Beer destinations: Along the Delaware River in search of beer

Jim Waters, assistant brewer left and owner/head brewer Tim Hall pause to serve 
morning brews to a touring taster at the Ship Inn in Milford, NJ.  Photos by Charlie
Papazian

The back roads of northwest New Jersey can be reminiscent of the English countryside, after all Jersey is part of England and they say this is “New” Jersey.”  There are at leaast two significant differences in New Jersey: 1) the roads are 3 feet wider and 2) the local beer at the countryside breweries and pubs are American made.  The winding roads and the tall mature forests of oak and maple are mirror images of experiences one can now enjoy on both sides of the Atlantic. 

On the New Jersey side of the northern part of the Delaware River there’s a village called Milford waiting to welcome beer enthusiasts.  There you’ll find The Ship Inn, the state’s  first brewpub.  You’ll have to drive winding and picturesque back country roads to get there, but that’s part of the pure joy of arriving at this English oasis on the shores of the Delaware.  Entering the Ship Inn, you’ll feel transported  - you have entered a traditional English  pub. 

Established as an English pub and restaurant in 1985 The Ship Inn completed its transformation with the addition of a Peter Austin-style brewery in 1995.  Tim Hall current owner, head brewer and assistant brewer Jim Waters can be found busy attending to the traditional pub menu and fermentations. 

It wasn’t that long ago, imported English ales such as Bass, Watneys and Fullers were customer’s first choices.  Over the years local beer drinkers and visitors have come to prefer the naturally brewed or cask conditioned Ship Inn house ales. Best Bitter, IPA, ESB, Golden Wheat and other specialties are brewed and served in the authentic tradition of English ale.  There’s always at least one real ales served by hand pump from a traditional firkin cask.

Next: Forty minutes south, still on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River you’ll find the River Horse Brewery in Lambertville and Triumph of New Hope, Pennsylvania a 3 minute walk across the river
 

Also See: 

Beer destinations: New York is not a only a city

Beer destinations: New Jersey is not a turnpike