Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Just because the busy season has come to a close here in beautiful South Jersey, it doesn't mean the brewery slows down very much. In fact, on the day I write this entry, Tony and I basically did everything in the brewery aside from actually brew (that's on tomorrow's agenda).

MudHen even bought our own canning line in September and had the inaugural run the same month, right after our Oktoberfest beer release and celebration. 

To learn the ropes, we had Jose from Wild Goose come out to show us how everything operates. It was a lot to learn, but the machine is amazing and we had a ton of fun finally getting our 1883 IPA out the door from our very own line. Helping hands came in left and right to assist with ensuring our labeler worked properly and each four-pack was lovingly packed into cases by employees right here at MudHen.

 Photo credit to Mary Pat (that's me weighing cans in the background!)

So, with our little golden goose, what's next? We have a Bakers' Double IPA canning run the last week of October. It'll just be us here at MudHen running the line - no help from Jose! And it's a bit thrilling to think about. We know what each 16oz can should weigh, we know what the machine should and should not be doing, and so all that's left is for us to just do the thing!

The Bakers' Double IPA is still my favorite brand from MudHen Brewing Company and you can bet I'm excited to get this back in cans and out on shelves for the masses to enjoy. The only downside? Bakers' Double IPA on nitro is even MORE delicious and only available in the pub! I guess you'll just have to swing by and have a glass. And don't forget to say hello to me or Tony if you see us.

Cheers!

New Beer, New Me (Fruitie Patootie Winters at the MudHen)

So, we're well into Fall and at MudHen Brewing Company, we've already released both our Oktoberfest (a traditional Märzen beer that I look forward to every year simply because it's SO GOOD) and our Nummy Pumpkin - which is going FAST. 

Well, with those two huge releases out of the way, what news could I possibly have?

Are you ready? Are you really ready? Because after weeks of discussion and weighing our options, Tony's decided to continue Fruitie Patootie into the winter time! Last year was our first release of the fruited blonde ale, which rotated four flavors last summer. We brought it back due to popular demand again this year and tossed in a couple new flavors. Did you have the Passion Fruit? Or maybe the Mango Pink Guava? We've just re-tapped Blueberry before going into rotation of comfy favorites like Strawberry, Passion Fruit, and Raspberry (maybe not necessarily in that order). 

Our Blueberry Fruitie Patootie, photo courtesy of Mary Pat.

And so what does Fruitie Patootie mean to me? It means learning how to cycle a serving tank that is half the size of the others (check). It means sometimes doing a double rack in one day and moving back and forth between two tanks with two separate cleaning needs (check and check). It means remembering what's under pressure and what's not, when to pull samples and release schmapp (that's a fancy word for the leftover yeasty yuck that flocculates [settles] out after fermentation; also, check). It's a messy job, but I love to do it!

It ALSO means that, when I'm behind the bar, I get to hear folks from all walks of life order the funniest-named beer Tony's come up with (yet). It's a silly name for a gorgeous beer that packs a delightfully fruity punch - and I'd know, I'm usually the one who dumps the puree into the beer once we've transferred it from fermentation to service. That also may or may not be part of the reason why my brew-side nickname is "Spills." A well-earned moniker, if I've ever had one.

We're excited to share our first year of carrying through Fruitie Patootie and we hope you come to the pub and have one. Or two.

New Beer, New Me (Holly Beach Wheat Makes a Comeback)

Most of our regulars are very well-acquainted with the Belgian-style witbier Tony dubbed Holly Beach Wheat. It's one of our most popular sellers and is usually on rotation for a good portion of the year. The exception is when we have the Henpecked Hefeweizen tapped, usually in early Fall to coincide with our Oktoberfest MarzHen release.

This year, we had our tap lines packed chock full of German goodness for Oktoberfest! Our smashing MarzHen traditional German lager; the Wise Hen Bock - a dark, tasty wheat beer with hints of spiced banana bread; the Henpecked Hefe - full of banana taffy flavors and a hint of clove; and our MudHen Pils - a classic, light-bodied pilsner style beer.

So, if you've been missing the Holly Beach Wheat, don't worry - it's back! And it's delightfully packed with flavors of ginger and orange peel, as always. Lightly hopped, though full-bodied with a smooth mouth-feel, you won't want to miss this delectable, delightful beer popular with locals and tourists both.

We've entered it into GABF at least twice and did one canning run of it during Summer 2020 (when we still had a mobile canning line come in to assist us). That's how good it is.

So for those of you who've been waiting? Rejoice and join us for a glass - especially during Happy Hour Monday-Friday 3pm-5pm when it's only $4 a pint.