When Brix City Brewery, the first of its kind in Bergen County, opened in 2014, few people in the area even knew what a brewery was.

Owners Joe Delcalzo and Pete Reuther began searching for a place to root Brix City, and found themselves standing in front of city planning boards being asked questions like, “Will there be smoke stacks,” and “How much will it smell?”

“It wasn’t a stigma necessarily, it was just complete unawareness,” Delcalzo says. “Most of the people had zero concept of what a brewery was. It was an uphill battle.”

They originally signed a lease in Lodi. That fell through. Then they tried Hackensack, to no avail. Finally, Little Ferry welcomed them with open arms. Now, four years later, Brix City has one of the most popular tasting rooms in the state and has recently upgraded its equipment to a brewing system that will multiply production capabilities.

It’s safe to say that now, in Bergen County and beyond, public opinion has largely accepted the virtues of breweries. They’re approachable hang out spots for friends, dates, work meetings and even families — it’s not uncommon to see kids buzzing around while their parents enjoy a few pints. Since Brix City brewing led the way, three others, Alementary, Bolero Snort and Hackensack Brewing Company, have opened.

The image of smoke-stacks and drunkards in the street wasn't forgotten overnight, though. Alementary began business in Hackensack in early 2016, and owner Blake Crawford tells a story similar to Delcalzo’s. He and Mike Roosevelt, the brewery’s other owner, were thwarted from opening Alementary by tricky alcohol laws.

“A lot of town have ordinances on the books that prevent alcohol manufacturing in the town,” Crawford says. “We tossed around different towns and were told no, no, no, no. In Hackensack, we were told they were willing to have a conversation about it.”

Partnering with officials, Crawford and Roosevelt helped change the ordinance to allow microbrewing in the city. In 2015, the City Council approved an ordinance changing city laws to allow for microbreweries in the manufacturing zone.

Crawford says people were worried about the smell, the noise, the additional traffic and unruly drunken behavior.

“A lot of people think that if you have a brewery all of a sudden you’re going to have a town of drunks. That’s not the case. In fact, if you know anything about beer culture, the opposite is true,” he says.

With a proven record of good behavior, Crawford has even had folks who were originally nay-sayers regret their initial rejection of the brewery.

“I’ve had mayors and town council members from neighboring towns come in and say they really wish we had put the brewery in their town,” he says. “I’m always honest with them and tell them, ‘we tried.’”

With still very few breweries in the area, Crawford says competition is not an issue yet, and he was excited when he found out Hackensack Brewing Company was opening only about 100 yards from Alementary.

Bolero Snort is also currently working on opening a brick and mortar brewery in Carlstadt, though owner Bob Olsen has been brewing since 2013. Bolero Snort beers can be found in restaurants on-tap and in liquor stores, but it has yet to open a space with its own equipment and tasting room. He and partner Scott Wells have been gypsy brewing – using other breweries’ unused equipment to make their own beer — for more than five years.

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“The plan was to only do that for a year. It took a hell of a lot longer than we anticipated,” says Olsen.

Currently headquartered in Ridgefield Park, Bolero Snort hopes to open the new brewery in the spring of 2019. Olsen says he’s looking forward to having full charge over the beers, from grain to glass. In the meantime, he and Wells have been supported by others in the Bergen County beer community, Olsen says. Bolero Snort has even used equipment at Alementary.

“We’re a very tight-knit group. We don’t have beer without relying on our friends. We’re very close to them. Having [brewers] come before us, so people have seen breweries before, makes it easier,” adds Olsen.

Delcalzo of Brix City agrees, stating that since other North Jersey breweries have opened, he’s seen more beer-seeking visitors from South Jersey and out of state. In the case of Bergen beer, Delcalzo has a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality.

“People think that other breweries opening in Northern New Jersey is bad for us because it’s competition, but that’s not the case," he says. "It creates a destination for people who may be hesitant to drive two to three hours to visit one brewery. It makes it a destination.”