Yes, there’s beer in Jersey
I haven’t gotten a hold of a copy, yet, but “New Jersey Breweries” by Lew Bryson and Mark Haynie debuts this month. A few weeks ago, I lamented the dirth of quality beer bars in South Jersey, so I asked Lew about hidden gems. Here’s his reply:
Unfortunately, Antone’s Tap in Cranford, one of the best, just changed hands and has become JAFSB — Just Another Fucking Sports Bar. Bummer.
Everyone knows about Firewaters and Cork, so I’m leaving them off the list as too easy. Andy’s is on there because your readers probably haven’t gotten that far north.
We talked about why NJ is such a beer dead-zone, and the thing folks kept saying was the outrageous price of a liquor license. It keeps most licenses in the hands of deep-pocket people with a plan, and the plans are for high-volume turnover. Not beer bar plans.
Cloverleaf Tavern (395 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell, 973-226-9812) was actually short-listed for Cheers Magazine’s Landmark Beer Bar for 2007, remarkably observant of them. It was jaw-dropping when I walked in; some bottles that would draw stares in Philly, and a solid 16 taps, and servers who actually knew what they were talking about. Neat, clean, bustling, but not so busy as to be annoying. A recommendation from Cricket Hill owner Rick Reed.
Andy’s Corner Bar (265 Queen Anne Rd., Bogota, 201-342-9887) is the beer bar everyone thinks of in NJ, and they’re right. It’s not big, it’s not particularly easy to find, and it sure as hell ain’t pretty, but these guys really know their beer, and they get some rare drafts in. Great atmosphere, good regulars.
Helmer’s Café (1036 Washington St., Hoboken, 201-963-3333) is one of those hidden gems, an excellent German-themed cafe on the attractively cosmopolitan main drag of Hoboken. Well-kept German (and Belgian!) drafts, delicious German food, and no fakey cuckoo-clock-kitsch Germanness.
Fitzgerald’s Harp ‘n Bard (363 Lakeview Avenue, Clifton, 973-772-7282) was a shock: who would’ve expected anything but plastic Paddy from the name? One of the best tap selections I saw in the state, in a very plain, “authentic Irish” setting (meaning they keep it clean but it’s all about the drink), and some of the best prices, too, especially on Wednesdays, when drafts are discounted.
Tap Room at Somerset Hills Hotel (200 Liberty Corner Road, Warren, 908-647-6700) is a somewhat overstuffed hotel lounge, but the beer program is quite serious: gotta love a place that has a dedicated rotating Ommegang tap and an “IPA of the Month.” A very beer-savvy manager is making this place a destination.
The Warrenside Tavern (511 Route 173, Bloomsbury, 908-479-4513) is way out in the beautiful country north of the Ship Inn (which would be very close to the top of my list for beer places in NJ, but it’s a brewpub…). The taps are okay, but the 200+ bottles are amazing in a place that looks so unassuming and backwoodsy. This is old NJ, and on a fall day, it’s tough to beat getting here.
Finally, you know I hate chains, but thank God for The Office. This chain of beer bars in central NJ keeps many parts of the state from being dead zones. Chain atmo, yes, but they respect the beer, and even do cask in some locations.
Tellingly, the book launch is on this side of the river, at the Grey Lodge, on July 27th. As Lew notes at his blog, “there’s always been a lot of NJ drinkers there, and Scoats will have plenty of NJ beer on hand.”
Indeed, the one thing I’ve come to appreciate about New Jersey is that, while it lacks beer bars, it doesn’t lack beer freaks. I’m constantly running into total beer heads from Jersey at Philly bars - people who would absolutely support quality beer joints at home if someone had the wisdom (or balls) to devote tap handles to something other than BudMillerCoors.
The price of beer licenses is an issue, but it’s not an excuse. If New Jersey bar owners gave a shit about their community, if they cared about something other than siphoning money from the local economy, they’d offer at least one tap of a local craft beer.
Are you a Jersey bar owner? Be honest: Outside of ignorance and greed, is there some reason you can’t squeeze a single hoppy ale into that lineup of fizzy yellow lagers? Do you really think you’d lose a buck if you switched that Heineken tap to, say, Flying Fish or Climax? If you don’t know about local beer, do everyone a favor and educate yourself.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:44 am
Don you speak the truth. I use to work in Turnersville NJ and whenever a group of us would go out after work I always found it was difficult to get a good craft beer. All the major fizzy yellow mega beers were represented and often Guinness, Yuengling and Heineken were considered adventurous. I was always surprised that more places didn’t at least serve Flying Fish. I am glad to now be working in Philly where it’s harder to walk into a bar and find a bad beer list. However, I do miss the convenience of purchasing beer, especially single bottles, and liquor at the same location. I no longer get to Monster Beverage or Hops and Grapes as often as I would like. Maybe someday PA will take a hint and grant us the convenience that our Jersey neighbors enjoy.