A Weekend Fit for a President - Part I: Jaunting 'round Jersey

For the last several years, we always get an itching to visit Philadelphia and its neighbors across the river in New Jersey. We're typically able to find a good hotel deal in the Cherry Hill, NJ, area, and this year was no different. We settled on the long President's Day weekend for our annual brewery hopping jaunt. (Being a teacher, Brewslut already had the day off, while I had stockpiled a ton of PTO over the last year... thanks 'Rona!) 

We'd been lucky the past few years and enjoyed unseasonably warm weather during our trips. Unfortunately, this particular weekend turned out to be a bit dicey. The forecast had called for the possibility of snow and freezing rain, which is never welcome in our travel plans. However, we decided to take our chances and gamble with the possibility of inclement weather. It turns out we ended up dodging the bullet, as we didn't start to get precipitation until we were leaving our last stop of the trip and were only about an hour from home. Sometimes you just get lucky. 

But let's start at the beginning, shall we?

The initial stop on our agenda for Saturday took us to the first of many new-to-us breweries called King's Road. Founded in 2016 by a group of five friends, King's Road set up shop in Haddonfield, NJ, a town that had been dry since 1873. The name of the brewery refers to its address on historic King's Highway, which is touted as "America’s oldest road." (Fun fact: the 1,300-mile road was laid out in 1650 eventually built by order of Charles II of England, who directed his colonial governors to link Charleston, South Carolina, and Boston, Massachusetts. It was finally finished in 1735 and just happens to run through Haddonfield, NJ, hence the name of the brewery.) 

Our first of many flights this weekend.

The town of Haddonfield itself reminded me of a Lititz or New Hope in that the streets were bustling with people popping in and out of quaint little shops and boutiques. We were surprised to learn that parking in the municipal lots was free on the weekends. What?! That's unheard of, especially in Jersey (Asbury Park, for example, encorces meters until 2 a.m. Fuck that hoodwink!) Of course, we found on after we fed the meter fifty cents (still cheap by big city standards, I suppose). So we parked in one of the lots and made the short yet brisk two-block walk to the brewery, which is situated right on the main street. 

We managed to arrive shortly after opening time, so it was easy to find a seat. With COVID-19 still in full swing, we were layered up just in case we'd need to sit outside during our visit. I was even sporting my longjohns, thermal undershirt, winter hat and multiple layers including a hoodie and jacket. So we actually got to de-layer a bit as it was much warmer inside. For our first beers of the weekend, we opted for a flight of four house beers to test the waters. Here's the run-down:

• Winter Reign - New England-style Pale Ale with hints of raspberry jam, orange peel and pine, layered on a biscuity malt base. Soft and fruity with virtually no bitterness. 
• Galactic Vengeance - Galaxy-hopped version of Ample Vengeance IPA with a dominant passionfruit character as well as notes of citrus and peach. 
• Keepin' On - Double NEIPA hopped and dry-hopped with a combination of El Dorado, Hallertau Blanc and Simcoe to produce a fruit-forward character with notes of dried apricot, mango, and pear.
• Good Night - Imperial oatmeal stout brewed with Dutch chocolate and conditioned on Madagascar vanilla beans and cacao nibs. Rich and decadent with hints of vanilla and a combo of bittersweet, dark, and milk chocolate. 

Pleeps is just getting started!

While all of the beers were satisfactory, I must admit that I had a tough time discerning the very subtle nuances of the three hoppy beers based on their flavor profiles. They all seemed to flow into one another with very miniscule differences. Perhaps each beer utilizes the same malt base and yeast strain. With that said, I found all of the beers to be enjoyable, with the DIPA being my favorite of the lot. The server who took my order was impressed that I ordered the beers in the appropriate order in which they were to be sampled (i.e. least hoppy to hoppiest and ending with the stout). Gold star for me, I suppose. 

Interior of Berlin Brewing Company.

Things were pretty quiet at our next stop, Berlin Brewing. Established in 2014 and situated in an old cinderblock building in downtown Berlin, NJ, the brewery with its town's namesake captures the feel of pre-Prohibition baseball. The interior of the taproom is decorated appropriately with old memorabilia and equipment, and its walls adorn some baseball-inspired murals. Oh, and then there's this in the men's bathroom. Brace yourselves, ladies!

Baseball porn, anyone?

Man, that Pete Rose is a hairy sumbitch! But I digress. Berlin Brewing Company was started by two friends who shared a love of beer and baseball, so they decided to go all-in and open a small brewery in 2014. I'd checked out the website in advance (as I always do) and was delighted to find a series of beers names after gnomes. We have a small family of gnomes at home, and you may even remember Great Grandpa Thoughtweaver, whom we'd acquired during our inaugural trip to Liquid Shoes Brewing in Corning, NY. Needless to say, we were hoping one of these beers with the aforementioned "gnomenclature" would be available.

Vintage baseball memorabilia at Berlin Brewing.

We decided to share another sampler flight, as we had a pretty ambitious schedule to keep. I mean, when don't we have an ambitious itinerary? Here the skinny on our flight:

• Wooly Willy - Golden stout with a delicate blend of lactose, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate.  
• Gnomastè - NEIPA brewed with wheat and oats, then hopped and dry-hopped with a combination of Barbe Rouge, Styrian Cardinal, and Callista to elicit flavors of ripe grapefruit, passionfruit, tropical fruit and a hint of strawberry.
• Bitch with a Bat - OK, this one was really left of center. Berlin took its strong ale, Humble Bitch, and aged it over white ash planks. This one straddled the line of labyrinthine complexity and hodge podgedness (I think I just created a word there). Equal parts Belgian strong ale, Flanders Red, and West Coast IPA, this beer had lots going on with it. Then add the fact that it was aged over white ash planks - a first even for me! - to elicit complex charred wood and light smokey notes. While I'm not sure I could have downed an entire 16oz glass, this one just sounded too intriguing to pass it up. It definitely gets an "A" for effort!
• Down Goes Drago - I had to get this one just because of its name. I must break you! Named after the villian in Rocky IV (a movie I was obsessed with when I was a kid), this Russian Imperial Stout was aged in three different barrels: Jim Beam Bourbon, Rock Hill Distillery Rye Whiskey, and maple syrup. The barrels were then blended to concoct this 13.5% heavy-hitter. Trust me, if you drink an entire pour of this one... you will lose!

Pleeps is ready for the starting lineup at Berlin Brewing.

Overall, I found this to be a well-rounded representation of the various styles offered at Berlin. Aside from the unusual nature of Bitch with a Bat, my favorite offering was probably Wooly Willy. I've been enjoying golden stouts quite a bit these days, and typically gravitate to them over Irish or export stouts. Ironically, I drink my coffee black, and golden stouts usually incorporate vanilla or some other sort of ingredient to approximate "cream and sugar" in the beer's flavor. Go figure!

Pleeps is pinch-drinking at Berlin Brewing.

Our next stop in nearby Atco, NJ, was Brotherton Brewing, which turned out to be our favorite new find of the day. Incorporated in 2015, the brewing facility and taproom are currently situated in the historic Atco Firehouse, and the folks at Brotherton have taken pride in preserving the spirit of the building's heritage. However, the brewery's roots were established in nearby Shamong Township, where Eurpoean colonists in 1758 established the first Native American reservation on 3,000 acres of land that would come to be known as the Brotherton reservation. So there's another history lesson for you today!

Outside Brotherton Brewing Co. in Atco, NJ.

Inside, the taproom was fairly crowded. In addition to the actual seating area, there were additional tables set up in the brewing area to facilitate more customers. We snagged a table in the fermentation cellar area next to an old keg filler. Our table was a large wooden spool, which was quite resourceful. The beer menu was diverse and plentiful, so we each opted for our own flight this time. 

• Pine Barrens Pilsner - Traditional German-style Pilsner brewed with noble hops and German pils malt. Crisp and well-balanced with light floral notes.
• Green Earth - American Pale Ale brewed with rye, oats, and Munich malt and hopped with Citra and Simcoe for hints of pine resin, grapefruit, fresh-cut grass, and earthy orange rind.
• Swarthy Invader - Imperial Stout weighing in at 9.6% ABV
• When the Curtain Falls - Blonde farmhouse ale inspired by the rustic beers brewed in Northern France. Brewed with oats, wheat and rye, the mash is then boiled for three hours before undergoing a high-temperature fermentation. Malty, spicy and dry with notes of toasted marshmallow and wildflowers.

Pleeps is our personal Vanna White!

Overall, everything was executed very well, with my favorite being a tie between the pilsner and pale ale. The pale ale in particular, had quite a lot of character for a somewhat boring, antiquated beer style. This beer was fresh and exuberant with lots of hoppy flavor, some mild bitterness (which I always appreciate) and a sturdy malt backbone. I wouldn't hesitate to return to this place during our next visit to the area. 

Our next destination kept us in the town of Atco for the aptly named Atco Brewing. In doing some preliminary planning for our itinerary, I noticed that this brewery had released several variations of its Messenger Boy stout, which is a reference to the iconic confectioner Whitman's. If you've ever bought candy as a gift for your girlfriend, mom, grandma, aunt, etc. then you undoubtedly are familiar with this company's classic sampler box of chocolates. See?

"MC Pee Pants doesn't just want candy .... He needs it." - Meatwad

Whitman's is one of the largest and oldest brands of boxed chocolates in the country. Its confections have been produced since 1842, first by Stephen Whitman in Philadelphia and now by Russell Stover Candies. "Messenger Boy" refers to a mascot of sorts that was added to the box in 1915 and served as part of Whitman's adversing campaigns. Would you look at that? More fun with history!  

The Messenger Boy sampler flight included the following four beers:

• Chocolate - The original release in the series, this stout is brewed with lactose and conditioned on cacao nibs. 
• Chocolate Cherry Cordial - Next up, this variation include cacao nibs, lactose as well as Maraschino cherries.
• Orange Chocolate Cream - The third release in the series combines cacao nibs, lactose, and orange cream.
• Toasted Coconut Cream with Hazelnut - The fourth and final variant combines cacao nibs, lactose, toasted coconut, and hazelnut. 

Pleeps is anxious to dig into the Messenger Boy sampler!

The toasted coconut cream with hazelnut was far and away our favorite. It had just the right blend of toasty nuttiness with a complementary tropical flair courtesy of the coconut. I got more of a toasted coconut flavor rather than the chemical-y off-flavor found in some other coconut beers we've had in the past. Conversely, the cherry cordial version missed the mark a little bit and came across more akin to a Ludens cough drop. Still, it was cool to sample these variations side by side and compare them. I thought it was a cool concept as well, so kudos to that. 

Over in nearby Marlton, NJ, we hit up another new place called Zed's Beer. Also known as Bado Brewing (named after owner Geoff Bado), Zed's offers "approachable craft beer" in a variety of styles from in a cozy setting just off Marlton's main drag. Oddly enough, Bado got into brewing by accident after receiving a Mr. Beer kit as a gag gift. I suppose everyone has his or her origins. 

Pleeps is ready for some Z's... and not the sleepy kind!

Inside the taproom, we were greeted by an open floor plan with visible access to the brewing equipment. We were lucky enough to snag a comfortable little nook near the entrance with soft seating, pillows and our own coffee table. In keeping with our tradition of the day, we opted for another shared flight to try a variety of beers. Here's the scoop:

• West Coast IPA V9 - We went back to our favorite V9 and decreed it the reigning Champion. The hop blend is true to style with citrus and mango notes, and just the right punch to the palate.
• Beermosa - a Radler-style beer brewed to mimic everyone's favorite staple brunch beverage, the Mimosa. Light and citrusy. 
• Dunkel Lager - Our Dunkel features a strong, aromatic backbone of Munich caramel that lingers on the pallet. Made the right way--We lagered the beer for more than a month. 
• Mahaleb Sour - Sour ale brewed with Mahaleb spice to contribute notes of toasted almond, cherry and vanilla notes. A Philly Sour yeast strain introduced a tart, funky character. 

Nothing in the sampler really grabbed us or convinced us to stay for another round, which was fine, because I knew we'd be sticking around at our next stop for quite a while. With that said, Zed's was a cozy place with friendly people and solid beers... something that every town needs! 

One of our favorite breweries in the area (along with Spellbound, which we skipped this time due to the geographic layout of our itinerary) is Cherry Hill's Forgotten Boardwalk. Since 2014, this brewery found a way to blend the whimsy of the Jersey Shore (I mean, who didn't vacation there as a kid?) with consistent and slightly off-kilter beers, like its Funnel Cake cream ale. The small but charming taproom includes skee ball, funhouse mirrors and provides a Coney Island, carnival-like vibe. Add to all of that its evocative, clever artwork (its mascot is a three-eyed feline and tap handles are cat tails) and you've got yourself the makings of a fantastic brewery. Unfortunately, the skee ball machines had been removed to accommodate more seating due to the limited capacity restrictions. 

We'd been visiting Forgotten Boardwalk now for several years, and if we'd ever been on the fence about the legitimacy of this place, let me tell you... this visit would have evicerated any previous doubt we may have had. First off, the servers here are always amazing and knowledgeable. Last time, we actually spent a few hours with the marketing manager at the time as well as Jamie, the owner. They were gracious with sharing beers and even stuck around well after hours to continue our chat. 

The place seemed pretty packed when we arrived, and at first it was looking like we might not get in. It was already dark and extremely chilly outside (and icy!), and even though we were layered up, I was really hoping to sit inside. Thankfully, they have been using the brewing and fermentation area for additional seating during COVID-19, so we were able to at least get in and sit down. It was a bit chilly in the back, but it was better than being outside.  

There were a few beers (IPAs, actually) that sounded fantastic, so I asked our server and he instantly recommended a beer called Tower #4. This particular beer, DDH Tower No. 4 (Citra & Sabro) expands on the original Tower No. 4 IPA. While it uses the same base malts and kettle hops as the original, this version is double dry-hopped with two heavy-hitters: Citra and Sabro. Holy shit! I've had well over 30 different beers from this brewery, and in my opinion, this beer is its crowning achievement. Boasting a pillowy mouthfeel and complex flavors of tangerine, light mint, and tropical fruit, this delicious beer finishes with a hint of cedar wood and coconut cream. Man, I was giddy with this beer. While I've enjoyed almost all of the beers we've had here over the year, I don't recall having this type of reaction to one of its beers ever! There was no way I wasn't going home with a 4-pack of this beer. Yeah, um, scratch that... TWO 4-packs! 

Pleeps still going strong at Forgotten Boardwalk.

After being blown away by my first beer, I shifted gears and went with Last Brunch, a coffee porter brewed with cinnamon and vanilla. This was a solid porter with a moderate coffee aroma, which gave way to a hint of roast and smoky chocolate with a slightly sweet vanilla finish. I'd had this beer on one other occasion, and it was better than I'd remembered. Of course, I seldom meet a coffee beer I don't like. 

I decided to go big with my next beer. Angry Mike, an American style barleywine, features Vienna and caramel malts, a pinch of rye, and Cascade hops. This big, chewy beer is fermented warm with Omega Horindal Kviek yeast to elicit a fruity aroma and flavor reminiscent of stone fruit (apricot and peach) and a hint of tropical pineapple. I really dug this beer quite a bit. If I was Mike and had a tasty beer like this named after me, I'm not so sure I'd be too angry. Drinking it certainly didn't make me angry. 

As a postscript, I asked for a sample size pour of Morro Castle, a smoked beer. Inspired by the German rauchbier, this beer utilizes a grist of nearly 50% European beechwood smoked malt. Toasty, rich and chocolatey, its the beechwood character that stands front and center, lending a smooth and savory smokey character as well as hints of sweet tobacco leaves. I really can't say enough about this visit. I dropped off a nice selection of Tröegs beer for the staff and made sure to leave a bottle of BBA Nator behind for Jamie, who unfortunately wasn't working when we stopped by. 

We had time to swing by one last brewery for the day before calling it quits. Located less than 2 miles away from Forgotton Boardwalk in Mt. Laurel, 'Bout the Hops opened its doors in December 2019. Situated in an all-too-familiar industrial complex, this new brewery boasts a 1 bbl nano brewhouse as well as a larger 5 bbl system, which allows them to rotate up to 18 different taps at any given time. 

We agreed we each had one more beer in us, so we deviated from our typical game plan of the day and forewent a sampler flight in lieu of our own single pours. I settled on Cobbler Gobbler, a milkshake IPA brewed with lactose, peaches and graham crackers. Can you guess which incredient helped me make my decision? HINT: His name is Peaches! Yes folks, it's another peach beer for me, I'm afraid. I simply can't resist a beer with peaches in it. Meanwhile, Brewslut opted for the cleverly named  SpongeBob SourPants, a sour ale brewed with pineapple and passionfruit. I recall the beers here were tasty, but it was getting late and we were pretty drained by this point. I always feel bad for the last brewery of the day, because it's usually a quick one-and-done stop and seldom sticks in my memory compared to the other places we visit during the day. I suppose that's the effects of alcohol at work, right? 

Pleeps was ready to gobble up my Cobbler Gobbler!

And with that, it was time to head back to the hotel and get some rest. All in all, it was an extremely productive day for us, with a grand total of six new-to-us breweries to add to our ever-expanding list. Brewslut and I both agreed that Brotherton took top honors for the day, although I don't think we had what I'd call a "bad beer" all day. That's always a plus! 

Stay tuned for Part II of our President's Day beer weekend as we head back across the river for a day in the City of Brotherly Love. Until next time...