SJ Brewing Company

 

Fairly little place in a strip mall, with the brewing equipment in full and easy view of the same-floor seating area. Small-ish bar area, and a similarly modestly sized indoor seating area, although the tables are well spaced and the overall sound (including background music) is reasonably low. Limited outdoor seating available. There's a foosball table available if you're looking for games and distractions.

Limited food availability: hot dogs and chips. I suspect this is to get around regulations and remain open for service by offering food. I didn't try any, but really, if you came here for a beer and decided to nosh, you can't go wrong with chips and hot dogs with various sides (including sauerkraut).

13 taps, all their own, with a very wide selection of styles. A small handful of IPAs, including WC, NE, imperial, and fruited sour IPA; a small handful of stouts, including an espresso stout and a flavored imperial stout; easier classic styles, including German Pilsner and Munich Dunkel, and across the channel for an ESB.

They seem to focus primarily on executing classic styles, less on gimmicks. They've got a handful of flavored and/or fruited beers, but it's not the focus; they've got some WC IPAs, but the IBUs are in double digits (not triple); they only had one NE IPA when I visited. That's nice, especially if you're in the mood for a beer instead of alcoholic fudge or hoppy seltzer.

At the same time, nothing really truly stood out; everything was very good, on the verge of excellent. I hope there's room for a brewery like that, because this seems like a lovely after-work or weekend spot for locals to grab a pint or two, but it's not a must-stop visit for travelers seeking their next beer Mecca.

Recommended.