2018 Lititz Beer Fest Recap

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Big thank you to everyone who came out to support this year’s Lititz Beer Fest! With over 60 breweries and 3,500 attendees plus food, vendors & bands it takes an army of volunteers to make it happen. Very big thank you to everyone who donated time, energy and funding.

From their site, “The Lititz Craft Beer Fest is a charitable fundraiser event presented by the Lititz AMBUCS, a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer service organization, in partnership with WCAA. All proceeds from the event will be used by the AMBUCS for charitable purposes in support of their mission, which is providing independence and mobility for people with disabilities.” Click here to visit their site.

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Calm Before the Storm. A brief moment of rest before the crowds descend upon the streets of Lititz, PAs.
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Street Cred. Proud sponsor of 2018 Lititz Beer Fest.

Eby’s Mill

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Our Distillery and Tasting Room is located in a renovated grain mill built in the mid 1850’s by Amos Bomberger. Located in historic Lititz, PA and surrounded by Lancaster County farmland, the mill’s location adjacent to now unused railroad tracks stands as a reminder of the large amounts of grain exported.

The mill changed hands several times operating as a bakery, feed store, and paint shop just to name a few.

During renovations we uncovered a small room under the Tasting Room with a ladder and a hoist. Seems like the mill used the space to store molasses before mixing into livestock feed. Since there was no refrigeration and locally we maintain a constant below ground temp of mid 50’s, it was an efficient way to keep the molasses cool and prolong spoilage.

Below is a blank receipt from the last owner of the mill, Elmer Eby. Very thankful to have purchased the receipt, returning it home and adding it to our collection.

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Whiskey Bonanza

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Big Thank You to old friends & new who came out to Twisted Tail’s Whiskey Bonanza in Philadelphia. Over 160 whiskeys on hand representing distilleries around the globe and across Pennsylvania. Always a pleasure talking Whiskey past, present & future! Definitely an honor to be included in such esteemed company. If you missed this year’s event, keep an eye out for next year!

Twisted Tail Whiskey Bonanza

FALL COCKTAIL CLASS

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Stoll & Wolfe Fall Cocktail Class

FALL COCKTAIL CLASS

Whether you’re hoping to up your cocktail game or while away an afternoon learning  more about spirits and tasting delicious drinks, join us at Stoll & Wolfe Tasting Room for our Fall Cocktail Class.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite

Have Fun Learning and Tasting 3 cocktails versatile enough to be made with Whiskey, Vodka or Gin. We’ll walk you through each recipe step by step, from selecting spirits through preparation and presentation.

Ready to be the host/hostess with the most(ess)?
Class Length: 1.5 Hours  

Tickets: $30
Click Here to Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite

Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey

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After two long years of waiting we present Stoll & Wolfe Straight Rye Whiskey.

Q: What’s Straight Rye Whiskey?

A: Rye Whiskey stored in charred new oak barrels for 2 years or more.

At 16 months our Rye Whiskey was Selected as #2 American Rye Whiskey in the United States in the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Competition. With more time in the barrel and an especially warm PA Summer the flavor has only developed increased character. Lots of allspice and caramel give way to rye spice and cinnamon.

Lightly filtered and bottled at 90 proof. Currently only available in Lancaster County in our Lititz, PA Tasting Room and Pennsylvania Libations in Pittsburgh, PA.

Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey
Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey

Appearance, Aroma & Flavor in Tasting Whiskey

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Using Appearance, Aroma and Flavor to Understand Whiskey

We’re looking to do our best to objectively analyze what’s in our glass and move beyond basics of simply liking or not liking a sample. To help better understand the reasons you may enjoy or dislike a particular whiskey we focus on 3 basic criteria:

  1. APPEARANCE
  2. AROMA/SMELL
  3. FLAVOR

By focusing on these 3 variables we can guide our senses through the tasting process. These cues also help set our expectations for what we’re about to taste. Think expectations don’t matter when tasting? Think of the last time you were handed lemonade and thought it was iced tea.

1. APPEARANCE

The first interaction most of us have with whiskey is appearance. Three things we’re looking for when we look at a sample: Color, Clarity & Viscosity. Appearance can be tricky. Generally speaking older whiskey will be darker in color, but not always.

2. AROMA/SMELL

Although it’s called a Whiskey Tasting, the aromas or smells are a vital component of analyzing whiskey during a tasting. While only 5 primary flavors exist (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami) equaling approximately 3,125 flavor combinations, its recognized the human nose can detect over 10,000 unique smells.

3. TASTE

1st Sip Unless you taste whiskey regularly, the first thing you’re probably going to notice is the burning sensation on your tongue. Over time you can train your tongue to get past that sensation.

2nd Sip Allow the burn to dissipate, swirl the glass a bit and try to take a second sip. With that second sip, try to move the spirit around your mouth to different regions of your tongue. Do you notice any individual flavors? Flavor combinations?

3rd Sip See if you can pick up any structure – does it have a distinct beginning/middle/end? Which of the flavors or flavor combinations you noticed appear during each stage? Is it well balanced? Do all three parts compliment one another?

Ideally a whiskey will be well balanced and enjoyable. The one common trait of all well made whiskeys is the enjoyability of individual flavors and the harmony of those flavors as they interact in the glass and on the palate.

 

Water Water Everywhere.

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Very thankful to everyone who called, emailed, texted, messaged and dropped by to make sure the Distillery and Tasting Room were dry during the recent flooding. Although large parts of Lancaster County, including downtown Lititz and Lititz Springs Park we’re hit hard, thankfully for us, the water stopped before reaching our doors. Feeling very blessed to live in such a supportive & caring community.

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The Mainer

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Looking for a warm weather cocktail to quench a powerful Summer thirst? We present: The Mainer.

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The Mainer

  • 1.5 oz Lititz Springs Vodka
  • 1/4 Cup Blueberries
  • 1/2 oz Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • Freshly Grated Allspice
  • Soda Water to Fill

Fill collins glass 2/3 full with ice. Add Blueberries and Maple Syrup to Shaker. Muddle and pour into glass. Add Vodka, Lime Juice and Allspice. Top with Soda Water. Stir to integrate.

 

Dog Days of Summer

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Join us in raising a glass for a great cause! For every cocktail sold on Wednesdays from August 15th – September 19th, we donate $1 to the Lititz Boro Police K9 Fundraiser.

Can’t make it on a Wednesday? No worries, there’s a donation bucket in the Tasting Room at all times. Prefer to donate directly online? We can help with that too: click here.

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What Is a Whiskey Tasting?

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IMG_0888What is a Whiskey Tasting?

Although a tasting can take many forms, we’re comparing multiple whiskeys using similarities and differences to better understand each spirit. Have fun! Unless you’re being paid to taste whiskey (if so, congratulations!), then the idea is to better your understanding and appreciation and to have fun while doing it. If you can’t smile and laugh during a whiskey tasting, then you might be doing it wrong.

How Many & How Much?

Amount you pour for your guests is up to you but will likely depend on the number of spirits you’ll sample. As a responsible host you don’t want to over serve guests, especially if they’re driving. That said, anywhere from a 1/2 to 1 oz pour works well.

Water

It’s always a good idea to offer water to your guests to keep them hydrated and to reset their palate between samples. Age old debate as to whether one should water down the sample or whether whiskey should be served neat or on the rocks. For a tasting whiskey should always be served at room temperature so no ice. However, adding a drop or two of water can unlock or reveal certain aromas or flavors difficult to observe at higher concentrations of alcohol.

Why Analyze Whiskey?

We’re looking to do our best to objectively observe the individual components of the whiskey and move beyond basics of I like it or I don’t like it. To help better understand the reasons you may enjoy or dislike a particular whiskey we focus on 3 basic criteria we’ll use to compare and contrast.

  1. APPEARANCE
  2. AROMA/SMELL
  3. TASTE

By focusing on these 3 variables we can guide our senses through the tasting process.

They’re also in order of how we’ll interact with each whiskey and conduct the tasting.

First we’ll take a look at each of the samples. After taking whatever visual cues we can we’ll smell each sample and then move onto tasting. Following this process allows us to break down each of the three steps further without compromising any of the senses we’ll need for the next step of the process while also picking up any information we can to inform the next step.