Cricket Hill is a small microbrewery in Northern NJ. This past weekend at our most recent Beer Snob Bible Club Meeting, we had the pleasure of partaking in 3 of their great brews (out of Cricket Hill pint glasses provided by my father, one of our most active BSBC members). I once spoke with someone from the brewery at a tasting a few years back and was told that their primary goal was to be a “gateway brewery” that provided the drinkers of the big 3 American breweries an introduction to craft brewing. From our experience drinking Hopnotic IPA, Jersey Breakfast Summer Ale, and East Coast Lager, I believe they have met this goal and done so beautifully. Hopnotic was a nice drinkable IPA. The Jersey Summer Breakfast Ale (which will be covered sometime next week on this site) was solid. However, on a warm Summer day, East Coast Lager was the pick for me. Due to it being 1 of 7 beers we partook in, I did not have the opportunity to take any notes on East Coast Lager, but an extra bottle and a warm Sunday afternoon gave me the opportunity I needed.

Cricket Hill explains this brew as:

4.2% ABV

23 IBU’s

An easy drinking golden Bavarian Helles Lager with an excellent balance of crisp malt flavors and flowery hop finish. The aroma is as clean as the taste. With its gentle finish our East Coast Lager shows very well with light fare, but stands alone magnificently!

Great description… great beer… here is my take:

Drinkability

This is a perfectly drinkable beer. Goes down as easy as a Miller Lite, but actually has a taste. This is a great example of a Helles Lager: pale, light, and easy. Balanced hop and malt flavors go down easy, moderate body and good carbonation. A great beer for sitting poolside in the heat, but enough flavor that it’s not just a warm weather beer. This is the perfect gateway beer.

Predictability

This beer smells like it should and tastes like it should. It’s quite predictable, overall. That’s not a bad thing, especially when considering the overall mission of this brewery. As one could guess by the appearance, aroma, name, and packaging, this is your perfect lawn mower beer.

Affordability

You can spend what you’d spend on a beer by the big 3 and get this. That’s what makes it perfect as a gateway beer. A buck or two more for a six pack at worst, just as cheap at best… well worth the money.

Overall Enjoyability

As a friend told me, this looks and smell like beer. Without trying to get fancy in using beer terms, that is exactly right. This is good beer for the bad beer drinker, it has a bit more of a hopback than your typical macro and a bit more body, but nothing that will offend your buddy who drinks Busch or Coors. It’s the right choice for a hot day outside of to accompany a slice of pizza for dinner. I really enjoyed drinking this beer, it is proof that a simple, easy style can be just as good as an experimental big beer. Craft beer done right.

thepaintedman rates this:

A word about Cricket Hill beers…… Our beers are all designed as session beers that are as gentle in style as can be. They are full bodied beers that deliver classic flavors in the middle of your palate then fade away to nothing with no bitter aftertaste. We are not trying to make a statement, or blow you away with a hop or malt bomb, we are simply showing the world what great beer tastes like!

WTF Ale. A malty, robust, jobless Recovery Ale! We’re not quite in the Red, or in the Black… Does that mean we’re in the Brown?

A big Ol’ Imperial Brown Ale to help you with your slipperly slide on into springtime. Rich, smooth, dangerous & chocolatey.

Alc. 7.83%
O.G. 1.072
64.20 I.B.U

How can a malthound like myself not love this beer? Big and tasty, this may be one of the best beers I’ve ever had.

Drinkability

Heavy without being overly so, this is a full bodied beer that pours a deep translucent red-brown. It’s smooth and malt-forward with a mild hop bite and a crisp dry finish. Bold flavorful malts are highlighted by hop perfection. There is nothing heavy or harsh about the mouthfeel of this beer. It’s full, but never more full than it should be. As far as drinkability goes, sheer perfection!

Predictability

Imperial browns are not a common style. Imperial stouts, imperial IPAs, and other imperials flood the market, but this is one of the first imperial brown ales I’ve ever consumed. That said, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. It poured clear with absolutely no haze in my Weyerbacher snifter. The aroma was sweet and malty, with a hint of floral hops. Based on the appearance and aroma, this was a lot like what I formulated in my mind before sipping… but better. I could not have predicted how perfectly the flavors would mesh or how great the beer is.

Affordability

Not really sure how much this beer runs, as I received it in a trade. I looked up prices online and saw that a bottle ranged from $4 to $8 most places it was available. I personally this it would be every bit worth $10. A great beer in a 22oz bottle is well worth spending a few bucks.

Overall Enjoyability

What do you think? If you’ve read up to this point, you know that I love this beer. At nearly 8% ABV, it’s surprising that there is little in alcohol taste or warmth, but it’s a good thing. There is no need for that type of taste with all the other perfectly complimentary flavors. Too big to be a session beer, but I’d gladly try to prove myself wrong with that assessment. This is the type of beer I could drink year round. I can picture myself sitting around a campfire with WTF in my snifter or staring out the window at the snow with a pint. I can’t say this enough, this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had. Love, love, love, love, love it.

thepaintedman rates this:

Not an official type of review for these 2 beers, more of a brief note of appreciation for two beers that have seemingly no connection, unless we are to connect them in Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon style… ready, go! Troegs Scratch #32 is a California common style beer. Joel Bennett (Mainsail) lives in California. Joel sent me a package of good beer including Full Sail Brewing Company’s Session Black Lager. Ok, only 3 degrees… not too shabby.

Two drastically different beers with drastically different beer experiences, but both are fantastic. I’ll begin here in Pennsylvania.

As I have done at some point during 4 out of the 6 weeks I have worked in the Harrisburg area, I trekked on Friday to the Tasting Room for a fill of my growler. I tried two beers, as they were the two that I had not yet imbibed. One was their Tasting Room Anniversary Ale (which I may grab a growler of this week) and the other was Scratch #32, codenamed “Keystone Common”. I brought my growler up to the Poconos for the weekend and it barely made it through the first night. I did manage to save one pint-ish for my brother-in-law to try on Saturday, but that was all I could spare. Light, flavorful, with a nice little hop bite, it was a perfect Summer beer… even if it was under 60 degrees while I was drinking it. Would have been even better sitting on the dock on a warmer Summer day.

I came home from the Poconos to my half of a beer trade with the aforementioned indie rocker and surfer. I opened the box and decided that my first endeavor would be Session Black Lager. So, I chilled it while cleaning up the house a bit and playing with my son. After I put him to bed, I poured the Schwarzbier one of my recently acquired Newcastle glasses and enjoyed. On the opposite end of the spectrum from the common by Troegs, Session was malty, rich, and perfectly smooth. A great day to wrap up a weekend.

All in all, two great beers I’d recommend to anyone who likes similar styles. Cheers!

I’m a mediocre writer at best. I blog about beer and music and whatever… but luckily for all of you, I have friends who can actually write. My friend Jenn is a published writer and a witty one at that. Enjoy this piece she did for me when I asked her to write about beer.

How to Drink Beer Like a Lady

by Jennifer Lejman

My Great Aunt Betty is 83-years-old and is quite the lady. Every day, though her husband is deceased and she rarely leaves the house, she gets up, draws on her eyebrows with a black pencil, fluffs her hair, applies her bronze-colored lipstick and liner, and puts on a silky blouse (some sort of combination of black and white) and goes downstairs to tidy her house. Over the course of 25 years she has raised 2 kids of her own, 2 adopted children, and has fostered hundreds of Delaware County’s displaced children. She loves Asian-influenced decor, cooking Italian food, and a good hoagie from DiCostanza’s. Every day she enjoys at least one glass of beer.

Perched on her couch with her legs curled beside her like a girl, she watches Court TV in the afternoons with a cold glass of Miller Lite sitting next to her. Occasionally she will pop an ice cube in her beer to keep it cold while she sips. When she gets up to get another one she feigns guilt and exclaims, in her South Philly accent, “Oh, that first one tasted so good to me, I need another one! Don’t tell nobody!” There is little more important to drinking beer like a lady than really enjoying your beer. You can put on your make-up or not, you can slide into a cocktail dress or a pair of blue jeans, but if you are chugging a PBR to get drunk or sipping a Blue Moon through gritted teeth–there’s just nothing lady-like about that.

Relaxing with a beer has long been described as a popular male past time but thanks to social progression and some creative brewing, relaxing with a beer has become a great way for us ladies to kick back as well. The rising popularity of microbrewing and imported beer has provided a much larger selection of beer available to the general public and some of the options have quite a unique, “feminine” quality to them. I have girlfriends that enjoy drinking a sweet beer like Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic (Red Raspberry brandy and White Belgian Beer combination) and some that enjoy a dark stout like Guinness. Whether you’re drinking a fine import like Chimay Rouge Ale or good ole American beer like Miller Lite, there is nothing more important than savoring the aroma and flavor of your favorite beer.

Of course, while truly appreciating beer is key to drinking beer like a lady, there is some etiquette involved. Us modern women, myself included, generally groan when someone brings up the topic of etiquette but, like it or not, there is some behavior that unacceptable, even when enjoying a casual past time like enjoying some suds. For instance, holding a beer in your hand does not give you permission to talk two-times louder than necessary, especially about something you wouldn’t even discuss with your mother at the dinner table. Myself and everyone around you does not want to hear the intimate details of your visit with the gynocologist. Also, everyone understand that beer can cause a little gas, so if you burp, kindly cover your mouth and excuse yourself. Do not belch and scratch your balls like your fat Uncle Charlie at a family barbeque. If someone sat next to you and belched in your face you would probably be grossed out. Abide by the oldest law of etiquette, “treat others as you would want to be treated.” Finally, (and most of us have been guilty of this at one point or another) we should all agree that pounding beers and getting sloppy drunk at the bar is not cute. No matter how sexy you are dressed, no matter how well you think you are carrying yourself, I can guarantee that everyone else who has managed to control their drinking finds it really sad that you are laughing too loud at jokes that aren’t funny while hanging onto the arm of some guy that is loading you up with beers so he can hang on to his fantasy that he is as smooth at the Dos Equis guy. Save it for your back yard with your closest friends if you really must get sloppy drunk.

Bottle or glass is a matter of preference and personally, drinking from a bottle is totally acceptable as long as you are not that girl who thinks it is cute to fondle the neck of your beer and trace your tongue around the lip of the bottle because you think your man will find it sexy and mildly suggestive. It’s not mildly suggestive, it’s totally slutty. Stop it. You do not need to be snooty and swish your beer around in your glass before you take a sip and hold it under your tongue for a few second before you swallow it. Leave that to the wine drinkers. Part of the fun of drinking beer is the casualness of it all. No need to put on airs–you are not better than everyone else because you’re drinking an import. Beer is a matter of taste and there are as many different preferences as there are people. Really, being a lady and being an enthusiastic beer drinker require the same main ingredient: respect. Respect a good beer, respect the people around you.

Finally, back to Aunt Bet and her passion for a good beer. When her doctor found out that she drinks a beer every day he advised that she cut her beer intake to lower her blood pressure. Aunt Bet, with a wide bronze smile, politely informed the young doctor while patting his hand that she intended on dying with a cold beer in her hand. Now that is a lady who loves her beer.

Not a Summer beer by any means, but since I just drank one for the first time earlier this week, I wanted to include it for Suds in the Sun week. Without further ado, here are the abilities of Dogfish Head’s 18% ABV giant.

Drinkability

At 18% ABV, would you actually expect this one to be an easy drinking beer? If you said, “No,” then you were CORRECT. This is a big beer in every way possible. The high IBU count is not as noticeable as one may think, but that’s only because to get a beer up to 18% ABV you must add ridiculous amounts of fermentables. So, you guessed it, this is a MALTY beer. It’s pretty dark in color and not crystal clear, but it doesn’t appear nearly as heavy as it is. The mouthfeel is heavy, the flavor is heavy, just about everything is heavy… even the glass becomes heavy, but that’s just because you get drunker with each sip. It’s quite possible that this beer demands a new ability category… “Crunkability”.

Predictability

At such a high level of alcohol, I guess one should expect the heaviness of this one… but to me, it was quite surprising to read the IBUs in this beer then sip it and barely be able to taste any hops flavor. The malt is so overpowering that nothing else seems to be there. With that, perhaps one of the biggest surprises was the absence of a strong alcohol flavor… though the effects and warming ability of the booze was there.

Affordability

I guess $10 for a bottle of this isn’t horrible. I paid $16 for a bottle of Avery Mephistopheles a few years back… so I guess for what it is, the price is no egregious. However, I promise that I’ll never buy another. Most certainly a one-time deal for me.

Overall Enjoyability

This one’s not for me… here are my drinking notes as proof:

malty aroma, very malty
not a very drinkable beer… period
heavy in mouth, quite sweet
drunker with each sip
not predictable… ipa?
$10/bottle… worth one, more? not sure.
big big big big big beer
can’t write review until later… drunk from one…

This isn’t even to mention that apparently this beer may be my kryptonite. Drank one Sunday night around 9:00. The next day I felt fine… but around 7:45 or so, I became sick. I didn’t sleep most of the night and the toilet was a fast friend. 120 Minute IPA? More like a delayed 24 hour stomach bug.

thepaintedman rates this:

In keeping with the “Summer beer that isn’t so good” theme set by my good friend (and yours) yesterday when discussing Leinie’s Summer Shandy… I present to you Magic Hat Wacko.

Drinkability

If there is one thing I must say in the positive realm about this beer, it is very easy to drink. Nothing altogether too offensive as far as the mouthfeel or finish. In fact, it does finishes clean and crisp, which makes it sort of refreshing.

Predictability

I half thought that Magic Hat was suddenly bought out by Dogfish Head when I read that this beer was brewed with beet sugar. I’m not a fan of beets, but I figure anything is worth a shot (even Midas Touch was worth a shot, despite how horrible it tastes). A bold idea doesn’t always translate to greatness, however… and this beer is the prime example. Despite its unpredictable manner of becoming a beer, the flavor is bland and relatively boring. The cherry Koolaid color and weird veggie aroma are odd and engendered some interesting thoughts of what the beer may have tasted like… but the build up was apparently for naught.

Affordability

Not much to say here. Like Magic Hat’s other brews, it’s reasonably priced. I purchased it as part of a mix and match six pack; it was easily the worst of the bunch, unfortunately. Though, paying $12 for the mix six when it included a few pricierbeers made this throwaway very palatable.

Overall Enjoyability

Do I really need to tell you? I think by now, you’ve figured out how I feel about this one. Wouldn’t buy it again. If someone else handed me one, I may drink it… but then again, I may just grab a bottle of water instead.

thepaintedman rates this:

A not-so-positive review from Sir Joshua of the Landii, and I must say… I agree.

Despite how much I love Leinie, this beer tastes the way Lemon Pledge smells… much like Diet Coke with Lemon. Throw this one in your crap bag and steer clear, reach for a Sunset Wheat instead.

After two reviews of outstanding summer beers it is definitely time to acknowledge a beer that I will probably never drink again. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy – a 4.2% wheat beer mixed with lemonade. This may be a perfectly fine beer if it’s 102° and you’re on a tropical beach somewhere, but this was a beer that I had on a mild June evening in Pennsylvania. Not the same.

The beer pours hazy and golden with a solid two inch white fluffy head. With the first whiff all I get is lemon – there is nothing here that would make me think I was about to drink a beer. No malts, no hops, nothing but lemon. The taste is like a generic macro wheat with lots of fake lemon flavor. Once again no real hops or malt just fake lemony genero-beer. The beer is thin and light on the tongue with high carbonation.

I was given this beer from a friend who knew I liked craft beer and thought I would love it, because it was “different”. Overall, it wasn’t the worst beer I ever had, but definitely something I would never buy on my own. This is all my opinion, so maybe if you’re really into Mike’s Hard Lemonade or one of those other lemon flavored malt beverages you may enjoy this one, but I just couldn’t dig it.

So far this week, I’ve let my friends do all the work. Not today… now it’s my turn. So without wasting time, I’ll get right to it.

Many pubs and restaurants allow you to make mix & match six packs. Personally, I enjoy heading over to the little pizza joint down the road and throwing together a sixer of stuff I’ve never tired or haven’t had in awhile. Sometimes you hit big on a beer that you’ve wanted to try and it rocks your world. Other times you give something a go because it looks interesting (like Magic Hat’s Wacko) and it’s just a disappointment.

Here’s my attempt at helping you put together a Summer “mix six” that won’t disappointment. In no particular order, here are six brews perfect for a sunny day (and, no, despite a compelling argument, Miller Lite is not included).

Strawberry Wheat– Lancaster Brewing Company

A year-round brew that is solid anytime of the year, but makes my heart swoon on a hot Summer day. The best kind of fruit beer is one that has enough flavor without the fruit flavor to stand on its own and this one surely does. The strawberry flavor is what cranks it from 10 to 11, though. Such a great Summer beer, I just don’t know how else to say it.

Apricot Wheat – Ithaca Beer Company

My second favorite fruit, wheat beer… though Long Trail’s Blackbeary Wheat is stellar, as well… Ithaca’s subtle apricot kiss makes this a perfect poolside beer. Many swear by Pyramid’s Apricot Weizen, but Ithaca had me at hello.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale – Boston Beer Company

The most common summer ale in America and, thankfully, it’s a great one. Grains of paradise need to be highlighted more often in beers if you ask me. The best part of this one is that you can find it everywhere. Sam Adams seasonals ae great in that way… solid beers than you can drink at almost any restaurant.

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale – Browerij Van Steenberge

Brewed exclusively for Monk’s Café in Philly, this Belgian brew is a perfect example of a Flander’s Red style. Unlike the sour hefewiezen I brewed last year, this is meant to be sour… and how beautiful that sourness is. This one may take getting used to, but once you begin to feel this one it can skyrocket up your list of Summer thirst quenchers.

Philadelphia Pale Ale – Yards Brewing Company

I’m no hop head, so the terms “pale ale” don’t usually attract me. However, the words “Yards Brewing Company” do. The makers of one of my favorite session ales, Brawler, hit home with the classic, crisp pale ale flavor. Nothing too bitter, but no overly lush malt flavor. This is an easy drinking, refreshing pale ale.

Blanche De Bruxelles – Brasserie Lefervre

We briefly discussed witbiers earlier this week, this one’s my favorite. With the Mannekin Pis statue on the front, this tastes more like that of an angel. Listen up, Hoegaarden, this is what you are supposed to taste like. A pinnacle of the style in my estimation, but then again, who am I?

So, grab your empty sixer and fill it on up, here’s 6 of my Summer faves… if you can’t find these then make up your own, but make sure to choose some beers that aren’t too heavy, because in these hotter Summer days and warm Summer nights, you don’t want to be weighed down by your beer. Cheers!

This is Harry. I think his real name is Kevin, but I’ve never been really sure. Especially since it says “Harry” on his ass cheek. He’s an avid Miller Lite drinker… but don’t get too upset at him, he’s a good person.

I asked him to defend his brew of choice and tell us why it’s a good Summer beer.

Miller Lite, Jammed Pack Full of Vitamins and Nutrients!
by Kevin “Harry” Henderson

Summer time is here and with the Summer time you get heat waves, instead of fearing heat waves, I welcome them with open arms and bottle in hand. I find the best way to battle a heat wave is to put on your flip flops and board shorts and get a good, sturdy lawn chair to rest your bones while you enjoy the triple hopped Summer nectar that is Miller Lite.

At first appearance, you might think the beer is a dark brown, but that is just the bottle. Upon pouring the Miller Lite into favorite pint glass, you quickly see that the beer has the color of my first love Patty Mayonnaise’s golden blonde hair. The Vortex bottle swirls the beer out of the perfectly crafted bottle while enhancing the aroma and taste of this American classic adult beverage. The air is instantly filled with a heavy aroma of long walks on the beach, open fields, camp fires, farmer tans, Tim McGraw concerts and crabbing off of your favorite dock. This aroma can also be described as “Summertime”.

If the aroma of Miller Lite was not enough, do not worry because here comes a Chuck Norris round house kick to the taste buds. Miller Lite has a light but yet full bodied flavor that rolls off your tongue like sweet molasses. Although it is a lite beer, Miller Lite is tripled hopped, that packs a robust flavor. Miller Lite is perfectly matched with other summertime favorites hamburgers, hotdogs and potato salad.

In closing, when it comes to beating the Summer heat I reach no further then the beer that is endorsed by NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch, Miller Lite.

And now for the real reason Harry likes Miller Lite…