Hudson County is the smallest and most densely-populated county in New Jersey, and the sixth most densely-populated county in America. With all those people living here, it brings a question to the lips of the thirsty: “Where’s the locally brewed beer?”
With one local brewery currently operating and two on the way, brewers in North Bergen, Hoboken, and Jersey City are working hard to bring more tasty potables to the public.
Four years of beers
For Brendan O’Neil, head brewer for New Jersey Beer Company in North Bergen and a longtime resident of Jersey City, the mission of his company is clear: “Our job here is to convince people to drink local beer.”
NJ Beer Co. has been quietly tucked away in an industrial neighborhood for over four years, at 4201 Tonnelle Ave. in North Bergen. Its tasting room is constantly filled with a diverse crowd of thirsty locals who love the blue-collar community feel of the place.
The company was originally founded by Matt Steinberg in the spring of 2010 and quickly joined forces with real estate developer, Paul Silverman, who invested in the brewery and helped them get on their feet.
In a recent interview, O’Neil said they opened in Hudson County for a few reasons: Steinberg was a North Bergen resident, they were filling a void in the town, and the price was right.
He also cited how good the water quality is here.
“There’s a bagel shop up the street and Hudson Bread isn’t too far away either,” he said. “And we all know that good water equals good beer.”
The biggest difficulty they have faced is, he said, “Dealing with the effects of Hurricane Sandy.” The catastrophic storm left their facility under a few feet of water. The street outside of the brewery floods during severe storms.
Wednesday through Friday, 5 to 9 p.m., and on Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m., NJ Beer Company offers tours and tastings at their brewery, serving their four flagship beers – Garden State Stout, LIBPA, 1787 Abbey Single Ale, and Hudson Pale Ale – as well as a rotating seasonal. They distribute their brews throughout New Jersey in liquor stores, bars, and restaurants.
And since they have such a large customer base in Hudson County, they like to brew beer for the local community. You won’t find outlandish styles such as sours, and beers with very high ABVs – that’s alcohol strength – here. You will find a brewery whose owners take pride in making beer that’s easily enjoyable with friends. For information on their upcoming events, check out their website at www.NJBEERCO.com.
Oddly enough, being in such a tightly-spaced county, one of the biggest perks NJ Beer Company has is “leg room,” something fellow Hudson County breweries Departed Soles (Jersey City) and 902 Brewing (Hoboken) may not have.
Gluten-free beer
Departed Soles Brewing Company aims to open their operation soon in what some may consider the heart of Hudson County. They also hope to brew something different: the state’s first gluten-free beer.
Departed Soles has signed a lease for 150 Bay St. in the Powerhouse Arts District.
Owner Brian Kulbacki hopes to “defy the odds” by making sure his gluten-free beer is top-notch, in addition to brewing the other regular styles. According to local beer enthusiast Brant Schweinsberg, Departed Soles gluten-free beer is so good that you can’t tell the difference from the more conventional beverage.
Jersey City is undergoing a construction boom, and this growth offers both positive and negative circumstances. On one hand, Kulbacki expects a large amount of foot traffic from residents who live in the surrounding communities.
However, things can get complicated when dealing with prices, zoning laws, and just being a good neighbor. And parking and Jersey City traffic can cause a few headaches. That’s where the convenience of public transportation in Hudson County is expected to play a major role. The brewery will be located just steps from the PATH, light rail, and the Hudson ferry. Why leave the state when Hudson County has breweries right at home?
Another benefit to opening in Jersey City is the “local feel” that the town has. Departed Soles will open in a location surrounded by small businesses like the Warehouse Café, Orale Mexican Kitchen, and Grove Street Bicycles.
Kulbacki had nothing but high praise for the city and the county.
“I love this city and this city loves its residents and its businesses,” he said. “Mayor [Steven] Fulop, the Building Department, the Health Department, the Zoning Department, the folks that work in Economic Development here, they’ve all been great to me. I thank them all immensely.”
Departed Souls will be a full scale operating brewery with a tasting room offering tours to the public. New Jersey law currently prohibits the sale of food at a brewery, outside of a brewpub, so they will just be selling beer.
According to Kulbacki, they hope to include open hours for customers to stop by at the tail end of the work week and weekends. Eight tap handles in the tasting room will be divided between four gluten-free beers and four regular brews. Visit www.DepartedSoles.com for more information on their official opening date.
Beer and Hoboken – perfect together?
Another city that’s no stranger to thirsty beer drinkers is Hoboken. In fact, the city is said to be the site of the first American brewery in the 1600s. Centuries later, the longshoremen quenched their thirst at one of the city’s old pubs by the waterfront.
Andrew Brown, one of three partners in 902 Brewing Company, described some of the hills they have had to climb as they tried to open a brewery in the mile-square city. Their 2013 Kickstarter campaign helped launch them from an “apartment operation” to where they are now. They were recently licensed by the state of New Jersey’s Division of Alcohol Beverage Control to legally sell their beer to customers. They finessed the application process and passed background checks, fingerprints, etc. Finding affordable, appropriate Hoboken real estate was difficult for a while – but they say they have closed in on a local location.
“It’s funny how every vacant store becomes a Realtor office, yet, there’s no affordable real estate in town for a startup microbrewery,” Brown said. Another issue is that over the years Hoboken has gained the reputation of a party town, so to keep up with the demand, they would need to be open later than most breweries, but would also need to close before the rowdy crowds stormed in.
They’ve had a tremendously positive response from the residents of Hoboken and Brown acknowledges that.
“They’ve been so supportive,” he said. “The people want it.”
902 Brewing has already won the Hoboken Volunteers Chili Cook-Off and Homebrew Competition. They’ve also held special events promoting their beer at select venues in the city. In February 2015, they won’t be entering the homebrew and chili cook-off, but, they will have their beer, currently brewed in several smaller locations around the city, available for purchase.
At the end of the day, 902 Brewing’s goal is to please the residents of Hudson County even if it means reaching outside of Hoboken.
In August, 2014, they signed a lease for a space in Union City to use as their storage facility. They cannot brew beer on site, but they store kegs and equipment there; and experiment with new variations on their three flagship beers. According to Brown, Union City welcomed them with open arms; they even received a phone call from the office of Mayor Brian Stack to congratulate them.
902 Brewing has also been “contract brewing” at Climax Brewing Company in Roselle Park. They would then store and sell the beer in Hudson County. It’s a great way for a brewery to spread their name without investing the money that it takes to open a full scale brewery.
Find out more about their Hoboken activities and get the most up to date information at 902Brewing.com.