This March 23, 2018, file photo shows the exterior of C. F. Martin and Co. in Nazareth, Pa. C.F. Martin & Co. says the guitar-maker’s original factory in Pennsylvania has been named a National Historical Landmark.(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File
(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File
This March 23, 2018, file photo shows the exterior of C. F. Martin and Co. in Nazareth, Pa. C.F. Martin & Co. says the guitar-maker’s original factory in Pennsylvania has been named a National Historical Landmark.(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File
This March 23, 2018, file photo shows the exterior of C. F. Martin and Co. in Nazareth, Pa. C.F. Martin & Co. says the guitar-maker’s original factory in Pennsylvania has been named a National Historical Landmark.(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
Celebrate your local craftspeople this holiday! That’s the message the state’s legislators will try and push today in the House Commerce Committee by introducing a resolution that would make this December “Made in PA Month.”
The resolution says that “from lighters to light bulbs, cowboy boots to guitars and crayons to shovels,” Pennsylvania produces over $87 billion worth of products each year.
Being new to the state, I’m legitimately curious about what the local favorites are. So, I asked a handful of my colleagues for Pa.-based brands they felt deserved some love. Here’s what they recommended:
Emily Previti, a fellow staff writer at PA Post, recommended trying a beer from Collusion Tap Works Brewery in York. “I have tried exactly one beer from that place that didn’t sit well – and that one was an ambitious attempt at a sake/beer hybrid,” she said.
And for those that are in desperate need of self-care after the holiday madness, she said to stock up some products from Pineapple House Creations in Lancaster. “I have only tried their candles and body scrub, but can vouch for both – and the genuinely sunny disposition of the owners.”
Lisa Wardle, who manages our digital presence, said go for a drive to Gibsonia and try out the Strange Roots brewery.
“Everyone has their favorite brewery in Pennsylvania,” she said. “This is my top pick because it stands apart from all the others in the commonwealth. Under its former skin of Draai Laag, it focused solely on wild fermentation & other non-standard techniques. Now it’s a bit broader of an umbrella but still delightfully funky.”
Continuing the stereotype that reporters drink too much, I’m adding in a brewery I found interesting: Dock Street Brewing in Philly. I was thoroughly impressed by their in-house mezcal, Vicio. So, if you like ‘em smoky and young, definitely pick up a bottle at the store.
A couple other notable mentions:
What about you? What are some notable Pa.-based brands you feel deserve some love? Tell us in our listening post here. — Joseph Darius Jaafari
Matt Slocum / AP Photo
This photo taken on July 11, 2012, shows the Marcus Hook Refinery in Marcus Hook, Pa. The facility, which is owned and operated by Sunoco Logistics, is an international hub for natural gas liquids — propane, ethane, and butane — from the Marcellus Shale region of Western Pennsylvania. Sunoco Logistics is spending roughly $2.5 billion on the Mariner East projects, which will connect the western part of the state to the port at Marcus Hook. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Con-stables: For WITF, Rachel McDevitt looks at the arrests of two Harrisburg company owners who hired publicly elected constables to work private security. The company, Raven Knights, paid 19 constables close to a quarter-million dollars between two years to protect a pipeline project. It just so happens that it’s the same pipeline project that has drawn the interest of federal investigators probing the Wolf administration’s actions.
What makes a gun a gun?: Is 80 percent of a gun still a gun? Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro thinks so. On Monday he said his office would publish legal guidance to clamp down on DIY gun kits. These guns are hard to trace, Shapiro said, and are winding up in criminals’ hands. He wants to make sure convicted felons and others who are barred from owning firearms don’t skirt those restrictions by acquiring kit guns. Read Ed Mahon’s story for PA Post. Over at The Morning Call, columnist Paul Muschick says, “It’s a wise move, and long overdue. Other states should be doing the same.”
Under review: No word yet on investigations by West Point and Annapolis officials into the alleged “white power” symbol being flashed by students at Saturday’s Army-Navy game. Some context from The Inquirer’s Joseph A. Gambardello.
Impeachment on wheels: For WHYY, Laura Benshoff looks at how different lobbyists are using ad campaigns to sway elected officials on impeachment. Though impeachment votes will likely fall along party lines, the ads are aimed at swing voters in hopes of boosting 2020 turnout. Meanwhile, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said Monday she will vote to impeach President Trump. That means all nine Democrats from Pennsylvania have declared their support for impeachment.
Tour de Pa.: Writing for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Nick Field offers up a list of the non-Philly/non-Pittsburgh cities and towns the Democratic presidential nominee will need to visit in 2020 if he or she hopes to win the Keystone State’s 20 electoral votes.
Philly Specials: Two interesting items from The Inquirer: 1) Two former Haverford students who nearly hacked the IRS to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns in 2016 were sentenced in federal court on Monday. 2) Philly will get new “I Voted” stickers to hand out next year. A competition will be held to solicit designs from the public.
Some holidays tips: I thought it was only New Yorkers who tipped everyone (I once was scorned for not tipping the guy who made my salad). Turns out, it’s a common thing even here in Pa. For a handy little guide on who to tip and how much, LancasterOnline published this primer for you.
