On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, sharp floral hop bite contrasts perfumed citric mildness. Soft-spiced grapefruit, orange and tangerine zest as well as candi-sugared tropical fruiting (mango, guava, pineapple, banana) pick up slightest white-peppered earthen dewiness.
Enticingly dry oak-aged Belgian-style farmhouse ale stays delicate on the tongue as pumpkin-seeded lemon-drop souring tops herbal chamomile-ginger-eucalyptus conflux and soft wildflower-dandelion-hibiscus musk. Vegetal gourd, squash and zucchini influence reinforces raw pumpkin dessication. Acrid straw wheat, hay and horseblanket leathering permeates the backend.
CLIMAX BREWING’S DAVE HOFFMANN: JERSEY’S FIRST MICROBREWER STILL GOING STRONG
One of my coolest trips to a liquor store happened on a spring day in ’96 when I discovered CLIMAX BREWING COMPANY at Lodi’s Bottle King. This newfangled Jersey brewery sold their first brew, Extra Special Bitter, in half-gallon growlers at a time when the only similarly packaged fare came from Massachusetts-based Ipswich and Connecticut’s Olde Burnside. An earthen, citric-hopped, peat-malted moderation, this inaugural British-styled libation began the Garden State’s craft beer movement. And that fact can never be denied.
In 2012, Roselle Park’s Climax celebrates its 16th anniversary, an achievement few could’ve imagined when the humble craft beer movement got started. Still residing at the same 3,000 square foot residential neighborhood that allowed self-distributing owner-operators Dave Hoffmann, and his father, Kurt, to become the first licensed New Jersey microbrewers plying authentic recipes, Climax seemingly set the national trend for amber, instead of clear, half-gallon growlers.
“I went to Corning Owens Brockway and asked them if it was possible to make amber jugs instead of the clear ones, which get light-stricken,” Hoffmann explains as we sit at the brewery sipping the just-readied Climax India Pale Ale. “I needed to protect my beer.”
For several years, Climax only sold growlers to the public. But their small bottling line soon made it easier to sell standard 12-ounce bottles to a wider audience who were used to purchasing trendier 6-packs. Starting as a 5-tank, 4-barrel operation, the central Jersey brew house now boasts a 15-barrel, 15-tank, stainless-steeled system.
“Growing up, my dad always had good German beer in the refrigerator, like Dinkelacker and Dab,” the entrepreneurial Hoffmann insists. “At age 18, my friends would be drinking piss water from Coors or Anheuser-Busch. Don’t forget – there were only 285 regional or national breweries at the time. 25 years back, Sierra Nevada was an obscure microbrewery gaining momentum. Anchor always made some interesting beers. I thought Tuborg Gold in the brown bottle was fantastic. Paulaner still makes good beer. But I also liked Watney’s Red Barrel, Welch beers from Felinfoel and Minnesota’s Rhino Chasers – they’re all gone now. I tried lots of different beers. That’s what inspired me to start brewing my own.”
As an interesting sidebar, Dave Hoffmann continues to split time brewing at the Gregorakis family’s highly respected Artisan’s Brewery & Italian Grill in Toms River. In fact, he’s the only Jersey brewer running both a successful microbrewery and brewpub.
Since Dave hurt his back in November, he temporarily brewed Artisan’s Winter Ale at Climax instead of onsite at Toms River. So he had to tie up an extra tank that fleetingly slowed down production. Nonetheless, the confident proprietor prepared properly for the oncoming Christmas rush by putting out mixed cases featuring Climax’s premier Extra Special Bitter, and other longstanding staples such as India Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale and Golden Ale (an updated version of the former Cream Ale).
With a certain unwavering arrogance, reinforced by his all-knowing deep-throated bark, Dave will be the first one to tell you how damn good his beer is. But don’t expect many trend-setting ‘Big Beers’ to emulate from his Roselle Park digs, unless you include Climax Barleywine, a prospering annual celebrator with red-wined brandy, cognac and rosé overtones flourishing above candied apple, bruised orange, medicinal cherry and spiced rum illusions.
Most of Dave’s traditional output features a softer-toned ambience and easier appeal than the current wave of head-wrecking hop-headers, boozy sour ale shredders and other twisted hybrids chic beer geeks tend to gravitate towards. He’d rather imbibe sublime, light-on-the-tongue suds than go overboard. Sure he likes strong barrel aged brews, but there’s a preference towards the warm subtlety of Innis & Gunn’s Rum Cask or the delicately intricate almondine elegance suiting Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale over the robustly molasses-sapped Scotch ale, Founders Backwoods Bastard.
Utilizing a dedicated six-man crew presently, Climax continues to hold its ground despite a massive entourage of local Jersey breweries entering the open market recently. And they valiantly self-distribute all draught beers.
A few days after visiting Dave at Climax, we descend upon Barcade in Brooklyn, where Dave and Kurt will present co-owner Paul Kermizian with a delectable Bavarian Dark (a specialty beer made only for Barcade’s three locations). Its beguiling chocolate, cocoa and toffee flavors emanate from caramel-toasted Munich malts atop soft-hopped earthen peat dewiness. Recessive dried-fruited sherry and port notes affect the amiable mocha finish.
By 11 PM, I’m a little toasted and the Hoffmann’s are tired, so we exit Barcade and head back to Jersey. Dave’s talking up a storm while his dad complains about non-existent Manhattan-to-Holland Tunnel traffic. I’m comfortably numb in the front seat, passing out somewhere in Jersey on the way home. But hey, I got to hang out with two of my earliest favorite local zymurgists.
On tap at Jimmy’s No. 43 in Manhattan, tried Climax Spring Bock (Cask version), a soft-toned treat bringing delicate peated rye graining, earthen minerality and nutty toffee to dried fig-apricot nuances.
Harmoniously balanced clear-yellowed blond ale brings olfactory Belgian yeast mustiness to enormously diversified fruit-flavored profile, retaining a feathery moderate-bodied mouthfeel despite heightened 9.2% alcohol volume. Toned-down peppercorn-spiced green tea bittering creates gingered raw-honey Ricola coughdrop-like astringency, countering sugary apricot-pear-honeydew-melon-pineapple-banana tropicalia, lemon-juiced sloe gin fizz salting and crystal-malted butterscotch sweetness. Mild lemon custard, vanilla, pecan, Courvoisier and rum illusions add further resonance.
Pungent sticky pine resin inundates sharp pineapple-juiced grapefruit rind bittering, sweet orange-tangerine tang and spritzy lemon zest, leaving heavy trail of Brussels lace. Aspirin-like astringency may be debatable, but this here’s a definite hophead fave.
Overstating its ‘wintry setting,’ bottom-fermented dry lagering provides dark-roasted chocolate malting to black licorice slipstream and soured cola-walnut acridity. Lacks distinction of Dominion’s best offerings.
Off-the-hook breakfast eye-opener spreads jaw-dropping deep-roasted green coffee bean supremacy above capacious black chocolate malting. Unforgettable espresso theme proves luxurious, boding well for milked cappuccino creaming. A major find!
Unspecific limited edition porter never finds the groove. Ephemeral chocolate-roasted smoked malts wither into soy-sauced cherry-fig-date tartness and acidic sour apple drear. Stove-burnt coffee, earthen nut oils and sooty ashen wood undertones envelop slightly oxidized backend.
SALISBURY, MARYLAND
Taking Maryland by storm, EVOLUTION CRAFT BREWING COMPANY quickly became a staple in the Eastern Shore’s biggest city, Salisbury, when it opened for biz during 2012. An aluminum-sided industrial edifice houses the spacious microbrewery, which includes high ceiling restaurant-bar area (with 2 TV’s, booths, tables and exposed ducts), gray-bricked storage room (with oak tables and retired wood barrels), far right tasting room and roomy front deck.
My wife and I grab a seat under one of the deck’s red umbrella-covered tables during a sunshine-filled Sunday afternoon in April ’13. Two guys on acoustic guitar are playing the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes Of The World” as we get ready to order. On top of the incredible in-house tapped choices (crafted in the large silos and silver tanks in the rear), Evolution’s bottled and kegged product has made quite a splash in all local craft beer stores sojourned across the Old Line State.
Alongside French onion soup and crab cakes, I settle into Evolution’s four flagship beers. First up, sessionable Exile ESB spread dry-hopped dark crystal and caramel malts atop honeyed whole grain breading, wispy plum-date spicing and herbaceous floral resin.
Next up, dry-bodied Primal Pale Ale laced wet-papered citrus tones with light mineral-watered pine hops.
More aggressively hopped, piney citrus-spiced Lot #3 India Pale Ale loaded grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with crystal malt-sugared peach, melon, pineapple, mango, papaya and passion fruit tropicalia.
On the dark side, dry Lucky 7 Porter plied dark-roasted chocolate malting to mild peat-smoked coffee, toffee and molasses illusions as well as tertiary black grape, green raisin and dark cherry undertones.
Nearly as popular as the flagship offerings, elite Rise Up Stout draped subtle organic roasted coffee bittering above generous Baker’s chocolate, dark cocoa and espresso notions for a perfectly relaxing after dinner treat.
Another mocha-bound offering, Prelude Black Ale, saddled freeze-dried coffee overtones with molasses-draped dark chocolate and Belgian-malted rye wheat.
I got to try my wife’s red-peppered provolone and fontina grilled cheese sandwich while quaffing two Belgian-styled ales. Witbier-like Incubator #1 splotched orange-peeled coriander spicing across dry grassy hops and white wheat graining.
Better was wildflower honey-spiced Special 608 Belgian Amber, a lemony grapefruit-influenced medium body with perfumed hops and wood-dried mildewing.
Before taking the short 4 PM brew tour, dipped into mild citric-soured maibock-like Summer Session, where wood-oiled floral hops seeped into lemon-rotted orange and grapefruit bittering as well as black-peppered peated rye.
On my second stopover, April 2016, my wife and I grabbed a few seats across from the bar to munch on delicious Evo Dip Sampler & Pretzels (with crab, onion and beer-cheesed dips) alongside five previously untried brews.
Light-bodied springtime blonde ale, Sprung, brought its tangy apple-peach-orange-cherry cluster and floral-perfumed chamomile honeying to leafy hop resin.
Part of Evolution’s Migration Series, well-defined Chardonnay Barrel Belgian Ale caressed its vinous white-wined champagne sourness with acidic lemon pungency, oaken vanilla tannins and acrid barnyard funk, leaving a silken Chardonnay warmth at the mellow finish.
Emphatic pineapple-juiced Pine’hop’le IPA brought tangy grapefruit and orange zest as well as ancillary mango-papaya-passionfruit tropicalia to piney hop dryness (without losing its sharp pineapple overtures).
On the dark side, fantastic Prelude Black nestled dark-roasted mocha malts with molasses-sapped brown chocolate sugaring and mild vanilla sweetness atop mildly spiced dried fruiting.
Before exiting, Cathy (Russian Imperial Stout) jammed brown chocolate creaminess and burnt coffee bittering into burgundy-licked dried fruiting.
Stayed at La Quinta Inn across the street from Evolution to try three more previously untried libations, June ’16. Must admit, the food’s dynamite as well. My wife and I shared a flavorful ricotta-cheesed Kale and Quinoa Grain Salad (with beets and walnuts). And the fresh tuna entree truly delivered.
As for the yellow suds, light-bodied blonde ale, Summer Session, brought lemon-seeded wood tones, mandarin orange zest, sweet barley-oats, dry maize and delicate spicing to its white-breaded bottom.
Equally as sessionable, Czech Pils-styled Delmarva Pure Pils draped floral citrus zest and sugary spices above dank earth tones and dainty pilsner malts.
Bets bet: Special 608 Belgian Amber, a dazzling candi-sugared dark ale, gained a syrupy dried fruiting over mild floral spiced hops, leaving honeyed fig, raisin, banana and overtones to sweeten the finish.
Once again ventured down Delmarva’s Route 13 to grab lunch at Evolution, August ’17. Wife and I enjoyed flat-breaded vegan dip sampler (with hummus, cucumber bruschetta and olive tapenade) alongside three previously untried beers.
An unnamed summer ’17 Belgian Ale hybrid brought raw-honeyed herbal funk and cereal grained grist to sweet ‘n sour orange spicing.
Then, lime-fronted Hops Limon IPA gained a zesty edge as cologne-perfumed grapefruit and orange rind bittering bested grassy-hopped lemongrass herbage.
For dessert, dry Roasty Oats Oatmeal Stout draped milk-sugared black chocolate across musky German hop pungency and raw molasses bittering.
BERLIN, MARYLAND
Just eight miles west of Ocean City in a former cooperage, Berlin’s BURLEY OAK BREWING COMPANY opened late 2011 to much local fanfare. Entrepreneurial brewer Bryan Brushmiller and ‘head beer-ologist’ Zach Newton surely know their craft, splendidly delivering stylistically robust ales as well as atypical hybrids to the craving public.
After hanging out at the beach for three hours, my wife and I venture to this gray-shingled prefab barnyard for a few pops during 3rd annual Bikes At The Beach weekend, April 2013.
A front glass window with Burley Oak lettering and stenciled oak tree insignia welcomes patrons to the blue-walled interior, where a large U-shaped oak bar with 20 stools and several oak barreled tables are situated. Through the windowed glass behind the bar lies rustic silver brew tanks. On the left side TV, the Washington Nationals are playing ball while I begin sampling the goods.
Perfect as a mild opener, well-named Just The Tip Kolsch brought lemon-seeded blood orange, mandarin orange, tangerine and orange rot to soft floral hops. Then came a host of diligently prepared Belgian style brews.
Belgian yeast from a Trappist monastery gave Dirty Blonde Ale a peppery herbal notion to go alongside sweet crystal-malted banana fruiting. The same yeast provided a candi-sugared sweetness to viscous nickel-hued Brunette Belgian Dark Ale, where mild plum, raisin, prune and plantain dried fruiting beat a path to its chocolate-y coal-hazelnut finish.
Citra-hopped Honey Comb Belgian Golden Ale brought white-peppered lemony orange-grapefruit spicing to sweet honey comb sugaring.
Next came the India Pale Ale selections, starting with Pale Ryeder Rye Double IPA, a fruitful brown-sugared medium body with pumpernickel-toasted caraway seeding overriding grapefruit and orange rind bittering as well as ancillary peach, apple and pear illusions. Darker fruited MOB Barley Black IPA loaded piney citric Simcoe hops atop bittersweet dark chocolate and black coffee.
Another rewarding choice, crisp-watered Barreled Brown Ale clustered maple-sapped praline, pecan and almond alongside toffee sugaring.
Engaging dark-roasted chocolate malting guided Bunker C Robust Porter, settling above hop-charred ashen nuttiness, cocoa-powdered vanilla-cappuccino conflux and floral-dried bourbon-burgundy-raisin snip.
As for the barrel aged offering, Lower Class Barleywine (matured in Jack Daniels whiskey) carried cedar-chipped maple sugaring and oaken bourbon illusions to a spicy rum-buttered whiskey soothe.
Down the street one mile west of Burley Oak lies Cheers, a fine liquor store with great independent beers from far and wide.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
On the corner of South Broadway in the Fells Point section, MAX’S TAPHOUSE earns the right to be labeled Baltimore’s Best Beer Bar. Boasting 140 rotating drafts, 5 hand-pumped cask stations, 18 TV’s, private rooms and a billiard table, this cozy Irish-styled pub specializes in hard-to-find one-off European beers, respected American micro and nano brews, plus an incredible bottled selection. An elongated wood bar to the right of the entrance gets packed quickly by enthusiastic craft beer imbibers.
On a Friday night in late April ’13, my wife and I grab one of the wooden community tables to quaff a few previously untried offerings. Loud classic rock (Electric Light Orchestra’s “Evil Woman” and Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet”) blasts from the speakers as a large contingent of post-collegiate weekend warriors tip some cocktails while enjoying typical pub food.
For our 2-hour sojourn, I enjoy three different stouts in Charm City’s highly touted watering hole. But first, I grab Full Tilt Baltimore Pale Ale, a local flagship beer offering mild IPA-like pine-needled orange peel bittering to floral grapefruit, apple, peach and pear illusions above a caramel-toasted barleymalt base.
Representing Hawaii, Maui Aloha Baktun Belgian Stout was the least interesting of the stouts, getting a tad musty despite its nutty dark-roasted chocolate opening, bittersweet coffee bean salience, mild espresso dalliance and sugary Belgian yeast influence. Better was Missouri-based Boulevard Coffee Ale, a distinct strong ale blending heavenly Ethiopian Sidamo coffee with dark-grain roasted barleymalts and oats-dried rye breading.
For dessert, Iceland’s remarkable Olvisholt Lava Smoked Stout proved to be uniquely balanced, plying peat-smoked German rauchbier grit to dark chocolate, roasted coffee and fudgy molasses illusions. (Full reviews are in Beer Index).
A friendly neighborhood saloon glorified by its long-time rep as a superior craft beer fortress, Max’s admirably preserves Baltimore’s historic boutique-bound maritime post.
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND
In the light industrial section of Columbia (blocks from Pub Dog Pizza & Drafthouse and ten miles south of Baltimore), FRISCO TAP & BREWHOUSE rules the roost with its awesome fifty rotating taps, four on-site homemade beers by PUSH AMERICAN BREWING and amazing pub fare.
A pristine sportsbar atmosphere, conducive to a cocktail lounge, makes Frisco a fine choice for any high-minded beer-drinkin’ jock. At the prominent U-shaped oak bar (where eight TV’s and a blackboard beer list are located) my wife and I grab stools for a lunchtime visit, April ’13.
Along the tan and maroon walls of the high ceiling interior are several canvassed banners representing top-notch craft brewers such as Stone, Troegs, Lagunitas and Southern Tier. Local offerings by Dogfish Head, DuClaw, Evolution, Flying Dog, Old Dominion and Union Craft crowd the current tapped selection while many more fine chocies are available on both tap and in refrigerated bottles.
Before getting to the appealing house beers, we’re struck by the solid food menu. Manhattan Clam Chowder, goat-cheesed Arugula Salad and olive-oiled Hummus (with pine nuts and parsley) are outstanding. Pizza, sandwiches, burritos, fajitas and meat-fish entrees all look appetizing.
As for Push American Brewing, although their beers get hidden beside the fertile selection of local, national and international fare, each one deserves a chance. Weirdly beige-hazed Push 72 & Sunny Spring Wheat brought dry champagne grapes, lemon-candied spritz and clove-coriander spicing to a lime-salted white wheat finish (recalling a German Berliner Weiss).
Sessionable Push Gate Drop Pale Ale layered citric rind bittering atop herbal perfumed hops. A bit bitterer, Push Hebrew Knievel Red I2PA brightened its red and pink grapefruit juicing with spiced peach-pear-apple illusions.
Before completing my meal, I get a pint of Push/ Heavy Seas collaboration, Thick As Thieves Porter. Its roasted dark chocolate entry and soy-milked coffee bittering allowed ancillary cola nut, toffee, molasses, vanilla, blackberry and cookie dough illusions to prosper.