Get ready to hop into the madness, CMBC fans! March isn't just about buzz-beaters and upsets - it's about brews and brackets, too, so we're kicking off this week with a battle of the Cape May Brewing Company brews. Grab your favorite Cape May libation, find out more about this year's featured beers below, then fill out your CMBC bracket to find out what beer comes out as the 2024 Champion.

Want to share your selections? Head to Instagram Stories this week and next to cast your vote for your favorite brews in each category.

Let the games begin!

The IPAs

CAPE MAY IPA

The American IPA named for America’s Oldest Seaside Resort, Cape May IPA is loaded with floral and citrus notes, well-balanced with a zesty finish. A West Coast-style IPA brewed in the heart of the East Coast, it’s the beer that’s Crafted on the Cape.

HAZY DAWN

Dawn symbolizes a new beginning and new opportunities. Hazy Dawn is part of our newest collection of IPAs, and uses Golden Promise malt for a full mouthfeel. Motueka and Simcoe hops blend together for a collection of tropical fruit flavors with a subtle hint of pine. Together, these elements present a perfectly hazy brew with an exciting zest of flavor.

CRUSHIN' IT

Refreshing and great for the beach, Crushin' It is soon to be your summer staple. With Citra, Mosaic, and Azacca hops blending together to accentuate the fresh flavors of orange juice, Crushin' It is dry, approachable, and perfectly balanced. Relax in the sand. Enjoy a no shower happy hour. This beer is best paired with good friends, sunshine, and SPF 30.

COASTAL EVACUATION

Coastal Evacuation — it's a phrase that's everywhere at the Jersey Shore. This West Coast-style Double IPA is as big and bold as hurricane season itself, with a Centennial-forward, brazen blend of hops serving up hints of orange citrus and honeydew melon. It's time to evacuate. Are you prepared?

Staff Faves

ALWAYS READY

Cape May is home to the Coast Guard, so we salute those who are Always Ready with a juicy Hazy Pale Ale. With the addition of wheat and oats for a medium body and with brilliant aromas of tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and citrus zest, this lush hop-bomb is Always Ready.

HONEY PORTER

With a sweet hint of honey, Honey Porter goes down smooth thanks to its balanced, robust, and light-bodied finish. This award-winning brown porter is brewed with Jersey Fresh certified honey and a firm malt presence, making it extremely approachable, no matter the season.

LONGLINER

Soft, crisp, and balanced—Longliner Lager is a beer that will keep you going all year long. Whether you're toiling away in the brewhouse, hitting land after a long two weeks at sea, or kicking back on your day off, Longliner will be there for you.

CAPE MAY WHITE

Cape May White is brewed with orange and lemon peels, coriander, grains of paradise, and our favorite Belgian Witbier yeast. Fruity esters up-front with an easy-drinking finish yields a traditional Belgian-Style Wheat Ale brewed in the heart of the East Coast.

Summer Seasonals

TAN LIMES

Tan Limes is our Mexican-style Lager brewed with a touch of locally-sourced sea salt and a hint of Persian lime juice. Fresh and zesty, Tan Limes would be perfectly at home at your local cantina and is best paired with street tacos, brilliant sunshine, and close friends.

BAY DAZE

Bay Daze evokes warm days and idyllic sunsets spent by the bay with friends and family. This 4.7% ABV sessionable sour is brewed so you can enjoy as much as you’d like all season long. Its light body and tart profile make it refreshing, with notes of cherry and lime showcasing what vacation and relaxation should taste like.

THE BOG

What happens when you make a Cranberry Wheat and accidentally add too much cranberry? Embrace it and turn it into a Shandy! A tart cranberry wheat beer blended with lemonade, The Bog is vibrant and refreshing while still packing tons of flavor.

THE GROVE

The Grove drinks like you picked the fruit this morning, squeezed it into a glass, and — poof! — turned it into the most intensely crushable beer you've ever seen. Snappy, super bright, and ridiculously refreshing, The Grove is sweet and tart, with a brilliant aroma reminiscent of walking through a citrus grove at harvest.

Fall Seasonals

OKTOBERFEST

Rich and complex, this amber-colored lager is smooth and clean due to a cool fifty-degree fermentation, mellowing as it lagers. Well-balanced with a hint of hops presence, Oktoberfest is focused on the grain bill of Vienna, Munich, Caramunich, Pilsen, and Melanoidin malts.

MEXICAN COFFEE STOUT

Our Mexican Coffee Stout has a satisfyingly complex grain bill comprised of seven different malts, yielding a rich and layered profile with a silky-smooth mouthfeel and a firm cocoa-like bitterness. Conditioned on fresh locally-roasted Mexican Chiapas coffee, cinnamon, guajillo peppers, and vanilla, Mexican Coffee Stout lands perfectly balanced amongst the coffee, spice, and rich stout base.

DEVIL'S REACH

A Belgian beast, fruity and light, the complexity and character of Devil’s Reach come from a robust Belgian yeast. Deceptively simple, caution is demanded because, before you know it, Devil’s Reach has swallowed you whole.

PICK OF THE BATCH

Our Pick of the Batch pumpkin beer is one you’ll want to pick again and again. Made with real pumpkin, and featuring notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, Pick of the Batch was crafted to embrace the comfort of fall and all of its seasonal spices. Brewed with you in mind, this brew is perfect for cozy autumn nights spent by the fire with friends and family.

Cheers and happy CMBC bracketing!