Besting both New York and Philadelphia, Rent.com listed the Hudson County municipality – where more than half of its shops are locally based – in its top 20.

Java Love's empire includes four shops and a wholesale business that supplies coffee for the historic Phoenicia Diner and lifestyle brand Beekman 1802, among others. In August, it launched a Women's Coffee Producers series that has so far featured "joe" produced in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Peru.

“Music and wine, like comic books, are cultures and cultures are a way of life. So we thought of doing something to bring people together, especially in this divided time of politics, people, and pandemic! It’s like what I did with Adidas and Aerosmith,” Darryl McDaniels told NJBIZ. “So my brand is capable of uniting many cultures and people. Rock ‘n roll, hip hop, fashion, comic books, cookies and wine!”

A shortage of available grains and malt due to a number of supply chain issues has thrown a wrench in production for New Jersey’s brewery industry.

The 16% to 25% ABV cocktails are sold at liquor stores across New Jersey and online to 31 states nationally.