Vaccinated this month? You can get a free beer at Montclair Brewery

By DIEGO JESUS BARTESAGHI MENA
bartesaghi@montclairlocal.news

Montclair Brewery, located on 101 Walnut Street, is now one of the dozens of breweries taking part in the "Shot and a Beer" program, offering free beers to people who've received recent coronavirus vaccinations.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced the initiative, in partnership with Brewer's Guild of New Jersey, at his COVID-19 briefing Monday, May 3. Over the course of the week, several brewers have signed on; as of May 7, there were 34 participating.

Any New Jerseyan who gets his or her first vaccine dose in the month of May and takes a vaccination card to a participating brewery as proof will receive a free beer. The program ends May 31.

The program is part of Operation Jersey Summer, an effort Murphy announced this week to get 4.7 million New Jerseyans vaccinated by June. As of Saturday, about 3.3 million people had been fully vaccinated in New Jersey, according to the state's coronavirus dashboard.

"While we are thrilled by the positive reception we've gotten for the Shot and a Beer program, we are going full steam ahead on the entire outreach program we outlined on Monday, Operation Jersey Summer," Murphy said Wednesday, May 5. "We are not going to rest on any laurels."

He said more components of the outreach would be added in the coming days and weeks.

Other breweries nearby have also joined the program, including Four City Brewing Company, located at 55 South Essex Ave. in Orange; Gaslight Brewery, located at 15 South Orange Ave. in South Orange; and Magnify Brewing Company, located on 1275 Bloomfield Ave. in Fairfield.

"Shot and a beer! Proud to be a part of this initiative," Four City Brewing Company posted on its Facebook page.

For the complete list of the participating breweries click here.