Asbury Park Brewery set for fall opening
musicians come together to offer traditional crafts
Beyond the wooden pallets, crumbling brick and empty iron cabinets [shown above] is the vision a group of musicians have for their Asbury Park Brewery.
With a menu that features traditional crafts, the microbrewery will open this fall at its 810 Sewell Avenue location, in the old Flexcraft warehouse behind Family Dollar.
The 9,600 square foot space will feature an outdoor seating area as well as an indoor tasting and tap room with a glass wall looking onto their 20-barrel brew house.
Behind the traditional blends is founder Jeff Plate [shown above], who began crafting beer in 2007 in his then Cookman Avenue kitchen.
“Due to extremely restrictive laws governing microbreweries in New Jersey, I was forced to put the project on the back burner,” said Plate, a singer/guitarist who went on to obtain a law degree from Rutgers University.
When new regulations loosened production restrictions in September 2012, Plate’s dream was back on track.
He partnered with Crush Management and Crush Sports founder Bob McLynn, whose company represents Sia, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer.
“The partnership of these two companies is perfectly suited for the Asbury Park scene, bringing music and craft beer together in the city where music lives,” Plate said in a written statement.
Next came a partnership with award winning master brewer Scott Morrison of Philadelphia, who captured seven Great American Beer Festival medals and a Bronze medal at the 2014 World Beer Cup for constructing a premium brewing system made entirely of USA steel and parts.
Local business owner and music scene veteran Mike Pimco of Style Rocket on the city’s boardwalk, is not only an investor but will serve as their marketing consultant.
Plate said construction is set to begin and expects their 20-barrel brew system to be delivered by mid-August, just in time for a fall opening.
The 1,000 square foot tap room [at right] will host special music events as well as tours and tastings from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Plans are for the grain to travel from a milling room via conveyor into boiling vats for sugar extraction then the 20-barrel vessels for flavoring and the addition of hops before resting for an average 2-weeks in one of the four 40-barrel fermenter tanks.
A cold storage facility for distribution stock will parallel the barrels and fermenter tanks.
Traditional recipes include average alcohol content beers and stouts.
“Our philosophy is that we make simple classic beers,” Plate said. “We just make them really well. It’s premium beer but traditional familiar recipes.
For more information visit Asbury Park Brewery’s Facebook page or email directly at info@asburyparkbrewery.com.
———————————
Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
