Central Jersey This Weekend

Joe Canal's Route 1 in Woodbridge is a good bet.

 

The biggest draft selection you'll find close to OB is going to be Maloney's in Matawan. Reviews have always been all over the place (haven't been by in a long time, but I've had decidedly "mixed" experiences) and, for a place that brags about one of the largest amount of taps in the states, curiously it is not often reviewed.

For local beers, the common wisdom these days suggests finding the draught-only beers coming out next door Monmouth County's Kane and Carton breweries.

 

I agree with this. They have a large selection to chose from. Decent service and the bar can really get packed at night.

 

Just be warned I find Maloneys prices on the high side. Their "samplers" are especially expensive when compared to other places.

 

You should definitely try to make it down to Kane; they are making the best IPA's in Jersey and arent unreasonable prices for samples at the brewery. Growler prices are reasonable too.

I agree with the rest about Maloney's; great selection but ridiculous prices. If you do go, go hungry because they have some good food options. The Maloney's Burger is one of the better ones around. If you choose two or three beers of off the list to drink while waiting for and eating the burger, you won't have to buy too many $10 8oz glasses.

 

You know what, just skip the wedding and head down and tour Kane and Carton and finish your day/night at Maloneys.

 

If you want to pick up a little sumpin' sumpin' to take home with you before you leave and you are in the Old Bridge area, you need to go to Wine World or Marketplace on route 18 in East Brunswick. Both places carry a great selection of craft beer. Joe Canal's on route 1 in Iselen...as someone suggested, is a really good place as well.

 

another good store thats not too far away in cranbury buy rite in cranberry. If you take 133 north off of rt r33 by the turnpike entrance/exit 8, then get on 130 north for about 3 miles the buy rite is about 3 miles up on right hand side. They have some sold taps for growler fills, and always seem to get the top notch beers there. Only thing is though that they break down all the popular beers, and give you one or two at a time rather then allow you to buy a 4 pack or 6 pack or whatever. They do always have whatever is hot though.

 

Have never experienced this at Cranbury BuyRite with popular beers and I'm there once or twice a week. If anything, during the last several months as they've had to shrink and move around their beer section several times - they apparently illegally expanded their square footage in violation of their liquor license - they've pretty much eliminated their singles section. I buy 4- 6- and 12-packs, as well as the occasional case, all the time of popular craft brands.

(Also, those directions aren't much good for someone coming from Old Bridge, which is northeast of Cranbury, not south ).

 

Apologies on directions, wasn't thinking obviously. Just revert back to how i go from my place. Its true i haven't been there for a couple months, and had no idea they have had such issues. That being said I have been able to get every single solid beer to hit NJ from them in the past. Maybe thats because i bring them beer as well, or maybe i just go at the right time. if you think so poorly of them, then why might i ask do you go there 2x a week?
Directions were an honest mistake, not a big deal in the day and age when everyone has gps

 

Eh? What did I write that implied I thought poorly of them? I posted to counter your claim that they didn't sell "popular" beers in quantity - which I've found not to be the case. Off hand, I can think of cases of Nugget Nectar and Flower Power I've purchased there, and countless sixpacks (All Day IPA the most recent - still cold from just coming off the Hunterdon truck) and multiple bomber/750's.

If anyone thinks poorly of them, it appears to be the powers-that-be who enforce the Cranbury liquor licenses.

My post was trying NOT to discourage the OP from taking the drive down.

But, it is true - my dealings with them have always been cash or credit card- no bribes . But, then, the little Indian ladies I often deal with there never struck me as big beer geeks.

Thus my parenthetical comment - aka "a joke" - complete with the appropriate "smiley" >>>