Slainte! NJIB Visits Rinn Duin Brewing in Toms River
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name! Well, if you’re at Rinn Duin Brewing you might feel like you’re part of the cast of Cheers. Located in Toms River, this neighborhood brewery has a regular client base that seems to keep growing!
The brewery was started by a father daughter team who loved to home brew together. Chip Town has been a homebrewer for over 20 years, and it wasn’t long before his daughter Jacqui learned the craft herself. When they both found themselves without jobs in 2011, they decided to create a business plan and start their own microbrewery.
The name “Rinn Duin” has a bit of family history to it. The Town’s history began in Ireland, where their ancestral home (actually a castle!) was built in the 1200’s. Chip’s maternal grandparents were the last family to live on the grounds of Castle Rinn Duin, before donating the land to the Irish Heritage Council in the 1940’s. You can still tour the castle today in the town of County Roscommon.
If traveling to Ireland is not apart of your future plans, you can see lots of pictures of the castle inside the brewery.
I arrived at the brewery on a Thursday afternoon shortly after they opened. Soon enough the place was packed with a wide range of characters from people who just came off the beach, a couple enjoying happy hour, and a group of friends who wandered in a whim. But since it opened in 2014, Rinn Duin definitely has their regular customers.
You can always find 8 beers on tap at Rinn Duin Brewing. They have 3 flagship beers including the St. John’s (Irish Red), River Thoms (English IPA), and their Pota Cafe (coffee stout).
I ordered a flight and tried two of their flagships, the St. John’s and the Pota Cafe. Although I’m technically not a coffee stout fan, I enjoyed Rinn Duin’s since it tasted more like cold brew.
I also ordered their River Thoms Blueberry, their flagship English IPA infused with blueberries, and their 2015 Ichabod’s, a Belgian Dubbel.
Additionally I tried their Lemon Funky Monk, a Belgian Sour infused with lemon. That might have been my favorite…
The beers at Rinn Duin can be described as “comfort beer”. They have a wide range of U.K. andI rish style beers, Belgian beers, and experiment with hybrid beers, IPAs, and sours. Generally their beer is malt forward, with their hops in the back making for a smoother beer.
And of course they had a growler I wanted to take home…
The brewery itself has a great laid back atmosphere, hence the “Cheers” environment. They don’t have wifi so people (gasp!) have to actually talk to one another. They also hold fun events with live music, and every Thursday is “Vinyl Thursday” and customers are encouraged to “BYOV” (bring your own vinyl).
Overall I had a great time at Rinn Duin Brewing! I chatted with customers, had a great time with the staff, and of course…tried some awesome beer.
Additional Information on Rinn Duin Brewing:
Address: 1540 Rte 37 W, Toms River, NJ; (732) 569-3261
Check out more info on their Website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For more information on New Jersey Breweries and/or Reviews, Click HERE
