Flounder Brewing, Distillery To Build New Home At Carriage Farm

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A whole new and exciting experience for beer and whiskey lovers is coming to Hillsborough. The Hillsborough-based craft brewer, Flounder Brewing, and CW Brewing and Distillery, are teaming up to build their new home at Carriage Farm in the township.

Flounder Brewing recently received approval at the Nov. 6 Board of Adjustment meeting for this new venture at the farm at 2 Clerico Ln. in Hillsborough, just off Route 206.

Jeremy "Flounder" Lees, who owns and runs Flounder Brewing out of an industrial park at 1 Ilene Ct. in Hillsborough, is especially excited about giving customers a new and unique experience.

"I feel the need to have an experience," Lees said. "Have tours, beer and the agricultural experience. This will be an experience that is not just going to another industrial park to sample beer but instead have the production inside a historical building where everything tells a story."

Lees had been looking to separate himself in the craft beer world and is excited to be able to merge his brewing craft with agricultural.

This isn't a far jump for Lees as he has already been environmentally friendly. He recycles his used hops and grains and gives them to a Dutch Hollow Farms in Bridgewater for animal food. Lees also collects and reuses rainwater.

Now he will call the 250-year-old working farm on Clerico Lane home in his new brewery venture.

"We are happy and excited to be apart of this vision for our property," said Susan Clerico, one of the owners of the farm. "This will help maintain the character, historical and agriculture elements of it."

Flounder Brewing will set up shop in the 250-year old Dutch barn and stable that is closest to Clerico Lane. Lees will be putting up new siding, adding loft seating for the tasting room, constructing a small addition for bathrooms in the barn and adding garage doors that will lead out to a beer garden. The beer garden will be located just outside the tasting room barn and the brewery.

The back portion of the barn will also have outdoor covered seating with views of the rolling farmlands.

The stable portion will serve as the brewery which will also have garage doors on the exterior so visitors can see the brewing process.

The second 100-year-old English barn on the property needs too much work to be restored so instead Lees said it will be torn down and rebuilt while incorporating the original materials of the barn. This barn will house CW Brewing and Distillery.

"The beautiful agricultural setting and proximity to Flounder Brewing is a perfect match for us," CW owner Camden Winkelstein said.

CW will distill high-quality grain to glass single malt whiskey along with bourbon, gin and seasonal specialties.

Both the brewery and distillery will offer tours, educational experiences and a rotating selection of brews and cocktails in the tasting rooms.

"This is a one of a kind experience for the community," Clerico said. "People will be able to have an experience and taste beer and interact with animals. It is a positive thing for the businesses and community."

Lees is hoping to begin construction sometime in early 2020.

For more information on Flounder Brewing visit flounderbrewing.com or follow them at facebook.com/flounderbrewing.

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