Jersey Shore Breweries: Belford Brewing Review

Belford Brewing is among the closest ones to my home, and I’ve been there many times, however I never wrote a full review until now. The brewery opened in the Belford Junction of Middletown NJ in the summer of 2014, and since then (there were only 5 beers available first time I went there) it grew both in production and in space. Right now they have two tasting rooms and the place really has the feel of a friendly neighborhood bar.

Based on my latest visit in October 2018, here are the beers I tried and what my impressions were:

• Wares Creek: A slightly hoppy yet light American Pale Ale, easy to drink at 5.8%.
• Lobster Pot: This is one of my favorites. A heavily flavored nut brown ale with a reddish hue and 6% alcohol.
• Honey Hudson: A 6.5% ale which feels light despite its ABV. A nice one to drink on hot summer days.
• Crab Apple Wit: A 6% Belgian-style, with a slightly sour taste.
• Leonardville Lager: Traditional beer with a German hint, and a little kick at 5.5%.
• Striper Belgian Wit: Very light wit bier at 4.8%, a bit too sour for me.
• Waackaack IPA: Very good one, with Simcoe hops dominating. It’s smooth and flavorful at 6.3%.

As you can notice, there are not many IPA’s at Belford (even the Waackaack is a seasonal one), and this is because they concentrate of the grains involved in the brewing process rather than hops. It’s all about the grain at Belford Brewing!

So if you want to try some beers in a very cozy and friendly atmosphere, make sure you stop at Belford whenever you come back from Sandy Hook or Sea Bright.

If you’re looking to rent a house at the shore, check out ShoreVacations.com, Jersey Shore’s biggest vacation rentals resource. It lists hundreds of rental homes and condos from Sandy Hook all the way down to Cape May (including Belmar, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights, Ocean City, Long Beach Island, Atlantic City or the Wildwoods). It’s a one-stop website for planning your Jersey Shore vacation, featuring beach information, weather updates and more! And of course, it has a full list of all the Jersey Shore events this year.