New Jersey becoming friendlier to craft brewers

New Jersey's craft brewing actually goes back to the late 1980s, with the brewery that was located at Vernon Valley. That unique circumstance was surpassed by the advent of brewpubs in 1995 and production brewers in the state.

But when the Legislature allowed small-batch brewing, it apparently treated the industry as a fad and wrote rules that have kept NJ brewpubs from distributing their beer, and denied production brewers a freer hand in promoting their products to the public.

Seventeen years is a long time to do business with the state's foot on your throat, but the winds of change are blowing. And the outlook is getting sunnier for brewers based in the Garden State.

www.beerstainedletter.com has more.