Hometown Special: New Jersey Edition
Updated: Dec 5, 2019
It’s a Saturday in Ewing, New Jersey...but what is there to do in Ewing? If you say nothing, you’re wrong. Grab your Wawa hoagies, call your friends, and head over to Ewing’s hidden gem River Horse Brewery! This Thanksgiving break Alisa visited her home town brewery with her honorary Boulder Brew Babe- her mom Holly! This is Alisa’s favorite brewery, so she had to make a stop, and was so excited her mom could join her. This fun laid back brewery is a perfect spot to enjoy the weekend. Stop in and take a tour of the brewery virtually or guided through the warehouse. By law in New Jersey, a tour is required to consume on site for educational purposes. On this tour you get to check out the behind the scenes of the brewery to see where the action happens. There is also a ton of fun murals and artwork to look at along the way! Tours cost only $6 a person and includes four 4 oz beer samples! After the tour, enjoy a flight, a growler, or a six pack to take home. Make sure you check out the fun merchandise to remember your visit. River Horse’s staff is full of knowledgeable beer enthusiasts who make the experience welcoming. We were lucky to have been served by Brian, Mike, and Joe. They knew their brew and kept us laughing the whole visit.
“Just remember, it’s a big world out there and cubicles don’t have doors, so you can walk out anytime” - River Horse
"Horse of the River"
Joe informed us of the cool story behind the logo and name of the brewery. Ancient Egyptians were the first to start brewing beer and the hippo was represented in the hieroglyphics representing sustenance and fertility. A hippo was known as the "horse of the river." On top of that, River Horse is one of New Jersey’s oldest breweries and was originally located in Lambertville, New Jersey, which is located near the Delaware River.
Jameson Caskmates Series Partnership
Bragging rights for this brewery! River Horse is on of the 20 local craft breweries in the United States to be a part of this program, and has been a part of the program for three years now. By being in this program, River Horse produces barrel aged beers with Jameson flavors and releases them once a year. Jameson loans out their barrels to different breweries! The beer is aged a minimum of six months in the barrels. Then the barrels are emptied of beer, but the casks still have the beer flavor! River Horse ships them back to Jameson where they age their whiskey in them for the Caskmate Series. What an unique collaboration by our local brewery!
Our Favorite River Horse Beers
Alisa: Summer Blonde 4.5% ABV (seasonal)
Holly: Hipp-O-Lantern Imperial Pumpkin 8.5% ABV (seasonal)
Joe: Craic 9.1% ABV
Mike: Gary’s Turn 8.5% ABV
Brian: Craic 9.1%ABV
Brew Babes Featured Beers
Craic: 9.1% ABV
Being Joe and Brian’s favorite beer and also a part of the Caskmates partnership, we had to try it! Smell the coffee in this Dry Irish Style Stout and love it. Being paired in the whiskey barrel also gave this beer much more personality. The coffee smell and taste, paired with the sweet vanilla flavors almost makes you want to drink your dessert after dinner as a substitute for coffee. This dessert beer has such strong flavors that pairing deliciously together, it is hard to stop drinking as it goes down ever so smoothly! Don’t get carried away by the sweetness of this beer though, it will sneak up on you. Smooth and boozy ready to do us dirty.
Gary’s Turn: 8.5% ABV
Also part of the Caskmates program and Mike’s favorite! Think of a Jameson and Ginger, the ultimate pairing. If that’s your drink of choice make sure you give this brew a try. When drinking this beer just know, it is a ginger beer so it is very ginger forward. While still being ginger forward this beer has a unique taste as it rolls down your tongue. First the ginger hits you with strength, then the lemongrass flavors kick in, and finally you get the whiskey. Every flavor has their time to shine when drinking this. Alisa really liked this beer because it was something different than she had tasted yet while exploring Boulder’s breweries.
Tripel Horse: 10% ABV
This Belgian Style Tripel Ale has made itself known in Colorado! In 2017 it took home the bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival for the Belgian Style Tripel category! It is also the most popular beer at River Horse being the most distributed and best selling. It was Alisa’s mom’s favorite of the day as she enjoyed the strong boldness of the beer. It smells refreshing and citrusy in a way, but has hints of vanilla. This beer is one you can’t go wrong with bringing it to a friend’s house, a party, or a summer barbecue. Everyone will love this beer!
The People’s Lager: 5% ABV
Joe informed us that the story behind this beer was that they wanted a beer that was cheaper to make, lower priced to sell at a dive bar. A good tasting stadium beer that people would love. You can taste the hops and bitterness, but even with that being said, don't fear the beer if you aren’t normally a beer drinker, this is the beer for you! Aside from the hops, the malts are present and the beer is crisp and refreshing.
Quad Leaf Clover: 11.2% ABV
This Belgian Quadruple Style beer which is also part of the Caskmates program was lots of fun in every aspect. To smell, to drink, and to ponder on. Joe told us that people either smell bananas or bubble gum with this beer and that definitely got our attention because how are those two even similar? This beer has a smooth, yet complex taste and wintery feel to it. Alisa smelled and tasted the spiced malty clove banana taste, while her mom smelled the bubble gum. Let your taste buds have a field day with this beer, and argue with your friends if it smells like bubblegum or bananas. While there's a sweetness in the beer, the spice and orange flavors hit at the end and this beer will finish strong. Just as you want to call this beer sweet and innocent, it lets you know you’re wrong and with an 11.2% ABV you would regret making that decision.
Want to go on vacation and visit River Horse?
Location: 2 Graphics Drive Ewing, New Jersey 08628
Website: http://www.riverhorse.com/