South Jersey Beer News

My wife just came across this blog and passed it along. It seems to be fairly new and looks like it is updated frequently. I love beer trippin, but also love me some South Jersey beer news too! It's good to see other people around here taking some initiative when it comes to craft beer. If you're from around here go check it out.

Beer Trippin'-Brooklyn

This past weekend I had to take a little trip out to Long Island with my wife, Brooke, to see some of her family. We planned it out so that we would stop off in Brooklyn for a few hours on the way home and grab a few pints. As much as I enjoyed it, it kinda sucked because I was the driver, so not much beer for me. I did, however, get to watch everyone else have drink after drink. Awesome, eh? Before I get into some of the places to see in Brooklyn, I'd like to say I've never been a fan of New York. I've never felt any kind of connection with the state itself, and I always feel mildly annoyed when I have to go there. I know, I married someone from New York, but what can you do? I tried my best to keep my feelings about New York at bay and explore the area with an open mind, and what I found out was that Brooklyn has a great beer scene even if hipsters have overrun the entire borough!

Our first stop was the Brooklyn Brewery. Every Friday night from 6 to 11pm they open their doors to the public for happy hour. It is situated in a really old looking building, actually kinda reminded me of The Ghostbusters firehouse,

but it could of just been from the gigantic red doors. Anyway, as you walk in you are staring straight ahead at 4 or 5 fermentation tanks, a mess of kegs, and some bags of malt. To your right is a few more tanks and directly to the left is where the beer lies. First you have to buy tokens and then redeem them for your beer. It is only 20 bucks for 6 tokens, and at 1 token per beer, that is pretty cheap. The only beers that'll run you more tokens are local 1 and 2. There were a good amount of people packed in there sitting at tables or standing around making conversation. You can even order a pizza and bring it in! On tap, they had the lager, pennant ale, eipa, sorachi ace, brown ale, pilsner, blast!, and the weisse. I ended up having a pennant and a very good double ipa in blast! I imagined the building to be a tad larger, but it was still really cool to be there.

Mugs Ale House was the next stop on our journey and it would end up being our last. It was so good of a bar, that we just couldn't leave! They have a great draft list consisting of at least 30 taps and 2 casks, 1 of which was on. I opted for a Bear Republic English Ale, while my wife went for a rye from Blue Point. Also available was Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale, Stone Russian Imperial Stout from 2006 and Chelsea Hop Angel on cask. While I didn't order any food, the rest of my party did. I tried a bite of my wife's ostrich burger and it was delicious. Another impressive quality of this place is their bottle list. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout from 2006 and 2007 and many other finds that are near impossible to get your hands on. Try this place out!

Barcade. If you love beer, you've come to the right place. If you love 80's video games, you've also come to the right place. Combine the two, and thats one hell of a good time! Stop in and grab one of their 20+ outstanding taps and play a little centipede while doing so. They also sell some local snacks for you to munch on as well. This is a big hipster hangout, so be forewarned. It's also open til 4am on weekends, or is that the norm in NY?

Spuyten Duyvil. Here you're only gonna get 6 taps and a cask. I guess it's now appropriate to use the phrase, "It's Quality, not Quantity." They have a fairly lengthy import bottle list and usually some hard to find brews on tap. The inside of the place is small and kitchen-like and the outside is barely marked, so be sure to look close if you're trying to find it. Yet again, this is a hipster hangout, like much of Williamsburg, so prepare yourself for people wearing handkerchiefs around their neck and ridiculously tight pants.

If you're just looking to grab some bottles, I suggest you try Bierkraft. Beer,cheese,chocolate, charcuterie, and more is how it is described on their website... and they do carry a lot of beer. If you're looking for some breakfast you can try Siggy's Good Food, specializing in organic food. They also have beer and wine.

I couldn't help but feel a little out of place around some of the people that live in Brooklyn. I'm not saying everyone who lives there is a pretentious asshole or anything.. I guess my lifelong disdain for everything New York is just poking its way through right now. Either way, it's a great city that has some quality bars that any beer geek needs to check out....despite the hipsters. I'm glad I did.

Help Me

I will be starting my final semester of college in a little less than 2 weeks. Being a geography major, I had to choose a senior thesis topic relevant to that and my professor actually suggested I do it on beer.  My actual topic, as of now, is How microbreweries came about in America and how they began to spread geographically over the country. I have already begun researching, but my question is if anyone that reads this knows of any good books or articles I could use, please let me know. I will appreciate it greatly, and I'll even buy you a beer if we ever run into each other!

No Sleep Til Brookyln

On Friday I have to go to Long Island with my wife and on the way back we are stopping at the Brooklyn Brewery for happy hour. hell yea!

Happy Birthday!

On Saturday, The Grey Lodge Pub celebrated its 13th Anniversary by having a huge event. 13 events in 13 hours, and it was one big party! I grabbed some Stoudts Keller Pils, Philadelphia Mayfair IPA, and Weyerbacher Hops Infusion out of the firkin and also some Stone Levitation, Victory Schwarz Pils and Six Point Sweet Action. I spent about 6 hours there and I was beat by the time I left. There were tons of giveaways, including a 

Weyerbacher Oak Barrel, which I was not fortunate enough to win.  Either way, there was a good time had by all that attended. 

Good Times at The Grey Lodge

For the past couple Tuesdays, I have been heading over the Tacony Palmyra Bridge and enjoying myself at The Grey Lodge. I really can't say enough good things about this bar and its owner, Scoats. I first came here for one of their Friday the Firkinteenth events and had an absolute blast..now I'm hooked. During my last 2 visits there, I met up with The Big Beer Guy and Scoats to do some tastings, and it's been a lot of fun. We sampled four beers this past Tuesday and my favorites were Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and an Anchor Christmas Beer aged from 2008. The final scores will be posted up on Kev's blog soon, if you're interested.

The Grey Lodge always has a great tap selection that's constantly in rotation, though, I can't seem to stop drinking Yards ESA on the hand pump when I'm there.

What can I say... I love beers on cask. If the good people and great beer wasn't enough, they had to go and make the best cheesesteak I've ever had outside of Pat's. Seriously, their food is good! For years I put off going here and I'm glad that I finally made it a spot that I will frequent. Not to mention they host some of the best events in the city. For Instance, Saturday the 15th, they are having their 13th Anniversary Celebration. Starting at 11am they will be having 13 events in 13 hours! I'll probably get there sometime before 1 to play darts with Philadelphia Brewing Co.  There will also be events featuring Brooklyn, Weyerbacher, Six Point, and Flying Fish beers. Yes, there will be Exit 11 on tap starting at 11pm. For more information on this event, read this. It's shaping up to be yet another fun day at The Grey Lodge and I can't wait for Saturday!

Oh, I know this might sound strange, but their mens room is really 

nicely decorated, too. I just so happened to have married a woman who loves beer, so I snapped this pic in their bathroom.

Beer Trippin'-St. Louis

When it comes to a city such as St. Louis, the bars and breweries it has to offer might be overshadowed by amazing rib joints and the swing of Albert Pujols. There's a million and one things to do while in St. Louis including seeing The Gateway Arch, hitting up some blues clubs, and exploring the historic Route 66. For the parents out there, you might have spent a long, grueling day with the kids at Six Flags and all you can think about is that beverage that makes standing in all those long lines worth it. Fear not, there are places to get quality beer and this is where you can find it.

The Stable is a Brewpub and Micro-Distillery that is pouring 24 taps and more than 50 bottles. You can find beers such as Odell 90 Schilling, Arcadia Sky High Rye, and tons more including three of their own beers - Amalgamated Brewing Marzen, Helles, and Zoigl. The menu has quite a bit to offer, but coming from South Jersey, I don't know what the hell a grinder is... but it sounds good. I'd settle for 

the Jerk Chicken Grinder with an Odell IPA. They also have Improv nights and live music for your enjoyment.

International Tap House. Now this place is serious. ITH is offering 500 beers with 40 on the draught lines. Basically, if it's available in St. Louis, you can find it here. Take a look at their site because I won't do it justice by naming 3 or 4 beers from the list. Only thing is they don't serve food, but it's all good and here's why. They have a partnership with all of their neighboring restaurants. Simply tell the bartender what you want and where you want it from and they go fetch it for you! How awesome is that? Just don't forget to tip 'em.

O'Fallon Brewery is an excellent place to take a tour. They generally give them on Saturday's at 2pm, but call ahead. While you're there try the Goat's Breath Bock Ale.

Growlers Pub has a West and a South location, but it's win-win no matter where you go. They serve a little more than what I'd consider to be pub grub with their blackened grouper and beef kabobs. There is quite a fair amount of beer here, too. Over 30 taps, including beers from Breckenridge, New Belgium, and Boulevard. Being the bbq nut I am I'd probably go for the brisket or the ribs. This place sounds good to relax at for a few hours with your buddies.

Schlafly Tap Room houses its brewpub in adjoining buildings that are over 100 years old! If I was only able to choose one place to go to on my visit here, I'd choose this place. Enjoy 5 beers brewed year round including a Pale Ale and an Oatmeal Stout or you can try their seasonals. Stop in and grab some food, drink some quality beer, take the tour and admire the buildings history. This place comes highly recommended on Beer Advocate's site, so give it a shot if you're in the area.

Square One Brewery was the victim of a terrible fire in 2004. They have since rebounded and made quite a name for themselves in the St. Louis area. They brew a ton of beers, so you will always find something new when you go and they also just installed a cask system! They have a pretty extensive food menu and if you check it out on their site they pair a beer with each item. Not enough bars do this! So when you get there try the Grilled Lamb Loin with a Single Malt Scotch Ale. They also make all their own spirits, so if you're in the mood, indulge yourself.

I would definitely try to get to at least one bbq place while I'd be out there, and Roper's Ribs sounds like the place to go. It's family owned since 1976 and it sounds like a great place to eat some baby backs. If you're up to it there's always Anheuser-Busch, while it isn't craft beer it's still something to see, plus they have clydesdales.

Beer Trippin'-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a city rich with beer history. Once regarded as  "The Beer Capital of The World", it has been home to breweries such as Pabst, Blatz, Schlitz, and Miller. Milwaukee has been kicking out barrels of beer since the mid 1800's and while it certainly had it's ups and downs, it's been able to keep atop the list of beer destinations in the United States. In the late 1800s, there were as many as 80 breweries in the city! That's a lot of beer. The Milwaukee beer scene is a little bit different from the days when Pabst reigned supreme, so here are some of the spots to throw a few back when you're in town for a visit.

Cafe Hollander is the place to come when you're in the mood for some belgian beer. You can find them serving up blondes, dubbels, tripels, trappist ales, and more. If you feel like you just can't choose one beer, why not grab a flight. For $12, you will get to choose 4 of their 14 draft beers to sample. Also residing at Cafe Hollander is a wonderful bottle selection. May I suggest a Kasteel Rouge? How about a Rochefort 8? Their menu dives into the typical belgian cuisine, but also has some American style food such as burgers and BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. I know I'd probably go for the Steak & Frites.. my favorite. P.S- You can also make your very own belgian waffle.

Sprecher Brewery has been in operation since 1985 and is one of Milwaukee's Best (sorry, had to do it) microbreweries. I recommend taking the tour here, learning about the history of their brewery, and checking out their beer garden where you can sample their beers. Make sure you try the Black Bavarian! They also do reserve tastings, so make sure you call ahead for that.

Milwaukee Ale House is located in the Third Ward district of the city and was founded in 1997 by a couple of home brewers. You can usually find 10 of their beers on tap, including 1 seasonal. They have a menu that is sure to please anyone who likes to eat. Try pairing their Stuffed Mushroom Burger with their Pull Chain Pale Ale! If you live close, join their mug club. You get all sorts of cool stuff, plus a personalized mug that's hung on the wall for you to use whenever you come in. It's 4 oz. more than a pint glass.. and you still only pay the price of a pint.

Uncle Mike's Highway Pub is offering up more than 250 bottles of beer, 24 drafts and a cask tapped every Friday. Hell yea. Listed on their bottle selection is Westvleteren 12, though I wouldn't hold my breath for it. You can still find a ton of beer there including Three Floyds, Goose Island, and a personal favorite of mine, Big Sky Moose Drool! One cool thing I happened to notice is that they serve breakfast.. so if you've ever dreamed of having a stout with an omelette, now you can.

Stonefly Brewing Company is brewing up some pretty good beer. Come in to try their Moustache Ride Pale Ale, the 5% Four Wolves English Ale, or any of their 8 beers on draft. They also have some pub fare for you to munch on such as bangers and mash. Their food is also vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Roman's Pub was built in 1885 and during prohibition was used as a speakeasy. To say this place is awesome would be an understatement. They are pouring around 30 great beers including a 2004 vintage of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Three Floyds Gumballhead and Duchesse De Bourgogne Flemish Red Ale. They almost always have something on the beer engine, as well! If you're a cigar aficionado you're in luck because they have a humidor. This is a place to come to if you want to unwind, drink quality beer, and meet some great people.

While you're in the city you might as well check out The Milwaukee Beer Museum. Here you can view some of the artifacts detailing the history of beer in Milwaukee. Also, you might want to head over to Three Cellars. You can choose from over 500 beers to purchase while perusing their cellar, or even grab a beer on tap. They say it is "The Most Unique Wine and Beer Experience."

Since I'm a huge baseball fan, what would be a trip to a city without getting to a ball game. Catch The Brew Crew at Miller Park and toss a few back.

Welcome to NJ, Iron Hill.

Thursday night I went to Iron Hill with my wife and a friend of ours. It wasn't our first trip to one of their locations, so we knew what we were getting into. At 6:30 it was packed. The waiting time for a table was about an hour and of course, the bar area packed. We headed to the bar anyway, and three people happened to leave... what luck. After joining the mug club, I ended up having a Belgian IPA, India Black Ale, Ironbound Ale, and a Belgian Witbier. Right now, my favorite is the India Black, but that might change once some of their other seasonals start to get tapped.

As far as the food goes, I thought it was pretty good. I had the crab cake sandwich, and I also tried the Voodoo Shrimp when I was there last week. The decor is nice as well. It has an upscale vibe to it, which may or may not be the reason it attracts an older crowd. I didn't see very many people my own age there. It was mostly cougars and people in shirts and ties. Even when I was there last Saturday evening there wasn't that many young people there. This isn't a bad thing to me, either. I'll take hanging out with an older crowd over people my own age any day(not including my friends). 

This will be my go to bar for a long time to come, and if Yards does open theirs in Merchantville, I'll just have to split my time between the two. I will say, I do wish their bar area was square in shape like their Newark brewpub instead of being a long straight line. It sucks staring at the back of the bar.

Overall, it's an excellent experience and it is highly recommended!