Tonewood Brewing

Germany is home to some really great beer styles, and Eli Fachinei is no stranger to that. In fact, after traveling to Germany, he was so enamored with German beer culture that he knew when he returned, he wanted to brew his own beer. After learning the ropes and working as a brewer in Colorado, he decided to make his passion his own, to start and own a brewery where great beers are brewed. Eli enlisted the help of brother, Taylor, and dad, Jim, and got busy. Tonewood Brewing, its name born to the family's interest in music and the tonal quality of string instrument wood, was conceived.

It wasn't so east. First, finding a location without red tape was a challenge. Enter Robert Forbs, mayor of Oaklyn who heard the guys were looking for a suitable downtown location. When the mayor reached out, things began to happen, and Oaklyn is reaping the benefits of that helping hand. Tonewood has built a reputation for having some of the finest beers around; in fact, in its first year they have doubled their capacity and built a steady customer base.

Tonewood offers an absolutely beautiful tasting room, so warm and inviting. Imagine a downtown location, walkable and accessible, with a plenty of street parking and a large size parking lot. It gets better. Now imagine walking into a well decorated space with the cozy touches of brick on the wall, wood ceilings, a fantastic ash bar, and handcrafted tables made from local milled wood. Add in a couple of garage doors that open to an outdoor biergarten and you've entered the environment of dreams. That is Tonewood's reality.

**This excerpt is from Maureen Fitzpatrick's book Guide to New Jersey Breweries, South Jersey Edition 2019.