Pork Roll Porter Must Be the Official Beer of New Jersey

Lots of food items are broken down and brewed into craft beer. Oysters? Yes. Bacon? Sure. Cheese? Indeed. In New Jersey, the folks at Flying Fish Brewing Co. are pouring a savory elixir made from the state's favorite porcine product: pork roll. The brewery has concocted a limited-edition Exit 7 Pork Roll Porter to celebrate its 20th birthday, reports NJ.com.

On the Flying Fish website, Exit 7 is said to have "aromas of cocoa with hints of maple and smoke," and its flavors include "chocolate, maple, toasted nuts, and a bit of spice from the pork roll." It checks in at a healthy 7.5 percent abv, and yes, it's actually made with real pork roll.

Why Exit 7? That's the Jersey Turnpike exit one would take to visit Taylor Provisions, the company that produces the breakfast favorite.

Now, a certain segment of the New Jersey population may be up in arms over the name of the brew. While citizens from the southern portion of the state know of the product as pork roll, those up north refer to it as Taylor ham. Flying Fish founder Gene Muller told NJ.com he considered releasing two versions — Pork Roll Porter and Taylor Ham Porter — but alas, he ran out of time.

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