Randolph’s Fort Nonsense Brewing Debuts Revolutionary War-Inspired Beer

RANDOLPH, NJ — Randolph Township is marking America's 250th anniversary with a "Taste of Freedom" tour, inviting residents to visit participating local restaurants and food establishments offering patriotic specials throughout 2026.

Councilman Joe Hathaway recently stopped by Fort Nonsense Brewing Company as part of the tour, sitting down with owner and brewer Andrew Aslanian to talk colonial history, craft beer and community.

"We moved to town in 2021, took this location, and yeah, it's been great," Aslanian said.

The brewery takes its name from an actual Revolutionary War-era earthwork constructed at the order of George Washington. "Legend has it that it was just to keep the soldiers busy and out of trouble in the winter," Aslanian said — hence the name.

Aslanian drew on that history for the America 250 offering: a "small beer," a style common in the colonial era. George Washington kept a molasses-based small beer recipe in his own notebooks, though Aslanian's version updates the style for modern palates.

"It is a small beer, which was the style back then — they would drink it instead of water," Aslanian said. "George Washington actually had a recipe in his notebook. It was molasses-based ... it wouldn't taste very good, so we made it approachable, easy drinking."

Hathaway encouraged residents to make the trip. "Come down anytime and enjoy the craft brewery that calls Randolph home," he said.

Residents can try the small beer at Fort Nonsense Brewing through May 31 as part of the Taste of Freedom tour. Participating establishments across Randolph are offering patriotic specials through the end of the month.

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