Die Alte Schule Braumeister of Roselle Park

If you like good old-school straight talk and good, old school beer, get over to the Climax Brewery in Roselle Park, NJ on any Friday night. The place is open from 5:30 till 8:30, so I stopped by, and there was a steady stream of beer nuts pouring in, some from as far away as Pennsylvania. They were drinking and talking beer in a very relaxed, casual setting, enjoying the beautiful weather, music and the general atmosphere.

Dave Hoffman

That's where one of my favorite beer guys, Dave Hoffman, Die Alte Schule Braumeister, offers tastings and tours, along with some slammin' brews. His Helles Lager was outstanding, and his 6.8% Spring Bock was equally so.

And it's where, near the tanks or under the umbrellas, Dave holds court, ready to talk about anything beer-related--from his sacred Reinheitsgebot to regulatory red tape that poses obstacles to so many in the industry. And he holds forth on all topics--beer-related or not--with uncommon vigor. A typical Hoffmanism about flavoring beer with other 'stuff'--"If you can't make good beer with just water, malt, hops and yeast, ya got no business makin' beer."

We chatted about my recent trip to the Asbury Festhalle and Biergarten for that phenomenal 1842 Pilsner Urquell, because I knew he'd appreciate good beer in its purest form. That's when he informed me that very soon, he'd have ready a "banging" Czech Pilsner that would "knock my socks off."

I suggested that his beers would very likely go over well in the various biergarten settings of Asbury Park, Hoboken or Jersey City, and he seemed interested in the idea. Of course, running his own place as well as being the head brewer at Artisan's in Toms River puts some restrictions on his time, but busy people are usually the ones who get things done.

The "Petes" of Artisan's

If you're in the Roselle Park area on a Friday evening, stop by for some brew and banter. It will not be time wasted.

Cheers!
The PubScout