Seen Through A Glass

I drank rye whiskey in the spiritual home of American rye whiskey, the Monongahela Valley, in the cradle of the Whiskey Rebellion, Washington, PA. I tell you about how the rebellion happened, and how it ended, and how rye whiskey came to southwestern PA. Rye whiskey historian Sam Komlenic joined me for a talk on rye whiskey at  Liberty Pole Spirits , and I interviewed Liberty Pole founder Jim Houg...

I interview Hector Cruz, the Floridian at the heart of the Foodies of State College Facebook group, 20,000 people who want to find the best places to eat in the greater State College area (pretty loosely defined, ask 'em anything). We talked about why he started it, how he runs it, and why everyone loves to fight about pizza and cheesesteaks.  The Foodies group has been a huge help to me finding g...

Find out why we won't have an episode this Thursday. It's a postponement, not a cancellation, so fear not!  Plus: merch news, and a note about a friend's podcast you should REALLY listen to.  See you on April 11th!  Tell your friends about Seen Through A Glass!!   This episode uses these sounds under the following license: Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Ch...

Grab your phone, your cooler, and your best bud, it's time to go beer hunting! I've been searching for good beers for 43 years. But I really got serious about it when a chance remark by a work friend sent me almost an hour away to the Front Street Pub, in Santa Cruz, the first brewpub I ever visited.  It was magical, and I've been on a quest to have that kind of moment ever since (and it happens a...

Mansfield is at the intersection of two great Pennsylvania highways, Routes 15 and 6. People pass through it every day...but I decided to stop.  I got an interview with Jarrod York of  Yorkholo Brewing , stopped at three coffee shops, got two lunches, checked out a butcher, and did a little shopping. It's definitely worth stopping.  Jarrod told me at one point that Mansfield's weather is more New...

It's fish fry time, and that means Fish Fry Friday! I love fish fries! The crisp crust of fried haddock, the tender flake of baked cod, and the banquet of side dishes -- french fries, mac & cheese, cole slaw, stewed tomatoes! -- and a sweet delight at the end. It's even better when it's a community meal, served by volunteers and enjoyed at long tables with folks you may or may not know (and wi...

We Are! Meat Lab! Centre County folks know that Penn State drives central Pennsylvania, but some of us also know that Penn State's Butcher Block is the outlet for the school's Meat Lab, where students learn animal husbandry, butchering, meat processing (we'll talk about that difference), and even how to wrap a fresh piece of meat. I talked to Dr. Jonathan Campbell, who teaches at the Meat Lab abou...

Mass beer hysteria! I wanted to get more beer content in the podcast, so I invited  The Beer Thrillers ! Ben Kline, Amy Wolfe, and Josh Doncevic write The Beer Thrillers blog, which is...mostly about beer in Central PA, but they do book reviews (and not just beer books), beer trips well outside the area, and...well, a lot of stuff. We got together at Boneshire Brew Works on a snowy Saturday, ate g...

It's soup! Get a fresh hot bowl of podcast, because it's Soup Season! I've got an interview with mysterious soup cook Jillian Leigh at  Otto's Pub and Brewery in State College, spilling the beans about how she makes those amazing soups, the difference between soup and stew, and tips for you to make better soup! I'll tell you about the mad variety of soups we've been eating over the past month, wal...

For our last episode of 2023, I have an interview with Anne Quinn Corr, long-time food writer for the Centre Daily Times, and author of Seasons of Central Pennsylvania, a beloved cookbook. And of course, you know me: I had to try cooking some of the recipes. (I forgot to thank the members of the "Foodies of State College" Facebook group for their help in connecting me to Ms. Corr; greatly apprecia...

It's another extra-special, double-sized, chockful of drinks HOLIDAY EPISODE!! I've got three interviews for you: Dr. Jonathan Campbell of Penn State's Meat Lab talks about your holiday ham; co-founder of The Hummingbird Room, Claudia "Miss Ruby" Sarnow, talks about growing farm to table networks to create their exceptional Christmas menu; and I talk to the folks at Gardners Candies about peanut b...

Shhhh.... This short secret episode is for regular listeners only: I won't be announcing it on social media. It announces our first Seen Through A Glass contest. Listen for details, and you can win the very first pieces of Seen Through A Glass merch! Er...feel free to tell your friends about the secret. You know...your good friends.  We'll be back with the holiday episode in two weeks. See you the...

Reminder: we'll be off until December 16th, when the show returns for a second season, starting with the Holiday show.  Hanover may have thought it was a frontier town, a market town, a transportation hub. But the peckish German-Americans who populated it in the late 1800s and early 1900s knew better. Their ovens and kettles, and a vague hunger between meals, were destined to make Hanover known as...

Happy Thanksgiving!  Our first Thanksgiving episode features interviews with two turkey farmers, Nancy Kaltenbach of Polecat Hollow Farm and Mark Sharer of  Willow Creek Family Farm . They'll tell you how to get a farm-fresh turkey in Centre County...but you'll have to move fast, Turkey Day is coming! I've got drink suggestions for the big day: cider, beer, wine, and whiskey!  I baked a sweet pota...

That's right: another episode in only a week! We promised, and Seen Through A Glass delivered! This is the second half of my interview with Todd Leopold, a tasting and visit to Laws Whiskey House , lots of great food from Colorado, Kansas City barbecue, and Eastern Shore seafood (and yeah, beer, cider, and wine, too). And once again..."The next episode drops in a week!" Because this was a bonus ep...

That's right: I said Colorado rye whiskey! One of the most exciting developments in American whiskey making was the recent rediscovery of a forgotten part of our past: the three chamber still. It's completely unlike any other type of still, and it was used by most American rye distillers as recently as 110 years ago. Then it disappeared.  But it's back, and I got an interview with the man who revi...

If you're new to Seen Through A Glass (or to podcasts), listen to this. In only a minute, you'll learn what Seen Through A Glass is about, and why you should listen to it. It's pleasant, painless, and short! (And if you're already a listener, this is really easy to share to a friend!)   This episode uses these sounds under the following license: Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.o...

That's good coffee! Get a hot steaming cup of podcast! I've got an interview with legendary small coffee roaster Bill Clarke from The Cheese Shoppe in State College (who tells us how to get a better cup of coffee at home), my memories of a visit to a Mexican coffee plantation, and my first experience with a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  I got Goosed! I went to my first Goose Day in the Juniata River Valle...

I love the ridges and valleys of Central Pennsylvania!  This episode is all about one of those valleys: Nittany Valley, which runs northeast from Bellefonte up toward Lock Haven. It's a long groove, filled brim to brim with farms, little towns like Zion, and Hublersburg, and Mingoville,  It's also home to Blonde Bistro Brew Works, the Hublersburg Inn, Goot Essa cheese makers, and Mark's Custom Mea...

Philadelphia was where I used to go play when we lived in Bucks County. My son lives there now, so we went to visit! I got interviews with Ken Correll of Human Robot Brewing; and Tom Kehoe of Yards Brewing; talking about some of my favorite beers.  We visited several restaurants, including the singular Monk's Cafe, and dropped in at another taproom, Fermentery Form.  I've also got a report for you...

Buon Giorno! I scored an interview with  Fasta Ravioli 's Bob Ricketts, and decided to roll with that, and delivered the best of central Pennsylvania's great Italian delis. From Johnstown to DuBois to Harrisburg and Altoona, we've got some excellent food out there waiting for you. I'll tempt you with a run-down, then tell you the cheats I use to make a grand pasta dinner for the family.  Next time...

A Sweet Treat To Beat The Heat! This episode is all about Soft-Serve Ice Cream, that delicious, simple, magical stuff that you can find at independent family-owned stands all across central Pennsylvania. We got a great interview with Penn State's wizard of ice cream, Dr. Bob Roberts, the man who runs the famous Penn State Ice Cream Short Course. He tells us all about what soft-serve is, and isn't....

Carlisle was once a military outpost on the frontier of the British Empire, founded in 1751 and home to the Carlisle Barracks, now the second-oldest continually active military post in the US (suck it, England!). But that's not why we're here! I walked all over the center of Carlisle, visiting 4 breweries, a cider bar, a distillery pub, a cocktail bar and a Belgian beer specialty café, and a chees...

We took the portable podcast gear on the road to the western mountains of North Carolina. Cathy and I are in Ashe County for two weeks, and I went a bit nuts with interviews: two brewers, a cheesemaker, a mad sausage maker, and one of our favorite cider makers. It's a gorgeous place, and full of outdoor fun: hiking, tubing, kayaking, and biking. There's live music almost everywhere, and barbecue i...

This episode takes us deep into the woods, from Black Moshannon State Park to Chinklacamoose on the Susquehanna: welcome to Philipsburg and Clearfield! We'll visit two wineries and interview the brewer at The Dead Canary in Philipsburg! Drink along the Western Branch at Dented Keg Brewing, and see the Toasted Monkey; visit the nationally famous Denny's Beer Barrel Pub and the world famous (in Phil...