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...

Planted in Cherry Hill - Part 1

For some reason, mid-winter has become the time of year when we head to the Philly area for a weekend of brewery hopping. The last few years, we've been blessed with unseasonably warm weather... for the most part, anyway. This year, we set our sights on a string of new breweries in the southwestern New Jersey area as well as a few places in Philadelphia. With its close proximity to both Philly and the breweries we planned on hitting in Jersey, we set up camp in Cherry Hill at a large, well-appointed Crown Plaza Hotel. We're avid Priceliners, and we can usually secure a pretty slick deal on hotel rooms when we travel. Part of the secret is waiting a few days before you travel to book your room. Plus you have more money to spend on beer!

Rather than leave early on Saturday morning, we decided to head out right after work on Friday. So, we ended up hitting the road roundabout 4:30 p.m., a half an hour later than scheduled. Our first stop was Rebell Hill in Phoenixville, PA. It seemed like a good midway point between our house and Cherry Hill, and the area has since blown up in the last few years with several new breweries. I remember when Phoenixville's beer scene consisted of Iron Hill and Sly Fox. Now there's half a dozen places all within a few miles of each other. Rebel Hill was one of the ones that was new to us. 

I opted for one of its standard offerings, Bleed Green, a double dry-hopped IPA featuring Mosaic and Columbus hops. You can tell when you're deep into Eagles territory when a brewery names one of its beers "Bleed Green." While hazy and NEIPA-like, this beer presented quite a bit more complexity and bitterness than your everyday soft, juicy "haze brah" beer. I'd say this one straddles the line between east and west coast. Regardless, it was quite tasty. Off to a good start, I'd say!

We decided to share a snack while we were here, and after consulting the small menu, decided that the "flatbread of the week" sounded absolutely delicious. Check it... fig jam, brie, mozzarella, Brussels sprouts, Sriracha ranch, and cashews. Man, was it tasty! We also got the trip started on the right foot with some nice conversation with two locals. This would set the tone for the rest of the weekend, as we enjoyed talking with both customers and brewery staff at just about every stop.

After our initial beers, we decided to share a 10-ounce pour of Steady Grindin', an imperial coffee stout. This jet-black beer is brewed with a variety of specialty malts and a touch of milk sugar, then conditioned on a blend of equal parts "Sunrise" and "Hello Darkness" Colombian coffee beans from Stolen Sun Brewing and Roasting Company. As always, I was glad to see coffee from a local roastery used in this beer. Coincidentally, we recently visited Stolen Sun and enjoyed it quite a bit (see The best of times are when we're all drinking brew entry). This tasty coffee stout boasts notes of baker’s chocolate, raisin, caramel, and drip coffee.

Pleeps is up for some Steady Grindin'.

Also in Phoenixville is Root Down, which we enjoyed immensely last time we were in this neck of the woods (as documented in Under the Weather and Drinking). You may recall that its Bine IPA snagged a gold medal in the coveted "American-style IPA" category at the 2018 GABF competition, an impressive feat for sure. Even more impressive is that it's one of the most-entered categories, with 311 entries in 2018 (most categories get around 50 to 100 entries).

Root Down is one of those places that effortlessly combines a rare mix of classic and hip. Situated in the historic building that once housed the Superior Beverage Company, the space features lots of exposed brick, restored original flooring, high ceilings and even the original elevator! However, its penchant for 90's hip hop shines through with the likeness of several rappers and urban graffiti plastered about the tasting room. Seating is ample among the massive bar and throughout the 13,000-sq. ft. facility. Root Down also has a full kitchen and even a game room in the back complete with a projection TV, video games, bubble hockey, corn hole, and more. Sadly, they weren't viewing any cheeseball Kung Fu movies on this particular night. The TVs were dominated with - what else? - sports.

I had to chuckle at the name of the first beer I sampled: 1999 Called, They Want Their IPA Back. With a name like that, right off the bat I knew it was a throwback to the good old days when California was king and hop burps were plentiful. This beer is Root Down's ode to all things 1999 (think Myspace, Napster, boy bands, the Y2K scare). It harkens the time when malt and hops worked together to create something called "balance" that seems to be lacking in many IPAs these days. With this beer, Crystal and Vienna malts play nicely with Centennial, Columbus, and Mosaic hops. While it didn't take me back to those sunny, glorious early days of our very first trip to San Diego, I was glad to try this throwback IPA in lieu of a hazy juice bomb.

It was dinner time, and we'd decided to eat here since we enjoyed the food quite a bit during our inaugural visit. This time around, we delighted in some bangin' Fajita Burritos (me with vegan chorizo, her with chicken) that curiously came with a side of herbed popcorn and delicious dill-heavy pickles. Since we were eating, I decided to get something lighter and neutral to drink with my meal. I'm not too keen on drinking beer with my meal, although I do love a good beer and cheese pairing.
So I opted for PA Lager, a lager brewed with locally sourced ingredients including malted barley from Deer Creek Malthouse based out of the West Chester area. I had the opportunity to tour Deer Creek's facility during its early years when Tröegs began using some of its malts in a few Scratch Series recipes. They make a quality product, and it's great to see more and more local maltsters popping up around the country. The beer itself was simple but effective. I've definitely been digging lagers more and more as the haze craze continues to grow.

Random weirdness at Root Down.

While we were at Root Down, we decided that we had enough time to get to Forgotten Boardwalk, which was within close proximity to our hotel in Cherry Hill. It was about an hour drive to the hotel, and we had this brewery as an "audible" since we'd been there several times in the past. So barring any traffic inconveniences, we could easily get there and enjoy a nightcap. 

We arrived with less than an hour to go before closing time, so we figured we'd each have a beer and maybe split one. Turns out that the owner, Jamie, and marketing manager, Laurel, were working the bar on this particular evening. Once Laurel introduced herself as the marketing manager, I replied with, "Awesome! I too work in marketing for a brewery." We then proceeded to park ourselves at the bar for about 90 minutes after the brewery should have closed. I suppose if you're the owner, you can stay open as long as you'd like. So needless to say, this visit turned from a one-and-done to over two hours of delving into the vastness of its tap list... and then some.

Coincidentally, one of the first things I recall from our initial visit to Forgotten Boardwalk was just the atmosphere of the place. When you walk in, you're transported back to a turn-of-the-century (20th, not 21st) amusement park at the boardwalk. Think a small taste of Coney Island. Their mascot, a three-eyed cat, hearkens back to those oddity shows featuring assorted freaks of nature that were popular at old-time carnivals. According to the brewery's bio from its website, there's a cool story behind the cat. I'll let them explain:

The feral cat is the sideshow attraction and mascot to the boardwalk. No one quite knows exactly when the undomesticated felines made their homes under the piers, but most say it happened when the boardwalk was first built back in the 1880s. The reason? Some say it is due to the scraps of food dropped by tourists that slip through the cracks of the planks. These curious creatures have roamed the boardwalks for over a century, spending their days in the shadows largely undetected by human eyes.

I always thought the branding and imagery of its beer labels and merchandise stood out from most other smaller breweries we'd encountered. I own a forgotten Boardwalk T-shirt, which should speak volumes regarding my infatuation with their art. God knows I have enough T-shirts to wear a different one every day for, like, 4 1/2 years. So buying a brewery shirt is something that happens pretty infrequently. I have to really like it. It also usually needs to be black, or some version of off-black, like dark heather gray or whatever the fuck you guys call it. Sorry for the unnecessary Jerky Boys reference. Actually, no I'm not, sizzlechest.

Skee Ball, anyone?

Anyway, on to the beer.

I kicked off our visit with a small pour of 103 Years Later, a black IPA hopped with Huell Melon, Mosaic, Denali, Cashmere and Comet. Notes of dark fruit and light chocolate mingled with lots of citrus and a hint of brash resinous hoppy goodness. I'm not sure why black IPAs seemed to have fallen by the wayside in the last 5 years or so. When properly executed, they are delicious!

The next beer we tried was probably our favorite of the bunch: Bourbon Barrel Aged Gravity Road. This one was a variation of its imperial stout aged in Jim Beam barrels for 7 months with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans. Slick and warming with very minimal carbonation, this bourbon-forward stout boasts plenty of chocolate and coffee notes with a lush, vanilla finish. Nicely done!

Last Brunch, a coffee porter with cinnamon and vanilla, sounded good, so I ordered a small pour of that. This one wasn't super coffee-forward, but it did feature a hint of roast and smoky chocolate followed by a smooth vanilla finish.

Who doesn't love a ride on the merry-go-round?

After gifting a can of an Urban Artifact beer for her and the staff, Laurel was kind enough to bring out a pair of one-off beers for us to sample that had been featured at a recent brewery event.

The first, Spice of Life IPA, features tropical flower blossom honey and ghost peppers as well as Waiiti, Cashmere and Sultana hops. It's spicy, hoppy, and sweet with flavors of orange, peach, and a hint of honey amid a touch of provocative heat. The beer had just been released on January 26 at the brewery's 6th annual "Spice of Life" fundraiser event to benefit the Living Kidney Donors Network as well as The Gift of Life Donor House. I really enjoyed this one!

The other beer, simply called Spiced English Ale, is an English Strong Ale inspired goda masala, a unique spice blend exclusive to Maharashtrian (i.e. region of India) cuisine. After fermentation, the beer is conditioned on toasted coconut, coriander, cinnamon, bay leaves, clove, and black peppercorn. Very unusual but simultaneously enjoyable. We love Indian food and definitely appreciated the experimentation with this one. The spices all seemed to blend effortlessly, making for a complex but drinkable beer.

We've had the pleasure of visiting Forgotten Boardwalk a few times in the past, and this was definitely the most memorable and enjoyable. Before we left, Brewslut picked up a new tank top, a six-pack of its flagship Funnel Cake cream ale, a bottle of the BBA Gravity Road and a 4-pack of one of the seltzers. Quite a haul for her!

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On Saturday, things got off to a great start at Neck of the Woods. Situated in Pitman, NJ, in the Total Turf complex, a massive full-service sports complex offering all types of youth and adult sports as well as a fitness center and more. It's also the home of the American soccer league’s Philadelphia Fury and arena football team, Philadelphia Soul. And what better way to wind down after a workout or long, gruelling racquetball match than with a cold glass of beer? I can't think of one.

For my first beer, I settled on Guess Who's Back?, a golden coffee stout. The recipe for this beer took shape back in the "garage days" of the brewery's infancy. Silky and creamy thanks to a boat-load of flaked oats, Maris Otter and German roasted malts provide this delicious beer with its deep, roasty backbone. This one finishes sweet and roasty with a touch of bitterness courtesy of cacao nibs, coffee and vanilla additions. This was a fantastic interpretation of this newish style.

Inside Neck of the Woods' tasting room.

I moved into higher ABV territory with Coffee Chocolate Cayenne PTP, a variation of the brewery's signature PTP Porter, which serves as the base beer. (PTP stands for Pittsgrove To Pitman, by the way.) The twist, however, comes from conditioning the beer on Colombian roasted coffee beans, Dutch cacao chocolate powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This one was very good overall, but could perhaps use a hint of contrast by way of cinnamon or vanilla. While I preferred the golden stout, this one was still quite tasty and enjoyable.

"Hey there, dark beer... you wanna get in my belly?"

Meanwhile, Brewslut worked on a generous sampler flight consisting of four different sours. She was pretty enamoured with everything, which is a rare occurrence indeed. One of the beers, No OJ No Straw, was pretty freakin' remarkable! Described as a kettle sour NE-style milkshake IPA, this complex, delicious beer features milk sugar and a healthy dose of Amarillo and Centennial hops before being conditioned on orange and cranberry puree. As if that wasn't enough, the beer is dry-hopped with El Dorado for a juicy smack of grapefruit in the finish. I snuck a few sips of this one! It was easily one of the standouts of our weekend.

Pleeps posing with Brewslut's sampler flight.

Overall, Neck of the Woods was one of our favorite breweries of the weekend. Brewslut loved all of the sours in her flight, and my beers were no slouches either. The golden stout was particular delicious. I'm glad to see that this new brewery is off to an amazing start.

Also in Pitman is Kelly Green, a small brewery named after the green color that adorns the Philadelphia Eagles team uniforms. Another Eagles reference! Kelly Green officially opened its doors on May 7, 2016 as Gloucester County's first brewery.

The small, sparsely decorated tasting room features a tiny bar in the back with a few tables scattered around the space. We weren't sure what to expect here, so we opted to share a flight.

• Chocolate Cherry Jelly - smoothie sour ale with chocolate and cherries. Delicious! This was one of our favorites of the trip, especially Brewslut.
• Matty Ice - sour ale brewed with plums and apricots
• Groceries - double dry-hopped IPA
• The Informant - Russian imperial stout

Outside Kelly Green. (Photo courtesy of Beer Busters podcast.)

Overall, the beers here were solid. Comparatively, Brewslut wasn't as jazzed about the other three beers as she was with Chocolate Cherry Jelly. I mean, it definitely was the best of the bunch. I thought Groceries was a solid stab at a hazy IPA, and Matty Ice - great name, by the way! - was pretty tasty. I also had a great conversation with a local homebrewer, who was sharing the bar space with us. His stuff sounded great, so I gave him one of my business cards because he said he gets up our way every once in a while.

Of all the breweries we visited in Jersey on this day, Bonesaw was clearly the largest. I'd never heard of them prior to the trip, but they seem to be running a pretty legit operation at their facility in the town of Glassboro. The brewery takes its name from an antiquated surgical instrument used to literally saw through bone. So it should come to no surprise that the owner of the brewery is also an orthopedic surgeon. Long story short, the owner (Rich DiVerniero) started homebrewing back in the 1980s and - like most people - got hooked. After 30 years of brewing as a hobby, he decided to throw his hat into the ring. After enlisting a multi-GABF-medal-winning brewer, AJ Stoll (who's credentials include Funky Buddha Brewing), Bonesaw became a reality. The brewery opened its doors in late 2018, and business seems to be doing well.

I kicked off our visit with a beer named Peach, Love & Happiness. Here we go... another peach beer! This one is a hazy American pale ale brewed with 500 pounds of local south Jersey peaches. Naturally, the aroma was heavy on stone fruit, while the flavor featured plenty of juicy peach and a hint of bitterness in the finish. The peach definitely came across much more in the flavor than the nose. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.

Pleeps, Love & Happiness.

Even though I had my sights set on a different IPA, Pleeps was on the warpath about this beer named Why is this Monkey Called Steve?. Apparently named after an odd brewery mascot, this heavily oated IPA is a ghostly, pale beer hopped excessively with Denali, El Dorado, Citra and Mosaic to elicit hints of melon, green mango, papaya, pineapple, and pine. So, why is the monkey called Steve, exactly? Inquiring minds (OK, Pleeps) wanted to know. He begged us to get this beer, which featured a chalk drawing of a sock monkey on the beer board. Once he gets fixated on something, forget about it. You just need to bow to his whims. Editor's note: We never found out why, in fact, the monkey is called Steve.

Pleeps and a monkey called Steve.

While we were at Bonesaw, I noticed an older guy wearing a Rush T-shirt when I was visiting the facilities. A Rush shirt is conversation bait for me. Naturally, I engaged him. Turns out he'd seen the band like 87 times since 1975 (when I was but a wee carpet crawler). We talked for a while, and he was surprised to learn that I played drums in a Rush tribute band. It's always great to meet a fellow Rush fan, and this guy was the real deal. All in all, it was a pleasant visit to Bonesaw, and it seems like the sky's the limit for this new brewery. 

Obligatory coaster pose.

The next stop on the Pour Travelers train was Axe & Arrow, a small brewery situated in the town of Glassboro. The brewery opened its doors in April 2019 and offers 20 taps including standard offerings and seasonally rotating beers. During our visit, the tap list was slanted toward IPAs and sours, but there were still a few lagers and other traditional styles available too.

Its brewhouse boasts a system know as a Brewha BIAC (Brew In A Conical), which is designed such that the mash tun, brewhouse and fermenter are the same piece of equipment. This design reduces energy utilization, water consumption, cleaning and sanitation chemical usage, and allows for the use of energy from renewable sources. You can read more about it here.

Our view from the bar at Axe & Arrow.

Since we weren't sure what to expect, we opted for the old sampler flight. We went heavy on the sours this time, with three of our four selections from the brewery's "Sour to the People" series. Here's the skinny:

• Cherry Fluff - A variation of the Cherry Berry with lactose and conditioned on vanilla bean to give a sweet twist to this sour brew! 
• Cherry Berry - Brewed with blackberry puree and then conditioned on more blackberry as well as sour cherry purees, this sour blends the sweetness of the blackberry with the tartness of cherry in a delightful kettle sour.
• Tropic Thunder - A fruited sour made with over 200 pounds of guava, mango, and passionfruit.
• Corky Beans - coffee stout with Sumatra and Kona beans added during fermentation. Sounds great on paper, right? Sadly, this one didn't deliver. While the sours were all fairly reputable, this beer was - for lack of a better term - pretty horrific. Not sure what was going on here, but it reminded me of old shoe leather with a hint of mushroom farm. We lived near a mushroom farm once for about a year and - TRUST ME - it's not a pleasant smell. 

Although this episode seems to end on a down note, there's still plenty more to cover. Stay tuned for the second half of our little weekend jaunt, which features more Jersey adventures and a few hours hitting up some new places in Philly. Until next time...

Under the Weather and Drinking

We had the weekend of January 19 blocked off in our calendar for a possible Team D(r)INK outing to Richmond, VA. When that fell through, Brewslut and I seized the opportunity to make a return visit to the greater Philadelphia area. I found a great hotel deal on Priceline for Mt. Pleasant, NJ (right across the river) for two nights, so we were set.

Then I got sick.

Let me tell you, there aren't many things that prevent me from partaking in a good ol' beer romp through one of my favorite beer cities... but a wicked cold on the verge of flu-like symptoms is one of them. Indeed, I felt like a bag of assholes pretty much all weekend. I was chasing Dayquil with IPAs almost all weekend. I'll give myself credit, though. I wanted to bail multiple times on Saturday and just head back to the hotel for some much-needed rest. Through perseverance, however, we made it to five breweries on Saturday and another five on Sunday.

But first, let's start the weekend where it belongs: Friday evening.

We rolled out of Annville a bit earlier than usual to get a head start on weekend traffic. I decided to schedule a stop in Phoenixville to hit two new-to-us breweries on the way. Seemed like a good half-way point to me. First up was Stable 12, located right on Bridge Street, which is essentially the main drag. The beer menu looked promising and they served food; a good thing, as I knew we'd be hungry after the 75-minute drive.

When we arrived, some musicians were setting up in the corner of the small tasting room. There was also about 40 minutes left of Happy Hour, so pints were $1 off. We found a table on the opposite side of the room and shortly a server appeared to take our order. I almost went with the whimsically named Sugar Coated Pony Kisses, an IPA brewed with lactose, based solely on the name. Turns out Brewslut had the same idea, so I opted for Fresh Pick'd, a guava IPA with slightly higher ABV. Turns out I made the right decision, as it was more enjoyable than my companion's selection. Of course, we shared the beers, so I had about as much of it as she.

We decided to share a pour of a beer called Pucker Up Buttercup. I knew I'd heard this phrase before somewhere. I quick memory jog revealed it to be a quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (spoken by principal Edward Rooney to Cameron, who is playing the role of Sloane Peterson's dad). I'm usually pretty good to pick up on pop culture references (provided said reference isn't from pop culture of the last, say, twenty years). Unfortunately, the beer itself - a barrel-aged saison - was lackluster. It sounded great on paper, though: We aged this beer in oak Chardonnay barrels for 6 months and then blended it with red sour cherry puree from Oregon. 

Food-wise, we were pleased with our selections. I got a pulled smoked chicken sandwich with white Alabama BBQ sauce and a side of fries. The bun was great and appeared to be home-made. Brewslut enjoyed a plate of chicken nachos, which I helped her eat because the portion was pretty hefty. All in all, not a bad first experience. I enjoyed the Fresh Pick'd quite a bit and I look forward to revisiting Stable 12 in a few months to see how things are shaping up.

Time to move on, though.

What do you get when you combine craft beer with 90's hip hop, graffiti, and cheesy vintage kung fu movies? A pretty dope-ass brewery, yo! Root Down, situated a mere two blocks away from Stable 12, is housed in an old Hires root beer factory. (There's even a vintage sign adorning the tasting room wall to prove it.) Upon finding out this fun fact, Brewslut and I couldn't help but get the Hires jingle from the late 70s/early 80s stuck in our heads. (I tried to find a YouTube link, but sorry... no luck).

First impressions are key, and my initial selection - Flying Guillotine - definitely made the grade. Described as an unfiltered IPA, this one was definitely an above-average interpretation of the style. My condition was starting to improve once I got my hands on this delicious beer. However, the whole weekend would prove to be a see-saw ride of feeling OK to back to the bag of assholes. Brewslut wasn't completely sold on her selection, Cosmic Smooth, a nitro-dispensed milk stout. I thought it was fine; perhaps a bit too roasty for a milk stout, but tasty nonetheless.

Our server was super friendly, as were the surrounding patrons at the bar, which made for a pleasant evening. Since the beer menu was lengthy and quite varied, I asked for recommendations. The Keller Pils came up, so who am I to argue? I like me a well-crafted Keller Pils, which is basically an unfiltered North German pilsner. This was a fine representation of the style, and according to our server, it had one some awards. Brewslut went with the cleverly named Salty By Nature, a Gose that proved not quite tart enough for us in the long run. I personally feel like the style is played out. I'd rather a nice, tart Berliner Weisse in its place.

Up next was Flux, a single-hopped unfiltered IPA with Mosaic. Bine, its flagship IPA, followed soon thereafter. This was a bit more spicy, resinous and malty compared to the softer, more citrus-forward Flying Guillotine, which in our minds took the cake. Before we left, I was sure to grab a 4-pack of Flying Guillotine to enjoy at home.

Beer aside, this was one of the only times I've ever enjoyed a TV at a brewery. This kung fu movie was so hilariously bad it was enjoyable to the point that we couldn't take our eyes off the screen. From what I understand, Root Down purchased the rights to a handful of these cheesy kung fu movies and just show them exclusively in the tasting room, one after another, without pause. What an awesome concept!

Kung fu. Like watching a train wreck with subtitles.

After an enjoyable first-time visit to Root Down, it was time to ship off to more familiar territory. I really wanted to stop in at Tired Hands Brew Café, as we hadn't been there in almost a year. Brewslut, on the other hand, preferred to stop at the Fermentaria just down the street. So we decided to do both. I was jonesin' for some bread and butter!

Inside, it was pretty hoppin', and we were about to snag the tiny table near the window at the front of the downstairs room when a few bar seats became freshly vacant. We always prefer to sit at the bar when we visit breweries (usually because we only order drinks at one of every five we visit).

First up was a half pour of Ornate Window, a plum saison. You can seldom go wrong with a Tired Hands saison. I've never been crazy about beers brewed with plums because I find the flavor doesn't really come across well compared to other fruits. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this offering, which seemed to capture the fleshy, slightly sweet yet faintly tart flavor of the plum. It wasn't too heavy on the dark fruit, which made it all the more enjoyable for me. This one was delicate with nuanced flavors of sweet fruit jam and tea leaves.

Brewslut opted for Forests of the Sea Bottom, a blood orange and oyster IPA. Yes, you read correctly. Oyster. I've known oysters to be a prime ingredient in stouts over the years, but never in an IPA. While she enjoyed it quite a bit, I was taken aback by the slightly briny, salty finish of this one.

While we were enjoying our beers, a group of youngsters hovered toward the bar area. One of them, a female, was slightly annoyed (and simultaneously annoying) in her quest to find a suitable beer. I had to laugh when the entire lot of them (eight perhaps) were carded by the manager. Turns out one of them hadn't turned twenty-one yet. They were immediately bounced from the premises. I had to chuckle. (I know, I know... grumpy old man syndrome.)

Selfie recreation of one of our favorite pics.

We ended our visit with Wayward Tiramisu, a cask-conditioned version of Wayward Canoe, an English Mild, conditioned atop Ladyfingers, coffee beans, cacao nibs, dark chocolate, and brown sugar. This served as a great dessert beer after a long evening of drinking.

Brewslut really wanted to swing by Tired Hands Fermentaria, so she twisted my arm and we made the short drive over for one final beer of the evening. The crowd had already winded down for the night when we arrived, so we were able to have our pick of two bar seats. We shared a pour of the returning favorite We Are All Infinite Energy Vibrating At The Same Frequency, a hazy IPA that first hit the scene a few years back, well ahead of the current hazy NE-style IPA craze. Brewed with wheat and hopped with Centennial and Simcoe, this is a damn fine IPA in all its simplicity. By this time, I'd had enough, so we decided to head to the hotel for the remainder of the evening. I definitely needed some rest if I was going to maintain our typical drinking schedule. I apologized to my liver in advance, especially since I'd been taking plenty of medicine with acetaminophen, which doesn't agree with alcohol. So... off to bed.

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I knew I was going to be in for a long day on Saturday, because I slept terribly on Friday night. Flu symptoms aside, one of the unfortunate side effects is muscle soreness. At one point, I was waking up every 15 to 20 minutes simply to readjust my sleeping position. That was neither fun nor funny. Still, I had to get up and face the day with a smile on my face and a beer in my hand. (Remember... we're professionals.)

I was pretty excited to get to our first stop of the day: Spellbound. Last time, our itinerary was so ambitious that we were barely at Spellbound for an hour. Given the lackluster experience we encountered at a few breweries that day, we were able to weed out the undesirables and stick to our favorites. Spellbound might be our absolute favorite in this region. Rather than opt for a flight, we stuck with short pours of some favorites.

But first, something new. Apparently, Spellbound likes to tap firkins on Saturdays. Last time we were there, they had three if I'm not mistaken. This time around, they had two, one of which was an IPA aged on Spanish cedar. This sounded tasty, so I ordered a pour. Brewslut started light with It's Not yours, It's Mayan, 3rd anniversary imperial stout brewed with all of the various "Mexican" mole ingredients that have become all the rage (think Abraxas or Mexican Cake but not as mind-blowing). The cedar-aged IPA on cask was quite tasty, and definitely not as dry or as heavy on the cedar as, say, Cigar City's cedar-aged Jai Ali. It was a good way to begin the day, and I already was starting to feel better now that I had a beer in my hand and was sitting at the bar of a great brewery with my favorite lady friend.

Up next, it was time to revisit an old favorite: the Palo Santo Porter. This delicious beer is Spellbound's year-round porter aged on Palo Santo wood.  Palo Santo is a mystical tree that grows on the coast of South America and is related to Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal. This wood brings out an exquisite chocolate flavor with hints of vanilla, anise, and mint. I was happy to learn that Spellbound scored a gold medal for this beer at the 2017 GABF in the Wood Aged Beer category. Congrats! This is one of those beers that I have to get each time we visit. Brewslut grabbed a pour of Vices, a coffee porter. She opted for a nitro pour versus CO2 based on the endorsement of the brewer. Again, the porter serves as the base beer, which is then aged on Small World Coffee's Crispy Hippie coffee beans. This one was quite enjoyable as well!

By this point, I was pretty sure I was done and ready to move on. Then I realized that I probably shouldn't leave without having a pour of the Peach IPA, which is one of our very favorite beers from Spellbound. Unfortunately, my palate was firing on all cylinders due to my unfortunate illness, so the flavor was kind of muted. Damn you, flu! Damn you to hell!

On the way to our next stop, Double Nickel, my condition began to go south again. This snapshot of Pleeps captures how I was feeling during our visit:

Last time we visited, we really enjoyed the barrel-aged beers that were available, especially the Buffalo Trace BA stout. It was a standout of the trip. This time around, we decided to go another route and tried some experimental small-batch offerings. These were primarily hoppy ales but one was a Berliner Weisse, which Brewslut was excited about. Here's the low-down: 

• Lawn Surfer - "juicy" IPA (perhaps an attempt at a NE-style IPA?)
• DNA Brew Series Test Batch #1 - boysenberry Berliner Weisse
• DNA Brew Series Test Batch #2 - wet hop IPA
• DNA Brew Series Test Batch #3 - cascara IPA (brewed with "cascara" i.e. the “husk" or dried skins of coffee cherries)

Unfortunately, we were not as wowed as we were last year. The Wet Hop ale was kind of non-descript, and the Berliner Weisse, despite having a very pleasant boysenberry aroma, had a wretched cardboard finish. The Cascara IPA was probably my favorite of the bunch, as it featured a nice floral and fruity note amid the hop character. After being somewhat underwhelmed with our flight, Brewslut felt it necessary to end on a positive note and ordered a small pour of the Buffalo Nickel (the aforementioned Buffalo Trace barrel-aged imperial stout). We enjoyed this immensely during our visit last year. Our opinion hadn't changed. I had a small nick off her pour but by this time I was ready to throw up the white flag. I contemplated heading back to the hotel for some rest, but decided to soldier on so at least she could have an enjoyable weekend. "In sickness and in health," right? 

Up next was our single "new" brewery visit of the day. While we were at Double Nickel, I struck up a pleasant conversation with a woman around my age who was celebrating her birthday. She mentioned that she really enjoyed Eclipse Brewing, which was only about 6 miles or so away. She also informed me that the brewery was owned and operated by a retired couple that decided to open a small brewery in their home "for fun." Sounded cool to me. I'd seen this brewery on the beer map, but for whatever reason decided to leave it off our itinerary. Since we were nearby, we decided to drop by for a sampler flight. 

Photo courtesy of Google images.

Eclipse is tiny; the true embodiment of a nano brewery. The tasting room is literally set up in the front room of the owners' home. When we arrived, it was cramped inside but we managed to snag two vacant barstools when two partons happened to be leaving at the same time. I was surprised to see over a dozen beers on tap. Based on its size, I anticipated about 4 or 5 offerings. After looking things over, here's what we decided on for our flight:

• Coconut Cream Ale - light cream ale with a hint of coconut
• Haaze - hazy NE-style IPA
• Citra Promised - IPA with Citra hops
• Cranberry Kettle Sour - tart kettle-soured ale

OK, so these aren't the most clever beer names. While nothing blew us away, everything was pretty solid and enjoyable. The Coconut Cream Ale could use a bit more coconut character, but otherwise these beers were commendable and the brewery definitely shows promise. Plus the servers here were genuinely nice people, which made our visit that much more enjoyable. As we sat at the bar, I noticed a few Tröegs tackers adorning the walls. I commented on this to one of the servers, and he asked if I worked there (I was wearing my hoodie too, so that was another tell-tale sign). I confirmed, and he said that Tröegs was one of the owner's favorites, and also mentioned that he bought a bottle of Mad Elf Grand Cru for each of his employees as a gift for the holidays. Now that's a generous boss! They were also nice enough to comp our sampler flight.

It was off to Tonewood, and again I was starting to feel a little better. I was also pretty hungry by now, so I knew getting some grub in my gut would provide some additional fuel. Before we hit Tonewood, we stopped in to The Square Meal, a tiny restaurant a few doors down from the brewery, for dinner. We stopped in last year and really enjoyed our meal, which includes a lot of vegetarian and local farm-to-table options. The woman who owns the place is a school teacher by day but still manages to find the time to run the restaurant on the side. We each got a sandwich called "The McFadden." Comprised of organic turkey meatloaf, pepper jack cheese, a fried egg and local greens on sourdough, this sandwich was a home run! Since Tonewood doesn't serve food, I can't imagine ever visiting Oaklyn without stopping here for food. She will even deliver food directly to the brewery. However, once we got to Tonewood, we're glad we decided to eat in the restaurant.

Here's a pic from last year's blog to break up some reading.

As expected, Tonewood was elbow to asshole. The place was booming and it was insanely loud. Voices yelping with laughter darted into my aching head and only worsened my condition. Since it was still pretty mild outside, we decided to grab our beers and sit outside. It was still a little chilly with only a hoodie, plus I'd been battling with cold shakes off and on for most of the day. After a nice conversation with an older local customer (who had his cool dog in tow) outside, we decided to go back inside and stand on the ramp up to the bathroom, because there was nowhere else to go. We weren't there for more than two minutes when a group of "woo girls" came in screeching and acting like the 23-year-olds they were. Of course, they wanted a picture of their group in front of the logo mural on the wall we happened to be standing against, so we politely moved out of the way but managed to get a syncopated eye roll in. I tried to photo bomb them, but I'm not sure if I was successful. They ended up taking an assload of photos. They ended up annoying me so much that I just finished my beer and walked away.

By the way, the beers we ordered were Fuego, one of Tonewood's trendy IPAs, and mono.tone.citra, a Citra-hopped IPA from its single hop "monotone" series. I didn't enjoy these as much as Chief - the delicious pale ale I imbibed - from last year. Perhaps it was my compromised health, perhaps it was the annoying throng of "woo girls," or perhaps it was just the noisy clusterfuck of the space in general, but I just said, "Fuck this noise!" and decided to leave. 

Things over at Forgotten Boardwalk were much more manageable. My favorite bartender from last time was working, and the crowd was healthy but not overcrowded like Tonewood. We grabbed a pair of beers and found a small table in the back of the tasting room. Morrow Castle, a smoked porter, was in the cards for me this evening, and it was enjoyable. We also opted for a pour of the intriguingly named Mr. Watson Come Here I Want to See You, a white IPA brewed and dry-hopped with Ekuanot lupulin powder and Hallertau Blanc. This beer is also fermented with a Belgian yeast strain to impart a touch of spice and fruit. A quick Google search revealed the impetus of the name: "Mr. Watson, come here... I want to see you" were apparently the first intelligible words spoken over some newfangled invention called the telephone. Now there's some great useless trivia for all you readers!

Considering my weakened condition, I was surprised I'd made it as long as I did on this particular day. However, I was definitely ready to head back to the hotel for some much-needed rest. After all, we had five more breweries to hit on Sunday. I'd better rest up. No excuses, right?

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On Sunday morning, we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel, then packed up and checked out. Today's agenda? Philadelphia. For years, the City of Brotherly Suds has been known more for its eclectic variety of corner bars and (in more recent years) world-class beer bars like Monks, Standard Tap, the P.O.P.E., Memphis Taproom, and many more. In the last two years, Philly finally has upped its game and entered the craft brewery ring in earnest. Several new breweries have opened in and around the city over the last few years, and it's our job to visit as many of them as we can.

Enter Urban Village. Located right around the corner from Philly's newest music venue, The Fillmore, Urban Village pairs fresh, small-batch beers with brick oven pizza. Pizza and beer... what a concept! I checked out the tap menu in advance, and the beers sounded great. The place seemed legit, so it made the cut.

We settled on a flight for each of us. Here's mine:

• Sofa King - juicy grapefruit and tropical-forward IPA brewed with oats 
• Huntingdon Drive - house IPA hopped with a blend of Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo 
• All In - black DIPA heavy on roasted chocolate flavor and piney, resinous hops 
• Cool Beanz - coffee stout brewed with an excessive amount of chocolate malt then rested on coffee beans from Reanimator Roasters for a week

Pleeps was eyeing up my Cool Beanz!

Not sure if I could pick a favorite, but if I had to it'd probably be the All In. I love me a good black IPA and this one was thick and chewy with plenty of roasted goodness and sticky, resinous hop flavor. Cool Beanz, while tasty, was a little too heavy on the booze and had a slight syrupy texture, which lost a few points for me if we were keeping score. The IPAs were both fresh and well executed with pleasant, balanced hop character.

All in all, this place has a similar vibe to Bar Hygge, so no complaints there. There were only a handful of other patrons there during the time of our visit, but I'd wager that this place gets mobbed before (and after) shows at the Fillmore. The beers were all on-point, and I'd love to try some of the brick oven pizza next time.

Up next was a trip to the brand spankin' new Yards facility, located on Spring Garden (familiar territory for us; a good friend lived on the 1100 block of Spring Garden for many years, just down the street from the new brewery). We try to visit Yards each time we head to Philly, but I was more excited this time, if only to check out the new digs. It's so new, in fact, that the packaging lines (including a canning line!) and brewing equipment aren't even on-line yet. How do I know this? Ron.

Outside and across the street from the new Yards facility.

Ron (the guy with the super-long dreads) from Yards was sitting at the end of the bar when we arrived, so we ended up sitting with him and catching up. How do I know him? Good question! Ron's the drummer for the Yard's house metal band, Yeast Factory, who took home the gold at the first annual Band of Brewers event, a Battle-of-the-Bands-style event organized by Philly Beer Scene magazine. It had been quite a while since I'd last talked with him, but he remembered my name. Since my memory remembers faces better than names, I immediately knew he was the drummer from the band.

From our vantage point at the bar.

After perusing the beer list, I was feeling like a barleywine. Old Bartholomew, which I'd never had before, was on tap. I believe Ron mentioned it was a 2014 or 2015 vintage, but it wasn't designated on the beer menu. This sipper of a beer really helped warm me up. I still wasn't feeling 100%, but I was definitely on the upswing. Since I was sick all weekend, Brewslut and I weren't sharing many of our beers (because germs). This resulted in less beer check-ins for each of us. I'm sure she could have handled it; she's got the most efficient immune system I've ever encountered. Hasn't been sick in probably 7 years, and she's around little grubby germ merchants all day at school.

At any rate, it was cool to catch up with Ron and check out the new digs. Cheers to Yards for the sweet facility. I look forward to a return visit where we can check out the rest of the facility once everything is operational. Philly Pale Ale in cans should be a home run for the locals, too!

Take-out beer and merch shop at Yards.

Another place we were stoked to visit again was Bar Hygge, which I'd recently named in my Top 10 New Breweries Visited in 2017 blog. This place has it all: great beer, killer food, perfect ambiance, skilled staff, and convenient location. We sat at the corner of the bar a few seats away from where we sat during our inaugural visit. Since we weren't eating, it would be a fairly short visit, so I made it count.

Scenes from Bar Hygge.

After careful consideration, I decided on a pour of Notorious F.I.G., a sour ale brewed with fig concentrate. I don't recall if I'd ever come across a fig beer in our travels, plus the name of the beer was pretty dope so I had to get it. I used to love Fig Newtons as a kid, so I enjoy the flavor of figs. Actually, I'm quite partial to any stone fruit or dried dried variation: raisins, prunes, apricots, dates, and, yes, figs. Despite being slightly outside my wheelhouse, this beer didn't disappoint. Brewslut enjoyed a pour of Lemon Meringue IPA, a zesty, citrus-forward IPA with a soft finish. I can't say enough good things about this place, and don't imagine we'd ever visit Philly without stopping here for a beer or two.

I was looking forward to our next stop, Crime & Punishment, but not before a quick visit to Brewerytown Beats, the sweet record store right across the street. Last time, I had snagged original pressings of Metallica's Ride the Lightning and State of Euphoria by Anthrax. For some reason I never bought either of these as a kid. FAIL! Brewslut was more than happy to get a head start at C&P rather than join me for some digging. Coincidentally, I picked up (among a few other titles) an original Megaforce pressing of Spreading the Disease, another old Anthrax album and one of my favorites. Horns up! \m/

After about half an hour, I made my way back across the street for a beer. Enter Ladyzhino Landscape. I had no clue what the name of the beer implied, and neither did our server. (Google tells me its a geographical area of Russia, which makes sense to me. Crime and Punishment is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. (I never read it. Too long.) Connection made. Yay internet. Anyway, back to the beer. This particular beer, a pale ale hopped with Amarillo, Citra, and Ekuanot, was pretty tasty. However, it was our next shared selection, Space Race, that won me over. Hopped and dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, this IPA wasn't much to look at. It was murkier than most unfiltered IPAs I've come across, and it was more of a sludgy tan color rather than anything resembling orange or amber. See?

Thanks for the pic, anonymous Untappd user.

The taste, however, was another story. Think tropical fruit, citrus rind and peach and you get a pretty good painting of this beer's flavor. This one was quite enjoyable. And with that, it was off to our final destination of this haze-induced weekend.

Wissahickon Brewing Company was a brand new brewery for us. As a matter of fact, it's new to most folks, as it just opened its doors back in June 2017. By this time, the Eagles-Vikings game had begun, and all of the employees at the brewery were decked out in their favorite green and white apparel in support of the underdogs. Upon perusing the chalkboard, I had an idea of what I wanted but needed more info. I happened to ask if they had a beer menu with details, and the brewer just happened to be walking by and heard me, so he gave me the low-down on each beer I asked about (the IPAs).

On tap at Wissahickon.

I started off light with Wig Wam, a 5% ABV unfiltered pale ale kettle hopped with Citra and double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic. Not a bad first impression for a new brewery. Brewslut went heavy, with the 9% ABV Devil's Pool DIPA. According to the brewer, this was the first beer he brewed and, as a result, serves as its flagship offering. The body was nice and think (as it should be) with slight viscosity. It was quite piney and citrusy with hints of tropical fruit, but well-balanced with a heft malt presence. It didn't strike me as a beer weighing in at 98 IBUs, that's for sure. But both of these were solid offerings and all-around good first impressions.

We closed out our visit with a shared pour of Hail Mary, an IPA hopped with Warrior, Citra and Simcoe, then dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic. Plenty of good hop varieties in there! It also served as a fitting beer to drink during the football game, and I couldn't help but think of Doug Flutie's iconic throw in the Cotton Bowl back in 1984. (Wikipedia even has a page dedicated to this pass.)

Inside Wissahickon Brewing Company's tasting room.

All in all, this new brewery shows some promise, and we'll definitely be back when we're in the area and time permits. For now, I was itching to get home, chow down on some Chinese food and get some much-needed couch time. Until next time...