902 Brewing Company 2024: “Hand Crafted Beer, Curated Good Times”

DeliveryRank has an exclusive interview with  Colby Janisch, co-founder of 902 Brewing Company, who turned a Christmas gift homebrewing kit into a passion for crafting exceptional beer. Combining his background as a mechanical engineer with a love for innovation, Colby helped grow 902 Brewing from a small Hoboken apartment to its current home in Jersey City. Known for award-winning IPAs, stouts, and lagers, 902 Brewing embodies a blend of tradition, creativity, and local pride.

902 Brewing Company started as a home-brewing operation in Hoboken and has since grown into a full-scale brewery in Jersey City. What were some of the key challenges and milestones in transitioning from a small home-brewing setup to an established brewery?

Money was an entrance obstacle, of course, but for me and a group of other men, homebrewing became a deep passion. It all began when a former partner and I lived in a three-bedroom apartment at 902 Washington Street. We converted one of the rooms into a dedicated brewing space (deemed the brew room), and it was here that we began to really get into homebrew competitions—winning quite a few along the way. Around 2011 or 2012, we had that pivotal moment when we realized we could take this to the next level and turn it into a real business.

We started as a gypsy brewing operation, brewing our recipes on other people's systems, which kept our costs low and served as a proof of concept. The idea was to distribute kegs, cans, and bottles to restaurants and liquor stores.  The downfall of gypsy brewing is that we didn't have our own taproom, which was a bit disappointing. From 2014 to 2017, we operated out of a small 800-square-foot space in Union City. But we quickly outgrew that space and moved to a larger warehouse in Jersey City at 62 Monitor Street.

The goal all along was to eventually have a brick-and-mortar location, so we brought on investors and began building out our permanent space in 2018. By March of 2020, we had our own brewery up and running, and that marked the start of a new chapter for us.  Five days later, COVID shut down the world.

Your brewery has developed strong ties to the Jersey City community through events and collaborations. Can you share more about these initiatives and how they reflect the values of 902 Brewing Company?

At 902 Brewing Company, we’ve always been committed to creating a deeply local identity through our beers. Our flagship brews reflect our roots in Jersey City and the surrounding areas. "Chilltown Crusher Pilsner" is named after Jersey City’s nickname, with "Chilltown" paying homage to the vibrant local culture. Our IPA "Heaven Hell or Hoboken" draws inspiration from a famous phrase tied to Hoboken’s historical significance during World War I, when it was a major departure point for troops heading to the European theater.

We also have "PATH Pale Ale," named after the PATH train system that connects Jersey City to New York City, and "Juicy City Hazy IPA" a playful twist on "Jersey City," reflecting our neighborhood’s character. From day one, our goal was to be more than just another brewery—our focus has always been on being a central part of the community. We host a variety of local events, from birthday parties to retirement celebrations and FOP meetings, creating a space where people can come together, relax, and enjoy great beer in a welcoming, comfortable environment.

How does 902 Brewing Company integrate innovation into its brewing processes and business operations? Are there any particular steps or strategies you’ve implemented to ensure sustainability in your practices?

At 902 Brewing Company, we focus on continuous improvement, always aiming to make small gains every day. Whether it's optimizing our dry hopping process to achieve the perfect balance of flavor or using an enzyme to speed up lager fermentation by five to seven days, we’re committed to refining our techniques. We also carefully monitor our carbonation process to preserve the juicy hop flavors we work hard to create. Beyond beer, we offer a range of non-alcoholic options like root beer and flavored seltzers to ensure everyone feels welcome, even those who may not typically enjoy beer.

We understand that our taproom is a place for everyone, and we aim to accommodate all tastes, whether it’s with our rotating sour series, crafted with local New Jersey blueberries or peach rings, or other unique flavors. While our distribution focuses on consistency, our taproom thrives on variety, offering a dynamic experience that we strive to perfect. Balancing these two channels—each with its own needs—keeps us constantly innovating and refining our approach to both craft beer and non-beer beverages.

With a wide range of beer styles and seasonal offerings, how do you balance catering to casual drinkers while also appealing to dedicated craft beer enthusiasts? Are there any distinctive ingredients or techniques you are particularly proud of?

At 902 Brewing Company, we focus on maintaining a strong feedback loop between our production, sales, and taproom teams. We meet monthly to discuss what’s working and what could be improved, always keeping an ear to the ground for customer preferences. For example, we’ve noticed that many visitors to our taproom ask for a Miller Lite, which inspired us to create our best-seller, the Chilltown Crusher Pilsner—essentially a Miller Lite with flavor. It’s a 5.2% ABV pilsner that delivers refreshing taste without being too heavy.

Our flagship beers, like Juicy City Hazy IPA and Heaven, Hell or Hoboken IPA, are available year-round and have wide appeal, even for those not typically into hazy brews. We also release seasonal and limited-edition beers, such as Oktoberfest, Irish Red, and our holiday cream ale. At our taproom, we aim to offer variety—always having a mix of IPAs, lagers, sours, and seltzers, so there’s something for everyone. We have a taproom exclusive Barrel Aging program that we kicked off last year as well.  This diverse selection ensures we can meet the tastes of our loyal patrons while also trying out new ideas that keep the experience exciting.

As the craft beer industry continues to grow and evolve, what are your long-term goals for 902 Brewing Company? Are there plans to expand distribution, experiment with new brewing approaches, or further grow your presence within the regional or national market?

We've noticed a shift in the craft beer landscape, especially here in New Jersey. The market has become incredibly hyper-localized, where even a small geographic distance—like an hour away—can make a difference in how our beer is received. For example, when we pitch our beers in bars or restaurants as close as down the shore, we often hear feedback that we’re “not local” even though we’re just a short drive away. This has made us reconsider our previous ambition of expanding into regional or national distribution.

The challenges of working with distributors—especially when we don’t have control over how they store and handle our beers—have reinforced this shift in thinking. If a distributor keeps our product in suboptimal conditions, like storing it at high temperatures for extended periods, it negatively impacts the quality and reflects poorly on us. To address this, we’ve been focusing more on becoming a highly localized brand and looking at expanding our taproom experience. This allows us to have greater control over our product and build a stronger connection with our local community.

One of our long-term goals now is to establish a larger facility with an even more immersive taproom experience, similar to what Treehouse Brewing has done in Massachusetts. We want to turn our taproom into a true gathering place, where people come not just for the beer but for the community atmosphere. We’re also working on making sure we have a strong presence in Hudson County, with more draft lines locally so people know where our beer comes from, and we can continue to grow within our own community. This focus on local pride and control has been a key shift in our strategy for the future.

If you would like to find out more about 902 Brewing Company, please visit https://www.902brewing.com/welcome