Bar Type: Brewery / Live Music
It feels like Montclair Brewery was a bit ahead of the curve when it opened in 2018. Not that breweries were a new thing — and not even breweries in NJ — but the true mom-and-pop nature of the thing, opening smack dab in the middle of a bedroom community amongst lots of restaurants and businesses and not in some weirdo industrial park, felt a little bit revolutionary at the time. Now that it’s made it through COVID time and has become part of the larger Montclair community, and a staple for live music and hanging out in the neighborhood, it’s like it’s always been there.
What I didn’t realize until this summer — a summer where most of Hipster Jr. Jr.’s friends turned 21 — is that young people actually hang out here too. My experience had always been a pretty middle-aged one. The typical Montclair audience of finance guys, aging hipsters, your occasional media types, stay-at-home “writers” and folks who definitely went to some fancy-pants college. A smattering of your multi-culti groups (maybe sometimes including a white guy with dreads) that look like a 1990s beer commercial. And lesbians, of course. Because it’s Montclair and this joint typifies a pretty great cross-section of what makes it the town it is. Ms. Hipster’s band has played the outdoor space, as have a couple other bands in the Montclair circuit we’ve gone to see. Honestly, the outdoor space and access to live music that is often playing there is the real draw. Because who the hell doesn’t like hanging at a table with friends on a nice night under some string lights with a beer or four? One to which you can either bring your favorite food or have an Uber deliver it to you. It’s certainly not a fancy setup, basically folding tables and chairs in a parking lot with some tent-like structures to shield from sun or rain, but sitting in the ‘hood just chilling with tunes and booze is cool. I haven’t spent a whole lot of time inside the actual bar, but it’s improved over the years. It was pretty bare bones when it started, an industrial space with poured concrete floors and a bunch of taps. They’ve warmed it up, though, and given the thing some more character and made hanging inside more inviting — though it still is a working brewery.
I can’t say I was an early adopter of this joint. I feel like I missed the preliminary window, but did manage to get some of their beer at events and/or heard word-of-mouth that perhaps it would be better to wait and let them find their lane. A nice way of saying that the early days were a bit rough on the beer front. Which, of course, is not surprising for any new business, but when all you do is beer, you probably have a short runway to start getting things right. Or… you create an atmosphere that is fun enough and inviting enough to overcome your product and keep people coming despite their feeling of what you’re selling. Or… be really nice people, and in being so encourage your community to root for your success. I think for the first several years, this was Montclair Brewery’s winning formula. Make stuff fun and be cool and you’ll engender a lot of good will. Check and check. To be fair, the beer itself has improved markedly over the years. I’m not a fan of flavored beer — and they do a lot of that — but I can generally find one or two straight-ahead brews from their large list of 15 or so rotating taps that I’m cool with. Their beers also tend to be a bit higher ABV (their one current lager is 7%), which my old ass can’t take. But the kidz are probably down with it. I appreciate the constant experimentation and, as a black-owned business, honoring ingredients from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as partnering with and theming brews around African American figures and histories. It’s a great way to put your stamp on your product and create a real legacy for family and friends. I do wish their was a stable of a few more traditional pilsners, lagers or IPAs that I know I can go to with my second and third beer each time, but, hey, maybe I can just stop being a stick in the mud and drink a fruity guava or baobab fruit beer and suck it up. My hangover will send them the bill.
101 Walnut St. – Montclair
973/850-0541
montclairbrewery.com
