Earlier this month, Grin Brewing, in downtown Keansburg, celebrated its first anniversary. The Garden State brewery is located in the spot that was previously home to Raritan Bay Brewing.
Cool without being pretentious, Grin Brewing fits right into the Bayshore vibe. The exposed brick, gleaming storefront brewhouse is hip, cozy, and rustic. The beer list features a solid lineup of traditional styles, including a rich copper altbier, a crisp pilsner, a very drinkable standard American IPA, and nine or so other non-pretentious beer styles.
The ground floor features a small tap room and bar tucked in behind the brew house. There’s a small courtyard out back, next to a side street where Crave Hot Dogs and Barbeque food truck was parked.
Friendly is the watchword here. While Grin has a locals/regulars vibe, the staff was more than friendly to everyone. When we expressed regret that the to-go refrigerator didn’t include four-packs of their Two Rowes IPA, which I had fallen in love with, one of the bartenders offered to make a couple up for us. From scratch. I mean he applied the stickers to the cans by hand, filled all eight up at the tap, sealed the tops and clicked them into the holders while we watched. Now, that’s service!
The Bayshore has gone through a bit of a renaissance over the past few years and Grin Brewing is certainly representative of that. When you stop in, don’t miss the bright, airy upstairs loft bar, which features several TVs and a street view of Keansburg. It has echoes of the neighborhood joints, which exemplified the region back in the day. And it’s sure to put a smile on your face.
