Steph’s New Brew Review: Barista’s Choice

Steph’s New Brew Review: Barista’s Choice

HiJinx Brewing Company Barista’s Choice, a 5% ABV Coffee Porter

Appearance Dark brown with foamy beige head.
Aroma Coffee, coffee, coffee.
Taste Satisfying coffee flavor with roasty malt and dark chocolate notes.
Mouthfeel Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall I love this! Comforting and tasty.

HiJinx Brewing Company is located in the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center at 905 Harrison Street in Allentown, PA right next door to The Colony Meadery. The brewery’s taproom opened on Friday, November 21, 2014.

Curt Keck, the CEO, brewmaster, and founder started homebrewing in 1995. He has worked professionally as assistant brewer at the Old Lehigh Brewing Company in Allentown then senior brewer at Weyerbacher Brewing Company until 1999.

During his hiatus from professional brewing, Curt continued to homebrew in the garage perfecting recipes, and he began to enter competitions, winning numerous medals, ribbons, and awards, including a gold medal at the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing. It was during an evening of homebrewing and tomfoolery with his brewing buddies when the name HiJinx was chosen.

Chris Becker, the COO, brewer, and co-founder, started homebrewing and became a member of the Lehigh Valley Homebrewers in 2004. It was at a homebrew meeting back in 2010 where Curt approached Chris about turning HiJinx into a production brewery. Not only was Chris a talented homebrewer, but he was also mechanically inclined, an important skill for opening a commercial brewery.

The team started by brewing on a 1 barrel system in a stand alone garage for 2 years, serving beers at local spots like Tavern on Liberty and at local craft beer festivals. Currently, Curt and Chris are brewing on a 10 barrel system. The 1 barrel system is still used for brewing one-off beers.

Barista’s Choice Coffee Porter is an English style brown porter that is brewed with a generous amount of custom roasted Honduran coffee. The coffee is roasted by John Weber, owner and roastmaster at Taylor Roasted Coffee House in Northampton, PA. The brewery recently began canning Barista’s Choice, so pick up your six pack at the brewery today!

Wanna pick this one up? Click here to use HiJinx’s Beer Finder.
Check out… these photos from the HiJinx taproom.

If you have a beer you think we should review, let us know!
And as always, toast our check-in on Untappd, and let us know what YOU think!

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