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Brewpubs & Microbreweries
Custom Crafted Ales and Lagers

ith the advent of the microbrewery, it's possible to savor many unique ales and lagers on the premises of many brewpubs, or at home via "growlers" and bottles.

Advent is really a misnomer; the current expansion of microbreweries in the state and around the world is more of a resurrection of days gone by. Though not known by this modernized name, smaller breweries were commonplace in the era before Budweiser was introduced in 1876.

Today, with Anheuser-Busch producing over 100 million barrels of beer annually and Miller Brewing following at a close second, the maximum capacity (by NJ law) of 3,000-barrels for a microbrewery pales in comparison. Still, the giant Anheuser-Busch brewery in Newark, that opened over half a century ago in 1950, seems to coexist peacefully with these custom crafters. This growing trend has not gone unnoticed though - virtually all of the big brewers have acquired at least minority interests in multiple regional breweries.

Part of this new found popularity has to do with the rich, fresh taste and unique ingredients that go into brands with names like: Two Druids' Gruit Ale, Ramstein, Log Cabin Nut Brown and countless others. Undoubtedly, the changing attitudes about healthy living and safe driving have played a part as well. Better to sip a few high quality, more expensive brews and get home safely, than to drink the more common beers by the pitcher and face another undesirable side effect - the bathroom scale.

Brewpubs
On the following page we list a number of brewpubs that have Web sites, but if passing the time in a "bar" isn't your idea of fun, you can still stop in and opt for a take-out "growler." These are pressurized half-gallon jugs that will keep well in your refrigerator at home for a few weeks. Alternatively, at least two New Jersey based microbreweries supply bottled specialty beer to area liquor stores: 

High Point Wheat Beer Company

Heavyweight Brewing Company

One last option to consider before heading on to the brewpub listings - brew your own at home or at a "Brew on Premises" (BOP) outlet. These outlets will provide you with space and all the equipment needed to bottle your own creation and bring the finished brew home to enjoy. On the Web site for The Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold, we found the following claim: ...we are the only one in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). This certainly appears to be true and if Freehold is out of range for you, they'll supply the ingredients for use at home as well.