Visiting Cape May Brewing Company this Valentine’s Eve was more of a stress test for my relationship than a romantic weekend adventure.

That being said, Cape May Brewing Co. is one of my favorite breweries. They brew some of the most underrated beers in the area. You can always count on CMBC to produce high-quality brews without straying too far from the style guidelines. That isn’t the easiest niche to market, but when this little brewery is churning out IPAs that easily rank among your Sculpins and 60 Minutes, it’s unsurprising that the masses have finally found this gem at the southern tip of New Jersey.

Expecting a relaxing afternoon of sharing a flight or two among friends, we arrived at a brewery tasting room that was filled to capacity and a bar-bound line threading its way through the crowds. After taking a mandatory self-guided tour of the brewing facility and waiting in a solid 15-20 minute line, we were finally rewarded with some liquid bliss.

With Valentine’s and President’s Day falling back to back, maybe I should have foreseen this shoulder to shoulder experience. But then again, maybe every weekend draws a crowd like this now. I can only imagine what the taproom looks like in the warmer months.

I am ecstatic that the brewery has finally grown in popularity, but I am also left with the feeling a mother bird must get when she realizes it is time for her fledgling to leave the nest. CMBC is no longer my favorite local brewery that no one has heard of yet. Instead, Cape May fans can be found far and wide, meaning it is just my favorite brewery. Period. It looks like it’s time for us to share our hometown heroes with the world.

-Dan