As this semester comes to an end, I want to thank everyone who has taken time to visit and read my blog. I am going to be taking a break from posting during the month of January, but I am hoping to be posting again in February. I enjoyed this process so much that I want to continue this journey!
This was the first blog I have ever created. At times, it was very challenging, but also very fun. I went to many breweries and talked with many different people. It really made me break out of my shell. I felt like each post made me more mature.
I learned how to use different types of media sites like Audacity, ThingLink, and iMovie. Since I am a Journalism major, knowing how to use these media sites will definitely help me in the future.
Below are 5 posts of mine that I really enjoyed doing:
Before this semester ended, I wanted to make sure I visited Double Nickel Brewery. This unique brewery is located in Pennsauken N.J. I got the opportunity to speak with Tasting Room Manager, Christine Reinicker, and here all about Double Nickel. She explained to me how the name came about and what fun things they have to offer. She gave me a tour of the entire place and I took many pictures and videos to share with you guys. Something to think about while looking at my pictures and videos is that this brewery was once a gym! The size tells it all. I had a great experience at Double Nickel Brewery and I hope you enjoy this post!
Listen to what one of Bonesaw Brewery’s owners, Richard DiVerniero, has to say about his wonderful brewery. Video/Deanna Pineiro
This past week, I sat down with one of Bonesaw Brewery’s owners, Richard DiVerniero. I thought this brewery would be perfect to visit since it is right down the road from Rowan University, where I attend. This beautiful brewery is located in Glassboro, NJ. The size of this brewery is what will catch your eye.
DiVerniero talked to me about the uniqueness and individuality of Bonesaw Brewery. He explained his role and what it’s like to be a major part in this brewery. He listed all of their popular beers and emphasized how the size of the brewery is an advantage for them. Hope you enjoy the video above!
Here is a photo of Eric Roberts, general manager of Iron Hill Brewery. He is posing in the room where all the brewing is done. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
This past week, I met with Eric Roberts, general manager of Iron Hill Brewery, located in the Voorhees Town Center in Voorhees, N.J. I have never been to this brewery before, so I was eager to go and here what Roberts had to say about it. I got to know a little bit about Roberts himself, then he went into detail about the brewery. He explained how long this brewery has been open for and how he hopes to expand to different locations. Also, he explained how this brewery has a slight advantage since it is a restaurant as well. The interview ends with what he enjoys most about Iron Hill Brewery and it shows how passionate he is about his company.
Here is a photo of Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of South Jersey Beer Scene, John Couchoud. (Photo/John Couchoud)
This week I had the opportunity to talk with a fellow craft beer blogger, John Couchoud. Couchoud, 52, is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the blog South Jersey Beer Scene.The blog is a source for what is going on in the South Jersey Region when it comes to craft beers, events, and more.
John Couchoud and his crew had a motive when creating South Jersey Beer Scene and they did just that.
“We are beer enthusiasts who wanted to share our passion for craft beer with the South Jersey community and there was nothing else like it so we built it,” Couchoud said.
Although Couchoud and his crew do what they love everyday, it can be challenging at times.
“As beer business grows and grows, it gets increasingly hard to stay on top of the news, but we have added several writers along the way to keep us current,” Couchoud said. “The other thing people tend to forget is that this is a business, that we want to be paid for our time if we are promoting an event, product, or service that is beer related; we cannot exist doing favors and freebies.”
As South Jersey Beer Scene grew, Couchoud knew there needed to be improvements, in order to maintain and gain audience.
Media was the path he took.
“As we grew we added live broadcasts and the podcast; we also have a TV show in development,” Couchoud said.
Another important part of the blog’s media is their logo.
“We knew that we had to be visually appealing and the first thing we did was design a logo that was unique and eye-catching; my wife Tara came up with the idea,” Couchoud said.
Here is the logo for South Jersey Beer Scene. The logo was sent to me from the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, John Couhcoud. It is found on https://sjbeerscene.com/ as well.
“People love that turtle…we are all pretty close to the shore and people stop for turtles, and we incorporated a Hop as the shell to bring the beer part in.”
Along with media, merchandise plays a big role in South Jersey Beer Scene. They have their own store that sells shirts, hats, and more with their unique logo on them.
“We love what we do and are proud of what we have created and people seem to like it, so we put some merch in the online store,” Couchoud said.
Couchoud and his crew put a lot of hard work into their blog, and they do it for the people.
“It’s most rewarding when someone recognizes me or one of my staff and tells us that they love the site; along with the interaction we get from our followers when we write something,” Couchoud said.
On Friday, October 18, I attended Devil’s Creek Brewery in Collingswood, N.J., where they were hosting a 90s music trivia event. On Friday’s, they are open from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, but the event ran from 7:00pm to 9:45pm. It was a full house, people were enjoying craft beers and singing along to 90s music. Devil’s Creek Brewery does not sell food, so many people had food delivered to the brewery. Since Stella’s Pizza is right down the street from the brewery, pizza is a popular food option for guests. Even if people didn’t participate in the 90s music trivia event, they were still enjoying themselves in their own ways. The night was full of laughter and cheers. Watching people get the right or wrong answers to the trivia was fun to watch and I think Devil’s Creek Brewery had a great turn out. I would love to go to another music trivia night, or any other event that they are hosting.
On Wednesday, October 30, I attended Devil’s Creek Brewery again. There were no events going on that night and I thought it would be interesting to capture moments in a casual setting. Having some media from the event and some from a casual night will provide a great overview of what Devil’s Creek Brewery has to offer!
This picture is from across the street in Collingswood, N.J. You can see how nicely lighted the building and brewery is. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
This picture is from behind the bar. The fun decorations are shown, along with the crowded bar, with no open seats. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
This screen is located behind the bar and it shows the different craft beers they have to offer. It is a perfect way for people to see the variety of beers they have, right when they walk up to the bar. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
Scott Young, employee, posing while filling up a glass with Caramel Apple (Brown Ale). (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
Here is a close up of Caramel Apple (Brown Ale). The glass has the Devil’s Creek Brewery symbol on it. You can also see how dark this specific beer is. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
(From left) Douglas Cutaiar and Brittany Flanders enjoying each others company, along with their craft beer. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
(From left) Jeff Sharpe, Allie Pearce, and Diana Gerstenacher playing trivia and drinking. It was hard to find seats, so these three sat on tiny chairs in the middle of the bar, they still had fun though. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
(From left) Brea Falice, Billy Rose, Claire Braciszewski, and Billy Rose, enjoying their Friday night with some delicious craft beer and getting ready for 90s music trivia to start. (Photo/Deanna Pineiro)
Gene Muller, Founder and Owner of Flying Fish Brewing Co. Photo taken by Deanna Pineiro
In 1995, Gene Muller created his brewing company from scratch. He started his own virtual brewery, which eventually turned into Flying Fish Brewing Co. As founder and owner of Flying Fish Brewing Co., Muller invested a lot of time and effort into his creation, and still continues to do so today. In 2012, the original Flying Fish Brewing Co. was located in Cherry Hill, NJ and shortly made its way to Somerdale, NJ, where it continues to stand today.
Read on to hear about Muller’s reason and process of creating Flying Fish Brewing Co., what he enjoys the most and what struggles he faces. Get a deeper look into the uniqueness and personality of this wonderful brewery and what delicious beers they have to offer for the month of October.
Gene Muller was the first brewery founder and owner I have interviewed and it was a great experience. Not only did I get to visit Flying Fish Brewing Co. and get a first hand look for myself, but I was lucky enough to get personal information about Muller and his creation.
Can you explain the process of the “virtual” brewery that you founded?
This will be hard for you to believe, but in 1995 there was no such thing as spam; no google, or amazon. First, I discovered this thing called the web. Then my friends and I programmed a basic website, I don’t even know what the search engine was. From there I had a logo and I talked about how we were trying to build this brewery. I asked people what their thoughts were, along with selling t-shirts and pint glasses. At the time, only about a dozen breweries and hits would show up in the search engine, but I did that and then sent out a press release to the local newspapers. The Philadelphia Inquirer didn’t have internet access during this time, so they didn’t know what that was. So, I had my own Apple laptop and literally explain the here is the world wide web, internet, and our website; that got us some attention. We got attention from a banker and investors because we were selling merchandise from something that didn’t exist. So, that was a big plus for us.
To hear Gene tell this story, hit play below:
What made you want to start your own brewery?
I’m what you call a reluctant entrepreneur, I wasn’t one of those people who always wanted their own business. It’s different now because breweries are accepted everywhere, but at the time people questioned them. They didn’t understand the process. I was a home brewer, I worked in marketing and I started to get bored. I started this and it was about 60-70 hours a week. It seemed like an opportunity, I traveled out west a lot and would see different craft brewers. There really wasn’t anything like that here, and that was a good and bad thing.
Listen to Gene talk about his purpose for starting his own brewery below:
What makes Flying Fish unique?
A big thing for us is that we focus on sustainability. We have almost 500 solar panels in the building that provides 10% of our power. All of our lighting, windows, and doors are energy efficient. We recycle a lot of our water, so we are very aware of our environment.
What is most enjoyable about your job?
The nice thing about beer versus a lot of other products is that it is interactive with people’s lives. For example, people will say, “we served your beer at our wedding,” or “we served your beer at our kid’s 1st birthday party.” Also, we sell our beer in a big and public space, so people get to interact and mingle. We will have families here, people with their dogs, and it’s just a nice place for people to have a conversation. To me, it’s just like being in people’s lives; if people say “we served your beer at our wedding,” you’re going to remember that.
Listen to Gene talk about why he enjoys his job below:
What is difficult about your job?
In our industry, alcohol is the only one that has two amendments to the U.S. Constitution; one banning it for prohibition and one making it legal again. Because of this, there are many federal, state, and local laws that control us.
For the month of October, what is the most popular beer(s)?
We have OktoberFish, which is a German style beer. This year we came out with a new beer named GoBirds, that’s done really well. We just came out with a super, limited drink named Caramel Espresso Porter, there’s only a couple 100 cases of that. We are constantly bringing out new stuff.
Is there a least popular beer(s)?
It used to be that people liked more bitterness, not as much now. Now, it seems like people enjoy the more sweeter, and citrus flavors. We had some beer that we really liked, that we just discontinued. An example is the West Coast IPA; more bitterness than fruitiness.
Do you go to different breweries yourself?
Oh sure. I can tell people that I am not just drinking at the breweries, but that I am doing research as well. I have a lot of friends in the industry. Also, I have friends in the local wineries. It is a really great industry and you build a lot of friendships with people.
Beer-lovers are not the only people who go to breweries. Don’t get me wrong, beer is the main focus, but anyone is capable of enjoying themselves; with or without beer. Breweries, especially South Jersey breweries, have a lot to offer.
Everyone has a different style. Some may enjoy drinking and relaxing, while others may enjoy going on tours and tastings. When searching for a brewery that does those interactive activities, a place like Flying Fish of Somerdale would be a suitable place. There are many different options, and it’s up to you.
Of course there are certain breweries that are meant for people who just want to relax and drink. It seems like all breweries have that type of setting, but some have that vibe more than others. An example of a chill and relaxing spot is 13th Child Brewery in Williamstown, NJ. There isn’t much to do besides, sit back and drink a beer; that’s the best part for some people.
A lot of times, people forget that not all breweries have food. Some people may not want food, but it could be a make it or break it for other people. In other words, a brewery that has food can be a plus. Drinking beer with an empty stomach is never good. An example of a brewery that is food accessible is Bonesaw Brewing Company in Glassboro, NJ. This particular brewery has a food truck outside for the people with empty stomachs. Other breweries may have actual kitchens were they prepare the food themselves.
All breweries may seem the same, and that is true in a sense. It is obvious that they all offer craft beers, but what makes them different from one another is their personality. Every brewery wants to present their environment in a unique and enjoyable way.
Nowadays, it seems like new breweries are opening up rapidly. They are becoming so popular because people truly enjoy them. The New Jersey Brewers Association is booming. As of now 53 different breweries are up and running in New Jersey. Since this is a major trend, why not come along and jump on the bandwagon? You may really enjoy it!
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Deanna Pineiro and I am a journalism major at Rowan University. This is my first blog and I am very excited to explore, as well as get experience. As my title states, my blog will focus on breweries in the South Jersey area. Each week I will pick a different brewery and create a unique blog about that specific brewery. While I am visiting these breweries, I will learn about how they make their beers, their most popular beers, and additional things that makes them unique from other breweries. I hope to take a lot of pictures, so I can give you guys a deeper look into the breweries. Also, I hope to interview and take videos of the managers of the breweries, so you guys can hear from their perspective. Having media will make this blog much more enjoyable. Seeing pictures and videos on how they make their beers, along with pictures of their designs of the beers will help show their individuality. I am hoping you guys enjoy my blog and feel inspired; inspired to the point where you go to any brewery near you and learn about what makes them unique!
South Jersey Breweries 