Carton Brewing Dinner At Morris Tap & Grill

 Last night I attended a wonderful beer dinner at Morris Tap & Grill,with featured brewery Carton Brewing out of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Carton is one of the newer breweries on the block and are gaining a quite a huge following, being tapped at bars all over New Jersey. We are really excited that so many new breweries like Carton are popping up all over the state, putting New Jersey back on the map as the beer capitol it once was - and having places like Morris Tap & Grill to serve these fresh local brews. Last night's dinner was one of many the restaurant will be hosting over the next year with Executive Chef Eric LeVine preparing amazing dishes to pair up with some of the best brews around. After taking a look at what Eric had in store for the Carton portfolio, my mouth was watering. I couldn't wait to dive into some of his food and some fresh pints of Carton.

When I first arrived, Augie set me up with their latest brew: Carton Of Milk. An easy-drinking and very sessionable milk stout that develops sip by sip, making for one tasty beer. Sorry Boat, but Carton of Milk just took your place as my favorite session beer.

 Head Brewer Jesse Ferguson was stacking Carton Of Milk against Keegan Mother's Milk.

 The staff was decked out in brown and orange, modeling off some of the Carton gear. I need to grab a hat as soon as possible.

 Augie giving a little background on Carton.

 Everyone started to get settled in and prepare for the epic feast ahead of us.

 Chef Eric came out to introduce himself. He seemed very excited to share his dishes.

 Chef Eric started us out with some Bacon & Blue Cheese Lollipops along with Spicy Pork Ribs, all of which was paired up with Carton's Boat Beer.

 I had just finished my Carton Of Milk, quickly ordered a Boat Beer and had it almost immediately. I would like to mention that our server was attentive as well as the rest of the staff which made for a pleasant evening.

 The first course blew my mind and filled me beyond capacity. Smoked short ribs over herb polenta, paired with the ultimate food beer: Brunch Dinner Grub.

Carton clothing models Doug Phillips(Left) and Jeremy Watts(Right) were on hand to answer any questions about Carton and their brews. I found out Jeremy works at Brewers Apprentice and is well acquainted with none other then the Stibinger Brothers. What a small world.

 Brunch Dinner Grub truly goes with good everything; a table beer instead of wine if you will. I made sure to save some for the second course.

 Just when I thought we had our fill, the second course came out. Oven-roasted lamb loin chops with Costwold mashed potatoes.

 The third and final course of the evening was (of course) dessert. Caramel rice pudding with caramelized apples and a honey crisp. Carton Of Milk was paired of with this one and an excellent compliment to the creamy rice pudding.

What a fantastic event and one hell of a way to spend a Tuesday night. I had such a great time hanging out with everyone. The food was excellent and the beers were fresh and delicious, as expected. I would like to thank the staff at Morris Tap & Grill for hosting the event and the gang at Carton for making some really awesome beer. Check out Morris Tap & Grill for up-coming brewery events and Carton Brewing for up to date information on where their beer is being tapped.

Carton Brewing

Morris Tap & Grill

-Brian