ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Visited Disney World and Epcot Center with kids in ’98, ’99, and ’00, but never found one decent local brew. However, at Busch Gardens Sea World, they offered three free ‘real’ Budweiser’s (fine American wheat, fulsome lager, and choice pilsner) on tap.
OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA
Positioned halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, this surfside town featured discerning owner-brewer Mark Purciel’s garage-styled tasting room, OCEANSIDE ALE WORKS, visited April ‘07. Opened ’05 and located five miles off the Pacific Coast in Corporate Center, Purciel’s brews were inspired by European brewing traditions and could be bought in both growlers and kegs or purchased in local restaurant-bars.
Alongside rowdy fun-loving beer drinkers on Padres opening day, quaffed honey-dipped citric-slipped dry-spiced Whitewater Whitbier, sharply-hopped raw-honeyed lemony grapefruit Buccaneer Blonde, caramel apple-fronted dry-smoked rye-malted San Luis Rey Red, mild orange-red-fruited bitter Pier View Pale Ale and intensely hopped, fig-raisin-centered, orange-bruised, sherry-port-finishing, cask conditioned American Strong Ale.
NEWPORT, OREGON
Native Oregonians take beer drinking very seriously. Charming resort town, Newport, along the Pacific Ocean and Yaquina Bay sixty miles west of Corvallis, boasts premier ROGUE ALE PUB HOUSE and Rogue Brewery on opposing sides of Yaquina Bridge. I had consumed at least a dozen different Rogue brews in Jersey before making Oregon-Washington trip, March ’03.
I owe Rogue a big shout out not only because I’ve always admired brewer John Maier’s beer judgement, but because these friendly-as-hell northwesterns put my wife and I up at an Alehouse loft apartment and gave us free tickets to the aquarian during March Madness basketball tourney. We quaffed Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout and Dead Guy Ale early in the evening at the Public House our first night in town.
I reviewed Pike “5X” Stout, Stone Smoked Porter, Cascade Ales Monkey Face Porter, and Butte Creek Roland Red with Rogue promoter-tour guide Billy Stout. Imbibed Rogue’s Black Brutal, Chamomile, Charlie 1981, and Issaquah Bullfrog Ale at the Alehouse loft the second night (all reviewed in Beer Index).
NEW LONDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Featuring a startlingly large 18 home brews December ’05, ranch-styled FLYING GOOSE BREWPUB & GRILLE lies deep within New England’s pine-lined mountainous splendor. Its rural countryside setting and wintry outdoorsman atmosphere are enhanced by enclosed back porch view of Mount Kearsage.
Deer and boar’s heads, stuffed pheasants, snowshoes, and beer trays decorate cross-beamed walls. Above the central bar were wood-barreled kegs serving humble libations to early evening crowd filled with Highway 89 ski chalet guests. A moose head marks cozy low-ceilinged bar where duck-billed keg taps serve customers mostly ‘small session beers’ to go along with varied Americana menu.
Widescreen TV’s near side door booths had college bowl games on while I sipped buttery raspberry-rasped prickly-hopped Weetamoo Raspberry Wheat, mild orange-peeled grapefruit-embittered alcohol-burnt Long Brothers Strong Ale (richer-than-Hedgehog Brown-styled) chestnut-mocha-sketched citric-tanged Robert’s Strong Brown Ale and passive diacetyl-soured Wiegelman’s Wildflower Honey Ale.
Better were black chocolate-y hazelnut-bottomed maple-sapped Potter Place Porter, earthy mocha-coffee pungency Crockett’s Corner Oatmeal Stout and especially, prescient honeydew-sweet orange-bruised wintry-spiced brandy-like warmer Isle Of Pines Barleywine.
Revisited New Year’s Day 2010 during afternoon snowstorm, finding tapped beer selection leaning on lightly malted, thinly hopped side. Casual moderate-bodied dried fruit tartness anchored soft-watered fig-rigged anise-dabbed grape-skinned Alexandria Alt. Metallic wood-hopped orange-singed fig-date-soured Ragged Mountain Red and mild lemon-wedged Seltzer-like tea-backed orange-tangerine-fruited Harvest Wheat were OK.
Soapy peanut-shelled macadamia-bound crystal-malted black tea-like Hedgehog Brown bettered indistinct lemon-seeded yellow-fruited green-hopped vegetal-finishing Split Rock Golden Ale and acidic dry-hopped lemon-peeled apple-skinned Perley Town IPA.
Two specialty beers were short on character but eager to please lighter thirsts. Grout-y German-styled cask-conditioned Roggenbier placed pumpernickel-rye breading above soapy fig-sugared cocoa malting.
Even better was ’09 version of Isle Of Pines Barleywine, with its rich cane-sugared chocolate malts penetrating cherry-pureed orange-bruised banana-peach-pineapple tropicalia, subtle sherry-bourbon-burgundy illusions, and tertiary chestnut-pecan-almond cluster.
NEW JERSEY – SOUTH
Tucked into Princeton’s industrious town center, TRIUMPH BREWING COMPANY, sojourned May ’09, has been brewing since ’96. Entering through a narrow hallway, this capacious Cathedral-like red- bricked bar with left side and loft dining exhibits traditionalist charm. Well-prepared entrees, sandwiches, and appetizers go well alongside brewer Tom Stevenson’s sterling brew selection.
Glass-encased brewtanks behind the bar served two bitter Cascade-hopped ales. Fruitier, less woody Centennial IPA (plying bold resin-hopped lemon-peeled grapefruit-currant bittering to earthen mineral grains) outdid lemony grapefruit-peeled, wood-lacquered, cologne-wafted, herbal-doused, pine-tarred Amber Ale. Inoffensive barley-toasted, grassy-hopped Vienna Lager and headier wildflower-honeyed, corn-dried Honey Wheat suited blue-collar thirsts.
Things picked up substantially with soft hand-pulled, caramelized rye-malted, earthen peat-tinged Extra Special Bitterand raspberry-tart, tangerine-soured, brimstone-treacled, limestone-leathered, lavender-oiled, white-peppered Framboise Strong Ale. Frothy soft-toned Oatmeal Stout brought coffee ice cream, chocolate éclair, and chocolate chip cookie sugaring to ancillary black licorice, black cherry, praline, cola nut, and macadamia sedation.
Making a tremendous showing with his latest stylish elixirs during June ’11 fling, Stevenson’s latest spot-on offerings proved to be fascinatingly diversified.
Seated at the upper bar with my wife, we shared a tasty flatbread Tuscan pizza while I consumed three previously untried libations. Well-defined Euro-derived brews leading the way this sweltering Saturday at noon were a German smoked beer, a noir English-styled dark ale, and a Scottish heather-tipped beauty.
Honey-glazed ham, bacon, salami, and pastrami drift into cedar-smoked beechwood recession for desiccated Band-aid-wafted Rauchbier, a fine smoked beer knockoff gaining iodized acridity by pallid meat-cured finish.
Lactose-bound Grover’s Mill Coffee & Cream Stout retained impressive egg-creamed froth and creamy mocha nuttiness of Guinness, daubing its clean milked-coffee midst with peat-smoked whiskey and white-brown chocolate sentiments.
Better still, Pictish Ale exemplified a non-hopped heather ale in all its sweetly floral glory. Hibiscus, rosebud, lavender, and lilac create fresh bouquet for honeyed crystal malting, lemon-limed tartness, gin-like juniper passing and ester-y green grape bite.
My wife’s light-bodied, wheat-honeyed, citric-spoiled, dry-finishing Honey Blonde, couldn’t contend but still sufficed.
Hit Princeton area again October ’18, quaffing five previously untried Triumph brews during lunchtime while Supreme Court Judge Cavanaugh got rubbed up by senate probe.
Hoppy Northwest-styled Amber Ale retained tartly soured lemony grapefruit spicing, amber-grained caramel toasting and wispy earthen wood tones.
Dankly sourdough dried Oktoberfest left fennel-licked orange tartness upon leafy hops, moist earthen dewiness and recessive nut bread snips.
Effervescent Belgian candi-sugared Saison let black-peppered cardamom spicing tingle ancillary coriander, grains of paradise, lemony banana and perfumed cologne illusions.
Lemony yellow grapefruit tanginess enveloped New England IPA, leaving grassy hop astringency and crisp pine tones in its wake.
Soft nitro-like cask ale, Nutt’s Brown Ale, underpinned its dark-roast chocolate malting with day-old coffee souring and subtle nuttiness.
NEW JERSEY – NORTH
Overlooking a side-winding creek blocks from the Delaware River in the Arcadian small-town countryside of Milford, maritime-inspired English pub, THE SHIP INN, began operations in 1995 and has bragging rights as Jersey’s first brewpub.
First visited December ’07, this tan-hued maroon-etched side-decked green-walled British-styled public house is lodged inside a historic Victorian building that was used as a busy speakeasy during prohibition. Large wooden doors open to an elongated left-hand back tile-ceilinged oak bar with wood furnishings, hanging pewters, mugs and tap handles strewn about.
Backroom supper space sidled antique Peter Austin brew kettle setup while nautical paraphernalia lined the entire interior. Three formal dining rooms were available.
Typical British dishes such as fish and chips, venison stew and shepherd’s pie accompanied excellent United Kingdom bottled-canned beer selections from Samuel Smith, Theakston’s, Mc Ewan’s, Melbourne Brothers, etc. Alongside plentiful Chicken Hot Pie (featuring shrimp, leeks, and mushrooms), consumed brewer Timothy Hall’s commendable Extra Special Bitter, a frothy-headed wood-stained Cascade-hopped dry body appending grapefruit rind bittering to rye-pumpernickel toasting and creamy residual sugars.
Nearly as great were Hall’s black chocolate-embittered coffee-roasted hop-charred crystal-malted Randy’s Panhead Porter and buttery lemon-seeded grapefruit-soured perfume-hopped black-peppered rye-honeyed walnut-seared tealeaf-tinged cask conditioned Best Bitter. Softer palates will drift towards fluffy floral-hopped grapefruit-fizzed currant-sharpened horsehide-dried Session Ale.
During May ’09 revisit, caught up with Hall once again. Tried busy tea-like Toasted Ale, with its herbal white-peppered pumpernickel surge and coffee-burnt, chocolate-roasted, hop-toasted, cherry-daubed saunter.
Ate lemon-peppered whitefish with green version of cocoa-beaned nut-shelled prune-date-smeared Randy’s Panhead Porter. Afterward, quaffed lemony baked-breaded wheat-husked herbal-soaped Golden Wheat Ale.
On an overcast Sunday in May 2011, long-time brewmaster Timothy Hall joined me as I quaffed two previously untried beers, one new year-round offering, and one rightful award-winning staple, Panhead Porter. Leaning on this British side, Hall’s distinctive handcrafted whole-grain ales really rule the rural roost.
Right in line with this rainy spring season, Spring Mild retained a delicate English-styled bitterness, placing crystal malts in a dramatic peat-smoked tobacco-dried grain setting, picking up a musty fungi earthiness along the way.
Even better, the tongue-tied Pheasant Plucker was definitely the “pleasant fucker” I laughingly requested. A busy, yet approachable, brown ale, its Scotch-splotched peat smoked malting picked up dry mocha-cocoa affluence, earthen woodsy dewiness, sinewy molasses creaming, peanut-shelled cola-walnut shard and dark-spiced kelpee seaweed oiling.
Doing me a huge favor, Hall headed downstairs to the ground level brew tank area and poured me a slightly green version of a viscous pale ale made with local honey over an Extra Special Bitter base. This supreme concoction, known as Killer Bee, brings soft-focus citric intrigue to glutinous raw honey sapping and recessive butterscotch malting.
Presently set for regular rotation alongside pumpernickel-toasted Extra Special Bitter, (citric-dried Best Bitter and baked-breaded Golden Wheat Light), the bees-waxed bittersweet treat will have heads floating like butterflies.
Before heading out after enjoying truly delicious drunken mussels and fish ‘n chips with beer samples, Hall informed me The Ship Inn will brew an India Pale Ale for the early summer and a bitterer offshoot, Northwest IPA, to follow.
NEW JERSEY – NORTH
A few blocks from downtown Montclair and 20 minutes west of Manhattan, EGAN & SONS is tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood on Walnut Street. Initially visited October ’07, upscale brown-bricked restaurant-saloon had small front and side patios, quaint frontal barstool area, elongated left-hand bar across panel-sided tables, cozy eight-chaired private booth, and rear dining space (with striking tiled ceiling).
Many exquisite wood furnishings were salvaged from a Dublin Castle pub, adding an overall Classical feel. English-styled grog consisted of bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, and lamb while honey maple wings, calamari, mussels, and blue cheese salad topped the appetizer menu. A white-marbled dumbwaiter brought food orders from basement kitchen to central bar area. Fine whiskey, bourbon, wine, and bottled beers supplemented conservatively well-crafted beers brewed on small loft level.
Straw wheat-dried corn-husked cereal-grained phenol-hopped Todd’s Lager was rather robust. Subtly perfumed floral hop bittering overlaid calm clementine-peach-apricot fruitiness of Old Fellow Pale Ale.
Salt-watered quince-tangerine-cherry tang festooned cream-centered Red Ale and acidulous hop-fizzed vegetal-citric alcohol-burned Egan Fest lacked autumnal pumpkin spicing.
In November ’08, revisited with parents and wife prior to Al Green concert at nearly Wellmont Theatre to quaff dark chocolate-y hop-charred coffee-burnt maple-sapped vanilla-sweet walnut-buttered Chocolate Porter.
Upon May 2011 inspection, retried two standard brews alongside a fine India Pale Ale and Hooegaarden-like summertime witbier. While dry maize-grained lemon-peeled leather-backed light body, Todd’s Tipple Lager, continues to soothe session beer advocates, the more appealing apple-spiced, orange-dried, wood-lacquered, juniper-embittered Red Ale still pleases bolder thirsts.
As for the two previously untried offerings, both were convincing. Piney grapefruit-peeled, perfume-hopped, peach-toned Odd Fellow’s IPA competes favorably against stronger stylistic competition. And dry lemon-wedged citric-embittered floral-hopped hibiscus-backed Summer Wheat stayed effervescently soft-toned.
LONG VALLEY, NEW JERSEY
Residing at a refurbished 200-year-old gristmill in the bucolic westerly Schooley mountaintops of a secluded village from which it takes its name, LONG VALLEY PUB served fine appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and entrees to go with well-crafted brews on February ’07 jaunt. Entering through a stone trestle to a good-sized patio area leading patrons into an antique wood interior with 1771-built fireplace, central bar, rear brew tanks, and upstairs loft dining, this capacious haven matched woodsy ranch-styled motif to earthy mineral-grained brews.
Dry green-hopped, corn-sopped, honey-malted Grist Mill Golden and astringent wheat-maize-centered, perfume-spiced, orange-dried Hookerman’s Light befit the rural splendor and suited softer thirsts.
Spice hop-embittered, caramel-molasses-packed, rye malt-slacked, citrus rind-backed German Valley Amber remains a local fave and bitterly herbal hop-spiced, grapefruit rind-soured, raw-grained LV’s Best Bitter a drier alternative.
Bolder thirsts will appreciate bitterly pine-combed, honey nut-buttered Nut Brown Ale, dry-roasted, walnut-fronted, coffee-grounded, black chocolate-glazed Lazy Jake Porter and milky lactose-frothed, cocoa bean-dried, hazelnut-sweetened Joe’s Oatmeal Stout.
On February ’09 revisit, tasted woody green-hopped, apple-peach-grapefruit-spiced, IPA-like American Pale Ale and oily cocoa-beaned, coffee-doused, soy-mildewed Devon’s Double Chocolate Stout.
Revisited July ’10 following one-week Poconos excursion, tried dry-hopped, pumpernickel-breaded, rye-toasted, earthen-bottomed, fungi-vegetal Bartleyville Rye. Along with wife, consumed pint of sharply embittered, wood-toned, hop-spiced, citric-peeled, veggie-backed I.P.A.
During May 2011 stopover, discovered dry-grained Signature Pale AlE, an unfiltered wheat-husked, mill-grained, lemon-backed moderation with leathery grass, hay, alfalfa, and barnyard earthiness. Also retried sampler with above-mentioned beers while sipping excellent lobster bisque.
NEW JERSEY – NORTH
Across from picturesque Mohawk Lake in rural western Jersey, Sparta-based KROGH’S RESTAURANT (now a National Historic Landmark), is tucked into a Swiss chalet-styled building with low ceilings, wood-lacquered walls, and rear brew tanks. Serving homemade cuisine since 1937, this cozy tavern began brewing operations in 1999. Originally visited December ’06, Krogh’s left dining area and right side bar featured olden wood furnishings perfectly indicative of its idyllic western Jersey surroundings.
Seafood, burgers, chicken, ribs, and Cajun food went well with brewer Dave Cooper’s lighter fare such as maize-dried, hop-embittered Krogh’s Gold and straw-grassed, wheat-parched, light-hopped Three Sisters Golden Wheat (which had a yummy candy-coated cream ale sensation when raspberry syrup was added).
Prune-soured, fig-dried, champagne-fizzed Alpine Glow Red Ale picked up oaken cherry aridity, apple-cherry souring, and cocoa nuttiness.
Heartier thirsts will lean towards bitter piney-hopped, lemon-dried, orange-peeled, apple-apricot-laced Brogdon Meadow Pale Ale, walnut-hazelnut-skewed, molasses-smoked, hop-charred Log Cabin Brown Ale, nutty coffee-espresso-mocha-bound Old Krogh Oatmeal Stout and winter warming cherry-honeyed, orange-peeled, anise-nutmeg-cinnamon-spiced Celebration Ale.
On one-hour October ’08 stopover, tried Band-Aid-wafted, bitterly-hopped, lemon-bruised, maize-dried, bark-smitten pungency Linfor’s Lager and cider-soured, lemon-tart, cranberry-puckered, white bread-leavened Windy Brow Cider Ale.
While in Sparta, June ’10, for my daughter Nicki’s softball tournament, returned to Krogh’s with mother and father for lunch (turkey club; pastrami; Caesar salad) and tried two newfound glories. Log Cabin Nut Brown retained chocolate-soured astringency as well as peanut-shelled walnut, hazelnut, and cola nuttiness to peppery hop-charred, wood-seared, burnt toast bittering. Bright citric-fronted, juniper-finishing B.K.’s IPA brought glazed peach-apple-pineapple tang to wood-dried, grapefruit-peeled, orange rind bittering.
Settled in on a hot Mayday in 2011 to try Cooper’s latest bold ale. Defiantly atypical, Gruney’s Belgian Dubbel prodded hop-roasted burgundy, port, and barleywine wining out of dried fig, purple grape, and earthen fungi illusions.
During July ’20 trip, sat outside at front deck under Makers Mark umbrellas to sample five previously untried suds. Leaning on the dry side stylistically, each brew had a certain earthen rusticity.
Sessionable soft toner, Bud’s Spuds Pre Prohibition Lager allowed corn-flaked russet potato grits to infiltrate cardboard-grained cilantro herbage, sour lemon rot and perfume musk.
Dry spiced dewy minerality picked up reluctant orange-dried red cherry licks to contrast barnyard leathering for Bud’s Ooh La La Saison.
Herbal-tattered Blum’s Belgian Wit led its lemony orange-coriander tartness into white-peppered black tea, fern and chamomile pleasantries.
Muskily dry Nucky Johnson Prohibition Red Ale buried its expected red-orange-yellow fruiting behind wet-grained oily hop resin.
Floral-perfumed citrus spunk caressed moderate-to-medium body Wicked Happy NEIPA, leaving mildly persistent lemon-seeded yellow grapefruit tartness upon dry pine resin.
NEW JERSEY – SOUTH
I originally wrote about New Brunswick-based HARVEST MOON BREWERY & CAFÉ in Aquarian Weekly during 1999, then revisited Rutgers campus tavern, March ’06. Since first sojourn to industrious New Brunswick metropolis, much had changed. New brewer Matt Mc Cord brought new English ale recipes, the American cuisine got better, and the exterior became cream colored.
An antique wood bar at the entrance curls to the right of this upscale, brick-walled, high-ceilinged pub. Stainless steel brew kettles bedeck the left side and basement fermentation tanks are visible at street level. Upstairs dining is available.
Ate meritorious Duck Confit Salad while quaffing peppery Saaz-hopped, wet-grassed, wheat-chaffed Moonlight Ale and floral Fuggle-hopped, mineral-grained, grapefruit-soured, apple-spiced Elmes’ Mild Manor. Sharply wood-grained, orange-moistened, grain-toasted Full Moon Pale Ale resembled an IPA with its oaken pine-needled bark bite and ample grapefruit bittering. Astringent dark-fruited, coffee-roasted, chestnut-toasted British Nut Brown was just OK.
These standards were bettered by sedate black chocolate-centered, cocoa-beaned, dry-wooded Oatmeal Stout, sharply red-fruited, rosebud-wildflower-tinged, bitterly-hopped Shoot The Moon IPA and prickly yellow-fruited, grain-toasted, Vienna malted, tea-like, Irish-styled Jimmy D’s Firehouse Red.
Magnificent top shelf items were bourbon-themed, brandy-tweaked, candi-sugared Doppel Bock (with its overripe raisin persistence) and burgundy-lingered, cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger-affected, fig-date-dried Spiced Winter Warmer.
While roaming Rutgers University August ’08, sampled mild bourbon-burgundy-affected, caramel-buttered, green-hop embittered, dried fruit-mingled, citric-tingled Moonshine Barleywine as well as soapy banana bubblegum-centered, lemony orange-backed, clove-spiced Harvest Hefeweizen.
Hopheads will go nuts for Hops Double IPA, where resinous hop oils pervade brassy pine-needled grapefruit-juniper bittering and floral-teased orange-apricot easement.
Now manning the kettles, new brewer Kyle Mc Donald came aboard in 2010. Upon June ’11 revisit, sampled two Belgian-styled brews, a hyped-up IPA, and newfangled ‘Moonshine.’
Candi-sugared banana-clove-coriander theme propelled white-peppered Belgian Wit that was bettered by orange-bruised, apple-spiced, melon-sweet, banana-pureed Belgian Saison. Fruitier than less embittered Full Moon, Pop’s Sturgis Double IPA placed pale-crystal malting beneath oaken pine-needled bark bite and grapefruit-peeled apricot-pear fruiting.
Loved newest version of Moonshine Barleywine, a lusty potion saturating cherry-bruised melon, cantaloupe, tangerine, peach, and mango tropicalia with Irish whiskey, buttered rum, bourbon, and burgundy illusions.
Before leaving at 3 PM with Yankees beating the Indians on one of the bar’s four TV’s, settled in with peanut-shelled, mocha-bottomed, walnut-macadamia-hazelnut-bound Mocha Porter.
NEW JERSEY – NORTH
“A family friendly roundabout for all walks of life” is how Tony Soboti describes his family-owned and operated South Orange haven, GASLIGHT BREWERY & RESTAURANT. Located right in the center of town just a few doors down from the railroad station, this amiable three-roomed pub also maintains its status as a local homebrew supplier since 1998. A cozy red brick-walled oasis not far from Seton Hall University, my wife and I first visited Gaslight on Memorial weekend, May ’06.
Amongst the gas lantern-lined town square, Gaslight’s green awning welcomes patrons to a snug horseshoe-shaped oak bar with TV’s at all sides. A tucked-in right side area and private back seating provide family-styled dining. On top of offering terrific stylistically diversified home brews, there is also a great revolving bottled selection (Corsendonk, Westmalle, Sam Smith, Chimay, Schneider, Stone) plus expansive menu (chicken, pasta, sandwiches, pizza). A choice bottled beer collection, fluorescent beer signs, banners, license plates, dartboards, bar trays, and one shuffleboard table were strewn about.
Gaslight’s auspices go back to when Dan Soboti and his son, Danny, began home brewing together. By ’93, they opened a home brew supply store in Maplewood on Valley Street (now located upstairs at Gaslight). Danny completed his undergrad studies and went out to University of California-Davis to attend the Master Brewers Program. Gaslight officially opened June 1998, after four months of demolition, construction, installation and inspections. Joined by Danny’s mom, Cindy (executive chef), and brother, Tony (kitchen boss), their first three beers were Bison Brown, Bulldog Blonde and a Dark Mild.
Country Inn magazine originally rented the upstairs, but Gaslight soon took it over and used the space to host private parties. Storage and the home brewing equipment also fill up the loft space.
The Draft Board 15, a beer appreciation club with newsletter, was set up by Gaslight’s minions to attract fellow home brewers and beer geeks. They usually meet the second Sunday of every month and try to get speaker reps from different breweries. Mini home brew competitions infrequently take place.
Upon first visitation in May ’06, my wife quaffed Belgian’s excellent raspberry soda-like Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic, appreciatively available on tap. Meanwhile, the copper brew kettles at the entrance and right side tanks served a well-rounded selection of on-the-money libations.
Phenol hop-fizzed, grassy-grained, tobacco-dried Bulldog Blonde suited less discriminating novice tastes, but beer aficionados will want to move on to chewy malt-sugared, grapefruit-peeled, orange-dried, floral-accented dry body Pinhead Pilsner and mildly orange-grapefruit-embittered, sweet cracked wheat-backed, almond-tinged ESB.
Soft-tongued, sour-citric, Scotch-tinged, wheat-backed Kolsch and subtly citric, gently-hopped, cereal-grained Pirate Pale Ale were good moderate bodied delectables.
Better and stronger were alcohol-burnt, honeyed-malted, orange-bruised, peach-soured, fig-pecan-snipped The Eliminator Helles Bock and creamy nitro-injected, black chocolate-roasted, coffee bean-dried Perfect Stout.
Abstruse CC Porter draped dry raspberry puree coarseness and sour grape esters atop ancillary orange rind, green apple, seared walnut, and cocoa-coffee bean illusions to Black Forest Cake finish. And I took home a growler of award winning corn-sugared, grain-toasted, light-hopped Slalom Cream Ale.
Upon April ’08 revisit, discovered mild sweet-corned, orange-fruited, biscuit-backed, soapy-finishing Governator Vienna Lager and two tart dark beers.
Big Dog Porter had peat-like coffee-burnt raisin-soured chocolate-browned persuasion.
Colossus Imperial Stout maintained sourly sun-dried fig-prune-date theme submerging dry cocoa-chocolate respite.
During May ’09 stopover, quaffed astringent coffee-burnt, chocolate-soured, walnut-bound, lemon-orange-spoiled Bison Brown, sedate pinot grigio-dried, cider-sharp, lemon-soured, cask conditioned Pit Bull Bitter and woody dry-hopped, apple-orange-fig-draped, currant-embittered, plastic-like softie Zum Alt Dorf.
Better were oaken bourbon-burgundy-sherry-fronted, fig-dried date-sugared 3 Ring IPA and the intensely hop-embittered, bark-dried, alcohol-burnt, grapefruit-peeled, apricot-apple-tangerine-fruited B.A. Massive.
During my September 2011 lunchtime sojourn, I finally got to try the highly praised Abbey Normal, a Belgian-styled dubbel dark ale boasting up-front Merlot, burgundy and bourbon wining over prune-soured fig sugaring, Belgian chocolate spicing given dark floral accents.
More approachable, lighter-bodied Belgian-styled ales included medium-bodied Belgo Pale Ale (a mandarin orange-centered, lemon-fizzed, fig-dried softie with funky brettanomyces yeast souring) and the milder My Garden Wit (a perfume-hopped, citric-fruited, coriander-spiced, floral-backed moderation gathering wispy curacao orange, Japanese pear and tangerine nuances).
Congenial Hopfest, with its easygoing grapefruit-peeled juniper bittering, spiced tropical fruiting, slight alcohol burn and briny salting, utilized woody Amarillo and Cascade hops.
INTERVIEW WITH CO-OWNER-BREWER DANNY SOBOTI
My friend Fred and I dug into our Turkey Jalapeno and Reuben Pastrami sandwiches while I conversed with Danny at the bar.
One of Gaslight’s most popular seasonals is the burgundy-wined, Belgian-candied, chocolate-malted Abbey Normal.
DANNY SOBOTI: We do a big promotion for it when it comes out, showing Young Frankenstien on the TV all day. I did a traditional double fermentation with it. We do our mash, send it over to the kettle, and after we’re done with our boil it’s sent over to the fermenter. We use Belgian yeast and it ferments real warm at 85 degrees. There’s a spicy character. After two days of primary fermentation the temperature drops down and we add the Belgian candy to the fermenter and you get a real nice caramel or burnt sugaring.
Many of your ales are English-styled. Is that a personal preference?
We do a lot of English style ales, but we always try to have at least one lager on – but the fermentation takes longer and ties up the tanks while we’re doing it. We also try to have one Belgian on. Our core beers are British but the Hopfest is an American Pale Ale with American hops and malts and the Bulldog Blonde is an American Golden Ale.
Is the approachable Bulldog Blonde your best seller?
I’d say it was. When we started out, I was making that every third batch. Now it’s gone down, but the seasonals wind up taking over and selling the most. People look forward to them. Our Octoberfest will be coming out late September. Each time you make a relatively small batch, there’s always gonna be minor variations. People enjoy picking out the differences with each batch. Budweiser goes for mass appeal. Over the years, the big brewers have branched out – the way it used to be when Newark had ten or fifteen breweries pre-prohibition. They had a bock in the spring and a summer or winter beer.
One of my favorite Gaslight beers is the intensely hop-embittered, bark-dried, grapefruit-peeled, tangerine-tinged B.A. Massive.
We use Apollo hops in there. We get a lot of our hops from Steiner Hops, an English company. A lot of brewers use Hop Union. But Steiner’s a bigger hop producer with farms all over the world. They do a lot of breeding. Apollo and Bravo are two of their newer hops – utilizing high oil content. These hops have a classic American character – spiciness, citrus, and pine. I like them. And B.A. Massive is one of my favorites. The bitterness level isn’t ridiculous, but we add hops continuously throughout the boil. It has a lot of hop character but it’s not enough to cause palate fatigue.
Water is the main ingredient in beer. How are your pH levels?
Our water stays pretty consistent. We don’t have to adjust the pH too much. It’s slightly acidic. Our light beers I add a little lactic acid to the mash to keep the color down. In our dark stuff, stouts and porter, I usually add some calcium carbonate to take the edge off.
What do you believe separates Gaslight from the other dozen Jersey brewpubs?
I’d say how much stuff we make here. We make the beer here and as much of the food as possible. We make all of our own breads with a smoker. We make the pastrami, barbecued pork and chicken, pickles, all the desserts. Cindy, my mom, comes up with the specials. We also have a suggested pairing to go along with the specials menu. There’s usually three or four special entrees and some special desserts.
NEW JERSEY – NORTH
On the way home from upper Delaware brewpub tour February ‘06, originally visited Metuchen’s unique UNO CHICAGO GRILL & BREWERY (formerly Pizzeria Uno), the only stateside restaurant chain brewpub. Multiple TV’s at every conceivable corner surround right side dining, left side bar (with copper kettles near glass back), and central drinking area of freestanding pub on busy Route 1.
Quaffed prickly dry-hopped lemon-bruised grapefruit-soured wheat-chaffed maize-parched Bootlegger Blonde Ale, fruit-spiced caramel-roasted Station House Red Ale, bohemian malt-lagered citrus-hopped black-peppered pilsner-light 32 Inning Ale and coffee bean-fronted chocolate nut-bottomed Gust-N-Gale Porter.
Better choices showing greater depth were sharp floral-fruited hop-embittered Ike’s India Pale Ale and terrific rust-glowed yeast-sinewy Weiss N’ Bock, with its buttery rum theme, candied malt sweetness, bruised orange permeation and banana-pear fling.
June ’08, tried moderate-bodied Seltzer-like lemon-orange-candied pineapple-apricot-teased pepper-spiced Belgian Wit (served with orange wedge).
On lunchtime July ’10 sojourn to Jersey Shore, stopped by for lemon-wedged floral-tinged citrus-soured Hefeweizen (with its mandarin orange, banana, and clove intrigue).
Also discovered nebulous Band-Aid-scented Scotch-dried phenol-spiced copper ale-like Scotch Ale, an astringent barley-toasted peat-smoked pecan-backed misfire that’d vastly improve by next visit.
During November 2011 lunchtime stopover, my friend Fred and I dipped into a sampler tray before discovering one previously untried libation.
New brewer Chris Percello (who came aboard over the summer) tweaked a few recipes and upped the quality a bit. Our friendly bartending hostess, Alina, kept us entertained while serving Cuban black bean lentil soup, New York clam chowder, thin crust pizza (with roasted eggplant, fetta cheese, pesto, and tomatos) and deep dish pizza (pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions).
Best selling Ike’s India Pale Ale retained a fruitier pining and sturdier hop footprint. A deeper nuttiness, richer roasted hop thrust and dewier peat malting elevated the updated Station House Red Ale. And the dryly nutty Gust-N-Gale Porter easily sufficed.
Afterwards, we got to premier a green version of Uno’s top seasonal offering, the bettered chocolate-spiced version of Scotch Ale, with its peat-y earthen graining, dark caramel malting and caraway-seeded fennel illusions.
Possibly the best selection this sunny afternoon was the American-styled Dark Lager, a quirky medium-bodied German knockoff attaching sedate peanut-oiled mocha dryness to subtle peat-smoked chocolate roast.
To make Uno even more appealing to nearby Route 287 and Garden State Parkway passengers, the $2 happy hour draughts get served Monday thru Friday 4 to 7 and 10 to closing.