Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days...

Alright, wrong artist, but I can't help that Nat King Cole is my go-to for summer anthems involving the word "hazy." I didn't grow up in Wildwood, NJ, which has its own anthem performed by 1960's teen idol Bobby Rydell.

"Wildwood Days" debuted in 1963, almost 60 years ago, and shined a national spotlight on Wildwood, NJ.

Almost anywhere you go in Wildwood these days, you'll find tributes to Rydell and the rock-and-roll movement that erupted out of this small, Atlantic Ocean community.

And to honor those musical pioneers, from Bill Haley & His Comets to Chubby Checker and everyone who came between and after, we've released a New England-style IPA aptly called "Wildwood Haze."

Now in 4-packs available for purchase in our pub, it will soon be on tap adding to our pre-summer IPA line-up of Bakers' Double IPA, 1883 IPA, and Ryesing Tides Rye IPA.

You won't want to miss out on this hazy IPA, heavily hopped with cashmere and motueka. Only available while it lasts!

#BreweryStrong

Our third anniversary party last week was a fantastic excuse to party (socially distanced, naturally) with all our brewery brethren here in Cape May County, and it was also a chance to donate a portion of proceeds towards a great cause.

Born in March/April 2020, the brainchild of Rob Callaghan, #brewerystrong, came to fruition during the early days of the pandemic. With taprooms and tasting rooms closing for several weeks, as well as distribution coming to a grinding halt, breweries all over the country were facing an immense hurdle.

Just over a year old now, the non-profit has seen immense support from all over New Jersey's craft beer scene - and for good reason. Their initial fundraising endeavors were for direct financial aid to those in the hospitality industry suddenly facing unemployment. According to their website, Brewery Strong will also set aside funds to go towards a scholarship for brewery education initiatives. 

#BreweryStrong VP John Couchoud was our guest of honor at last week's shindig, holding a Q&A for head brewer Tony, owner Brendan, and local artist Russ. Many laughs were shared, a certain assistant brewer's musical choices were called out (to be fair, I only listened to Rammstein that one day), and beers were raised to toast all of Cape May County's breweries who came out to show us love and support a great cause. It was truly an example of how close-knit this community really is.

If you're looking to help support #BreweryStrong, you can make direct donations at brewerystrong.org or shop their merch. This pandemic has brought many challenges for so many of us that any little bit helps, even over a year into it.

Must Be Spring Because

We've been busy with production!

On top of the release of the Open Brow for this weekend - our annual salute to the Coast Guard community right here in Cape May County - we've also debuted this year's first iteration of Fruitie Patootie! It's blueberry, so you know we're starting off strong. (Anybody wanna take a guess at what flavors will be this year? Hint: some old favorites and something new!)

AND this week we canned the 1883 IPA again. Just in time to stock up for the gorgeous weekend weather. Take a four-pack of that (and maybe some Cackling Coot while supplies last) to the beach or crack one open after the MudHen Race series if you're running this year.

Also back on tap this weekend after a week-long hiatus is the Bakers' Double IPA. At a whopping 9.1%, this beer still drinks just as easy as it's previous 8% batches.

On top of all this production, we've just celebrated our 3rd Anniversary Party. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us, John Couchoud, local artist A. Russ Simmons, and our MudHen Brewing Co. staff for making it an exceptional event. We can't wait to celebrate our 4th Anniversary with you all!

Cheers to our US Coast Guard, everyone racing this weekend, and all of our local brewery friends.

Keeping Notes

Note-taking and note-keeping is something that most people equate with meetings or school. In the industry of brewing, though, note-taking and keeping is essential.

I started my career as assistant brewer armed with a small spiral notebook and a pen. I quickly learned that pencils are the superior option, considering I spend a lot of time in a space that's consistently 36F. And there's a lot of water all the time. Pencil may smudge, but it won't run and it certainly won't freeze in the midst of taking meticulously detailed notes on how to cycle a service vessel. 

Last summer, I was running around the brewery with a pencil tucked into my hat and my notebook in-hand for quick references. I usually still have my notebook with me, though I reference it less and less. That's not to say I'm not still keeping notes - quite the opposite, in fact. It's just that instead of running to grab my notebook, I've found I can type up a list quickly and efficiently on my phone's Notes app. And I'll probably need to put those notes alongside all my other ones, eventually. For now, they're within reach most of the time, and easily readable without having to flip pages to find them.

I rarely use those notes anymore, unless it's been a few weeks since I last racked something. I might reference how much of a chemical I might need or what I'm supposed to do during the 20-minute caustic cycle depending on which kind of rack (transfer) I'm doing. Only working 2 days a week in the brewery for about 10 months really doesn't lend itself to confidently performing tasks - hence the notes.

But I would've never been able to rack by myself as soon as I did without those notes. And in the age of Covid-19, it was imperative I needed to perform the task without Tony walking me through it each and every time. So, thanks to a childhood of learning how to take notes and realizing I learn best through writing stuff down and then doing said stuff! 

Someday, I may very well share these notes with another brewery team member.