Sip, Sip, Hooray! Breweries & Wineries Make for Tasty Trips
Within the past decade, several breweries and wineries have opened their doors in Cape May County, each offering different styles, atmospheres and signature drinks. With the refreshing fall weather ahead, the months of September and October are the perfect time to tour the vineyards, check out some breweries and see what flavors you like best. A tasting tour through Cape May County is a must-do activity, and we’ve compiled a list of some featured drinks from wineries and breweries for you to enjoy. Sit back, relax and enjoy all that the wineries and breweries have to offer this season! Cheers!
1. Tastings and Tours
484-274-2517 | tastingsandtours.com
Travel among the wineries and breweries in Cape May County and enjoy a carefree day with help of Tastings and Tours. Celebrating 10 years in business, Tastings and Tours handles the driving so you and your group can sit back, relax and enjoy the scenic ride. Through special partnerships, Tastings and Tours provides all-inclusive, private VIP tastings that are not normally offered to the general public. Hop aboard the 14-passenger bus and tour several breweries and wineries and enjoy a pit stop for lunch. Various packages and locations are available so you can customize your day. The bus picks up and drops off throughout Cape May area. The company offers customized and private tours for larger groups, making it the perfect option for bachelorette and bachelor parties, girls’ weekends, or just a Sunday afternoon. Tastings and Tours is also available in Bucks County and Lehigh Valley. Book online at tastingsandtours.com or call to reserve your tour today.
2. Cape May Brewing Company1288 Hornet Road, Cape May Airport
609-849-9933 | capemaybrewery.com
Since its opening in 2011, Cape May Brewing Company has expanded from producing one style of beer in its 1,500-square-foot space to holding more than 1,000 accounts throughout all of New Jersey’s 21 counties and nine counties in Pennsylvania, with more than 250 flagship, seasonal, and small-batch brews in its 30,000-square-foot space at the Cape May Airport. With several award-winning brews on tap, a visit to Cape May Brewing Company is a must on your tour of breweries. Take a self-guided tour of the facility or order a flight and enjoy the crisp autumn weather outside in the spacious beer garden. And, speaking of fall, Cape May Brewery’s Oktoberfest is the perfect drink of the season! Featuring a rich and complex taste, this amber-colored Marzen-style lager is 5.8% ABV and offers a well-balanced taste of Vienna, Munich, Caramunich, Pilsen, and Melanoidin malts.
3. Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
600 S. Railroad Ave., Rio Grande
609-846-7347 | hawkhavenvineyard.com
Celebrating 10 years in business, Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery features award-winning wines, beautiful vineyards and a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy the afternoon. Whether you choose to indulge in a tasting, tour the vineyards, or both, a visit to Hawk Haven is not complete without sampling some of its most popular wines such as the 2018 Signature Series Albariño. Sold for $23.99 per bottle, this wine features fragrant aromas of nectarine, pomelo and grapefruit accompanied by notes of sea spray. With hints of papaya, mango and star fruit, the Signature Series Albariño is paired best with any type of seafood such as a paella, fish tacos, and ceviche. Most wines are sold online at hawkhavenvinyard.com, or stop by to enjoy a glass by the firepits this fall.
4. 7 Mile Brewery
3156 Route 9 South, Rio Grande
609-365-7777 | 7milebrew.com
When visiting 7 Mile Brewery, customers can choose from about 12-14 beers on tap. Pete Beyda and his team brew something for every palate with all kinds of malts, grains, hops, fruits and flavors. Their flagship beer, the award-winning Seven Suns Double IPA, is a deep rich malt hopped with 90 IBUs and offers a citrus aroma. When poured into your glass, you will see the pillow-like white foam head and taste the balance of pine, citrus and malt, with a clean finish. Seven Suns is available on tap and in 16-ounce four-packs from retailers throughout Cape May County. The brewery is also celebrating three years in business this Labor Day weekend and will host an anniversary party on Saturday, Aug. 31 with live music, a barbecue, prizes and, of course, “Great Beer for Great People.” Sit back, relax and enjoy a cold one at 7 Mile Brewery, open daily year-round.
5. Bucket Brigade Brewery
205 North Main St., Cape May Court House
609-778-2641 | bucketbrigadebrewery.com
Founded by Karl and Kurt Hughes, brothers with a passion for craft beers and their career of firefighting, Bucket Brigade Brewery opened on Main Street in Cape May Court House in 2017. The brewery specializes in handcrafted brews including quality ales, pilsners and lagers. Using traditional brewing methods, each beer is brewed in small batches to ensure consistency and quality taste. Bucket Brigade Brewery is constantly experimenting and expanding its selection. It was awarded third place among 160 entries at the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival in March for its Axe Head Amber Ale and the Crow Bar Cream Ale. The Crowbar Cream Ale is a Belgian blonde ale with a 7.4% ABV. This light and refreshing beer appeals to the masses and offers a light body and smooth mouthful. You won’t want to miss this brewery on your tour; the party starts when you walk through the doors.
6. Windrift Hotel Resort
105 80th St., Avalon
609-368-5175 | windrifthotel.com
The Windrift Hotel Resort offers its customers the largest selection of wines in Cape May County, with more than 3,000 wines available on-site. There are 20 whites and 13 reds available by glass or you choose a bottle to enjoy with your group. Customers can browse the entire selection of whites, reds, rosés and sparkling wines with ease of an iPad installed with the Tastevin App. The app enables customers to research wines by region, tasting notes and information on the vineyard. The Rombauer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, from Napa Valley, features a light and refreshing taste with hints of grapefruit, pineapple and passionfruit, making it the perfect pour for the shore. Order a bottle for the table to enjoy with your ocean view as you savor an endless summer!
7. Avalon Brew Pub
125 79th St., Avalon
609-967-2116 | avalonbrewpub.com
In 2016, after a complete renovation of the property formerly known as the Golden Inn, ICONA Avalon opened the Avalon Brew Pub featuring burgers, dinners and local craft beers, including a varied selection of its namesake house-brewed beers. Open year-round, on-site brewing takes place just steps away from Avalon’s beaches. Guests can choose from a rotating selection of favorite beers such as “Cooler by a Mile” Session IPA, “Belgian Beach Bum” witbier, and “We Don’t Play” IPA, to name a few. The pub also caters to cocktail lovers and this season’s featured cocktail, Tito’s Oasis of Peace, not only tastes good but benefits children in Kenya. Featuring hints of pomegranate and tropical pineapple, the Oasis of Peace is a signature cocktail from ICONA. Up to $10,000 of proceeds from this cocktail will support the Oasis of Peace Orphanage & School in Kenya.
8. Ludlam Island Brewery
9 Stoney Court, Unit C, Ocean View
609-263-6969 | ludlamisland.com
Located just minutes from Sea Isle City, Ludlam Island Brewery opened its doors in 2016 off Route 550 in Ocean View. Its beers are available throughout the state in liquor stores and on tap in bars and restaurants. Beer lovers can also stop by the tasting room, open year-round daily from noon-8pm. The company prides itself on its everchanging, experimental beers and continues to expand its selection of brews. By working on small test batches, Ludlam Island Brewery continues experimenting with styles and flavors such as the Water Guns and Rainbows, which debuted in July. This India Pale Ale is a 7.5% ABV and offers a smooth taste. The beer is hopped singularly with the damp Citra hops, providing for sticky, dark orange and tropical notes with a bitterness to remind you it is still an IPA at heart. Water Guns and Rainbows is also available in a DDH version.
WHERE TO BUY Around 7 Mile Island
Avalon Brew Pub
• 7 Mile Brewery
Bobby Dee’s Rock ‘n Chair
• Cape May Brewing Company
Circle Tavern
• Cape May Brewing Company
Concord Café
• 7 Mile Brewery
Fred’s Tavern and Liquor Store
• Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
• Cape May Brewing Company
Harbor Burger Bar
• Cape May Brewing Company
ICONA Avalon
• Avalon Brew Pub
• Cape May Brewing Company
Kudos American Grill
• Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
Stone Harbor Pizza Pub
• 7 Mile Brewery
The Reeds at Shelter Haven
• Cape May Brewing Company
• 7 Mile Brewery
The Whitebrier
• Ludlam Island Brewery
• 7 Mile Brewery
Windrift Hotel Resort
• Cape May Brewing Company
