Cold Spring Brewery

New Jersey is a hotbed of craft brewing. Say cheers to the past — a 19th-century barn where you’re drinking for a great cause!

WHERE IS IT? At Historic Cold Spring Village, a short drive from Cape May.

WHY SHOULD I GO? Beer brewing is hot, in case you hadn’t noticed! There are more than 120 craft breweries in New Jersey, generating around 222,000 barrels of beer annually. All of this has created tens of thousands of jobs in the state — something worth drinking to! One of the more recent additions to our local brewscape is Cold Spring Brewery, on the beautiful grounds of Historic Cold Spring Village.

But this isn’t your typical craft brewery — it’s a rare beast, a brewery that’s entirely non-profit, since all proceeds go to the Village, a living history museum.

Cold Spring kicked off with a delightful selections of ales, but have been expanding based upon requests. They are also working on developing several beers that were commonly consumed during the mid-19th century.

As well as drinking for a great cause, you’ll be doing it in a special location — the brewery building is a beautiful, English-style heavy timber-framed barn built in 1804 in the northern part of Cape May County. The building was tagged, disassembled and brought to Historic Cold Spring Village on a flatbed trailer.

INSIDER TIP Make a night of it by buying a 32 oz or 64 oz growler and taking it to go!