Brick Council To Add Craft Cider, Distilleries, Winemaking To Zoning

BRICK, NJ — The growing popularity of craft alcohol sellers, from distilleries to breweries to wine making, is leading to a demand for places to open them.

Brick Township is looking to welcome more options with a proposed expansion of its zoning rules to add craft distilleries, craft cideries and meaderies, and instructional wineries and wine sales rooms to its list of permitted business uses.

An ordinance to expand the business offerings is on Tuesday's Brick Township Council agenda, and would add them to the village zone, the B2 general business and the B3 highway business zones, and the M1 light industrial zone.

It is the first reading of the ordinance, which is scheduled for a public hearing and final vote at the July 26 council meeting.

The craft distilleries produce liquors including whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka, each with its own offerings. Craft cider and mead businesses produce hard cider, and mead, which is fermented honey wine. Instructional wine-making facilities allow customers to smash their own grapes and go through the process to make their own wines, and winery salesrooms offer only the wines of a specific winery.

The proposed ordinance can be found on page 17 of the agenda.