Local Breweries Provide More than Beer

I wrote in December of 2024 about losing Ashton Brewing in my town. Much like the neighborhood pub in many European towns it had become the gathering place for the local beer community to come together. Thankfully the community that Ashton created has survived and the friendships formed there have continued to thrive.

When that brewery closed we Ashtonites (a term I coined for the community of regulars) had to find another place to gather. A couple of local breweries and a local bar/liquor store have filled the void almost on a rotating basis, at least for those in the area. While those locales provide places for us to get together – with good craft beer and in one case fantastic food – that sense of community is missing. Though many of us can be found at a particular location on specific nights of the week, going there specifically because of that.

With some members of our beer community moving from the area, it became more complicated to find a place to gather that didn’t involve a long drive for at least a couple of members. That changed recently when the owner of the former Ashton Brewery took the role of brewer at Lions Roar Brewing Co., resulting in an improvement in their beer, and a reason to take a longer drive. Located closest to the middle of the scattered group, it has become our go-to place for occasional weekend Ashtonite gatherings.

Our most recent planned gathering there was cancelled due to the late February blizzard. I blame a former Ashton beertender who was back in NJ from her new home in Michigan for bringing Michigan winter weather with her. On that same Sunday we lost another local brewery. A victim of the economy and a crowded NJ market.

Jersey Cyclone closed suddenly that dark and stormy day. The closing was only announced a few days before so many of us scrambled to get in to have a few last pints and thank the owner for the many years of beer and memories made there. The blizzard on the last day added insult to injury and kept many of us away from the farewell event. Maybe it was the beer gods crying their frozen tears for yet another NJ brewery closing its doors.

Losing another local brewery upped the ante for the opening of the new brewery going in where Ashton was. We are anxiously awaiting the grand opening of The Hidden Brewery – an appropriate name for a location that is easy to miss if you are not paying attention while driving.   And we’re hoping the third time’s the charm for this location. Early reports were for spring opening but knowing NJ’s red tape and the pitfalls of opening a brewery, the odds are it will be summer before beer starts flowing there again. They have a tough act to follow but will have a built-in group of Ashtonites seeking to revive the Community that we had there.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  04-20-2026