Thirsty Miner / American IPA
As many of my readers in Northeast PA. know our area once had many thriving coal mines. In fact, the cities of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton were known and are still known for being in the Anthracite Region of Pennsylvania. We celebrate the history of the mines every year by remembering the Knox Mining Disaster of 1959, visiting Eckley Miners Village in Hazleton, and by taking a ride at the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton. Believe it or not, I have never toured Eckley Village nor have I gone down into the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour. However, I have watched many historical shows on the coal mines of NEPA. I did watch the movie The Molly Maguires and I visited the jail in Jim Thorpe where a few of the Molly Maguires were hung. I remember my Grandfather Evan coming home from the mines where he was an electrician. My Grandmother would make him come in through the cellar door because he was always covered from head to toe in black coal dust. With all of the history surrounding the coal mines of NEPA, the history that seems to be missing is information about the mining pubs, and what did the miners drink?
As you can imagine, mining was a physically difficult and dangerous job. Miners knew this but once down in the mine they went to work and didn't think much of it. Back in the hay days of the mines in NEPA, the mining company pretty much owned everything including the miner himself. They owned the mine, all of the equipment, the houses that the miners and their families lived in, and the stores that they shopped in. Many of the mines paid their miners in tokens or mining company tender which they could only spend at company owned businesses. Most lived in beaten down homes that they rented from the mining company and ate basic foods like eggs, bread, basic meats and fish. There was nothing fancy.
Since this work was so hard and their lives so difficult, at the end of the work week when the miners got paid, they would take care of their bills and then head to the bar to drink with their fellow miners. Often, miners drank to excess to forget about their lives or to remember a fellow miner who may have died in an accident. Of course, since the bar was in the mining town, it was owned by the mining company and often the beer was warm and watered down. This made the miners spend more money which went right back into the pockets of the mine owners. Some miners would brew their own beer and then meet at a gathering place to drink with other miners.
After spending over 2 hours trying to research Anthracite Coal Mining and beer drinking I was dumbfounded to find that there was not much information on this topic on the internet. I did find that miners worked very hard and they did drink beer sometimes in excess. This kind of sounds like the NEPA of today which brings me to the beer that I bought last week named Thirsty Miner American IPA. When I saw it in the beer store the owner Leo said that it was popular and that I should try it.
THE REVIEW
SIGHT: When I poured my Thirsty Miner, I saw a nice amber color throughout with a sturdy white head of about an inch or so in thickness that lasted through several sips. This looked like a nice hearty beer.
AROMA: When I lifted my glass of beer to my nose, I immediately knew that this was not a typical IPA. There was not much of an aroma other than hops and bread malts. I thought I may have smelled the slightest hint of citrus which was negligible.
TASTE: Again, I would say that this is not your typical IPA. Thirsty Miner had a mild hoppy flavor with bready malts and grains that taste bitter on the back of your throat. Other than this, I could not taste anything else. I was so stunned by the lack of flavor, I actually had 3 other people taste it and they verified my findings.
Overall, Thirsty Miner American IPA was just OK. As I mentioned it is not a typical IPA, in fact I would say it is an IPA for rookies on a low budget. It has that hoppiness of an IPA, but not much else. If you are thinking of getting into IPA's, you can start with this one and then work your way up to some of the more complex IPA's that are now being brewed. You can pair Thirsty Miner IPA with barbecue chicken on the grill or smoked trout or catfish. To find out more about Rhinelander Brewing Company check out their web site at www.rhinelanderbrewery.com
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5= Outstanding
4= Very Good
3= Good
2=Fair
1=Skunk
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