High Point Brewing Company

Recent review by MacMalt is succinct and on-point. If you want to read the longer, more drawn-out opinion, please proceed.

High Point Brewing AKA Ramstein Beer is a very basic taproom offering small-batch, elegantly made German-style beers in an old-school industrial location.

The location itself is part of an old brick industrial complex in a surprisingly rural corner of Jersey. There is pretty much no street parking, but the savvy drinker will notice that there is parking in the center of the walled-off block. The service area is more of an afterthought here, providing an awkwardly-shaped tasting room that overflows in to a cozy DIY outdoor area framed by brick walls, brewer cars, pallets, and recycling bins. It's an older crowd, but one that swears allegiance to this tiny local brewery. Watching ponytailed grandpa after ponytailed grandpa enter the bar with their tupperware tubs full of 64 oz glass growlers, it all of a sudden felt like 2002 all over again (in a good way.)

A 20+ year commitment to things like Eisbock has created an isolated utopia of sorts. Every beer I tried was between very good and great, but more impressively, would be indistinguishable when put up next to their actual German counterparts. I know a guy who made the same homebrew IPA 5000 times, and is now running one of the most successful breweries on the west coast.. Ramstein is the guy who brewed the same homebrewed eisbock 5000 times. Equally as great an achievement, but unfortunately not as noticed.

The guys who helped me were a bit older, and a bit surly, and definitely a bit slow. Still, they were able to answer all questions, even a couple of the geekier ones (ins and outs of the dortmunder export style etc.) The place is not really set up for customers to have interactions with the patrons, it's more about ordering and moving along. And when you see Grandpa Joe walk in with his 25 growlers, you quickly discover why.

Selection is good, but could be improved. I feel like out of the six or seven beers that were on tap during my visit, two were hefeweizens and three were pale lagers. Hard to complain though when the beers that are on were pretty much all perfect and I didn't find myself with a lack of choices at all. I didn't have a growler though, so my to-go options were very limited (they don't package much to-go save for their flagship and customer kegs.) I feel like living locally is the only way to really enjoy the breadth of selection as releases trickle out and last the quarter with many disappearing quickly. Summer bock was still two weeks away and maibock was supposedly long gone by my visit.

Overall, someone should open a retirement home upstairs. It will save all those old guys the hassle of the lugging of growlers, which was a painful thing to spend my afternoon watching. I'd move in as soon as I was eligible. Any true fan of real deal German beer and the traditional flavors of traditional styles will relish the opportunity for a pilgrimage to Ramstein. I cannot wait to go back. Will bring an empty milk jug.

 

 

High Point Brewing was one of the first microbreweries to open in New Jersey and because it specializes in authentic German beers, it's a bit of an after-thought when it comes to NJ breweries, which is a shame because they brew excellent beers. It's located in an old industrial building in Butler, which is a quaint small town in Morris County. It reminds you what this part of New Jersey was like before it became corporate and upscale. The taproom is small but lively. Ramstein has devoted patrons. The staff is friendly and always willing to talk beer with you. And the beer is really good! I recommend a visit. You may not find the latest take on hazy NE IPA but you'll find excellent, authentic German beer in a really nice setting.

Has an authentic old brewery type feel, staff is great and typically has a friendly crowd, but the beer is what make this place. one of the only places I have been where I can drink and enjoy almost every beer they make.

Great beer, staff is friendly and inviting! There open houses are alot of fun and a must attend.. Octoberfest is one of the best ive ever tasted. Growler fills and locally distributed.

 

Place is simple but clean, the vibe is what you make it, staff friendly and knowledgeable. Beer is fantastic.

 

This brewery makes the best German style beers. The brewery isn't that far of a drive from my house, which is nice because I can't always find their bottles in stores. Most beer is obviously better on tap, which is the case with their beer. Their bottled beer is great too, but it truly is fantastic draft beer. There are some tables inside and also room at the bar to sit. I gave the "vibe" a rating of 4 only because the inside of the tap room looks like it is under construction. Otherwise, this brewery is one of the best in NJ!