DRAFT Magazine

We’ve scoured the country from Alaska to Hawaii and Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., to find the bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. Romantic or boisterous, scuzzy or dressed to the nines, the flavor of the places where fine brew is served runs the gamut. Here, the 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.

Today: New Jersey.

Andy’s Corner Bar
Bogota, New Jersey
As a state, New Jersey gets a bad rap, but get off the Turnpike and you’ll find some true winners. Case in point: Andy’s. One of the least pretentious places in the Garden State features new kegs every day, 100-plus bottles of quality craft, and a vibe that will make you reconsider any preconceptions.
257 Queen Anne Rd.

You win some, you lose some. New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that would raise taxes on beer, only this one seems to create serious problems for the craft brewing community, specifically.

According to the plan, the excise tax would triple on beers that have an alcohol content lower than 4.5% ABV and increase even more for brews above that limit. Craft breweries, of course, frequently make beers containing alcohol content well above 4.5%.

“If such a proposal becomes reality, there is no question that many small brewery businesses will suffer, some will close and consumers will face higher prices and diminished choice in the marketplace,” Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, said.

Just another reason to avoid New Jersey, we guess.

[UPDATE: As you can see from the comment below, we mistakenly thought this tax was specific to the state of New Jersey, when actually it's a nationwide tax. The commentor points out craft beer advocates should write to their Congresspeople, something we've encouraged you to do in the past. Sorry for the confusion. And, for the record, we think New Jersey is a lovely state.]