4 City Brewing is in Orange.
Nearby is Untied Brewing in New Providence which is in my top 5 breweries for NJ.
Twin Elephant Brewing is in Chatham. I haven’t been but I have heard good things about it.
OT: NJ Craft Beer Rankings
- Thread starter ElmiraExpress
- Start date
Nearby is Untied Brewing in New Providence which is in my top 5 breweries for NJ.
Twin Elephant Brewing is in Chatham. I haven’t been but I have heard good things about it.
So there are a few nearby those towns but nothing directly within that area it seems. I wonder if finding a brewery space is challenging in some type of light industrial or business park, or commercial type space that would allow that type of use.
While not a production brewery & taproom format that most newer breweries pursue and being discussed primarily here, I recall Gaslight brewpub in South Orange from many moons ago when things within the NJ craft brewing landscape were fewer and farther between. Wasn't necessarily the greatest beer but still an oasis in the proverbial desert at the time. Not sure if it's still around.
Love Cape May. A new one is Old Heights. Top quality. They opened in about a year ago.
Yep, they're still around but haven't heard them mentioned in forever. Old brewpubs like them, JJ Bittings, and I'm sure many others seem like they just aren't part of the conversation anymore. Maybe most of them just haven't updated their offerings to current trends, and I think there is more of a preference to going to a brewery as a recreational/leisure activity and then bringing cans and bottles home instead of hanging out at a bar.
The only one that comes to mind is Yale Terrace. I've never been there, but most accounts seemed to agree that most of their beers had a weird sour taste that was definitely not intentional, but were then sold as a "sour porter," "sour IPA," etc. Most of their advertising that I've seen had little to do with the beer but more to do with inviting you to bring in pizza from the pizzeria across the street that is owned by the same people, so it seemed like people who weren't very knowledgeable about brewing beer just trying to capitalize on a market trend by opening a brewery in a somewhat suburban downtown area with the hope of attracting more business to their pizzeria. They offered a brewing class, and then put the beer that was brewed by the class on tap and sold it as one of their own beers. As if that wasn't bad enough, for the longest time (it might still be the case, not sure), that beer was actually their highest-rated beer on Untappd.
I'm not really sure how you would find that mindblowing, I bet most NJ beer drinkers haven't even heard of Belford, and Carton is widely agreed to be top 5 in the state. I was at Belford once with three buddies and none of us found it anything to write home about. My buddy I went with recognized one of the workers as someone that lived in his dorm building at Rutgers, his parents are the owners if I remember correctly.
Last edited:
I went to Belford Brewing the first year it was open but wasn’t impressed. They may be far better now but it was basically a small home brew operation then.
Hate to say it but craft brewing nationwide has now become a commodity business imo.. Every one seems to have multiple IPAs along with a variety of one off fruit or sour type beers that are mostly unreliable across most breweries.
FL now has 320 microbreweries. I’ve been to about 10% of them in the past 5 years since moving here.
Of those 320 breweries how many are quality breweries that make consistent products across many styles that are high quality? I’d estimate no more than 10% of them. I expect that NJ is about the same. I expect a shakeout in the near future after covid.
Yea, they are generally pretty good, and most of their brews are solid, but I've yet to find a must have from them.
Yeah I used to work at the ice rink across the street. Definitely not on the level of Kane, Carton, Icarus, etc. but I'd say they're definitely above average. I like that they are well-rounded, making solid offerings of a variety of styles and aren't just an IPA factory like a lot of newer places seem to be. I still play in the adult hockey league at that rink and sometimes a few players pop in for a couple pregame/postgame brews.
This I can understand and relate to but probably because I'm a bit older. That said, I still would've enjoyed taprooms like I do now if they were a thing 15-20+ years ago, when I was younger and single. As it is I've always been an afternoon or evening session drinking at a pub or beer garden type guy and tend to prefer a more laid back environment.
For younger folks, I would think a more energetic restaurant/bar vibe at a brewpub versus a modest taproom bar might be up their alley (depending on the time of day or clientele perhaps) to the extent that they're not quite the same. But maybe as you said, craft beer drinkers in particular have been trending toward the leisure visit to an industrial brewery taproom rather than the pub/restaurant scene when the experience is less about a meal and more about the beer tasting. Probably a similar phenomena with wine tasting at wineries having a certain appeal for some over going to a wine bar.
It's certainly no surprise seeing young couples with kids or strollers (and/or dog owners, for example) enjoying brewery taprooms due to the flexibility of those allowed entry and the BYOF aspect, but many of those folks might also be trending older or have transitioned into a different phase of life too.
Last edited:
Just confirming what SouthJersey said. Everything I've had from them is solid but nothing has been above average yet. I am happy with them though.
Twin Elephant is co-founded by RU alumni and season ticket holders for basketball and football.
They seem to be off the radar somewhat and they've been around for close to 20 years now. I recall meeting the owner when they had a pretty small operation back in 2002. I haven't had a chance to try too many of their beers over the years, the few that I had were decent. Anyway my guess is that despite having a solid lineup they might not have any MVP/All-star selections in that lineup that would get people talking and thus not as much fanfare for them overall.
Good to know. Flying Fish, Cypress, and Ghost Hawk were started by Rutgers alumni too.
Sorry if this was already covered in this thread and I missed it... But as a current out of stater... Does anyone know if any of these Jersey breweries ship out of state?
Like you I live in Texas now. Originally from NJ. I believe Cricket Hill may have been the first, or one of the first breweries in NJ, and I never really gave it a thought until winter 2013. I'm from Pequannock originally so it was kind of close by. It's just good craft beer IMO. I would say there is nothing spectacular about their lineup, but I feel the East Coast Lager is pretty damn good and it's unfiltered. Definitely something to "go-to" if you aren't familiar with craft beers or not big on IPA's, stouts, etc. Always enjoyed ECL. Their "Brew-Jitsu" is a session IPA that's good. Honestly, their Pumpkin Ale is the best craft pumpkin ale I've ever had! LOL. Definitely missing that down there in Texas this time of year
Actually it's been awhile since I lived in Texas but it was where I was when I joined the message board coming up on 20 years ago. It was also after leaving TX in 2002 and being back east for a time that I became familiar with Cricket Hill. They were a fledgling operation back in '02 having just gotten started brewing in Fairfield.
But even though they've been around for a bit now, I can tell you they're definitely not one of the first craft breweries in NJ, by at least a decade (early 90s) and by maybe 20+ breweries, more than half of which are still around. They've all just been joined by a couple dozen newer ones in the past 15 or so years.
Last edited:
53 N.J. craft beers you have to try this summer
53 N.J. craft beers you have to try this summer
A look at some of the tastiest and most refreshing craft beers around New Jersey perfect for the hottest time of the year.
Check out this article from My Central Jersey:
A woodland-themed brewery is opening in Hunterdon County next month
A woodland-themed brewery is opening in Hunterdon County next month
A woodland-themed brewery is opening in Hunterdon County next month
Esker Hart Artisan Ales will open May 4 at 20 Main St., the former home of Highrail Brewing Company.
www.mycentraljersey.com
"Kean Brewing in Ocean" 🤦🏻Check out this article from My Central Jersey:
A woodland-themed brewery is opening in Hunterdon County next month
A woodland-themed brewery is opening in Hunterdon County next month
Esker Hart Artisan Ales will open May 4 at 20 Main St., the former home of Highrail Brewing Company.www.mycentraljersey.com
Bobby put out a bunch of good homebrews over the years. Interested to see what he has at the brewery and how it evolves.
The Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival In New Jersey Is About The Tastiest Event You Can Experience
The Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival In New Jersey Is About The Tastiest Event You Can Experience
Come to Skylands Stadium for food trucks and brews! This fun food truck festival in New Jersey is back for 2024.
www.onlyinyourstate.com
4 N.J. breweries take gold in World Beer Cup
4 N.J. breweries take gold in World Beer Cup
Celebrate the world of craft beer at these four New Jersey breweries
Kane Dripping Maple is great.4 N.J. breweries take gold in World Beer Cup
4 N.J. breweries take gold in World Beer Cup
Celebrate the world of craft beer at these four New Jersey brewerieswww.nj.com
Dripping Maple (2023)
The freshest craft beer in New Jersey. Crafted excellence in every sip. Where quality, freshness and the finest ingredients converge for a truly unforgettable experience.
kanebrewing.com
DRIPPING MAPLE (2023)
DOUBLE BARREL-AGED IMPERIAL STOUT
13.6% ABV
Dripping Maple is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged for over 20 months in Buffalo Trace Weller Bourbon barrels and Runamok Maple Syrup Bourbon casks. This blend was finished in a freshly emptied Heaven Hill Elijah Craig barrel that previously held Maple Syrup. Dripping Maple was then conditioned on Korintje cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla beans to further develop the flavors of bourbon-drenched French Toast. This full-bodied Imperial Stout brings burnt caramel and sticky maple flavors from the Double Barrel-Aging in bourbon and maple barrels and flavors of sweet cinnamon rolls and a rich sweetness from the vanilla beans.
New Jersey breweries strike gold! Four take top honors at World Beer Cup
From stouts to blondes and everything in between, these local brewers impressed the World Beer Cup judges with their award-winning creations.
www.mycentraljersey.com
