NEW BREWERY: EBBS

The plan for EBBS was to open a tasting room and bottle shop right off the L train’s Bedford stop, in Williamsburg. Like so many things, the global Covid-19 pandemic put New York City’s newest brewery’s plans on hold. But that didn’t stop them from making great beer. The team, including co-founders Tomas Larsson and…

Timber Ales: Maris Goes to Oceanside

Timber Ales’ first release is dropping in NYC this week and you won’t want to miss it. Maris Goes to Oceanside, brewed at Twelve Percent Beer Project, in North Haven, Connecticut, is a decadent barleywine. It was brewed in collaboration with Horus Aged Ales, from California, and Mindful Ales, from New Jersey. For this version…

Exciting News from Timber Ales!

It’s an age-old tale in the craft beer community: A homebrewer makes the beer they want to drink, “beer people” find out that the homebrew is so outstanding that it’s deserving of more, and seemingly overnight, a new brewery is born. Enter Jason Stein’s Timber Ales, from New York City. For years, he’s been regularly…

2019 Bourbon County REVIEWS Sa

It’s that time again! Black Friday is approaching and that doesn’t just mean deep-discount sales on video game consoles, TVs, and Furbys … do those still exist? Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Stout is back and will surely be on most beer nerds’ shopping lists. I’ve had the chance to taste the whole lineup during…

Bell’s Double Two Hearted

Bell’s Two Hearted India Pale Ale is one of those beers that almost everyone has tried and almost everyone still loves, year after year. It’s also one of the beers that triggers the ol’ nostalgia nerve whenever it’s brought up. Can you remember the first time you tried one? I can! And just like all…

New Brewer: Little Blind

There’s a new brewer in town! Little Blind is the brainchild of Drew Bombard, a new gypsy brewer in the booming New York beer scene. Bombard started off as a microbiologist, but soon took his science skills to Colorado’s world-famous New Belgium Brewing. Now he’s using his love and knowledge of microbes to brew his…

NEW ALLAGASH CANS!

I discovered craft beer about a decade ago when a local bottle shop opened near my apartment. During those formative years, I had no idea which beer I liked, so I would just indiscriminately pluck random bottles of all different styles from the shelves to create a random mixed six. One of the first beers…

Welcome to NY, Toppling Goliath!

Ever since I first tried a beer from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co., from Decorah, Iowa, I’ve been hoping for the day when their beers would become available in New York. And that day has finally arrived! Thanks to Sarene Craft Beer distributors, I got to try some super fresh cans and bottles of some of…

Happy 5th Birthday, Other Half!

It’s hard to believe that five years have passed. I’ll always remember the first Other Half beer I ever had the pleasure of drinking. It was at Pony Bar, in the Upper East Side. I walked up to the bar and saw “Other Half – Green Diamonds” illuminated on the digital menu board. I asked…

Big Alice Valley of Ashes

It’s not often that a brewer in New York City releases a barleywine. So when I heard that Long Island City’s Big Alice Brewing released a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine, called Valley of Ashes, I knew I had to try it—and I’m really glad I did! This 12.8 percent beast was aged for one year in…

2017 Bourbon County Reviews

Black Friday is almost upon us and for beer nerds that means Bourbon County Brand Stout time. We got a chance to try this year’s lineup and we’re excited to share our reviews. Spoiler Alert: These beers are awesome! 2017 Bourbon County Brand Stout, 14.1-14.7% BCBS is back and once again it’s as incredible as…

Perrin Brewing Company NYC Launch

Michigan’s Perrin Brewing Company will start distribution in NYC next week! I’ve heard a lot of good things about their beer—especially their No Rules bourbon barrel-aged imperial porter, brewed with coconut and turbinado sugar. I can’t wait to try their stuff! Check out a list of their launch beers below. We’ll be posting some reviews…

Go To Jester King Brewery

Go To Jester King Brewery By Eric Sturniolo Photos by Annie Shustrin and Eric Sturniolo When in Austin, eat tacos, eat breakfast tacos, eat BBQ, and go to Jester King Brewery. About a 30 minute drive southwest of Downtown Austin, into the Texas Hill Country, sits Jester King. Founded in 2010, Jester King focuses on…

2016 Bourbon County Review

Bourbon County Brand Stout Just like 2015’s vintage, this year’s BCBS is very smooth for being so young. A fresh bottle tastes as if it was already aged in the bottle for a year or more—the alcohol is very well hidden and there’s no barrel heat—just delicious vanilla notes from the bourbon barrels that complement…

Best of the Homebrew Takedown

Best of the Homebrew Takedown By Eric Sturniolo Remember the local craft beer scene in New York City five years ago? Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint… it’s a pretty short list. Today, craft beer and local breweries are exploding in the city, and much of it is thanks to homebrewers. Some of my favorite new breweries (Grimm…

Best of the Bottle Share

Best of the Bottle Share By Eric Sturniolo We recently hosted a bottle share at The Wilky, a new (and great) craft beer spot in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. We were lucky to have a lot of cool people bring a lot of amazing bottles. The standouts, whether for pure quality or uniqueness, are below.. happy…

Jack’s Abby Coming To NYC!

Jack’s Abby Coming To NYC! By: Eric Sturniolo We are thrilled to announce that Jack’s Abby will soon start distributing both keg and package in New York City. Launch events are currently being set up for Mid-April at the best beer bars in the city. We’ll keep you posted on the wheres and whens! Jack’s…

Three Floyds – Space Station Middle Finger

Three Floyds – Space Station Middle Finger By Eric Sturniolo Hard to find in New York City (ok, maybe a bit impossible), I was lucky to get my hands on Three Floyds Space Station Middle Finger, one of the best pale ales I’ve ever had. It’s what every good pale ale should be. Hoppy (but…

Hill Farmstead Clara – 2013 Edition

This may be hard to believe, but after 2 years of aging, Hill Farmstead Clara is still… amazing! The brewery describes this beer as a grissette, which is a French style extremely similar to a saison: crisp, low-alcohol, summery, wheaty. Clara hits all the marks and more. Tastes of wheat, lemon, and yeast, with a…

Boulevard Hits NYC!

  We’ve been hoping for a long time that Boulevard Brewing Co. from Kansas City, Missouri, would come to NYC … and, finally, our wish has come true! And they’re making a big splash with a ton of awesome events this week starting TODAY! There are a ton of opportunities all over the city to…

What’s Brewing: Third Rail Beer

What’s Brewing: Third Rail Beer By Eric Sturniolo     I had my first taste of Third Rail beer at the Brooklyn Local Craft Beer Fest, and I’ve been hooked since. Third Rail Beer is an NYC-based brewery owned by a trio of native New Yorkers — Brewmaster Loren Taylor-Raymond and co-owner Larry Koestler grew up…

Holiday Gift Idea: The Case For Beer

With the holidays fast approaching, we’ve found the perfect gift for the craft beer lover in your life (or for yourself!): The Case For Beer. Each box comes with 12 beers in custom packaging, with selections hand-picked by 9 different craft beer locations/bars throughout the United States. In New York City, the selection is curated…

Almanac Comes To NYC

Almanac Comes To NYC By: Eric Sturniolo After loving them from afar, we are so excited to have San Francisco’s Almanac Beer available in New York City for the first time ever. The week of September 15th was a busy one, with release parties at Rattle N’ Hum, Blind Tiger, Bar Great Harry, Torst, Bondurants,…

Brooklyn Local Craft Beer Festival

Brooklyn Local Craft Beer Festival By: Eric Sturniolo It’s a great time to be a beer drinker in New York City. Not only do we enjoy countless amazing beer bars, but we get to experience a renaissance of local craft brewing. From the pioneers to the upstarts, NYC brewers are pumping out delicious beer at…

Carton Boat Beer

By: Eric Sturniolo Carton Boat Beer Atlantic Highlands, NJ Pale Ale – 4.20% ABV This local pale ale is a sessionable treat. A session beer refers to the fact it has lower alcohol, so you can have several in a ‘session’ without any annoying side-effects like alcohol poisoning. Boat beer is the flagship of Carton,…

Gotham Goes Sour with Almanac Beer!

We are huge fans of Almanac Beer Co. and we’re so excited they’re coming to NYC! Here are some launch events next week: Almanac Beer NYC Launch Tour Rattle & Hum 5pm, Tuesday September 16th . Blind Tiger 5pm, Wednesday, September 17th . Bar Great Harry 5pm Thursday, September 18th . TØRST 7pm Thursday, September 18th…

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Saison

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Saison Anchorage, AL Saison/Farmhouse  – 6.00% ABV By: Eric Sturniolo Grassroots Brewing, an offshoot of the best in the world (literally) Hill Farmstead, is a collaboritve effort between Shaun Hill and many collaborating breweries. As opposed to Hill Farmstead beer (brewed on site in Greensboro Bend, VT), Grassroots beers are typically brewed…

Russian River Sanctification

Russian River Sanctification Santa Rosa, CA American Wild Ale – 6.75% ABV By: Eric Sturniolo Sanctification, like all Russian River beers, is basically impossible to find in NYC. But we love this brewery (in fact, their Pliny the Elder is my Desert Island Beer), so we work hard to find them. This is fermented solely…