Reading Draft Soda

[jholmgren]

I took the week off to do a bunch of yardwork.  Naturally here in PA, it has rained just about every day this week.   
Yesterday I convinced my lovely wife to make a trip to "Reading Draft and Universal Carbonics" in the rain. 

I'm a big fan of Root beer and Birch beer (Birch Beer is a PA Dutch variation of Root Beer), so the opportunity to sample some 'micro brewed' versions was too good to pass up.  Having a large outlet mall about 5 miles away helped convince Tina to make the trip with me.   

It's a very small place, off a side street in Reading PA.  They 'brew' and bottle their own sodas.  Birch Beer (white, red, regular) Root Beer, Orange Cream, Grape, Vanila Cream and Black Cherry.   They have a small tap in the store with free samples of their Birch Beer, Orange Cream and Vanilla Cream.

So - we loaded the car with several cases of Root Beer, Black Cherry and two different "sampler" cases.   So far - everything is really tasty and the 12 oz bottles fit very nicely in my CS-96e.   

I'll probably be taking another trip in a couple of weeks after we go through the sampler packs and figure out our favorites.  It makes a really nice addition to the Mexican Coke in the machine.   

[jholmgren]

Sorry - meant to include their website in my first post and totally forgot:

http://www.readingdraft.com/Reading_Draft/Home.html

They do sell online through a company called "Shady Maple" http://shadymaplegiftshop.com/index.cfm?category=105 but the prices are nearly double.  In the store it is $10 for a case of 12.  Shady Maple sells it for about $20/case, plus shipping.

Jim

[Jim]

I might have to visit them as I will be in NE Philly in June...
I love PA Dutch Birch Beer ! ! !  I always bring some home when I'm up there!

[jholmgren]

My wife is PA Dutch, so we get all kinds of good eats....if you are into HEAVY stick-to-your-ribs (and everything else) foods.      

So far the root beer is one of the best I've had taste-wise, but a little under-carbonated for me.  It is very much like a home-brewed beer, very little 'fizz'.    The Black Cherry is seriously CHERRY, has a bit of a cherry cough-syrup taste, not bad...but not the best (I really like Hank's, if you get that in your area).   

The birch beer they had on tap at the store was THE BEST that I've ever had.  It had an amazing head and was SOOO smooth, but I haven't tried a bottled one yet to compare the two.

Jim - if you are headed to NE Philly, you should be inside an hour's drive to Reading.  I'd recommend a stop.  The whole shop smells like Birch Beer, and you can hear the bottles 'clinking' away in the back going through the process of being filled.       I totally forgot to ask them if they do little tours of their bottling area, but you can pretty well see back into the bottle area when you are in the store.

[TomFromJersey]

Hey Jim...when will you be in NE Philly? I'm travelling from NJ to Carlisle,PA 1st weekend in June for the Ford Nationals.
  Tom

[Jim]

Tom,
Unfortunately, I'll in the area sometime between June 8/9 - 13/14; so I'll miss the Carlisle Show...