USA, NJ: Gearblock Brewing Company becomes Waldwick’s first brewery

Waldwick’s first brewery, Gearblock Brewing Company, has opened, northjersey.com reported on April 25.

It will host its official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. on April 29, and the doors will open to the public at 4 p.m., though it quietly opened last week for friends and family and whoever happened to pass by.

“It’s amazing that we had so much foot traffic,” said Tony Romano, who owns Gearblock with his Uncle Ronnie — Ronald Cavaliere. “We had a lot of people riding their bikes or pushing their strollers over.”

There are 10 beers on tap including The Kölschfather (a Kölsch), Beach Blonde Ale, Standard Coupe Vanilla Porter, Hope Sockets (pale ale) and Numb Hands (a hazy IPA).

Also available are two gluten-free seltzers in peach and blood orange.

“It surprised me, but everyone was going crazy over the peach seltzer,” Romano said.

Gearblock’s name is a play on words referring to a car’s gearbox, which helps power the car. Fittingly, photos of old cars are hung around the brewery.

The old-car theme also ties into Prohibition, which led to the birth of NASCAR, Romano said. Bootleggers in the ‘20s were known for altering their cars and racing through tight, winding roads to escape police. Some of the best early NASCAR drivers were moonshine runners.

Romano began the process of opening his own brewery at the beginning of 2019, after five years of recreational homebrewing. He started by reaching out to towns to see if they had any interest in having a brewery.

“We had really good luck with Waldwick,” Romano said. He met with the borough attorney and administrator.

“They decided to change the zoning laws in the town to include breweries in the business and industrial homes zones,” he said.

Romano’s wife was raised in Waldwick. His parents lived there. He had his first home there. It was a perfect fit, said Romano: “It’s a nice blue-collared town in the middle of white-collared towns.”

They began scouting locations, but couldn’t find an industrial property that worked. Then COVID-19 hit. They took a break, and when they resumed looking in the summer they found a spot that worked: the old building that housed Eddie’s French Cleaners.

The 1,500-square-foot space fits about 50 people. An outdoor area has been set up, as well.

“Our goal is to be very community-driven and stay small,” Romano said.

Gearblock is open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday; noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday; and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. It’s at 140 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick.

26 April, 2022