Latest reviews from Fairfield

“Small industrial location in a fairly unassuming strip mall. Decent selection of beers, quality good but styles fairly limited to IPAs, sours and stouts. Only 9oz or 14oz pours. Good range of 4 packs to go. Beer is probably better than the place.“

explosivedog 325 days ago

“Came here on 4.12.2022. # 8 stop during my New Jersey beer weekend. Located very much off the beaten track in the middle of nowhere. Small bar with the brewery behind. Does not look spectacular at all, but beers are quite amazing. Had a Rice Lager and a Hazy IPA, both very good. Well balanced beer menu and best bartenders in the last two days.“

Schlenkerla 551 days ago

“Small brewery in a rambling strip mall. We visited during COVID and you could only order beers from outside. They had a makeshift seating area set up in the middle of the parking lot.I just got several beers to go - all were pretty good.“

BeerdedDave 1152 days ago

“Mid to late Saturday afternoon in mid November. Crowded and loud when I came in. After a few minutes I managed to get both a beer and a bar seat. Seven beers on, though one had kicked and they had to wait a while to get a back up due to all of the construction, which was also making for some unpleasant aromas as well. Beer prices were quite good, but no flights that I could see and at eight ounces for the smallest pour, I knew I’d be wasting some beer. Which seemed a shame as what I tried was pretty good. I think I’d rather come at a more low key time, but worth a visit.“

j12601 2757 days ago

“Adding a new review...my last one was from their opening weekend. It’s time for an update. All I can say is after a slow start and a nice uptick in beers and quality after maybe 4-6 months...these guys have totally hit it out of the park. The beers the last 4-6 moths have been anywhere’s from very good...to great...to occasionally absolutely amazing. They are making barrel aged sours now and canning and bottling a number of beers fairly regularly. Their "Woah" series has been great...starting with Woah Nelly (Nelson Sauvin), followed by Woah Mosiac, Amarillo, and finally Citra. Their best creation to date (in my humble opinion) is a recent beer called "Contractual Obligation" DIPA created to celebrate Magnify’s recent signing of a hop contract. I highly recommend a first visit here...and if you haven’t been in the past 4 months or less...you must retry them. I think you will be impressed. Here’s my original review from their opening weekend: "Great new brewery open only a month so far. I have already visited twice since it’s close to my home. Magnify is a nice startup venture. So far they have had 4 beers...but more are coming...there are 6 taps...so I’m sure they’ll fill them. There is a pale ale, a black wheat, an IPA, and a saison. I thought 2 were good and 2 were very good...you should decide for yourself though. This place has a nice vibe to it with family and friends around to support them. I think this will be a nice addition to the area with Cricket Hill just a few blocks away, and a couple of craft distilleries nearby also. Be sure to check them out."“

PRBeer 2935 days ago

“Cool new brewery in NJ. Somewhat small taproom, but cozy and inviting. Very busy which made it crowded so had to stand against the wall to enjoy my beers. Staff was very friendly and beers are above average. Decent selection of about 6 or 7 beers plus cans were available from the release the day before. A little far of a drive for me, but I would definitely go again if I was in the area.“

Ed5388 2959 days ago

“Had a great visit to Magnify. Fairly crowded in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday, but they have a pretty decent amount of seating, with 8 or so bar seats and another half dozen to a dozen tables. We really liked the decor. The two folks (owners / brewer’s parents I believe) working the bar were extremely friendly and welcoming. Definitely seemed like they were learning as they were going, but I thought they were doing a really good job. 6 beers on tap - their 4 standards which they expect to be on all the time (Vine Shine, Search, Low Visibility, and Black Wheat), plus 2 rotating ones (Berliner and Farmhouse IIPA). No samples, but they serve 8oz pours for like $3-$4 and 16oz pours for about double that. Lots of potential here. Nice addition to the local craft beer scene. “

ben4321 3202 days ago

“Finally made it over to Cricket Hill for a visit, and I was really impressed. First off, they have a ton of space including a back outdoor area, a large room with some tables, and a smaller room with the bar. Lots of friendly people throughout including the regulars / locals / visitors, the guy working the bar and the brewer. Between the small batches (6), Reserve (1), Regular line-up (4), and the seasonals (2), there were a lot of beers to choose from. Unlimited (?) free samples, and pints for reasonable prices. Good prices for the growler fills as well. I’m not generally a huge fan of their standard line-up, but I liked the majority of the small batch offerings, and I was happy to get to try those. Definitely a good place to hang out for a few beers. “

ben4321 3203 days ago

“Solid new brewery right next to a soon to open distillery. Only four beers on but all were solid. Paid $6 for 4oz of each which was great. Nice place. Interesting to see how they grow.“

jtclockwork 3249 days ago

“A small brewery. Very nice overall. Great homey atmosphere and service. Only had 4 available beer when I went, thus the low score but is definitely worth the visit“

Tonkun 3278 days ago

“Nice little NJ brewery. More geared towards those just transitioning to craft beer. They sometimes have some of their small batch stuff available which tends to be better than most of their regular offerings. They started barrel aging and their barleywine came out well. Worth a stop if you are in the area.“

jtclockwork 3761 days ago

“Great little brewery in north Jersey...definitely worth a visit. Especially fun during their open house on Friday nights. Rick Reed is a nice guy and all the staff are fun and approachable. Although I admired what Rick did when he first opened...make crossover beers for those either new to micros or hesitant to come over to the "dark side"...I was not a fan of his initial more mild styles...don’t get me wrong...they were and are good beers and obviously Rick knew what he was doing as the Cricket Hill brand grew...but I like stronger and bolder beers. The really good news is that for several years now Cricket Hill has been making much bigger beers and they just keep getting better at it.“

PRBeer 4085 days ago

“Cool place and cool people.“

hbmason 4429 days ago

“After o ne attempt at making it here with a few co-workers I finally made it this past Friday night. Trust me, any of you intrepid hunters out there who may think you are great with a map in the dark. Try doing that in New Jersey. Get there early so you don’t have to walk far since it is in a business complex. If you complain that you just cant get close to the heart of the brewery after coming here there is something fundamentally wrong with you. Free samples and very economial growler refils are just a smidgen of the hospitality you will recieve at this comfortable hometown feeling brewery. The Paymaster’s Porter was on draft and flowing freely. The passionate rant of a Go Cricket Hill and the general state of things speech makes you smile and be thankful that in this day and there are still folks that have a passion for what they do. We were able to smoke cigars and talk with all of the knowlegeable brewing staff like we were old buddies. One of most enjoyable times I have had at a brewery. Get there!“

coldbrewky 6018 days ago

“When you come to Cricket Hill, you meet the owner and the employees that actually brew the beer. No tour guides here, and Rick and crew are nice guys. You’re allowed to roam around to see how things work, how their beers are made, taste whatever you want, ask questions, etc. Always free beer mags and plenty of munchies out for the taking. In the warmer weather, there’ll often be GIANT $2 hot dogs or a cookout in the parking lot. Catering more towards session than snob, this is a great brewery making great, well made, quality beers. Stop by and support the little guy...buy a case, shirt, or pint glass!“

HoppityHop 6338 days ago

“Must check out Friday night open house. Bring a friend. Free Cricket Hill beer and commradery.“

retailgiant 6358 days ago

“This place is small, the selection isn’t big but they are new and not many different styles of brew have been released yet. I cant rate many categories here, due to the fact that i was there when they were closed with a share holder related to Rick let us in. I could tell Rick is a nice guy, as he left a message for us welcoming us to his brewery, and left cups out for, and just the fact he allowed us there during off hours. worth a visit, and will be even more worthy as they continue to produce more styles of brews.“

stegosaurus 6484 days ago

“If you are from the Northern NJ area and into craft beer, you must go to Cricket on either a thursday (bottling night) or friday, open house. While their beers tend to be more session oriented, Rick is a great host and I’ve never had a bad time there and have met a handful of enthusiasts. Additionally, you’ll be able to try their Colonel Blide’s bitter, which is not sold in bottles and is only availabe at a handful of bars in the metro area...also their best beer in my opinion. If you go on friday, make sure to buy a case or bring in your growler.“

hophead75 6582 days ago

“Nice place and Rick is the Man. Beers are flawless but not very aggressive. The IPA is mild and fruity and a quaffer. Stop by.“

Probiere 6910 days ago

“Rick is a great brewery, He is so welcoming andopen, as are "newby", and brian and dave. This is a great starting point. There beer is very well made and they love homebrews there. Give it up for ceicket hill!“

Lou18 7093 days ago

“I think that those who enter a place without comment should be punished! Anyway, Rick is a very friendly and accomodating brewer. When my club met there, he had out some munchies, therefore giving the place a "1" rating for food. His beers taste the best at the brewery, and I do recommed the visit. He is willing to provide homebrewers with supplies and he loves to try homebrew. Beer tends to be unaccertive, but is very well made.“

MaiBockAddict 7151 days ago