...isn't where Snooki, Sitch and the gang make their weekly attempts to drag American culture even lower than it is. And now that the oft-maligned, zany, madcap guidos and guidettes from Jersey Shore are planning to shoot Season 4 in Italy (!) of all places, folks might think there's no longer a good reason to hit the shore anymore.
Wrong.
I drank one this afternoon, and it's called (appropriately) Beach Haus. It's billed as a classic American Pilsner--the kind that was around before Prohibition. While The PubScout can't attest to that claim, not having had the dubious experience of living during those halcyon days, I can tell you this: Beach Haus is one helluva good beer. Loaded with All -American flavor, a beautiful golden color, a wonderful balance of Mt. Hood hops and malt complexity, this beer may soon be the icon of the Jersey shore. You know a beer is good when its nose doesn't lie about its taste, and this nose is superb. Very smooth and clean on the palate and presenting a solid finish, Beach Haus will go with just about anything but Snooki Cookies or Ronnie's Mass-murdered Turkey Burgers. And it will hold its own all by itself as a session beer, especially on a hot summer day, whether you're at The Aztec, The Beachcomber or Bamboo.
John Merklin and Brian Ciriaco are the power guys behind this bold adventure, and Tom Przyborowski, a former student of mine and a heckuva homebrewer, works the malt magic as the brewer. Mesmerized by a magical zymurgical moment in Vermont, Brian recalled, "I can remember where I was when I had my first Long Trail Ale. The memory and the beer are synonymous to me now." Brian wants to replicate that feeling for others here in Jersey with Beach Haus.
I wanted to see if what I had heard about this beer was true, so I contacted Brian Ciriaco and met him near the Old Bay in New Brunswick ( a beer mecca in its own right) to pick up a case, as it's not yet available in many places north of Manasquan. In a hurry, but friendly and cordial, the youthful Brian gave me some samples that I will share with a select group of cerevisaphiles before an upcoming beer dinner event. I will record their evaluations and reactions on both paper and video, and I will share those results here and on Facebook. While I will supervise the tasting, I will not be part of the tasting team.
That's why I had to try some BEFORE the tasting session. You know, just to make sure it was OK for my beer buds to have, you see. I wouldn't want them to sample something I didn't think was up to their standards. So sacrificing myself (once again) for my craft, I popped the top of a Beach Haus and made a Swiss Cheese, Turkey, Mayo and Dill Pickle "sangwich" (as Pauly D says). Delicious! So now I will always remember where I was when I had my first Beach Haus--in my Haus.
As mentioned, this baby will go as well with fowl, seafood and salads as it will with JWoww. The PubScout wouldn't advise drinking it with any of the other, um, "ladies." First, you wouldn't want them in your Haus. Second, Snooki would be "in the bag" already, Deena would try to jump your bones and you'd probably want to smack Sammi with the bottle. Which, though it might wake her up some, would be a waste.
You can read the Beach Haus story for yourself on the website if you can prove you're eighteen. Too bad MTV didn't hook up with the Beach Haus boys--or vice-versa- to make this a staple in the Jersey Shore Guido Villa. What a branding score that would have been.
But don't you make that mistake. Summer is a comin' (though Jersey folks might be forgiven if you don't believe in summer anymore) and no beach house should be without Beach Haus.
In fact, no house should.
Cheers!
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