The Fire and Beer podcast, hosted by Marcel Gomez, returns after a long break with exciting news and new co-hosts, Dan Holway and Zach Ross from Marlowe Artisanal Ales. The episode takes place at Alternate Ending and features special guests Scott Novick and Danny McGill, discussing the unique concept behind Lita, a restaurant rooted in Iberian cuisine. The conversation highlights the inspiration behind Lita, particularly a research trip to Spain that influenced its dishes and service model. Lita’s approach blends kitchen and front-of-house roles, fostering equity among staff while enhancing the dining experience. The discussion also covers La Otra, a cocktail bar attached to Lita, featuring imaginative drinks and a more casual yet equally intentional atmosphere. Guests rave about signature dishes like the Iberico pork and clam dish and the innovative cocktails at La Otra. The team shares insights into hospitality, teamwork, and their vision for creating a world-class dining destination in Aberdeen, New Jersey. They emphasize the importance of passion, collaboration, and surrounding themselves with the right people to bring their vision to life. The episode concludes with excitement about Lita’s recent James Beard Award nomination and the team’s unwavering focus on delivering a memorable dining experience.

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In this episode of Fire and Beer, Marcel Gomez is joined by a multitude of people at Alternate Ending in Aberdeen, New Jersey. On the show today we have Assistant Brewer Steve, Head Brewer Brendon, Owner Scott, Head Brewer from District 96 Sung, Scott from Lorenzo the Beer Cat, and Perri from District 96.

Alternate Ending is based in an old movie theater and all of its labels are movie-based. They even have the trademark on “What If?” and could try to take on Marvel if they wanted to (they don’t). Growing up, the Alternate Ending guys were movie-obsessed, and that played into the creation of the place. People in the industry tend to end up with alternate endings and it just seemed to fit.

Now collaborating with District 96, both camps are having a blast creating brews. The talk turns to the specific gravity of brews and sugar content. The higher the gravity at the finish, the more sugar is left over. Both Alternate Ending and District 96 have creative branding. District 96 has a lot of stuff on tap and has a steady rotation. For Alternate Ending, as a brewery and pub, there’s no limit to what they can put out. There’s a chance for an eclectic menu.

In recent years, craft beer and light beers have helped to penetrate the market more. Lighter lagers are an easy drink and historically a blue-collar thing. It’s about the culture and brewers brewing what they want to brew.

We hear about how the perception of hype can cause more problems than solve. Hype for hype’s sake doesn’t mean good beer. The breweries that didn’t survive the pandemic probably had bad brews. Trends come and go but, in the end, it comes down to what you love.

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