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…

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…

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…

Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek

Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek By Eric Sturniolo Ah, spontaneous fermentation. The trademark of Brussels-area breweries like Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen. Drie Fonteinen produces their own wort (about 70% of their total production) and buys the rest from different breweries in Belgium. After the wort is cooled in a…coolship, it’s left exposed to the air, allowing…

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,…

Westbrook Mr. Chipper

Westbrook Mr. Chipper Mount Pleasant, SC Flanders Red Ale – 6.80% ABV By: Eric Sturniolo This Flanders red ale (named from the Flanders region of Belgium) is aged in red wine barrels for 2.5 years. It pours a hazy dark red, with a fizzy head that dissipates quickly. The taste is sour and very tart…

NYC Craft Beer Festival: Summer International

If you like craft beer and live in New York City, the NYC Craft Beer Festival is a great way to try  awesome beer from around the world. With about 150 craft beers to choose from, you’re bound to find a new favorite in the bunch. Last weekend’s “Summer International” event included a global sampling,…

Beer Hero: Beer Dreamer

Beer Hero: Beer Dreamer By Eric Sturniolo Note: FREE SHIPPING FOR OUR READERS!! Use discount code WTBNY Beer goes with everything. Ramen. BBQ. Cheese. German. Pie. Chocolate… With this in mind, Jordan Elpern-Waxman started Beer Dreamer, a company that mails subscribers the best beer and food pairings available. Think of it as a beer club,…

The Wild Side: American Sour Beers

You might remember those old Keystone Light “bitter beer face” commercials—some guy takes a sip of harsh (gross) beer that makes his face implode. Today many craft brewers are making beer known as wild or sour beers, with the goal of making you pucker up. The term “wild” comes from the wild yeasts that ferment…

Coming Soon: Bourbon County Review

Andrew: This will be a short post, because I don’t have much to say about actual beer yet. Last Friday, I braved a cold morning in NYC to stand on a line. No, it wasn’t to get a deal on a LCD TV or $1 Space Jam DVD … surprise! … it was for beer.…

Barrel Aged Beers: Widmer/Cigar City Gentlemen’s Club

Andrew: Yesterday I picked up two bottles of the new Widmer/Cigar City collaboration, Gentlemen’s Club.  I bought the Bourbon and Rye Whiskey aged variations. These are very special beers (i.e., cost a lot), so I decided to save them for a special occasion. I was especially excited to get Cigar City beers, because everything they…