Last month, professional brewers and judges descended upon the picturesque beer/ski town of Bend, Oregon, to judge more than 2,000 entries in the 2018 Best of Craft Beer Awards competition. Breweries of all sizes, from nearly every state in the union as well as Colombia, Canada, and Belgium, sent more than 10,000 containers of their finest product for evaluation based on a combined 156 specific beer styles. Judging took place in five sessions over a 3-day period by nearly 80 of the finest West Coast judges. They awarded 245 gold, silver, and bronze medals to 152 brewery locations in a total of 86 categories, and St. Marys-based Straub Brewery took home silver for their Ancient Alt variety, named for Cook Forest State Park’s old-growth Forest Cathedral.

“It is awesome that our Ancient Alt Altbier won silver at the Best of Craft Awards Competition,” said Straub Brewmaster Vince Assetta. “We don’t brew beer for the recognition, but it’s definitely gratifying.”

Ancient Alt is a traditional “old” style of German Ale. “Alt” literally translates to “old” in German, fitting nicely with Cook Forest, one of the most popular destinations in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors region. Famous for its stands of 350- to 450-year-old white pines and hemlock trees known as the “The Ancients,” the Forest Cathedral area of the park was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967.

Copper in color with robust German hops and malts, this brew is ideal after a long hike in the woods. Ancient Alt is available in Adventure Series #3 craft variety pack.

Travelers to the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors region can visit Straub Brewery in St. Marys and enjoy a brew or two from its famous Eternal Tap. Find more interesting places to visit and things to discover in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors region by going to VisitPAGO.com or calling (814) 849-5197.