“Sip & See Somerset” Makes Its Debut

After a huge effort on the part of Somerset County Tourism and the Somerset County Business Partnership and its associates, the ‘Sip and See Somerset’ passport program is now underway. Visitors and locals are invited to sign up for the passport and explore the County in a completely unique way this summer, discovering new businesses and revisiting favorites.

Five of the area’s newest and best beverage artisans are at the heart of the program, inviting visitors to their tasting rooms to pick up a passport and offering samples of their truly amazing locally produced beers and spirits. At each venue, passport holders also receive a list of half a dozen other local attractions/points of interest via ever-changing QR codes in the passport.

Here’s a taste of what we enjoyed at the five participating establishments during a recent tour:

Proprietor John Coats, Burnt Mills Cidery, Bedminster

Burnt Mills Cidery (Bedminster)

There’s a huge range of hard ciders on tap here, and we sampled a seasonal offering of Strawberry Lemonade, exclusively made from local berries and a perfectly refreshing summer cider. Proprietor John Coats, along with his wife Denise, exuded the passion he has for his business and products. It was an utter delight to see him explaining so proudly his brewing and canning facility, a hive of activity and in full flow. 

Village Brewing Co., Somerville

Village Brewing Co. (Somerville)

Located in the heart of vibrant Somerville with a fully glassed and visible brewing facility, this establishment certainly won out on bar length! The creative and wonderfully appropriate range of brews included a ‘Chillville’ beer, which just seemed to say it all about Main Street Somerville on a vibrant and sunny afternoon. 

Bellemara Distillery, Hillsborough

Bellemara Distillery (Hillsborough)

This new distillery is the brainchild of co-founder Camden Winkelstien who, after a naval career, spent most of lockdown planning and preparing for his launch earlier this year. The venue is truly a beautiful space, including a tasting bar and a lounge. Now I confess to a passion for Gin, so seeing this Italian beauty of a copper still was a real treat as was tasting the resulting spirit in one of Bellemara’s trademark cocktails featuring local produce. But Camden is not stopping there and is cruising towards a genuine American Single Malt Whisky. Certainly worth a revisit. 

Flounder Brewing Co., Hillsborough

Flounder Brewing Co. (Hillsborough)  

Located next door to Bellemara, in what seems to have become a hospitality hub in Hillsborough, Flounder has set up home in a stunningly converted 250-year-old Dutch barn. The brewery’s jovial host, Jeremy Lees, tells an amazing tale of this recently opened venue as the culmination of a 15-year journey and move from their first venue. The relaxed space opens out onto fields and has become a hugely popular spot on weekends for friends and family alike, even providing a huge selection of board games! But it’s about the beer here, and the Plum Sour we tasted was just the thing to wake up an afternoon of sampling.  

Jersey Cyclone Brewing Company, Somerset

Jersey Cyclone Brewing Company (Somerset)

A hidden gem that is not going to remain hidden for long! This brewery is tucked away behind an almost secret door that unfolds into a vibrant large, contemporary venue with an amazing range of craft product for sampling, but for me go no further than the unique ‘Leafy Branches’, silky smooth but with amazing vegetable notes. Owner, Jan Chwiedosiuk is a testament to tenacity! The business was inspired by Hurricane Irene and the resilience he found with his family in rebuilding from the devastation, starting out on a stovetop and finally opening in 2019 just in time to greet Covid.  Their ‘The Eye of the Storm’ beer, at a powerful 12.1%, may well have helped them to get through all!

The passion behind the ‘Sip and See Somerset’ doesn’t end with these amazing tasting rooms, though. Each venue is tied in on the passport to several nearby venues. As a newbie to the area, this was a real revelation to me, from the parks, gardens and trails; farms to visit; revolutionary historical sites and, of course, even the sprawling Bridgewater Commons for those needing a retail hit! There are probably days of exploration between the beverage tastings, in the pages of the passport alone, and QR codes provide even more updated information along the way.

For all the variety and innovation across the venues, the truly amazing thing to see was how every single venue, and the partnership itself, exudes a genuine passion for its products and community; for the local land and produce that makes it possible, and a pride and resiliency that has brought them all through the toughest few years of Covid, still smiling and believing in a great future. 

I hope Somerset County Business Partnership has printed enough passports. It’s going to be a hit!

• Learn more at visitsomersetnj.org/sip-see-somerset