All across the country, St. Patrick’s Day means parades, wearing green, and practicing your best Irish accent. Are we leaving anything out? Oh yeah – Guinness! The dark brew has been around since 1759, but if you want to toast the Irish celebration with a drink made closer to home, here are 10 Jersey-brewed stouts to help you tap into your inner-“Erin Go Bragh.”
Check Untappd app and BeerMenus.com for availability at bars and liquor stores in your area. We hope you enjoy this look at Jersey-brewed stouts.
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Asbury Park Brewery Roasted Stout
Style: Dry Irish Stout
ABV: 4.9%
Availability: Cans and growler fills at the tap room (Asbury Park)
This is your straight-up, no nonsense, nothing funky stout that even the most flame-haired of Irishmen and women will enjoy. Asbury Park’s stout is smooth, malty and crushable on a holiday where you’ll want to keep the pints flowing all day long.
Beach Haus Parade Day
Style: Irish Coffee Stout
ABV: 6.75%
Availability: Bottles and growler fills at the tap room (Belmar)
Technically, Irish coffee consists of strong, hot coffee, Irish whiskey and sugar topped with whipped cream, but if you want the Irish coffee experience without scalding your mouth, try it in cold beer form from Beach Haus Brewery. With a hint of cocoa and mint, a pint of this Jersey-brewed stout will cap off a day of watching bagpipers and Irish step dancers, especially after the Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Carton Unjunct
Style: American Stout
ABV: 8.5%
Availability: Cans and growler fills at the tap room (Atlantic Highlands)
While many stouts are brewed with added coffee, espresso, chocolate or oatmeal, Carton Brewing’s Unjunct is a simple, four-ingredient stout that uses dark malts to get that deep, dark look and taste. You might find an aftertaste of molasses and smoke in one sip, then vanilla and brown sugar in the next. We also recommend their Carton of Milk Sweet Stout for something a bit lighter.
Czig Meister Blacksmith
Style: Oatmeal stout
ABV: 5.5%
Availability: Cans and growler fills at the tap room (Hackettstown)
Forged in the heart of Warren County, Czig Meister’s stout uses oatmeal to give it a sturdy body. After carrying your kids on your shoulders or pushing them in strollers during the many NJ parades, you’ll need something to pick up your spirits.
Departed Soles Modern Cup of Sole
Style: Coffee Stout
ABV: 4.9%
Availability: Cans and growler fills at tap room (Jersey City)
Brewed in collaboration with Jersey City’s ModCup, Departed Soles’ dry stout uses cold brew coffee to recreate your morning joe. If you’re drinking this at 8:00 am on St. Patrick’s Day with your Lucky Charms, we won’t tell anyone, but we’re secretly jealous.
Eight and Sand Dry Irish Stout on Nitro
Style: Dry Irish Stout
ABV: 5.4%
Availability: Growler fills at the tap room (Asbury Park)
Do you want to impress your friends? Ask for Eight & Sand’s Irish Stout on nitro, and watch the velvety goodness pour from the tap. Just like Guinness, the nitro tap infuses smaller bubbles, enhancing the drinkability while maintaining the dark body and creamy head. One sip will have you exclaiming, “sláinte!” for all to hear!
Jughandle Booskerdoo Breakfast Stout
Style: Double Coffee Stout
ABV: 8.1%
Availability: Growler and crowler fills at tap room (Tinton Falls)
The coffee in this Jersey-brew comes from Booskerdoo Coffee Co., the emerging NJ coffee shop now sporting four locations in the state. This compelling and rich beer from Jughandle is for those who want to combine their late afternoon pick-me-up with an early happy hour celebration. On St. Patrick’s Day, every hour is a happy hour.
Lone Eagle Imperial Breakfast Stout
Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Availability: Bottles at tap room (Flemington)
March is kegs and eggs season, and Lone Eagle has a beer to pair with your hearty Irish breakfast. When you’re all out of bangers and mash, finish your meal off with a bourbon-barrel aged stout conditioned with coffee and blood orange. If you’re still walking after that, we salute you!
NJ Beer Co. Garden State Stout
Style: Chocolate Stout
ABV: 6.6%
Availability: Bottles and growler fills at the tap room (North Bergen)
This one from NJ Beer Co. speaks to those with a sweet tooth. Case in point: it’s brewed with Belgian chocolates. Even hop heads will enjoy the floral hop character balanced with the dark roasted malts.
River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout
Style: Sweet Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Availability: Bottles and growler fills at the tap room (Ewing Township)
This Jersey-brewed stout from River Horse Brewing tastes like oatmeal cookies and milk in a pint glass, but with booze. Talk about the luck of the Irish. The smooth velvety texture goes hand-in-hand with that infamous Irish charm.
Don’t forget to check out the entire Brew Jersey series here.
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