Sorry, Guinness.
We know St. Patrick’s Day is your time to shine, but we can’t help but toast the holiday with our own local beers. Plenty of craft breweries are making special beers and throwing parties to celebrate this holiday infamous for the amount of beer consumed.
On March 17, we suggest skipping cheap beer dyed green and even a more quality pint of Guinness for these locally made brews.
Seven Tribesmen, Wayne
Seven Tribesmen has released a dark Irish-style stout called Dragan (4.6{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} ABV). The dark brown beer is brewed with imported malt from Ireland. It has a medium body and deep aromas of roasted grain, coffee and cacao.
Go: 1151 Route 23, Wayne; 973-706-7337, seventribesmen.com.
Magnify Brewing, Fairfield
The bright green Shamrock Shake (5.5{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} ABV) is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day — if it isn’t sold out before then. It’s a creamy smoothie sour brewed with lactose, vanilla ice cream, a touch of peppermint and pandan, which is also known as Asian vanilla and gives the brew its green color. Call ahead to make sure Shamrock Shake is available, as it’s predicted to go fast.
Go: 1275 Bloomfield Ave., Fairfield; magnifybrewing.com.
Cricket Hill, Fairfield
Cricket Hill will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day party on March 18. The taproom opens at 3 p.m. The band Kill Van Kelts will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Wear green and get ready to down pints of Cricket Hill beer.
Go: 24 Kulick Road, Fairfield; 973-276-9415, crickethillbrewery.com.
Ghost Hawk, Clifton
Ghost Hawk will open early on St. Patrick’s Day for what they call the “holiest of drinking holidays.” The taproom opens at 2 p.m. and closes at 10 p.m. The Homebrew String Crew will be there to play Celtic punk covers from 5 to 8 p.m. A bagpiper will also perform in between sets.
Co-owner Steve Bauer recommends sipping on the Ravendark stout, a smooth dark beer in the same style as Guinness.
Go: 321 River Road, Clifton; 973-259-6037, ghosthawkbrewing.com.
Glenbrook Brewery, Morristown
On March 2, Glenbrook Brewery will release its St. Patrick’s Irish-style red ale, just a few days before the Morristown St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 12. Glenbrook is participating in the parade, along with the Second New Jersey Regiment Helms’ Company, a group of volunteers that portray the men and women of the Second New Jersey Regiment. They’ll also come by the brewery to perform a few songs from the Revolution. The Kelley Heroes Irish Band will also play from 2 to 5 p.m. and well as JM and Friends from 7 to 10 p.m.
The brewery will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight the day of the parade. Owner Darren Cregan encourages folks to bring a picnic lunch or order takeout from a local restaurant to go with your beer. Glenbrook doesn’t take reservations; first-come, first-serve.
Go: 95 Morris St., Morristown; 973-206-1712, glenbrookbrewery.com.
High Point Brewing Co., Butler
Try the Ramstein INK Black Lager from High Point on St. Patrick’s Day, the brewery’s featured beer for the holiday. This smooth stout was a Grand National Champion at the 2019 US Beer Tasting Championship and a 2020 silver medal winner at the New York International Beer Competition.
On March 17 the tasting room will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. For the holiday, High Point will be making “half and halfs,” Ramstein INK Black floating on top of its Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde.
Go: 14 Kiel Ave., Butler; 973-838-7400, ramsteinbeer.com.
Rebecca King is a food writer for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.
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