Krogh’s Brewing Co. nears reality in Newton

NEWTON The owner of Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub in Sparta is closer to opening a craft brewery after the Newton Town Council approved an escrow account to cover town fees at Monday’s meeting.

Specifically, Krogh’s owner Bob Fuchs provided $8,500 for “municipal undertakings” for town officials to begin working on changes to allow the brewery — Krogh’s Brewing Co. — to move into the building and eventually commence production.

A popular brew pub and restaurant in the Lake Mohawk section of Sparta, Krogh’s was established in 1923 but didn’t begin brewing its own beer until 1999. But for the last decade, Fuchs said they’ve been brewing at maximum production.

“We’ve been selling out of our beer,” Fuchs said. “We can’t meet the demand.”

Which is why he said the primary recipient of Krogh’s Brewing Co. will be the restaurant and brew pub of the same name.

“We’re going to sell it right back to the restaurant and offer more taps,” Fuchs said. “The young market loves selection and change.”

Currently, Krogh’s offers seven flagship beers and some rotating seasonals. Fuchs said he hopes to increase production ten-fold to support about 12 to 14 Krogh’s beers on tap at a single time, adding “more IPA’s and newer, trendy beer styles.”

Krogh’s Brewing Co. will be a 20-barrel system capable of producing 4 to 5,000 barrels of beer per year. The current setup at the brew pub produces about 500 barrels per year, and will still be utilized once the brewery is operational.

Fuchs said the proposed Krogh’s Brewing Co. has been three years in the making.

“It was just a lot of due diligence on finding a location that met out criteria,” Fuchs said. “We wanted a location with a rent we could afford, city water and sewer, and a town that wanted us. Newton was overwhelmingly welcoming.”

Fuchs said he looked at multiple locations in Morris County that fit two of the three criteria, but the rent was too high.

According to the minutes from Monday’s council meeting, the brewery location would be 56 Paterson Avenue in Newton, an area of town labeled in need of redevelopment.

Fuchs said the Paterson Avenue location he plans to rent fits all the brewery’s needs, but zoning regulations need to be changed to allow for the sale of beer on site.

“At the moment it’s just zoned for light industrial, so we would be able to manufacture beer but not sell pints or six packs or kegs on the premises,” Fuchs said. “Monday Newton passed a resolution to accept money to work on those zoning changes.”

Due to current state laws, Krogh’s Brewing Co. will not be allowed to sell food on site. People are, however, allowed to bring or order their own food, leaving a potential door open for Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub to deliver to Krogh’s Brewing Co.

“But that’s still a very gray area,” Fuchs said. “I’m scratching my head on what we can and can’t do with it.”

Fuchs said while nothing is official, he is “very optimistic” he will have approvals by the end of the year, at which point he will apply for the proper state licensing, which can take about six months.

“Finding a suitable location was our number one hurdle. Now it’s all about time, patience, and due diligence,” Fuchs said. “We will wait on the town’s approval, and all indication so far has been very cooperative, but it’s not a done deal.”

He hopes to be brewing by June 2016.

“It was a discouraging few years finding the perfect location, so now it feels like a relief,” Fuchs said. “We’re thrilled, very excited, and plan on making some wicked good beer.”

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com