USA, NJ: Whims Brewing expected to open in Waterford later this year

A new brewery is expected to fill a familiar beer space in Atco, Waterford later this year, the Courier-Post reported on February 5.

Dorien Saunders is hard at work to bring Whims Brewing to the White Horse Pike site vacated by Atco Brewing Company, which closed at the end of 2021.

Saunders, 32, is a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, native and respected homebrewer who now calls South Jersey, specifically Atco, home.

He has homebrewed for about seven years and collaborated with the likes of Icarus Brewing Company in Lakewood and Hammonton's Three 3's Brewing Company.

Experimenting with barrel-aged beers and fermentation processes will be the mission at Whims.

"The focus for Whims Brewing involves the creation of beers utilizing expressive yeast strains and bacteria, exploring different malt varieties, and the use of wood during fermentation and aging," Saunders says on the brewery's website.

He adds a passion for using fruits, herbs and flowers in his beers as well.

In recent years, Saunders has attracted the attention of local brewers and craft beer lovers through his participation in homebrewing contests.

The name Whims Brewing comes from self-reflection by Saunders.

"I'm a pretty reserved guy and spend a lot of time thinking/researching whatever may interest me," Saunders said. "Being reserved, I hardly ever talk about whatever I'm getting into. But when I take action, everyone can see it.

"So most of the time it seems like I'm just doing things on pure whim, but there's really a lot of thought that goes into it. So it's a play on that."

There's another side to the brewery's name too, however.

"A lot of people see Whims and think whimsical, which also works because I do enjoy fantasy, legends and mythology stories," Saunders explains. "I try to incorporate some of those characters and elements where I see fit."

Saunders is currently renovating the brewery space and working to obtain his certificate of occupancy and brewing license.

He called it "super optimistic," but Saunders hopes to open Whims Brewing in late spring or summer.