Anglesea Aleworks
Since the launch of Grape & Grain we have delighted in exploring ten craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries in our area. We are blessed that none of these happy places are more than a 20-minute drive from Exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway. Indeed, most are within 10 minutes. And I have further good news for everyone: there are still at least a dozen more establishments in Cape May County yet to be toured in these pages, and hopefully for you, in person!
Today, we trip into Wildwood to taste the wares of a microbrewery that, despite being one of the newest entrants on the stage, has already won significant quality awards. Notably they garnered Silver Award recognition by Best of the Jersey Shoretwo years in a row (2024, 2025). They also earned silver and bronze recognition by Untappd, the wildly popular beer social networking app. And perhaps most noteworthy is being voted 9th of over 400 in USA Today’s Best New Breweries 2024.
So, come along as we meet the crew behind this amazing start at Anglesea Aleworks.
First, the brewery is just a 12-minute drive from my starting point of Exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway. On arrival, I was happy to find free parking in a lot just outside, which can be crucial in Wildwood. Like so many craft breweries, Anglesea Aleworks is housed within a broader multi-business building which, judging purely from the exterior, is rather humdrum and oddly styled. It would be a mistake, though, to judge this book by the cover. On entering, it’s clear that the Anglesea team has done a remarkable job designing their space to create a distinctive and appealing character.
Once through the doors, we find a cozy scene which immediately evokes the atmosphere of a brew-themed ‘man cave’ or your best friend’s basement. It’s a pleasant and genuine environment. The bar provides 15 stools for those who like to belly up and additional stools and tables for another 60. Also on the ambience front, it is worth noting that the brewery is a mere three blocks from the Wildwood Boardwalk and its amusement rides, a proximity which can be a definite plus for families. In the evening the Ferris Wheel looms and rotates brightly, creating a real “down the shore” scene.
The brewery’s founders are a husband/wife/sister/friend combination. In managing this labor of love, Mike Johnson runs the brewing operations while his wife Kelly is director of finance. Kelly’s sister, Tracy Verch, heads up sales and marketing, and their collective friend Billy Creamer leads the buildings and grounds and HR duties. Naturally, they can also be found working the bar and the crowd.
Like so many origin stories, the beermaking began with Mike homebrewing way back in 2011. Most of Anglesea’s founders were also initially at the former Coho Brewing but left in 2020 to launch this venture. The crew had also previously run Anglesea BBQ Competition & Catering, and these collaborations made their establishment of Anglesea Aleworks a natural evolution.
The team’s mission is to brew top quality beers using real ingredients while providing novelty and variety of styles to patrons in a welcoming environment. Their unofficial motto is “we have a beer for everyone.” Indeed, I was impressed by the count of 16 beers on tap including a Czech pilsner, several pale ales, India pale ales, a stout, a wheat ale, a porter and several hard seltzers and sodas, including unique specialties like hard tea and birch beer. At tasting time my flight included:
The Hard Birch Beer – birch, not root, beer. At 5% ABV, it’s red and has that subtle wintergreen mint note that is so refreshing. Think Pennsylvania Dutch brand. A unique specialty.
The Haze Mat – a New England style India Pale Ale, at 6.5% ABV, hazy, dry hopped with Strata and Citra hops providing its citrus flavor.
The Sea Pig – an American Pale Ale, at 5% ABV, piney with notable tasty stone fruit notes.
The Doo Whip – an American Pale Wheat beer, at 5.6% made with pineapple, vanilla and lactose. They refer to it as “summertime in a glass.” I agree.
The Angle-Tea Hard Tea – a summer treat also- with Earl Grey Tea and bergamot providing a sweet and slightly floral aroma.
While sampling, I asked Tracy what else makes Anglesea an exciting choice in an increasingly crowded field. She noted that they realized early on that to be successful they couldn’t be just a sit-and-sip destination. So, to provide activity and fun they offer numerous popular audience participation games, including weekly name-that-tune, karaoke, music bingo, and trivia competitions. They offer “pint nights” for local organizations where $1 for each pint sold all day is a donation. They collaborate with local specialty food businesses to create highly creative beer and food pairings, including unique choices like beer and fudge or beer and pickle pairings. For the more conventionally minded, there are food trucks routinely scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays. And they also participate at every Downtown Wildwood Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.
Given the relative youth of the operation, Anglesea Aleworks has quite an impressive distribution beyond the tap room. Their beers can be found in at least a dozen Cape May area restaurants and bars, including favorites like Stowaways, Harpoon’s on the Bay, Duffinetti’s, Taco Caballito, and Lucky Bones Backwater Grille. Select Anglesea brews are also available in several local package stores such as Joe Canal’s in Rio Grande, Villas Liquors, and Boulevard Liquors in Marmora.
The time came, as it always does, alas, for me to leave. But I’ll be back. Anglesea Aleworks is a must stop for enjoying highly rated, award-winning ales, seltzers, and sodas. It’s a warm gathering spot to share a couple hours with friends in a cozy man cave, best buddy’s basement environment. And it’s all right in the middle of the vibrant Wildwood shore scene. Stop by. They have a beer for everyone!
