Berlin Brewing Company 220 S. White Horse Pike Berlin, NJ 08009 Review Date: 4/14/18
Reported by: Pretzel
The Stoutmeister and I decided to get a few more stamps in our 2018 Atlantic City Beer Festival Passport, and complete a brewery review, so we pegged Berlin Brewing Company for our first stop. I will spare you the grim details of the beer passport challenge, but if you are interested in learning more about the passport, follow the link to my explanation and passport map. https://pretzelsbeerblog.com/2018-ac-beerfest-passport/
We cruised on down Route 30, heading for Berlin. We almost missed the brewery, as the wind blew over their large brewery sign. Luckily our GPS was right on the money, and we pulled into a small nondescript strip mall. We walked in and was greeted with a mandatory virtual tour, complete with beer/tour ticket that would allow us to buy beer at the bar. The virtual tour was interesting and well done. However, when I inquired about a live brewery tour, I was told they did not offer live tours. Big disappointment for me, as I love to interact with the brewers and ask thought-provoking and interesting questions. (at least I like to think my questions are thought-provoking, intuitive, and pertinent, but perhaps the brewers are not so enamored of my rhetoric. I have been known to babble at times. But hey, is it really babbling if you are interesting? I think not.)
The taproom has a rustic turn-of-the-century baseball theme, with memorabilia lining the walls. The acoustics (specifically compared to some of our recent reviews) were great! There was a nice oldies station playing, and you could actually hold a good conversation with friends new and old, without yelling “what???” or pretending you heard what they had to say. Especially for the Stoutmeister, who I swear is going deaf, or maybe he just tunes me out and ignores what I have to say. Nah, that can’t be it, yep, he’s going deaf. The 2 bathrooms were large and clean.
On to the important stuff. The beer. The variety of the beer offerings was good. And there wasn’t a single beer I did not like. As I tasted each one, I kept changing my favorite. The Stoutmeister loved all the beer as well, but he did not find any single one to be “outstanding”. I would have liked to see a larger range of ABV’s, maybe something in the 8 – 11% range. A root beer is available for your non-drinkers and designated drivers.
Rachel, the bartender filled us in on the history of the Berlin Brewing Company. They started from funds raised through Kick-starter program that raised over $19,000, well past their goal of $17,000. It is refreshing to see the community have a stake in the Brewery’s success. Major patrons are acknowledged on the Big Scoreboard in keeping with the baseball theme. Other supporters are rewarded with a dedicated bar stool complete with a small plaque with their name. When you come into the taproom, you are guaranteed your chair, although you are not guaranteed space at the bar. This cracked me up. I had visions of a patron sitting in their personalized chair with their face in the corner, munching pretzels, and drinking beer. Sounds good to me. Further fundraising includes local business ads/banners displayed at one end of the taproom. I especially like the Gaetano’s ad, for pizza delivery. Since NJ brewery’s are not allowed to serve food, local pizza delivery is key! We had some good conversation with several patrons, who all seem to know each other.
All in all, The Stoutmeister and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the Berlin Brewing Company. It’s got a great “local neighborhood” vibe. It is inviting, friendly, and offers tasty brews. If we ever get a brewery in our neighborhood (PLEASE SOMEONE OPEN A BREWERY IN LOGAN TWP/SWEDESBORO/WOOLWICH!!!) I would pick Berlin Brewing Company as the model! I will have to bring the rest of the Beer Posse here for a visit!
Beers on Tap:
- Cleopatra Wit – Belgian Witbier (ABV: 5.2%)
- Reverence IPA – American IPA (ABV: 7.0%)
- Humble Bitch – American Ale (ABV: 7.3%)
- The Grey Earle – English Mild Ale (ABV: 4.8%)
- Rye Pale Ale – malted rye Pale Ale (ABV: 5.4%)
- Pig Roast Smoked Porter – porter (ABV: 5.4%)
- Boro Kolsch – Kolsch (ABV: 5.4%)
- Abbey Dubbel – Trappist Ale (ABV: 6.8%)
- Treacherous Gnome – New England IPA (ABV: 5.4%)
Favorite Beers of the Day:
- Pretzel – Boro Kolsch
- The Stoutmeister – Abbey Dubbel
Additional Posse Comments:
- The Stoutmeister – I loved all the beer but nothing that I would label “outstanding”. Don’t get me wrong, I will be back here if another opportunity arises.
- The Stoutmeister – Love the Common Man / baseball decor
- Pretzel – If I had a local brewery in my neighborhood, I would want it to be just like Berlin Brewing Company.
Website(s):
- http://www.berlinbrewco.com/home
- http://www.gaetanosberlin.com/
Overall Pretzel Score (8.14 out of 10): 
Final Scorecard (click to open): BerlinBrewingCompany
Picture Gallery:
Thanks for the awesome review!!! However, so sorry if there was a misunderstanding about the tour. We definitely do offer a live tour of the brewery side of the business if one is requested, however it is just not mandatory due to the virtual tour. Your company was well enjoyed and we hope to see you back soon!!!
Thanks for the clarification Rachel! Now we have a good excuse to swing by for another visit!