Hackensack resident hopes to bring city its second brewery

Local beer lovers may have reason to rejoice as a city resident prepares to open Hackensack’s latest microbrewery.

Hackensack resident Mike Jones plans to open up Hackensack Brewing Company in a warehouse on Johnson Avenue. His application was approved Wednesday by the city Planning Board.

Jones' hops-fueled journey to open his own brewery started in, of all places, a closet in a Hackensack high-rise apartment, where he fermented his first batch of beer.

"I brewed up a batch in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment," said Jones, 39. "That first batch came out really good, and I think, like anybody who brews beer, you immediately have the dream of having a brewery."

As with most people who get to drink free beer, his friends sang his homebrews' praises, Jones said. It wasn't until Jones started submitting some of his beers to competitions and winning that he thought there might be some truth to it.

In 2016, two of Jones' beers, the Fairmount IPA, named for the city neighborhood, and a dark German lager both won medals at the New Jersey State Fair. His lager was awarded the gold medal in the dark European lager category.

"It was one thing for your friends to tell you it's good," Jones said. "It's a whole other thing when you have certified judges doing score sheets."

Plans for the brewery include a manufacturing area on one side of the building, separated from the taproom by a partition. The taproom will have eight to nine seats and eight beers on tap, rotating based on season, for people to enjoy fresh batches of beer.

The brewery would be the city’s second, after The Alementary, which is right around the corner. As part of the citywide redevelopment push, Hackensack officials have promoted bringing in destination businesses like restaurants and microbreweries. In 2015, the City Council approved an ordinance changing city laws to allow for microbreweries in the manufacturing zone.

The brewery will focus on the taproom for the earlier stages in the business so people can become familiar with his beers, Jones said. Its expected hours will be Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

For Jones, his goals are to have his beer pop up in local spots and to keep doing what he loves.

"I just want to make beer," he said.

Email: torrejon@northjersey.com