New Jersey’s brewing community is again without another beer maker, with the recent closure of a business that’s believed to be among only a few woman-owned breweries in the state.
Backward Flag Brewing Company, which was known as space devoting itself to helping veterans transition into post-military careers, closed on Saturday after nine years of operation in Ocean County.
Reasons for the closure were unclear, but in a statement shared online, the brewery said, “We have fought to keep our doors open for a while now, but this is a fight we cannot win.”
The business began as a “hobby that got out of control” for Torie Fisher, an Army veteran who learned about making homemade beer from a friend. The brewery in Lacey Township, a short distance from Route 9, filed to become a nonprofit to help retired military personnel find new careers in the industry.
“We are so grateful for the community that has risen up around us over the years.,” the brewery wrote on its social media pages. “It is meant with all genuineness that it has been a privilege and an honor to serve you.”
When interviewed in 2017, Fisher told NJ Advance Media she believed her business was the only brewery to be owned by a woman formerly in the Armed Forces.
“Before joining the Army, my life dream was to be a photojournalist and work for Time magazine,” Fisher said in the interview.
Since emerging as a potential leader in the state’s economy, New Jersey breweries appear sluggish to their competitors. Meanwhile, the topic remains a political talking point for state lawmakers seeking to form legislation to bolster the industry.
The Garden State’s 152 breweries (22nd in the nation) produced about 222,000 barrels of beer in 2022 (26th in the United States), according to the latest data from the Brewers Association for Small & Independent Craft Brewers.
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