Human Village Brewing Co in Pitman: Review

November 14, 2016 newjerseyisntboring

Human Village Brewing Co is the second brewery to come to Uptown Pitman, a historically dry town in Gloucester County. I met the co-owners of Human Village back in March in 2016, before they broke ground turning the famous Bus Stop Music Cafe into their very own brewery. I was very excited to visit them now that they’re open for business!

Located on Broadway, the brewery is situated next to fantastic restaurants and down the street from the historic Broadway Theater. If you haven’t been to Pitman before, you should definitely be taking a trip there to take in the new craft beer scene and grab some food. Since breweries are not allowed to sell food, Human Village Brewing Co allows you to bring your own food into the brewery…kind of the opposite of a BYOB.

Speaking of BYOB, because Pitman is a dry town, you can bring a growler to any of the local restaurants in town. Pitman is so excited to be getting these new breweries, that some of them will be creating pairing menus so you can enjoy a brew with the food they offer. I personally find it exciting when a community bonds together and supports one another, and what is going on in Pitman is a great example.

Co-owners Megan Myers and Emily Barnes have been homebrewing and touring breweries for a long time. By starting their own brewery, they get to experience the fun of being able to pivot quickly through their own hand crafted seasonal brews and specialties. According to Megan, they both have a nerdy fascination for researching lesser-known styles of beer, and some that have been basically lost to history.

The opening tap list features an offering of European beer styles brewed with traditional methods as well as innovative specialties featuring local South Jersey ingredients. The Beers and the Bees, a golden ale, is brewed with Anthony’s Local Honey.

When I visited they had 8 beers on tap, plus variations, and a craft soda for the non-alcohol drinkers. Here is what they had on tap when I was there:

All of these beers were fantastic and unique. My favorites were the “Flying Scotman” (a Scottish Ale, something I never had before), “Pumpkin is the New Black” (a pumpkin beer, and I don’t normally like pumpkin beers), “I’m Bringing Hefe Back” (a Hefeweizen, German Beer), and “God Save the Queen” (an Earl Grey Porter).

Those who frequented the Bus Stop Music Cafe will not be disappointed by the new ownership. They will get to see Human Village Brewing Company’s fresh take on the space, and will be happy to see how much won’t change. The brewery will continue the tradition of the venue by support local Indie arts, including live music. After seeing the before and after, I’m impressed with how much they kept and incorporated!

Overall, the brewery is spacious and beautiful! Plenty of seating, plenty to look at, and it’s a relaxing environment to grab a beer.

The brewery opens on Novemebr 18th, and ticket sales to go to their grand opening sold out quickly. My prediction is that this brewery will become a landmark in the community, and they will be making customer and craft beer aficionados happy for a long time.