Call it good luck, good fortune, or even serendipity. I'll call it an awesome idea on an otherwise average Sunday afternoon. That idea was to embark on a journey to North Arlington, NJ following a string of recommendations and some stellar B.A. reviews of the Copper Mine Pub.

North Arlington is about a 25 minute drive from home- a little further than my wife and I like to travel for our average bar; not to mention the drive to North Arlington takes us through some of the less-desirable areas of NJ. But this is a spot that has been on my 'to-do' list for some time, and as I soon found out, this place is far from average.

While traveling down the main thoroughfare, the small gray building on the corner of Ridge Rd and Crystal St would have been easy to miss if it wasn't for the bold blue awning I recognized from the B.A. profile page. The Copper Mine has a modest gravel driveway off the side street amidst a strangely barren, sort of industrial suburbia. Perhaps augmented by the quiet tendencies of a Sunday, the whole area was empty - all except for the ominous, towering monolithic presence of a bizarre mechanical lift that overlooked the site from across the street. As we abandoned our car, I wondered if the mechanized beast would awake from its slumber to swallow our vehicle- indemnification for our disruptive arrival; a legitimate concern, I assure you.

We walked up around the corner to the entrance of the bar, which can only be described as an oasis in the beer wasteland that is industrial North Jersey. We were immediately welcomed by bartender and owner Vito, who was quick to pacify to my giddy inquiries with samples of some deliciously fresh brew. The taps were mostly full of Otter Creek and Wolaver - the still-tasty remnants from a brewer event held a couple of nights prior. Vito explained that he tries to bring in brewer reps and features about once a month, rattled an impressive list of past visitors, and then proceeded to tell me about the cask event I missed by a week - a celebration of the establishment's 1 year anniversary.

Donning a baseball cap and T shirt, Vito is the kind of guy you'd like to run into at a party- just your average friendly neighborhood beer dude: the welcoming small business owner, concisely passionate about his undertakings, and still a decently reserved far cry from a snobbish beer zealot like myself.

While Vito has a decidedly above-average, outstanding taste in beer, at no point did he pass judgement on the macro-drinking masses. I liked that- all imbibers welcomed. I did find this surprising considering there were nothing but micros spread across the 20 well-maintained taps. Simply and delightfully unrefined, don't let the modest facade of this cozy (25-35 seater?) establishment fool you, Vito is a good businessman. He spent a number of years on the retail end of the beer business in nearby Rutherford, so I gather this guy knows his clientele.  I spent some of the night picking his brain about the intricacies and complications of the three-tier system, and the remainder enjoying some of his fine draught selections.

Some of our memorable tap samplings of the evening included Otter Creek/Wolaver's Alto Garcia Coffee Porter (amazing), Imperial Russian Stout, Double IPA, Quercus Vitis Humulus, DFH Burton Baton, Founders Curmudgeon, and Weyerbacher Zotten. I had a great peek into the broad range of offerings from Otter Creek, something I am extremely grateful for; but the fine conversation in an unpretentious, unobtrusive atmosphere was what topped the evening.

My wife and I spent the night talking shop with a fellow beer zealot and Copper Mine regular, Alan, who helped expand my beer lexicon and enlightened me with some additional beer trivia - specifically the origination of the DFH 'Burton' label as derived from Ballentine's use of the name for their oak-aged IPA of the early-to-mid 1900's.

The Copper Mine Pub is a must-visit for beer lovers in the North Jersey area. While I secretly wish, for the sake of my peaceful enjoyment, that this place remains the undiscovered gem of the region, I can't help but hope for astounding success for Vito and this phenomenal craft beer bar.

If there are any comparable establishments in the North Jersey area, they would have to be Andy's Corner Bar in Bogota (although I have yet to visit) and of course, the Shepherd and the Knucklehead in Haledon. The Copper Mine does not serve food, but they will suggest some of the local eatieries for delivery. The taps and occassional casks are the pride and joy here, but I did take more than one glance into the small fridge units on either side of the bar, housing a variety of fantastic imports and Trappists. The bar is open 7 days until 2am, with doors opening at 3pm during the week and at noon on the weekends.

The Copper Mine is a rarity in more ways than one: great beer, great personalities, and the sort of warming, welcoming vibe - with unreserved modesty reminiscent of simpler times or even the "good ol' days" - you are lucky to ever get from your local pub. Plain and simple, this place rocks.

The Copper Mine Pub
323 Ridge Rd.
North Arlington, NJ 07031

Update 11/3: I Accidentally listed Curmudgeon Old Ale as a Dogfish Head brew, but it is now updated as a Founders beer.