Glittering Prizes & Endless Compromises

Alright, Carton fam we’ve got a new NEIPA on tap, and let me tell you, it’s a bit of a departure. Now, I’m not one for crazy flavor explosions or outlandish names, but this one… it came about organically, and who are we to push back?

See, the marketing team (bless their enthusiastic hearts) wanted to call it “Tropical Paradise Lagoon Blast.” Which sounded like a sugary drink you get at a kid’s birthday party. But hey, I trust them (usually, sometimes, in general) so I let it slide. We settled on “Glittering Prizes & Endless Compromises,” which, will definitely speak to some of you.

Anyway, back to the beer.  We’ve all had our fair share of NEIPAs, right? Juicy, hazy, fun and very available. For this one the foundation was set upon Nelson Sauvin hops. Nelson brings that tropical, gooseberry kind of vibe we all know and rightfully love for its wrinkle in what a hop can do.

Hoping to round out Nelson’s uniqueness we chose  “Turkey’s Pick.” Now, Turkey? Who’s Turkey? Apparently, it’s some hop whisperer who concocted this secret blend to be “mind-blowing.” skeptic by nature, we know big claims require big proof, and this stuff is legit.

Turkeys Pick adds a lovely layer of stone and truly tropical fruit – it reminds me of the kind of perfect Summer day where there’s a slight breeze, and you’re not stuck in shore traffic… yet.

We also used the yeast strain called “A38 Juice” to smoothen the general juiciness. First sip.. you’ll see.

Look, all I’m saying is, if you’re tired of the same old NEIPA routine, give Glittering Prizes a little sippy sip. The world’s your oyster, or your IPA glass, I guess. Just don’t expect any sugary drinks with kiddie umbrellas in the name. We’re keeping things classy here at Carton. (Mostly.)

Hand Warmers

Just in time for Ski season, Hand Warmers has arrived. The idea for this Vanilla Chai Latte Hefeweizen stemmed from a conversation about drink of choice on the mountain. Stouts, Pilsners, IIPA’s were all present and accounted for, then someone mentioned a Chai Latte. From there the conversation shifted as to what a chai latte beer would look like. Hand Warmers, our new Vanilla Chai Latte inspired Hefeweizen has officially entered the chat.
A Carefully balanced amount of vanilla, all spice and cinnamon rounds out this classic German style we’ve been meaning to revisit for far too long.

White

Why doesn’t New Jersey have a proper White ale we wondered one day as the seafood spread covered most of the picnic table. There’s a pretty good one coming out of Maine someone said with a smirk. Challenge accepted. Here comes White; New Jersey’s answer to the beautiful style fitting for any season.

Fouet

Did you know that Fouet translates to Whip in French?! Well..now you do! This beer holds the original light and crisp characteristics as Whip, with the addition of the Strisselsplat and French Aramis hops. These hops lend herbal, floral, and spicy notes while surrounding an undercurrent of citrus and fruit!

Spring’s Shower

The ritual to gearing up for a night out varies, but a pro move few can argue with is a properly bracing, clean, fresh bevvy in the shower to make sure your palate is as primed as your mood. Shower is a proper crisp Kolsch style ale of crackery malts and spicy Tettnanger hops to wash away work, love, life, lunch, or whatever you need to leave behind as you fix your face for the next thing coming. So finish the work, disco nap, take a shower, drink Shower, get at it and repeat.

Festy

Under the festival tents, there are the Oktoberfest Marzens made “in honor of the fest,” and the Festbiers made “for drinking at the fest.”  As more and more quality Marzens show up at Autumn-fests around NJ, we decided that the drift off the beaten craft opportunity here was to make the “drinking beer of the fest” as traditional as possible. A floor-malted German-pils malt bill picks up a Festbier touch of autumnal richness through the addition of light Munich and Victory. Then hop spiciness comes in the form of Tettnanger and Strisselspalt for both the kettle and late-hop additions. Drink Festy because these days, a commitment to tradition is as far off the path’s trend as can be.

Beach

Like the tension and relief of a day spent flitting between laying on sand under the beating sun and bobbing on the ocean’s cool surf, summer session drinking needs leisurely contrast. With Beach we find that midpoint where Kolsch yeast’s fruity character matches its lean dryness and where an amber’s roundness gets pulled taut by cracker notes. The hops’ fruity aromatics flow, and the bitterness ebbs, with a swash of orange zest to be clean and lean, bitter and bright. Drink Beach and be chill.

Carton of Milk

The key to a sessionable beer is the way it evolves over time well spent. Here we took an extremely dark malt bill and dulled its edges with the addition of lactose and nitro conditioning, then we wafted black currant notes of Bullion hops through the middle. Nuanced to keep it an interesting part of a gathering while neither dominating nor being inconsequential to banter. Drink Carton Of Milk because it does a session good.

Brunch. Dinner. Grub.

Matching the right beer to the right food is a wonderful assignment. The contemplation of point and counter-point can often be as much fun as the reward of good pairing. Sadly, in a life well lived there is not always time to contemplate what dinner will be, let alone what beverage will play best with it. Here we have selected malts to evoke the crusty breads that sit well next to every meal and seasoned it with the lemony, tarragon/thyme notes of Aramis hops. A go-to, food friendly ale for the table.  Drink B.D.G because you are what you eat… and drink.