Something that Brian McCabe, of Hops & Grapes, said back when I did the “Glassboro Has Got It” post was really interesting.  For some reason I had never thought about it too much,  but it really is great that microbrews are sold by the bottle.

   Think about how expensive it would be to try a new craft beer if you could only get them in a six-pack.  Most six packs these days run between $7 and $10 dollars for a craft brew.  That isn’t too bad if you know you already like a beer but it may make you think twice before buying one you don’t know.  So the single bottle is a great thing because it is way more affordable at about$1.50 to $3 a bottle.  Most stores do a make your own six-pack thing, which is great because you can make your own six-pack out of whatever the store has to offer.  So thank you to microbreweries who know it’s quality and not quantity, you have the true beer drinkers in mind.  Bottoms Up!

As I stepped into the back room I was amazed by the large tanks that appeared in front of me.  This was not what I expected to see from what I considered a small local brewery.  The 14 fermenting tanks on the right, the large stacks of barley and grains on the other side.  Directly to my left was the big brewhouse that people think of when they think of a brewery.  Yes this is the Flying Fish Brewery. 

Flying Fish Brewing Company is one of the first established microbreweries in

New Jersey.  They were founded by Gene Muller and Robin Tama in 1995 in Cherry Hill, NJ.  It is one of only 20 microbreweries in the Garden State. 

The brewery stands in the same building it did in 1995, but they have definitely grown.  I went to the brewery to take their free tour, which they hold every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  I was given a private tour from the two Co-founders of Flying Fish, Muller and Tama.

Flying Fish is a true local, homegrown brewery in every sense of the word, but that does not mean they are not innovative.  When they started in 1995, Flying Fish decided to get involved with something new at the time called the World Wide Web.  This made Flying Fish the first “virtual brewery,” and gave them an advantage in the world of beer because they were able to get their message out quickly to people all over.  According to the website, the reason it was created was to give their beer loving fans a chance to help design the brewery by giving them a place to voice their opinions.

According to co-founder, Gene Muller, that is also why they love sponsoring events at bars in the area.  Muller says that it is easier for them to hold events in Pennsylvania because of alcohol laws in New Jersey.  This has helped their distribution because Flying Fish is commonly in Philadelphia bars. 

“Holding events gives us a better connection with our customers because they get to meet us and they realize we are just beer drinkers like them,” said Muller

Muller also talked about how beer events, like Fish and Wing Night at the Victory Bar and Grill in West Berlin, NJ, which is held every Wednesday night, are good because it’s a great way to advertise their beers, according to Muller

They are a small, local brewery at heart but they take their brewing very seriously.  Robin Tama personally took me around their 10,000 square foot brewing factory area.  She took me through the brewing process that all Flying Fish beer goes through, explaining everything and answering all my questions.  She started by explaining how they choose hops and barley depending on what beer they are making, and finished with how the beers are all bottled and shipped out.  The slide show gives you some idea of all the equipment involved in the brewing process. 

One of the highlights of the tour was getting a close look at their new 500,000-dollar bottling system. It has not only increased their production but also given them more options in bottling.  Muller said it has given them the option of using the bigger champagne style bottle for special brews.  According to Tama, the new bottling system has made it possible to keep their beers fresh for longer.  It does this by filling the bottles from the bottom up to the top and using the beer and CO₂, already in the bottle, to force the air out of the bottle.  So when the beer is capped there is almost no air in the bottle which keeps the beer fresh.

They also now use 14 fermenting tanks, up from the original four they started with.  According to Tama, each tank can hold about 500-600 cases of beer.  She also said that Flying Fish produces about 10,000 barrels of beer annually and each barrel holds 31 gallons.  It is important that with that much Flying Fish coming out it’s important to be efficient.  Tama said that Flying Fish prides itself on its efficiency. 

“We are incredibly efficient, you have to know when to brew and when to bottle.  It depends on the season how much beer and what types you should be producing, so you don’t waste anything.”

Flying Fish has a permanent staff of only 14 people that work very well together.  Tama said how they usually brew about three to four days a week and spend about two to three days bottling, and of course Friday is always reserved for cleaning.

Tama believes it is important it is to keep the factory and equipment spotless, and it was.  They have to clean the fermenting tanks constantly because they can only brew one type of a beer at a time so whenever they switch the type, everything has to be cleaned.

My favorite part of the tour was of course getting to sample some Flying Fish (for free of course.  It is part of the tour).  Also, the option of buying two 6-packs, fresh from the brewery is part of the tour.  That is the largest amount of alcohol they can sell at the brewery because they do not have a liquor license, according to Muller.  I was able to sample the Farmhouse Summer Ale and the ESB Ale.  They were both delicious and it was nice to shoot the breeze with Gene and Robin in the front room of their factory.  They happily answered all my questions and made me feel right at home.  Talking to them you know right away that they love what they do and it shows in the beers they turn out.

 The slide show provides a good picture of the brewery.  My advice is to go take the tour the next time you have a Saturday afternoon open and experience it yourself.  They are located at 1940 Olney Ave. in Cherry Hill right off of Rt. 70.  Bottoms Up!

This is the third episode of Still Crazy After All These Beers.  Host Gary Monterosso talks with Co-Founder of Magic Hat, Alan Newman, at the Atlantic City Beer Festival.  They talk about Magic Hat and the state of craft breweries in general.  You can Find Gary’s show on youtube and on itunes.  Bottoms Up.

      This is something interesting I stumbled upon.  It appears that canning craft beers is something that may become a reality soon.  In Fact, there are already some breweries that have started.  I discovered this fact from an article written by Lew Bryson called “First Draft.” 

      Canned beer definitely has a stigma in America that cannot be shaken.  Bryson takes a look at the history of craft beer and canned beer in America and makes many valid points.  His most interesting is that canned craft brews are normal in all the European brewing nations like Belgium and Germany. 

          Leaving my own personal opinion aside, more often than not you will here people say that beer always tastes better out of a bottle. However, no one can explain why.  I have bought into that myth, but Bryson does a good job of making you rethink that notion.  A good point he makes in this article is that cans of beer now are made with a liner.  So the beer does not touch the aluminum, which is what always gave it that metallic taste.  He also goes in to how it is more economical and easier to can beer as opposed to bottling it.  Bryson even says that Sly Fox Brewery from nearby Pennsylvania is doing it. 

    Whether you agree with Lew Bryson or not this article should be looked at because it makes a solid argument for cans.  Please feel free to comment on this story if you feel strongly about it.  I would love to hear people’s opinions.  Bottoms up! 

This is a new segment I’m doing where we take a look at a local brewery more in depth. The first one I am doing is Cricket Hill.

Cricket Hill is a wonderful brewing company based out of Fairfield, NJ. Some may recall I reviewed their Hopnotic IPA and American Ale a while back. I really enjoyed both beers and intend on trying their other bottled beer, the East Coast Lager. The Brewmaster at Cricket Hill is Rick Reed. They have a great website
and a blog they update regularly.

They are engaged in many partnerships which have greatly helped their distribution and recognition. They are the official beer of the Philly Roller Girls. The Roller Girls are the roller derby league out of Philadelphia. Cricket Hill is also in partnerships with the Newark Bears and the New Jersey Jackals, both minor league baseball teams. Cricket Hill even brews a special beer just for Jackal fans called the Jack Ale.

Cricket Hill is a wonderful local brewery with great tasting beer and is worth checking out. To find out where it is distributed by you, check their distributors. If you live in Warren, Hunterdon, Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, or Somerset County, call Shore Point Distributors at 732-308-3334. For the rest of New Jersey, call Regal Wines at 800-245-0184. If you are from neighboring Pennsylvania call Stockertown Beverages at 610- 746-5611. Bottoms Up!

    Found a cool website called http://www.realbeer.com/.  This website has a little bit of everything.  It has lots of forums to discuss different related beer topics, it has interesting articles, and advice for home-brewers.  At the very bottom of the page it has a link to something called beer.edu that has good articles about beer and health matters.  It also has general news on it too.  This website has lots of great links and worth searching if you are trying to keep up to date with the world of beers.  Thats about it for now.  Bottoms Up!

         Gary Monterosso is one of the most important figures in the Beer World today.  He holds seminars on beer tasting and food pairing in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area regularly.  He is also the editor for the New Jersey section of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News.   He has been featured on numerous T.V. and radio shows, and written a plethora of articles for many different publications on the subject of beer.  Mr. Monterosso has his own blog called Still Crazy after All These Beers.  Gary is still busy in the microbrew world and has lots of advice and knowledge of beer to offer.  I conducted an e-mail question and answer with Gary Monterosso and posted it hear for your pleasure.  Keep your eyes and ears open for when Gary Monterosso might be in your area because it is something that should not be missed.  He also has a new book coming out soon that will be worth taking a look at.

 1. How did you get into beer tasting, as a hobby and as a job?  

I have loved beer for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a style that probably could be defined as European, meaning that alcohol was not a taboo. As a teenager, I was allowed to drink an occasional beer and consequently never felt the need to sneak it.

 

My progression from simply enjoying the beverage to working in the field should fast forward to 1993. As my knowledge increased, I contacted a local newspaper requesting permission to do a review of a beer festival, complete with pictures. After the piece was published, I was offered a monthly column. In time, I moved from there to writing for assorted regional and national publications.

 2. Who got you into craft beers and microbrews?

No one got me into craft beers; it was a natural progression. Thirty years ago, there were very few alternatives to the large breweries, all of which were making basically the same beer. I went through a period in which I was looking for other beverages, though I hoped for something new to come along. When the craft brewing scene exploded, I jumped aboard and there has been no turning back ever since.

 
 
 
3. What are some of the things you have done? like as far as radio shows, 
articles, and TV appearences. 

Radio: Guest appearances on assorted shows throughout the country, in addition to the BBC. I was a regular on a beer-themed radio show on the Sirius Satellite network for close to three years. Since 1997, I’ve been a regular on Table for One, heard on assorted stations in the southern part of the state.

 

TV: Christina Cooks on Comcast, Lets Cook with Paul Dillon on Comcast, Your Morning on Comcast, Good Day, Philadelphia on Fox. I appear every three weeks on Hitzel A La Carte offering beer tips on NBC-40.

 

Writing: I’ve written for far too many publications to mention. Currently, I am the NJ editor for Mid-Atlantic Brewing News. I also write for Ed Hitzel’s Restaurant Magazine, Ed Hitzel’s Restaurant Newsletter and Beers of the World. I’ve been fortunate to have won three national awards for writing excellence. I’ve just signed a contract to write for two NJ based magazines and will debut with them shortly.

 
4. Are there any projects or events you are working on right now? 

I was just asked to coordinate an Oktoberfest celebration at The Pier at Caesars in Atlantic City. Also, I was hired to offer some tasting seminars at the new Toast of the Coast food and beverage event at Bally’s in Atlantic City. I’ll be working with a number of personalities from the Food Network.

 

In terms of video, I was hired by a production company to develop and star in a series of podcasts on beer. Called Still Crazy After All These Beers, I’d guess the first episode will be released within the next month.

 

A film company hired me to act in an independent movie set for filming this summer. Also, I’ll be appearing in a nationally released movie set for filming in Pennsylvania in 2009.

 

          My first book will be released during the first quarter of next year.
 

5. What beers have you sampled recently that you really enjoyed?

I’ve had very few new beers lately, although the one that stands out as truly memorable is Local 1 by Brooklyn Brewing.

   Well that is it.  Hopefully everyone enjoyed that and found it as interesting as I did.  It is good to know someone is out there keeping the spirit of beer drinking alive.  Bottoms Up!

      Gary Monterosso has announced that he is launching a podcast with Pro Edge Media.  It can be found at allthesebeers.com.  Mr. Monterosso sent me the press release:

Pro Edge Media is proud to announce the official launch of our newest podcast called, �Still Crazy After All These Beers!

 

If you know a lot about beer or are just starting to appreciate the many flavors of this beverage, “Still Crazy After All These Beers” is designed for you. We’ll visit breweries, brewpubs, festivals and speak with the stars from the industry. We’ll also move into an area that is becoming increasingly popular by showing how beer gaining respect among chefs and restaurant owners. Look for an occasional celebrity added to the mix. Hosted by beer reviewer Gary Monterosso.

 

Check out our premiere episode at http://allthesebeers.com

 

(New Episodes of Still Crazy After All These Beers will premiere weekly)

Check back tomorrow because I am posting an e-mail Q&A I did with Gary Monterosso which will help people understand how important Mr. Monterosso is to the beer culture in this area.  Bottoms Up!

    I decided to take a step away from the news style of my blog and give everyone a little look into what I like in a beer.  So I have created a list of my top 5 favorite beers of all time.   Hopefully this will get some response from  readers out there.  I would love to here what other people’s top 5 is. It might give me something new to check out.  Plus it is fun to think about it.  so think if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have 5 types of beer for the rest of your life, what would they be?  Here are mine:

5.)  Troegs Pale Ale- This is a nice enjoyable beer.  It has very good hop character but not overpowering.  I enjoy pale ales but right now this is my favorite.  It has a generous amount of cascade hops which give it it’s flavor and finish. 

4.)  Allagash White- This was an experiment that turned out well for me.  I tried this brew on a whim while at a bar.  I was happy i did.  I had heard great things about the Allagash Brewing Company and was not disappointed when I tried this white beer.  It’s sweet taste and interesting character that plays with your mouth as it goes down was thoroughly enjoyable.  If you can find this on draft at a bar, definitely give it a shot.

3.)  Longtrail Blackbeary Wheat- I first tasted this beer at the Atlantic City Beer Festival and fell in love with it.  To be completely honest, what first attracted me to this beer was the label.  The bear trying to steal the blackberry pie was amazing, which is saying something because before this i usually stayed away from wheat beers.  I bought a six-pack of it shortly after it and enjoyed every sip it.  I love it’s simple wheat quality with the slight hint of blackberry in the finish.  I could see myself drinking a lot of this in the warm Jersey summer ahead. 

2.)  Bass Ale- This was the first beer I drank when I turned 21 (Not the first time I tried it however).  I love it’s bitter taste.  It has a great color and a nice off-white head.  I love the way it finishes in the back of the mouth.  Great beer to drink on tap.  Love the English beers.  Other notables from England that I enjoy are London Pride and Newcastle Brown Ale.

1.)  Labatt Blue- Perhaps a shock to people, but this is my all-time favorite beer and this is unlikely to change anytime soon.  This was one of the first beers I ever drank and I have had many good times drinking it.  If you can buy this stuff in Canada, it is way better than the stuff they import to America.  I go up to Ontario every year for a fishing trip and getting to drink Labatt Blue is one of the highlights (along with catching some nice northern pike).  Not much to say about it, it’s a solid lager with good taste and a spicy finish and it is the face of Canadien beer.  It isn’t always about how a beer tastes to me, sometimes it’s more about how it makes you feel.  And this one makes me feel great.

    Hope everyone enjoyed this post and I really would love to get some feedback and here what other people have to say. Bottoms Up!  

   For those of you out there interested in making your own beer, it may not be as complicated or as expensive as you think. 

    There is a company called Sabco that makes and sells small brewery kits, beer chillers, and kegs for storage.  The Brewery kit costs about $5,000 dollars which isn’t bad for a solid brewing system.

    There is also a website called beersmith.com that is designed for homebrewers.  They have a blog that lists tips for crafting your own brew.  On their main page they sell software that gives you step by step instructions on how to make your own beer.  They have a free trial you can download or you can buy the software outright for $19.95.

     And one last site that will be helpful to people looking to brew their own beer is BrewWiki.   BrewWiki is an online encyclopedia for craft brewers.  It is user generated so not everything on the website, like Wikipedia, can be taken as cold hard facts, but it can be very helpful for answers to questions or ideas for what a person might want to do with their beer.