Born from the dream of a homebrewing fanatic, Climax Brewing Company brewed its first beer, an Extra Special Bitter (ESB), on February 27, 1996. After two years of diligence and hard work, Dave Hoffmann, joined by his dad, Kurt Hoffmann, finally saw their dreams become reality.

Dave previously owned “The Brewmeister”, a homebrew-supply store located in Cranford, NJ.

Dave’s love of beer, motorcycles, and more beer and Kurt’s attraction for making moest (a German hard cider), as well as his love of traveling to Oktoberfests all over the world, made them an ideal pair for a joint venture in a microbrewery.

As diverse as these two men are, they agreed on one thing: the need for a local brewery that produces classic styles of fresh beer. Climax Brewing Company’s inaugural beer was an ESB, a beer that’s light amber in color and has a nice malty balance with a warm, spicy bitterness. Climax’s hearty, robust Porter was the second beer to hit the market. The Porter is black in color with a thick, tawny head and a chocolate/coffee profile. Next on tap was Climax’s India Pale Ale (IPA), a smooth, well-rounded, copper-colored ale. It has a citrusy hop nose with malty accents and is medium bodied with a nice warming bitterness. The IPA is a perfect mingling of hops and malt and is an ideal summertime drink. Climax now also offers a Nut Brown Ale and an Oktoberfest for fall, as well as a wide assortment of seasonal and specialty beers throughout the year.

With 10 years of homebrewing experience, two years of professional consulting for Gold Coast Brewing Company, and owning his own home-brew supply store, Dave Hoffmann is firmly established in New Jersey’s fastest-growing and newly-emerging market. As head brewer, Dave has an extensive background in brewing, and formulated such beers as the well-acclaimed Hoboken Ale and Shanghai Pale Ale, which are currently available throughout the Northeast. He is also founder of The Hanson House Hoppers, a Union-county based home-brew club, and has two entries in the book, Fifty Great Homebrew Tips.

Beers brewed by Climax for private tastings and events have received rave reviews by noted beer and whiskey expert, Michael Jackson, as well as other beer aficionados. In addition, Dave has also won numerous awards for his homebrewed beers.

Kurt Hoffmann, who owns the building housing the microbrewery, operated his own Roselle Park-based business for over 29 years and has invaluable management and organizational experience. Kurt is an avid beer connoisseur, who’ll travel anywhere for a “cold one.”

Climax Brewing Company’s mission is to be the premier brewer of authentic styles of beers and ales in New Jersey, while at the same time, reviving the art of locally-brewed beer – a tradition that existed in many local towns and cities before the bigger fish started buying ‘em up to close ‘em down.

Climax Brewing Company’s equipment was custom made by a local New Jersey stainless-steel fabricator based on an innovative design by Dave Hoffmann. The hand-crafted beers, lagers and ales are now available in kegs and quarter kegs at New Jersey’s finest taverns, restaurants and liquor stores. And with a centrally-located site, Climax Brewing Company can easily fill the demands of all Jersey beer lovers.

Climax Brewing Company is located at 112 Valley Road, Roselle Park, NJ. Tours and Climax breweriana are also available.

Climax Brewing Company beers are self-distributed, which affords the opportunity for a more personal, hands-on relationship with our clients. If you’d like more info, or to place an order, call Dave or Kurt at 908-620-9585.