Nale House Brewing Co in Medford: Review
Breweries are popping up in great areas, so when I’d be visiting downtown Medford I knew I would be making a stop at Nale House Brewing Co. Located right on Main St in a town full of restaurants and independent stores, this craft brewery is definitely worth checking out!
What’s in a name? According the the brewery, the word “Nale” is an obsolete Middle English term that literally translates to “ale house”. The name also translates to Medford’s history as well! In the 1800s a merchant named Mark Reeeve, built a store on the corner of Friends Ave and South Main St which housed the first horse powered machine in the country to manufacture cut nails Legend has it that Reeve, after a visit to Medford, Massachusetts, called a town meeting to propose the area change its name to Medford. Pretty interesting…
Nale House Brewery is employed by Medford residents, friends and family, who came together over a love of brewing and enjoying quality craft beer. Head Brewer Eric Leiner started his love for home brewing when he moved to Medford after being introduced to the craft by his new neighbor. After several years, he decided to open his own brew shop in Medford, where he got to meet fellow home brewers. It made sense that Eric would eventually open his own brewery, and you can tell when you’re there that Nale House is a labor of loved filled with people who appreciate craft beer.
Nale House Brewery is a small batch brewery so they’re always changing up their line up and creating new beer. They utilize a 2.5 barrel brew house and have 15 barrels of fermenting capacity. Leiner prides himself in never leaving a fermenter empty.
This is what they had when I was there*:
*Editors Note: I arrived right after an engagement party, so the “Prenup” is actually “The Flake”.
Since there was a lot I wanted to try, it made sense to try a flight. I loved that they had different glasses for different beers, and that their branding was on the glasses.
What I Tried When I Was There:
– Spitshine Tommy: American Pale Ale
– The Flake
– Peacock’s Nightmare: IPA
– Cow Tippin: Coffee Milk Stout
All four beers that were on tap were fantastic, and it’s great knowing that I could have visited there the following weekend and they would have had a new line up. Their mission is quality over quantity…and it shows!
I also enjoyed getting to a chance to speak to Eric Leiner about his brewery, his roots in home brewing, and his passion for his business. If you visit the brewery yourself (which you should), you should definitely pick his brain on the art of home brewing.
Bottom line: shop local, drink local! You should be adding visiting Nale House Brewing Co AND Medford in your near future!
More Info on Nale House Brewing Co:
About: Brewers and purveyors of fine craft beer created in the historic Town of Medford, New Jersey. Locally owned, locally operated, locally brewed.
Address: 32 N Main St, Medford, NJ; (609) 760-7246
Check out more info on their Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
For more information on New Jersey Breweries and/or Reviews, Click HERE
