New Jersey Beer Company

Remember that time we went to NJ Beer Company and couldn’t find the place? Scary building, wandered a hallway, there might have been some fight club action happening, the place was closed even though the website said 2pm, although we may have been early, but we weren’t. Hard time on Tonnelle, to be sure. Called a mulligan and we’ll try it again another day, is all. And that day is today. Circling now, the big overhead door on 43rd is open, a clue, a clue! 2nd time out’s the charm…

Wade through the tables in the street penned on 43rd. Hey, who’s watching the car? It’s a strange ass loading dock entrance 3 steps up & 3 steps down to get inside. Yep, it’s a brewery; industrial space, tanks, barrels, a baby canning line, merch, pallets of malt, & pallets of kegs. Large pillars, concrete floors, gray painted rafter ceiling with fluro lights & piping, white brick walls here and red painted walls to the bar proper. Cold box pasted with stickers; brewery, hockey, & otherwise. Tables riddled about for 2 or 4, and a digital tap board mounted out there, too (beer, style, ABV, and pricing for taster, pint, and 32 & 64oz growls). Dog, deer, & bear mural piece above the entranceway to the bar area (the dog’s holding a case of beer, the deer has a sixtel thrown over its shoulder, and the bear is double fisting with a growler and a pint glass. The bear is wearing a Dead shirt; I think I’ve seen him on tour. Maybe Highgate.

Light brown wood straight bar with a darker slat base. Seating for none (Covid life) but there are 6-8 chairs penned up. Barback is the cold box wall done up black with a logo piece on center above a row of 12 NJ state shaped handles; the tap list to one side in alt colored chalkings, and a flatscreen to the other side. Pint glasses stacked along the bar below. Get your beer, then stand clear. A handful of barrel tables and a low rectable against the far wall, with shelved board games above, a can cooler for the grab to-to, and a jukebox, too.

12 beers up at current (Cherry Wheat Lager, 5.5%; Cherry Wheat Raspberry Lager, 5.5%; Key Lime Lager, 5%; Just Peachy, fruited Sour, 6%; Passion of the Fruit, fruited Sour, 5%; Blueberry Waves, fruited Sour, 4%; LBIPA, American IPA, 6.6%; Blood Orange LBIPA, fruited American IPA, 6.6%; Don’t Forget the Macaroni, NE IPA, 7%; Parkway Pilsner, German Pilsner, 5%; Cups of Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Imperial Porter, 8%; Jersey Gold, Golden Ale, 5.3%). That’s 3 fruited Lagers, 3 fruited sours, 3 IPAs, and a Pilsner, Porter, & Golden Ale.

Parkway Pilsner was solid; Jersey Gold, Golden ale was just okay; Cups of Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Imperial Porter is peanut buttery by design, pleasant enough, good body; Cherry Wheat Lager was subtle enough, but then the D came out; Passion of the Fruit, fruited Sour (Passionfruit & Guava) was lovely; and LBIPA was a clean, crisp IPA, best of show, dank, no joke.

Robtender spent some talking time with us today. Chill Saturday with Doctor Evil. Some nice beers. Not a bad house. Close to work and much better than the other option. I’ll look in on again one of these lazy half day work Saturdays.

 

 

An unlikely place to find great brews at first glance The weehawken wee heavy is a favority.