So, I found out today just by bullshitting with the local beer guy that there is a new brewery opening in Middletown pretty soon. He said it's called Belford Brewing. I'm floored that I haven't heard a single thing about this. Does anyone know anything about it?
These breweries are popping up EVERYWHERE in NJ. I was actually just looking into what it took to get a license in Jersey (because I'm an attorney and curious, not because I want to sell beer), and it's super easy
Really? That's awesome. I wouldn't think it would be so easy. I'm really glad to see the NJ beer laws starting to relax a little. I love supporting all of these new places. It's nice to see the NJ beer scene starting to blow up.
I've been looking to break into law and craft beer as well (but I'm currently a law student in NJ) haha.
The New Jersey Craft Beer website "Breweries" page lists over a dozen other NJ "breweries in planning" (tho' Belford is not one of them). That's Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Co. (not much info on their website, other than that in the "Help Wanted" page, like the 30bbl brewhouse" and "canning line" ). That one is not to be confused with another "NJ shore" themed brewery which turns out to be located in PA (?). Ship Bottom Brewing Co.
It's weird, I looked too at the NJ Craft Beer website and they have no mention of this place in Belford. I did find a Facebook page they have though. It seems small but legit none the less.
Glasstown is pretty new and in Millville Nj. A college roommate of mine and his buddies opened it up. Haven't gotten a chance to try it out but I will be heading there soon. Seem to have a pretty good fan base from the FB page.
There are probably three in my immediate south Jersey area that are opening up in the near future - Lunacy comes to mind, as well as the one opening up in the old flying fish location
Still nothing worth visiting within a half hour of my house . Most people but fewest breweries. Cricket Hill sucks. Bolero Snort is just an office. NJ Beer sucks more than Cricket Hill. And anything else is more than a half hour away. Though if I lived closer to a brewery i'd likely die. I guess Defiant is less than a half hour but meh its seen better days and better beers though I'll be visiting for the first time in over a year for the Pearl River St Patty's parade. Guess I'll just have to be happy being 45 minutes to an hour from Kane, Carton, Peekskill, Captain Lawrence, Rushing Duck, Brooklyn, and all the other new ones opening in NYC. Damn tolls though. And this new Belford Brewing is listed on NJCB under startups. As for the 2 potential breweries in Hoboken, 902 makes awful beer and they're nowhere near opening anything especially in Hoboken and Hoboken Brewing is a long way off from opening as well. Would love to see something in lower Bergen of Passaic county but I'm sure rents are just too damn high. Oh well.
at least Carton and Kane are fantastic. but yeah, I agree -- there's too much mediocrity among NJ breweries, apart from those two. here's hoping that out of all these recent upstarts, at least one of them matches the quality of Carton/Kane.
Completely agree with this. I'm in Bergen County and it's a wasteland up as far as NJ goes. The only way to go a decent place is to go in NY. Maybe someday...
Im in Morris County and agree the North Jersey brewing is sub par. High Point (Ramstein) makes some nice German styles though. Love Kane and Carton but they need to bottle or can so we can get them up here more. I get them on tap when theyre around but still........
I actually met the couple that owns Forgotten Boardwalk a few weeks back at my job, seemed like good people.
Apparently the brewery who makes Beach Haus is opening up a brewery in Belmar too. Hopefully they step up their with the new space. I wasn't impressed with their stuff when I had it from the bottle.
I think beach haus is contract brewed only, they don't actually have a brewery. The new space, they will actually brew the beer
Like many other contract breweries, just because East Coast Brewing Co. does not have a brewery does not mean they don't have their own brewer, who designs their beers and oversees the brewing process at their contractor's brewery. EC's head brewer is Tom Przyborowski (interviewed here on Beer Stained Letter). Obviously using Genesee to brew their beers limited them to making beers with broad appeal (Genesee's contract brews are 500 -1000 bbl. batches) and that in general has been EC's brewing philosophy given they started with an adjunct CAP as their flagship. They've already announced that they will brew more styles and small batch beers with the new Belmar brewery.
