Valentine’s Day weekend in New Jersey is no longer limited to candlelit dinners and prix-fixe menus. Across the Garden State, breweries are transforming February’s most romantic weekend into a full-scale celebration of community, creativity and craft culture, blending themed entertainment, specialty beer releases and interactive experiences designed for couples, friends and families alike.
From Friday through Sunday, taprooms across the state are hosting a wide range of “Love, Lager and Luck” events that reflect how New Jersey’s brewery scene has evolved into one of the most socially driven corners of the local hospitality landscape. This weekend’s programming highlights how breweries now function as neighborhood gathering spaces—offering everything from pop culture-inspired nights and live music to fitness classes and kid-friendly activities.
Among the most imaginative events of the weekend is a Galentine’s Night Out at River Horse Brewing Company, where the focus shifts away from traditional Valentine’s themes and toward friendship, humor and pop culture. The evening blends a playful atmosphere with limited-edition “glittered” beer releases, a hands-on flower bouquet bar and a live true-crime themed show built around music and storytelling. The concept taps into the growing demand for experiential brewery events that go beyond simple tastings and instead create full-scale social programming.
In Somerset County, Readington Brewery is leaning into classic styles and live entertainment with a multi-day Lagerfest celebration running throughout the weekend. The highlight arrives Saturday night, when a live band performs a full set of Grateful Dead-inspired music, pairing laid-back jam sessions with crisp lagers and a taproom atmosphere built for long, social evenings.
Further north along the coast, 902 Brewing Co. is taking a family-first approach with a Valentine’s party designed to welcome guests of all ages. The Saturday event features a kids’ DJ dance party and professional face painting, allowing parents and children to share in the festivities while still enjoying the relaxed environment that has become a defining feature of modern New Jersey taprooms.
In Cape May County, MudHen Brewing Company is stretching Valentine’s programming across an entire week of events, culminating in a Saturday lineup that includes comedy performances, live music and a themed cocktail offering built around a strawberry chocolate martini. The extended schedule reflects the brewery’s emphasis on blending food, drink and entertainment into a unified destination experience rather than a single-night attraction.
Armageddon Brewing is offering one of the most unconventional Valentine’s experiences of the weekend with a barre and cider workout session on Saturday morning. The event combines a guided 45-minute fitness class with a post-workout pour of mead or cider, bringing wellness culture directly into the brewery setting and underscoring how taprooms are increasingly experimenting with daytime and lifestyle-focused programming.
In Essex County, Montclair Brewery is closing out the weekend with a Blues and Brews session on Sunday afternoon, featuring live performances designed to pair smooth, roots-driven music with the brewery’s rotating tap list. The laid-back format offers an alternative to louder evening events and caters to guests looking for a slower-paced way to wrap up the holiday weekend.
Beyond the entertainment calendar, one of the biggest draws of the weekend is the wave of limited-release Valentine’s beers debuting across multiple breweries. These small-batch offerings are built around dessert-inspired profiles and shareable formats, reinforcing the social tone of the weekend.
Axe & Arrow is releasing two specialty beers designed specifically for the occasion, including a chocolate-covered strawberry pastry ale made with lactose and a caramel chocolate truffle porter intended for sharing. Buck Hill Brewing is introducing Love Potion No. 9, a smooth stout layered with chocolate and dark cherry notes. Source Farmhouse Brewery is unveiling a Valentine’s Day hazy IPA conditioned on cherry, raspberry and strawberry, adding a bright, fruit-forward twist to its seasonal lineup. MudHen is joining the themed releases with Captain Doug’s In Love, a strawberry porter crafted to bridge dessert flavors with traditional dark beer structure.
For many breweries, these limited releases serve as both a creative outlet and a way to draw in guests who may be exploring local taprooms for the first time. Themed beers have become an important part of how New Jersey brewers experiment with new ingredients, test future seasonal concepts and create buzz around short-run offerings.
Interactive games and social competitions are also playing a major role in this weekend’s programming. At 4 By 4 Brewing, the taproom will host its first-ever Couples Olympics, featuring beer pong, oversized Jenga and a beer-themed relay race designed to blend lighthearted competition with team-based challenges. The format encourages guests to engage with each other throughout the afternoon rather than simply sitting at tables, reflecting a broader shift toward participatory events inside brewery spaces.
Hub City Brewing is taking a more culinary approach, offering Love Bites and Sour Flights on Saturday night. Guests can sample curated sour beer flights paired with handcrafted charcuterie boards, creating a guided tasting experience that blends flavor education with casual dining.
These brewery-driven celebrations are part of a much larger movement within the state’s craft beverage culture. Across New Jersey, breweries are expanding their event calendars and redefining what it means to spend a night—or an afternoon—at a taproom. Readers interested in discovering additional destinations, tasting rooms and statewide brewery trends can explore ongoing coverage of the New Jersey craft beer scene through Explore New Jersey’s beer and brewery features, which spotlight how local producers continue to reshape social life across the state.
Valentine’s weekend is not limited solely to beer lovers, either. The Garden State Wine Growers Association is also hosting its annual Wine and Chocolate Trail weekend across participating wineries throughout New Jersey, offering another layer of seasonal tourism and pairing experiences for residents looking to build full-day itineraries around local producers.
Together, these events illustrate how February has become one of the most dynamic months on the New Jersey brewery calendar. By blending themed releases, live entertainment, wellness programming and family-friendly activities, breweries are positioning themselves as all-purpose community venues—capable of hosting everything from romantic nights out to group celebrations and daytime social gatherings.
As “Love, Lager and Luck” weekend unfolds across the state, New Jersey’s breweries are doing more than celebrating Valentine’s Day. They are showcasing the creativity, flexibility and community focus that now define one of the state’s fastest-growing hospitality sectors—and giving residents dozens of new ways to connect, celebrate and support local craft culture.
A New Monthly Tradition in Morris County: Double Tap Brewing Turns Thursdays Into a High-Energy Music Bingo Experience
A new monthly entertainment tradition is quickly taking shape inside one of Morris County’s most popular taprooms, as Double Tap Brewing in Whippany rolls out a recurring Music Bingo night designed to bring together craft beer fans, music lovers, and local regulars for an interactive evening built around playlists, prizes, and community energy.
Beginning this month and continuing year-round, Music Bingo at Double Tap Brewing will take place on the second Thursday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m., transforming the brewery’s tasting room into a fast-moving, music-driven game night where familiarity with chart-topping hits, classic throwbacks, and crowd-favorite anthems becomes the key to winning.
The event, hosted on site by the Double Tap team, replaces traditional bingo numbers with recognizable song clips and curated playlists, creating a format that is easy for first-timers to pick up while still offering enough variety to keep returning players engaged. Instead of listening for a number to be called, players listen for songs, match them to their themed bingo cards, and race to complete a winning pattern.
According to the brewery, the goal behind launching Music Bingo is to give Whippany residents and neighboring communities another reason to gather locally on a weeknight, without needing to travel into larger nightlife hubs. The format encourages casual participation, group play, and friendly competition, making it equally appealing for couples, after-work groups, and longtime regulars.
What sets Music Bingo apart from many traditional trivia and game nights is its ability to bring people into the action almost immediately. There is no need for deep knowledge or specialized topics. Instead, the focus is on recognition, nostalgia, and the shared experience of hearing songs that span multiple eras and genres. From classic rock staples and pop favorites to newer releases and unexpected throwbacks, each round is built to keep the energy moving and the room fully engaged.
Winners throughout the night receive prizes provided by the brewery, adding an extra layer of excitement to each round. While the competition is friendly, the atmosphere is intentionally upbeat, social, and welcoming to new players who may be attending their first organized event at the brewery.
Double Tap Brewing has steadily become a gathering place in Whippany not just for its beer lineup, but for its emphasis on community-focused programming. Music Bingo joins a growing schedule of taproom events that reflect how New Jersey breweries are evolving beyond production spaces and into neighborhood social hubs.
That broader trend is visible across the state’s craft beverage scene, where taprooms increasingly serve as venues for live entertainment, interactive games, themed nights, and local collaborations. Readers interested in exploring similar destinations across the state can find additional features and regional spotlights through Explore New Jersey’s coverage of the New Jersey craft beer and brewery scene, which highlights how breweries are shaping nightlife and community culture well beyond the bar.
Located at 50 Parsippany Road in Whippany, Double Tap Brewing offers a relaxed, open taproom layout that allows players to easily form small groups or join tables throughout the evening. The space is designed to encourage conversation between rounds, making Music Bingo less about silent competition and more about shared participation.
In addition to the entertainment, Double Tap continues to extend a standing benefit for members of the New Jersey Craft Beer community, offering a ten percent discount on brewery merchandise during regular business hours. For many attendees, Music Bingo night doubles as an opportunity to pick up branded glassware, apparel, or gifts while enjoying the event.
For the brewery, launching a recurring monthly program provides consistency for customers who prefer predictable scheduling. Knowing that Music Bingo is locked into the second Thursday of each month allows regulars to plan ahead, build routines, and invite new guests without needing to track rotating dates or limited-run events.
As spring approaches and local residents begin looking for new social outings closer to home, Music Bingo positions Double Tap Brewing as a midweek destination that blends entertainment with the relaxed atmosphere that defines modern New Jersey taprooms. The combination of curated music, prize rounds, and casual gameplay offers an alternative to traditional bar trivia and live music nights, while still preserving the community feel that has become central to the brewery’s identity.
For Whippany and surrounding Morris County neighborhoods, Music Bingo at Double Tap Brewing adds another accessible, recurring option for residents who want to support local businesses, reconnect with friends, and enjoy an interactive night out—without the pressure or formality of large-scale venues.
As the second Thursday of each month becomes a familiar date on local calendars, Double Tap’s Music Bingo is shaping up to be more than a one-off novelty. It is quickly emerging as a new rhythm for the community—where good beer, great music, and friendly competition meet in one of Whippany’s most recognizable gathering spaces.
