COLD SPRING — History and hops go together at Cold Spring Brewery, located at Cold Spring Village in Lower Township.
Visitors to the brewery can sip a sarsaparilla or grab a pint of Independence Ale, made from George Washington’s own recipe — all the while soaking up ambience reminiscent of a rural southern New Jersey tavern from the early 1800s.
The Stillwell and Elizabeth Corson Barn, built in 1804, a heavy timber frame three-bay English barn once used for threshing and storing grain, is home to the brewery, where visitors can enjoy one of 16 brews or a flight of beers inside the cozy bar or outside by the fire pit.
Historic Cold Spring Village, an open air Early American living history museum, recreates Cold Spring, a thriving town in the 1800s. The brewery is one of nearly 30 18th- and 19th-century buildings from Cape May and Cumberland counties that have been moved to the site.
Visitors can tour the historic buildings on the village grounds, which span more than 22 acres of wooded land between Routes 9 and 626 (Seashore Road). During the summer months, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and history from “the age of homespun.”
Visitors can observe blacksmithing, bookbinding, basketweaving and more.
Cold Spring Brewery, the first nonprofit microbrewery in New Jersey, opened in the restored Corson Barn in 2016. Brewery operations help fund village preservation efforts.
Recent visitors gave the brewery a thumbs-up review. Michelle McCaw and friend Keri Andrews, both of Levittown, Pa., visited the brewery during a girls weekend. They were sampling four beers in a flight while seated by the fire pit. Their favorite brew: Not Ye Grandpappy’s Sarsaparilla.
Jerry Casteel and his wife, DeAnne, of Williamsburg, were also seated by the fire. The couple said it was their first time at the brewery. DeAnne especially enjoyed the sarsaparilla in their flight. “It tastes like root beer,” she said.
The brewery offers four house brews that are on tap all the time:
— Cape May Farmhouse: a period-appropriate beer using single malt and single hop. It’s sweet and fruity with very low hop bitterness.
— Cold Spring Red: rich burnt sienna in color with a creamy beige head. The brew has a lightly roasted malt flavor.
— Finley Forge: a West Coast India Pale Ale with bittering hops.
— Ishmael Pale Ale: an ale with notes of grapefruit. The ale is very hoppy (bitter).
Plus, limited edition brews are on tap. How does Shayne Statzell, brewmaster, decide on specialty brews to serve?
“We have at least one historic beer on tap every quarter. Currently, we have Independence Ale, the modern take on Washington’s small beer (low alcoholic content). It has the taste of molasses and smoked oak chips,” Statzell said. (It’s said Washington wrote the recipe for his small beer in a notebook when he was an officer in the French and Indian War. Reportedly, the small beer was served to troops because it was safer than drinking potentially contaminated water.)
The second historic beer on tap is Lichtenhainer, named after a small village in Germany. This beer has three flavor profiles — smoky, sour and wheat. It’s spritzy with a low alcohol content.
“We have different brews for the time of year,” Statzell said.
Seasonal beers on tap include Shandy, a light ale flavored with lemon that tastes like lemonade, and Eli Foster, a German beer with passion fruit, orange and guava flavors.
“We strive to have something for everyone — from beer connoisseurs to domestic beer drinkers. We also serve non-alcoholic beverages,” Statzell said.
He and co-workers say they enjoy working at Cold Spring Village, where history comes alive.
“The brewery setting is special,” Statzell noted. “The building predates the Statue of Liberty.”
“There’s so much history to be learned here [at Cold Spring Village],” beer tender Sarah Swain said. “I love the fact that it feels like I work with family.”
Notably, you won’t just meet new people at the brewery, you’ll encounter furry friends. Dogs, referred to as brew pups, are welcome. Dog Day afternoons are held on Sundays. Bring your dog to the brewery and get $1 off pints.
The brewery features entertainment and special activities. There’s open mic night on Fridays and live music on Saturday afternoons. From January through April, there are Fireside Chats at the brewery on wide-ranging topics such as the Jersey Devil and South Jersey folklore. Be sure to mark your calendar for the brewery’s Birthday Bash. The brewery plans to celebrate its 10-year anniversary from 1 to 5 p.m. July 12 with a barbecue, birthday cake, live music, yard games and raffles. Tickets are $15 per person.
In the meantime, “cheers!”
If you go
— The brewery is located at Historic Cold Spring Village, 733 Seashore Road in Lower Township. Call (609) 854-3077 or visit coldspringbrewery.org or hcsv.org for more information. You can also check out the brewery’s Facebook page.
There’s free entry and free parking at the brewery, which is open year-round. Summer hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
— Historic Cold Spring Village is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday through Labor Day weekend and special event weekends in the fall. Admission is $16 for adults $12 for children age 4 to 12. Call (609) 898-2300 for more information.
By ALICE URBANSKI/For The Wave
