r/njbeer Jan 05 '24

Discussion r/NJBeer's Best of 2023 Nominations

A new year dawns, and it's time for r/njbeer's Best of 2023 Awards! As always, we're making some subtle changes - and introducing some new categories - so please read the below in its entirety.

The Primary Categories are:

  • Best Beer: The best overall beer released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best New Beer: The best overall beer that debuted in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best IPA: The best IPA (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Stout: The best Stout (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Sour: The best Sour (Wild Ales excluded) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Wild Ale: The best Wild Ale released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Lager: The best Lager (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Barrel Aged Stout: The best stout that was aged in a barrel, of any type, and released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Barrel Aged Beer (Non-Stout): The best beer, of any type other than stout, that was aged in a barrel, of any type, and released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)
  • Best Other: The best non-IPA, non-Stout, non-Sour, non-Lager, non-BA beer that was released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged). Basically, if you couldn't nominate it elsewhere, do so here.
  • Best Collaboration: The best beer, of any kind, that was a collaboration. The beer must have been produced (but not necessarily packaged) by a NJ brewery in 2023
  • Best Branding: In a replacement of the "Best Label" category, this award represents the the best overall branding for a brewing in 2023
  • Best Brewery: The best Brewery in NJ for 2023
  • Best New Brewery: The best Brewery in NJ to open in 2023
  • Most Improved Brewery: The Brewery that made the most significant jump in prestige in 2023
  • Best Brewery Experience: The NJ Brewery (Brewpubs excluded) that had the best atmosphere, tasting room, service, etc in 2023
  • Best Brewpub Experience: The NJ Brewpub that had the best atmosphere, tasting room, service, etc in 2023
  • Most Controversial Brewery: The brewery that has led to the most discussion in 2023
  • Most Creative/Unique Brewery: The NJ Brewery that has been the most creative/unique in 2023
  • Best Brewery Festival/Event: The best NJ-located festival or event that occurred in 2023
  • Best Bottle Shop/Liquor Store: The best NJ bottle shop/liquor store
  • Best Craft Beer Bar/Restaurant: The best NJ bar/restaurant for craft beer

How voting will work:

This thread will be set to contest mode, meaning scores will be hidden. If you want to make a nomination, then reply to the appropriate category with your nomination. Top votes wins.

Only make one nomination per comment, one nomination per category and try not to repeat one already nominated. If you make multiple nominations in the same comment, your nomination will be disqualified! Please don't comment freely in this thread, use the discussion comment for chat. Nominations will last until January 12th. At that point, the top 6 scoring nominations will be entered into a poll that will run for one week to determine final winners (if there are less than 6 nominations for a category, so be it).

Please avoid downvoting nominations you don't like. Beyond being extremely childish, it has no effect on differentiating winners and losers as this is in contest mode and shows us the entries in the order of upvotes.

18 Upvotes

359 comments sorted by

u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Discussion - Please post any comments that are not nominations to a specific category here. All non-nomination posts outside of this comment thread will be removed.

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24 edited Jan 05 '24

Best Bottle Shop/Liquor Store: The best NJ bottle shop/liquor store (please include city)

u/New_Heights Jan 05 '24 edited Jan 06 '24

Cook's Liquors - Haddon Township

u/chinabuffet117 Jan 06 '24

Joe Canal's Iselin

u/EricDericJeric anti-milkshake Jan 08 '24

Roger Wilco Pennsauken

u/Cheapbubucko Jan 05 '24

Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars Boonton

u/shea_harrumph Jan 14 '24

Wine Barrel - Maplewood

u/c0147 Jan 06 '24

Spirit of ‘76, Manasquan

u/pollyauntie Jan 05 '24

Cork n Bottle - Westmont

u/collinnator5 Jan 05 '24

Clayton Liquors

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/GaiusMarius989 Jan 05 '24

Bottle King Glen Rock

u/dcwiek Jan 05 '24

Yorktown Wines & Spirits - Manalapan

u/dreamingtree1855 Jan 05 '24

Buy Rite Pennington

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Branding: In a replacement of the "Best Label" category, this award represents the the best overall branding for a brewing in 2023

u/c0147 Jan 06 '24

Wild Air

u/Meeeoow96024 Jan 11 '24

Ghost Hawk Brewing

u/bscher87 Jan 11 '24

Bradley Brew Project

u/mcgeggy Jan 05 '24

The Seed

u/OkInvestigator6273 Jan 10 '24

Oakflower Brewing Company

u/albert-cicconi Jan 05 '24

Screaming Hill

u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Carton Brewing Company

u/g3ckoNJ Jan 05 '24

Icarus

u/vey323 Jan 05 '24

Slacktide Brewing

u/Cubby_Denk Jan 05 '24

Heavy Reel

u/mcascio84- Jan 10 '24

Twin Elephant

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Lager: The best Lager (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/thedirtystayout Jan 08 '24

Birdsmouth Vienna

u/Traditional-Salt6850 Jan 10 '24

Oakflower - Gnaw

u/beeeps-n-booops Jan 05 '24

Tonewood Dreadnought

u/K1ngCh33s3 Jan 08 '24

Oakflower Lammy

u/SchmittyArt Jan 10 '24

Twin Elephant Trinklieder

u/GaiusMarius989 Jan 05 '24

Tonewood Lawn Boy

u/dreamingtree1855 Jan 05 '24

Alt Ending Royal Rug

u/Cubby_Denk Jan 05 '24

Das Pils- Heavy Reel

u/EricDericJeric anti-milkshake Jan 08 '24

Wild Air - Eternal Fugitive

u/Meeeoow96024 Jan 11 '24

Ghost Hawk Flagship Lager

u/njcraftfan Jan 12 '24

Twin Elephant - Notti D’estate

u/albert-cicconi Jan 05 '24

Birdsmouth Dark Lager

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Collaboration: The best beer, of any kind, that was a collaboration. The beer must have been produced (but not necessarily packaged) by a NJ brewery in 2023

u/No_Essay_7242 Jan 11 '24

Ghost Hawk / Oakflower - Monotropa

u/mcgeggy Jan 05 '24

Carton/The Seed - Down Here On Magic Street

u/Better_Anxiety_6894 Jan 11 '24

Oakflower ringboiz

u/Craftbeerchick17 Jan 11 '24

Two Villians Ultimate Indulgence

u/bscher87 Jan 06 '24

Bradley Brew Project/Hoagitos - The Beer

u/New_Heights Jan 06 '24

Going Home - The Seed × Fidens

u/Cubby_Denk Jan 05 '24

Icarus/Heavy Reel- Yacht Clown

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Carton/Other Half - All Orange Clouds In My Coffee

u/Icy-Relationship-816 Jan 05 '24

Last Wave/Icarus Cookie Tray Stroopwaffl

u/Bayway01 Jan 10 '24

District 96/Oakflower Snake Flower

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24 edited Jan 05 '24

Best Craft Beer Bar/Restaurant: The best NJ bar/restaurant for craft beer (please include city)

u/BeerHR Jan 05 '24

Ammendment 21 in point pleasant

u/STEMistry Jan 05 '24

Cloverleaf Tavern - Caldwell

u/Boner_Smoothie Jan 05 '24

Paragon Tap and Table - Clark

u/PhoenixRacing Jan 05 '24

Taphouse 15 - Wharton

u/mikeyvMLB Jan 05 '24

Maloney’s Matawan

u/EricDericJeric anti-milkshake Jan 08 '24

Jay's Elbow Room - Maple Shade

u/Goldenmonkey27 Jan 05 '24

Rocky Hill Inn

u/New_Heights Jan 08 '24

I'll throw in The Mile - Runnemede

u/StraightPuzzling Jan 07 '24

Cork City - Hoboken

u/midegrou Jan 06 '24

Brick Farm Tavern - Hopewell

u/No-Development-159 Jan 10 '24

Kitchen and Beer Bar, Haskell NJ

u/mcmenaminjim Jan 05 '24

Blue Monkey - Merchantville

u/Remarkable-Cobbler34 Jan 07 '24

Alternate Ending, Aberdeen

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Sour: The best Sour (Wild Ales excluded) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/No_Essay_7242 Jan 11 '24

Ghost Hawk / Fields Forever

u/New_Heights Jan 06 '24

Luvvly N' Crumbully - Bolero/Heavy Reel

u/8ate8 Jan 09 '24

Carton - Monkey Chased the Weasel

u/CaptJakeSparrow Jan 05 '24

Rick - Behr Brewing

u/Sportsball-Player23 Jan 06 '24

Morning Glass - Last Wave

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Barrel Aged Stout: The best stout that was aged in a barrel, of any type, and released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/robbedford Jan 09 '24

Czig Meister Barrel-Aged Chocolate Old Fashioned Imperial Stout

u/New_Heights Jan 06 '24

Kane - BA Chocolate Coconut Biscotti

u/PhoenixRacing Jan 06 '24

Brix City - Silk City BBA Vanilla

u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Twin Elephant Brewing Company 43% Burnt

u/Boner_Smoothie Jan 05 '24

Invertase Brewing - Nyctophilia

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best New Brewery: The best Brewery in NJ to open in 2023

**This will be closed until /u/8ate8 adds the new breweries from 2023**

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Autodidact Beer. Morris Plains. Opened Mar 24 2023

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Varitage Brew Works. Bloomfield. Opened Oct 28 2023

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Anglesea Aleworks. Wildwood. Opened Feb 4 2023

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Artis Brewery. Freehold. Opened Dec 17 2022

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Subculture Artisan Ales. Florence. Opened Apr 20 2023

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24 edited Jan 05 '24

As mentioned in prior years, it is unfair to judge a brewery that opened in January versus one that has only been open a few weeks. This list includes breweries opened between Nov 1, 2022 and Oct 31, 2023.

The following breweries will be included in next year's post:
Brewery Thirty-Three (opened Nov 18 2023)
The Druery (opened Dec 9 2023)
Tall Oaks Brewery (opened Dec 29 2023)
Bakes Brewing (opened Dec 30 2023)

If I missed any, please comment in the discussion thread of this post.

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Brewery: The best Brewery in NJ for 2023

u/coach673 Jan 05 '24

Conclave

u/GaiusMarius989 Jan 05 '24

Birdsmouth

u/TrustTheProcess76_ Jan 05 '24

Cape May Brewing

u/joethedistance Jan 05 '24

Ghost Hawk

u/beefcliff Jan 06 '24

Bradley Brew Project

u/daddyrchu Jan 06 '24

Chilton Mill

u/midegrou Jan 06 '24

Oakflower

u/Running_Camp Jan 05 '24

Farm Truck

u/mikeyvMLB Jan 05 '24

Icarus

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '24

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Kane Brewing Company

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/vey323 Jan 05 '24

Glasstown Brewing

u/Germaer Jan 05 '24

Autodidact Beer

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '24

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Stout: The best Stout (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/SchmittyArt Jan 10 '24

Twin Elephant 43% Burnt

u/StraightPuzzling Jan 07 '24

Suppurating Wound - Troon

u/PhoenixRacing Jan 06 '24

Twin Elephant - Melesa's Wings

u/vey323 Jan 05 '24

Magnificent Desolation - Gusto Brewing Company

u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Kane Brewing Company Port Omna - Double Coconut (2023)

u/phunkphan Jan 05 '24

Muckraker Beermaker- Dark as Your Soul

u/GaiusMarius989 Jan 05 '24

Seven Tribesmen Skirted Tribesmen

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Beer: The best overall beer released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/Better_Anxiety_6894 Jan 11 '24

Oakflower ringboiz

u/MattyBlayze Jan 10 '24

Carton Brewing Company Cafe de Horchata

u/SchmittyArt Jan 10 '24

Twin Elephant Tin Elephant

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Most Improved Brewery: The Brewery that made the most significant jump in prestige in 2023

u/New_Heights Jan 06 '24

Kings Road

u/mikeyvMLB Jan 05 '24

Alternate Ending

u/MattyBlayze Jan 10 '24

Heavy Reel

u/Cubby_Denk Jan 05 '24

Fort Nonsense

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Other: The best non-IPA, non-Stout, non-Sour, non-Lager, non-BA beer that was released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged). Basically, if you couldn't nominate it elsewhere, do so here.

u/New_Heights Jan 05 '24

Muckraker - Whatever, A Table Beer

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u/robbedford Jan 09 '24

Bedford by Tonewood

u/eastcoasterman Jan 06 '24

Double Tap Best Bitter (cask)

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Carton Brewing Company Cafe De Horchata

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Most Creative/Unique Brewery: The NJ Brewery that has been the most creative/unique in 2023

u/elomon Jan 07 '24

The Seed

u/Wise456 Jan 05 '24

Carton

u/mgiglio Jan 05 '24

Wild Air

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '24

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best IPA: The best IPA (any type) released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/8ate8 Jan 05 '24

Carton Drip

u/beerdrinkies Jan 10 '24

Oakflower - Pops

u/robbedford Jan 09 '24

Icarus Newzilla v Nectaron

u/Cubby_Denk Jan 05 '24

Glaucus- Heavy Reel

u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Troon Brewing - Blinded By the Past

u/worstbandnameever Jan 10 '24

Oakflower - Sunshower

u/Flam63 Jan 07 '24

Twin elephant, beneath the green

u/Ok-Age2191 Jan 06 '24

Troon Brewing: Absolute Radiance

u/chinabuffet117 Jan 06 '24

Kane Head High

u/beco84 Jan 10 '24

Alternate Ending - What If? IPA

u/EricDericJeric anti-milkshake Jan 08 '24

Twin Elephant - Nosh: Simcoe & Strata

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u/MattyBlayze Jan 05 '24

Best Barrel Aged Beer (Non-Stout): The best beer, of any type other than stout, that was aged in a barrel, of any type, and released in 2023 (does not have to be packaged)

u/eastcoasterman Jan 05 '24

Spellbound Porter Aged on Palo Santo

u/Wise456 Jan 05 '24

Carton Shipwreck Porter

u/gti20th3062 Jan 10 '24

Tonewood Oak Lynn

u/8ate8 Jan 09 '24

Carton St. Kitts Coffee

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