Speed dating, some claim, is a lot like a wine tasting. You take a sip, and if you like the flavor, you may drink more.
And at a place like The Iron Monkey in Jersey City, with a great regional reputation for craft beer, it makes sense that speed dating should be linked to beer tasting.
After a similar successful event held around St. Valentine’s Day, the management decided to hold another on April 5. After the Valentine’s Day event, several couples reportedly went on longer dates later.
To add a little additional spice to the event, Jaclyn Methuen, Jessica Castro, and Davina Kullar from the hit television show “Married at First Sight” took part, meeting with fans and potential dates throughout the evening. Since their TV marriages had evaporated, they were again looking to socialize and perhaps meet “Mr. Right.”
The idea was to give a number of men and women an opportunity to meet and to sample some of the beers the bar is famous for. The Iron Monkey offers 42 craft beers and is one of the first in the city to start aging beer.
On the second floor, the women were seated at one of about 16 tables and each table had four or five glasses of a single brand of beer. Participants went from table to table for three-minute dates, sampling the brew as well as the conversation. During the breaks, guests mingled with each other to get to know those they liked a little better.
Justine Romano, promotional manager for The Iron Monkey, said the three women were married on the program but have since been socializing again, and came to Iron Monkey to sample beer and make connections.
The idea was actually inspired about three years ago by the Iron Monkey’s owner Steve McIntyre to create a social scene that allowed people to mingle, while at the same time give them a sampling of the expansive beer menu.
Guests were given a match card, and at the end of the event, if both partners agreed to a match, the event hosts passed along their contact information.
They came to meet people and have fun
Women sitting at each table had a list of potential questions that might spark interest, like: “If there was a Zombie Apocalypse, what would you do? If I was to Google your name, would I be more/less likely to date you? What is your favorite season and why? If you were a stalker, would you be good at it? Is sexual compatibility important to you?”
Methuen, Castro, and Kullar, who sat at three tables near each other, thought the questions interesting, giggling about them.
“I think they’re good questions,” said Metheun.
All three women laughed about taking part in the beer dating event.
“After ‘Marriage at First Sight,’ this is easy,” said Methuen, who was the most outspoken of the trio. “You can learn about people and you’re not legally obligated.”
Metheun, who does business with the Iron Monkey as a sales representative for a vodka company, agreed to take part in the beer dating night, and brought Castro and Kullar along with her.
All three women had become friends after taking part in the reality TV show.
“We didn’t know each other before the show, but we became friends afterwards,” said Castro.
Methuen said the women bonded over their experiences on the show, and the beer dating event was a good excuse to see each other again. Kullar said she was looking forward to good conversation.
Methuen said she came to the beer dating to have fun. Meeting new people, the women said, is difficult.
“A lot of people meet on line or through dating apps,” Kullar said.
In some ways, the three women are nearly as diverse in personality and looks as The Iron Monkey’s beer menu. While all three were very attractive, Methuen lives up to the reality show’s depiction of her as having a “big personality.” She laughs a lot, and is unafraid to speak her mind. She currently lives in Union.
Kullar seemed the most shy, although in this trio shy is a relative term. She is successful biopharmaceutical sales rep living in New York City. Born in England, she moved to the United States with her mother and sister when she was 10 years old. She lived for a while in Bergen County, and now resides in New York. (She doesn’t count her recent reality show marriage when she lived in Jackson. They all giggled over this).
A single mom, she put herself through dental school. She had intended to go to medical school, but changed her career path after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Castro, a receptionist at a law firm in Manhattan, is a former resident of Jersey City.
“I was born in Jersey City and spent a lot of time in Hoboken,” she said.
Although marriage on the reality TV show did not work out, all three women hold out hope for the future.
All three women said they believed that somewhere out in the world was the right person, a prince charming.
“But you have to kiss a lot of toads before you find your prince,” said Methuen.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.