Beer on the Pier Coming to Belmar

For the second year, Belmar will host Beer on the Pier at the Belmar Marina on Saturday.

The beer festival and tasting will feature 34 craft breweries offering samples of their creations as well as vendors, live music and food from Belmar restaurants.

Chris DePeppe of www.beerheads.com, one of the event organizers, explained that after selling out in the first year, the festival will hold two sessions— the first from noon to 3:30 p.m. and the second from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

General admission to one of the sessions costs $42 and includes a meal ticket to one of a number of Belmar eateries including , , , , , and .

This year's event will also feature a VIP component with ticket holders gaining access to a specialty bar and a beer and cheese tasting from in Ocean Grove and a beer and chocolate pairing from in Belmar. VIP admission will cost $55 and is limited to 250 people.

DePeppe, a Pennsylvania resident who grew up in Wall Township, hopes the event will draw more attention to the growing craft beer industry, which still exists largely in the shadow of the major brewing corporations.

"We're trying to show the whole breadth of beer flavors and styles," he said, noting that the festival will feature more than 50 unique styles of beers.

"The industry has been growing, but growing in different areas really fast," he added. "I think Jersey is the next hot spot."

Among the breweries who will attend are several from New Jersey, including local newcomers Kane Brewing Company from Ocean Township and Carton Brewing from Atlantic Highlands.

"These brewers keep pushing the envelope," DePeppe said. "It's one of the rare instances anymore where you see somebody building a better mousetrap."

For more information and tickets, click here.