Welcome to the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild Newsletter for March 2010 — keeping you posted on what’s brewing in New Jersey.

Cricket Hill Reserve Series Continues with #2 and #3

This March & April Dave Manka and Joe Esser, brewers at Cricket Hill Brewing Company in Fairfield, NJ will be releasing specialty beers #2 and #3 as part of the Cricket Hill Reserve Series!

Reserve #2 is a very limited release of a Bourbon barrel aged Porter! This year we will be treated to the flavors drawn from barrels of Four Roses Bourbon, just in time to chase away the winter blues! This release is available in 22oz. bottles only and is being limited to 100 cases. It is THE beer to seek out, find and enjoy! Look for it in finer liquor stores in late March.

#3 Reserve is also Cricket Hill’s 500th brew! True to form, #3 is a Barleywine created in the usual easy to drink style that has become Cricket Hill’s trademark. Holding the Barleywine at 8% ABV allows the non-traditional Barleywine drinker an opportunity to taste a full flavored BW without the usual overwhelming alcohol kick! Once again Cricket Hill has stayed true to its mission and has brewed us beer drinkers a wonderful treat. Look for it in April. This release will be made available in 22oz bottles and in a small quantities of sixes.

Flying Fish to Introduce Exit 16 Wild Rice Double IPA on March 15

Although usually identified with landfills and pipelines, the Hackensack Meadowlands is an amazingly diverse ecosystem providing vital animal and plant habitat. In a nod to a once common food plant here, Flying Fish has brewed this beer with wild rice. Flying Fish also added organic brown and white rice, as well as pils and pale malts.

Rice helps the beer ferment dry to better showcase the five different hops added. Lots and lots of them. Flying Fish then dry-hopped this Double IPA with even more–generous additions of Chinook and Citra hops to create a nose that hints at tangerine, mango, papaya and pine. This beer pairs extremely well with spicy foods and all kinds of seafood. And of course, it’s quite enjoyable all by itself.

If you want to learn more about the restoration of the Meadowlands, visit www.HackensackRiverkeeper.org.

You are invited to “Exit 16 Release Party… Jersey Style”. The event takes place on Monday, March 8 at 6:00pm. The event takes place at Coppermine Pub in North Arlington, NJ. More details are available on Facebook.

Sixth Annual Brewer’s Plate to Feature Guild Brewers

The Sixth Annual Brewer’s Plate takes place Sunday, March 14th at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. The event features local restaurants and breweries. Flying Fish, River Horse, Cricket Hill and Triumph are among the participants. Tickets are $65, purchase one soon as this event sells out every year.

Krogh’s Offering St. Patrick’s Day Stout

Krogh’s Restaurant and Brew Pub, 23 White Deer Plaza in Sparta, will be featuring an Irish Stout for St. Patrick’s Day and a Maddie’s Mai Bock seasonal this April/May. Call them with any questions or for reservations at 973-729-8428.

March Events

The Garden State Craft Brewers Guild website is continuously updated with new events. Check out the calendar to see what’s brewing in New Jersey this month.

For more information, visit http://www.njbeer.org/.