River Horse Brewing Company - Summer Blonde

River Horse’s summer ale presents a bright yellowy-golden hue in the glass, topped by plenty of white foam. In the aroma, look for a clean pale malt undertone with lightly bready hints. Hops are inviting, delivering a deftly subtle mix of citrus impressions, tropical and stone fruits, and a pleasant spicy note. On the palate, this blonde ale comes through super drinkable and refreshing. We get a crackery center which is light but satisfying within a medium body, while overall bitterness is mild, yet easily enough to keep this dry and crisp. Spicy, grassy, and lightly fruity hops add bright character and dimension, while the carbonation provides crisp bite and cleanses the palate in the finish. For pairings, we’re aiming toward battered dishes like fried chicken or shrimp, fish & chips, or shrimp and vegetable tempura with a ginger soy dipping sauce. Cheers!

When it opened for business in 1996, River Horse Brewing Company was at the vanguard of New Jersey’s craft brewing renaissance. Founded by two homebrewing brothers in Lambertville, NJ, on the Delaware River, River Horse was named in reference to the hippopotamus, an animal whose name is derived from the Greek words for “horse of the river.” Thus, the hippo features whimsically in all of the brewery’s logos and beer label artwork.

In 2007, the original founders passed control of the brewery to current owners Chris Walsh and Glenn Bernabeo who had desired to leave their desk jobs for something with a bit more passion. In their words, “We were finance geeks living in a world without soul. Grinding it out everyday for a fee, wearing suits and kissing butt.” Since taking over ownership, the new duo has met much success, and by 2013 demand had reached the point that the original Lambertville location was just not working. That summer, River Horse moved their operations to a new facility in Ewing which is large enough to handle production of as much as 80,000 barrels per year – far above the 9500 they had been topping out at in Lambertville.

River Horse currently produces four year-round beers as well as several seasonals and limited production offerings – including their recent Gentle Giant imperial witbier with lemongrass & orange peel, brewed exclusively for members of our Rare Beer Club. For more info about the brewery, contact them at 609-883-0890 or visit www.riverhorse.com.