Add Eight & Sand Beer Company to Your South Jersey Itinerary

Just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia in the land of jughandles, diners, and Bruce Springsteen, lie some pretty tasty New Jersey craft breweries that are worth the trip. Recently Wayne and I spent a cloudy Saturday exploring some of what the Garden State has to offer.

After winning the silver medal in the Chili Beer category at this year’s GABF, I knew we had to stop at Eight and Sand Beer Company. Located in Woodbury, New Jersey, Eight and Sand is 6.5 miles south of Tonewood Brewing, or eight miles from South Philadelphia.

Founded by two buddies from South Jersey, Eight and Sand shows their devotion to quality craft beer with the local community in mind. The styles of beer at Eight and Sand range from old to new, and the majority of the beers are sessionable and adhere to classic styles. The array of seasonals, one-offs, and special releases, assure a unique experience during each visit.

When you arrive, you can enjoy the abbreviated tour with a bartender, or get a more in depth look at the process with a guided tour through the ten barrel brewhouse. You will quickly notice a train theme at the brewery. Woodbury had three rail lines in 1887 and is one of the oldest train hubs in New Jersey.  The brewery is located a few buildings away from one of these old train lines.

According to Eight and Sand’s website, the phrase, “Eight and Sand,” was used to wish train crews a quick and safe journey.  Eight comes from Notch-8 which is the quickest setting on certain trains and sand was spread on tracks to prevent slippage.

Beers are served in 12- or 16- ounce pours depending on style, or you can choose a flight of 4 beers. We enjoyed the popular IPA 2.0, a 6.2% ABV IPA made with Citra, Cascade, and Mosaic hops, as well as Brass Pounder, a 4.5% ABV English Mild, and Gratzer, a 4.2% ABV smoky Polish ale.

With 15 beers on tap at Eight and Sand, there is no shortage of options. Other beers on tap included Blonde, Coffee Porter, a Berliner Weiss called Over the Knoll, and a lemon wheat beer called We Can Brew It.

The highlight of this visit for me was, no surprise, enjoying a full pour of the silver medal winning Bad Hombre, the 5.3% ABV milk stout brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, serrano peppers, and Square One coffee. Simply delicious.

Eight and Sand is open Thursday and Friday from 5 PM to 10 PM, Saturday from noon to 10 PM, and Sunday from noon to 7 PM. There is a small parking lot and half a block away are 25 spaces along the rail line.

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