Event - Pub Crawl NY Renaissance Faire

The New York Renaissance Faire takes place every Saturday and Sunday from August 3rd to September 22, 2013.  Tickets for admission into the faire are Adult: $22 ($20 online) Child (age 5-12): $11 ($10 online) Children 4 & younger are FREE!         Every day of the faire they will host two pub crawls. Explore the pubs of Sterling Shire and sample the finest beers, receive five drinks including a microbrew at our newly reopened Peacock Pavilion! SIGN UP at the Information Booth - $35 per person Tour lasts approx. 75-90 minutes. Limited space available Two Pub Crawls scheduled per day: 11:15am and 3:00pm. Meet at Matey Groves to begin the festivities! Participants will also receive a commemorative pin. Must be 21+ and have your valid Driver’s License/State ID to participate. For more information visit the Faire's website  http://www.renfair.com/ny/index.asp

NJ Winery Tour

                                         

                                                                 Cape May Winery
Summer is almost over, but there is still a month left for outdoor enjoyment. I was surprised to find so many vineyards located right here in NJ. There are many ways to plan a tour, you could visit one winery or try a wine tour, with multiple wineries on one day.

Just make sure to do your research and call ahead of time, not all wineries are open for tours daily. 

Here are some places to start:
http://www.jerseywinetours.com/wine-tours.html
http://www.sjwinetours.com/Pages/Tours.aspx
http://www.bellavistawinetours.com/featured-wineries/

Event - BBQ & Craft Beer Festival

Monmouth Park in Monmouth, NJ hosts a BBQ& Craft beer festival on Saturday August 31, 2013 and Sunday September 1, 2013.
$3 general admission gets you into both the track and festival area. Food items are priced a la carte. Beer Garden is $10 for ten 2oz samples and a commemorative mini-Pilsner glass.
Gates open 11:30 am, Post time 12:50 pm.

For information on Monmouth Park, visit their website.
http://www.monmouthpark.com/

Defiant Brewing Co. Tasting Notes

One of my favorite local restaurants/pubs has recently started hosting tap takers. The Shannon Rose Irish Pub hosted a Defiant Brewing Co. tap take over on August 1, 2013. They had 6 different beers on tap and served a sampling of three for only $6.50. I think this is a great deal, I'm definitely looking forward to trying some more craft beers at the Shannon Rose.

My favorites where the Defiant Orange Cream Beer and Medusa IPA. The Orange Cream Beer tasted much like a creamsicle popsicle. It is a Belgian style wit with a 5.2% ABV. Wit beer or white beer,  is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer, it gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. It traditionally consists of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops. The Medusa IPA was very flavorful with a kick, it consists of hops from America, England, and Germany.  IPA's are usually very strong beer, this one being 6.8% ABV.

I also recommend trying the Defiant Headless Horseman Pumpkin Ale. The pumpkin flavoring here is not overpowering and the spices give it a nice aftertaste. Made with freshly smashed pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a pinch of all spice. It definitely stands out amongst other pumpkin ales.

To read more about Defiant brewing co and more about their beers, please check out their website.
http://defiantbrewing.com/