Craft Brewers Launch Beer In Partnership With A Long Valley Coffee Shop

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A collaboration between two Long Valley staple businesses is now available for public purchase, though quantities are limited.

The Coffee Potter and Chilton Mill Brewing have teamed up once again to produce "Cocoa Coffee Porter."

The seasonal porter, according to Mike Peachey, owner and brewer at Chilton Mill Brewing, has flavors of rich chocolate and pleasantly roasted cold brew coffee from The Coffee Potter.

According to Peachey, the idea for the original collaboration came to both business owners organically, as they had grown quite close in the business community very early on. "When my wife Lauren and I were looking to open a business in Long Valley we stopped in to talk to Dave and Geralyn over at the Coffee Potter for some advice and professional references. We developed a solid relationship with them right off the bat and knew that they would be excellent people to collaborate with."

Chilton Mill first opened in Long Valley in the late spring of 2019 and quickly made itself known around Morris County and New Jersey. In 2020, the brewery won the People's Choice Award at the Big Brew Beer Festival in Morristown.

Most recently, Chilton Mill was named the 12th-best brewery in the state of New Jersey for 2022 by Brewery Star.

Peachey stated that once Chilton Mill was operational and the colder months approached, he knew he wanted to craft a new porter with local coffee and thought, who better partner than the Coffee Potter?

"I feel we share the same ethos of community, quality and fun and convey that through our love of beverages. As we continue to grow within our own business and within the town, they have been great people to work with and exemplify what we both do best," Peachey said.

Cocoa Coffee Porter is a limited release and highly popular, so Peachey anticipates that their stock of it will typically go pretty fast. "We hope that a beer like this can stay on for a month, but often times we can see it go even quicker."

Although the collaboration began with the Coffee Potter's original long-time owners, Dave and Geralyn Hickey, it has been carried on by the shop's new team.

The Hickey family announced their departure from Long Valley in late 2022. According to a public announcement from the owners, the Hickeys chose to relocate to Georgia to be closer to family members.

The family also shared that they have plans for a potential expansion. "We love adventure… And we are looking at this move to Georgia as a big one, hopefully establishing a Coffee Potter in the South very soon," the Hickeys said.

"Since Mike and Leah have taken over at The Coffee Potter, they have maintained the same mentality, embracing the opportunity for collaborative efforts while showcasing their product alongside ours. Craft beer and coffee go hand in hand, and we aim to continue collaborating with them on even more new and exciting styles of beer," Peachey said.

Chilton Mill Brewing is located at 59 E. Mill Road in Long Valley. To learn more about the brewery and its upcoming events, click here.