Village Idiot Brewing Company

Another stop on the NJ brewery crawl. Got a weird vibe when walking in, like it was for locals only. Looks like an old pizza place. Storefont on town's main drag. Crowded, loud and boisterous. Did not feel particularly welcome. The one beer I had was not that good. Service was indifferent. I would give them one more try if in this area again.

 

 

Village Idiot BC in downtown Mount Holly, NJ is a cool little spot to grab a brew. It has become an essential thing to take my girlfriend (and dog) there and order a pizza from across the street to enjoy with the beer. The people are friendly and the beer is good.

The good: Dog friendly, cool building, downtown, close to food, pretty good beer.
The bad: a bit expensive at about $6-7 a pint, you have to buy tokens (dumb NJ laws or something)

Definitely a cool place!!

 

 

I stopped in Village Idiot for the Evil Boss crowler release, as I just happened to be in the area at the time. With Spellbound not too far away, Mt. Holly makes for a good mini-barhop. Basic layout with a good sized bar. There's a weird system of buying tokens to get your beer instead of just simply ordering at the bar...I guess just some stupid Jersey law is involved, in unnecessary bureaucratic fashion. Having never heard of the place before, I was surprised to find that their beers were overall pretty good, with them offering a good range of styles, and displaying a nice amount of experimentation, as opposed to just having the typical flagship offerings.

I'd definitely like to revisit this place at some point, it's just not really near my usual stomping grounds.

 

 

Combined with a stop at Spellbound around the corner.
Upon entering, the initial feel is of a dive bar. Not a knock, I love dive bars. The space was apparently the Bridgeton Pub at one time which would explain it.
We were directed to a counter to purchase beer tokens and take the obligatory tour (this time via powerpoint).
We then settled in at the bar to try some beers. Plentiful nick-knacks behind the bar provided conversation fodder during our stay. I was with 2 friends, and between us we tried probably 10-12 different beers and they were all solid. Both owners were present (this was a few weeks ago, and unfortunately I heard that one of them has since passed away) and were pleasant and amicable. Although we did not get anything to take home with us, they have a Crowler machine which is a plus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked a bad time to choose to go to the brewery. It was the week of thanksgiving and they only had 3 beers left on tap. Their pumpkin was actually pretty good, good enough i bought a 32 oz growler, and im not normally a fan of pumpkin beers. I will be making another trip to the brewery to hopefully try their dipa and im sure the rating will go up when they arent sold out of half their beers.

Awesome place for great brewed beers. The selection is limited but only because they take time with each beer brew to make sure it's perfect. They have the coolest beer descriptions. Check out the Romantic Rye. The guys that own it are always onsite and willing to share their insight into beer with anyone. Thumbs up!

 

Former neighborhood pub is a great space. Owners Vince and Rich make awesome brews.

 

 

Fresh, local beer. Friendly atmosphere and you're served by the brewers.

 

Cool concept of wooden tokens to buy the beer.

It's taken me over a half of a year to get over to the Village Idiot, and I now regret every day that I've missed... I'll certainly be back to visit more often in the future now that I know how good it is :)

So, it's really about the beer. There's not much more reason to go, except that there is, but we'll get to that later. Not to put anyone down (and I won't name any names), but I've had some crap beers lately coming out of some of the newer and smaller local breweries that have left a sour taste in my mouth, and a basic lack of interest in my mind --- beyond that, trying anything new seems almost pointless... alas, the Village Idiot, however, bucks that trend and goes well beyond, delivering beers that are well-brewed, well-balanced, and also surprisingly creative!

Beyond the quality of the beers that they serve, it's just a great space. I love the stained glass above the front windows, and the nautical-style lamps in the "dining room". The raised bar is quite nice as well, and the real wood floor gives it a real authenticity - but of course, it is authentic as the new owners didn't do much at all in the way of re-arranging the place, or even redecorating, so it's very much the way it was when it was the Bridgetown Pub. Overall, it works on many levels.

So we have great beers, excellent ambiance, and decor... but no food? Not to worry, you can bring in whatever you wish, or even order for delivery. It's kind of like a B.Y.O.B. in reverse.

Overall, given the quality of the beers combined with the creativity that goes into at least half of them, I can't say anything other than this is a MUST VISIT stop. Even with only roughly 6 beers on tap they will throw out at least one that will make you think about what exactly it is you're drinking - and in a good way. Worth a trip off the beaten path :)

 

 

 

 

This place is easy to find on High Street close to the High Street Grill. The street sign says Bridgetown Pub which is a bit strange when this is now purley VIBC. Upon entering, you are directed to an area to get the explaination on how the place operates on tokens, and that you are "required" to a have a brewery tour via a powerpoint. Typical stupid NJ laws in an anti-business state that continue to screw with breweries and brewpubs. So no food here either as that would require another expensive license, you are asked to bring it from the pizza place across the street.

The bar has a copper top and can seat about 7 people. Numerous tables here too. The bar area is filled with empty growler bottles.

After you get by the nanny state regulations, you can have a beer. On this visit there were six beers on tap - a Belgian Tripel, Saison, Rye Beer, Double IPA, Blonde, and a Nitro Stout. The beers I had were all very good and great quality. The Revolutionary Rye was may favorite of the day with the DIPA a close 2nd.

The owners were there pouring beers and were nice to talk to. They have a nice business model and I hope the town supports them going forward because the beers are good and the bar could be a focal point for the street. Very enjoyable visit and I will be back as often as possible.