It’s time for our annual year-in-review, but who wants to relive 2020? It was a year that started with the innocence of the Houston Astros World Series cheating scandal and then went way, way, waaaaay downhill from there. A year in which The Tiger King and Murder Hornets didn’t even crack the top 10 in horror stories. A year that even Dave Barry felt compelled to apologize for in his famous annual Year-In-Review: "In the past, we’ve said harsh things about previous years. We owe those years an apology."
So, we’re not going to recap everything that happened in 2020. If you’re feeling masochistic and want to rehash all of 2020, feel free to pour yourself a big old glass of 11:01 Vodka and settle in front of a roaring fire for a few hours of doomscrolling. But, we’re here to tell you that there were some good things that happened in 2020 and that's what we want to focus on. So, feel free to pour yourself a big old glass of 11:01 (I mean, why not, right?) and settle in for some 2020 highlights.
At Barley Creek, 2020 was a year in which we recreated our business dozens of times, with new to-go, curbside and delivery systems, reservations, sidewalk cafes, the Barley Market, the Barley Shack, farmer’s markets, the Big Fan, the ionizing system, and lots and lots of plexiglass. Things got in-tents, as in heated tents that we got really good at putting up, taking down, moving around, and putting up again. And in the middle of all that intense pivoting, we still managed to roll out some really cool stuff.
S'mores Trailside Dining! Because life is just better with a marshmallow, right?
The brewery and distillery kept on making great beer and spirits, including new releases of Apple Jack, Gin, Blue Zone Gin, Tequila (Agave Spirit Blanco), Honey Whiskey, Blueberry Vodka, Peach Vodka, Silver Rum, Chocolate Banana Rum, Mojito Rum, Coconut Rum, Pumpkin Spiced Rum, Strawberry Lemonade Moonshine, Sweet Tea Moonshine, Cherry Limeade Moonshine, The Spontaneous Series of Sours (I, II, III), The Floor is Guava, Posterity Pale Ale, Moon Over Sun Imperial Stout, Brewberry Hard Cider, Downstairs Mix Up, and the return of Jenkins Woods Pilsner and Old 99 Barley Wine.
And who can forget when the distillery wasn't just a distillery? Early last year, we started making Barley Cares 11:02 Hand Sanitizer and we gave lots of it away.
Hey, we started selling booze online! And shipping it to PA and DC!
We also won a bunch of awards, including: the Bizzy Award for the Best Overall Business; an ADI Silver Medal for our Whiskey; Best in the Mid-Atlantic for both Citrabellum and Iron Arm Wheat at the US Beer Tasting Championships; Silver medals for Blueberry Vodka and Spiced Rum and a Bronze Medal for our Whiskey at the US Open Whiskey & Spirits Championships; a dozen Pocono Record Readers Choice Awards; a Trip Advisor 2020 Traveler’s Choice Award, and probably some more that I’m forgetting.
And let’s not forget: Curbside Cocktails! Poptails! Adorable little airline booze bottles! Crystal Sunsets!
So, at the end of this incredibly difficult year, we invite you to take a minute to focus on the good stuff that happened, the babies who were born, the friendships that were made, the challenges that were overcome, the hopes that we all have for the future. Cheers to you and yours, and our best wishes for a much healthier, kinder, and happier New Year.
