I am thinking again about my PA Day party, and now that I’ve mastered the kluski making it’s time to consider which drinks to serve. There are so many from which to choose!
As far as the soda category goes, there is A-Treat root beer from Allentown, as well as the Pennsylvania Dutch brand of birch beer. Hanks in Trevose makes a whole tasty variety of fizzy drinks as well.
The GSE has a wealth of brewers, too. This wikipedia list indicates that the 1980s and 90s were good times for opening a microbrewery in PA, when newer places like Allentown Brew Works, the Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh, Tröeg’s in Harrisburg, Yard’s in Philadephia, and Stoudt’s in Adamstown joined the older established breweries like Straub, Iron City (formerly Pittsburgh Brewing Company), Yuengling, and Lancaster. The former Latrobe Brewing Company, makers of Rolling Rock, was sold in the past few years to out-of-state City Brewing Company, with Rolling Rock production decamping to New Jersey. In any event, the healthy brewing economy in the state makes it pretty easy to locate PA-made beers for the PA Day party.
But it’s not all beer and pop in the GSE. Jacquin’s makes its line of fruity schnapps and other flavored liquors right in Philadelphia. And according to the Pennsylvania Wine Association, there are almost a hundred wineries scattered throughout the state.
