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East Coast Brewery Tour December 2013
This week Nina and I are driving a car from New Jersey to Georgia, and are planning to visit three breweries; Dogfish Head in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Oskar Blues in Brevard, North Carolina, and Terrapin in Athens, Georgia. A fast and enjoyable way to get to Dogfish from New Jersey is to take the Cape May Ferry across the Delaware Bay to Lewes, Delaware. The car and driver ride for $35 and an extra adult is just $8. The crossing takes 90 minutes and you can sip on a freshly poured Cape May Brewing IPA or Dogfish 60 minute…awesome! |
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The drive from the port to Dogfish Head Pub is only 10 minutes. Along the way we spotted a restaurant named the Pickled Pig Pub and decided to give it a taste. We were happy to find many local craft beers to choose from. From 16 Mile Brewing in Georgetown, DE I selected Old Court Pale Ale at 6.1%, it was earthy and hoppy. I followed with Sandstorm Triple from 3rd Wave Brewing in Delmar, DE, which had hints of banana and clove at 8.5%. Nina chose a tasting flight of 3 Imperial Stouts…Dogfish Head Bitches Brew at 9%, Victory Brewing Storm King at 9.1%, and 16 Mile Night Stalker at 10%. Now that’s a flight to take! The food items were interesting also, including batter fried pickle spears, which were pretty good. For lunch I chose the Peanut Butter and Jelly burger made with bacon infused peanut butter and strawberry jalapeno jam and with cheddar cheese! Are you kidding me? It was fantastic…maybe a future Stuff Yer Face menu item? |
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Dogfish Head Pub was our destination for the evening. Rehoboth Beach is a quaint beachside community that was decorated for Christmas. There were old hop vines remaining on the outdoor trellis. The neon in the front window announces “Home Made Beer”. The Pub was warm and the staff welcoming and friendly. The blackboard lists many regular Dogfish ales and a few new releases. My first beer was Piercing Pils, a new winter seasonal. It’s a Czech style pilsner with pear tea and pear juice. It was very refreshing. Next I tasted Kvasir, an Ancient Ale release. It was brewed according to 3500 year old remnants found in a birch drinking vessel in Scandinavia. It was 10% and brewed with wheat, lingonberries, cranberries and honey. Their pizza is made with bits of wheat, barley and un-fermented ale. I had to go with that. Amazing how the malts impart a rich, earthy taste and crispiness to the pizza. Nina showed off her Hops Jewelry to a receptive staff. By chance we met a Dogfish brewer, Kristin, a Rutgers Alumni. Kristin was excited to talk about Stuff Yer Face, Hops Jewelry, and to share a pint of Dogfish Head beer with us. It was a fun night, and again we run into another successful Rutgers Grad…they’re everywhere! |
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It’s a ten hour drive down the Southern tip of Delaware across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel and into North Carolina to find Oskar Blues. Oskar Blues is one of several American brewers making their way to the East Coast. Other brewers coming are Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Green Flash. Oskar Blues, from Colorado, set up their second brewery near Asheville in a scenic area and has a great pub above the brewing vessels. Lots of beers on tap here at the Tasty Weasel, and you can order a tasting paddle. The tasters were poured in an interesting way. Instead of each 4 ounce poured individually, all seven glasses were placed on the paddle, and a fork like tool was used on the taps to pull all seven knobs at the same time with the beer flowing right down the middle of the glasses! Old Chub, their Scottish strong ale was available in two special releases, Yule Chub with winter spices and a Pecan Chub on cask. The smoked malt used was very delicious. We chatted with an employee of the brewery’s lab, whose hobby is searching the woods for mushrooms…hum, can we come? Next trip? Another beer we tasted and enjoyed was the G’Knight, a dry hopped red double IPA. It was the first time I had tasted this beer. I got to thinking, It’s a red beer, and it’s named Knight…hum. |
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Our next stop was about 3 hours to the South in Athens, Georgia to Terrapin Brewing. Although we don’t presently offer their beers at Stuff, we may add them soon. Terrapin had the honor of winning a gold medal at the GABF for their Tree Hugger German Alt. Lucky for us it was on tap. The brew was malty with notes of caramel, toffee, and nuts. Very drinkable! Hops Jewelry and Terrapin share an affinity for The Turtle, Hops, and beer! Naturally Hops Jewelry was a big hit and Nina met with some of the staff to show her Hops Jewelry. The pub is open for tours for only two hours Wednesday through Sunday. To back up all the beer choices there was live music, a food truck, and an outdoor area with a few games to play. |
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It was a great journey from New Jersey to Florida. The cold weather was nipping at our heels with each brewery we pursued. We made it safely from the Garden State to the Sunshine State while enjoying the beers and the scenery. We’re always on the lookout for the next great beer for Stuff Yer Face. |