Tag Archives: Craft Beer

HOB Tavern

Beer Reviews, Pub Crawl, , , , , , ,

MINI REVIEW

If you happen to driving around Central Jersey do yourself a favor and head over to Bordentown, NJ. Bordentown is a gem of a small town with a cute and very walkable Main Street (Farnsworth Avenue). There are plenty of shops, restaurants and beer establishments to visit including Tindall Road Brewing Company, Old Town Pub & the HOB Tavern all within easy walking distance to each other. I had previously visited the both the brewery and pub and had been wanting to check out the HOB.

THE HOB sits in the Heart of Bordentown (HOB) and is a great local bar with a nice tap list and a small but might food menu serving both meat, vegan and vegetarian options! I stopped in on a weekday night for a beer, quick bite and to catch up with a dear friend. We both opted for The Jersey Devil fried cauliflower stead sandwich that was amazing! Truly one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a very long time. I chose The Shed Mountain Ale to accompany it and what a great pairing. The Shed is a Brown Ale from Middlebury, Vermont that comes in at 7.4%. I love a good brown ale and this was a tasty one with notes of caramel, toffee balanced by hop bitterness.

HOB Tavern ~ FB ~ IG

Happy New Year!

Beer, Beer News, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Brewpub Reviews, , , , , , ,

I hope 2022 is a year filled with lots of brewery visits and good beer!

I know it’s been a while but I’m back. I ended up taking a few months off from brewery visits and beer in general. Shocking I know but I made it through. However, I was able to squeeze in two brewery visits, Bitchin’ Kitten & Old Hights Brewing Company, in the final 10 days of the year and only missed one 2021 Breweries to Visit on the list.

Leading up to Christmas my day drinking buddy was back in town and we were able to find a time to check out Bitchin’ Kitten. Beings we both love cats and beer it was the Purrfect (see what I did there) place to kick back and catch up. Naturally I wore my I Love Cats & Beer hoodie for my first visit to the Kitten. Even though is was my first visit to the brewery it wasn’t my first time enjoying their beer. I was able to try a couple of their beers at an outdoor store tasting back in the Spring of 2021. The brewery only opened their doors a couple of months ago and I like to give new places a bit of time to work out any kinks before I visit.

The brewery is located in the heart of Morrisville, PA and I feel will become an anchor business in the area. Already a distillery opened up down the street and there’s a fun shop, Mandy’s Magick Witch Shop and Healing Center, across the way if you want to do a little shopping before or after beer drinking. As far as parking goes, don’t worry, there’s limited parking on the street out front and a huge parking lot in back of the brewery. The challenge may come finding a place to sit in the brewery beings it’s small and popular.

We happened in on the Thursday before Christmas and the place was hopping. There were two seats at the small bar but we opted to sit out on the beer patio with standing heaters and small fire pits to help keep us warm. Adding to the charm of the patio was Santa going by on the Morrisville Fire Truck. You know this girl was waving and happy to see the big guy! The atmosphere was truly festive!

The patio is dog friendly and has four or five tables and a heater for each table. You can walk to and from the back parking lot via the patio and enter the brewery from the side entrance or walk around to the front. Inside has a rustic, industrial and yet warm feel to it. There’s a mix of high and low top tables plus the small bar. The staff is on their game, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I was impressed with the attention the owners gave to their guests and making sure every thing ran smoothly.

On to the beer! My friend and I both opted for flights. I chose the…

Calt Sidhe: The King of Kats – Dry Irish Stout 4.1% Really one of the smoothest stouts I’ve had in a while and chock full of malty delights.

St. Nick-Claw-Us – Belgian Red Christmas Ale 8% I chose to have it with the sugar rim and it was truly a Christmas treat with strong notes of cherry and other stone fruits that balanced the spices.

English Rose – Mild English Porter 5% This beer was brewed in honor of a foster kitten. Just when I didn’t think I could love this place more I learn they foster cats! You know this Gal is all about animal rescue. #beercats It was a nice robust porter full of roasted goodness, malts and a hint of caramel.

Dewclaw – West Coast Style IPA 6% Yay, a West Coast IPA! So happy when there is a non hazy option. The Dewclaw had the hops you expect but they were nicely balanced by the malts which resulted in an enjoyable but not over powering bitter finish.

The beer list was pretty diverse and in addition offered a New England IPA, a sour, German wheat, a few hard ciders plus hand crafted cocktails. The Kitten also serves food and is meat, vegan and vegetarian friendly. We opted to share the Charcuterie Tray which was beautifully presented, larger than expected and accompanied the beer perfectly.

It was really a fun evening and I look forward to visiting Bitchin’ Kitten soon and watching them grow. They have already built an impressive following and came in 3rd place for Best Taproom in PA after being open only two short months. Bitchin’ Kitten ~ FB ~ IG

Stay tuned to read about my end of year visit to Old Lights Brewing Company.

Bradley Brew Project

Beer, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, , , , , , , , , ,

You know when you walk into a place with no expectations but then are so blown away it catches you off guard? That’s how I felt when I walked into Bradley Brew Project. A friend and I were having lunch in the Belmar area and since Bradley Brew Project was near the restaurant we decided to stop in for a beer. I hadn’t really done any research or new anything about them so I had no expectations but now they’ll be a regular stop when in the area and a destination for my Sunday drives. Yes, I love old school Sunday drives.

The brewery adds to the over all quaintness of the Bradley Beach area. Made up of cute Mom & Pop shops and restaurants with the train station at the heart of the town and just a 5 minute drive to the beaches of Asbury Park and the Silverball Museum. If you follow this Gal on FB & IG you know the Silverball is a fav!

Bradley Brew Project feels more like a fun/funky cafe that’s a bit more upscale than the average brewery which to me was part of the appeal. I just felt I was someplace special. Who ever designed the place nailed it. The esthetics of the space along with good beer, upbeat atmosphere and fun music combine to produce great vibes that just make you want spend some quality time relaxing and drinking. For you sports fan there is a TV to watch a game on and I liked that it was there but not intrusive and loud. Kids are welcome and dogs are allowed on the spacious back patio and the 3 tables at the front of the brewery along the large door opening. Other than a few light snack offerings it’s BYOF and you can double treat yourself by ordering from one of the many great restaurants in the area.

The beer is available in 3 different size pours as well as flights. On this particular day there were 7 beers on draft and the line up offered some unique and pleasing options. I started with the I Came Over To Celebrate Marzen Style Lager 5%. This is a fine German Style Lager. Crisp and clean with Munich malts and German hops. Very refreshing and easy to drink. Next up I had the Can I Put the Hops In? West Coast Style IPA 6.8%. Let’s hear for the West Coast…Woohoo! It was an enjoyable IPA with earthy hops and some tropical notes. It didn’t knock my socks off but then again I don’t expect every beer to knock them off. Decided to cap this visit with a small pour of the Third Wild Ale 4.9%. It’s been fun getting back to enjoying wild ales again. I really enjoyed this light body beer and the funky tartness with underlying notes of oaky cabernet sauvignon was the perfect ending to this visit.

This Gal looks forward to exploring Bradley Beach some more in the near future and stopping back to Bradley Brew Project for a beer or two or three.

Bradley Brew Project ~ FB ~ IG

2021 Breweries to Visit – Odd Bird Brewing

Beer, Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, , , , , , , ,

Next on my list of 2021 Breweries to Visit was Odd Bird Brewing in Stockton, NJ. When I found out a brewery had opened in the quaint town of Stockton not only was I excited that there was new beer to try, just a scenic drive away, but felt this would be a perfect addition to the town.

One of the first things to catch my eye about Odd Bird is the logo…it’s gorgeous. This Gal’s background is marketing and graphic design so things like logos and branding, always stick out to me and tell me a bit about the business, whether it be a brewery or something else. If a place realizes the importance of professional design and branding they realize the importance of small but mighty details. Odd Bird does just that…recognizes the importance of even the smallest details and the bigger ones too. It’s an aesthetically pleasing and inviting space and the owners make you feel very welcomed. The tap handles are gorgeous hand blow glass and the wood tables add a nice rustic feel. I look forward to the day the inside is open to the patrons. The husband-and-wife team run the place by themselves so for now only the outside tent patio is open for seating. They are looking to welcome the public inside in the fall.

Odd Bird is small but laid out in the way to make the most of the space inside and out. The tent backs up to a hill and has several low and high-top tables plus a “bar” at the front you can sit at. Parking is tough and my guess is will be better in the colder weather once the tent is gone. The Saturday night I was there I was able to snag a spot right out front otherwise you can park down the street at the Prallsville Mill. Because the brewery is located in a food manufacturing facility no dogs allowed. You are welcomed to bring food in and there is a plethora of places in Stockton to get take out from or take your beer to go to one of the BYOB restaurants. Stockton is really a cute town and worth taking a few movements to walk around and enjoy. There’s also a tow path you can walk or ride your bike on and then stop at the brewery for a beer reward after.

Now onto the beer! Right now, no flights but they are very generous with tasters. There were 9 beers on tap and 1 on cask the night I was there and the list was pretty diverse. As soon as I saw they offered a ESB I knew that’s what this Gal was getting. I’ll say it again – I’m so freaking happy to see this style popping up more and more on tap list! It’s been overlooked for far too long.

Extra Stockton Bitter ESB 4.5% – It did not disappoint. I always appreciate a good malt forward beer balanced by the bitterness of hops.

I was happy that both the IPA offerings were not hazy. Did a taster of each Extraordinary Machine IPA 6.4% and the Catbird IPA 6.9%. Decided on the Extraordinary for the pour. It’s nice crisp and clean IPA that goes down easily with a soft note of hops.

The final taste of the evening for this Gal was the Joe’s Garage Kölsch 5.2%. Another style I’m happy to be seeing on tap list again. A Kölsch is always a good kick back summer refresher. Joe’s Garage is well done. A breath of freshness with hits of floral hops and malt aromas.

The brewery is just a hop, skip and jump away from Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA so incorporating a stop into your day of sighting seeing would be an added bonus! I look forward to watching the Odd Bird grow and become an anchor to the Stockton community.

Odd Bird Brewing ~ FB ~ IG

Wait, what? I’m enjoying beer inside…

Beer Reviews, Brewery Reviews, , , , , , , , ,

For the first time in a year I was inside a brewery. It was surreal and yet normal all at the same time. Being in the high risk group for Covid I have limited my time out in the public and only visited 3 breweries last year (all outside) and for the most part enjoy beer at home or at my local beer joint down the street that has a year round outdoor patio. Fortunately, their tap list is always top notch. However, it was nice to try out a new place and drink some different beers.

Newton Brewing Company had been on my list of places to visit last year but we all know what happened to our lists of things to do and places to visit in 2020. I’m determined to get through my list this year. Granted I showed up 5 minutes before they opened so I could get there first thing, limited myself to a taster round and promised my partner we would be out before it got people-ly. I had just wrapped up the taster round when others arrived so we had the place to ourselves pretty much our entire visit.


ATMOSPHERE – Like many other breweries it is in an industrial type complex but the minute you walk through the door you forget that. The owners did a top notch job making the brewery feel warm and inviting. I absolutely love all the wood and the overall decor of the place. I also really like that there are a choice of table styles to choose from – high tops, barrels, and regular 4 top tables. (Bar sitting doesn’t exist right now because of the pandemic ) Another bonus sound buffers on the walls and ceilings. The brewery is BYOF and often has food trucks, check out their schedule, and being its PA during Covid hot dogs are available for purchase to cover the required table food law.

THE BEER – The tap list is nice with truly something for everyone. Personally, I was thrilled to see a Dunkel on the list and that was my fav of the day. Their Imperial IPA also ranked high. They also serve wine from a local winery, soft drinks, hard cider and seltzer as well. This place has me excited to visit breweries again and I look forward to my 2021 Beer Tasting Adventures.

Please note me and my partner’s comfort level and precautions with the pandemic are our decision and I will not debate them.

DROP ME A LINE
geekybeergal@icloud.com

KEEP IN TOUCH

Making Lemonade

Beer, Beer Merch, Beer News, , , , , , , , , ,

Looking to make 2020 a bit brighter for those that follow me on Facebook I started posting contests for folks to win small beer related prizes. I just really wanted to try and brighten things up for folks. After I awhile I started using my graphic design background to design some fun stickers and magnets as prizes. Fast forward to December of 2020 when the universe handed me a big bag of lemons. I took a long look at those lemons and I decided to brew a batch of some kick a$$ lemonade. That lemonade landed me on Etsy with the Geeky Beer Gal Store! I decided to turn the fun I was having designing the prizes into a business with a line of Beer, Dog and Cat themed merch.

Let’s face it with 3 #beercats, 2 dogs and a love for craft beer it was inevitable that I would find a way to combine these three passions into one. Beer journals*, t-shirts, beanies, hoodies, stickers, magnets, earrings and more with fun beer sayings and cute dog and cat related images.

Cat Peeps:
I Love Kitties And Beer
Love, beer & cats
All I need is beer and my cat
I just want to drink beer and pet my cat
Cat Mom Beer Lover

Dog Peeps:
I Love Dogs And Beer
Love, beer & dogs
All I need is beer and my dog
I just want to drink beer and pet my dog
Dog Mom Beer Lover

Two Easy Ways To Help A Small Business: Like & Share!
This Gal would greatly appreciate you giving the shop a look, fav the shop (click heart in upper left corner) and share, share, share! It’s great way to show a #smallbusiness support without spending a dime! (although, if you wanted to spend a dime…)

Oh and there will still be FB contest with plenty of opportunities to win beer related prizes and G.B.G. merch but you have to follow and play to win!

DROP ME A LINE
geekybeergal@icloud.com

Geeky Beer Gal is based out of New Jersey and lives with 3 cats named after beer/breweries (Avery, Salvator and Celis) and mother and son rescue dogs (Mama T. and Sullivan). Sullivan thinks he’s a cat and we just let him live that dream out.

Let’s hang out

*Beer Journals are available on both the Etsy shop and Amazon.
Click for StickerMule Discount

Yes please and thank you.

Beer Articles, Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

IMG_0606Recently my brother, often referred to as the world’s greatest brother, was at Trillium Brewing and texted me few cool pics of the place and in return I every so sweetly reminded him that I love suveniors. He asked if I would like to pick a few beers from their can list to bring back for me? Yes please and thank you! I’ve been on a kick of going out side my norm and trying beers that might not normally appeal to me. So I picked my 4 out of the box beers and 2 styles I normally enjoy. I enjoyed all the beers but the one that shocked me and I just loved was the one I saved for last because I thought, “why did I pick this one?” Double Seesaw American Gose Ale Brewed with Plum. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a Gose every now and then but I’m not big into the fruit beers and am not a fan of plum in general. That has now changes. This beer is so delightful and fun! It comes in at only 5.3%. During the pour the sent of citrus, berries and, of course, plum are very noticeable. The color is striking and the taste simply incredible. It’s a medium body plum lemonade! There’s a tartness from the plum but that is counter balanced by the sweetness of the berries and the saltiness found with this style. It is one of the most perfectly balanced beers I have in a very long time. What a genuinely pleasant surprise and so happy I chose to go outside the norm on my selection.

The Future of Craft Beer

Beer News, , , ,

I’ve read a lot of articles about the future of craft beer but since I keep getting asked, “Is the craft beer bubble about to burst? Is there a future for craft beer?” here’s my thoughts on the future of craft beer.

Trends come and go but craft beer is here to stay. The “It” folks, you know the ones who have to be part of the latest cool craze, are moving on from craft beer and personally that makes this Gal happy. At the same I know quite a few folks who are just discovering the joy of craft beer and it’s been fun to see their taste and knowledge of beer blossom.

Is craft beer still the new cool kid on the block? Nope, that title now belongs to distilleries. They are popping up left and right just like breweries once did and that is one of the differences you will see as the craft beer world settles fewer breweries opening. Fine by me. We don’t need one on every corner and frankly, far too many have opened that never should have. It will be survival of the fittest. If you brew good beer, take care of your customers, offer reasonable prices and have a sound business plan then you should be ok.

I do, however, feel a shift in the craft beer world has started and will continue…#drinklocal.  Folks want to see more local brews on tap at restaurants and beer bars. Yes, folks will still enjoy beer from across the country but see the value in supporting their local breweries. I think the acquisitions of craft breweries by mega corporations like Anheuser-Busch is a factor in the #drinklocal movement. Beer lovers want their local breweries to be successful but not by the big guys taking them over but rather from customer and community support.

However, I also see a return to Belgium beer. I think we are going to be seeing them pop up more on tap list and more craft breweries brewing Belgium styles. Belgium beers were this Gal’s first love so I don’t mind at all.

So to recap craft beer will be sticking around
Some breweries will close
Fewer breweries will be opening
More acquisitions of craft breweries by big corporations
Lots more distilleries popping up
#drinklocal
The Return of Belgium Beers

“My Place”

Beer Bar, Beer Events, Beer Tastings, , , , , , ,

13466325_1303443579666580_8959964370941715785_n
It’s A Ruff Life Fundraiser

This Gal is all about exploring and trying out something new. I’m not one to order the same thing at the same restaurant, I prefer trying whats local to the area over what I know and I definitely appreciate good service. As much as I like trying out new places there are times I want to go to “my place”. You know what I mean – the place close to home that has good beer, friendly service and they greet you by name when you arrive. There are two such places for me. Ok, three but Mama Rosa’s is BYOB and I’m talking about “my beer places”.

What I love about the area I live in, Mercer County, is the location. In just 40 short minutes I can be in Center City Philly, 1.25 hours to NYC and the nearest beach is only 45 minutes away – location, location, location. Which also, means I have some of the best beer places available at all times. This Gal feels very lucky to have all this at her finger tips but there are those days when I want to go out without really leaving the area. That’s when I head to “my place” – UNO’s Hamilton. Yup, UNO’s. Yes, UNO’s. Really, UNO’s.

I’m asked a lot what my go to beer place is and when I say UNO’s Hamilton I always get the same response – Really? The one near the movie theater? – YES! They have an amazing tap list that is right up there with some of the best lists both Philly and NYC have to offer. Bonus – it’s mere minutes from my house and right around the corner from where I work.

I too was surprised when I first heard about the beer being served at UNO’s. Fortunately, my brother and his co-workers clued me in pretty quickly. They have been enjoying UNO’s beer and lunch special offerings for a while now and were kind enough to let me in on the “secret” soon after the great beer started flowing. One of my favorite things in life is meeting my Hop Head Brother there for a beer. (It’s the little things)

They offer 30 beers on tap with all but a few being craft and the beer is FRESH with fast tap 13244836_1278671632143775_1169056652351891532_nrotation. If you hear of a beer on tap you want you best get there sooner rather than later. They offer growler fills, taster rounds and now have a Crowler machine. By the way all which can be enjoyed on the new outside beer patio that is dog friendly!

Besides the great beer they have a lot of fun beer related events and I strongly encourage you to follow them on Facebook so you’re kept in the loop and don’t miss out on the tap takeovers, beer dinners, beer breakfast and even a super fun Beer for Pups charity event during Philly Beer Week. You know how this Gal feels about beer places giving back to the community – awesomeness at it’s best and the UNO’s team and Weyerbacher rocked the event for It’s A Ruff Life Rescue.

13631601_512828575582768_63426997126926399_n
NCBC The Shapes of Hops to Come

Speaking of Philly Beer Week they were one of the first places in the burbs to start participating in PBW and their events are pretty amazing. So much so that the past two years I’ve participated in more PBW events at UNO’s than Philly. (no worries I still always make a few events in Philly as well). This past year they rotated through 157 different beers during Philly Beer Week. That’s a lot of great beer in a very short time. Told you it’s fresh and goes quick.

Besides kicking it during PBW they also participate in this Gal’s favorite holiday – Black Out Friday and have even made football enjoyable for this Gal. Now if you been following my blog for a while then you might remember my first post was about Football Sunday at UNO’s. It’s a win win for me and my football loving partner. I get to enjoy great beer and beer specials while he can watch all the games and enjoy his favorite food in life – pizza. Bonus, your movie ticket stub from the theater next door acts as a coupon – 10% off your food purchase. UNO’s also offers discounted movie tickets for the theater. I always like to see businesses working together in the area it’s a win for everyone.

IMG_5652
Maine Beer IV

So yes “my place” is UNO’s Hamilton and I hope to see you there soon.

Stay tuned my next blog will be about “my other place” Trenton Road Takeout this Gal’s go to beer store….