Michael Kane of Kane Brewery in Ocean Township

Michael Kane launched his brewery in August 2011 in Ocean Township and quickly gained respect in the craft beer community nationwide. Kane Brewery received praise as a top new brewery in the January 2012 issue of Beer Advocate magazine. The brewery focuses on American-style and Belgian-influenced beers entirely self-distributed on draught to restaurants and bars around coastal and northern NJ. The brewing takes place in a 7,000-square-foot warehouse using a two-vessel system yielding 20 barrels per batch. Kane’s passion for craft brewing began in the 1990s while he attended college and began brewing beer as a hobby. So how did this former finance guy manage to turn his hobby into a viable business? That is definitely one of the questions I’ll have for Michael.

At one time NJ’s beer landscape, as well as much of the US, was dominated by giants like Anheuser-Busch and Pabst. Legislation was finally passed, and in 1995 a brewery in Milford, NJ became the state’s first independent brewer since Prohibition. In the years since, craft brewing has grown from a regional trend to a full-fledged national movement. Kane Brewery is open to the public for tasting on Saturdays so plan on stopping in for a tour and a sample. After the interview, please check out After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live for additional information.