During the winter months, the Jersey Shore towns tend to empty out; there are no lines for pizza, no traffic jams by the beach, and parking spaces are at a surplus.  At the end of January, however, individuals from all over the Garden State mark their calendars to take a trip down to the shore for an event unlike any other.

The annual Asbury Park Beerfest is able to draw crowds upon crowds of beer enthusiasts that pack out Convention Hall in its true off season.  Holding 3 sessions over the course of 2 days, drinkers rejoice with the opportunity to sample some of the latest and greatest craft beer.  From local concoctions to foreign brews, the annual festival offers its attendees a variety of drinks for those 21 and older.

Founded in 2011, the Beerfest has grown incredibly throughout the years and garnered much buzz over time.  In 2015, over 3,000 people swarmed into Convention Hall ready for a 4-hour session filled with good friends, good music, and good beer.  Breweries in the area have found the event advantageous for their business, as it gives them the ability to be on one of the biggest craft beer stages in New Jersey.

Gearing Up for the Big Weekend

Prepping for an event that expects thousands is not always the easiest – but the Beerfest’s many partners work to ensure all bases are covered for a flawless event weekend.

Presented by the Asbury Park Boardwalk and WRAT 95.9 Radio, these sponsors take multiple accounts into consideration when planning the well-attended winter festival.  The festival will support multiple Jersey Shore organizations who do work directly in our area.  Clean Ocean Action, an environment action group; Best Day Foundation, a special needs children’s organization; and Officer Down, a charity for NJ Law Enforcement Officers and their families, will receive partial proceeds from the Asbury Park Beerfest.  

Featured breweries at the festival include:

  • Anchor Steam

  • Atwater

  • Belekus

  • Boulevard Brewing

  • Brooklyn Brewing

  • Captain Lawrence

  • Clown Shoes

  • Cricket Hill

  • Evil Genius

  • Fire Island

  • Flying Fish

  • Forgotten Boardwalk

  • Great Lakes

  • Harpoon

  • Heavy Seas

  • Long Trail

  • Narranganset

  • New Belgium

  • Ommegang

  • Otter Creek

  • Sam Adams

  • Saranac

  • Sierra Nevada

  • Small Town

  • Sweetwater

  • Terrapin

  • Traveler

  • Woodchuck

From craft beers to ciders, the Asbury Park Beerfest offers a wide range of tasty beverages.  The festival promises tasting glasses as an event memento and classic boardwalk food to chow down on.  Attendees are in for a treat, with gluten free cider options available, as well as the ‘Ol Man’s Beer bar and a Beer Muscles competition.

With so many great breweries coming from near and far, the event staff wants to ensure safety precautions are taken when thousands are itching to get home after a full day of drinking.  With this said, WRAT Radio encourages beer enthusiasts to pre-program nearby taxi phone numbers in their cell phones so that event attendees can get home safely.  There is also an option to purchase Designated Driver tickets for $10 on the day of the event.  Relaying designated driver information to its fans is an excellent way to watch out for its festival fans.  

The two sessions on Saturday, January 28 are sold out, but you can still purchase tickets for Sunday, January 29 at 12 pm – 4 pm.  The price for a 4-hour session is $37.50 in advance and $45 at the door, plus service charges.  To purchase tickets ahead of time, click here.  

For more information on the Asbury Park Beerfest, visit their Facebook page, website, or call 732-897-6500.

 
Pete Schauer
Marketing Director

Pete Schauer is the Marketing Director with an MBA in Communications from William Paterson University. Leading client development and implementation of Brand strategy, he diligently works to ensure the delivery of a fully integrated and multi-solution approach. Schauer is married and has two dogs. In his free time, you can find him outdoors, scouting a new brewery, or playing trivia.