Nothing, not even a global pandemic, can stop New Jersey's booming craft beer scene.
As COVID-19 continues to devastate every aspect of American life, industrious players in our brewing community across the state are moving forward with their efforts to bring beer to the masses.
Most of these projects were in the works well before the world changed, and many openings were delayed by a slower approval process as the wheels of local and state government moved slower during the pandemic.
Alexis Degan, executive director of the New Jersey Brewers Association, is gratified to see so many of the state's craft breweries not just surviving but thriving, thanks to retail sales.
"That the New Jersey craft beer community continues to grow despite all odds is a testament to the grit and innovative spirit of its members, new and seasoned. It's also a testament to the incredible generosity and enthusiasm of the consumers that have driven this growth for the past decade,'' she said.
"We're living in the most uncertain times, but there is one certainty that has become clear: you can get great beer in New Jersey. You can even get it delivered to your door ...''
Degan says she's thrilled to welcome the new faces to the scene, and to see members of the family expanding their footprints in their communities.
"We encourage our friends to get out there and raise a glass at these new locations, too. You'll be glad you did!''
It may be hard to believe but there are additional breweries hoping to open later this year. Here are the stories of some of the craft brewing operations working to open for business or expand their operations in the midst of a pandemic. We will circle back to more breweries — from Buttzville to Swedesboro — throughout the state soon.
Alternate Ending, Aberdeen
Scott Novick wants to help us all have some fun.
Novick is the founder and CEO of Alternate Ending Beer Co., a craft brewery and brew pub hoping to open in October on Route 34 in Aberdeen. Housed at the site of a former movie theater, the operation plans to offer some of life's joys: beer, movies and good food.
“I’ve been out once with my wife since this whole thing happened and that was the most normal I’ve felt in a really long time," Novick told the Asbury Park Press in August. "So I think it’s really important that people get to experience that and just get back to — if it’s for a minute, an hour, two hours, a day — just feel normal again. It’s so important for us.”
The pandemic did force Novick and company to change some aspects of their business plan. While they'd originally planned on being in business for three months or so before starting to can their beers, Alternate Ending will now be canning as soon as possible.
The brew pub has also pivoted to outdoor dining, planning to seat upwards of 40 to 50 people for at least three seatings per evening. While they also plan to open with indoor dining and drinking at 25% capacity, it's undecided when the film screenings will begin.
Go: 1057 Route 34, Aberdeen; https://ift.tt/33Pcwtc.
Ashton Brewing, Middlesex
Just as Ashton Brewing received its license to begin brewing, coronavirus struck New Jersey. It was unfortunate timing, but owner Steve Ashton was determined to open regardless. The brewery, which focuses on “balanced, drinkable beers,” said Ashton, opened March 27 — as much as they possibly could open during a worldwide outbreak.
However, Ashton said, people have been very receptive to trying the new brewery’s beers, sharing positive messages on social media and asking questions about the available beers. The eight-beer lineup includes a German-style pilsner, a blueberry wheat, a farmhouse ale, a stout and a pale Bock. All of the beers have an ABV of 5.1 to 7.2 percent.
Untapped: Middlesex brewery opens for first time despite coronavirus pandemic
“We are focusing on styles that people are less accustomed to seeing and doing them in our own way by making them more flavor-forward,” said Ashton. “We are not going to be an IPA- or sour-focused brewery, but we will do some of that stuff. We want to show people the variety that’s out there.”
Go: 600 Lincoln Blvd, Middlesex; 732-694-1221, ashtonbrewing.com.
Bonesaw Brewing Co., Glassboro
Bonesaw Brewing Co is ready to grow. The brewery plans to add an indoor beer garden, a silo, to increase production and add parking at its two-year-old building on Mullica Hill Road, said Dr. Richard DiVerniero, co-owner and an orthopedic surgeon whose day job inspires the company's name.
The beer garden will occupy a 4,000-square-foot area on the brewery's second floor, a space now used mostly for storage. It will double the tasting room's size, and offer a setting for private parties, including weddings, said DiVerniero. The space will showcase lagers made by brewmaster AJ Stoll.
“There are only a few dedicated lager houses in the country,” said DiVerniero, adding those beers "require more precise brewing techniques and are considered by many the prime example of a brewer's skill,"
Bonesaw currently has a 4,000-square-foot tasting area on its first floor, along with about 3,500 square feet of covered porch seating and outdoor seating. “Our whole intention from day one was not just to build a brewery but to build a destination,” said DiVerniero.
Expansion of the 10,000-square-foot production area will allow Bonesaw to boost its barrel capacity — initially 10,000 to 12,000 barrels — to roughly 25,000 barrels per year. Planned also changes include the addition of 1,000 square feet for cold storage and 800 square feet to make and age wild ale, DiVerniero said.
A 28-foot-tall silo, capable of holding up to 53,000 pounds of grain, will offer economic and environmental benefits, DiVerniero said, "Buying grain in larger quantities will improve our efficiency and help lessen our carbon footprint" by requiring fewer deliveries from suppliers, he said.
Go: 570 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro. 856-243-5464; bonesawbrewing.com/
Brotherton Brewing Co., Atco
Earlier this month, Brotherton Brewing Co. opened a new location in a former firehouse in Waterford section of Atco Township in Camden County.
Started by five beer-loving friends, the small-batch brewery got its start in Shamong in 2015. Originally, Brotherton partnered with Hunterdon Brewing Company and began production for distribution in June of 2016 with three core styles of beer — an IPA, DIPA and pale ale.
Brotherton now brews more than two dozen types of beer with wide retail distribution to bars, restaurants and liquor stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
If you go visit Brotherton, be sure to also check out Atco Brewing Co. about a half mile away.
Go: 2208 Atco Ave., Atco. (609)-848-4797; brothertonbrewing.com/bbWP2bk/
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Bull N Bear Brewery, Summit
William Dodge worked in finance before he decided to turn his home brewing hobby into a business. The name Bull N Bear comes from “bull and bear markets” – a bull market is one that is on the rise, a bear market is one that's dipping.
The beers on tap will run the gamut. Dodge is a lover of Belgian beer, his head brewer loves beer from Germany and the British Isles, and his assistant brewer is big on IPAs. “I want this to be an educational spot, where people can try different things,” said Dodge. He hopes to open Bull N Bear in the fall.
Go: 425 Springfield Ave., Summit; bullnbearbrewery.com.
Dr. Brewlittle's Beer Co., Maple Shade
If you are an animal lover, this may be next on your brewery bingo card.
Principal owner is Chris Torre of Shamong, owner of Mount Laurel Animal Hospital, the second largest veterinary hospital in the state, as well as Pennsauken Animal Hospital.
Dr. Brewlittle’s Beer Company in Maple Shade had hoped to open in March but it took six more COVID-19-restricted months to start tapping those beers.
Just as the governor announced breweries could begin seating indoor customers, Dr. Brewlittle’s opened its doors (and it's outdoor beer garden) for the first time. It is the downtown’s first microbrewery, joining Iron Hill Brewing Co., a brewpub, as the second brewery in the township.
Eventually, Torre and his three partners plan to host fundraisers, including for the animal hospital and other animal-friendly causes, as well as showers, birthday and anniversary parties.
Dr. Brewlittle’s is housed in a former barbershop. The brick building houses a 1,500-square-foot ground floor tasting room, as well as smaller second-floor tasting room and private events space with a small deck. The brewhouse is located in a new pole barn behind the main building.
Josh Caputo of Philadelphia, a graduate of American Brewers Guild in Vermont, is the head brewer. He’s brewing on a five-barrel system from Portland Kettleworks, with four fermenters and one brite tank. Four beers can ferment at a time, while other beers can age in barrels.
Want to be in an exclusive club? Get to Dr. Brewlittle’s in time to try some of the Monkey Business, a single keg batch of 7.5% banana bread stout. “It tastes like liquified banana bread,’’ said O’Connell, who plans to only serve it on the premises.
Go: 108 E. Main St., Maple Shade. drbrewlittlesbeer.com/
Double Tap Brewing, Whippany
John Coyle, Todd Townsend, Chris Mock, Jared Dougherty and Jeff Mauriello all met through MASH, Morris County’s homebrewers society. Each specializes in a different style of beer – Coyle in Belgian-style beers, Townsend in drinkable cream ales, Mock in stouts and porters, Dougherty in IPAs and Mauriello in European lagers (“He can make them better than anyone else,” said Coyle.) So, they decided to use their combined knowledge to open a brewery.
They’re transforming an old post office in Hanover Township that has been vacant since the '60s into Double Tap Brewing. COVID-19 has slowed them down, but Coyle predicts a January 20201 opening.
Moving on: NJ craft beer looks to the future after COVID-19 disruption
The name is a reference to a Benjamin Franklin (who you might recall was the first postmaster general) quote: “[New Jersey is like] a beer barrel, tapped at both ends, with all the live beer running into Philadelphia and New York.” The team at Double Tap has been collecting post office antiques to bring the theme to the decor.
Go: 50 Parsippany Road, Whippany; 973-801-0454, facebook.com/DoubleTapBrewing.
Flounder Brewing, Hillsborough
When Flounder Brewing began brewing at the Hillsborough Business Park seven years ago, it was one of the smallest breweries to ever open in New Jersey. Now, it's getting ready to move to a 250-year-old Dutch barn and 100-year-old English barn at 19-acre Carriage Farm in the township to create a 2,000-square-foot, 88-seat tasting room.
Although the brewery won't complete its move to the working farm for about six more months, in the meantime, Flounder Brewing has been hosting some pop-up beer gardens at Carriage Farm which you can keep watch for by checking out their Facebook page.
Hillsborough: Flounder Brewing Co. to expand, joining new craft distillery at Carriage Farm
“The best part of this project is the barn,” said Jeremy “Flounder” Lees, brewery co-owner. “You walk in and and you see a lot of the original beam work that’s two centuries' old and most of that is going to look like it does now. At our current location, we have some tables next to our tanks and there’s all of eight stools.”
Go: Current location is 1 Ilene Ct, Hillsborough; new location will be 2 Clerico Lane, Hillsborough; 908-396-6166, flounderbrewing.com
Glenbrook Brewery, Morristown
Drawing from Morristown’s rich Revolutionary War history, Glenbrook Brewery — the town’s first brewery — will feature a Revolutionary War theme.
Head brewer Heath Traver has been working on beers with names such as Colonial Ale, Jockey Hollow Pumpkin Ale, Ford Mansion Basement Barrel Stout, Fort No-Nonsense IPA and Jacob Arnold Porter – names that should be familiar to residents of Morristown.
Owner Darren Cregan also plans to commission a mural of a Colonial soldier to decorate the wall at the two-floor brewery.
Go: 95 Morris St., Morristown; facebook.com.
Lions Roar Brewing Co., Westfield
Tim Grant started home-brewing after getting a brewing kit for Father’s Day. A few years later, he and wife, Corinne, Westfield residents, decided to open a brewery: Lions Roar Brewing Co. The Grants are fans of European-style beer but will offer a variety of different brews.
“We always thought something was missing in the town. So it was a great fit," said Corinne. "We planted roots here, so we thought, let’s go all in. Let’s roll the dice.”
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The industrial-chic, 750-square-feet taproom holds 38 seats and has an 800-square-foot outdoor beer garden with gazebos. The Grants hope to make Lions Roar — named after their son Jackson’s roaring cries when he was a baby — a hang-out spot for community members and parents looking for a place to relax.
Go: 517-519 S. Ave. W., Westfield; lionsroarbrewing.com.
Mechanical Brewing, Cherry Hill
Monday morning was a big moment for this Cherry Hill brewery as they announced they will open on Nov. 27.
"We want to make sure we are taking all the necessary precautions to keep everybody safe as well as making sure everyone can have a great first experience with Mechanical Brewery,'' the owners stated on their website. "The unfortunate situation we are all dealing with may change things depending what is allowed at the time of this event. We will have 6 to 8 beers on tap.''
Check out the website for an updated beer menu and expect some experimental beer surprises ahead.
Several soft openings are planned for mailing list and founder's club members, and from there the brewery plans to offer half walk-in and half reserved seating.
The brewery is located off Route 70, just south of the New Jersey Turnpike, in the Springdale section, putting it close enough to Cherry Hill's well-known Forgotten Boardwalk, the only other brewery in the township. Easy to visit both if you pace yourself.
The brewery has been offering a slow reveal on its Facebook page for weeks, teasing followers with photos of tasting room flight boards, hops-themed artwork and brewery swag.
Go: 8-4 Perina Blvd., Cherry Hill. mechanicalbrewing.com/
Newark Local Beer, Newark
Newark Local Beer has made its home in a 6,300-square-foot space in the Walker House in Newark, a newly restored Art Deco building designed by architect Ralph Thomas Walker in the '20s. Husband-and-wife owners Steve and Miller Hughes hope to make Newark Local Beer a family-friendly brewery (they have two kids). Ten rotating taps with eclectic brews that span from IPAs to stouts to ales will be available.
Steve started out as a home-brewer, then went on to work at a brewery in Maryland. At his own brewery, Steve plans to experiment with yeasts, hops and unique flavors to create interesting, non-conventional brews, he says. Live music, yoga lessons, themed sports nights and other events are also in the plans when Newark Local Beer opens in the fall.
Go: 540 Broad St., Newark; 973-856-2234, newarklocalbeer.com.
Ross Brewing, Middletown
These socially-distant pandemic times have gotten us all re-acquainted with the pleasures of spending as much time as possible outside. It's only fitting then that New Jersey is about to gain a new brewery that, by its owner's estimation, is the first you can travel to by boat.
John Ross Cocozza's Ross Brewing Company will set up shop nearby in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown, with a goal of opening for the public by the spring of 2021.
The Port Monmouth property — 909 Main St., formerly the site of the Shoal Harbor Lobster Co. — has multiple buildings, one of which will be used as a production space with another functioning as a two-floor tasting room with views of the New York City skyline.
Just 100 yards south of Sandy Hook Bay, the property is nearby the New York Waterway's Belford Ferry and the Belford Seafood Co-Op, with its own 100-foot dock on the Compton Creek waterfront.
COVID-19 caused some changes for Ross Brewing, with the company having to re-submit its plans to both the state and its bank, who wanted to ensure that it was expanding its outdoor tasting area (they're now planning on 20 outdoor tables instead of the original four) and that the indoor drinking space had proper ventilation.
Go: 909 Main St., Port Monmouth Section of Middletown; https://ift.tt/2ROzElZ.
Tonewood Brewing Co., Oaklyn
Arguably the biggest success story to come out of South Jersey’s craft brewery explosion in recent years, Tonewood is ready to grow.
Founded in an Oaklyn warehouse in 2016, Tonewood quickly gained a reputation for a solid beer lineup led by its very popular Fuego “juicy’’ IPA.
While Tonewood had said it will continue to operate its cozy Oaklyn tasting room (currently open only for takeout sales due to the pandemic), owners plan to expand with a production facility and second, state-of-the-art tasting room at a former Barrington lumber yard.
The complex at Atlantic Avenue and Clements Bridge Road, once known for entertaining passing motorists with whimsical messages, has been vacant for more than two years.
Tonewood’s owners, brothers Eli and Taylor Facchine, have said they plan to quadruple their production space and install a 30-barrel brewhouse. Plans also include an emphasis on environmental sustainability, as well as a beer garden and grain silos such as can be found at breweries such as Omegang or Allagash.
They have said the new site is complete, it will attract beer lovers as a destination that will immerse them in the beer-making process in “Willie Wonka’’ fashion.
The vision is Tonewood's most popular beers, which are widely distributed, would be brewed at the new facility, while the original tasting room would remain open for smaller batch and more experimental brewing.
Go: 215 W Clinton Ave., Oaklyn. tonewoodbrewing.com
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