In late June, on a rare sunny day with low humidity in the New Jersey, the 2007 Garden State Craft Brewers Festival, held aboard the Battleship New Jersey in Camden, was an unqualified success. With advance sales approaching the 400 mark, contrasted with a total attendance of about 550 last year, fans of locally produced beer were treated to an outstanding event. Gretchen Schmidhausler, award-winning brewer at Basil T’s in Red Bank, stated, “This has been a good venue for us. We’ve had good success here.” Rumors do persist of an additional fest of two taking place in the fall, probably farther north of Camden, although as this edition went to press, nothing had been confirmed. We suggest checking the Guild’s website sporadically by going to http://www.njbeer.org/.
Ms. Schmidhausler had just returned from her honeymoon in Italy, visiting Francesco and Pasquale Barritta, the brothers who spent some time in Jersey working initially with her at Basil’s, the moving on to Heavyweight Brewing and Tom Baker. Their goal was to learn enough about brewing to open their own business back home. With the increasing popularity of beer in Italy, the brewery did, in fact, open and has been successful, though only one flavor is currently being brewed.
Baker filled in at Basil T’s for Gretchen while she was on her honeymoon and he turned out a dark mild for the brewpub, weighing in at just 3.2% alcohol-by-volume. As Tom stated, “I wanted to do something different. It’s a style that I really like; I think it’s underappreciated so I thought it would be a good fit for Basil T’s. Did he have to get Gretchen to sign off on the new flavor prior to her hiatus? Tom added, “I wanted things to go as smoothly as possible in her absence. I wanted to use her yeast and her malts.” Gretchen’s slant on things? “It was a huge help having Tom cover for me. Usually when I’m gone for a week, no one fills in and it’s tough to get back on track. He was there almost every day.”
The rumor mill being what it is, everyone is wondering what the future holds for Baker now that his Heavyweight is defunct. The latest had him relocating to New York, but it seems that is a dead issue. He offered this insight, “Unfortunately, the space we had in mind there isn’t going to happen. There were too many obstacles. Now we’re looking in Philly but we’re open to a lot of things. The basic thing is a pub, a beer bar with house made beers and guest beers. I’ve also thought about getting back into the micro business but with a tap room. I want to sell my beer retail. The time I spent at Basil’s has been fun. Talking to people about beer and seeing what they like, that’s great feedback. So a tap room would be ideal. But we’ll see where this all goes.”
Ms. Schmidhausler had just returned from her honeymoon in Italy, visiting Francesco and Pasquale Barritta, the brothers who spent some time in Jersey working initially with her at Basil’s, the moving on to Heavyweight Brewing and Tom Baker. Their goal was to learn enough about brewing to open their own business back home. With the increasing popularity of beer in Italy, the brewery did, in fact, open and has been successful, though only one flavor is currently being brewed.
Baker filled in at Basil T’s for Gretchen while she was on her honeymoon and he turned out a dark mild for the brewpub, weighing in at just 3.2% alcohol-by-volume. As Tom stated, “I wanted to do something different. It’s a style that I really like; I think it’s underappreciated so I thought it would be a good fit for Basil T’s. Did he have to get Gretchen to sign off on the new flavor prior to her hiatus? Tom added, “I wanted things to go as smoothly as possible in her absence. I wanted to use her yeast and her malts.” Gretchen’s slant on things? “It was a huge help having Tom cover for me. Usually when I’m gone for a week, no one fills in and it’s tough to get back on track. He was there almost every day.”
The rumor mill being what it is, everyone is wondering what the future holds for Baker now that his Heavyweight is defunct. The latest had him relocating to New York, but it seems that is a dead issue. He offered this insight, “Unfortunately, the space we had in mind there isn’t going to happen. There were too many obstacles. Now we’re looking in Philly but we’re open to a lot of things. The basic thing is a pub, a beer bar with house made beers and guest beers. I’ve also thought about getting back into the micro business but with a tap room. I want to sell my beer retail. The time I spent at Basil’s has been fun. Talking to people about beer and seeing what they like, that’s great feedback. So a tap room would be ideal. But we’ll see where this all goes.”
Perkuno’s Hammer, a Baltic porter, arguably was Tom’s most celebrated beer and was picked up by Victory Brewing after considerable negotiations. Although brewing has taken place at Victory, there’s been a hassle surrounding the use of the beer’s name. We’ll see where this ends. Oh, Tom said that anyone who would like to contact him may do so by emailing info@heavyweightbrewing.com
One of the coolest aspects of covering beer festivals is in knowing that brewers occasionally bring “specialties” for some of us to sample. Geez, I had a flashback to the 60’s! “Hey, I got some good stuff here. Meet me behind the table in about a half hour; it’ll blow you away!” Well, two brewers did just that. Tom Baker brought a small sample of his kvass, a Russian/Ukrainian beer made by soaking broken pieces of rye bread in steaming water. Sometimes the drinks is called “bread beer.” To top things off, ordinary baker’s (appropriately named) yeast is added, as were malted rye and barley, as well as some brown malt to temper the bitterness. The final product was named “Slice of Bread.”
Kvass customarily is low in alcohol; this beer, made at East End Brewing in Pittsburgh, is only about 3% ABV, reflecting on a trend Baker had moved toward during the latter days of Heavyweight. Yet the flavor was sharp and distinct, maybe not something you’d want too much of, but still refreshing.
Joe Saia, brewer at Long Valley, brought a bit of his Russian Imperial Stout, made in honor of his 100th batch. Offering a taste, he said, “It’s not typical of what we do. We generally do session beers. We wanted to give people something special and I think we achieved that.” I agree. Coming in at 9% ABV, I asked Joe if he might cellar some for a later date. “I set 103 gallons aside and conditioned it in whiskey barrels,” he said. “I got the flavor characteristics I wanted in 90 days. I didn’t want it to go too far. I didn’t want one dominant flavor. It’s middle of the road.” Actually, the bourbon barrel brew was brought out on July 4 and sold in liter and half-liter amounts. Saia is bringing out a double American IPA, consisting of five distinct hop additions and registering 7.5% ABV.
I got the chance to chat for a while with Tim Kelly, new brewer at Atlantic City’s Tun Tavern, and asked him how his most recent Brewmaster’s Dinner fared. Apparently the turnout was good (about 40 people) and he was happy with the food and drink pairings. One interesting brew served was a hefeweizen seasoned with some hibiscus flowers and matched with Blueberry Crème Brulee.
Every new brewer needs to establish himself and Tim is no exception. The tough part of the job is replaced a talented brewer such as Ted Briggs. So I asked Tim what he planned on doing to make his mark. He said, “I have a cask conditioned pale ale that I may serve for Happy Hour or when we have reggae on Sundays. Ted was an awesome brewer but, little by little I’m starting to tweak recipes. For example, I love the stout but I’m adjusting it a bit to take some of the bitter edge out. I threw some chocolate malt in to make it a bit more chocolately. I’m going to up the alcohol of the IPA and give it a little more malt background. I was going to back off on the bitterness but I think if I bring up the malt and the alcohol, that’ll balance the bitterness a bit. I may be bringing in some new hops and malts.” Look for a dobbelbock by early winter.
Have a beer request for the Ship Inn? Don’t bother speaking with brewer Tim Hall, just see his mother, Ann. Tim told me, “I promised mom I’d bring our IPA back. Somebody apparently talked with her and put the word in. I figure if they can get to someone with that much of a high-powered influence so quickly, I better move on it.”
At Flying Fish, the popular Oktoberfish will be released from captivity on September 1. Farmhouse Summer Ale, one of my favs, has seen sales increase this year by over 50%. As for talk of leaving Cherry Hill, Gene Muller put the kibosh on that, at least for some time. “We’ll have a new bottling line in place by the end of this year. We’ll stay here for at least two years.” Hey Gene, how about that 10th anniversary parry we heard so much about? “Never did it,” he said. We’re looking to do an 11th anniversary party instead.”
The Fish may not be swimming away, but might River Horse leave Lambertville? That’s the murmur. A company rep told me, “I know a lot of breweries say that, but this is for real. We may look for another location because there’s no room for expansion. We’re not sure if we’ll stay in New Jersey or go over to Pennsylvania.” As for the near future, look for Belgian Frostbite, the winter seasonal, after Summer Blonde ends. And don’t be surprised if a new addition joins the River Horse lineup, possibly a hefeweizen and possibly at the expense of an existing flavor.
The 20 Horse Tavern in Camden, near the famous Tweeter Center, has instituted a series of beer lunches and has featured beers from Otter Creek and Flying Fish with a Cricket Hill event taking place in August. Head Cricketeer Rick Reed’s beers will be a part of an all-Jersey event, along with Jersey tomatoes, Jersey seafood and more. The restaurant is in an historic building in Camden, a former stable going back to the 1890’s. They regularly feature eight craft beers and tow domestics on tap. For info, contact 20 Horse at 856-365-9211.
Those who are clamoring for Matt McCord’s barleywine at Harvest Moon won’t have to wait much longer. A few batches were conditioned on oak chips and should show up on the hand pump. Matt expects to bring back “a heftier wheat offering with our hefeweizen.” Smoked porter will return (great with many savory dishes) as will as ginger spiced saison.
Shore Point Distributing is shipping Cricket Hill beer to Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon Counties. Look for a greater presence of the beer, both in packaged goods stores and on tap at restaurants.
JJ Bitting expects to release Oktoberfest by then end of September, along with an IPA, then the delicious Cherry Chocolate Stout.
Hefeweizen is pouring at Pizzeria Uno and Mike Sella might do a second batch. In early September, look for Oktoberfest. A beer dinner is planned for some time in September.
Harrah’s of Atlantic City and Unsuited Entertainment (those guys who brought you the Atlantic City Beer Festival) hosted a beer dinner recently at The Steakhouse, featuring Duvel and many of the fine beers from Ommegang. I understand there could be a few more such happenings there in the coming weeks. As great as the beers were, I’ll go on record as saying that the Chilean sea bass was the best I’ve ever tasted.
One of the coolest aspects of covering beer festivals is in knowing that brewers occasionally bring “specialties” for some of us to sample. Geez, I had a flashback to the 60’s! “Hey, I got some good stuff here. Meet me behind the table in about a half hour; it’ll blow you away!” Well, two brewers did just that. Tom Baker brought a small sample of his kvass, a Russian/Ukrainian beer made by soaking broken pieces of rye bread in steaming water. Sometimes the drinks is called “bread beer.” To top things off, ordinary baker’s (appropriately named) yeast is added, as were malted rye and barley, as well as some brown malt to temper the bitterness. The final product was named “Slice of Bread.”
Kvass customarily is low in alcohol; this beer, made at East End Brewing in Pittsburgh, is only about 3% ABV, reflecting on a trend Baker had moved toward during the latter days of Heavyweight. Yet the flavor was sharp and distinct, maybe not something you’d want too much of, but still refreshing.
Joe Saia, brewer at Long Valley, brought a bit of his Russian Imperial Stout, made in honor of his 100th batch. Offering a taste, he said, “It’s not typical of what we do. We generally do session beers. We wanted to give people something special and I think we achieved that.” I agree. Coming in at 9% ABV, I asked Joe if he might cellar some for a later date. “I set 103 gallons aside and conditioned it in whiskey barrels,” he said. “I got the flavor characteristics I wanted in 90 days. I didn’t want it to go too far. I didn’t want one dominant flavor. It’s middle of the road.” Actually, the bourbon barrel brew was brought out on July 4 and sold in liter and half-liter amounts. Saia is bringing out a double American IPA, consisting of five distinct hop additions and registering 7.5% ABV.
I got the chance to chat for a while with Tim Kelly, new brewer at Atlantic City’s Tun Tavern, and asked him how his most recent Brewmaster’s Dinner fared. Apparently the turnout was good (about 40 people) and he was happy with the food and drink pairings. One interesting brew served was a hefeweizen seasoned with some hibiscus flowers and matched with Blueberry Crème Brulee.
Every new brewer needs to establish himself and Tim is no exception. The tough part of the job is replaced a talented brewer such as Ted Briggs. So I asked Tim what he planned on doing to make his mark. He said, “I have a cask conditioned pale ale that I may serve for Happy Hour or when we have reggae on Sundays. Ted was an awesome brewer but, little by little I’m starting to tweak recipes. For example, I love the stout but I’m adjusting it a bit to take some of the bitter edge out. I threw some chocolate malt in to make it a bit more chocolately. I’m going to up the alcohol of the IPA and give it a little more malt background. I was going to back off on the bitterness but I think if I bring up the malt and the alcohol, that’ll balance the bitterness a bit. I may be bringing in some new hops and malts.” Look for a dobbelbock by early winter.
Have a beer request for the Ship Inn? Don’t bother speaking with brewer Tim Hall, just see his mother, Ann. Tim told me, “I promised mom I’d bring our IPA back. Somebody apparently talked with her and put the word in. I figure if they can get to someone with that much of a high-powered influence so quickly, I better move on it.”
At Flying Fish, the popular Oktoberfish will be released from captivity on September 1. Farmhouse Summer Ale, one of my favs, has seen sales increase this year by over 50%. As for talk of leaving Cherry Hill, Gene Muller put the kibosh on that, at least for some time. “We’ll have a new bottling line in place by the end of this year. We’ll stay here for at least two years.” Hey Gene, how about that 10th anniversary parry we heard so much about? “Never did it,” he said. We’re looking to do an 11th anniversary party instead.”
The Fish may not be swimming away, but might River Horse leave Lambertville? That’s the murmur. A company rep told me, “I know a lot of breweries say that, but this is for real. We may look for another location because there’s no room for expansion. We’re not sure if we’ll stay in New Jersey or go over to Pennsylvania.” As for the near future, look for Belgian Frostbite, the winter seasonal, after Summer Blonde ends. And don’t be surprised if a new addition joins the River Horse lineup, possibly a hefeweizen and possibly at the expense of an existing flavor.
The 20 Horse Tavern in Camden, near the famous Tweeter Center, has instituted a series of beer lunches and has featured beers from Otter Creek and Flying Fish with a Cricket Hill event taking place in August. Head Cricketeer Rick Reed’s beers will be a part of an all-Jersey event, along with Jersey tomatoes, Jersey seafood and more. The restaurant is in an historic building in Camden, a former stable going back to the 1890’s. They regularly feature eight craft beers and tow domestics on tap. For info, contact 20 Horse at 856-365-9211.
Those who are clamoring for Matt McCord’s barleywine at Harvest Moon won’t have to wait much longer. A few batches were conditioned on oak chips and should show up on the hand pump. Matt expects to bring back “a heftier wheat offering with our hefeweizen.” Smoked porter will return (great with many savory dishes) as will as ginger spiced saison.
Shore Point Distributing is shipping Cricket Hill beer to Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon Counties. Look for a greater presence of the beer, both in packaged goods stores and on tap at restaurants.
JJ Bitting expects to release Oktoberfest by then end of September, along with an IPA, then the delicious Cherry Chocolate Stout.
Hefeweizen is pouring at Pizzeria Uno and Mike Sella might do a second batch. In early September, look for Oktoberfest. A beer dinner is planned for some time in September.
Harrah’s of Atlantic City and Unsuited Entertainment (those guys who brought you the Atlantic City Beer Festival) hosted a beer dinner recently at The Steakhouse, featuring Duvel and many of the fine beers from Ommegang. I understand there could be a few more such happenings there in the coming weeks. As great as the beers were, I’ll go on record as saying that the Chilean sea bass was the best I’ve ever tasted.
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