Across the state, treats infused with beer, wine, and spirits are trending. The results? Intoxicatingly delicious desserts with artisanal and local touches. Alvaro Bread & Pastry Shoppe (Harrisburg) Go for the authentic Italian fare; stay for the handmade gelato (especially the Marsala wine and raisin variety, rich and sweet in the Sicilian tradition) and the amaretto-infused cookies. Nathan Miller Chocolate (Chambersburg) Miller and team fold organic strawberries and New Liberty Distilling Philadelphia SWEETS UNIQUE cocoa nibs aged with Pittsburgh’s Wigle Rye Whiskey into buttermilk chocolate to craft a Strawberry Rye Whiskey Buttermilk Chocolate bar. Little Baby’s Ice Cream (Philadelphia) Savor scoops of Bourbon Bourbon Vanilla featuring WINE Pennsylvania wine trails create ready-made routes for wandering. In Lake Erie Wine Country , winery-hop by bike. Lake Country Bike organizes group rides and shares maps for DIY trips. (Pro tip: Pack lunch, break at any winery, select a bottle, PHOTOS COURTESY OF: PHOTO BY J. FUSCO FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA®; SKETCHES: ISTOCKPHOTO/SURICOMA SPIRITS Here, small-batch distilleries invite spirited explorations. Tour Lancaster’s Thistle Finch Distillery to learn about the local tradition of making rye whiskey. Taste it in a specialty cocktail, such as a Winter Daiquiri, mingling black pepper rye whiskey with house-made rosemary simple syrup and tangerine. In Lebanon, Hidden Still Spirits works its magic inside a century-old cigar factory. Take the tour and linger for thoughtfully crafted food and drinks. (Start with anything off the Mule menu, starring Hidden Still’s award-winning vodka.) Or, tour and chill at the craft cocktail bar and lounge of Philadelphia Distillery in Philadelphia, where the proprietary gin, vodka, and absinthe mix up delightful drinks. At lauded Maggie’s Farm Rum in Pittsburgh, rum’s the thing, distilled from raw cane in the copper pot still you see just behind the cocktail bar. Tour it; then sidle up to that bar for a Maggie’s Farm Fizz of white rum, lemon juice, and simple syrup. “drunken” vanilla beans or Brown Butter Brawler, made with Yards Brewing Company wort: a nutty extract of malt and grain produced during the brewing process. and picnic in the vineyard.) On the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail , plan for seasonal events such as October’s Chambourcin Weekend when wineries host tastings, pairings, and tours celebrating the region’s signature grape. The Mason-Dixon Wine Trail likes a party, too: March’s Tour de Tanks treats guests to production tours and tastings direct from the tank or barrel; November’s Wine Off The Vine showcases harvest-fresh pressings. Bonus: Some wineries double as accommodations. At The Inn at Grace Winery in Glen Mills, skip from your cottage to the tasting room; at Mifflin’s Juniata Valley Winery and Wilson House B&B , cozy up by a fire in the historic stone house with a bottle of Traminette. BEER & DONUTS? Craving more only-in-PA pairings? Check out visitPA’s Happy Traveler Tips YouTube playlist to learn what Hitchhiker Brewing Company’s head brewer sips with his Maple Vindaloo Bacon Candy selection from Pittsburgh’s Just Good Donuts. youtube.com/visitPA YES. visitPA.com 33
Pennsylvania Happy Traveler Guide 2018: Page 33
