NEW JERSEY – SOUTH
In September 2004, I began an extensive journey through the Garden State, initially hitting two easterly seabound alehouses in central Jersey, Woodbridge’s J.J. Bitting and Toms River’s Basil T’s Brewpub & Italian Restaurant.
By 2010, the Gregorakis family, owners of Basil T’s, changed their upscale brewery-grill to ARTISAN’S BREWERY & ITALIAN GRILL to avoid confusion with nearby Red Bank’s similarly named brewery.
Artisan’s, located in a freestanding gold Mediterranean stucco building at Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River, had casually intimate, dimly lit piano bar and offered nicely diversified delicate brews. Along with family-styled Italian food (Marguerite pizza/ Giambotta), dry-spiced wheat-husked Barnegat Light Ale; muted orange-peach-melon-influenced Cascade hop-embittered American Pale Ale; bruised lemon-soured caramel-toasted Toms River Red Ale; softly honeyed hazelnut-macadamia-informed Nut Brown Ale; light-spiced wheat-sullen Sunset Ale; and dry orange-bruised lemon-tart Hefeweizen easily passed muster.
Upon July ’08 revisit, Climax Brewery brewmaster Dave Hoffmann was brought onboard to improve the quality and diversity of Basil T’s (now Artisan’s) new-fashioned beer selection. Along with Cobb Salad and Flatbread Mediterranean Pizza, quaffed dry-bodied lemony plantain fig-date-receded Basil T’s Light Ale, white-breaded grassy-hopped mineral-grainy lemony-perfumed Helles Lager, balmy sweet ‘n sour banana-centered bruised lemon-backed cereal-grained chocolate-malted Dunkelweizen, and red-yellow-fruited caramel-malted Maibock.
Better still were spritz-y lemon-hopped banana-breaded malt-lacquered Hefeweizen (served with an orange slice), mildly coffee-roasted orange-dried fennel-tapered earthen-finishing Irish-styled Red Ale and honey-roasted banana-blustered floral-spiced hop-embittered English Extra Special Ale. After lunch, enjoyed soft-hopped wood-dried apple-orange-pear-brightened West Coast Style IPA.
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