River Horse Brewing Company - Triple Horse Beligan Ale

At 10% ABV, this is one of the biggest domestic beers we’ve featured. This exceptional beer incorporates elements of various Belgian styles, from the spicy, orangey notes and slight sourness in a Belgian Witbier, to the clove-like sweetness of a Wheatbock, to the dryness found in a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Take an extra moment to take in the Belgian aromas of banana, melon & peach. Look for a breaddy malty character in the flavor, with a rounded malty sweetness, notes of cloves, nutmeg, coriander and an earthy finish similar to Belgian farmhouse ales. Expect an extraordinarily lengthy bitterness in the finish that works to balance the sweetness. Recommended partnering: Mediterranean cuisine and/or gorgonzola cheese.

Ahhh, New Jersey—home of innumerable diners, Tony Soprano, and a resident accent that sounds nearly as intellectual as Frenchie’s from Grease. These may be a few of the features that you associate with “Joy-zee,” but the Garden state is actually home to a number of great microbreweries. The River Horse Brewing Co., located in Lambertville, New Jersey, is housed in an old brick building that once was an oyster-cracker factory. Whether this means that the facility was used to crack oysters or make oyster-flavored crackers is a mystery that sweet lady NJ has been unwilling for decades to reveal (ok you caught us, we were too lazy to look it up). Located along the bank of the Delaware River, the brewery is one of New Jersey's oldest and fastest growing. Incidentally, “River horse” is a nickname for the hippopotamus. “So what”, you say? The ancient Egyptians believed in the beer god, Seth, who appeared in the image of a hippopotamus. Pretty neat, huh? Another quick tidbit for your next round of impromptu “I’m a beer connoisseur and I’ll prove it;” beer is believed to have been first brewed in ancient Egypt. While being a slave laborer indentured for life to build the great pyramids at Giza couldn’t have been easy, it seems somehow less grueling a task when you consider that those fellas may have had a chance to grab a cold one between beatings. OK, let’s leave ancient Egypt and let the sweet taste of microbrewed New Jersey beer bring us back to modern times… With the pair of finely crafted malty nectars we’ve sent you, we think you’ll agree that our expert panel has made you an offer you can’t refuse. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (609) 397-7776 or check out their web site at http://www.riverhorse.com/.