Triumph Brewing Co. (Princeton, NJ) - 1/16/13

Quick Glance Stats:

Access/Parking: Downtown Princeton, NJ.  Relatively easy to get to from major highways/parking readily found.

Space: Open aired, plenty of seating, multiple bars, restaurant seating.  Very pretty place.

Beer: Beer Advocate rating of 6/18/13 = 88

  The Triumph Brewing Co. located in downtown Princeton, NJ is another brewery that I merely visited to meet with a cousin, so I don’t have much to offer on this chain brewery.  It has been a growing habit of my friends to know that when I visit them on a work trip, that the best place to take me is a local brewery.  Not to say I wouldn’t have visited this location on my own, but, it’s likely I wouldn’t have gone out of my way for it.  I don’t often clamor for chain breweries, because to be quite honest – often times they produce very mediocre beers, although there are a handful of high quality chain locations.  What I liked about this place is that while it was a chain, you can tell the people living there appreciate its existence, and to be honest that’s all that matters.

  First and foremost, the location is key; right across the street from Princeton University, and on the main drag through town, thus making this quite a popular place.  Parking, as far as I’m aware, is mainly available on the street, but judging by the amount of people inside the large space, there must be a parking lot/deck nearby.  Walking in off the street leads you down a long slopped hallway which then opens up into a vast, multi-leveled space.  Inside is quite spacious, although we sat at the first bar you come to which is perched above the remainder of the restaurant.  The lighting is actually very pleasant and the large fermentation tanks, seen through large glass windows behind the bar downstairs, reflect much of that light nicely.

  Service was genuine and prompt.  I didn’t get a chance to look at the food menu as we were having dinner elsewhere, but it is certainly available.  The beers were better than expected, so that was a relief, but I can’t say that I would buy a growler of any I sampled.  If in the area again I would certainly stop in to see what they had recently been brewing.  Unlike many chains they do have a test batch series which leads me to believe they have control of their own brewing process making it less of a chain, but more of a franchise.  If you’re in the area, I would recommend to anyone to stop in check out this nicely designed brewery and hopefully you’ll grab a great beer in the process.