll know there are several inns and restaurants overlooking the Delaware River. But these establishments are more than just a pretty view. Many are historical, like the Frenchtown Inn, which first opened in 1805 as the town’s first hotel to serve the river and ferry traffic.
In addition to being a fine dining restaurant, the inn is also a nice spot for drinks, offering weekly specials like Wine Down Wednesday (along with Thirsty Thursday), and speciality cocktails (like their White Christmas Sangria – pictured above). While you’re there, enjoy the art of local oil painter, Alexander Volkov, a Russian-American painter born in St. Petersburg in 1960. He has lived and worked in Hunterdon County for 25 years. With his unique vision, he merges mood and atmosphere, evoking powerful emotions that create harmony. Check out their Facebook page here.
Coffee and whiskey
Although it debuted this past Christmas, you can still get your hands on Horn & Hardart’s alcohol-infused coffee. But don’t wait. The series is a limited release, small batch, super premium and handmade line of whole bean coffee. The best part? It’s been aged in used Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey barrels.
U.S. coffee business Horn & Hardart introduced this line to utilize distilled craft spirits in an innovative way. According to H&H President Al Mazzone: “Our #18 Prohibition Series has been infused with Pennsylvania’s premier rye whiskey. Dad’s Hat Rye gave us one of their recently drained oak whiskey barrels, and we used a blend of 75% Horn & Hardart Liberty Roast whole bean and 25% espresso whole bean, and transformed it in the airtight spent barrel for 21 days.” He added, “Coffee drinkers will love the refined taste, with subtle aromas and textures.”
