First Class
HAVE
DESSERT
FIRST
Baron’s Brewing Co. has put
some wattle into “whet your
whistle.” Indigenous to
the Australian outback,
wattle seeds have been
harvested by the Aborigi-
nals for centuries—now
they’re available to all
in a dessert beer.
The wattle seed has
a distinctive, coffee-
like taste. Blended
with Australian pale
malt and European
specialty malts, as well
as native Australian
herbs and spices
that are added dur-
ing brewing, Baron’s
Black Wattle yields
a deep-amber
brown ale with a
base of caramel
and chocolate—
an unusual,
ideal partner
for crème
brûlée or
a bowl of
Häagen-Dazs.
$9.99 for
a six-pack,
available at
most liquor
stores and
bars across
the country.
TRENDSETTER
Everything Old
Is Newark Again
When Jeff Vanderbeek graduated from
college, he never envisioned that one
day he’d own an NHL team. But his
career aspirations were sports-related.
“I came out of school wanting to play
quarterback for the New York Giants,”
says Vanderbeek, the chairman and managing partner of the New Jersey Devils.
He played football at Bloomfield (N.J.)
College but also had a love of finance.
After more than 20 years as an investment banker, the former Lehman Brothers executive decided to get in the
sports business. In 2004, the 50-year-
old Somerville, N.J., native became the
Devils’ majority shareholder, and his
first order of business was to begin construction on a long-anticipated arena in
downtown Newark.
The result of Vanderbeek’s work
with the city, The Prudential Center,
opened in October. A $375 million,
state-of-the-art venue, “The Rock” is
two blocks from Newark’s Penn Station
and not only hosts the Devils’ home
games, but also home basketball games
for Seton Hall, professional indoor soccer and myriad musical acts, including
Jersey’s own Bon Jovi, which opened
the arena with a series of shows last fall.
Vanderbeek hopes that the arena will
be a cornerstone of Newark’s rebirth
But for now, with the opening behind
him, he’s finally able to enjoy being the
owner of a team he’s followed for over a
quarter-century. He also welcomes the
opportunity it has given him to get to
know the people of New Jersey’s largest
city via the team’s various community
outreach programs. “For me to get out
there and in a lot of cases talk to kids at
schools and honestly touch people that
can use some help,” he says, “that’s been
a good thing.” —JOEL KELLER
