Forgetting to Write Blogs

Okay, so it's not that I'm forgetting, per se, rather there's so much going on that the blogging kinda takes a backseat to everything else. I've been returning things, coming up with weekly Beer Chats for ongoing beer education in-house, ordering items for packaging to go beers (did you know there's a national shortage on growler lids?!), and so on. Not to mention we did three racks this week. THREE. And, as I type this, Tony is just about to knock out the first half Kitty Cats & Fireworks - coming to MudHen Fourth of July weekend.

On top of a marathon canning run last week and everything else going on, I worked the first beerfest of 2021 up in Morristown, NJ with our marketing coordinator. The Beer, BBQ, Bacon festival started at noon on Saturday. So, I was up at 6am to get to the brewery by 7:30am to load out by 8am. Thankfully, no highway shenanigans were had, although we did show up and get placed, unloaded, half-way set up, and then... promptly asked to move to another location on the field.

A lot of things happened in Morristown that made me wonder if it's because two women were representing MudHen or if it was just happenstance. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty certain the dude who stopped at our tent and asked if we were "the brewers or just the cute faces" wasn't asking Three 3's or Spellbound reps that question.

Another guy asked if we were sisters... pretty sure he wasn't asking the dudes if they were all brothers.

And still another asked if I was married. Not sure if he meant to one another or to someone else, but it was still a really weird, random question I've only ever gotten working a beerfest with another woman. Things that make you go hmmm.

And things that make you go mmmmm!: This weekend we're debuting 2021's third iteration (already?!) of Fruitie Patootie. It's mango and pink guava flavored. A little sweet, a little tart, and perfectly balanced to quench your thirst on what will be a warm, beautiful weekend down here at the shore. Also back on tap this weekend is the Düneslager - it's been lagered since late March, patiently awaiting its return to service. Stop in, stock up on cans, or grab a Crowler or Growler of your favorite, and celebrate that Summer is nearly here!

Fourteen Hour Days

It's no surprise, to either Tony or myself, that our days in the brewery are getting longer. As the sun lingers in the western sky a little more each day, heralding the oncoming Summer - and maybe a return to semi-normalcy - we also find our days stretching little by little.

But a fourteen-hour canning day was unexpected. I'd only read about absurdly lengthy canning days, and it always seemed it was due to there only being one person doing the task.

It couldn't be helped, seeing as how there's always new things to learn on our Wild Goose machine, and this was our first experience doing 12oz cans on it. We take what we know of the machine, as well as what others have taught us, and apply it. What weights to go by, our personal preference on can fills, and what can actually be sold as viable product all go into deciding the final product. There's always loss when we dial in for a new beer type on the machine, but we usually manage to get everything up and running fairly fast.

Of course, the day we try to can two new (for the machine) brands in a new size can (for the machine), we run into issues we have to stop and troubleshoot, which slows everything down.

Smaller can sizes meant I, as the in-house Can Weigher(tm), had to seriously adjust to keep up with the flow of things coming down the line. And even though we achieved a good rhythm of cans going through the labeler for the Pils canning, with the help of some Bob Marley in the background, it seemed the labeler had had enough by the time we got around to canning Holly Beach Wheat.

With several people assisting the machine components and ensuring cans don't tip over or get jammed up somewhere, it's inevitable that we're only able to move so fast. A long day was expected, but once we hit the twelve hour mark, we resigned ourselves to just Doing The Thing and getting the product packaged.

And holy MOLY what a package it is! The cans are simply beautiful. The gold foil on the Pils cans shines in the late morning sun. The copper foil on the Holly Beach Wheat makes the lettering and painting simply pop. Stop by this weekend and grab a 6-pack of either for $10 and enjoy it. These beers are sure to welcome you to the shore and remind you that Summer 2021 is just around the corner.

A beautiful day down at the shore - perfect for picking up a 6-pack of this crisp Belgian Wit style beer

Don't you wish you were here?! Grab a 6-pack for your favorite person (or yourself - or both)!

See you soon!

Mother's Day at the MudHen

Mother's Day is fast approaching and - thankfully - I'm ahead of the game this year. Having already ordered my mom a gorgeous bouquet of tulips from my favorite flower delivery service, I naturally forgot to put her card in the mail this morning!

Oh, well. We can't all be perfect, right?

Speaking of Mother's Day - what better way to show Mom you love her than bringing her out to MudHen Brewing Co? We'll be having Bloody Mary and Mimosa specials as well as a special Mom's Day menu available. If your mom enjoys beer, treat her to a strawberry Fruitie Patootie (or two)! After all, who doesn't like a strawberry blonde?

Just tapped last weekend, the strawberry is 2021's second iteration of the rotating fruited blonde ale series you've come to know and love. Organic strawberry puree was added (by yours truly) to a crisp, balanced blonde ale and is available only on draught while it lasts! If mom's far away or you have other plans for Mother's Day, stop in and grab a crowler or growler of her favorite brew.

Isn't she gorgeous?! Photo by social media guru Hannah.

Mother's Day menu and information can be found here: MOTHER'S DAY | Mudhen Brewing Co. We'll see you soon!

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.