Cape May, NJ — Cape May Brewing Company – the south Jersey start-up founded in 2011 by two college buddies with a homemade brew system and a dream – was this week honored three times by the Best of Craft Beer Awards.
On January 24, 608 brews from 108 breweries across the nation were tested in Bend, Oregon by industry professionals in a BJCP (or Beer Judge Certification Program) sanctioned event.
In the category of Imperial IPA, Cape May Brewery’s Coastal Evacuation — a Centennial-hop heavy beer that fans say helps them weather hurricane season at the Jersey shore — scored a silver medal, besting 27 other entries. “It’s a pretty cutthroat category, so we’re thrilled,” says head brewer Brian Hink.
Other winners include CMB’s light and refreshing Tower 23, which earned silver in the Berline Weisse group, and Devil’s Reach, the brewery’s most popular pint, which took home a bronze in the Belgian Golden Strong Ale class.
“It’s something every brewer wants to do — win awards,” says Hink. But his real motivation comes from the process itself. “To make the best product, you have to really care about it. When you’re brewing beer, it’s important that your heart be in it.”
To try these or any of CMBC’s other liquid labors of love, stop by the tasting room — located at Cape May Airport, 1288 Hornet Road in Rio Grande, NJ — any day between noon and 8pm.
About Cape May Brewing Company:
Once upon a time, twenty-something Ryan Krill earned a six-figure salary working in finance and real estate development in Manhattan, while his college roommate, Chris Henke, designed satellites. During a summer weekend at the Jersey shore, they brewed a batch of beer with Ryan’s dad that wasn’t half bad. “Should we open a brewery?” Ryan asked, only half-serious. But, by the following year, the three guys had secured a hangar at Cape May Airport where they concocted a makeshift brew system and honed their beer-making skills. In 2011, they started with one client. Today, there are over 200 bars in Jersey and Pennsylvania proudly serving the guys’ award-winning recipes. And CMBC’s fearless leaders have never looked back.