Review - Ballast Point Brewing Co Habanero Sculpin

This was a great tasting beer with a lot of heat. While the smell is citrusy with the faint smell of peppers, the taste is all habanero. It will even burn your mouth and throat like a real pepper would. I definitely recommend trying it, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it alone. It would go great with flavorful foods like Mexican, Jamaican or Thai.

Store - Liquor Locker

This is my new favorite place. Liquor Locker is a chain in New Jersey, specializing in wine and scotch but also carries beer and what you would normally find in a liquor store. They have a great selection and some unique  bottles that I have not seen in other stores. They also sell online through the website https://www.winemo.com/

The prices are decent and the location is great. It's located  right next to the Saddle River Tours Atlantic City bus in Edison, NJ. You could make a  purchase to take down to AC with you or after you get back with your winnings.

1665 Oak Tree Road
Edison, NJ-08820
Phone: (732) 548-1272
Fax: (732) 548-2151
edison@saversclubliquorlocker.com

Review - River Horse Cherry Berliner Weisse

 

I tried River Horse Brewing Company's Cherry Beliner Weisse. It's a 4.2% ABV seasonal German Style Wheat Ale. It had a great balance of flavors, it was slightly sweet and slightly tart with no one over powering the other. The tart cherry flavoring was very natural and smooth. It also had a great wheat/cherry smell. This was a great beer to drink alone and would pair well with poultry, sea food, salads, and dessert.

River Horse Brewing Company is located in Ewing, NJ and offers tours on Saturday and Sunday by reservation only. For more about their beers and tours visit their website http://www.riverhorse.com/

Ballantine and Sons Brewing Co.

I knew this logo looked really familiar but I was having a hard time placing it. Ballantine India Pale Ale is a revival of an old recipe from Ballantine and Sons Brewing Co. The brewery located in Newark, NJ, closed in 1972 when it was acquired by Falstaff Brewing Co. It was later bought over by Pabst in 1985. Ballantine is considered one of the nations oldest breweries, founded in 1840.

I originally learned about the company after purchasing this serving tray at a garage sale for a nickle. This tray with an older logo  (circa 1950) can be found on ebay selling for ~$30. It's nice to own a piece of history, and glad that they are back to brewing.

In 2014 they re-launched the Ballantine India Pale Ale. It's a 7.2% ABV, American style IPA. It's a bitter, complex beer with hints of citrus and caramel. It has been described as an intense beer, but is well balanced.



This is what the brewery looked like in 1906.

Review- Curious Traveler Lemon Shandy

 

I tried The Traveler Beer Co.'s Curious Traveler Lemon Shandy and really enjoyed this beer. It's a shandy beer that tastes more  like lemonade than beer. It has a sweet kick to it and was very tasty. It's a 4.4% ABV beer made from Hallertau hops, lemon, and lime.
They also make a grapefruit, pumpkin, and winter(orange/pomegranate) shandy.

Review - DuClaw Brewing Co. Funk

I tried DuClaw Brewing Co's Funk beer, which is a 5% Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale. I was disappointed with the flavoring, it was more orange/lemony with a slight blueberry taste. It smelled sweet and citrusy. It was very carbonated/bubbly when poured into a glass. Over all the flavorings were very light, and this will go well with any type of food. I would be happy if they changed the name to Citrus Wheat Ale.

Review - Jolly Rancher Soda

 

I tried Jolly Rancher Soda in the Cherry flavor and love it. It's not too sweet and actually tastes like a Jolly Rancher candy. This flavor was great for mixing with vodka. My drink was refreshing and light. It currently comes in Watermelon, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Grape and Cherry flavors. It can be found at Kmart and Big Lots for only $1.

Review - Coney Island Brewing Co. Hard Root Beer

 

It seems like hard root beer is the newest beer craze. I'm not complaining, I love root beer.  I tried Coney Island Hard Root Beer and was pleasantly surprised. It's a different taste than Not Your Father's Root Beer, it's not as heavy and has more of a root beer consistency with more carbonation. The birch flavoring here is very close to Barq's Root Beer, which is a personal favorite. It's 5.8% ABV and I highly recommend trying it.

Deal - Flaviar Star Spangled Bourbon Tasting Pack

This is a great deal from Flaviar, it's 50% off and 5 samples of bourbon for only $25.Apply Promo Code "1SALE25" At Checkout.

Flaviar is a Community of Spirits Lovers who want to discover new & exciting drinks in the company of their friends. Our members receive 5 Premium Spirits in 1 tasting pack every month. The sample packs can also be purchased a la carte.

 

The deal can be found here on the 1sale website. Details on the sample pack can be found here Star Spangled Sampler.

Review - Le Malt

In one word I would describe Le Malt as SWANKY. Le Malt has amazing decor inside and an upscale ambiance.  I loved the attentive, friendly and knowledgeable staff. The food was great and they are working on creating a new dinner menu. I tried a Japanese Whiskey, that was served with a giant ice ball that had a beautiful edible flower inside. I loved my drink and the whole experience. While Le Malt specializes in "brown spirits" they are constantly adding to their drink offerings, they are even serving select craft beers. If you live in central New Jersey this place is a "must" to visit. Trust me!


Le Malt
1021 St. Georges Avenue
Colonia, NJ 07067
732.510.7700
info@lemalt.com

Review - Samuel Adams Rebel IPA

 

Rebel IPA is everything it promises to be. It's an IPA brewed with 5 different hops for a complex hoppy taste. It's made with American Cascade, Simcoe, Chinook, Centennial, and Amarillo. It's a very complex beer with slight citrus and grapefruit flavoring. It's not as bitter as a traditional IPA and 6.5%ABV. I really like this beer, although I'm usually not a huge fan of IPAs, I like the complexity of the flavoring. It's a great "diner beer," meaning different foods bring out different flavoring in the beer and vice versa.

Deal - Hard Cider Tasting and Cidery Tour

Groupon currently has a deal for 3 ciders and a cidery tour from Bad Seed Cider for only $12 for two people and $20 for four. Bad Seed Cider is located in Highland NY about 1 hour and a half from NYC, and perfect for a summer day trip. The Orchard where the apples come from is about a 6 minute drive from the cidery and open for apple picking from Labor day weekend to October 31st, 9-5 daily.

To purchase the Groupon deal, follow this link https://www.groupon.com/deals/bad-seed-cider-co-5

Review - Boddingtons Pub Ale

 

I tried Boddingtons Pub Ale in these tall 1 pint cans and loved it. It's a light, drinkable, great tasting beer. It's a 4.6% abv English Pale Ale style beer with faint hints of butterscotch and caramel. It would pair well with just about anything, because the flavor is not over powering. As I drank my can, I could hear something rattling around in there. I learned there is a little widget in the cans, that help create bubbles and a creamy head. While this beer seems to be a hit or miss, with a lot of mixed reviews, I'm a definite fan.

Review - Anderson's Valley Summer Solstice

 

I found a lot of reviews online claiming that Anderson's Valley Summer Solstice is the "Cream Soda for Adults." Of course I couldn't wait to try it, since I'm a huge fan of cream soda. Did it live up to the hype? No. It smelled more like cream soda, but didn't really taste like it. It was a great, sweet smelling beer. The taste was light, and neither sweet nor bitter with a creamy aftertaste. It's a very drinkable beer, but no where near tasting like cream soda. It's 5% ABV and a seasonal beer offered during summer months.

Event - The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking

Sounds like a ton of fun, it's an off Broadway play that takes place in an authentic speakeasy. You will learn the history of drinking while you enjoy 3 drinks that are included in your ticket price. The show is part comedy, part musical and includes demonstrations of brewing beer and distilling spirits. You will be treated to a 10,000-year journey through history and across the globe.

Here are some of the reviews



For information about the show and to buy ticket follow this link http://imbible.org/

Review - Samuel Adams Merry Maker

Samuel Adam's Seasonal Merry Maker beer is a dark Guinness style stout beer. It has a nice chocolate, coffee smell. It has a sweet taste and is very drinkable, it's not too heavy. Its a mix of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger spices. It goes well with sugar cookies, cinnamon cake and chocolate cake. It is a 9.0%ABV beer, that takes some time before it hits you.

Grilling with Beer

It's Bar-be-que season, and I found this great article about grilling with beer. There are several things I never thought of, like using beer to soak wood chips, or as a spray, or mop sauce. Check out this article for 7 ways to use beer for grilling plus some recipes.

7 Smart Ways to Use Beer When You BBQ, Plus 6 Beer-Blasted Recipes!

Review - Abita Harvest Lager

Another great summer beer. Abita Harvest Lager is a light pilsner sytle beer, brewed with Louisiana strawberries. It has a great balance of strawberry flavoring and is not too over powering. It's a nice tasting light beer perfect paired with summer salads. It's 4.2%ABV.

Abita's Harvest series is one of my favorites, they also make a grapefruit and lemon beer. Their Purple Haze Lager made with raspberries, is something you should try if you like fruit beers.

Website - The Beeroness

Lately I have been obsessed with The Beeroness website. She offers amazing recipes for cooking with beer. Her recipes range from dessert, to chicken, beef, pork, fish, to veggie meals, to smoothies and even onion rings.  She is a gourmet chef who takes the time to create these recipes with a wide selection of craft beers.

She even has a cookbook for sale, but the recipes on the website are still free. Please check out http://thebeeroness.com/ for some great recipes.

Review - Victory Kirsch Gose

I tried Victory Brewing Company's seasonal Kirsch Gose Sour Cherry Beer. It had a tart, citrusy smell. It had a citrusy cherry taste, was very tart and had the definite taste of salt. The after taste was sweet and tasted more like cherries. This was unlike other sour cherry beers I've tried in that it was a Gose style as opposed to an ale. I prefer sour cherries in an ale style beer, but this does make a great dessert beer. It goes well with cheesecake and chocolate. 

Event - The Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Party

For only $25 you can sample wine, cheese from around the world, Lindt Chocolates, and more culinary surprises. This event is rain or shine, it will be under a big tent at the Hamilton Stage in Rahway, NJ.

When: Thursday June 18, 2015 @ 5:30 PM - 9PM
Where: Hamilton Stage
            360 Hamilton Street
            Rahway, NJ 
            07065

To purchase tickets visit the event page here. 

Beer Garden Review - Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten

Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten is definitely worth a trip to Asbury Park, NJ.  At first I wondered why they chose Lake Avenue, instead of the busier and stylish Cookman Avenue. Take the stairs to the second floor and you a great view of Wesley lake and the beautiful houses in Ocean Grove, NJ. The second floor is a roof top garden, with wooden benches and and  large table umbrellas to protect you from the sun. Currently they sell food from food carts on the second floor which you can eat upstairs or bring down to the first floor. In the fall they will have their full menu both upstairs and downstairs.

They have a large selection of both domestic and foreign beers. I was impressed with the bar staff's knowledge of the beers they serve. It's always a plus when the staff can give you good descriptions and suggestions. I tried two beers, my notes are as follows:

Blanche de Bruxelles: Very sweet smell, crisp orange taste. Similar to Blue Moon.  4.5%ABV. Belgium.

Schofferhofer: Sweet fruity smell and citrusy grapefruit taste. Mild tart aftertaste. More of a sweet beer than a sour one. 2.5%ABV. German.

I also had a giant pretzel,that tasted great, and came with two interesting sauces. One was a dijon mustard that had a sweet kick to it. The other was a cheese sauce with a spicy/hot after taste. From what I heard from other guests while I was there, the food is really great.

Check out the food and beer menu on their website www.asburybiergarten.com/

Weekends do tend to get crowded so your best bet is to plan your visit during the week.

Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten
527 Lake Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
07712

Review - Prickly Pear Beer

I recently tried Shiner's Prickly Pear Beer. It's made with the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, which is pictured below.  This is a seasonal beer only offered during the summer. It is a sour beer with 4.9% ABV. It has a nice hoppy, sweet smell. It tastes tart and citrusy, with a slightly sweet after taste. 
I liked this beer, but the flavor was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Usually when trying fruit/vegetable beers I compare them to the real thing, but I've never had prickly pear before. In one word, I would say this was an "interesting" beer.
I think this would pair well with cheese, a very stinky cheese, or nachos/salsa/cheese. My friend suggested sour fruit such as; apple or kiwi. Still another suggestion is pairing it with a banana. My friend did and said it brought out a lot of the subtle flavors.

 

Recipe - Beer Mustard

I've seen several recipes for beer mustard. I've heard that it's really good. I found a basic recipe and plan to make it for my hot dogs this summer.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown mustard seeds

1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds

1 cup dark beer, or as needed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 half pint canning jars with lids and rings

 

Directions:

1.	Soak brown and yellow mustard seeds with dark beer in a large bowl set in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If the seeds soak up the beer too quickly, add more beer.
2.	Transfer the soaked mustard seeds to a food processor along with garlic, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.
3.	Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
4.	Pack the mustard into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top.
5.	Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles.
6.	Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
7.	Refrigerate the jars of mustard for 2 weeks before using.

 

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but a simple google or pinterest search will turn up a ton more. 

 

Travel - Italy Beer Tours

ITALY BEER TOURS

I wasn't aware that there was a craft beer scene in Italy until I found this site. They offer a 6 day, 6 night, 12 brewery tour in Italy. Your tour guides are also the authors of  "Italy: Beer Country - The story of Italian Craft Beer." They explain on the website that Italy didn't have a beer history until 1996, when 3 new breweries opened. They are not constrained by any traditional processes or flavors, which has allowed for a lot of creativity. Italy is know for fine products, craftsmanship, wine and food. I can only imagine that these beers to be of the same quality.
To find about more about the tour and itinerary, visit their site at http://www.italybeertours.com/


Pricing information:
A non-refundable deposit of $350 per person is required to confirm your registration. $3495 PER PERSON (DOUBLE OCCUPANCY) and add $595 per person for single occupancy. Full payment is required 60 days prior to departure.

Review - Not Your Father's Root Beer

Small Town Brewey's "Not Your Father's Root Beer" is finally available in New Jersey. There has been a lot of hype about this beer. Usually these fads never live up to the hype. I was extremely skeptical, especially since I would be the first to spike regular root beer and call it a day.
I was pleasantly surprised. It is a spiced ale that tastes exactly like root beer. I only tasted the alcohol in my throat after I swallowed. The regular brew is 5.9% ABV, and perfect for a root beer float.
Small Town Brewery also offers a 10.7% and 19.5% limited edition 22oz bottle, under the same name with the ABV % on the label.

Event - Pour The Core: A Hard Cider Festival

Pour The Core is a hard cider festival taking place in 4 four locations in 2015. Each event will feature over 50 different ciders and various seminars. General Admission tickets are ~$40 if purchased in advanced and will go up the day of the event. The General Admission ticket includes a tasting glass with a 2 oz pour line to sample unlimited ciders.

The Dates and Locations for this event are:
Brooklyn, NY  June 13, 2015
Boston, MA     September 12, 2015
Long Island, NY October 3, 2015
Philadelphia, PA  October 17, 2015

For more information and to purchase tickets check out the festival home page http://www.pourthecore.com/

GROUPON is currently running a deal for the Brooklyn, NY event. You can purchase a discounted ticket by following this link https://www.groupon.com/deals/pour-the-core-cider-festival?utm_source=GPN&utm_medium=afl&z=skip&utm_campaign=200940&mediaId=201773&sid=ty3cGesx

Deal - Craft-Brewing Online Course only $25

Groupon is currently offering a deal for a lifetime membership to Craft-Beer Brewing online course from CraftBeerAtHome.com. This is a $199 value for only $25. This is great for people who don't live near a venue offering in person courses and great to have as a reference when you take on your next brew project. This course is designed specifically for the beginner. If you would like to find out more visit the companies home page at http://course.craftbeerathome.com/


To purchase follow this link, while supplies last https://www.groupon.com/deals/craftbeerathome-com-19-new-york

Review - Triumph Brewing Company in Princeton, NJ

While I was in Princeton, I had the opportunity to sample beers from Triumph Brewing Company. They offer a sampling of seven house brewed beers for ~$15. My notes are below:

Gose Beer: Smells like salt and black pepper.

Lent Beer: Hints of black pepper, Kosher salt, red chili flakes and sage. More subtle flavoring, best paired with food to bring out complex flavors.

Ambar Ale: Sweet smell. Grapefruit taste. Made with cascade hops.

Porter: Dark beer. Smells of coffee and chocolate. Definite chocolate after taste. Dessert Beer.

Dinkel: Light bodied pilsner.

Bengal Gold Indian Pale Ale: Sweet smell and sour taste.

Nutts Brown Ale: Slight coffee smell. Smooth, full bodied and creamy. This is an unfiltered "real ale" brewed in the traditional British style. 

My favorites are the Gose Beer and Ambar Ale. This was my first time trying a Gose beer, and I loved it. However my friend, also tasting the same beers, said he's had better Gose. I guess I will have to try some more Gose beers to compare.  The Ambar Ale would go great with salad, chicken, fish, or seafood. I also liked the Bengal Gold Indian Pale Ale. I have always been a fan of sour beer and this was very drinkable. My least favorite were the Lent Beer and Nutt's Brown Ale. I feel the Lent Beer was trying to combine too many flavors, it could be re-worked into something great.


Triumph Brewing Company currently has two locations (Princeton, NJ and New Hope, PA), with a third location opening soon in Red Bank, NJ. It's worth the trip to check out their range of beers that is constantly changing. For reviews of the past/current beers on Beer Advocate by following this link http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1317/

Triumph Brewing Company
138 Nassau Street
Princeton NJ 08542
(609) 924-7855

Recipe - Beer Mug Cupcakes

These look so cute, they would be perfect for father's day or a beer lovers birthday. They have Baileys Irish Cream ganache filling, but I'm sure you could substitute a nice chocolate beer into the ganache. For the recipe follow this link http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/beer-mug-cupcakes-with-baileys-filling/919c1d91-6463-4b08-88d3-d0eab736eb11/

Beer and Candy Pairing Chart

I found this neat chart on pinterest. These all look great, but I'm really interested in the Sour Patch kids and India Pale Ale and the smarties and sour beer. If you give any of these a try please let me know how your pairings turn out.

Review- Tropical Mango Pale Ale

This is my top pick for a summer beer. It's St John Brewers Virgin Islands Tropical Mango Pale Ale. It's a light refreshing beer made with mango essence. It's not too sweet and taste surprisingly like real mango. This is a favorite of mine and at 4.5% abv I like to have 3 or 4 at a time.

St John Brewers is only carried in a handful of U.S. States and luckily N.J. is one of them. To find a location near you that sells it use the Sheehan Family Companies beer finder by following this link https://sheehanfamilycompanies.com/beer-finder

Review - Oculto Beer

This is a relatively new beer, release in March 2015 by Anheuser- Bush. It's a great tasting light bodied beer that goes down smooth.  It has a sweet smell and taste, coming from the blue agave infused in the beer. There is also a slight tequila taste, which adds to the appeal.  At  6.00% abv, it's a great value for the price. 

Oculto also comes in a nicely packaged "day of the dead" inspired bottle. It would be perfect to add some decor to any party. The bottle is also supposed to glow under a black light and has hidden messages if you chill the bottle.

Review - Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington, DE

I tried a sampler of beer at Iron Hill brewery in Wilmington, Delaware. While there is currently a large selection of house brewed beer,with over twelve on tap, the sampler is only four beers. I selected whitberry, white iron wit, bedotter, and the coffee oatmeal stout.  My tasting notes are below.

Whitberry: Sweet smell, light taste and a hint of raspberry. This was my favorite.

White Iron Wit:. Light Belgium style beer served with orange. Moderate orange taste with subtle spice after taste.

Bedotter: Light complex Belgium style beer. Made from plum spice and banana crisp with a bitter after taste. I thought this was too complex and mixed too many flavors, the banana flavor was the strongest. The bedotter tastes better with food, and could be considered a dessert beer. This was the strongest one I tried at 9.5 abv.
 
Coffee Oatmeal Stout: This is a cask beer served at cellar temperature. Made with aged coffee beans, it has a strong coffee taste. Smells like coffee and mint or cough syrup. It tastes better alone, it tasted more like medicine when I tried it with food.

Iron Hill Brewery (a short ten minute walk from the Greyhound/Amtrak station)

620 Justison St
Wilmington, DE
(302) 472-2739

Review - Killian's Irish Red

Killlian's is a red amber ale with Irish heritage. It was originally brewed in Ireland and bought by Coors to sell in the United States in 1980. It is a medium bodied amber ale with a caramel and nutty/smokey taste. It gets it's distinct  flavor from caramel malted barley that is roasted at a high temperature longer and more slowly than most malts. It's 4.9% abv and found at most Irish pubs.

Review - Blonde Guinness

I tried the Blonde Guinness and really liked it. Don't be disappointed, this beer is nothing like the traditional Irish Dry Stout. This is an American Pale Lager style beer. It's a light, smooth beer with a hoppy, citrus taste. It's brewed in Latrobe Brewing in Pennsylvania and a great addition to the Guinness family. I loved my Blonde Guinness paired with a well-done burger, it definitely complimented my food. But, I'm hoping to try a "Dirty Blonde" next time, that would be half Guinness Stout and half Guinness Blonde American Lager.

Review - Samuel Adams Cold Snap

Another great beer from Samuel Adam's. I instantly fell in love with Sam Adam's Cold Snap. This is a very complex beer with hints of orange peel, plum and coriander amongst other spices. It has a crisp taste and great after taste.

This is an Belgium style whit beer, which is probably why I like it so much. It's unfiltered and hazy. It's 5.3%ABV.

Recipe - Beer Bread

This was a great find at Aldi supermarkets for only $1. I have seen beer bread mixes selling elsewhere for $6+. I decided to try Sam Adams Cherry Wheat for my first bread.

The bread was surprisingly easy to make, just add one bottle of beer and stir. I really liked the way it turned out. It tasted great with a sweet cherry aftertaste. It's definitely one of those breads that have some what of a cake consistency.

I've read some blogs online that suggest making the beer bread and pairing it with cheese. That sounds great too, but I would recommend using a hearty tasting beer.