Forest & Main Brewing

We were in Pennsylvania to attend a wedding. My cousin's daughter, Christal, was marrying a man, Greg, whom she had known since elementary school, but they had only become close a few years after she completed graduate school. The wedding venue was almost two hours from home. I convinced Bhavana to get a hotel room to spend the night.

Name: Forest & Main Brewing
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania
Beer to try: No Name, No Name At All
Notes: Taproom open for pints, flights, growler fills, merchandise and bottles & cans to go; indoor and outdoor dining on the patio and lawn. Outside food is not allowed. Only service animals are allowed. Metered street parking.

A few months earlier, we took a road trip to Hollow Earth Brewing and Tired Hands Brewing. We had fun being "craft ale tourists". It was not easy convincing Bhavna that we could have lunch at a brewery before returning to New Jersey. She loves trying new ales as much as I do. I shared my plans with a co-worker who suggested we try Forest & Main in Ambler. From the online menu, it seemed that this would be an excellent weekend to visit the brewery. The weather was expected to be cooler -- but not cold -- and they had some new ales on tap.

My sister-in-law, Christelle, called the night before and asked a favour. My brother was not attending the wedding as he's working on a project in Charlotte, NC and she didn't want to drive the distance from New York City alone. Bhavna and I agreed to meet her at the Princeton Junction train station after work on Friday, and we would drive together. Based on my schedule, we had a 90-minute drive, time to checked-in to the hotel suite, shower, change, and grab a snack with an arrival just fifteen minutes before the start of the wedding.

Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO3200), © Khürt L. Williams

The wedding was an outdoor evening affair in the garden at the William Penn Inn in Blue Belle, Pennsylvania. Christal and her husband Greg exchanged vows as the sunset behind them. It was simple, classic and beautiful.

Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO1600), © Khürt L. Williams

Apple's iPhone mapping app is fantastic. I love it. A few years ago, many people made fun of Apple when they ditched Google as the provider of their mapping data. However, Apple and its mapping partners have worked to improve Maps to the point where I no longer have doubts. It just works. I pulled up the address for Forest & Main and realised that it was only a few miles south of the hotel, in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Checkout was at 11 AM, so we arrived at Forest & Main around 11:30 AM. Just in time for lunch.

I ordered house-cured and a salad with local greens in a beer vinaigrette. Bhavna had the house-cured pickled veggies. But we were here for the beer.

I love al fresco dining. —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO320), © Khürt L. Williams

Climbing up the stone walkway of this renovated Victorian home in Ambler's downtown, I noticed the hop vines that seemed to be consuming the brewery. Maybe it was intentional, or perhaps it merely meant to provide ambience, but the vines provided shade for the squeaky yellow clapboard porch at the front of the house. Several people, some families, were sipping pints and nibbling bacon-glazed popcorn over chessboards. Yes, this was what I wanted. I imagined Bhavna and myself living in a town in an apartment above some retro style apothecary. We would work from home and spend our evenings sitting on the lawn sipping ales and chatting with others like. We could be 50-year-old millennials.

The hop vines grows up and around a trellis that covers the entire front patio. —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO220), © Khürt L. Williams
Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO220), © Khürt L. Williams
Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO1100), © Khürt L. Williams
Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.010 sec at f/4.0, ISO6400), © Khürt L. Williams
Forest Main Brewing, Ambler, Pennsylvania —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.025 sec at f/4.0, ISO6400), © Khürt L. Williams

Tired Hands Fermentaria

Tired Hands Fermentaria offers up to 12 beers on tap. Tap open for pints, flights, growler fills (Tired Hands growlers only), merchandise and bottles & cans to go. The food menu features tacos, ceviches and composed plates, under the direction of head chef Bill Braun, who also helms our brew cafe. Outside food not allowed. Only service animals allowed. Parking lot located next to the brewery.

Some photos from our road trip to the Tired Hands Brewing Fermenteria in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Bhavna and I were on our way back from a road trip to Hollow Earth Brewing in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

Name: Tired Hands Brewing Fermentaria
Location: Ardmore, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Beer to try: Daydreaming of Indiscriminate Human Extinction
Notes: Fermentaria offers up to 12 beers on tap. Tap open for pints, flights, growler fills (Tired Hands growlers only), merchandise and bottles & cans to go. The food menu features tacos, ceviches and composed plates, under the direction of head chef Bill Braun, who also helms our brew cafe. Outside food not allowed. Only service animals allowed. Parking lot located next to the brewery.

This place is much bigger than Hollow Earth Brewing. Much bigger. We sat at one of the high chairs. The restaurant has a very "hipster" vibe. Bhavna and I ordered four-ounce pours of ale. I had four IPAs. My favourite was the Alien Church.

We had hoped to bring some of the beer back to New Jersey but we soon learned that Tired Hands will only fill beer in their branded growlers. Our server offered to trade our Troon Brewing growlers for one of theirs. But ... Bhavna and I have an emotional attachment to the unique design of the Troon growlers.

I asked if they offered cans and was told yes. But ... not the ones we had just had. Sigh. We left the Fermentaria and walked down the street toward the brewery store. I've never seen anything like this for a brewery. The store was designed like the inside of a Banana Republic.

We bought one stem and one stemless glass and a four-pack of Hop Hands.

Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO6400), © Khürt L. Williams

Tired Hands, Brewery
Part of the road trip to Pennsylvania. This is Tired Hands Brewing in Ardmore.
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Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO4000), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO800), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO3600), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.002 sec at f/4.0, ISO100), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO1800), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.006 sec at f/4.0, ISO6400), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO720), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO4000), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO6400), © Khürt L. Williams
Tired Hands Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.002 sec at f/4.0, ISO100), © Khürt L. Williams

Hollow Earth Brewing

Name: Hollow Earth Brewing
Location: Oxford, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Beer to try: Riot Juice
Notes: Taproom offers guests the choice of table or bar seating in the front of the house, or you may watch the art of brewing as it occurs at the open brewhouse bar. Parking lot located in the rear of the brewery. More parking on the street.

Last weekend Bhavna and I drove a few hours out to Oxford, Pennsylvania. We wanted to visit Hollow Earth Brewing and try the New England style IPA. A few weeks earlier -- maybe even a month or more -- we met one of the brewers sitting at the bar at Brick Farm Tavern. He was there with his girlfriend drinking some of the craft ales produced by Troon Brewing. He had seen on Untappd that Troon was rising in the popularity rankings. It's currently rated among the top 25 breweries in the United States on Untappd.

We talked about the town of Oxford and the sort of beer he likes brewing. Bhavna and I promised we would travel out to visit the brewery. We were happy we found the time to make good on our promise. The ales were excellent.

Bhavna and I arrived just around noon. The friendly staff showed us the menu and recommended the mushroom tacos for lunch. That worked well for both of us. Bhavna is a vegetarian.

We each sampled four 4oz pours (16oz total or one pint). My favourite was the Riot Juice. Delicious! We liked it so much we took some home with us. Hollow Earth Brewing prepared cans of beer while we waited. Right in front of us. They have a canning machine at the bar. We watched as our server filled each can and sealed it and put a date label on each. How cool is that?

We got in the car and drove toward Ardmore to Tired Hands Fermentaria, the next stop on our road trip.

Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO3200), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO500), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO640), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO1000), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO560), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO720), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO1250), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/2.8, ISO560), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO720), © Khürt L. Williams
Hollow Earth Brewing —Nikon D5100 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ (35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/4.0, ISO5000), © Khürt L. Williams