Local Breweries Bring A Sense Of Community To Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The local neighborhood bar for decades was the place folks would gather to share their successes and mourn their losses, a place of friendship and fellowship.

That's what the owners of Battle River Brewing want their microbrewery and taphouse to become.

"Our vision was to create a place where everyone could come and enjoy themselves," said Gary Morrison, one of the partners behind Battle River Brewing. "We wanted to be a destination for everyone."

Small brewers across the country are hoping people will make local breweries their destination on Sunday for Small Brewery Sunday, organized by the Brewers Association, a nonprofit group that works with small and independent American craft brewers.

The goal of the unofficial holiday is to encourage Americans to patronize and support local breweries “now and through the holiday season,” according to a release.

Toms River has three local spots including Battle River Brewing, which opened downtown in August.

• Battle River Brewing, 69 Main St., Toms River. Monday and Thursday 6 p.m.-11 p.m.; Friday 4 p.m.-11p.m.; Saturday-Sunday noon-11 pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Table seating indoors and outside in the courtyard; crowlers (32-ounce cans) available for takeout.
• Artisan's Restaurant & Brewery, 1171 Hooper Ave., Toms River. Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Limited indoor dining and outdoor seating as weather permits. Curbside pick-up for alcohol.
• Toms River Brewing, 1540 Route 37 West, Toms River. Open Sunday noon-6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday 3 p.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon-9 p.m. Closed Mondays. Takeout, curbside pick-up and table seating available.

Battle River Brewing started with the purchase of the building at 69 Main St. in March 2018, after the Toms River Township Council passed an ordinance to permit microbreweries. Morrison and partners Jim Enright, Bill Enright, and brothers Ray and Joe Carney. They chose the downtown area because "we wanted to be part of the growth and revitalization" of the area, Morrison sad.

"I always wanted to bring downtown back to where it was years ago, where it was the center of the community," said Morrison, who grew up in Toms River.

The original plan had been to open it in March, but as it has with so much, the pandemic disrupted their timeline, Morrison said. Contruction, which had been underway since September 2019, came to a halt. Once it resumed, they pushed hard to open while adhering to all the guidelines set out by the state in the midst of the pandemic.

Morrison said they had a lot of support along the way, from Toms River officials and also from other microbreweries, because they see it as an opportunity to help the industry grow.

"Seeing our vision come to life, something we built from scratch, is a great feeling," Morrison said.

Toms River Brewing started as Rinn Duin Brewing and was renamed in 2018 after Jim Mulligan bought the brewery. It has expanded on the Irish brews to a wider range of beers.

"Toms River Brewing offers an opportunity to explore beer styles with an expanded natural flavor palate. Raise a glass – we can all be a little Jersey Irish," its website says.

Artisan's has been around for more than 15 years, and has a restaurant as well as the brewery. It offers a smaller selection of microbrews that are brewed on-site.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a lasting negative impact on small businesses such as breweries. Amid the pandemic, breweries have reported a 22 percent decrease in revenue during the third quarter of 2020, according to a recent survey of Brewers Association members.

The survey also reported that approximately two-thirds of in-house sales during the third quarter of 2020 took place outdoors, indicating that winter will be the “make or break” season for small brewers.

“This has been a devastating year for craft brewers, as they’ve faced shutdowns, decreased sales, layoffs and an aluminum can shortage,” Bob Pease, president and CEO of the Brewers Association, said in a release. “Six packs, gift cards, merchandise — all make great gifts, and every little bit helps.”

The full list of participating breweries is available online.