Buena Brewery Ranked No. 8 on USA TODAY List
Buena Connection Brewing Company, located at 112 Wheat Road in Buena, New Jersey, ranked No. 8 on USA TODAY 10BEST’s 2026 Best New Brewery list. The ranking appears in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards, released March 4, 2026.
The awards recognize breweries founded since the beginning of 2023. USA TODAY reports that hundreds of new craft breweries open across the United States each year. A panel of beer experts nominated top breweries, and readers voted to determine the final Top 10.
Buena Connection Brewing Company opened in 2025. The brewery operates inside a building that previously served as a NovaCare gym facility. The converted property now functions as a large brewery destination with multiple rooms and themed spaces.
Visitors enter through a tasting room presenting the brewery’s tap list. One featured beer is The Backroads, an IPA available at the tasting bar. The beer lineup includes crisp lagers and hoppy IPAs.
The facility contains several interior areas. One section is The Highline Room. Another is the upstairs Mezzanine, which includes leather couches and lounge-style seating with a speakeasy-style atmosphere above the main brewery floor.
The property also includes outdoor space. A patio area and lawn games serve visitors during spring and summer in South Jersey. Inside the building, a signature red car display attracts attention immediately after entry.
The building also functions as an event venue. Private parties and large gatherings take place within the facility, and the brewery hosts weddings. Multiple rooms accommodate events of different sizes.
Buena Connection Brewing Company appears among nine other breweries in the 2026 Best New Brewery list.
No. 10: Atomic Clock Brewing Co., Durham, North Carolina. Located in Durham’s Warehouse District, the brewery serves craft beers including Movement pilsner and Vespertine Shadow milk stout. Food options include a chicken parm sub and a Buffalo-inspired beef on weck sandwich.
No. 9: The Test Brewery, Brooklyn, New York. The brewery serves a rotating lineup of beers with IPAs frequently on the menu. The venue includes a plant-filled patio and offers local natural wines.
No. 8: Buena Connection Brewing Company, Buena, New Jersey. The brewery operates inside a colossal facility that debuted in 2025. Visitors sample beers ranging from crisp lagers to hoppy IPAs, with patio seating and lawn games available outside.
No. 7: Blue Jay Brewing Co., St. Louis, Missouri. The brewery produces German-inspired beers, including Munich-style lager, Märzen, and Hefeweizen. Food options include smashburgers and bratwurst.
No. 6: Terranaut Beer, Bend, Oregon. The brewery features an easygoing setting, a vintage vinyl selection, and a rotating craft beer lineup. Beer offerings include hazy IPAs, American IPAs, and experimental brews using Mexican chocolate and pineapple.
No. 5: Future Days Beer Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Former homebrewers Nick Mata and Sean McGuire founded the brewery. The menu includes Future Days Kölsch, Imperial Stout Moonlight Mile, Nightbird Black IPA, and rotating West Coast Pale Ales.
No. 4: Lombardi Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The brewery serves European-style ales and lagers, including Eschweiler Pils, Gaslight lager, and O’Sullivan’s Irish-style ale.
No. 3: Elder Piper Beer & Cider, Petoskey, Michigan. Located near the Lake Michigan shoreline, the venue serves beer and cider, including barrel-aged Cold Snap cider, hazy IPAs, milk stouts, and barrel-aged honey lagers.
No. 2: Deep Fried Beers / Night School, Athens, New York. The brewery operates inside the Night School pizza parlor and produces ultra-hoppy DIPAs and sour beers. One option is the Macrowave TIPA with 11.1% ABV. Another is Sour Patchwork 2 Imperial Sour with raspberry flavors. Guest beers and Night School selections appear on tap.
No. 1: Hearth Brewing, Harrison, Ohio. Located east of the Indiana–Ohio border, the brewery has served stone-fired pizzas and craft beer since 2024. Beer options include Punked Ale pumpkin ale, and spiced Autumn Ale. Food offerings include grilled cheese and buffalo chicken sandwiches.
