Seen Through A Glass
Seen Through A Glass is mostly about drinks and food in central Pennsylvania, hosted by long-time drinks writer Lew Bryson. There are shows about particular products -- maple syrup, soft-serve ice cream, whiskey -- or profiles of individual towns, like Lock Haven, Carlisle, or Altoona. We also talk about life in central Pennsylvania, and what you can find there: covered bridges, excursion railroads, state parks, anything interesting we can find between Williamsport, Clarion, Johnstown, and Harrisburg (and occasionally elsewhere, when I travel). We do interviews, visits and descriptions, and there’s always What I’m Drinking Today; might be whiskey, might be beer, might be coffee. Grab a slice and a glass and join us! Seen Through A Glass is partially sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the tourism board for Centre County. The show accepts NO money from the businesses and people I talk to. If that ever changes, I’ll let you know.
Episodes
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
Season 2, Episode 37: Echoes of The Whiskey Rebellion
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
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 Hough. Sam and I also visited the revived Pittsburgh Brewing, and their Iron City Distilling facility, and talked to distiller Matt Strickland. (Of course we sampled some whiskey!) Then we went to Ponfeigh Distilling in Somerset, where they're just getting started.
I filled a few shopping bags at the Delallo Italian Marketplace in Jeannette, PA and then hit three good eats places in Washington: Shorty's Lunch, Osso's Pizza, and Al'an Ruben's. Then Sam and his wife Amy went along with me to visit covered bridges...but that didn't work out so well!
Great trip to southwest PA and the Mon Valley, the heart of Pennsylvania rye whiskey!
Next episode? Well, I'll be honest: I'm not really sure at this point. Guess we'll have to see...in two weeks!
Until then?
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE PODCAST!
Seen Through A Glass is sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Come visit Centre County!
(Yeah, just realized that I announced this episode as Episode 36, not 37. I'm just...gonna leave that there. Yay!)
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)
US Army Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps "The Caissons Go Rolling Along
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Water FX from https://freesound.org/people/WebbFilmsUK/sounds/200321/
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Season 2, Episode 36: The Foodies of State College
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
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 good places to talk about here, and I'll tell you about the places they suggested, and then my buddy Dave Dreese and I hit the road to sample six more Foodies favorites in one afternoon. Buckle up for tacos, pizza, cider, cheesesteaks and hoagies, more pizza, and a Taiwanese bakery, plus an unexpected treasure on tap. All that, plus the West Virginia triple that's What I'm Drinking Today!
There's also some merch news, and an announcement about an event I'm doing on April 20th at Ploughman Cider in Gettysburg, and what you've all being waiting for: Pippin the Corgi joins the podcast!
Next episode? MORE RYE WHISKEY! I'm interviewing two distillers in southwest Pennsylvania, the cradle of rye whiskey, home of the Whiskey Rebellion. Plus more covered bridges and whatever good eats I find with Sam Komlenic, Pennsylvania's unofficial rye whiskey historian. Next week, which will get us back on schedule; my teeth are much better, thanks, and feeling moreso every day.
Until then?
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE PODCAST!
Seen Through A Glass is sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Come visit Centre County!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)
Pippin barking is actually Pippin barking, recorded on my Pixel 7 yesterday afternoon.
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
April Schedule Change
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
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 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Season 2 Episode 35: Have Beer, Will Travel
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
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 lot). I'll tell you about my experience with beer travel, tell you some of the best ways to find breweries in central PA and elsewhere. Then we'll go on a train ride (really, right on the podcast!) and talk to a guy who's taken this beer travel hobby and is turning it into a regional touring company.
Next episode? I've got an interview with a central PA food celebrity very few people have met. I haven't even met him! Two weeks!
Until then?
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE PODCAST!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Season 2 Episode 34: Mansfield, A Stop Worth Making
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
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 York than PA, and the rest of the episode is too. I went up to Buffalo and Rochester to do some beer judging, and stopped at a few breweries while I was there (okay, I stopped at seven, sue me!). Come romp with me through the Quehanna Wild Area, the Allegany Indian Nation, and beautiful, exotic Buffalo.
Next episode is a surprise (to me, too!), see you in two weeks!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au
Arrow sound effect from https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Season 2, Episode 33: The Friday Fish Fry
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
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 with the desserts being a huge spread of homemade wonders to choose from). So I did an episode on them. What's in a fish fry, why we do them, how they started, and where to find one locally (Don't miss the links below!). There's an interview with the two people who run the huge fish fry at St. John The Evangelist in Bellefonte, where they take us behind the scenes to tell us how and why it works. (You guys are crazy about french fries!). And I've got some interesting fish fry facts along the way, like the Irish monks who managed to come up with an excuse to eat roast goose during Lent, and the broad history of fish fries in America.
What else? There's a Lock Haven follow-up: a visit to the Main Street Grill for dinner and cocktails. And not to bury it, but big news on the sponsor I've been hinting about! Here's a hint: listen for news on the Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest.
Next episode? We're finally back to town profiles, as I visit Mansfield, and interview Jarrod York at Yorkholo Brewing. Two weeks!
Until then? Tomorrow is fish fry Friday, go get some! Remember: TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
Altoona diocese fish fry guide Harrisburg diocese guide WTAJ guide PennLive guide
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Season 2, Episode 32: The Meat Lab
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
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 about all that, and more.
There's also some podcast news -- hello, WSOV-FM listeners! -- a tribute to my Uncle Don Harnish, and tasting notes on Bowmore 12 Year Old single malt.
Next episode? Well, with luck, we'll do that town profile I promised you last time.
Until then? Get your grill fired up and listen to the episode!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Storm Sound Effect by PlacidPlace on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/users/placidplace-25572496/)
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Season 2, Episode 31: Let's Talk Beer
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
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 great pizza and drank great beer while talking about hazy IPAs, the resurgence of classic styles, and why so many Central PA breweries went under recently.
What else? A quick Farm Show report (Goat Sloppy Joes!), and a description of the Burns Night dinner my wife and I are hosting; the annual commemoration of Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Next episode: a town profile episode, because I know you love 'em! Cheers!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
"People Talking in Small Room" effect from https://pixabay.com//
"Auld Lang Syne" (traditional), performed by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Season 2, Episode 30: Soup Season
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
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, walk you through my father's Snowy Day Soup recipe, and get up close with a bowl of Koru Ramen at Tadashi in State College. Plus some BIG podcast news, and my take on Dry January (right after sampling a 120 proof bourbon).
Next episode? I interviewed three beer bloggers, and we talked about what's wrong with central PA brewers, pizza, and Big Bad Beers. I'll also tell you about our visit to the Farm Show (it's mostly about eating at the Farm Show).
Until then? Grab a bowl, a spoon, and some crackers, and listen to the episode!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Bubbling Cauldron effect by Mary S. from https://pixabay.com//
"Little Bits", Written by Jimmy Blythe (1901-1931)Performed by Johnny Dodds Trio; Recording date: 1929Public domain, sourced from openmusicarchive.org
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.
Thursday Dec 28, 2023
Season 2, Episode 29: The Turning Of The Year
Thursday Dec 28, 2023
Thursday Dec 28, 2023
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 appreciated!)
Then come along as my wife and I have our anniversary dinner at the Allen Street Grill in State College, and to the 27th anniversary celebration at Selin's Grove Brewing and the 16th anniversary at Elk Creek Café & Aleworks. I'll sample Boal City Brewing's Bohemian Pilsner and a Keystone State favorite, Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog. (By the way; made a small mistake there. Chas. Jacquin et Cie, the Philadelphia distillery, was founded in 1884, not in the 1840s.)
One more thing: a late-breaking Boilo-making tip, just in time for New Year's!
Enjoy! Happy New Year!
This episode uses these sounds under the following license:Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Champ de tournesol by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
"Auld Lang Syne" (traditional), performed by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
"Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.