902 Brewing Co.

Pregamed at White Manna timing it out perfectly for the noon opening here, Sunday in Jersey City, MLK Day weekend (not this last one, but the one before). Yeah, it’s a bit of a pain in the ass to get here whether you come in via Summit or the ‘Paw, I would recommend 78 towards the tunnel the long way around, but whatevs; it’s beer, you have to work for it. In a spread of industrial between the railroad tracks and residential, in a Staten Island kind of way (oh relax, it’s not a slam, just an observation, and to be fair, the Bayonne Bridge is like right there). On the end of a loooooooong building that shares space further along. Big old room, enter from the side lot of sorts…

‘L’ shaped dark wood panel with a wide lip topped bar purple glow lit from the underside, and a vertical corrugated base. Seating for 17 on brown leather chairs. Barback wall fronts the cold box, horizontal dark plank wood lined. A pair of 8 logo tap handled panels on stainless from the wall there (and a 2 tap add on alongside), with a glassware rack in between, and barrels to both sides; one with a crowl crimper atop and the other with a pair of slushie machines. Crates & racks mounted between the tap towers and on the ends with drinks, snacks, & merchables. Horizontal slat boards in 4 rows of 4 listing draft selections (beer, style, ABV, and pricing for pint & 10oz shorty, or just the shorty for bigger beers) in alt coloredness, chained dangling from pan lamps mounted above. Cooler room door down the barback some listing can pours (would like to get in on that Black Dynomite IPA). A large flat above showing game and a smaller Untapped board to the left of the door.

Cinder block walls 3 sides around and brick on the shared inner wall. Front wall roll up door singing clankity clankity in the wind (or maybe it’s always like that), and large 9 panel window sets off the corners 3x3. Concrete floors, upright pillars down center, and a black ceiling with I-beams, fluros, drop martini glass lamps, & ductwork. 16 mix & match tables; picnics in rows, low squares, & raised roundies + something bar counter fronting the brewery space on the end. An absolutely fantastic music photographer art display in the entrance hallway, light sports memorabilia, flats on 3 walls, and a large projection screen that curiously wasn’t on this Sunday football day. A can & bottle display, Phil’s Golf Game in the corner, a large Connect 4 game, a to-go can cooler, and merch racks.

15 beers up, a mix of mostly Lager, hoppy, sour, & adjunct Stout (Cross Czech, Czech Lager, 4.5%; Chilltown Crusher, German Pilsner, 5.3%; Dunkel, Dark Lager, 7.2%; P.A.T.H. - Pale Ale True Hoboken, Pale Ale, 5.3%; Double Paaahked, NE DIPA, 8.9%; Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken, American IPA, 6.5%; Kiwi Krush, NE IPA, 7.2%; Trident, Hazy IPA, 6.1%; My Way, NE IPA, 6.7%; The Burbs, Amber Ale, 5.5%; Tropical Ale, Pale Ale w/Mango, Pineapple, & Passionfruit, 5.3%; Raspberry Sour, Kettle Sour, 4.7%; Coffee Crumb Cake, Milk Stout w/Lactose, Coffee, Cinnamon, & Vanilla, 8.3%; Welcome to Jersey City, Imperial Milk Stout on Cocoa Nibs, 10.1%; I Bomb Atomically (Socrates), Whiskey BA Imperial Stout, 9%), and a single seltzer (Passionfruit Hard Seltzer, 5.1%).

Sampled through shorty 10ozers. Chilltown Crusher, German Pilsner, crisp, clean, hoppy hoppy; Cross Czech, Czech Lager is clean, solid; The Burbs, Amber Ale, a bit grainy, but good; Dunkel, Dark Lager, Dunkelly good; Whisky BA Imperial Stout, yep, Whiskey, dangerous; Tropical Ale, aspirinny on the back end; P.A.T.H., citrus, easy drinker, a real nice Pale Ale. Cross Czech, Czech Lager, Dunkel, Dark Lager, & P.A.T.H. - Pale Ale True Hoboken, Pale Ale for the Wins.

Had a look at the rooftop space. 10 tables amongst strung lighting and a small bar, all with city views, when it ain’t flurrying like it is now. Pretty cool. And some picnics outside in that dead end/side lot that they seem to have taken over. Looks like they do some events out there. Good 90’s tunes, chill crowd this early afternoon filling in. Johnnytending today. Nice polite kid, attentive, knows his wares. Had some good beers here this day. I like.

… Came to put eyes on it again this weekend and walked in on a cigar and car show that seemed strangely very heavily if not completely Toyota driven (no pun intended).

And got into a few that weren’t here last time. Irish Style Red Ale, 5.3%, caramel malty, but has a sharp hop bite; 902 Oktoberfest, Marzen, 5.2%, hoppy hoppy, light maltiness; Jersey Blueberry Wheat Ale, 5.2%, not bad, but not the blueberry sweety I was expecting; Hudson White, Wheat Beer, 5.2%, Witty, all right, I got some light coriander, but lacks the peel appeal; Peach Sour, Kettle Sour on sour peach rings, 4.7%, really? It was actually pretty good, tart, a pleasant summer crusher. Am thinking Peach Sour & the revisited P.A.T.H. for the wins.

Working their way around the style range wheel well. Some good beers here.