Behr Brewing: Beer, Down Home Style
The ever-growing craft beer industry is the result of many happy incidents, coincidences, and luck. One of those incidents was the signing of HR 1337 in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter which legalized homebrewing in the United States. I mention this not to start a history lesson but to note that most of Cape May’s nearly dozen craft breweries began with their owners’ concocting ales and lagers in their basements before venturing commercially. There is something inherently appealing about sipping suds made by hand in the home of a friend. It is the essence of “down home” style. In this issue I introduce one of the area’s newer mom-and-pop breweries, one which epitomizes the down-home vibe. Welcome to Behr Brewing.
Located on Seashore Road a scant five miles north of Cape May, Behr is housed within a rectangular cinder block building that was once a consignment shop, but which has undergone a complete internal remodel and a sprucing up to its current purpose. Like so manynano-breweries, an otherwise mundane space has been skillfully transformed. The ambience is homey by design. The premises include a “living room” containing a television and fireplace, a stereo turntable with vinyl records, and an area for playing table games while imbibing. The adjacent tap room is reasonably spacious, featuring a rectangular bar with ample seating on three sides. Parts of the interior have a warm wooden paneling motif. The cozy feel evokes an atmosphere where a varied demographic should feel welcome—the young with families, seniors, day trippers, vacationers and locals. Also, outdoor seating is available for approximately 60 or 70 out back on picnic tables with sun umbrellas.
Founders Steven and Catherine “Cat” Wilson, both born and raised in Cape May County, described to me the establishment of Behr as a double love story. It began with their falling in love with one another which was followed by a fortuitous first Christmas gift by Cat to Steven of a homebrewing kit. Then, their joint love of brewing began. Soon, the young couple’s goal to commercialize this shared interest began. Cat was working as bar manager at the ever-popular Lucky Bones Backwater Grille, and Steven was a mechanic when they began formulating the business plan for Behr in 2020. But this was in the turbulent days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the negative impact on small businesses, two years passed before even the property could be acquired. And another two years passed before the brewery opened, in February of 2022. Now, two years in, Behr is on sound footing and producing fine brews of significant variety for such a small operation.
According to Steven and head brewer Jake Smith, the prime objective at Behr is to brew top-quality beers while providing significant variety using quality local ingredients wherever possible. All brewing is done in-house. On the day of my visit, I was impressed by the count of roughly 10 beers on tap. The choices included by style: a light lager, a dark lager, a blonde ale, a hazy pale ale, a lemon shandy, a sour IPA, an ESB (extra special bitter) and a dry stout. As with each brewery visit, I listen to the guiding voice of my beer muse as to what to taste. Invariably the practical answer is a flight of four 4-ounce pours. This day, my inner direction called for a flight of the “Headquarters” (Hazy IPA), the “Winnie” (Extra Special Bitter), the “Dark Thirty” (dry stout), and “When Life Gives you Lemons” (wheat ale shandy).
The Headquarters hazy pale ale boasts a relatively low alcohol-by-volume (ABV) of 5.5% with a balanced Citra and Mosaic hop profile. I found it balanced, refreshing and crisp on the finish. Worth noting, this ale is part of Behr’s charitable efforts, with a portion of each pint sold going to the Cape May Lifeguard Scholarship Fund.
The Winnie is balanced between sweet and bitter and notably contains honey, made by local bees (!). Other notes include caramel and biscuit malt, and it’s another fairly low ABV brew at 5%.
The Dark Thirty is a dry stout, which characteristic of its style provides a robust roasted malt flavor. Often thought as heavy due to its name (stout) and color, this ale is actually light and creamy.
Finally, the When Life Gives you Lemons Shandy—at 5% ABV—is a crisp wheat ale made with homemade lemonade, perfect for the scorching hot summer we’ve been having on the Cape.
While sampling, I asked Cat and Steven about their developing space and niche in the community. They mentioned Behr’s participation in multiple local charities including Habitat for Humanity, Family First, and the previously mentioned Cape May Lifeguard Scholarship Fund. They also have desires to expand brewing capacity to support growth in distribution in the area to the multitude of establishments and watering holes in the Cape May region. They’re off to a very good start by currently being available on tap at nine local restaurants, including Lucky Bones Backwater Grille, Harpoons on the Bay, Oyster Bay, Elaine’s on Lafayette Street, and Exit Zero in West Cape May.
It’s not just sit and sip either. As with most nano-breweries, a variety of delectable dishes is available via food trucks on Fridays and Saturdays. Behr also hosts a Summer Music Series from July to September for visitors to enjoy live music onsite every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-8pm.
Behr Brewing is a cozy place to enjoy a couple hours with friends. Today’s craft beer establishments provide a wide spectrum of brewery types and experience—from startup mom-and-pops to destination breweries, meaning the bigger venues with established brands and large-scale events. Behr is more to the former—certainly beyond the start-up phase, but still in that early stage of evolution. It is a phase I find exciting and rewarding to support. If a down-home style brewery is what you seek, one where everyone is treated as a valued guest, put Behr on your list!
Behr Brewing is located at 513 Seashore Road, Cape May, NJ 08204. behrbrewing.com
