Conclave Brewing Company

I have visited twice. Both times was on a Saturday. Conclave is located in a section of an industrial park. Don’t be fooled by the exterior. Inside you will find a true micro-​brewery. Take the tour. It’s required by law and you’ll learn about the beer making process from friendly and knowledgeable staff. Once you are done with the tour — about 10 to 15 minutes — it’s time to step up to the bar. On my first trip I was with my wife’s brother and his brother-​in-​law. The space is small and as the crowd grew it became difficult to find space to stand. There is not seating. These guys are just starting out. It’s all about the beer.
Despite the crowd the owner made time to answer questions about his vision for the brewery. Definitely a friendly soul who loves making beer and is happy that we were enjoying his creations.
We sampled the Farmhouse Saison Ale, Hop Ritual, Equinox Brown Ale, Espresso Milk Stout, and the Mexican Morning. Drink the Mexican Morning last. It’s got some kick. On this visit, my favorite was the Espresso Milk Stout. It was creamy and smooth. You can order 4oz, and 12 oz pours or fill a growler to take home.
On my second visit, they had brewed up a batch of what they called the «Legend IPA», a west-​coast style IPA. I ordered a sample of the Legend IPA and instantly fell in love. I left a growler with I enjoyed that same evening with my wife. It’s been over a month and I still can’t get that ale out of my head.
I’m excited by this brewery and I expect they will continue to make excellent ales.

Came in for my second visit today. For what the brewery lacks in size it easily makes up in flavor: every beer offered is clearly carefully constructed and nails its style. My personal favorites are the Equinox Brown and the Hop Ritual (though all are awesome!).
The owners/​staff are great and happy to answer any and all questions. If you want to nerd out and indulge your inner beer nerd, here’s your chance.
Aside from Kane, this might be my favorite in terms of beer quality in New Jersey. I realize this is «quite» the declaration, but I really love their product!

Great little brewery that is definitely worth the visit. These guys know what they are doing. The Mexican Morning Stout is not to be missed. Visited one weekend, and made the trip back the very next weekend for more of that amazing stout (and to try out Smokey and the Bacon, also yummmmy). The only thing that could make it better is if I could walk out with bottles of it, like an entire case or ten, lol. If I was closer, I would be there every weekend for a glass.

Woo Hoo first to review! Now that my excitement is out of the way, let me tell you about this great brewery. I should start by stating that this is a part of Jersey that is severely lacking when it comes to breweries. But just because this area is lacking in quantity, doesn’t mean that they are lacking in quality.
I visited Conclave last week after hiking and am so happy that I did. We’re becoming a bit jaded in NJ with so many breweries opening, which feels like a weekly occurrence at this point. I’m not one to say which brewery is better than the other but I can say that Conclave is worth checking out, even if you have to drive a bit to get here.
The owners/​brewers are super cool guys and they certainly know enough to make some kick ass beer. I sampled all 5 beers on tap during my visit including their Saison, Pale, American Brown, Espresso Milk Stout, and Mexican Morning, with the last one being my absolute favorite. What’s not to love about an espresso milk stout with cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa nibs, and chili peppers? I ended up getting a growler of their Milk Stout and my friends loved it.
The space is pretty small and their hours are limited but if you can swing it, check these guys out. Your inner beer geek will be glad you did.