“Creative” wasn’t a word that most people would use to describe beer not so long ago. Of course, that changed when small, independent brewing companies began producing beers with unique ingredients and intriguing flavor profiles. If sampling small-batch beers at local breweries is one of your favorite things to do, you’ll want to check out a few of these Hunterdon County Beer Trail breweries near Frenchtown, NJ.

Conclave Brewing

11 Minneakoning Road, Raritan Township

Conclave Brewery quickly became a popular place to enjoy one-of-a-kind beers and good music after its 2015 opening. During your visit, sip on a glass of Mexican Morning, a selection brewed with chile de arbol peppers and cinnamon, or sample Blueberry Frukt, a Norwegian Farmhouse Ale fermented with Kveik yeast. Concave Brewery offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, live music on the weekends, and brewery tours.

Descendants Brewing at the Old Ship Inn

61 Bridge Street, Milford

Just up the river from Frenchtown, Descendants Brewing at the Old Ship Inn is a convenient place to go when you’re in the mood for a small-batch beer. The brewmasters at Descendants Brewing use a seven-barrel Peter Austin Brewing System to create a variety of inventive beers, including Fluffy Bunny, a New England IP with citrus notes, and The Ship’s Best Bitter, an English, cask-conditioned pale ale with a fruity hop finish. The brewing company offers a full menu ranging from wings and burgers to pan-roasted salmon. Enjoy the live music on Saturday nights, or try out your comedy routine at open mic nights on Tuesdays.

Highrail Brewing

20 Main Street, High Bridge

This family-owned nano-brewery on High Bridge’s Main Street offers intriguing small-batch beers in a comfortable taproom outfitted with repurposed materials and vintage furniture. Current selections include Lucy Bees, a honey brown ale; Power’s Out, a pale ale, Bitten by a Misfit, a hazy session IPA, Matty’s Monogamous Milk Stout, and P.O.G., a passion fruit/orange/guava hard seltzer with no artificial flavors. 

Lone Eagle Brewing

44 Stangl Road, Flemington

Flemington’s Lone Eagle Brewing regularly offers 12 to 14 beers on tap in its 5,000-square-foot  tasting room. With both indoor and outdoor seating areas, the brewing company can accommodate 160 guests. Popular beers on tap include the New World Pilsner, a beer brewed with two hop varieties grown in Germany; Station Lager, a Vienna-style lager with hints of freshly-baked bread and caramel; and Pineapple Gusher, a kettle-acidified sour brewed with fresh pineapple.

Odd Bird Brewing

10 Risler Street, Stockton

Odd Bird Brewing has one of the most unique locations of all the breweries on this list. The owners converted half of a gas station into a cozy tasting room and brewery that features custom glass-blown tap handles, tables, and bar built from a single red oak tree, and a reconditioned hand-pulled beer engine that originally served patrons of a UK bar in the 1970s. Among the beers offered are Twas Brillig, a golden, British-style pub ale; Color of Magic, a tangerine wit; and Skullduggery, a Belgian-style tripel with a fruity aroma and dry finish. 

Readington Brewery & Hop Farm

937 US Highway 202 South, Readington Township

The owners of Readington Brewery & Hop Farm not only brew their own beer but also grow the hops they use to make it. In fact, their hop farm is one of the largest in New Jersey. Their on-tap beer menu includes the Patriot, a hoppy and citrusy American IPA; the King Kong Braun, a malty, nutty brown ale, and Reading Light, an American-style light lager. In addition to selling pre-packaged snacks, Readington Brewery & Hop Farm hopes to host food trucks soon.

Sunken Silo Brew Works

1320 US Highway 22, Lebanon

Its convenient location at the corner of US Highway 22 and Cokesbury Road in Lebanon makes getting to Sunken Silo Brew Works incredibly easy. Since its opening almost three years ago, Sunken Silo has offered a variety of small craft beers to Hunterdon County residents. Among the offerings in the industrial-chic taproom are Bearded Flannel Cat, a hazy, juicy, New England, IPA; Crazy X, a gluten-free pale ale; and Jedediah, an American Stout with a subtle birch beer flavor. In addition to offering live music and trivia and bingo nights, the brewery also hosts private events, like many of the breweries on this list.

Want to enjoy craft beer in your Frenchtown home? Many of the breweries on the Hunterdon County Beer Trail offer to-go growlers in several sizes. If you haven’t found the perfect place to live in Frenchtown yet, join the VIP list to receive information about Harrison Square, our new luxury apartment community.