Sweet Genevieve--Bump, Bump, Bum!

Neil Diamond's classic rock hit "Sweet Caroline" may have used a different gal's name, but the opening line is definitely on the mark: "Where it began, I can't begin to knowing, But then I know it's growing strong..."

And the opening sentence on the "About" page of the Flounder Brewing Company pretty much sums it up: "We’re about keeping it simple…keeping it real. We’re about family, relaxing and just letting it all go...."

And Flounder has been doing precisely that for the three years it has been in existence. That anniversary was celebrated last evening at a neat pub (more about that later) in Hillsborough, NJ where Flounder has made its home--and its mark--since November 2013.

I first visited Jeremy Lees and company back then for the first public tasting of his beer. You can read that story here. Flounder was just a nano-brewery then, churning out its flagship Hill Street Honey Ale in a 31-gallon system. To say Flounder has come a long way since then is an understatement.

Jeremy's brainchild has grown considerably in appeal and reach, and you can chart that yourself right here. Perhaps the most impressive official achievement, not counting Flounder's rapidly growing reach, is the Sam Adams Experience Award it won. That allowed Flounder to collaborate directly with Jim Koch's master brewers to produce the Devil's Nectah, a cranberry/honey Helles that has been met with rave reviews. But a visit to Flounder's beer page will reveal many more offerings that should appeal to a wide variety of beer lovers. The PubScout's personal favorite is Queen Genevieve, an 8.2% DIPA that is "hazier, juicier and boozier" than regular Genevieve--which is darned good itself. My pub mates Ken and Donna both enjoyed it, and also gave high marks to the Espresso Brown (5.5%) and the Sorachi Ace Saison (5.5%). At Jeremy's suggestion, i tried the Experimental IPA (6.2%), and found it quite tasty. But The Queen would not be dethroned, at least on this night.

Now a bit about the venue, which was called The Pub at The Landing. I had passed the property many times on two wheels, as it sits on Amwell Rd., gateway to the Delaware and Pennsy. But it was called Pheasant's Landing, and it looked like a big farmhouse from the road. Apparently, it underwent a recent renovation, and the name changed to The Landing; but it's still big and sits on a huge property. It actually has three areas that are now functional--a restaurant/patio, a banquet room and The Pub, a subterranean haven that will make you think you're in a friend's fabulously decorated basement.

And last night, it was packed to the gills. Owner Cindy said that Flounder's presence had a lot to do with that, but it's normally hopping with people on both Friday and Saturday nights. Besides the quality of the food, what impressed The PubScout was the efficiency of the service under such packed conditions. Our "Brezel" and Gazpacho arrived within mere minutes of ordering, and as soon as they were gone, two outstanding Carbonara Pizzas and a delicious Shrimp Taco arrived. The food was nothing short of excellent.

As Flounder says, "It’s about hanging out with good friends, awesome family and even the cool neighbors that you don’t really know." Flounder makes the Family part easy, because everybody involved with the operation buys into the credo.

The PubScout's own credo for this blog has always been "Good Pubs, Good Beer, Good People." Flounder Brewing and The Landing took care of the "Good People" and "Good Pubs" parts last night.