Cumberland Valley Beer Trail, Part 3 of 5- Harty Brewing and Desperate Times Brewery

My next stop on the Cumberland Valley Beer Trail was Harty Brewing in the Silver Spring Township in Mechanicsburg, PA. This little nano brewery located in the tiny community of Walden is owned and operated by Michael Harty and Lauren Ishaq.  But don’t let the small size of their tasting room fool you.  Their beers are big on taste.

Their American Pale Ale was clear with a golden amber hue and a light citrusy aroma and a hop forward flavor with a light malt presence.

The IPA was cloudy yellow with an orange/citrus aroma and taste, and a slight sweetness that balanced well against a roasted malt backbone.

The Coffee Irish Red had a deep amber red color with a woodsy/malty aroma with a hint of coffee, and a deep malty flavor with a light coffee taste.

The Oatmeal Stout tasted and smelled as dark and rich as it looked with a malty, caramel/maple aroma and taste with a hint of coffee.

And last but not least, the Coffee Cake Blond Ale had a hazy yellow color and and a smell and taste that reminded me of peaches and cinnamon, with a light sweetness.

Talking to some of the other patrons, Harty Brewing is apparently known for its many experimental beers. Several spoke about a recent jalapeño ale which they claim was unbelievably good.  Lauren, who was manning the bar agreed that a lot of their regulars had been asking for them to make it again.

This was a great little craft brewery, with a warm and inviting atmosphere, a real sense of community, and very good beer!

1201 Carlisle Springs Rd, Carlisle, PA 17013

Desperate Times Brewery opened it’s doors in 2015 and has become a local favorite.  This craft brewery located near the fairgrounds has a prohibition era theme, but a strong German vibe. They have a kitchen with a pretty good food menu with an assortment of German sausages, German potato salad, a schnitzel sandwich, sauerkraut,  and giant pretzels, along with an assortment of sandwiches and other items.

They also seem to specialize in German style beers such as a lager, bock, German pilsner, Kölsch, and a Hefeweizen, but they also had other styles like stouts, IPAs and porters.

The Black Forest Schwarzbier was a dark lager with a light malty and slightly smoky aroma. It had a nice malt profile for a lager, with toasted notes.

The Desperate Measures Red IPA had a dense creamy head with a mild sweat malt smell.  It had a solid malt presence with a not too hoppy flavor.

The Citra Rye IPA had a clear deep golden color, a sweet malty aroma, and a good malt/hop balance with hints of citrus.

Honest Law Breaker Oatmeal Stout had a strong roasted malt presence, with coffee notes. It had a lot of flavor, but a lighter mouthfeel.

The tasting room is very spacious and open, and the staff was friendly and the beer was quite tasty. I can’t wait to go back again.

Next stops: Market Cross Pub and Brewery, and Burd’s Nest Brewing.