Beer Bar – The Iron Monkey

Last week I traveled to Jersey City to check out the local craft beer scene. My first stop was The Iron Monkey which I have heard so much about this past year. I was very eager to check it out, hoping to grab both a beer and a bite to eat and so wasted no time getting there. The Iron Monkey is located downtown, right by the light rail and PATH train - a decidedly convenient location. Of course, I'm not here to give you directions, so let's go inside and behold the Iron Monkey in all its glory.

I arrived fairly early - around 1pm. The lunch crowd was quickly dispersing back to the huge skyscrapers surrounding The Iron Monkey. I grabbed a seat at the bar and was greeted by Brant Schweinsberg, Iron Monkey's beer manager. He is a man on top of his beer game and showed me around for the day.

Seeing as we met in the bar area, the first stop was the dining room which was right above us on the second floor.

They even have a third floor of seating available during the spring and summer on the rooftop. I can't wait to kick it up here during the warmer months. I love the metal and rebar aesthetic seen here with the tables and chairs.

There is no shortage of diversity at the Iron Monkey. There are 33 taps which are constantly rotating and up to three hundred bottles at any given time, depending on the season. Everything from Belgians to IPA's to Stout's fill the lines here, offering something for every beer drinker. During the summer you can find an additional six taps flowing on roof. If you aren't into beer, they have a great selection of hard liquor and wine as well.

Patrons are provided with a proper beer list providing style, ABV, and even country of origin. I started with the crisp and delicious Carton 077XX IPA.

Of course I had to get something to eat, and the quesadillas seemed like the perfect thing to order.

I paired that with a Beach Haus Pilsner from East Coast Brewing Company.

I don't know what took me so long to get down here and experience this place but I am glad I did, and can definitely say I will be back within the next few weeks. I would like to say thanks to Brant for showing me around and chatting with me; I had a great time sampling the beers and had an awesome lunch. If you are in Jersey City don't hesitate to stop in at this bar and grab a drink. Hell, you can get beer to-go if you can only stay for one.

The Iron Monkey

-Brian