For the NYC Good Beer Nut in July

It is said that Life is too short to drink bad beer, though many folks are still unaware that there is a plethora of good beer awaiting them if they'd just take the chance. July is officially Good Beer Month, though I confess that at The PubScout's house it's a year-long celebration. However, there's a very sweet deal for those in NYC who are true Beer Nuts. And, even better, it's good for TWO months! The PubScout's next pint is raised to Tom Moore for sending this my way! You can thank him any way you want.

A-1277 advances

A-1277 is making gains in the assembly. The question is how much pressure the big boys bring to bear when it's Crunch Time...stay tuned!

Pass me a beer?

The passing is cool...the drinking, not so much.  Check this out...Pass Me a Beer

ROAD TRIP!

Mike Kivowitz, beer lover extraordinaire of New Jersey Craft Beer.com forwarded this information to me so I could share it with you:


SUNDAY, JULY 15

You've all been patiently waiting for the details and tickets to go on sale. Well the time is now. We've been working hard to get the agenda to make this first ever NJCB road trip event memorable and we think this is perfect. We will be opening ticket sales for 30 seats on a first come, first serve basis.

Price includes round-trip transportation from Newark Penn or Metro Park to 2 Breweries and 3 bars/restaurants. Also included will be 2 beers and some food* 

Target times:

9:00am - Pickup at Newark Penn Station

9:40am - Pickup at Metro Park

10:45am - Kane Brewery (private) Tour and Samples

12:15pm - Brickwall Tavern 1 beer

2:00pm - Carton Brewery Tour and Samples

3:30pm - Twin Light Taphouse 1 beer and shared food trays

5:45pm - Maloney's Pub & Grill

7:15pm - Metro Park drop-off

8:00pm - Newark Penn Station drop-off

For more info, go to http://njcb.co/MonmouthTour

Two-For-Two at The Fox and Hound

Any ball player who gets a hit every time up during a game is widely praised and celebrated with headlines. That’s because hitting a small baseball approaching you at 90 mph with a rounded surface like a bat  is considered the most difficult act in sports.

Beer dinners are pretty demanding in terms of coordination, too Why should the host of a Beer Dinner—who’s currently batting 1.000--  get any less recognition?

This is the second time Fox and Hound bar Manager
Michael Scofield has gone into the kitchen, donned his chef’s hat and stepped up to the plate(s).

Partnering with Ommegang Brewery, Scofield and crew put out some fabulous fare with some very solid beer pairings to make his second at-bat another hit.

Attended by forty, up from twenty-five last time, this dinner showed why Ommegang has been so successful since 1997, and why Scofield may require more area for the next dinner. You can see the menu here, and Scofield even added an extra beer to the mix—the original Ommegang Abbey Double—to tide the guests over through a very minor entrée delay. That’s in perfect keeping with the Fox and Hound tradition of customer satisfaction, and will probably account for a larger guest list next time around.

Scofield’s serving staff, comprised of Sarah, Nicole and Erica, did yeoman’s work throughout the night. It was most heartening to see so many younger folks (most of them comely lasses) there trying and learning about good beer. And it’s always good to see old friends.

As always, there were varying opinions about which beer or which pairing was best, and that’s as it should be. In the beer world, you like what you like. But I was very impressed with the Cavatelli and Rare Vos combo. But in The PubScout’s view, you can’t go wrong with anything from Ommegang—especially when the Three Philosophers are in the house.

The only current question is can Scofield go three-for-three? We’ll keep you posted when his next at-bat occurs.

You can check out the pics of the event here, or click on the Gallery to your right.

The Mohawk House: All The Right Stuff

Sparta, NJ is a considerable hike for the PubScout, unless it’s by motorcycle. Because when you’re on two wheels, it’s usually about the ride, not the destination. Except in this case, it’s about the destination, too. Mohawk House is simply a gorgeous facility, and their entertainment schedule (for those who actually require more entertainment than beer) is impressive.

Steve Scro now has the largest number of beer taps in northern NJ, and his marketing has resulted in packed houses for quite a while. His last effort on behalf of the Sussex County farmers yielded 2,000 poured pints. But marketing alone does not guarantee success. You also have to deliver on product—in this case products, which means the beer and the food.

As for the beer, if a beer nut can’t find something he likes at Mohawk House, he should switch to wine—which they also have. The food is absolutely incredible, and Steve’s relatively new chef, Kenneth Salmon, is as dedicated in the kitchen as Steve is to the taps. I caught up with Kenneth yesterday as he was outside working his magic over a wood-fired grill for Father’s Day.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute, Kenneth, a local chap, has gained valuable experience by working in food venues as varied as New Orleans, New York and Italy. He has also prepped his culinary staff to the point where they can adequately handle the regular menu duties as well as he can, which frees him up to tackle more creative dishes. Hailing from a family that traces its roots to the Mayflower, it’s a safe bet that he knows American cuisine, too.  That the Mohawk House gets most of its produce from local farmers is an added benefit which insures absolute freshness.

I asked Kenneth what his recommendation to a steak-loving guest would be, and he answered, without hesitation, “The Rib-eye.” As for the seafood lover, his response was, “Anything and everything.” It seems when your last name is “Salmon,” that’s a good answer.

One other point deserves mention, and that’s the fact that I have never spoken to an employee there who doesn’t LOVE working for Steve. “It’s all about family for me,” said Scro. “And we’re a family here.” That you could eat off the floors in the beer cellar also speaks volumes to me.

I didn’t have time to dine there yesterday, but I have in the past and found it exceptional, though decidedly not cheap. Quality, however, never is. But the next time I visit, the Rib-Eye will definitely get my attention.

And with fifty taps, I can guarantee it will not be accompanied by wine. Especially if Miss America, Kasey, is pouring.

(Innis &) Gunn Control

PIONEERING SCOTTISH CRAFT BREWER INNIS & GUNN PAYS HOMAGE TO THE USA

WITH THE RELEASE OF A LIMITED EDITION ‘INDEPENDENCE DAY’ BEER

The First Beer Maker To Salute and Truly Celebrate The Fourth of July

Press Contact:

Ana Jovancicevic/ 917‐379‐5939 Shannon Fischer / 914‐420‐5758

Ana@handcraftedpr.com Shannon@handcraftedpr.com

New York, NY – June 12, 2012 This Summer, pioneering Scottish craft beer maker,

Innis & Gunn, launches its NEW limited edition ‘Independence Day’ beer in celebration of

Scotland’s centuries‐old ties with the USA. Never before has a beer maker dedicated a

brew to this specific day and, as Dougal Sharp, CEO of Innis & Gunn, explains, the

brand would not exist without the American Oak that is used to flavor the beer.

“When we first produced Innis & Gunn Original in 2003, its wonderful flavor resulted from

the interaction between our beer recipe and the American Oak in which we aged it. And the

success we have had internationally has only been possible because the USA has been the

trailblazer for craft beer for over a decade. So we owe a great deal to the USA and we have

brewed this special Independence Day beer to celebrate this.”

The lineage between the Scots and Americans go way back— to 1776 and earlier — and the

history of both countries is deeply interwoven. It all began at the very beginning, when 21

of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent and

two others had been born in Scotland, only to come to the Americas later in life. Even

America’s favorite relative, ‘Uncle Sam’, was actually based on a real man, Samuel Wilson,

whose parents were native Scots.

Today, about 30 million US citizens can trace their descent from Scotland. And now, just in

time for the Fourth of July, the Innis & Gunn ‘Independence Day’ beer has arrived as a

summer‐long toast to Americans and Scottish Americans everywhere.

In making the Independence Day Limited Edition, Dougal gave himself a challenge to create

a beer that was both refreshing but complex ‐ something that would quench the thirst over

a long, hot summer but that would not lose any of the unique flavor attributes the awardwinning

brewer is known for.

He added: “Independence Day is quite unusual in that it marries two characteristics:

complexity and refreshment, which you don’t often find in a single beer. So it both satisfies

thirst but also has a full and rounded flavor, which comes from the oak maturation. The

taste really evolves on the palate and we’re delighted with the result.”

The outcome is a light and fruity beer with notes of candied apple and marzipan. The
combination of biscuit malt and citrus hops tingle the palate only diminishing after the first
sip to allow the signature Innis & Gunn vanilla and oak notes to shine through. Because of
this combination of Scottish malted barley and mouth‐watering zesty American hops,
Independence Day is a great partner to BBQ dishes. Innis & Gunn Independence Day is now
available for a limited time only on US shelves and is priced at $11.99 for a 4‐pack.
Innis & Gunn Independence Day is the second Limited Edition beer to be released in the US,
following Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask which was introduced in January and sold
through the trade almost immediately. Over the past nine years, Innis & Gunn has won
an international following for its innovative limited editions as well as the core range of
Innis & Gunn Original and Rum Cask.
Website: http://www.innisandgunn.com
Follow us on twitter @InnisandGunnUK and join us on Facebook: Innis & Gunn Oak Aged
Beer