Buena Connection Brewing opened today as one of South Jersey’s larger tasting rooms… Likely the largest in Atlantic County!
The new brewery is located in the Borough of Buena, just off of Route 40 on Wheat Road in a building which previously was a large gym and racquetball facility. Tractor Supply is other side of Wheat Rd.
If you are unfamiliar with where Buena is… it’s literally in the exact center of South Jersey (just east of Vineland) but also where it seems there is a direct “backroad” to get you everywhere!
The redesign of the space into a brewery offers a main tasting room area in a large two story atrium-like space with second floor mezzanine lounge area, a separate small bar area at the centrally located entrance, as well as a more private event space at the far left end of the building.
I stopped in today for the 12:00pm ribbon cutting ceremony…what started out as just a few of us waiting for the official door opening quickly turned into 100 or more customers, family and friends filling the tasting room space to enjoy delicious beers and awesome conversations.
The Buena Connection Brewing Company is a family-owned brewery born out of a rich tapestry of cultural backgrounds. Our diverse heritage—Colombian, Irish, French, American, and Italian—has instilled in us a deep appreciation for tradition, flavor, and the power of community. We’re not just passionate about craft beer; we see it as a means to connect with our community and share our love for exceptional brews.
This has been a multiyear effort for owner David who is a pathologist and beer lover. He initially considered starting a farm to grow hops within the South Jersey area’s farmland… but that research quickly led him to decide on opening up his own destination brewery.
After several years of approvals and remodeling, Buena Connection started brewing their first beer about six weeks ago in early March.
For Head Brewer Freddy it’s been a full-circle career starting his brewery industry experience in South Jersey with Flying Fish. New opportunities then had him moving on to California and for the last several years back on the East Coast at Long Live Beerworks in Providence Rhode Island where he further grew his brewing skills in a fast-paced and growing environment.
With his new Head Brewer role at Buena Connection Brewing, his brewery career has truly come full-circle… back to South Jersey!
The Buena Connection Brewing Company – Experience
I have to be honest, I knew that Buena Connection Brewing was getting close to opening but I didn’t do a lot of research in advance… which means I was pleasantly surprised to see the size of the brewery facility!
Just pulling up to the outside of the sprawling building and seeing the giant 25-ft high grain silo installed outside, you get a sense that there are big things happening at Buena Connection!
Inside you enter into a smaller single floor space which features the bar area slightly off to the left, which only seats maybe 10 or 12 at the bar. There are also a variety of traditional tables within this cozy area which features some distinctive design elements including a brick wall.
This area on its own is somewhat what I expect from a new rural South Jersey brewery in 2025!
But then you turn to the right to see n impressively large customer area with what appears to be a 35-foot high ceiling completely open to the top, but with a large wide mezzanine along the back portion.
And to further jazz things up, walking into this open space is a red 1958 MG car on display!
For the most part this downstairs area is for customer seating with high top-tables… a mixture of four and eight seat configurations. I would guess that this lower area alone seats likely 75 customers.
Upstairs to the “Speakeasy” mezzanine you’ll likely be surprised again as it is also surprisingly large… but offering a much more casual and relaxed atmosphere featuring a variety of couches configured like several individual living rooms.
The far end of the mezzanine has a few video games which as of this morning were not turned on.
It’s a great setup that provides a very comfortable “out-of-the-way” space to relace with friends, but the second floor vantage point makes you feel like you are still in the middle of all of the action.
Buena Connection Brewing states they have a variety of event spaces and I imagine you could reserve this mezzanine space for a private event… absolutely perfect for a surprise birthday party!
There are still more surprises in the facility such as at the far opposite end of the building… down a hallway is a completely separate event space which is set up with round tables, perfect for a more private event experience or even a corporate or community meeting.
One aspect that is likely to get missed by many (particularly on a busy Grand Opening weekend) is the indoor cornhole courts!
In the center of the building the gym housed tall racquetball courts, and the Buena Connection team left one of the courts fully intact from the last time someone played racquetball there, but smartly placed cornhole boards in the court. A perfect high-ceiling for those who really like to arch their throws!
In the rear of the building is a patio area with several tables (with umbrellas).
For the opening they are featuring six different beers in a variety of styles and alcohol percentages.
I went with the house lager Ye Olde Midway which at 5.5% ABV offered a lighter beer experience with a little bit of umph in the ABV.
The beer was named in honor of Ye Olde Midway Inn which was a long-standing local landmark for centuries… named for it being the halfway stopping point between Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore. The building has since been demolished.
Also on the menu are:
- D’Grandson Cream Ale 5%
- The Backroods IPA 6.5%
- Hopeful Undertone (Nitro) Table Stout 5.3%
- The Hempstead Bridge Collision Triple IPA 9%
- Monkey With A Razor Belgian Quad Style 11%
It was an awesome experience visiting… and while I didn’t dig-in deep on a flight or a variety of beers, the Ye Olde Midway was absolutely my kind of “Go To” beer.
I look forward to returning soon with friends and my wife on a day when it’s not the Grand Opening celebration so I can really fully soak in the experience of Buena Connection Brewing Company.
Hmm.. I may be back very soon to have a chance to chat further with the team… maybe a video soon?
Over the summer I hope to check out a variety of South Jersey “Heartland” business new and old.. I think I found my homebase to work from! Seems I’ve made a Buena Connection…mid-way on my way Downa-shiore.
Links and Location
Buena Connection Brewing Company
112 Wheat Rd
Buena Borough, NJ