With breweries cropping up all over South Jersey, you can spend an entire afternoon tasting locally made lagers, ales, stouts and more. We’ve mapped out an SJ brewery tour to make your trip a little easier – all you have to do is find a designated driver, sip and repeat.
The Rules
In 2012, Governor Chris Christie signed a law that allowed New Jersey breweries to sell beer on location – but it came with a few requirements:
- Visitors must take a tour of the brewery before drinking (every time)
- Breweries cannot sell any other kind of alcohol
- Breweries cannot serve food (but you can bring your own)
1. Double Nickel Brewing Company
1585 Route 73, Pennsauken
856-356-2499
Monday – Friday: 4 to 10 pm
Saturday: Noon to 10 pm
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
Visit Double Nickel Brewing Company to get a taste of its “core four” brews – IPA, Vienna Lager, Pilsner and Session IPA – and stay for the bold seasonal batches, like the Kumquat Shandy (but hurry, it’s only available through the summer).
2. Eclipse Brewing
25 East Park Avenue, Merchantville
856-662-7453
Thursday: 4 to 8 pm
Friday: 4 to 9 pm
Saturday: Noon to 9 pm
Sunday: Noon to 8 pm
Swing by Merchantville to explore the diverse offerings at Eclipse Brewing. Settled between a coffee shop and a restaurant, the nano-brewery offers up to 18 brews at a time, with a variety of flavors (the cream ale is a favorite among regulars). Check out the colorful chalkboard art and enjoy the vinyl tunes while you taste.
3. Devils Creek Brewery
1 Powell Lane, Collingswood
856-425-2520
Thursday & Friday: 5 to 10 pm
Saturday: Noon to 10 pm
Sunday: 1 to 6 pm
Circle the globe with English-, Scottish- and Collingswood-inspired brews at Devil’s Creek Brewery. Join a tour to see how the brews are made before ordering a flight, pint or chalice. If you’re hungry, you can call one of Collingswood’s restaurants for delivery right to your barstool.
4. Eight & Sand Beer Co.
1003 North Evergreen Avenue, Woodbury
856-537-1339
Thursday & Friday: 5 to 9 pm
Saturday: Noon to 9 pm
Sunday: Noon to 7 pm
This brewery gets its name from an old phrase that was used to wish train crews a quick and safe journey – and it’s still fitting today, because this is one brewery you’ll want to venture to. The eco-friendly tasting room has a taplist full of regular IPAs, ales and more, along with a rotating list of specialty brews. Grab a seat at one of the outdoor picnic tables or hang out near the bar inside.
5. Kelly Green Brewing Co.
154 South Broadway Avenue, Pitman
856-270-2876
Thursdays: 5 to 10 pm
Fridays: 3 to 10 pm
Saturdays: Noon to 10 pm
Sundays: 11 am to 4 pm
Experience some history at the first brewery in Gloucester County. Start with the four signature beers, then venture on to the new batches like Jean-Quad Van Damn! (a tasty Belgian quad) or try To the Pain (a unique black IPA).
6. Atco Brewing Company
302 White Horse Pike, Atco
856-292-9041
Thursday: 5 to 9 pm
Friday: 3 to 10 pm
Saturday: Noon to 10 pm
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
Get a local taste with brews like #theProcess and Piney Pale Ale. With 4 oz. singles available, you could try the entire menu. Once you’ve found a favorite, take it home in a growler.
7. Berlin Brewing Company
220 South White Horse Pike, Berlin
856-336-2038
Thursday & Friday: 5 to 9 pm
Saturday: Noon to 9 pm
Sunday: Noon to 4 pm
A visit to Berlin Brewing Company starts with a tour of the brewery featuring a video from the owners. Then comes the tastings, with brews like the tea-infused Grey Earl and the black Irish stout. Be sure to leave your signature or a message on one of the wooden flights before you leave (really, they don’t mind).
8. Flying Fish Brewing Company
900 Kennedy Boulevard, Somerdale
856-504-3442
Wednesday – Friday: 3 to 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Noon to 6 pm
Your Flying Fish experience starts with a tour – guided or video – and then kicks into high gear in the tasting room with drafts like the Exit 13 Chocolate Stout and the Hoppy Pils. Stop by on Wednesdays to get a taste of the new tap of the week.
9. Lunacy Brewing
214 West David Road, Magnolia
856-282-6300
Thursday: 5 to 9 pm
Friday: 5 to 10 pm
Saturday: 1 to 8 pm
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
You don’t have to be a lunatic to sip a good beer. Check out Lunacy Brewing’s selections by the pint, shorty or growler from a seat at the outdoor picnic tables, around the foosball table or at a high top in the garage-turned-bar.
10. Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing
1940 Olney Avenue, Suite 100, Cherry Hill
856-437-0709
Thursday: 4 to 8 pm
Friday: 4 to 9 pm
Saturday: Noon to 9 pm
Sunday: Noon to 8 pm
Taste the Jersey Shore without hitting the coast with these creative batches. Try brews like Funnel Cake or the 1916 Shore Shiver – and test your skills at skee ball to complete the Shore experience.
11. Iron Hill Brewery
124 East Kings Highway, Maple Shade
856-273-0300
Monday – Wednesday: 11:30 am to Midnight
Thursday: 11:30 am to 1 am
Friday: 11:30 am to 1:30 am
Saturday: 11 am to 1:30 am
Saturday: 11 am to 11 pm
13107 Town Center Boulevard, Voorhees
856-545-9009
Monday: 11:30 am to 11 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 11:30 am to Midnight
Friday: 11:30 am to 1 am
Saturday: 11 am to 1 am
Sunday: 11 am to 11 pm
Both South Jersey hot spots feature more than 20 brews on tap, as well as a full menu of awesome bites like cheesesteak eggrolls, loaded nachos and fish tacos. If you’re unsure where to start, try a flight featuring a handful of selections – there’s so much beer to choose from.
12. Spellbound Brewing
10 Lippincott Lane, Suite 12, Mount Holly
609-744-0665
Thursday: 4 to 10 pm
Friday: 4 to 10 pm
Saturday: Noon to 8 pm
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
Visit Spellbound Brewing’s bright brewery to try out their tasting room-exclusive pilot batches. Drink your way through the unique brews on tap with a flight sampler or try one of the regulars, like the flagship IPA.
13. Village Idiot Brewing
42 High Street, Mount Holly
609-975-9270
Thursday: 5 to 9 pm
Friday: 5 to 10 pm
Saturday: 2 to 10 pm
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
Finish the night on High Street with a pint of brews like the Bridgetown Blond Ale, The Hoptimizer IPA and the Hipster Lager. Sip on sample flights or fill up a growler to take home.
Photo: Matt Soult
SHORE
You can’t call it a South Jersey brewery tour without heading down the Shore. Here are the breweries to hit if you want your beer with a side of ocean air.
14. Cold Spring Brewery
733 Seashore Road, Cape May
609-854-3077
Tuesday – Sunday: Noon to 8 pm
Travel back in time at Historic Cold Spring Village to sip a refreshing glass of craft beer. Whether you prefer a dark, hoppy flavor or a light, crisp taste, there’s a brew here for everyone. Plus, it’s pet-friendly, so bring your pup along.
15. Cape May Brewing Company
1288 Hornet Road, Rio Grande
609-849-9933
Everyday: Noon to 8 pm
Get the full brewing experience with a tour and a tasting at Cape May Brewing Company. Then, take a seat at the bar or a high top and try one of the classic creations, a seasonal beer or the brewed ginger ale.
16. 7 Mile Brewery
3156 Route 9 South, Rio Grande
609-365-7777
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 2 to 10 pm
Friday – Saturday: Noon to 10 pm
Sunday: Noon to 6 pm
If you’re touring on Tuesday, be sure to hit 7 Mile Brewery for some trivia with your beer. Tastings are available in flights or pints. Choose from five groups of flavors, spanning from crisp and nutty to fruity and hoppy.
17. Slack Tide Brewing
1072 Route 83, Unit 3, Clermont
609-478-2343
Wednesday & Thursday: 4 to 8 pm
Friday & Saturday: Noon to 8 pm
Sunday: 11 am to 6 pm
You don’t have to be a slacker to try the Slacker’s Special – it comes with 4 oz. samples and a logo pint glass. This way, you can sample new brews and enjoy a glass of your favorite.
18. Ludlam Island Brewery
9 Stoney Court, Unit C, Ocean View
609-263-6969
Open Daily: Noon to 8 pm
Spend some time in the small tasting room sampling beers as you overlook the brewery. Try some year-round brews like Harry’s Coffee Pale Ale and the Sinners DIPA, then check out which special batches are on tap that week.
19. Tuckahoe Brewing Company
3092 English Creek Avenue, Egg Harbor Township
609-645-2739
Friday: 3 to 9 pm
Saturday: Noon to 8 pm
Sunday: 1 pm to 6 pm
With a pub atmosphere and a ship sketched on the wall, you might forget you’re in a brewery every now and then – but the tasting flights and windows overlooking the barrel room will remind you.
20. Pinelands Brewing
140 South 7th Avenue, Little Egg Harbor
609-296-6169
Monday: 6 to 9 pm, growler fills only
Tuesday: 6 to 9 pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday – Saturday: Noon to 8 pm
Sunday: Noon to 6 pm
You can’t leave out the Pinelands on a Jersey brewery tour. Stop in for the staple brews: Great Bay IRA and Evan John Porter, then taste the seasonal and specialty brews. Tuesdays are brew days, so you might catch some of the action when you stop by.
