USA, NJ: Ghost Hawk Brewing Company hoping to get all required approvals soon

Two Clifton natives are looking to open Passaic County's first microbrewery this fall, aiming for a River Road site across from Rutt's Hut, NorthJersey.com reported on April 2.

But to get there they first need the blessings of the federal government, the state alcohol control board and Clifton's zoning board.

Ghost Hawk Brewing Company represents a collaboration between Tom Rachelski and Steve Bauer, who got together last summer after Rachelski responded to a Facebook post by Bauer.

"I was trying to figure out my next move," said Bauer, who has a background in marketing. "So I threw something out on Facebook."

Rachelski, an Army veteran who works in finance, contacted him the next day. The two knew each other through mutual friends, and Rachelski was looking to invest some money, Bauer said.

They hit on the microbrewery idea. As it turns out, Bauer said, New Jersey is underserved by microbreweries.

"We are coming in at a good time," he said.

Bauer said the name Ghost Hawk is in honor of his brother, Dan, who died in 2016 at age 35. As kids they would hike and watch for raptors. Now, he said, when he sees a hawk, he often feels like his brother is watching over him.

As Bauer and Rachelski explored the brewery concept, they became familiar with the Silk City Distillery, which operates next door and owns the property where Ghost Hawk is looking to open. Silk City has a tasting room, and Ghost Hawk plans one as well.

"There's a lot of opportunities for cross-pollination," Bauer said.

As it is, Passaic County is one of two counties in the state without a microbrewery. The other is Salem County, Bauer said.

That could change if Clifton's zoning board approves the application Wednesday night. After that, the company needs a nod from the state and federal governments regarding licensing. That should take a few months, Bauer said.

"I think, taking a realistic approach, we could open by early fall," Bauer said.

Observers of New Jersey's burgeoning brewery industry say the time is right for Passaic to have its own microbrewery.

"There is always room for more beer in New Jersey," said Mike Kivowitz, who founded the website newjerseycraftbeer.com.

Beer has a long history in New Jersey, with the first Dutch settlers opening breweries as early as the 1640s. Newark in the 1800s was a hotbed for suds, and Ballantine and Pabst were among the breweries operating in the city. Industry giant Anheuser-Busch still has a mammoth 3 million-square-foot brewery in Newark.

In the past decade the microbrew movement has widely expanded, Kivowitz said.

"When I launched NJCB in 2010, I had about 12 breweries listed," Kivowitz said. "Now I have 87. The growth is real and amazing. New Jersey is finally on the map for beer, especially with some of our award-winning breweries all over this state."

Bauer said they hope to have their own award-winning beer. Since neither principal is a brewer, they have secured the services of a brewmaster with 27 years of experience.

They are loath to name him until the brewery gets all its approvals, they said.

05 April, 2018