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My physical therapist had just beat me up early on a Friday morning – clavicle,
rotator cuff, chronic neck lock, deeply rooted, long story. As a peace offering I gave
him a corked bottle of Rauch from Three Musketiers in Quebec -- malty, mellow,
smoky – “Aw stop it,” he said, “I’m not supposed to accept anything.” “It’s just
medicinal lubrication,” I said.
Anyway, he still worked me over good, and I was ready for a beer even though it
was only 10 in the morning. But, not the kind of beer I suddenly saw lying all over
the opposite side of the street from where I was driving – the result, apparently
of an interlocation between an NJ Transit bus and a beer truck. Before even going
into shock and grief mode at the loss of beer, I clicked into reporter mode and raced
home for my camera.
I figured the local (Maywood) paper would be interested in a shot – hell I could
use it in Ale Street News. Editors are suckers for good accident shots and beer
accidents seem to be even more loaded with pathos. Fortunately no one seemed to
be seriously injured though an ambulance was on site. At first the security cop from
the adjoining mall tried to prevent me from taking photos, but I pointed out that this
was a public thorofare and he had no jurisdiction, a view with which his supervisor
concurred.
The tow truck driver – industrial size – was eager for me to take photos of his
truck. “I’ll give you a free oil change,” he said. “Everyone’s got an angle,” said the
local editor. I did need an oil change though.
I later e-mailed a photo of the truck to the Peerless distributors’ craft beer rep
commiserating over the loss – although the truck was painted “Corona,” cases and
kegs of Brooklyn and Magic Hat sustained injuries. He said, “I only hope my last
cases of Ovila weren’t part of it.” Ovila, a dubbel brewed by Sierra Nevada with the
monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in California, had hopefully already been
delivered to Whole Foods, since the beer truck was exiting the mall.
Earlier in the week, I had taken off on a spur-of-the-moment half-day road trip
with our sales rep Al – destination Warwick, NY. The idea was to begin at Eddie’s
Roadhouse, then hightail it down Route 94 back into NJ to the Mohawk House in
Sparta. I wasn’t quite sure why Al brought along a backscratcher – “Sales tool? You
scratcha my back, we scratcha yours!”
Anyway we spoke to Eddie – his Roadhouse has been open only a few months, a
snug little family-run pub with great burgers and great, constantly rotating craft
beer. Al was the day’s designated drinker since I was driving. Among the eight
featured taps were Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Arcadia (MI) Hopmouth, Sixpoint
Oatmeal Stout, Sierra Nevada Glissade and Stone’s Arrogant Bastard and Sublimely
Self-Righteous. Perhaps fortunately for us, a 2008 vintage Dogfish Head Worldwide
Stout (18%) had just kicked. It is testimony to Eddie that even though only a short
time in biz, he has already developed the clout to procure such a rare beer.
As evening set in we wended our way through the lush and rain-soaked landscape
of the Skylands region, straddling the NY-NJ border. Although I had ostensibly been
invited to participate as a founding member in the launch of Mohawk House’s VIP
program, there was in fact a Smuttynose promotion in the works. The guys from
Hunterdon Distributors were there; Mohawk owner Steve Scro was busy showing
them his handiwork. Built from the ground up five years ago, Scro and his wife
established a top-notch, mansion-size restaurant emphasizing quality and locally
sourced goods.
When last year Steve became smitten with the beer bug, he likewise set his sights
on the high end. Now his bar features one of the most eclectic tap line-ups in the
Garden State. For example, among the 34 taps this night, Smuttynose was featuring
a one-off unfiltered Pilsner along with the Wheat Wine, IPA and Brown Dog Ale. I
tired a sampler of Ommegang’s Gnomegang, River Horse Saison, Harpoon Oyster
Stout and an Imperial Stout from Bethlehem Breworks.
Happy Hour is a good time in the bar as people drift in after work, while a minstrel
and minstrelette provide a live background – Al, a musician by trade, did his best to
turn it into Karaoke night with his rendition of Billy Joel’s You May Be Right (I May
Be Crazy).
This night, tasty appetizers were being passed around, probably due to the VIP
launch. So there you have it, two bookend beer destinations on the Route 94
corridor. And, since they are in different states, you are likely to find different
choices at each location.
www.eddiesroadhouse.com
www.mohawkhouse.com
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