HIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY

Occupying a dark tan aluminum-sided warehouse facility in the Raritan Valley borough of Hightstown, OLD HIGHTS BREWING COMPANY opened its beer garden June 2020. Creating consistently interesting traditional beer styles, some with a slight offbeat twist, the pristine cement-floored tavern keeps local favorites on tap alongside a bevy of friendly one-offs.

A re-cased bookshelf centers Old Hightstown’s wood-shingled, aluminum-topped kiosk that serves as the bark-sided, Formica-topped bar (with two tap stations holding eight draughts each plus caged …

LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY

At a pale red bricked strip mall in the hamlet of Lawrenceville (halfway between Princeton and Trenton), THE DRUERY BREWERY “serves as a pilot location for future larger scale brewing.’ Owned and operated by basement-brewin’ photographer Drew, and partner, Sheri, The Druery opened December ’23.

A small neighborhood nanobrewery, its cozy right side eight seat wood top bar features twelve draught handles, large central TV and cryptic caged Edison lighting. Two front windowed tables and a few …

Medicinal candy-glazed red cherry sweetness gains slight hard-candied orange tartness and tangy tangerine tease for rummy kriek-derived Belgian quadrupel. Quad-like dried fruit spicing knocked back by kriek-ish sweet ‘n sour cherry abundance coating richly creamed wheat malt base. Anyone for cherry rhubarb pie?

Dark cocoa syrup drapes bourbon vanilla warmth as burgundy-brandy subtleties soak into Black Forest caking, pureed black cherry twang, dry oaken cherry swerve, stewed prune swoon and cookie dough fudging.

Fudgy Black Forest caking consumes muted Peppermint Patty-candied minting. Along the way, black cherry, raspberry jelly and blueberry jam illusions softly emerge at rich rummy-whiskeyed chocolate cake finish.

Well-designed milkshake-styled IPA (with less appropriate ‘Imperial’ labeling) brings lactic powder-sugared marshmallow vanilla sweetness to zestful lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tang, tart guava-gooseberry swipe and peachy pineapple zing, becoming bitterer as lemon-seeded grapefruit rind sharpness rises way above its creamily oated wheat base.

Unspecific off-dry festbier with stinging pop rock-like sugared corn malts trailing leafy hop oiling given muted lemony orange spritz.

Dry maize-parched mineral graining banks zestful lemon lime spritz and salty agave-like tequila twist for liable white bread-bottomed Mexican lager.

On tap at Concentric Brewing, elegantly smooth bourbon vanilla warmth gains dry burgundy and sweet brandy influence for dried-fruited dark mocha molasses resonance. Fudgy dark chocolate center invites figgy black cherry and plummy red grape merriment. Mellow bourbonized stout (with unassuming 11% ABV) makes for desirable fireplace nightcap.

On tap at Ambulance, decadent pastry stout variant regales rich Madagascar vanilla bean persistence and hazelnut coffee-bound maple syruping given fudgy caramelized chocolate pudding top. At the midst, lovely bourbon vanilla warmth coats milk-sugared coffee persistence, gaining caffe mocha espresso dirge, mild macchiato remnant and teasing burgundy wining. An overabundance of treacly mocha-vanilla richness.

Nearly exquisite milk stout treated with Swiss chocolate, almond coffee and less prominent toasted coconut picks up viscous bourbon vanilla spicing topped by syrupy brown chocolate. Sticky mocha goo coats tongue. Fidens, a mighty fine IPA maker, scores pretty big with stout-oriented Timber Ales collaboration.

Thick obsidian motor oil pour welcomes maple syrupy milk-sugared cinnamon coffee creaming of pastry-like breakfast stout. Below the maple cinnamon coffee richness lies fudged brownie, rum-glazed pecan, cappuccino, black cherry, rummy Swisher cigar, chocolate cookie and cola nut illusions. A hearty full-bodied nightcap in the AM.