by Tony Iocono

It seems like every day in the state of New Jersey a new brewery is in the act of opening. That is a great thing for the consumer. More places to get a beer and more different and interesting towns to see. One of the underrated parts of visiting a brewery is to see what the town around the brewery has to offer. I have never heard of Waretown, NJ before visiting Oyster Creek Brewery. Located in a strip mall with a variety of shops that include the brewery, a restaurant, a hotel, and even a US Postal Service front. Waretown is known for once having a nuclear energy plant which ceased operations in 2018. Finding these pockets in the state I grew up in are very interesting and an extremely rewarding experience. Looking at the town you are visiting should be a part of any brewery pilgrimage just to see if there is a food source nearby. For those new to New Jersey’s draconian rules, breweries cannot serve food at their brewery with their limited brewing license. So, if you are traveling to New Jersey from out of state or new to New Jersey Craft Beer, do a cursory Google Search to make sure that food is nearby.

Now there are some towns that have a very Main Street USA feel like Pitman, NJ which houses a theatre, a fantastic Ice Cream place, bakeries, restaurants, and little boutique shops plus Kelly Green Brewery. Pitman’s main street used to house two breweries, Kelly Green and Human Village, and they originally only had store in between them. Which raises the question, is craft beer declining in New Jersey? Let’s look at some numbers. New Jersey has roughly 141 breweries in the state. That is good for 21^st most in the country. New Jersey is in the top half of the country in the number of breweries it has within the state. The number of New Jersey breweries grew from 90 total breweries in 2017 to 141 breweries in 2021. That is a 56% increase in the number of breweries in 5 years. However, from 2019 to 2021, the amount of New Jersey breweries grew by only 5% per year (127 breweries to 134 breweries to 141 breweries). So, the number of breweries opening has tapered off with the COVID-19 pandemic probably having to do a great deal with that. (source: https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics-and-data/state-craft-beer-stats/)

New Jersey breweries that have closed in the last couple years are Human Village in Pitman, Atco Brewing in Atco, Tomfoolery Brewing in Hammonton, Raritan Bay Brewing in Raritan, Dark City Brewing in Ashbury, and The Referend moved out of New Jersey into Pennsylvania. This is outweighed by all of the new breweries opening which includes Farm Truck in Medford, Behr Brewing in Cape May, Readington Brewery, Newark Local Beer, Twin Lights in Tinton Falls, Whims Brewing (opening in the same location Atco Brewing was at), Stratosphere Brewing in Mt. Holly, Sons of Barley in Woodbury, Brewery 33 in Riverton, Coastal Brew Works in Monmouth, Shoreside in Ventnor, and Tanner Brewing in Haddon Heights. I am sure there are others also in the process of opening but there seems to be a pretty steady growth of breweries within the state of New Jersey.

Let’s move onto actual beer consumption from New Jersians. New Jersey craft breweries created about 213,000 barrels of craft beer in 2021. That ranks 27^th out of the 50 states. The interesting number is that comes out to about 0.95 gallons per 21+ year old adult in the state and that ranks only 46^th out of 50^th in the United States. That means any plus 21-year-old in New Jersey only consumes about 7.8 pints of craft beer per year. That seems extremely low because I know I have drunk more than 8 pints of New Jersey craft beer in one day before. This data is especially surprising when you compare that to our state neighbors Pennsylvania who consume over 10 gallons of craft beer per plus 21-year-old adults (which ranks 4^th in the country). Pennsylvanians’ consumer 10 times the amount of craft beer that New Jersians do. Delaware consumes over 12 gallons of craft beer per plus 21-year-old adults (which ranks 2^nd in the country). New Jersians have just as many reasons to drink as our neighbors from Pennsylvania and Delaware. While New Jersey Craft Beer might not be declining there is a real disconnect from proximity states and how much beer is consumed in those states versus New Jersey. Now is it possible that DogFish Head and Yuengling which are still considered independent craft beer favor heavily into Pennsylvania and Delaware’s consumption and it does not account for how much those breweries ship out of state. The key according to this data is to increase beer growth in New Jersey is to import more people from nearby states. (The data that this pulls from is behind a paywall)

New Jersey’s Craft Beer scene is incredibly underrated and underrepresented to the US Market. There are few Philadelphia breweries that I consider equal to the best breweries in that state of New Jersey or the best beer communities in New Jersey. Cape May County has 11 breweries that are all good to great including Ludlam Island, Slack Tide, and Gusto. Mount Holly has two breweries in Spellbound and Village Idiot with one on the way plus one of the best Beer Bars in the state in the Local Eatery. You have the towns of Hammonton and Pitman that have everything from the Main Street USA feel with great breweries to restaurants and shops and other stores. There are breweries in North Jersey that you probably never heard of that has great beer and a town you’ve never been to. Go out there and find those towns and beers. Nothing ventured, nothing gained my friends.

  

So, get out there and elevate these pedestrian New Jersey beer numbers, as Matthew McConaughey said in Wolf of Wall Street, “You gotta pump those numbers up. Those are rookie numbers in this racket.” Plus, do we really want to get drunk under the table by Delaware, I think not.

By Tony Iocono

Beer Festivals SZN is upon us. A festival for rest of y’all. There are a ton of big, small, and medium beer festivals coming up in the next months. Festivals are usually a collection of breweries that meet in one location and pour a selection of beers for consumers. Sometimes there is a theme like Oktoberfest or Dark Beers or sometimes it’s just a conglomeration of like-minded people coming together to experience a multitude of beers in a common location. In this article we are going to discuss how to properly game plan for a beer fest and some upcoming beer festivals in the New Jersey area.

Step 1: Scout

Scout the beer fest website to see what breweries are going to be in attendance. Look to see if there is a site map for the placement of the breweries. For the AC Beer fest there is going to be around 150 breweries there and about 70 from NJ. I would prioritize breweries that are farther away or breweries that you have never had a beer from. This is the best reason for going to a beer fest. You can go to breweries across the region or entire country without leaving your home state. If I do more than 1 session, I would split it up a do all NJ breweries 1 session and all other breweries another session. Which segways us into our next step.

Step 2: Take advantage of multiple sessions

The AC Beer Fest and most beer fests have more than 1 session or a VIP package that gets you commemorative glasses and gets you into the beer fest earlier with certain breweries offering a rare beer. I suggest you pay out the extra $10 to $15 it costs to get in early. This will also help you spread out the alcohol over an extra hour. Anytime I have had the VIP ticket it has always been worth it. There is less foot traffic getting into the venue and easier to get to the breweries you want to get to. One beer fest that does a tremendous job of showing the consumer the layout and what beers are going to be in attendance is Summer Swelter Beer Festival in Pitman by Adam Mazzola and his team. One to two weeks before the festival, you know what breweries will be there, what beers they are bringing and what the VIP beer is. The VIP beer is usually a one off for that event meaning its brewed special for that event or has not debuted in that brewery’s tap room yet. (Note to Adam: we need Summer Swelter to be a two-day thing next year).

Step 3: Hydrate and don’t fill up on food

This may seem counter intuitive but despite being a ton of great food options at beer fests don’t fill up on food and do not go on an empty stomach. Hydrate with water during the day. Eat nutrient rich foods during the lead up to the beer fest like fruits and salads or unsalted nuts. Salty food pairs well with beer but it dehydrates you. So, if you do eat salty foods, drink some Salt and Sea from Flying Fish or SeaQuench from Dogfish Head, they have electrolytes in them and are basically alcoholic Gatorade. Trust me, I’m a man of science.

Step 4: Dress for the occasion

Beer Fests are usually outside, and this year AC Beer Fest is as well along with Summer Swelter, Manahopkin in Manahawkin, and Pints in the Park in Washington Twp. Atlantic City Beer Fest runner Jon Henderson said to wear comfy shoes and I would 2^nd that as well. Wear a hat and sunscreen. Dress comfortably and show off your favorite podcast or breweries shirt in the process.

Step 5: Bring Tums, you will thank me later. If you don’t have any. Look for me. I carry enough for an armada of humans.

Step 6: Know your limit

Beer Fests are the best and but if you feel like you are going to puke, stop drinking. It is no fun to be the babysitter for someone.

Step 7: Know your exit

Know how you are getting home whether it’s an uber or cab or a designated driver. Do not drink and drive. It’s not cool or smart.

Step 8: Get out of your comfort zone

Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. So how do you find out about yourself, you try new things. This is the perfect time to try styles of beer you normally would not and try new breweries or breweries that you were maybe not crazy for. Even if you do not like a brewery the first time you go, you should really go back 6-12 months later to see if they improved their beer and processes. Beer Festivals allow you to do this but without driving to the individual brewery. Also, ask the brewery person about their beer and what their taproom is like. Talk to people from the breweries and converse about the beers and what you may like and not like. Come up and talk to the podcast people or the people serving the beer. They are extremely passionate about this industry and the liquids that they serve.

Step 9: Have fun

Go have fun. Be with people. Pound beers. Eat food. Celebrate. Beer Festivals bring people together in a combination of hops, water, malt, and human innovation. The camaraderie between each other and the times we share is what make the lasting memory. Without the memories, we have nothing as humans and are just animals waiting to die. Cherish the moments with friends and strangers alike.

Here are some Beer Festivals that are coming up.

May 14^th – Maple Shade Beer Festival at Dr. Brewlittles

Home

May 21^st – Pints in the Park at Washington Lake Park in Washington Township, NJ

https://www.pintsfest.com/

June 4^th and 5^th – Atlantic City Beer Festival at Bader Field

https://www.acbeerfest.com/

June 25^th – Beer Fest at the Battleship in Camden, NJ

Beer Fest 2022

August 6^th – Manahopkin at Manahawkin, NJ

Home

August 13^th – Summer Swelter Beer Fest at Total Turf in Pitman, NJ

Summer Swelter Participating Breweries

September 17^th and 18^th – Downbeach Seafood Festival in Atlantic City, NJ

https://www.downbeachseafoodfest.com/

October 14^th and 15^th – Witch Craft in Hammonton, NJ

https://www.witchcraftnj.com/

by Tony Iocono

Welcome to Tony’s Takes, this is reoccurring segment on the Jersey Beer Guys and Girl Podcast where I sit with my jar pennies and throw in my 2 cents on my beer related opinions. This week’s take is how to properly use the Untappd App. I know I have talked about this before on previous podcasts and when I was on the Two Brewthers Beer Podcast we rated beers for each brewery that we visited using Untappd, but this needs to be stated in a yearly interval. There was a post by a brewery owner on the South Jersey Brewery Madness Facebook page joking that he looked at the Untappd ratings of his beers and now he is upset. Now the brewery that this person owns is a very good brewery with a ton of different styles and a unique and never done by any other brewery flight card. Other brewery owners commented on the post and listed what their least favorite parts about Untappd and more so the people who use Untappd. Here is the way I use Untappd.

Intro to the Untappd App

Untappd is one of my favorite apps and my favorite beer tracking app. It is a part of social media and I have met new friends on Untappd so if you are looking for a way to meet new people with a similar interest in beer, that is a positive of Untappd. Untappd also has a good algorithm to help you find beers you might like based off previous beers you have checked in and gave favorable reviews towards.  Not only does it track the beers you like and might like to try, the Untappd app can also tell you where you can find beers you like or beers you might like. You can set notifications for tap list updates at your favorite bars, breweries, liquor stores, or restaurants. The user can sign up for alerts for when beers come out and if they are in your location. Untappd will even tell you about beer events in your area that you might not be aware of.

How to use Untappd

The user searches for the beer he or she is drinking on the Untappd app and then rates the beer        from a 0 being the worst beer they’ve ever had aka Bud Light Lime or a 5 being amongst the best beers the user has ever had. The user can add tasting notes of the beer or leave it blank. The user can also choose to not give the beer a rating (which we will get to in a little bit). The user gets different badges for checking in beers and different beer styles. This is not a motivation of mine, but I am sure there are plenty of people who try to get certain badges. You can invite your friends on Untappd and make new ones. You can toast a beer someone else checks in. It is another arm of social media linked through drinking beers. Drink, check in the beer, enjoy, and see how your tastes and beer styles change. I like it for tracking what beers I have had to seeing if the tasting notes are the same when I check in two of the same beers at different points of time.

How to not use Untappd

Untappd is the bane of existence for many brewers and breweries. I have not met many brewers or owners who like Untappd because how subjective it is or how the users use. Bad ratings tend to upset the brewers hard work. Untappd also seems to be the market research that the social media managers use for the breweries love to see what works and what sells. Here is how not to use Untappd. If you do not like IPAs. Don’t give an IPA a bad rating because you dislike hoppy beers. Leave it unrated. Would you go to a restaurant and order tuna fish if you don’t like tuna fish and then leave the restaurant a bad yelp review? If you like IPAs and dislike an IPA that you had then by all means give it a rating you think it deserves. But you can leave tasting note comments, say that it tasted astringent or was a little too funky for your taste. You do this so that if you come across this beer again, you can compare what you said last time about the same beer. If you do like the beer and say it was the best IPA you have ever had, give it a rating that supports your beliefs for the beer. One extra note here, if you go to a brewery and you are ordering a beer, you do not have to base your decision on what beer you are going to order by the Untappd ratings. That is some jabroni behavior and you should probably just order the beer style you like most or what the brewery is known for.

My rating system for Untappd

If you followed me on my previous podcast Two Brewthers, we had an entire show dedicated to rating beers from the brewery we just visited. I have rated about 2,400 unique beers on Untappd and adding more by the day. Here is my rating system: Any beer I rate over a 3 out of 5 and above, I would have again, Any beer I rate over 4 out of 5 and above, I would buy a 4 pack or crowler of it to have again. Any beer I rate as a 5 out of 5 I consider transcendent, a delicious creation of hops, malt, yeast, and water. I would seek that beer out to the ends to earth. Less than 1% of the beers Ive had I have rated a 5 out of 5. Anything I rate below a 3 I would not have again. I usually give my tasting notes for each beer when I check them in. You can follow me on Untappd at Tony Iocono. In summation, be respectful but honest when giving out an Untappd rating, for the brewers and brewery workers, this is their livelihood and how they support their families. These are small business owners who need your business during this time.

By Tony Iocono

Welcome to the Brew Review on Jersey Beer Guys, pause for effect, The Website. This will be a reoccurring monthly segment where I highlight the best beer I drank in a certain month. I am not going to attribute a rating of the beer within the article, but the main point is going to try to highlight the beer and the brewery that makes it.  I am going to try to keep it to the local Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey area but occasionally a beer from outside our local area may be so transcendent that it makes an appearance.

(in alphabetical order by brewery)

Brewery: Ark Brewing/ Dr. Brewlittle’s Beer Co/Farm Truck Brewing

Where: Lumberton, NJ

Beer Name: Three’s A Crowd

Beer Style: Farmhouse Ale – Saison

ABV: 8%

Background and Tasting Notes: Brewed at Dr. Brewlitle’s in Maple Shade, NJ as a collaboration with Ark Brewing in Lumberton and soon to open Farm Truck Brewing in Medford. This beer was another 8% banger that was classified as a Saison that was not boozy in the least bit. This was my favorite beer of the day when we did the podcast with Ark. Three’s A Crowd had a gorgeous reddish orange glow to it. This beer had a funky, barnyard smell to it in the best possible way. The taste was that of a grapefruit rind and had a nice tartness to it. The Philly Sour Yeast was used as well as three different hops from New Zealand, Riwaka, Taiheke, and Motueka. This was an interest mix of ingredients that you do not typical see together that goes from ballroom dancing to mosh pit on the customer’s pallet with each sip.

Brewery: Carton Brewing Co.

Where: Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Beer Name: Boat Beer

Beer Style: Session India Pale Ale

ABV: 4.2%

Background and Tasting Notes: Carton is one of the founding fathers of New Jersey Craft Beer. I think because of that, I kind of ignore Carton because it is always around. When I did the Two Brewthers podcast with my brother, one question we always asked whoever we were interviewing was what is your favorite NJ beer? The answer we received about half of the time was one of Carton’s Boat Beer or Kane’s Head High. Dan Hoover of the now defunct Atco Brewing was the biggest fan of that beer. To my discredit, I had not tried it ever until this last month. What a huge mistake on my part. Boat Beer is just a smooth, easy drinking beer for all occasions. This is New Jersey’s version of Founders All Day IPA and Boat Beer is better. It has a little more bang for your buck in the grapefruit and citrus department with enough hoppiness to keep you coming back for more.

Brewery: Vinyl Brewing

Where: Hammonton, NJ

Beer Name: The Secret Parking Lot

Beer Style: Sour

ABV: 5.5%

Background and Tasting Notes: Vinyl is known throughout the state as being one of the best breweries to crank out sours (among other styles of beer). The first thing you notice with this beer is the vibrant color. The pinkish orange with a nice head of suds on it. I had a full pour of it but drank it too fast to get a picture so you the reader must settle for the 4-ounce pour. It was made with blackberry and guava and both fruits explode on your pallet. The beer style is considered a sour, but it is not overpowering to the drinker. The tartness from the guava and blackberry and the esters from the yeast give it great depth of flavor.

Brewery: Warwick Farms Brewing

Where: Jamison, PA

Beer Name: Juicy Pils

Beer Style: Pilsner

ABV: 6%

Background and Tasting Notes: This is our first beer outside the Garden State in this segment. Warwick Farms just opened their taproom to the public and the hype is real. One of my buddies visited and brought back some cans. Juicy Pils is classified as a Pilsner but from the first taste was more IPA than Pilsner. Citra is the main player here. There is a slight bitterness but the flavors that are most pronounced are citrus and lime. The beer has a medium body and a slight floral and earthiness that gives Juicy Pils a complexity that is away from your garden variety Pilsner that tends to be crisp and light. Juicy Pils is an absolute crusher and can be enjoyed all day to the wee hours of the night. I also had one of their IPAs, Fantastic Fusion, which was very good as well.

It is a rare thing for me to never had a beer from a New Jersey brewery in this day and age. Ark Brewery is in Lumberton, New Jersey and recently opened in 2021. Ark is one of the new age New Jersey brewery/pub hybrids meaning they have a full bar and liquor license. From the outside, the architecture looked like a giant, modern barn. Wooden panels all over the front façade with an A-Frame with a welcoming sign that said Ark Brewery, Restaurant & Pub. Ark also has a private room on their second floor and a huge outside space where live music can be played. We were met by Brewer, Kenny and General Manager, Andrew with beers in hand welcoming the entire Jersey Beer Guys and Girl posse. It was a full house from Rob, Amy and me plus Ian and Eric with guests Kenny and Andrew. Part 1 of the podcast is already out with part 2 coming out soon.

One of the many topics that we talked about with Kenny and Andrew was how well the South Jersey brewing scene had treated them since they opened. While they have brewing equipment on the premises and intend to brew on site, they currently do not have a brewing license yet. They have been nomad brewing their beer at Dr. Brewlittle’s in Maple Shade, NJ with help from owner and legend Jack O’Connell. It is wonderful to see businesses working together to bring the consumer different and fun new creations. That seems to a motif within the industry that each brewery is willing to lend a helping hand to another brewery if needed. Kenny talked about his experience at Double Nickel Brewing in Pennsauken, NJ during the podcast about specific examples of when other breweries needed ingredients and how they got through those times.

Ark has a fully stocked bar with everything from their own beer that they make in house (more on that in a little), rotating guest taps, wine, and cocktails. Ark has several “guest” taps which means there are beers from other breweries. Those guest taps included two Tonewood beers on tap plus a Brotherton IPA and Allagash from Maine. One thing that stood out about the bar was how deep and space it was. You could have had 20 people behind the bar, and no one would have been cramped. That really fit in with the whole vibe of the place. It did not feel like your typical brewery. The customer cannot see the beer equipment or brewhouse from the restaurant or bar. The feeling it gives to the customer is that of an upscale basement bar. Between the depth behind the bar and room for the bartenders, it was as if I was in my friend’s bar and not at a commercial space. The bartenders and especially Kenny and Andrew made you feel as if we were just hanging out talking about beer and life rather than a business.

The first beer we had was their Double India Pale Ale called Cycle. It checked in at 8.1% ABV and was brewed at Dr. Brewlittle’s by Ark Brewery. The beer had a beautiful orange hue to it with a citrus nose that heavily perfumed the air. The taste was tropical and bright. Cycle had no hop burn and tasted as if it was 5% ABV instead of 8% plus. That made it a quintessential hashtag danger beer. It is hard to find a beer that has a high alcohol content that you want to keep drinking.

The next beer we had was Ark Brewery’s collaboration with Dr. Brewlittle’s and soon to be opening Farm Truck Brewing in Medford called Three’s A Crowd. This beer was another 8% banger that was classified as a Saison. This was my favorite beer of the day. Three’s A Crowd had a gorgeous reddish orange glow to it. This beer had a funky, barnyard smell to it in the best possible way. The taste was that of a grapefruit rind and had a nice tartness to it. The Philly Sour Yeast was used as well as three different hops from New Zealand, Riwaka, Taiheke, and Motueka. This was an interest mix of ingredients that you do not typical see together that goes from ballroom dancing to mosh pit on the customer’s pallet with each sip. Amy said that it tasted like Spree Candies.

We had two beer secret beers that were not yet on tap for public (don’t tell anyone). First was Pretty Little Thing, a 6% lager which was hopped with Magnum hops. It was extremely full bodied and coated the entire mouth. It had malty sweetness along with biscuit and bread like flavors that left you happy and full. There is no picture of this beer because it went down so smooth, my apologies. The 2^nd secret beer was called Spirit Pigeon, a 5% Schwarzbier. The primary tasting notes of this beer was that of roasted malts and bitterness of coffee without being overpowering.

Ark has a classic pub restaurant menu that features burgers, chicken sandwiches, and barbeque pulled pork and smoked brisket sandwiches. I had some pub pretzels that we served with house made beer cheese that did not disappoint. The match made in heaven, beer, beer-cheese and a nice salty pretzel. I went against what I usually get with a burger and opted for the Fried Chicken Sandwich and it was on point. It was expertly fried and extremely juicy with crisp lettuce and tomatoes that made the sandwich pop. The Volcano sauce was the ultimate kicker, it was an elevated Sriracha sauce that gave the sandwich a nice kick without giving you heartburn. The fries that it came with were atypical looking but delicious. My wife had the Fried Seasonal Veggies as an appetizer and said it was one of the best things she’s ever had and saved me none to try. She usually does not eat vegetables, so this is an amazing event in itself.

The beauty of this brewery is that they have a liquor license, so we were able to taste more creations than just beer. One such creation was called Bubba’s Jolly. Named after their chef Bubba, it was a mixture of Train Wreck Gin (from Mt. Holly, NJ), Peach Schnapps, cranberry and pineapple juice with a splash of Ginger Ale. The drink tasted exactly like a watermelon jolly rancher in the best way. Ark also makes these in to-go pouches like alcohol infused Capri-Suns.

In addition to the Bubba’s Jolly, after the podcast was over, Andrew emerged from the bar with these milky white shots of liquid. In celebration of the day, we all took a shot. Amy was very apprehensive of what the shot was but took it anyway. It was a Key Lime Pie shot that tasted exactly like a slice of Key Lime Pie. Tart, Creamy, and full of lime without it being overly sweet or sour.

Overall, Ark Brewery is cool location with a bite and beverage for any tastes. What stood out to me was that we spent 4 plus hours there and by the end of the late afternoon/early evening it seemed like we were all very good friends despite not previously meeting Andrew or Kenny. Their enthusiasm and hard work comes out in the beer and the food and maybe most importantly the overall feeling of the place.

Welcome to Tony’s Takes, this is reoccurring segment on the Jersey Beer Guys and Girl the Website where I sit with my jar pennies and throw in my 2 cents on my beer related opinions. This week’s take is a vignettes of quick hitting beer opinions and one non-Beer magma lava dying hypergiant take.

1. Lactose in Beer

I am lactose intolerant, but I am a sucker for a milkshake IPA. I can only drink one in a day because it makes me gassier than Jupiter. I would say just let’s not put lactose in every beer. I would like to see more Sour IPAs and a West Coast IPAs being made. I love the hazy NEIPAs but let’s mix it up

• Hard Seltzers and Slushies

Hard Seltzers are not for me. I’ve tried a lot of them, and they just do not taste good to me. I understand why breweries make them, they are less expensive to make than beer and gets the non-beer drinkers into the breweries. It is a great diversification of product. If there is any seltzer that any of my dozens and dozens of readers could recommend, I would try it. Slushies are the next thing. Brix City, Westville, and Three 3’s has all put out Slushies with beer in them and they are dangerous and delicious.

• Green, Gimmick, and Adjuncts Beers

I am not for green St. Patty’s day beer but holiday inspired beers I am here for. Magnify released a beer for Easter called Egg Hunt which is an ice cream and marshmallow sour. Heavy Reel released Rum Ham which is a Fruited Berliner Weisse made with pineapple, cherry, and Atlantic sea salt. I need all of that plus a It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference. I love a good gimmick. Germany has beer purity laws and beer police that has been in place for 500 years called the Reinheitsgebot. I love adjuncts in beer. As you can tell from my gimmick beer take. Flaked oats in lagers. Fine by me. Marshmallow sour, sign me up. Pork in my porter, yes please. Maple Syrup in my stout. Absolutely.

• South Jersey Brewery Madness Facebook Group

It has been two years since Brian Kieffer made a Facebook group that took all the South Jersey breweries and did a March Madness Style Bracket where people could vote on who the best Brewery was. The group currently has over 6,500 people in it. Brian announced that he would not be doing a voting bracket this year. While sad, it was a great exercise to see which breweries the most well liked and which breweries were grew from one year to the next. New Jersey is a criminally underrated beer state, and this group was a testament to that. I hope someone else continues it. (unrelated note: The Jersey Beer Guys Podcast family each filled out a bracket last year and the wager was one 4 pack of beer from everyone to the winner, I won, and I am still waiting for my beer. I believe it is talked about on the Swedesboro episode)

• Nothing to do with Beer Take-Disney Edition

I spent a lot of time at home with my daughters over the last couple weeks due to an illness. I was showing them the older, non-Pixar Disney movies. I can only take so much Frozen and Coco. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorites growing up, Be Our Guest is an absolute banger and top three Disney song. Beauty and the Beast has one of the best non-titular characters. Gaston. Gaston is not the bad guy/villain of Beauty and the Beast. Gaston is a war hero (French War Hero nonetheless) and a romantic (sets up a makeshift wedding by himself for Belle only to be brutally rebuffed). Gaston goes up against a bigger and stronger opponent embodied with magical powers to save the woman of his dreams and dies trying. Gaston is the hero in every other Disney movie. 

The Beast kidnaps Belle and then Stockholm Syndromes her until she breaks. The servants are the castle only see Belle as a means to an end to have their humanity restored. The servants help the Beast seem okay by serving all of Belle’s needs. I will also hear arguments for Maurice (Belle’s father) being the villain for letting his daughter switch places with him in a dungeon. What a garbage human being.

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit or Twitter at Tony Iocono.  Don’t be a jabroni and that’s Tony Take for this installment of Jersey Beer Guys and Girl, the Website.

By Tony Iocono

Welcome to the Brew Review on Jersey Beer Guys, pause for effect, The Website. This will be a reoccurring monthly segment where I highlight the best beer I drank in a certain month. I am not going to attribute a rating of the beer within the article, but the main point is going to try to highlight the beer and the brewery that makes it.  I am going to try to keep it to the local Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey area but occasionally a beer from outside our local area may be so transcendent that it makes an appearance.

(in alphabetical order by brewery)

Brewery: Chimney Rustic Ales

Where: Hammonton, NJ

Beer Name: Phantasmic Voyage

Beer Style: India Pale Ale – Imperial/Double

ABV: 7.6%

Background and Tasting Notes: Phantasmic Voyage is true to its name; a cosmic sojourn of swirling citrus and bright melon with a rounded, creamy finish without any added lactose. Phantasmic Voyage has everything you want in an IPA, it has a blast of dankness and a solid but inoffensive hop profile that highlights the best flavors of any great IPA. I would put this beer in the New England IPA category and after having some Tree House from Massachusetts this month, I can honestly say Phantasmic Voyage was either as good or better than every Tree House NEIPA I tried this month.  Phantasmic Voyage also delivered on something I rarely do, I had two full pours of it. Sometimes as you drink an IPA or heavily hopped beer, the hop burn becomes evident on your pallet as you drink it. After, two full pours, that was not the case. I could’ve even gone for a third pour if I was not driving. This would be a no-brainer everyday beer and honestly a true toss up between Chimney’s 43% Burnt Vanilla Porter. (Great Dillinger Escape Plan reference)

Brewery: Dr. Brewlittle’s Beer Company

Where: Maple Shade, NJ

Beer Name: Timtern

Beer Style: Baltic Porter

ABV: 8%

Background and Tasting Notes: Owner Jack from Dr. Brewlittle’s is one of my favorite people. He has a passion for craft beer that comes off through his brewery. Normally, my millennial heart would’ve stopped me from ordering this beer, but Jersey Beer Guy Rob suggested that I get this beer. He is an expert on all things Dr. Brewlittle’s, so I obliged.  Baltic Porters are not a go-to style of beer for me. Per my untappd (follow me on untappd @TonyIocono) history, I have only checked in two Baltic Porters ever. This was not only the best Baltic Porter I have ever drunk but one of the best Porters. This beer was the biggest surprise of the month. I like dark beers, but I do not necessarily love them. The beer was robust and full of malty goodness yet not heavy. The main flavor was roasted malts and a hint of tobacco in the best way possible. After drinking about half of this beer, I gazed up at the tap list and realized this beer came in at 8%. A true part of the wizardry of craft beer is being able to hide the ABV behind the depth of flavors. This beer delivered on taste without being boozy.

Bonus: Listen to the upcoming Jersey Beer Guys episode with Ark Brewery. The Timtern beer gets talked about, mainly the person (Tim) who brewed it.

Brewery: Gusto Brewing Company

Where: Cape May, NJ

Beer Name: Disco Flip

Beer Style: India Pale Ale – Imperial/Double – West Coast

ABV: 8.5%

Background and Tasting Notes: I first drank this during the podcast with Gusto and I am pretty sure you can hear me moan just slightly. And it was just the tip…of the iceberg with this beer. My quote on the podcast was “if this was every West Coast IPA, the New England IPAs would never have been a style.” West Coast IPAs are not a go-to style. It seemed for a while the move was to make everything unbearable hoppy and see how many IBU (International Bitterness Units) they could pack into a beer. It was a pallet wrecker and soiled any other beer (or food) you would follow it with. Enter Disco Flip, a true to style, a hoppy and dank with a great body and citrus and tropical flavors aplomb. There was no heavy bitterness or overly strong negative flavors that sometimes hamper the West Coast style. This is a style that has faded due to the rise of New England style IPAs. However, this is the best version of West Coast Style and I would love to see Gusto or anyone try a session version of this for all day use. When the citrus and hops act so harmoniously it is a thing of beauty.

Brewery: Slack Tide Brewing Company

Where: Clermont, NJ

Beer Name: Head Shake – Peach

Beer Style: India Pale Ale – Milkshake

ABV: 7.1%

Background and Tasting Notes: Slack Tide is one of my favorite breweries and they are criminally underrated because they put out at least one delicious beer in every style. The first iteration of Head Shake was a pineapple version and it was my top beer of 2019. It tasted like a Dole Whip in beer form. Blasts your tastes bud with vanilla and pineapple without being cloying or too milky from the lactose. The younger sibling of the Head Shake Pineapple is not much different. The Peach version also attacks your taste buds with a heavy stone fruit tartness and a creamy finish. The vanilla is not as pronounced as in the Pineapple version but is still there akin to a Haagen Dazs Peach ice cream. The peach lends a sweet but not overpowering essence. I hope Slack Tide keeps making more beers in this series.

Brewery: 7Mile Brewery

Where: Rio Grande, NJ

Beer Name: Just Juice

Beer Style: India Pale Ale – New England/Hazy

ABV: 7%

Background and Tasting Notes: I had this beer on tap at the Haddon Township PJ Whelian’s. Yeah, I know this is the 4^th IPA on this list, but I like what I like. Just Juice is an interesting beer. The name screams that this is going to be a juice bomb but comes in as an oddly poundable 7% beer that I could drink all day. It is a softer tasting IPA than the look of it gives. The notes of overripe mango linger on your tongue but doesn’t stay too long. It was right down the middle with a nice blend of hoppiness and citrus. This is a beer I would introduce to someone who has never had an IPA to. None of the taste is too strong yet packs enough taste to bring back for more. The picture below has beautiful lacing around the glass. I kicked the keg at PJ’s so 7Mile is doing beer correctly far away from home.

Tony Iocono

There is nothing like a 75 minute drive to Cape May County on a crisp Winter morning. Something about the lack of traffic and the excitement about drinking new beers with old friends. Cape May County is a hotbed of new breweries with 11 in its limits. Ludlam Island, Slack Tide, Avalon Brew Pub, Bucket Brigade, Coho, Mudhen, 7 Mile, Cold Springs, Cape May, Gusto and the brand new addition, Behr. This was my first beer podcast in almost 5 months and I was oddly nervous at the prospect of talking to people about beer. I was accompanied on this day trip by my wife along with Rob and Amy from the podcast.

Gusto is located at the Ends of the Earth, aka, the tip of Cape May. The southernmost brewery in New Jersey, a couple of blocks from bayside in a quaint yet unassuming strip mall. The term “Ends of the Earth” was coined by Rob during the podcast, who also mused that it would be a great name for a beer. Once we entered the brewery, my wife was immediately drawn to the available merchandise of shirts, sweatshirts and handmade coffee mugs. There was merchandise for all tastes, styles and ages. We were immediately greeted with a warm hug from owner and self described “Cellar Monkey”, Zach Pashley. Our fearless leader Rob scheduled the podcast for 12pm thinking that the brewery would not be too crowded when Gusto opened. Spoiler alert for the episode, we were wrong. A giant bus of people filled the taproom as Rob was setting up the equipment. While this was not ideal for recording purposes, it speaks to how far the brewery has come in 3 short years and how it is viewed by the beer drinking community.

I first met Zach and head brewer Dan Petela about 6 months after they opened Gusto while doing my old podcast, Two Brewthers. It was during the summer of 2019 and we scheduled the podcast during the afternoon on a weekend. The brewery might have had only 3 other people in it during the podcast. To go from empty in the summer to standing room only in the dead of winter in a short times speaks to the quality of the beer and the atmosphere being served. One thing that has not changed in that time are the beers that Zach and Dan were cranking out. I remember being blown away by the eclectic tap list in 2019 that featured both and English Mild, an Extra Special Bitter, a dry-hopped lager, a saison and a diverse set of IPAs that included a Black IPA, a milkshake IPA and a west coast IPA.

Fast forward to the present day and Gusto’s tap list is still as eclectic as ever. In fact, the only beer that was still on the current list was the ESB, Whirling Dervish and the first beer that Gusto canned. Part of their ethos is to have fresh and new beer experiences for each customer without the constructs of having a true flagship and they deliver that in spades. The first beer I had was a 10 ounce pour of their oat lager aptly named Logger. Logger is in the Crispy Boy category. Smooth and crisp yet with a nice body and mouthfeel from the flaked oats in the grain bill. This beer is sure to please all the people who drink mainly macro light beer to the craft head crazies. I followed the Logger with another lager, this time with Gusto’s Schwarzbier (German for black beer) named Waiting in the Sky. Zack went in to detail about the crafting of this beer during the podcast including the side pull tap that allows the beertender to be able to control the amount of CO2 and head that is on the beer itself. Waiting in the Sky was a rich yet not heavy beer that gave intense chocolate notes with zero bitterness.

Following the Scharzbier, I was razzed for not yet ordering an IPA by my wine-like aged podcast mates due to my millennial standing. Enter Disco Flip, and Imperial West Coast IPA checking in at 8.5% abv. This was the best beer on the day despite everything else being top notch. Disco Flip was true to the style, hoppy and dank with a great body and citrus and tropical fruit aplomb. There was no heavy bitterness or overly strong negative flavors that sometimes hamper the West Coast style. If this was ever West Coast IPA, there would not have been an explosion of NEIPAs (which I love) due to how drinkable and how the abv is so expertly hidden. Keeping up with IPAs, I had a 4 oz pour of their Where the Creatures Meet, a beautifully bright and hazy IPA. It was extremely lemon forward and had a candied fruit sweetness to it but somehow soft enough to drink all day. If you would have told me that was a Tired Hands beer, I would have believed you. Zack told us they had a triple IPA in the brite tank getting ready to be canned called Then the Walls Began to Speak. He poured us a small taste and it was pure witchcraft. 9.5% ABV and quintessential danger beer. It had a pillowy mouthfeel that packed a punch of grapefruit juice and creamy hoppiness without any hop burn or acidity that is usually synonymous with high ABV IPA. I love that the beer names sound like they are from a Taking Back Sunday album or Tony Hawk video game trick.

Beer is not the only thing that Gusto delivers on. Some breweries have great beer and some breweries have a great atmosphere. Gusto encompasses both. The party bus that flooded the taproom was unexpected but really made the experience for a beer seeker truly unique, like it was a party. That does not fully capture the excitement that was within Gusto that cold winter day and that eclectic feel does not stop there for the customer. Gusto has two of the most unique and oddly fitting bathroom decors featuring Star Wars and Wes Anderson movies, It is as wholesome as you can get, Gusto and the Gusto family has some of the top beers in Cape May County and is easily the most underrated in NJ. Even if I had to drive to the Ends of the Earth to get this beer, I would.