Dave's love of beer, motorcycles, and more beer and Kurt's attraction for making moest (a German hard cider), as well as his love of traveling to Oktoberfests all over the world, made them an ideal pair for a joint venture in a microbrewery.

As diverse as these two men are, they agreed on one thing: the need for a local brewery that produces classic styles of fresh beer. Climax Brewing Company's inaugural beer was an ESB, a beer that's light amber in color and has a nice malty balance with a warm, spicy bitterness. Climax's hearty, robust Porter was the second beer to hit the market. The Porter is black in color with a thick, tawny head and a chocolate/coffee profile. Next on tap was Climax's India Pale Ale (IPA), a smooth, well-rounded, copper-colored ale. It has a citrusy hop nose with malty accents and is medium bodied with a nice warming bitterness. The IPA is a perfect mingling of hops and malt and is an ideal summertime drink. Climax now also offers a Nut Brown Ale and an Oktoberfest for fall, as well as a wide assortment of seasonal and specialty beers throughout the year.

With 10 years of homebrewing experience, two years of professional consulting for Gold Coast Brewing Company, and owning his own home-brew supply store, Dave Hoffmann is firmly established in New Jersey's fastest-growing and newly-emerging market. As head brewer, Dave has an extensive background in brewing, and formulated such beers as the well-acclaimed Hoboken Ale and Shanghai Pale Ale, which are currently available throughout the Northeast. He is also founder of The Hanson House Hoppers, a Union-county based home-brew club, and has two entries in the book, Fifty Great Homebrew Tips.