Hackensack Brewing Company

Hey, remember when Lex Luther saddled Superman with that Krypton necklace and left him for dead in the pool but Miss Teschmacher jumped in and saved him only after he agreed to first go chase the missile that was heading for Hackensack where her mother lived before dealing out the other missile that was heading for the west coast and saving dumbass Lois Lane? Good on Eve Teschmacher! She saved Hackensack, and is the unsung hero of breweries that almost weren’t. They should probably name beers after her, am I right? Saturday, Hackensack. Parked the strip and walked up past the tombstones; offset off the street, it is…

Tented up out front as it was Covid life after all, and in. It’s a square room with a dark gray concrete floor, and a high up black corrugated ceiling with blended ductwork & spinny twins. Cinder block walls and painted play in white with a black upper section. Small windows on the front wall and a roll up to the brewery/storage/additional seating space in the next room. Strung filament bulbs lined out across the room from one corner like an explosion, and drop pan lamps over the bar & up front.

In the far corner, a slab concrete topped hockey stick shaped bar, horizontal wood plank base, & a piping foot rail. Seating for none (get your beer, then stand clear, or so it was during pandemic days but it seems there are a few stools now). 3 X 4 tap board hanging in the corner above (beer, style, ABV, full & shorty pour pricing, + 4 pack & 64oz growls), and a flat to each side showing some Pixar like movie as baseball is not on yet. Box shelving piece mounted below one of the flats with glassware, shirts, scarves, & bottles. Growlers line atop, and glassware shelved below. A 12 tap and an add on 6 tap stainless panel with non-descript handles sit below the other flat. Sinkage & a scourge of the earth slushy machine below the center tap board, a popcorn machine with a ‘battle of the breweries’ 30L slim trophy sitting atop on one end next to the wall of merch, and a mounted mash rake over sampler racks stacked below, alongside an inlayed can cooler on the other end.

Upwards of a dozen barrel tables across the floor stooled. Bar counter ledge on the front wall and off the bar, glow lit blue as is the bar (from below). Mix & match décor. Brewerania cans lining sills above, an old Hackensack map, music things for here or near, a Brewster’s Millions print, some bright colorful local art, a badass ‘indigenous places names in northeast NJ’ map, a Hackensack ‘Oratam’ print, revolutionary war Washington’s retreat piece, more Hackensack maps, you know, the usual. Barrels racked to the rear of the room with another tap board fronting.

19 beers on tap (All Black Eldorado, Black IPA, 7.2%; Blizzard of ’96, Weizenbock, 8%; Brew Jersey, American IPA, 5.5%; Gangster, Triple IPA, 11%; Grancioccolato, Chocolate Hazelnut Imperial Stout, 10%; Hackensack Comet, West Coast Double IPA, 8.1%; Hula Skirt, Coconut Blonde, 5.2%; Irish Wrist Watch, Irish Red Ale, 4.8%; Jersey Common, Steam Beer, 5.1%; Kill Van Kill, Baltic Porter, 8%; Moment’s Notice, Nitro Irish Stout, 5%; Musket Haze, IPA, 6.3%; NOLA Cold Brew, White Stout, 8%; Oh The Pain, Double IPA, 8.5%; On The Wagon, NA Lager, 0.5%; Parking Lot Pilz, Pilsner, 5.4%; Procrastinator, Dopplebock, 9.2%; Ridiculously Good Looking, Blueberry Sour, 5.1%; Toad Style, Irish Extra Stout, 7.5%), and 4 bottle pours (3rd Anniversary, BA Sour Ale 2021; 4th Anniversary, BA Sour w/pink peppercorn and white grape; 2021 Hymn to Ninkasi, BA Barleywine 2021; Never Odd or Even, Sour Ale aged in Mezcal Barrels).

I’ve hit a bunch of ‘em through shortys truth be known (All Black Eldorado, Black IPA, is excellent. They nailed that sweet spot between roast & hop, WIN; Blizzard of ’96, Weizenbock, good fruity esters & clove phenols, well done; Jersey Common, Steam Beer, I could drink this all damn day; Irish Wrist Watch, Irish Red Ale, easy drinker, toffee, good malt backbone; Parking Lot Pilz, Pilsner, crisp, pleasant, solid; Moment’s Notice, Nitro Irish Stout, smooth, good body, tasty; Toad Style, Irish Extra Stout, sturdy, nice roast, a bit of chocolate; Procrastinator, Dopplebock, malty, dangerous; Kill Van Kill, Baltic Porter, rich, malty, nice bite; Hackensack Comet, West Coast Double IPA, a good west coast IPA, hides the alcohol well). Some solid beers, but I’m going with All Black Eldorado, Black IPA for best of show, and Blizzard of ’96, Weizenbock, Jersey Common, Steam Beer, & Toad Style, Extra Irish Stout for close-ish seconds.

Outdoor seating, tented and not. Don’t be looking at me, popcorn machine! You know I have a date with White Manna in a bit. Tunes. Hey! Vinyl in the corner, that doesn’t suck. Attentive servers, diverse crowd. They’ve got a good list with a wide range of styles (some of which are not my jam) executed well. The beers weren’t bad to begin with but have come up some, well. Good house.

Stopped in at the end of a Hackensack brewery crawl. Had a little trouble finding the place based on the GPS (yes, I said the end), but it is little two blocks from Alementary Brewing Co. Hackensack has just had its first full year in operation. The decor is post-industrial modern; the service area has a 20' long are which I would swear is some form of compressed stone. The staff couldn't have been friendlier or more accommodating; the beers are varied and excellent. The seating area is a touch on the small side, but was already busy shortly after opening. Try the Musket Haze, their flagship -- I thought it was a gem. Great place to go; hope they do well.

This establishment is located just north of downtown Hackensack. It's situated behind and monument company and it's easy to pass by but walking past the sample monuments helps give it a quirky charm. The tasting room is of decent size and well-lighted. The brewing area is open to the public and includes corn hole and other games. The staff is friendly and they greet you as you walk in the door. There is a lot of interesting historical artwork on the walls. When we visited there were numerous families, including children, present but they were well-behaved and it was a nice atmosphere. The beer ranged from okay to quite good and I have no doubt it will improve - the brewery hasn't been open for very long. It's about a 5 minute walk from The Alementary so it's easy to visit both.

 

I was there on a packed opening day, so probably not the best time to judge. Despite being overwhelmed, they held their own and poured pints for all. The room itself is non-distinct, perhaps even bland, and in a building hidden behind a cemetery monument manufacturer. Filled with eager drinkers and fine beer, however, it more than does the trick!