February Brew-Fer Two-Fer!

Each month, two guys from Burd’s, Paul and Jacob, grab a couple of beers at two other local breweries to celebrate the great brewing of the Central PA region.  

North vs. South. Union vs. Confederacy. IPAs vs. lagers?? Fortunately, there isn’t a civil war over beer tastes.  Although Gettysburg stands as a symbol of our past national division, now the town is home to breweries that bring together beer lovers of all kinds.  In that spirit, we jumped into Paul’s car and drove to Fourscore Beer Co. and Tattered Flag Brewery and Still Works Taproom

If you’ve read our other blog posts, you know that Paul is somewhat obsessed with parking. “I hate paying for parking.  I mean, why pay for something if you can find it for free?!”  This can be somewhat tricky in a town like Gettysburg where there’s only metered parking on the main streets.  Paul’s parking hack for this brew-fer excursion—he parked near Fourscore where there’s lots of free street parking instead of parking in front of Tattered Flag where there are only metered parking spots.  So, we started at Fourscore with Tattered Flag just a short work around the block.

Atmosphere & Space
Fourscore is gorgeous.  The interior conveys an atmosphere of an old school barrel and keg warehouse.  Wooden barrels, floor and ceiling beams along with large windows that swing open during the warmer months give the space a light and uplifting feel.  Digital menus are on display above the bar area. There is also ample outdoor seating around two sides of the building.

Service & Hospitality 
Getting our food and beer was super easy.  We opened a tab and placed our order at the counter near the entrance.  Our beer was poured quickly while we got a numbered stanchion to display for the server to deliver our food order to our table.  We took our flight of beers and the stanchion then headed for a small table in the middle of the taproom.  We were halfway through tasting our flights when our food came; it was that quick.

Food
The food is top notch.  Paul had Chilean Sea Bass Tacos; Jacob had the fried chicken & biscuits sandwich with a sweet habanero sauce.  We’d definitely get both of our meals again.  And, in a time of rising prices, the cost was on point.  We both hope the prices can be kept at such an affordable level.

Best Beers!
No surprise, but as a fan of lagers Paul liked the Gettys Brau House Pilsner with an ABV of 5.1%.  he thought it was crisp and well-balanced with a slight apple skin finish. The light straw color and effervescence made for great drinkability.  Jacob dug the So Much Joy Stout, with the coconut, almond, cacao nibs, AND vanilla, was just like drinking a liquid Almond Joy! A favorite candy from his childhood, the nostalgia made the stout a clear winner. 

But the biggest surprise was side pours!  Fourscore offers four types of side pours to enjoy.  Paul got the British-style Nottalagah Amber Mild at 5% Abv and Jacob got the Czech-style Rezany Garnet Lager. Both were served in a traditional dimpled pint glass with a handle. (And here’s some beer trivia—the dimpled pint glasses were made for easier hand cleaning rather than being made to improve the drinkability of the beer itself.) The beers were excellent…we’d definitely get those again.

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After treating ourselves to side pours then busing our table, we went back to the counter to pay our tab then hit the sidewalk for Tattered Flag Brewery and Still Works Taproom. After a fast-paced 10 minute walk, we slid into the charming taproom.  In many ways, Tattered Flag’s taproom is the opposite of Fourscore’s—it’s smaller, with a chalkboard drink menu and only one bartender comprising the staff.  

Atmosphere & Space
The taproom is intimate, with seating for about a dozen people.  It was a great place to have a conversation with other beer lovers.  We both loved the “buy a beer for vet” pay-it-forward program that allows anyone to pre-pay $5 and give a veteran a free beer.

Service & Hospitality
Our bartender was working hard but was still friendly as she chatted with customers about the beer and spirits in the taproom. We were charmed, and could easily see ourselves coming back just to relax and chat. This is especially true after learning they offer spirit flights from Tattered Flags varied range: Including even absinthe! 

Food
There isn’t a food program at the taproom other than snacks.  This makes Tattered Flag a good place to pre-game before heading to another place or to cap off a session of eating and drinking.

Best Beers! 
Paul’s favorite beer was the Winter Lager at 6% ABV.  It had some nice winter spices that didn’t overpower its smooth drinkability. Jacob’s favorite was their seasonal saison. With it’s lemon notes it reminded him of a shandy, a breath of warmth on such a windy day.

Whether you or your beer buddies like different styles of beers or drinking them in different taproom atmospheres, Gettysburg’s breweries turns those differences into a shared experience of a great time!  

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