Brewery Special: Icarus Brewing

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On Friday, January 13th, 2017 – the luckiest of all days – a new brewery will open its doors in the town that I used to call home. Nestled in the heart of the industrial park in Lakewood, New Jersey, Icarus Brewing Company will bring about the free flow of lovingly-brewed beer to the local masses. Everyone has heard the oft-cited chant “location, location, location!” in relation to business planning, and Icarus Brewing has not only heard it, but has taken it to heart. In a brilliant act of positioning, the brewery has set up shop in one of the world’s largest industrial parks, creating a perfect spot for an after-work pint for the park’s thousands of employees. Also just a stone’s throw away from towns such as Brick and Toms River, and seated right near an entrance to the Garden State Parkway, Icarus Brewing’s home base makes for a convenient draw for not only the beer-loving denizens of the Jersey Shore, but also for those from further-off lands.  Continue reading

The Beer List: Schlafly Double Bean Blonde

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The interesting flavor combination offered by Schlafly’s Double Bean Blonde certainly lends some verity to the old saying that “blondes have more fun.” Normally, brewers that add the essences of coffee and chocolate to a beer do so with a porter or a stout, which are both dark, heavy, opaque styles. However, the St. Louis-based brewer Schlafly has pulled off something unique here with the double-bean attack of cocoa and everybody’s favorite morning pick-me-up in a blonde ale. Continue reading