Rosie will be on vacation until mid-March. Guest blogger Tammy LaGorce will post in her place, unless otherwise noted.
Toward the end of February, at Krogh’s Restaurant and Brewpub, 23 White Deer Plaza, Sparta, a seasonal Vanilla Porter will be on offer. Casks are still being produced, but they are “brewer’s choice,” which means in high demand. Call ahead for availability at 973-729-8428.
At River Horse Brewing Company, a new “Roly Poly Pilsner” will be out by the beginning of March, and you might still be able to try their award-winning Chocolate Porter, which hit the shelves in time for Valentine’s Day; stop by 2 Graphics Dr., Ewing Township, but call first for hours at 609-883-0890.
Double Nickel Brewing Company, at 1585 State Route 73 in Pennsauken Township, is releasing two new beers this month, the Buffalo Nickel Stout and Marbled Buffalo Rye. Both have been aging in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels since last fall. Stop by the tasting room any day of the week; it’s open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more info, 856-356-2499.
Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery, at 279 Springfield Ave. in Berkeley Heights, meanwhile, just added the Eclipse Black IPA and Oak du Cherrie to its taps. The Eclipse Black IPA is brewed with midnight wheat and black malt to give it its dark color, and has notes of chocolate and coffee as well as big citrus and pine notes from the hops. The Oak du Cherrie is a wheat beer fermented on top of 50 pounds of tart cherry purée and conditioned on oak. More Trap Rock news: Emily Rose, its extra-special bitter, is now available on hand pump. Call 908-665-1755 to find out availability.
Those in the Toms River area should know that Rinn Duin Brewing, at 1540 Route 37 W., will be celebrating their second anniversary on Feb. 27 with the release of Blackthorn: Year 2, a historical Irish beer from the ancient town of Drogheda. It will be available from 2p.m. to 8 p.m. that day. More Rinn Duin news: Pota Caife is back. The popular dry Irish coffee stout is available in bottles.
Flying Fish, at 900 Kennedy Blvd. in Somerdale, released its Exit 18 beer on Feb. 1. Exit 18 is an international style: Baltic Porter. It’s a beer influenced by English porters and Russian imperial stouts, and was developed in countries surrounding the Baltic Sea — Poland, Lithuania, Lativa, Estonia and others. Exit 18 is complex, starting with a rich chocolate and toffee nose and an initial sweetness on the tongue that evolves into roast and licorice flavors. Hops are secondary in this beer, providing a bit of bitterness and spiciness. It’s available in 750 ml. bottles and extremely limited draft. Call 856-504-3442.
Cricket Hill, at 24 Kulick Rd. in Fairfield, has a new release, too. Russian Imperial Stout is a rich, dark, full-bodied beer with layers of flavor and aroma. It begins with a roasty, dark chocolate and coffee nose, then fades to earthy hops and dark fruit. The flavor finishes with bittersweet dark chocolate and a dry, warm character. For the first time, this beer and all small-batch and reserve beers will be packaged and available in both draft and four-packs. Stop by the brewery to see the expanded 12-tap tasting room. Call 973-276-9415 for hours.
Cape May Brewing Company, at 1288 Hornet Rd. in Cape May, has a tasting room where it is offering its most recent release, a bold but easy-drinking Belgian IPA called Poverty Beach. Cape May also just introduced a sour beer-only production facility at Cape May Airport, where final renovations are nearly complete. And there’s still more going on at this brewery: it will be making a line of all-natural specialty sodas, including blueberry and lemon-lime, conceived by an in-house chef and tapped every Thursda –Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant, 1301 Beach Ave., Cape May, is offering a $29, three-course winter prix fixe menu every Thursday and Sunday throughout February and March; dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. The executive chef is Carl Messick, sous chef is Jeremy Palumbo. Reservations: 609-884-9090.