Flying Fish Flying High

As per a recent press release:

FLYING FISH BREWING COMPANY
BRINGS HOME THE HONORS:
TWO MEDALS FROM GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL
“BEST BELGIAN STYLE” FROM MEN’S JOURNAL

CHERRY HILL, NJ – New Jersey’s largest craft brewery, Flying Fish Brewing Company (1940 Olney Avenue, 856-489-0061), recently returned from the annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, CO with two medals for its acclaimed beers. The medals, including a gold for their Exit 4 American Tripel, come on the heels of Men’s Journal magazine naming Exit 4 “Best Belgian-Style Beer in America.”
“At Flying Fish, we’re proud to hail from the great state of New Jersey, and we’re even more proud to bring recognition to our home state at the GABF and in the pages of Men’s Journal,” says Muller. “We said that the Exit Series would be one-and-done beers, but if we get overwhelmed with requests for more, there's a good chance people will see Exit 4 in 6 packs early next year.”
In addition to honoring Exit 4 American Tripel with a gold medal for “American Belgo-Style Ale,” the GABF judges awarded Flying Fish’s popular Hopfish a bronze medal for “Classic English Style Pale Ale.”
Created by head brewer Casey Hughes, Exit 4 American Tripel is named for the exit nearest Flying Fish Brewing Company’s headquarters, and is Belgian-inspired to represent their role as one of America’s first craft breweries to embrace Belgian-style beers. The series will continue with three or four beers a year to eventually encompass all turnpike exits; other entries have included Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat.
Flying Fish was the world’s first ‘virtual’ microbrewery, establishing an Internet presence as early as 1995. That presence helped to generate press interest and woo investors to the fledgling brewery, which would not open for business until late 1996. Today, Muller and his team oversee four full-time styles, as well as a variety of seasonal beers. Their brews have been featured at the Great British Beer Festival, Oregon Brewers Festival and Canada’s Biere de Mondial Festival. They have won medals at the Great American Beer Festival, Real Ale Festival and the World Beer Championships, and are the only New Jersey brewery featured in Best American Beers. Flying Fish was recently named “Local Hero: Beverage Artisan of 2009” by Edible Jersey magazine.
For more information about Exit 4, Hopfish or any of Flying Fish’s beers, please visit them online at www.flyingfish.com or call (856) 489-0061.

Trap Rock celebrates Oktoberfest

I just got this information from Melissa at one of my favorite Jersey brewpubs--Trap Rock in Berkeley Heights. To my great dismay, I will be unable to participate due to a prior engagement, but I heartily recommend this place.

Herewith, Melissa's missive:

Hi guys!

Some of you may have already heard, but we have scheduled (and RE-scheduled) our Octoberfest Beer Dinner for Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30 p.m.

This year's Trap Rock Octoberfest Beer Dinner will feature brews from Stone Brewery in California.

The dinner is $65 per person, including 6 courses, tax, gratuity, and of course, ENDLESS BEER!

My list is already growing rather quickly, so sign up ASAP!

You can either call Trap Rock and ask for me (Melissa) (908) 665-1755

or call Amanda, our party-planner, at (908) 418-2195

OR just belly up to the bar and I'll sign you up while you swill some of Captain Dunkin's Scottish Ale (which is tasting mighty fine this year...)

Here's the menu:

Salad of Pickled Beets

Kholrabi & Goat Cheese Ravioli

Poached Trout

Chanterelles & Chamomile

Monkfish "Schnitzel"

Braised Red Cabbage, Lemon & Caper

Confit of Moulard Duck

Warm Salad of Poached Pears, Duck Prosciutto, & Frisee

Red Wine Poached Pork Loin

Poppy Seed Spaetzle & Cognac Prunes

(Desert TBD...)

To all you Veggies - You know we'll accommodate your needs, just please let us know beforehand.

Hope to see you all there!

~Melissa

If you can make this event, I doubt you will be disappointed in any way.

Ein Prosit der Gemutlichkeit!

This Friday, October 2...Basil T's Toms River..THE definitive NJ Oktoberfest! Dirndl Beauties, Oompah Band, Steve Farley's exceptional cuisine, Dave Hoffman's superb brews, two owners with the same name--what's not to like!

Click on the link above and call today to reserve!

Ein Prosit der Gemutlichkeit!

(and an Opa!-Opa!)

Only if you're a BIG beer dog...

My Down-Under beer buddy Ken Hart has a site that all serious beer nuts with a yen for travel need to see...

And if you can't hunt with the big dogs, stay on the porch.

 

Pub Crawls, Beer Trips & Tours, Beer Travel & Holidays, Australian Pub Crawls, European Beer Tours, Oktoberfest, Around The World Beer Festivals & Vacations

The Big Boys of Media get on Board--only a decade late..

I noticed the video link below as I was trolling for news this morning, and I couldn't stifle a chuckle. There was a video story about the only BOP (Brew on Premise) operation in NJ--The Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold. I hearkened back to 1998, when I published the first story about this remarkable place and the remarkable women who run it. It was titled "The Women Clean Up" and, to this day, the ladies at the BA feature that story which helped promote this most unique idea. Fun, rewarding and educational for the customer, profitable for the proprietors and definitely worthy of more publicity--even a decade late--The Brewer's Apprentice experience is a worthwhile one for all beer lovers.

You can read my column about it--FROM 11 YEARS AGO--here. And here's hoping the gals at BA are well and doing well!

 

The Brewer's Apprentice lets customers make their own beer - Video | NJ.com: The Star-Ledger Videos - NJ.com

Hailey's Harp and Pub still MIA

I made a quick trip out to beautiful downtown Metuchen Saturday night in hopes of walking into a brand new, much-anticipated Irish Pub.

No deal.

The place was dark and boarded up with nothing in the way of notice as to when it should be up and running. I didn't even see a Coming Soon! sign. Shame, too.

I had a parking spot right in front of the place.

Oh well. Good things come to those who wait, I suppose. In the meantime, you can get your own updates here.

Judging by those pics, we may be waiting until Thanksgiving.

Don't Forget the Cask Session Saturday!

Mike Sella and the Uno's crew are prepping for their September Cask Session at the Rt. 1 Brewery. Go here for details!