By Jennifer Ortiz
Staff Writer
A 19th century farm in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold Township that has been passed down through generations of the Bullock family is offering the first and only farm brewery currently available in New Jersey.
“My family has been farming these 100 acres since 1860. Screamin’ Hill Brewery is on our family farm, Bullock Farms,” said Brett Bullock, a co-owner of Screamin’ Hill Brewery, 83 Emleys Hill Road.
“Ryan Cole, Pat Jones and myself have been brewing (beer) together for over 10 years and we decided to take the plunge into professional brewing in January 2014. We opened our doors in July 2015.”
Bullock called the brewery the result of a passion for craft beer and agriculture.
“What makes field-to-glass brewing different is the unique flavors of the locally grown ingredients,” he said. “We grow a lot of our own ingredients right here on our farm. We grow barley, wheat and rye to produce our own malt, as well as seven different varieties of hops. We also use our own farm-grown pumpkins, habanero peppers and raspberries.”
The brewery offers between six and eight beers on tap that change with the season, plus regular offerings such as American Wheat, Desperado IPA, Habanero Ale and Rye Bullock IPA.
“We offer tours for those who wish to taste our beers on site and sell growlers (containers used to transport beer) for those who would like to take some home with them,” Bullock said. “Our brewery is in a barn in the middle of farm country, so you can expect plenty of relaxing views while being surrounded by the fields where we are ‘growin’ beer!’ ”
In the fall, Screamin’ Hill offers pumpkin picking, hayrides, a corn maze and other events. In the winter, visitors may cut their own Christmas tree and visit the gift shop for wreaths and other holiday items.
Bullock said the name Screamin’ Hill comes from a local story at the turn of the 20th century.
“It comes from the church that sits on the hill overlooking the farm. There was a local with a checkered past who found God and became the minister at the church. His sermons on Sunday were so loud that locals began to call the area Screamin’ Hill,” he said.
Guests are welcome on Friday from 3-8 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.screaminhill.com
