Reviews, events, news, happenings, vacation rentals
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.
On my Atlantic City trip yesterday, I also visited the Garden State Beer Company, which is on the White Horse Pike just off the Parkway exit 40. So it’s a convenient stop when you’re going in or out of AC. I was impressed by the size of the tasting room, which is huge, maybe one of the largest I’ve seen at a New Jersey microbrewery.
This weekend I decided to go further down South and explore more Jersey Shore breweries. On a trip to Atlantic City, I found the Hidden Sands Brewing Co which is indeed kind of hidden in Egg Harbor, but it’s right off exit 37 on the Parkway or a very small detour if you’re heading back on the AC Expressway. Hidden Sands has a nice tasting room, cozy and not too big, a friendly bar area with a TV to watch your favorite game.
Red Bank’s first microbrewery opened in mid-October 2018, and we had the pleasure of visiting it on the very first day. Located on Monmouth St next to Jamian’s, Red Tank Brewing could become both a social spot and a must-go destination for beer connoisseurs. It has a big bar and plenty of table seating for almost 100 people. It also has the advantage of being with a few minutes of lots of take-out eateries, so beer drinkers can bring some food (knowing that New Jersey breweries are barred from serving food).
UPDATE: ABC suspended its restrictive “special ruling”! As some of you may already know, on September 24 the NJ Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Director Dave Rible issued a “Special Ruling Authorizing Certain Activities By Holders of Limited Brewery Licenses”. This put a lot of restrictions on events conducted by microbreweries.
A look at the young Romanian craft beer scene. We review some of the best local beers with a focus on IPA’s and also mention a few of the cool places where you can get them. Just a short introduction to Romanian craft beers.
This fall Oktoberfest takes over Morey’s Piers in Wildwood with three consecutive weekends of German-themed revelry, live entertainment, a kids “Rootbier Garten” activity area and much more. On Friday, September 21, 2018 at 5:00pm the annual festivities kick-off with a ceremonial keg tapping of Warsteiner beer, live entertainment from Late Last Night, and the Morey family clad in lederhosen. Special guest Helmut Fricker, a German yodeler and alphorn player, will also be joining the opening weekend festivities.
