nyc

  • Italian Restaurants With Good Italian Beer

    By will
    on Jun 09, 09
    Italian craft beer. Yes. There is an emerging craft beer scene in Italy creating small batch beers in strangely shaped bottles with strange ingredients with high price tags. These beers are some of the most interesting and complex beers brewed with the attention to detail and quality ingredients that you find in Italian wine and cuisine. The price tags can be difficult in this economy, but you will notice a couple of Italian restaurants serving these beers at a very small markup (hardly more than store price). Italian food and Italian craft beer, that sounds great.

    Check out these two Italian restaurants on BeerMenus that offer craft Italian beers at great prices and never get stuck deciding between Moretti and wine at an Italian restaurant again:

    Lusso

    Convivio

  • Arrogant Bastard Ale Found

    By will
    on Jun 05, 09
    As you may have read in our About section, we originally started BeerMenus because we were looking to go out in New York City, and we wanted to find a place serving Arrogant Bastard Ale. At the time this was a very difficult task, but thanks to the support and dedication of the best beer bars, restaurants, and beer stores in NYC, we have up to date info on where to find great beer. This past Wednesday, my brother Eric and I had the pleasure of meeting Greg Koch, co-founder and CEO of Stone Brewing Company, at Rattle 'N' Hum. As you can see below, finding great beer makes you happy.

    Arrogant Bastard Ale FOUND...

  • Styles Session Pilsner List

    By will
    on Jun 02, 09
    We finalized the list for our next Styles Session event on Monday, June 8th. Learn the history of the style, see how the style has transformed and reincarnated itself, drink 10 representations of the style, and discover your favorite.

    1. Pilsner Urquel
    2. BB Burgerbrau
    3. Budweiser
    4. Czechvar
    5. Jever Pilsener
    6. Victory Prima Pils
    7. Oskar Blues Mamas Lil Yella Pils
    8. Stoudt's Pils
    9. Moa Original
    10. Rogue Morimoto

    Learn more and buy tickets

  • The Proper Pour

    By will
    on Jun 01, 09
    The innovation of craft brewers lately has resulted in a dizzying array of beer styles found on tap that require a surprising level of understanding of draft systems and proper pouring techniques. The simple days of hooking up an inexpensive keg of watery beer and hoping for the best will soon be a thing of the past as more and more bars/restaurants/stores serve craft beer on tap that requires special attention. To learn more about draft systems, the Brewers Association has released a guide called the Draught Beer Quality Manual to make sure that you appreciate beer in its best condition.

    In addition to this guide, the Cicerone Certification Program "offers that independent assessment and certification so that industry professionals—as well as consumers—can be sure of the knowledge and skills possessed by current and prospective beer servers." Want to make it your mission to never let a person drink beer served through dirty tap lines or beer served at the wrong carbonation level? Check out Cicerone and
    get certified.

  • Meet Chris Trogner, Co-Founder of Troegs Brewing Company

    By will
    on May 20, 09
    Tomorrow (5/21), the East Village Tavern will be having a Troegs Brewing Company event, which will include the very rare Troegs Hop Back Amber, dry-hopped, and on cask. The other brews on tap from Troegs will be the Nugget Nectar, Mad Elf, Sunshine Pils, Dreamweaver Wheat, Rugged Trail Brown Ale, and the Pale Ale. All beers will cost $5 between 7-9PM. The first 24 people there will get a Troegs glass.

  • BeerMenus Facelift

    By will
    on Jun 16, 09
    You may have noticed this morning we updated the design of the site reorganizing the navigation bars. We hope this makes navigating the site and finding great beer easier. If you have any feedback or comments please feel free to let us know in our forums.

  • Places with FREE WiFi

    By will
    on Jun 21, 09
    We have started a list of places on BeerMenus with free WiFi. Know of a place with free Wifi that we left off the list? Create your own version of the list to add additional places.

  • Styles Session 8: Wittes

    By will
    on Jun 25, 09
    One of my personal favorite summer beers, the Witte, White, or Belgian wheat beer is an amazing beer to drink under the sun. We will be drinking 8 of our favorite Witte beers paired with some great cheeses from Murray's on Monday. Try some of the best Witte beers out there from Belgium, Italy, and the USA and figure out which one is your favorite.

    See the list of Wittes and learn more

  • Brewed In Brooklyn Walking Tours

    By will
    on Jul 01, 09
    This past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Urban Oyster's Brewed In Brooklyn Walking Tour. You may have heard rumors about the rich history of brewing in Brooklyn, but this walking tour will teach you everything you need to know. Brooklyn used to have over 70 operating breweries - almost a brewery on every corner - and this created a very unique brewing culture and neighborhood atmosphere. On the tour you get a private tour of Brooklyn Brewery, you get to see the few remaining German breweries built in the 19th century, you get to see the sites of breweries that have been torn down, you get to talk with local residents whose families have been in the neighborhood for generations, and of course you get to drink great beer along the way. These tours run every Saturday from noon to 3PM. I encourage everyone to take a walk through Brooklyn with Dave and Cindy for a lively and humorous tour of Brooklyn's rich brewing history. Check out some photos I took along the way...

    Local 1 fermenting at Brooklyn Brewery



    The flight of beers at Brooklyn Brewery



    Edward Hittelman Brewery



    A perfect pairing at Danny's Pizzeria

  • Styles Session 8: Wittes TONIGHT

    By will
    on Jul 06, 09
    Tonight at Rattle 'N' Hum we will be drinking 8 Witte beers paired with great cheeses from Murrays Cheese Shop. We will have Maggie Fuller, of Beer Ethos, and Chris Munsey, of Murrays Cheese Shop with us to discuss the great beers and cheeses.

    For this event we will be discussing the history of the Witte beer style, and we will explain each beer in the flight.

    The beers:
    St. Bernardus Wit
    Ommegang Witte
    Captain Lawrence Sunblock
    Bruery Orchard White
    Bruery Orchard Black
    Birrificio Friska
    Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
    Glazen Toren Jan De Lichte

    Buy Tickets and learn more

  • Meet Greg Hall, Goose Island Brewmaster

    By will
    on Jul 09, 09
    Tonight the East Village Tavern will be welcoming Greg Hall with a big lineup of Goose Island beers. Come meet Greg, learn about the Reserve Series, and enjoy $5 pours from 6-9PM.

    The beer:
    Night Stalker
    Bourbon County Stout
    Matilda
    Pere Jacques
    Honkers
    312
    IPA
    Demolition
    Imperial IPA
    Summertime
    Sofia (bottle)

  • Warm Weather Whites: Monday @ Resto

    By will
    on Jul 10, 09
    BeerMenus is teaming up with Maggie Fuller, of Beer Ethos and Resto, the restaurant with over 100 Belgian beers and a food menu to match, for a series of beer dinners this Summer. Our first dinner takes place on Monday (July 13th) where we will be exploring Belgian White beers, a perfect thirst-quenching summer beer style. Resto's executive chef Bobby Hellen and owner Christian Pappanicholas will be bringing out their best plates for this 5 course beer dinner. In the Belgian tradition, this will be a true beer and food pairing giving equal attention to both the beer and food. If you have yet to visit Resto, take a look at their food menu and their beer menu to see what to expect.

    Email julian@restonyc.com or call 212-685-5585 to secure your seat for Monday.

    Check out the schedule of events we are doing together this Summer.

  • BeerMenus Philly, Now Live!

    By will
    on Jun 28, 09
    We now have just under 50 venues in the Philadelphia region. Stay tuned for more places, more updates, and more ways to find great beer. If you have any suggestions for places we should add, please let us know in the forums section. If you have any events we are missing please feel free to add them here. General feedback or technical problems can be directed here.

    Cheers,
    The BeerMenus Team

  • Styles Session 9: German Hefeweizens

    By will
    on Jul 18, 09
    On Monday (7/20) we will be drinking 8 different hefeweizens paired with some great cheeses from Murray's Cheese Shop. Conforming to the German purity law the Reinheitsgebot, these beers are brewed using only hops, water, yeast, and malted grains. The hefeweizen is the German wheat beer that has all of the thirst-quenching and refreshing characteristics of the Belgian White beers that we had at the last event, but these beers have no adjuncts like spices or fruit to hide behind. The purity law in Germany has had a very interesting influence on the brewing culture in Germany forcing brewers to perfect the use of the 4 main ingredients in beer, but preventing them from experimenting with additional ingredients that brewers use in other countries. Come try these 8 hefeweizens and decide if the purity law is prohibiting creativity or helping brewers create the best pure form of beer.

    The beers:
    Weihenstephaner Hefe
    Schneider Weisse
    Schneider Hopfen Weisse
    Schneider Aventinus
    Plank Heller Weizen bock
    1809 Berliner Weisse
    Schlenkerla Weizen
    Sierra Kellerweisse

    Learn more and buy tickets

  • July Is Good Beer Month In NYC

    By will
    on Jul 21, 09
    The guys behind The Good Beer Seal have created a seal to recognize the beer bars in NYC that are dedicated to bringing good beer to the community and have gotten City Hall and Mayor Bloomberg to officially declare July "Good Beer Month" in NYC. Read more

    Watch the video of Jimmy Carbone and Ray Deter announcing the Proclamation of July Good Beer Month.

  • First [Beer] Bar iPhone App In The World

    By will
    on Jul 30, 09
    Rattle 'N' Hum recently launched an iPhone app to keep you up to date on their beer selection on the go on your iPhone or Apple Touch. A lot of bars are too lazy to update their beer menus to tell you what they have, Patrick at Rattle 'N' Hum has just raised the bar.

    You can download the Rattle 'N' Hum iPhone app here

    Check out a screen grab:

  • Beer Bar Opening: Luckydog

    By will
    on Jul 31, 09
    Today Luckydog opens at 303 Bedford Avenue (nr S 2nd St.) in Williamsburg. This new beer bar has 20 taps, a cask beer engine (see chalk board below), and a big back yard. Luckydog plans to have a rotating selection of crafty beers intended to please the casual beer drinker and the connoisseur alike. With plans to soon offer small plates of meat and cheese, the Lucky Dog also encourages patrons to order and bring in food, which is particularly convenient with the Dumont Burger location directly across the street.

    Below are a few photos I took which are not my best work and do not do the place justice









  • NYC Beer Week Tickets Now On Sale

    By will
    on Aug 07, 09
    A special thanks goes out to Josh Schaffner for getting the second annual NYC Beer Week together this year. The event takes place from September 11th to the 19th. It will feature over 80 venues, tons of exciting beer events, and a collaboration beer brewed by three New York State breweries using local ingredients. Learn more and buy a passport here

  • Brewery Events Tomorrow

    By will
    on Aug 17, 09
    Tomorrow (August 18th) there will be two big brewery events.

    Southern Hospitality will be having a special selection of 10 breweries and 20 beers. For $20 you get a raffle ticket and tastes of all beers. 20 beers for $20, not bad. Check out the selection of beers here
    Ulysses will be hosting a Greatbrewers.com event with 17 great breweries to choose from. Head on down to Pearl Street for an impressive selection of beers. You can enjoy their outdoor seating on the street and you can learn about the beers from the brewery reps who will be on hand. Check out the selection of beers here






  • A Concert Venue... With Good Beer

    By will
    on Aug 20, 09
    We are excited to now have The Bell House on BeerMenus. This new concert venue in Gowanus, Brooklyn has a stellar lineup of music artists combined with frequent beer/food events with awesome deals. And of course great beer. They have an event coming up called The Flight Club where you get 4 beers paired with a bunch of cheeses from Murrays for $10. They also have the Brooklyn Cheese Experiment coming up which is a "a cheese cookoff and homebrew-off of epic proportion." Check out this place and support one of few concert venues with great beer.

    The place looks cool:

  • Styles Session 10: DIPAs

    By will
    on Aug 24, 09
    We finalized the list of 8 DIPAs for our next Styles Session event that takes place a week from today. Check out the list of beers.

  • 2nd Annual NYC Beer Week!

    By will
    on Sep 10, 09
    NYC Beer Week 2009 starts tomorrow. NYC is an amazing beer town, I encourage you all to take advantage of this celebration of everything that NYC has to offer. Check out the events schedule and pick up a passport to get all of the amazing discounts. A special thanks to Josh Schaffner for putting this together.

  • Casks Are Pouring

    By will
    on Sep 11, 09
    Today Swift Hibernian Lounge and Rattle 'N' Hum are pouring some extremely unique casks. Check out their beer menus to see all of the beers they just added. Also, checkout everything else going on for beer week here

  • Meet The Brewmaster Series: Monday

    By will
    on Sep 14, 09
    Drinking with brewmasters is fun. Tonight and throughout NYC Beer Week you will have many chances to meet some great brewmasters/brewery owners. The brewers from Victory, Sixpoint, and Flying Dog will be at Rattle 'N' Hum tonight. Brian O'Reilly, brewmaster of Sly Fox, will be at the Hops event at the Astor Center tonight. Tim Suprise, owner/brewer at Arcadia Brewing Company, will be at the Gate tonight. Scott Vacarro, brewmaster/owner at Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, will be at Murray's Cheese Shop. At Barcade you will be able to find brewer Jeremy Goldberg, of Cape Ann Brewing.

    Check out the rest of the exciting NYC Beer Week events today.

  • Meet The Brewmaster Series: Tuesday

    By will
    on Sep 15, 09
    Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head, will be at the Blind Tiger. Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster, will be at Rattle 'N' Hum. Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company, will be at Mas. Carol Stoudt, of Stoudt's Brewing, will be at The French Culinary. Geoff Wenzel, brewer at Keegan Ales, will be at The Gibson.

  • Meet The Brewmaster Series: Wednesday

    By will
    on Sep 16, 09
    Here goes. Carol Stoudt, founder of Stoudt's Brewing, will be at Luckydog. Dave Yarrington, head brewer at Smuttynose, will be at Swift Hibernian Lounge. Chuck Silva, brewmaster at Green Flash, will be at Stanton Public. Finally, the folks from Stone and Bear Republic will be at Rattle 'N' Hum.

  • Meet The Brewmaster Series: Thursday

    By will
    on Sep 17, 09
    Richard Norgrove, owner of Bear Republic, will be at Amsterdam Ale House. Dale Katechis, brewmaster at Oskar Blues, will be at Mudville 9. Brewery staff will be pouring Ommegang beers at Swift Hibernian Lounge. Meet the people behind Stoudt's Brewing Company and Smuttynose at Rattle 'N' Hum. Team Sixpoint will be at Pacific Standard. Rob Tod, owner and brewmaster of Allagash, will be at Downtown Bar & Grill

  • Meet The Brewmaster Series: Friday

    By will
    on Sep 18, 09
    Chuck Silva, brewer at Green Flash, will be at Jimmy's No. 43. Dale Katechis, founder and brewmaster at Oskar Blues, will be at Stanton Public. Rob Tod, owner of Allagash Brewing Company, will be at the Astor Center. Team Bear Republic will be at Bar Great Harry. Team Ommegang, Captain Lawrence, Allagash, and Southampton will be at Rattle 'N' Hum. Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, wil be at Per Se.

  • Sea-Aged Beer

    By will
    on Sep 23, 09
    BrewDog recently shipped an extremely limited number of cases of their newest IPA the BrewDog Atlantic IPA. From BrewDog: "Atlantic IPA survived two months on the North Atlantic, involving a tense barrel-rescue-mission, beatings from force ten storms, 60 foot waves and encounters with killer whales. Upon safe return to dry land, the IPA was bottle conditioned and is now available."

    BrewDog's brief history of the IPA: "Originating in the 1700s, India Pale Ales were developed in Britain and sent by sea to British people living in India. The beers travelled inside oak casks on board sailing vessels however the lack of refrigeration and tempestuous sea journeys often compromised the quality. India Pale Ale was born when brewers realised that together, hops and alcohol act as a natural preservative ensuring that the beer could withstand the voyage and arrive in good condition."

    Also check out the crazy label artwork.

    Want to learn more about the history of IPAs? Check out the book Hops and Glory: One Man's Search for the Beer That Built the British Empire.

  • Oktoberfest Tasting

    By will
    on Sep 27, 09
    Our rescheduled Styles Session 11 will take place tomorrow (9/28/09) at 7PM. We will be discussing the history of the Oktoberfest festival while drinking 8 different examples of the Oktoberfest/Marzen. We will also have several great cheese pairings from Murray's Cheese Shop. Check out the list of beers and learn more here

  • Oktoberfest Beers Available In New York City

    By will
    on Sep 30, 09
    Avery The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest
    Atwater Blocktoberfest
    Blue Point Oktoberfest
    Flying Dog Dogtoberfest
    Harpoon Octoberfest
    Hofbrau Oktoberfest
    Kostritzer Oktoberfest
    Penn Oktoberfest
    Pennichuck The Big O Oktoberfest
    Stoudt's Oktoberfest
    Warsteiner Oktoberfest
    Left Hand Oktoberfest
    Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
    Wurzburger Octoberfest
    Victory Festbier
    Brooklyn Oktoberfest
    Climax Oktoberfest
    Weissenhoe Monk's Festbier
    Weyerbacher Autumnfest
    Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest

  • Pumpkin Beers Available In New York City

    By will
    on Sep 30, 09
    Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
    Captain Lawrence Pumpkin
    Arcadia Jaw-Jacker Pumpkin Ale
    Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
    Bruery Autumn Maple
    Southern Tier Pumking
    Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
    Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
    Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
    Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
    Heartland Smiling Pumpkin Ale
    Wolaver's Will Stevens Pumpkin
    Jack's Pumpkin Spiced Ale
    Saranac Pumpkin

  • Find your local GABF winners

    By will
    on Oct 02, 09
    This past weekend almost 50 thousand people convened in Denver, Colorado for the biggest beer festival in the country, which included 495 breweries. A central part of this festival is the competition that awards medals for the top three beers in 78 beer style categories. Below are the winners from New York on BeerMenus:

    Silver medal in the Rye Beer category: Blue Point RastafaRye
    Silver medal in the Out-Of-Category - Traditionally Brewed Beer: Brooklyn Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
    Bronze medal in the American Style Dark Lager: Saranac Black Forest

  • Original Sin Pear Cider: Now Available

    By will
    on Oct 16, 09
    Recently released, the Original Sin Pear Cider is a new cousin to the Original Sin Apple Cider. Pears tend to be sweeter than apples, but this cider does a great job incorporating the sweet pear smell into a dry and very sessionable beverage.

    *Stores to find Original Sin Pear Cider:*
    Whole Foods Union Square, Whole Foods Bowery, Whole Foods Columbus Circle, Whole Foods Chelsea

    *Bars to find Original Sin Pear Cider:*
    The Half Pint and Swift Hibernian Lounge

    Here is what the bottle looks like:

  • Welcome Bronx Ale House and Wild Goose

    By will
    on Oct 19, 09
    We would like to welcome our recent new venues that are standing strong representing craft beer in areas otherwise pretty baron. Bronx Ale House has officially brought cask beer to the Bronx. Check their menu that is frequently updated to see what's on tap before heading up there. Also, the Wild Goose has recently joined BeerMenus to put Staten Island on the map.

  • Find Wet-Hop, Fresh-Hop Beers In New York City

    By will
    on Oct 22, 09
    Lucy Burningham's recent article about fresh-hop beers made me extremely thirsty and it made me want to go on a pub crawl seeking out wet-hop beers in NYC. Here is a list of the wet-hop beers currently on tap in NYC and where to find them. Please note, these beers come and go quickly, so I would recommend calling ahead.

    Chelsea Catskill Harvest
    Harpoon 100 Barrel Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Beer
    Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

  • Welcome Cafe D'alsace

    By will
    on Oct 26, 09
    We are excited to have Cafe D'alsace's beer menu up and on BeerMenus. Check them out for an extensive selection of European craft beers.

  • Beer of the Week

    By will
    on Oct 26, 09
    Victory Yakima Twilight Ale. Currently on tap at Fourth Avenue Pub, but I imagine it won't last long.

    This Dark India Pale Ale (DIPA) clocks in at 8.7% and is supposed to have enough hop aroma to make you feel like you are on a hop farm. This sounds like a perfect beer to try during the hop harvest season.

    Here is a video of Bill Kovaleski and Ron Marchet talking about the YT: http://www.victorybeerblog.com/beerblog/introducing-the-all-new-yakima-twilight.html

    This beer will also be available on cask at Barcade for the Victory Night.

  • 'Cask Head' Cask Festival

    By will
    on Nov 02, 09
    A special thanks to Alex Hall, of the Gotham Imbiber for organizing the upcoming 'Cask Head' Cask Festival. If you are a lover of cask ale, this event is a godsend. If you have not gotten into cask ale yet, this event will undoubtedly convert you. The event will take place this weekend from Nov. 6-9 (Fri-Sun). Alex has just announced the provisional list (subject to a few changes here and there):

    There will be 12 casks tapped at a time. Pay as you go.

    Arbor (Corner) 'Tally Wacker'
    Big Rock Chop House 'Norm's Raggedy Ass Ale'
    Chelsea '90 Shilling Scotch Ale'
    Clipper City 'Hang Ten'
    Dark Horse 'Amber Ale'
    Dark Horse 'Toasted Wheat Wine'(Dry hopped: Amarillo)
    Dark Star 'Old Chestnut' -UK brewed
    Dark Star 'Golden Gate' -UK brewed
    Dark Star 'Sunburst' -UK brewed
    Firestone Walker 'Nectar IPA'
    Flying Bison 'Blackbird Oatmeal Stout'
    Flying Bison 'Rusty Chain'
    Flying Bison 'Inferno Pod Ale'
    Harpoon 'Oktoberfest' (Dry hopped: Vanguard)
    Harpoon 'IPA' (Dry hopped: Chinook)
    Heartland 'Not Tonight Honey Porter' (aged nearly a year)
    Left Hand 'Oak Aged Imperial Stout'
    The Livery '555 IPA'
    The Livery 'Fuggelicious Wet Hopped Harvest Ale'
    The Livery 'Liberty Ale' (Dry hopped: Fuggles)
    Michigan 'Big Mac'
    Otter Creek 'Imperial India Pale Ale'
    Shawnee 'Entire'
    Shmaltz 'Coney Island Human Blockhead'
    Shmaltz 'Coney Island Sword Swallower'
    Sly Fox 'Chester County Bitter'
    Smuttynose 'Baltic Porter'
    Smuttynose 'Chai Porter'
    Speakeasy 'Oak Aged Big Daddy IPA' (Dry hopped: Cascade)
    Stoudt's 'Medium Pumpkin'
    Three Floyds 'Alpha King'
    Tröegs 'Dead Reckoning Porter'
    Tröegs 'JavaHead Stout'
    Tröegs 'Nugget Nectar'
    Victory 'Yakima Twilight Ale'
    Warwick Valley 'Doc's Pear Cider'

    The Sly Fox is new, don't confuse with Chester County Brown Ale.
    Cheers!

  • 23 Lines of Victory Brewing Company

    By will
    on Nov 10, 09
    Just tapped, The Pony is now pouring 23 lines of Victory Brewing Company beers, a selection that almost rivals the draft list at Victory Brewing Company itself. The selection includes the Victory Storm King and the Victory Yakima Twilight (fresh hop) beers on cask. Other personal favorites on tap include the Braumeister Pils, the Harvest Pils, and the Sunrise Weisse, among many others. Check out the beer menu

  • Sierra Nevada + Dogfish Head = Limb & Life Collaboration Ale

    By will
    on Nov 14, 09
    Sierra Nevada is one of the founding fathers of craft beer in the USA and one of my favorite breweries. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was the first true hoppy beer I drank and it was my gateway beer that made me get into craft beer and hoppy beers in particular. It is to this day one of my favorite hoppy beers. With that said, some people probably think they only brew the Pale Ale these days. Quite to the contrary they have been brewing some very interesting beers from their annual fresh-hop harvest ale to their Celebration Ale, which is just coming out for the holiday season. In fact, they brew over 14 beers, four of which are seasonal harvest beers (my favorites). Most recently, Sierra Nevada is brewing a pair of collaboration beers with Dogfish Head Craft Ales. The two beers are called Life & Limb and Limb & Life.

    Currently, you can find the Limb & Life at Swift Hibernian Lounge.

  • Cask tapping alert: Harviestoun Schiehallion

    By will
    on Nov 23, 09
    Ok, starting this week we are going to give shout-outs to the interesting cask beers we see added to BeerMenus. Cask beers are best fresh so we are going to send out alerts to announce many of the beers tapped.

    Find the Harviestoun Schiehallion on cask here.

  • Amity Hall opens today

    By will
    on Dec 02, 09
    Today Amity Hall opens in the West Village. With 40 taps and over 100 bottles, this is a great new beer destination. Check out their beer menu. Note: tonight will be their quiet opening with select draft beers - tomorrow they will have their full beer menu available.

  • Cask Beer Of The Week

    By will
    on Dec 03, 09
    Rattle 'N' Hum is celebrating their one year anniversary with a huge cask lineup of 20+ beers. Some standouts include the Dale's Pale Ale dry hopped with Centennial hops, the Ballast Point Dorado IPA, the Sixpoint Bengali Tiger, and the Green Flash West Coast IPA. Of course, they have beers of different styles, but those are the ones I am eying. Cheers to real ale!

  • New Heartland Brewery Beers

    By will
    on Dec 08, 09
    I have had many conversations with people about the quality of beer and beer cultures in various cities. Many claim to live in the best beer drinking city. Usually people will evaluate a city based on the quality of the beer that local breweries put out and/or the level of sophistication of the drinkers. I think it is most important to look at the balance between the two. As a city's beer culture matures, beer drinkers learn to appreciate better beers and breweries are both forced and enabled to put out better beers. People will demand better beer, and breweries will be able to put out more bold and exciting beers to an audience that will appreciate them. With that said, Heartland Brewery has been acknowledging the increased maturity and sophistication of New York beer drinkers and has started creating some exciting beers. I encourage you all to check them out and especially tonight, there will be $1 pints of their new and hoppier Indiana Pale Ale.

    From Heartland Brewery:

    Old Red Nose . . . in Four Versions
    Brewmaster Kelly Taylor made four versions of this seasonal orange and ginger-infused beer: the classic Old Red Nose Ale (5.75% abv), a special edition version (8.25% abv), a keg-conditioned special edition (8.25% abv), and a limited edition bottle-conditioned special edition (8.25% abv) for holiday gifts (250 bottles, each priced at $14.95). The classic is currently on tap at all Heartlands and the special edition version will replace it in mid-December (the bottled versions are also on sale now; they also come as part of a $24.95 gift-pack that includes two glasses). The tiny quantity produced (just three kegs) of the keg-conditioned special edition Old Red Nose Ale will be on tap at Union Square in mid-December, too, though we only expect it to last for three days to a week, at most.

    Hot Mulled Ale
    Heartland has created a hot mulled ale that is available at the Union Square and Empire Heartlands through the end of December. It contains Old Red Nose Ale, plus: apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, rum, honey and orange slices. You might also be interested to know that the drink will be served at the next New Amsterdam Market, with the proceeds to benefit City Harvest.

    Belgian Chocolate L’Orange
    In late December or early January, Heartland is going to introduce its most ambitious (not to mention expensive to produce) Heartland beer to date: a Belgian Chocolate L’Orange (8.5 abv.). Made with Valrhona chocolate nibs and dried orange peel, this strong, spicy beer will have distinct espresso notes.

    Red Rooster Belgian Ale
    In late December or early January, Heartland is going to be offering a special edition Red Rooster Belgian Ale at four of its restaurants. Kelly has given Heartland’s regular Red Rooster Ale a twist by fermenting it with Belgian yeast. The result is a bolder, spicier ale, with a pleasant hoppiness and complex, fruity finish.

    Indiana Pale Ale: The Next Generation
    As you might know, Heartland has been brewing beer in New York City for the past 15 years. During this time there's been a flat-out revolution in the popularity of craft beer in the U.S. Moreover, Americans' taste in beer has changed dramatically. Consumers are now excitedly embracing more complex, intensely flavored beers that only five years ago they might have found overwhelming. The IPA category, in particular, has surged in popularity as imbibers realize that it's overly simplistic to describe hop-driven beers as simply "more bitter" than other brews.

    In recognition of this shift in taste, Heartland has rolled out a next generation Indiana Pale Ale. For starters, it's made with a nutty, rich English pale ale base malt, a touch of caramel malt for more depth of color, and an unmalted flake barley for textural roundness. Kelly also uses four hop varieties, each at different stages, which gives the finished beer a bold, resinous mouth feel. Each of the hops also adds a different flavor component: Chinook (bitterness and background spice), Amarillo (floral citrus), Cascade (grapefruit), and Simcoe (pine). Finally, this beer is unfiltered, resulting in a richer, more complex finish.

  • Goose Island Night

    By will
    on Jan 11, 10
    Tomorrow night (Jan. 12th), Rattle 'N' Hum will be tapping 15-20 kegs of Goose Island beers, many of which you rarely see outside of Chicago and many of which I have never seen before. Also keep a look out for Goose Island's brewmaster Greg Hall, who will be in attendance.

    The Beers:
    Mado Imperial Wit
    Sophie
    Juliet
    Alt
    Winter Wit
    Queen B
    Snow Wit
    Saison
    2nd City Wit
    Doppelbock
    Marie Louise
    Smoked Dunkelweizenbock
    Franken Porter
    Matilda
    Demolition
    Pere Jacques
    Bourbon County Stout
    IPA
    Imperial IPA
    Honkers
    312 Wheat

  • Otter Creek NYC Re-Launch

    By will
    on Jan 13, 10
    As you may have read, Otter Creek Brewing Company recently hired Mike Gerhart, previously a brewer at Dogfish Head Craft Ales, to join the team as their new brewmaster. Mike Gerhart has created a completely new Imperial Series lineup, which currently includes three beers: the Russian Imperial Stout, Oak-Aged Imperial IPA, and Quercus Vitis Humulus. These beers are brewed in smaller batches, using different yeast strains, aged for a longer time in the tanks, and they are higher in alcohol content (10-12%). According to Gerhart, these three beers are a departure from past Otter Creek beers and should be shared with others (in part due to the strength). You can check out a video interview with Mike Gerhart here.

    Here are the three Imperial Series bottle labels and descriptions:



    "We brewed this beer with double the malts and four times the hops of regular stouts! Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout clocks in around 10% ABV- a beer to be savored responsibly. True to style, this beer will last for years so you may want to stock up on a few bottles for your cellar while it's available."



    "The fruity and citrusy hop aroma intermingles perfectly with an assertive malty backbone. Our brewers added a generous supply of hops to this brew throughout the entire process to provide an enormous hop flavor and balance the elevated alcohol content."



    "QVH is our brewers' tribute to the mighty oak, luscious grape, and humble hop. The homage begins with a bold 27 degree plato barley-wine, warm-fermented with Bohemian lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and fermented a second time with a pure culture of Champagne yeast. When this intricate brew was complete, our brewers aged it on lightly toasted French Oak. The six week journey through our brewery results in a deeply complex ale which clocks in at 12% ABV, with 38 IBU."

    NYC Otter Creek Re-Launch

    With this change of brewmasters and the new lineup of beers comes the Otter Creek NYC re-launch, which will take place from February 2nd to February 4th. There will be several bars carrying the new Imperial Series lineup as well as the other Otter Creek and Wolavers beers and Mike Gerhart will be stopping by each of these bars to meet and greet. Here's the schedule:

    February 2nd

    5PM: Rattle 'N' Hum: Otter Creek Imperial IPA, Otter Creek QVA, Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Pale Ale, Otter Creek Oktoberfest, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Spring Kolsch, Otter Creek Solstices, Otter Creek Stove Pipe Porter, Otter Creek QVA (cask), Wolavers: Pale Ale, Wolavers Brown Ale, Wolavers Oatmeal Stout, Wolavers Pat Leavy, Wolavers Will Stevens Pumpkin.

    6PM: Ulysses: Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Solstice, Otter Creek Quercus Vitus Humulus.

    7PM: Jimmy's No. 43: Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Solstice, Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus, Wolavers IPA, Wolavers Brown, Wolavers Pale Ale.

    February 3rd

    4PM: Blind Tiger: Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus (cask), Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus, Otter Creek Solstice, Otter Creek Pale Ale, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout, Wolavers IPA, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Wolavers Pale Ale, Wolaver’s Brown Ale, Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout, Imperial IPA, Wolavers Pat Leavy.

    5PM: Mudville 9: Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Solstice, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Wolaver’s Brown.

    9PM: Valhalla: Otter Creek Kolsch, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus, Otter Creek Solstice, Otter Creek Imperial IPA, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Oatmeal Stout, Wolavers Brown, Wolavers IPA, Wolavers Pat Leavy, Wolavers Pale Ale.

    February 4th

    5PM: Swift Hibernian Lounge: Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Otter Creek Quercus Vitis Humulus, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Wolavers IPA, Wolavers Pat Leavy.

    6PM: Amity Hall: Otter Creek Pale Ale, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout, Otter Creek Imperial IPA, Wolavers Brown Ale, Wolavers Oatmeal Stout, Otter Creek QVH, Otter Creek Solstices, Wolavers Pat Leavy, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter

    7PM: Ginger Man: Otter Creek Kolsch, Otter Creek Imperial IPA, Otter Creek Oatmeal Stout, Otter Creek QVH, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter firkin.

    More about Mike Gerhart
    Mike Gerhart, Brewmaster, originally from Suffern, NY, began home brewing at the age of seventeen with his dad and has been brewing professionally since 1997. A graduate of the Johnson State College, Mike worked as a cellarman and brewer at Kross Brewing Company ('97-'98) in Morrisville, VT then as a brewer for Magic Hat Brewing Company ('98-'00) 2001 he received his Brewmasters and Maltsters degree from the prestigious Versuchs Und Lehrenstalt Fur Braueri Und Malzerie (VLB) Berlin, Germany. Mike ventured back to New York to run Old World Brewing Company ('01) - a brewery he built from scratch. Mike then headed south to VA and to Coors Brewing Company where he worked as a Quality Control Analyst and Special Projects Manager ('01-'04). He attended the MSc program at Herriot Watt University in Brewing and Distilling. Next he ventured closer to home and served as the Distillery Manager for Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats Brewpub ('04-'08) in Rehoboth Beach, DE, and the Pilot Brewery Manager for Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, DE. Most recently, Mike has been promoted to Brewmaster at Otter Creek Brewing Company ('08-present) in Middlebury, VT where he is responsible for all brewing and brand development for the Otter Creek and Wolaver Organic Ales.


  • Trappist Beer Tasting

    By will
    on Feb 08, 10
    On February 27th, Swift Hibernian Lounge will be hosting two sessions of Trappist beer tastings. This tasting will include all available Trappist beers from six of the seven Trappist breweries (Westvleteren will not be represented because it is not legally sold here) including a variety of vintages of the Chimay Grand Reserve. To accompany these beers will be cheeses, cured meats, artisanal breads, and a gift bag.

    Session I (1-4pm): Buy tickets
    Session II (5-8pm): Buy tickets

    The beers
    Chimay Première
    Chimay Cinq Cents
    Chimay Grande Réserve
    Orval
    Westmalle Dubbel
    Westmalle Tripel
    Rochefort 6
    Rochefort 8
    Rochefort 10
    Achel Bruin
    Achel Blond
    Koningshoeven Quadrupel
    Koningshoeven La Trappe Isid’or
    Chimay Grande Réserve 2005
    Chimay Grande Réserve 2006
    Chimay Grande Réserve 2007
    Chimay Grande Réserve 2008
    Chimay Grande Réserve 2009

    Learn more about Trappist beers.
    Learn even more.

  • Cask Festival All Weekend At Brazen Head

    By will
    on Feb 05, 10
    This afternoon Brazen Head will be kicking off their 20th Cask Festival featuring over 25 casks. The impressive list of beers should include some unusual beers that are not normally available in NYC. A special thanks to Alex Hall, of Gotham Imbiber, and Lou Sones, bar manager at Brazen Head for organizing this event. The lineup of beers looks amazing.

    Details:

    February 5-7th, noon - 2am each day
    No entrance fee
    Beers available in 8 oz and 16 oz pours
    12 beers tapped at a time

    Check out the beer list

  • Strong Ale Symposium at Studio Square

    By will
    on Feb 10, 10
    We are excited to be partnering with Studio Square to present the Strong Ale Symposium, which will take place on Saturday February 27th from 3-7PM. On tap (list below) will be a selection of strong ales from some of the best craft breweries in America. All beers will be big and full of flavor including Imperial Stouts, Double IPAs, Quads, Winter Warmers, Barleywines, etc. To keep things from getting too out of hand, there will be a complementary buffet provided by Schaller & Weber.

    Learn more and buy tickers

    The beers!
    Speakeasy Double Daddy (cask)
    Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia Old Ale
    River Horse Hopalotamus
    Bear Republic Apex
    Stone Double Bastard
    Harpoon Leviathan Quad
    Cigar City Marshal Zhukov Imperial Stout
    Boulder Flashback
    Captain Lawrence – Nor’easter
    Ramstein Winter Wheat
    Ithaca 11
    Sly Fox Renard d’Or
    Sly Fox Instigator Doppelbock
    Southampton Biere d Garde ‘07
    Arcadia ‘07 Imperial Stout
    Arcadia Cereal Killer
    21st Amendment Monk’s Blood
    Keegan Ales Joe Mamma’s Imperial Coffee Stout
    Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale ’07

  • Belgian-Style Golden Ales

    By will
    on Feb 24, 10
    Eric Asimov's article today titled A Delicious Free For all describes a tasting he conducted with a selection of Belgian-Style Golden Ales. One thing we at BeerMenus can add to this article is availability information for these beers. Below is a list of the top 10 Belgian-Style Golden Ales as picked by Eric Asimov's panel of drinkers with links to find these beers in NYC.

    1. Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza
    2. Valeir Divers
    3. AleSmith Horny Devil
    4. Leelanau Good Harbor Golden Ale
    5. Unibroue Maudite
    6. Lucifer
    7. Valeir Extra
    8. Gaverhopke Blond
    9. Brooklyn Local 1
    10. De Ranke XX Bitter

  • Birdsall House Opening

    By will
    on Mar 16, 10
    This past weekend the Birdsall House officially opened in Peekskill, New York. With a focus on local beer and food, Birdsall House is a great addition to Westchester County's beer scene. On opening day, they were pouring beer from neighbors Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and serving food from their neighbors at Hemlock Hill Farms. From the BH blog: "In our quest to keep our food as local as possible, we visited Hemlock Hill Farms today to check out some local beef and discovered that all the cattle at Hemlock Hill is fed with the spent grain from Capatain Lawrence! Laura de Maria, who's family has farmed at this location since 1939, informed us that 'as Scott grows, we grow.' Meaning, the more beer CL produces affects the number of cattle that can be fed at Hemlock Hill. Cool, huh? Luckily, Scott is brewing at capacity and expanding." Now that, is awesome. While there I ordered the burger (photo below) with beef sourced from Hemlock Hills and this burger was reason enough to make the journey north and reason enough to give up being a vegetarian. In addition to their focus on local food and beer, the Birdsall House shows that they pay close attention to their draft system as documented in the blog. Below are a few photos from Saturday, a rainy day with a special visit from some bag pipers to celebrate St. Pat's.

    Oh yeah, and of course check out the beer menu

    Photos courtesy of Brendan McNamara





  • Brooklyn Beer & Soda Expands Their Growler System

    By will
    on Mar 19, 10
    Prospect Heights' Brooklyn Beer & Soda just expanded their growler system to include 16 lines of local craft beers for growler fill. You can see their updated selection of growlers here. Some unusual local beers they have on tap now that I would definitely recommend checking out are the Sixpoint Gorilla Warfare Coffee Porter and the Defiant Porter.

  • Founders Brewing Company, Now in NYC

    By will
    on Mar 29, 10
    Starting this week, Founders Brewing Company is available in NYC. Now we no longer have to make a trip over the border to track down these great beers. Find which places in NYC already have these beers here.

  • 4th Annual New York Brewfest

    By will
    on Apr 01, 10
    We are excited to announced the 4th Annual New York Brewfest on Saturday June 19th on Governor's Island. The festival is a celebration of craft beer and will showcase samplings from New York State's outstanding breweries. A commemorative 4-ounce glass is given to all attendees at the Information Booth/Entrance. Admission allows samplings from over 300 styles of handcrafted beers from more than 100 breweries. Great local foods will be available for purchase, and New York bands will perform throughout the evening.

    In addition to the many breweries, food offerings and live bands, this year's Brewfest will offer seminars (featuring tastings of limited edition beers) led by master brewers from New York State. What's more, Governors Island provides acres of green space, and water taxis will run all day between Governors Island and Manhattan's Pier 11, Brooklyn and New Jersey, making festival access not only easy, but scenic too.

    Learn more

  • NYC World Beer Cup Winner

    By will
    on Apr 12, 10
    On April 6th and 7th, beers from around the World were judged as a part of the World Beer Cup, which took place in Chicago during the Craft Brewers Conference. According to the organizers of the World Beer Cup, "As consumer choices expand, the availability of information becomes more important. With this in mind, the Brewers Association developed the World Beer Cup® International Competition in 1996 to celebrate the art and science of brewing by recognizing outstanding achievement. This global competition ultimately creates greater consumer awareness about different beer styles and flavor profiles while promoting international brewing excellence. Every two years, a highly qualified professional panel of beer judges honors the top three beers in nearly 91 categories with gold, silver, and bronze awards. The World Beer Cup, often referred to as 'The Olympics of Beer Competitions,' is the most prestigious beer competition in the world."

    Our local medal winner was the Brooklyn Local 2, which won a bronze medal in the Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale category. Find it here.

    For more information on the World Beer Cup and a list of the other winners, click here.

  • Rare Cask Tapping

    By will
    on Apr 15, 10
    Tonight at 5PM, Rattle 'N' Hum will be tapping the Brooklyn Black Ops on cask. This will be just one of many unusual casks pouring through Sunday at Rattle N Hum. Click here for a list of the other casks in the lineup.

  • 21st Cask Head Cask Festival

    By will
    on May 01, 10
    Come check out the 21st Cask Head Cask Festival this weekend at Brazen Head. A special thanks to the Gotham Imbiber for organizing this event. More details.

  • David Katleski & NY Brewfest Update

    By will
    on May 10, 10
    I recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Katleski, director of the NY Brewfest and president of the New York State Brewers Association to get some additional information on the upcoming brewfest beyond what is found on the website.

    Takeaway points from our discussion

    The NY Brewfest is dedicated to showcasing New York State breweries in an educational and scenic environment. Due to increased popularity this year, the event has outgrown its previous location on the South Street Seaport and moved to Governor's Island. Governor's Island is much more spacious, offers lots of scenic views, and offers plenty of other activities to do before and after the event.

    Visitors will receive 4 ounce tasting glasses and have access to beer samples from 150 breweries (that's a lot of research to do!). To further educate folks on beer, there will be three seminars to attend. There will be a chocolate and beer event, which will include beer from three local breweries made with chocolate from a well known local chocolatier. There will also be an event discussing women's role in the male dominated world of beer. The final event, which I am most excited about, will be hosted by Becca Jablonowski, of the Northeast Hop Alliance, and will discuss local hops and the trend of getting great hops locally (not just from the Pacific Northwest).

    Check out the list of breweries here
    Check out the delicious food purveyors here
    Check out the live music here

    Hop on board: buy tickets

    Tips for navigating a brewfest

    The organizers do their best to create an environment suitable for mature beer sampling, but no matter how experienced you are with brewfests, an all-you-can-drink event with hundreds of beers is difficult to navigate. The organizers do their best to help, but in the end it is on you to make the right choices. From our experience, aside from staying hydrated and eating beforehand, it helps to start with lower ABV beers and beers with more subtle flavor. This way you don’t burn your palate with hops or lose the ability to taste from drunkeness. As much as you will be raring to go with Imperials and Doubles after a long week, you will be kicking yourself if you only remember what 3 beers taste like after paying to be in an all-you-can-drink oasis with hundreds of beers.

  • From Grape To Grain: Beer For Wine Lovers

    By will
    on Jun 01, 10
    UPDATE This event has been postponed and will take place in September during NYC Beer Week. Stay tuned for information on the new date.


    People often consider themselves "beer people" or "wine people." To get past this unnecessary segregation of drinkers, Swift Hibernian Lounge is hosting a one-of-a-kind event that will be exploring the similarities in flavor between beer and wine, comparing styles of the two, as well as integrating carefully hand-picked food pairings, including cheeses, meats, salads and desserts. Beer drinkers: bring your wine drinking friends. Wine drinkers: bring your beer drinking friends. This event is perfect for wine lovers, beer geeks, and everything in between.

    The lineup of beers will have flavors and complexities not usually found in more common beer styles to show you the more complex beers that often resemble wines. There will be beer experts on hand to guide you through the tasting and answer the many questions that these interesting beers are sure to raise.

    Details

    Location: Swift Hibernian Lounge
    Date: June 26, 2010
    Time: 2 sessions; 1-4pm & 5-8pm
    Address: 34 East 4th Street New York, NY 10003


    Click here to buy tickets to Session I

    Click here to buy tickets to Session II




  • New Beer Destination In Astoria Now Open

    By will
    on Jun 08, 10
    It has been exciting to see craft beer emerge in Queens and we are excited to have the most recent place to open CANZ on BeerMenus. The craft beer industry has discovered cans are the preferred method of storage for beer because it prevents sun light from skunking the beer, it does not impart any metallic flavor on the beer, and it is cheaper to transport because more cases can fit on a palate. To showcase this new trend, CANZ has put together a can list of over 120 different types of canned beer, which I believe includes every canned beer available in the state of New York. If that wasn't enough, they also have 48 draft beers to choose from, more than almost all beer bars in the City.

    A massive beer menu, tons of flat screens for watching sports, and all types of cans to choose from. Come check this new place out.

    Here are a couple photos of the place courtesy of Bradley Hawks at Why Leave Astoria

    Main bar area


    Back open air seating area

  • Fermented New York Craft Beer Crawl

    By will
    on Jun 23, 10
    Last week I had the pleasure of going on the Fermented New York Craft Beer Crawl put together by Urban Oyster.

    Fermented New York is a pub crawl through Williamsburg with a purpose. Along the way you learn about how beer is made, what goes into serving it, how to distinguish between different varieties of beer, and how to fully appreciate beer the way professional tasters do. You will meet the owners of several beer bars and a high end beer store. At three locations you will do flights of several great beers (totaling 10 or so beers throughout the crawl) while learning how to taste and describe them as well as pair them with some great food.

    This is a unique opportunity to learn while you drink and meet the business owners behind some of Brooklyn's finest craft beer institutions.

    Tour Stops
    Mugs Ale House
    Brooklyn Brewery
    Teddy's Bar & Grill
    d.b.a. Brooklyn
    Spuyten Duyvil
    Spuyten Duyvil Grocery
    Barcade

    Here are some photos we took along the way. All photos courtesy of Brendan McNamara.

    Discussing the highly subjective art of pairing beer and food at Mugs Ale House



    Hanging out at one of the first beer bars in all of NYC, Mugs Ale House



    Explaining how Williamsburg came to be a beer bar hot spot with luxury condos all around



    Learning about obscure Belgian beers at Spuyten Duyvil Grocery on Bedford Avenue



    Enjoying a flight of beers paired with meats and cheeses at Spuyten Duyvil



    Enjoying our third flight of beers for the day at Barcade



  • Summer Escape: Westchester Beer & Food Tour

    By will
    on Jul 11, 10
    This Summer as the subway turns into an oven and the concrete streets reach egg frying point, you are probably looking for an escape from the concrete jungle. Over the past few weeks we've been exploring beer and food centric places in Westchester to design a day trip with several stops - the farthest stop being less than one hour away from the City. The trip includes two breweries, one beer bar, and two farms closely tied to breweries. In addition, if you do not have a car, many of the stops along the way are accessible by Metro North Trains. Here is a map to show how far all five places are from NYC:



    Photos courtesy of Brendan McNamara.

    Stop 1: Stone Barns Center For Food & Agriculture in Tarrytown, NY (approx. 25 miles north of NYC). Stone Barns is a non-profit farm/laboratory/classroom designed to help people make farm-to-table connections. They grow hops used to make beer at Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and they have a really nice bar with local beers on tap. You can walk around the farm on your own or take several educational walking tours.

    Hop vines in the foreground at Stone Barns



    Stop 2: Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in Pleasantville, NY (approx. 30 miles north of NYC, half a mile from the Pleasantville Metro North train stop on the Harlem Line). Named the #5 brewery in the country by BeerAdvocate, Captain Lawrence has a national reputation for brewing barrel-aged beers, Belgian-style beers, American-style hoppy beers, and pretty much anything that tastes delicious. Their tasting room is open Fridays 4-7PM and Saturdays noon to 6PM where you can fill growlers and take a tour of the brewery.

    Captain Lawrence Brewing Company



    Stop 3: Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortlandt Manor, NY (approx. 40 miles north of NYC). Hemlock Hill Farm has cattle fed with spent grain from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. Here you can purchase some high quality beef fed with used beer grain that has just a touch of alcohol in it.

    Happy cows fed with beer grain at Hemlock Hill Farm



    Stop 4: Peekskill Brewery in Peekskill, NY (located about 40 miles north of NYC right on top of the Peekskill Metro North stop on the Hudson Line).

    Peekskill Brewery seems to be constantly expanding their brewing system to satiate the local market, which is a good sign. The only problem is you currently can't get your hands on their beer in NYC. From their rosemary infused Saison to their Vanilla Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout, Peekskill Brewery is a fast growing brewery making beers we foresee winning GABF medals very soon. They also happen to be located right on Peekskill Bay with a beautiful view (see photo below).

    A flight of beers at Peekskill Brewery with some apps



    The view outside of Peekskill Brewery



    Stop 5. Birdsall House in Peekskill, NY (located about 40 miles north of NYC half a mile from the Peekskill Metro North stop on the Hudson Line).

    Recently named the Editor's Pick best of 2010 Beer Bar in Westchester Magazine, Birdsall House has some of the best beer in Westchester. Chef Matt Hutchins, formerly of Chez Pannisse, brings locally sourced beer and food from the Hudson Valley together masterfully (see photos). The Hemlock Hill burger is the best burger you will ever eat.



    Butternut squash puree, baked gala apple, hazelnut brittle, maple gastrique.


    Hemlock Hill Burger using beef from, you guessed it, Hemlock Hills Farm.


    Additional Info
    For information on transportation via Metro North, view the schedule

  • Drinking NYC At Half Price

    By will
    on Aug 04, 10
    As you may have noticed, we've recently started partnering with many of the best NYC beer bars using BeerMenus to give you craft beer at a substantially discounted price. We wanted to give you an excuse to explore a new neighborhood, meet new people, and try new bars.

    This week is our 9th weekly deal giving you $20 worth of food and drink for $10 at Dive Bar. Dive Bar, unlike most dive bars, offers 30 draft beers, 2 cask beers, 100 bottled beers, 60 scotches, 20 bourbons, 35 tequilas, and an expansive food menu. Read more and grab this deal

  • Brewer's Choice

    By will
    on Aug 30, 10
    On September 30th meet craft brewing pioneers and innovators while you enjoy and learn about their select, rare, and small-batch beers. Brewer's Choice will take place in SoHo at City Winery, an exciting venue that is an operating winery, concert venue, restaurant, and tasting space. There will be a keynote speech on the main stage with Goose Island Brewery owner Greg Hall as well as presentations by Ben Granger of Bierkraft, and Sam Merritt of the Civilization of Beer. Brewers will have tables with beer and food pairings setup. Guests will be able to walk around the City Winery and meet brewers while tasting their pairings. Beers will be paired with gourmet food provided by Sigmund Pretzels, Brooklyn Larder, Jimmy’s No. 43, Jacques Torres Chocolate, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Salumeria Bellese, High Plains Bison and many more.

    Learn more and see the list of brewers.

    Example beers- All beers at the event will be unusual, small batch, and hard-to-find beers picked by the brewers just for this event.

    Greg Hall of Goose Island Brewery will be featuring beers from the Matilda line.

    Phil Leinhart of Brewery Ommegang will be featuring the new Belgian Pale Ale (BPA).

    Kelly Taylor of Kelso Brewing will be previewing some of his new beers, which will be announced soon.

    Example pairings

    Dieu du Ciel brewer Luc Boivin will have Montreal-style smoked Brisket from the Mile End Deli in Brooklyn paired with his beers.

    Shane Welch of Sixpoint Craft Ales will be pairing the new Pumpkin Saison with a selection of housemade sausages and charcuterie from Resto.

    Photos of City Winery below...