From northern New Jersey, about 20 minutes from the New York border, Muckraker Beermaker has for several years now been quietly crafting what we think are some of the best spontaneously fermented & wild ales this side of the Atlantic. It is a hidden gem of a little brewery in a rural setting…the kind of thing that inspired us to do what we did all those years back on our regular beer hunting expeditions to Belgium.

Owner & brewer Tom Troncone, who for 24 years prior to starting Muckraker was a newspaper journalist (i.e. a “muckraker”), spontaneously ferments about 75% of the beer he makes via coolship. The beer spends about a year in oak, and more times than not is refermented on fresh New Jersey fruit, typically with a fruiting rate of about 6 pounds per gallon of beer.

Recently, Muckraker started brewing “clean” beer to compliment its wild and spontaneous portfolio. “Hazen,” is the inaugural release of Muckraker’s “clean” beer series. It’s a crushable, hazy IPA loaded with oats, and Citra and Mosaic hops. Look for waves of tropical fruit, melon and a bevy of citrus riding over a smoothness that belies its 6.5% abv. Tom first made Hazen about five years ago for the wedding of his friends Josh and Angie Hazen, so the beer basically named itself. Since then, it’s been Tom’s staple IPA recipe.

MUCKRAKER BEERMAKER:

• MUCKRAKER Double Hazen 6/4/16oz CANS – Outstanding Imperial New England IPA loaded with oats and dry hopped with Citra & Mosaic. 8% ABV – NJ

HOOF HEARTED BREWING:

• Hoof Hearted $120 Nachos 6/4/16oz CANS – Triple India Pale Ale. 100% Citra Quadruple Dry-Hopped. 12% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted It’s Not My First Rodeo It’s My Second TIPA 6/4/16oz CANS – This rough rider is a hopped up horn to hoof and back again with American Citra and Mosaic as well as Southern Passion and African Queen from South Africa. But she finishes smoother than the supple leather of a well worn saddle. 10% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted Fine Corinthian Leather Nachos 6/4/16oz CANS – DDH Double IPA Brewed with Phantasm Cryo Blend, Citra, and Nelson Sauvin. 8.3% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted Discount Nachos 6/4/16oz CANS – DDH IPA with El Dorado, Bru-1, Citra, Strata hops. 7.3% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted Did We Just Become Best Friends – AMARILLO + MOSAIC with PINEAPPLE 6/4/16oz CANS – NE-Style DIPA with Amarillo + Mosaic with Pineapple. 8% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted Key Bump Pure Snow 6/4/16oz CANS – Triple Dry-Hopped Triple IPA with Bru-1, Citra, Sabro, Milk Sugar & Vanilla Beans. 10.5% ABV – OH
• Hoof Hearted Turbo Water – Prickly Pear, Raspberry, Lime 6/4/16oz CANS – Prickly Pear, Raspberry, & Lime Hard Seltzer. 5.5% ABV – OH

ABOMINATION BREWING COMPANY:

• Abomination Brewing Everyday Fog 6/4/16oz CANS – DDH w/ Mosaic, Pacific Jade, Citra, Summit & Enigma NE Hazy IPA – ABV 7.1% – CT
• Abomination Brewing Flying into the Fog 6/4/16oz CANS – Icarus Brewing Collaboration. Insanely juicy DIPA double dry hopped with a mind blowing amount of Columbus and Riwaka. 8.9% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing Wandering Fog Battle CITRA vs. SABRO 6/4/16oz CANS – QUADRUPLE Dry Hopped DIPA w/ Citra & Sabro. 8.6% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing Wandering Into The Fog CITRA 6/4/16oz CANS – All Citra DDH DIPA. 8.6% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing Wandering Into the Fog (Galaxy) 6/4/16oz CANS – All Galaxy DDH DIPA. 8.6% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing Love Letters From Hell 6/4/16oz CANS – Milkshake IPA W/ Candy, Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Milk Sugar, Vanilla Bean, Strawberries & Ice Cream. 9.6% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing Midnight Snack Tiramisu 6/4/16oz CANS – Pastry Stout brewed with Mascarpone, Lady Fingers, Whipped Cream, Coffee & Cacao Nibs. 14% ABV – CT
• Abomination Luscious V2 – Double Fruited – Banana + Strawberry 6/4/16oz CANS – Banana, Strawberry, & Blueberry Smoothie seltzer. 5.5% ABV – CT
• Abomination Brewing The Key To the City of North Haven 6/4/16oz CANS – Smoothie Sour Ale Brewed with Cherry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Ice Cream Mix, Lactose, and Vanilla Beans. 9% ABV – CT
• ABOMINATION / SKYGAZER / BRACH AND BLADE Who the F*** Put Carrot In the Cake!? (Sour + Stout Edition) 6/4/16oz CANS – Note that this case will contain 1/2 Stout Cans & Half Sour Cans of this beer – A three way collaboration – Imperial Stout Ale brewed with Carrot, Chocolate, Cream Cheese, Cinnamon, & Granola – 10% ABV – CT + Imperial Sour Ale brewed with Carrot, Apricot, Cinnamon, Granola, Cream Cheese, & Milk Sugar – 7% ABV – CT

ESKER HART ARTISAN ALES:

Esker Hart is a cool New Jersey based brewery, coming out of the Twelve Percent Beer Project facility.

• Esker Hart Moraine 6/4/16oz CANS – Delicious IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo hops! 6.2% ABV – CT
• Esker Hart Thrush 6/4/16oz CANS – IPA hopped with Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Cascade. 6.4% ABV – CT
• Esker Hart Den 6/4/16oz CANS – Imperial Stout brewed with Cacao Nibs, Pecans, Macadamia Nuts, Cashews, Marcona Almonds, & Raisins. 13.5% ABV – CT