Background
To hear owner Neil Glass tell it, Hub City brewpub Harvest Moon Brewery and Cafe has stayed pretty much consistent since the bar and restaurant on opened on George Street in New Brunswick back in 1996. Glass took over as owner of Harvest Moon in 2004.
Kyle McDonald became the head brewer at Harvest Moon Brewery and Cafe May in 2010. Kyle grew up in Iowa. He got interested in brewing during the summer of 1996 when he did a 6 week exchange program in Germany. It was the summer after his junior year of high school, and he really fell in love with German beer and the whole culture around it. After college he ended up working at a brewpub in Iowa. Eventually he became the assistant brewer. In 2007 he moved to New Jersey and got a job at Harvest Moon as the assistant brewer.
Harvest Moon originally opened in 1996 by co-owner Michael Elmes. We could not identify the situation behind this original change in ownership.
Experience
Harvest Moon Brewery is a large two story brewery & restaurant right around the corner from Rutgers University. We arrived in the evening and enjoyed a flight of what they offered. I enjoyed their “Dark Side of the Moon” BIPA and a guest tap DIPA. We were lucky enough to catch their Lemon SOURachi Saison, a delicious and as I understand it, not often made Sour. Their food menu is fairly extensive and the items we had we quite good. They also offer brunch.
From what I recall, most of the parking is street parking in the area.
This is one of the rare brewpubs with fairly close lodging. The Hyatt Regency New Brunswick is a very nice hotel and only about a half mile walking distance.
http://www.harvestmoonbrewery.com
