Today is the 32nd birthday of John Holl, who’s a journalist that recently came over to the dark side full time; dark beer, that is. Originally on the staff of the Gray Lady — the New York Times — he’s now writing almost exclusively about beer from his home in northern New Jersey. Online, he’s at Beer Briefing and his latest book is Indiana Breweries. He’ll be tackling Massachusetts next, although I’ve heard he’s also working on another book to be titled “Craft Beer Kitchen.” I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know John during some travel over the last couple of years, from Denver to Boston, and even in Chile. He’s a great addition to the fraternity of beer writers. Join me in wishing John a very happy birthday.
After the first Beer Bloggers Conference, having lunch at Euclid Hall in Denver, before flying home.
Last year in Chile, judging at the Copa Cervezas de America 2011 (John’s on the right in the back row).
Visiting Maltexco, also in Chile (this time, John’s on the left).
At that same lunch at Euclid Hall in Denver; John, me, Greg Koch and Jacob McKean, Stone Brewing’s blogger.
Today in 1787, New Jersey became the 3rd state.
New Jersey
New Jersey Breweries
New Jersey Brewery Guides
Guild: Garden State Craft Brewers Guild
State Agency: New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
- Capital: Trenton
- Largest Cities: Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Edison Township
- Population: 8,414,350; 9th
- Area: 8722 sq.mi., 47th
- Nickname: Garden State
- Statehood: 3rd, December 18, 1787
- Alcohol Legalized: December 5, 1933
- Number of Breweries: 20
- Rank: 27th
- Beer Production: 4,775,387
- Production Rank: 11th
- Beer Per Capita: 17 Gallons
Package Mix:
- Bottles: 48.1%
- Cans: 39.4%
- Kegs: 12.1%
Beer Taxes:
- Per Gallon: $0.12
- Per Case: $0.27
- Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $3.72
- Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $3.72
Economic Impact (2010):
- From Brewing: $891,637,336
- Direct Impact: $2,485,802,018
- Supplier Impact: $1,719,620,711
- Induced Economic Impact: $2,086,724,154
- Total Impact: $6,292,146,882
Legal Restrictions:
- Control State: No
- Sale Hours: On Premises: Varies by municipality. Most municipalities have a last call of 2 a.m. Larger cities such as Newark, Hoboken, and Jersey City set their closing time at 3 a.m. Atlantic City and Brigantine serves 24 hours. Some dry towns in the southern part of the state, including Ocean City.
Off Premises: 9 a.m.-10 p.m., unless bar/restaurant has license to permit Beer/Wine off-premises, then hours must be the same as on-premises hours
- Grocery Store Sales: Rarely
- Notes: Some dry communities in historically Methodist and Quaker communities in the southern part of the state.
Though there is not a ban on selling alcoholic beverages at grocery stores, New Jersey limits each chain to two licenses, so except for a few exceptions, most supermarkets/convenience stores/gas stations/pharmacies do not sell alcoholic beverages. In addition, liquor sales are only permitted in a separate department or attached sister store. Bars are allowed to off-sale packaged goods.
With the exception of Jersey City and Newark, all municipalities MUST allow off-sales of beer and wine at any time on-sales are permitted. However, since alcoholic beverages are generally only found in package stores, this right is rarely exercised. Alcoholic beverages by the drink as well as off-sales of beer and wine are permitted 24 hours a day in Atlantic City and Brigantine.
Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.
For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.
Today’s works of art are part of a larger project undertaken by New Jersey illustrator Gregg Hinlicky. A decade ago, he began an undertaking to paint portraits of his favorite brewers.
Garret Oliver, from Brooklyn Brewery.
The original ten paintings were quite large, averaging seven-feet tall, whereas later portraits are three-feet by four, which has allowed him to speed up and increase output.
John Maier, from Rogue.
The goal for Hinlicky it to paint at least thirty brewer portraits with an eye toward ultimately publishing a book of the portraits.
Fritz Maytag, from Anchor Brewery.
Hinlicky attended the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art and held several design and marketing positions before joining D&R Communications, which has been his day job for over seven years.
I’m not sure what brewery this is, but the painting’s titled “Henry.”
I particularly like this peek inside an unnamed brewery.
It looks like he’s also done the logo for Climax Brewing, shown here on the label for their 10th Anniversary Ale.
Hinlicky does sell his work and takes commissions, too. If interested, you can contact him through his website.
Paintings used with the permission of the artist. All works © Gregg Hinlicky.
My son Porter, being a somewhat typical 8-year old, loves all things that have to do with destruction. But unlike most kids his age, he has a fascination with historical disasters, especially the Titanic and the Hindenburg. He has at least two dozen books about the Titanic and other sea disasters and three about Zeppelins and the Hindenburg, along with several more general aviation books that include airships. So it was with great joy that I told him today that a bottle of beer that was salvaged from the Hindenburg disaster was going to be auctioned this Saturday.
Apparently, on the morning of May 6, 1937, firefighter Leroy Smith fortuitously came upon six bottles of Lowenbrau beer and a silver-plated pitcher. Thinking quickly, he buried them, returning later to dig up his booty. He gave five of the bottles to colleagues and kept one, along with the pitcher, for himself. Most of the rest have been lost, though one ended up in the Spaten museum in Munich (and I saw that one a few years ago when I visited Spaten). In 1966, Smith’s niece inherited the two Hindenburg souvenirs, and will now be auctioned by Henry Aldridge and Son of London. Coincidentally, they also specialize in items from the Titanic.
According to the BBC, the burnt Lowenbrau bottle is expected to fetch around £5,000 (or $8,337). The auction catalog for the bottle has the following information:
Hindenburg memorabilia: An extremely rare bottle of Lowenbrau Beer recovered from the wreck site of the Z129 Hindenburg, May 6th 1937 when it crashed at Lakehurst Naval Air Station. It was recovered by local Fire Chief Leroy Smith of the Matawan Fire Department New Jersey, along with 5 others which he handed out to each of his colleagues. The whereabouts of all of these bottles with the exception of one is unknown. He presented one to the Lowenbrau brewery in 1977 where it remains to the present day. The example being offered for auction is sealed, with some of its original label and shows evidence of heat damage. This lot is sold with a provenance package which include correspondence from the Lowenbrau brewery regarding the bottle of beer donated to their Museum, press cuttings and signed copy of a letter of provenance and an account of how Fire Chief Smith came to acquire the bottle.
All of the accounts of this story, such as by the BBC, the New York Post and ABC News each claim this will be the highest price paid for a bottle of beer, but in August of 2007, a bottle Allsopp’s Arctic Ale that sold on eBay for $503,300.
Here’s a better view of the Lowenbrau bottle.
