This weekend I visited the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg, and it was EXACTLY what I thought a brewery bar would be like: full of frat boys AND excellent beer!
Brooklyn Brewery was founded by two guys with intestinal fortitude enough to quit their jobs and start making beer. The Williamsburg brewery opened in 1996, but the actual company was founded in 1987. The fact that this brewery is one of the top 40 in the country and that Brooklyn Lager is among the top draft beers in New York City shows that there are many in consensus with me!
Bf and I began our experience by taking a tour of the brewery (available several times each day), which showed us how these Brooklyn boys make their beer. I won’t be a spoiler and ruin all of the details, but here is a picture of some of the fermentation tanks:
After our tour, we visited the brewery bar for a couple of tasty beers! Let me hit you with the flavors:
- Pilsner – This is a great pils. Dry and cider-like, sweet at first, and then crisp and crackery. 5% ABV
- Concoction – This one is seriously smoky, but with a fruitiness that is similar to barley wine. Great for a chilly evening. 7.6% ABV
- Blast – Yes, the name is fitting for this double IPA that packs a wallop of alcohol, hops, and an herbal flavor. Sip carefully, friends. 9% ABV
- Weisse – So summery! Just what a true Weisse should taste like: A spicy/sulphury nose with hints of cloves, coriander, and citrus. 5% ABV
The bar had a perfectly appropriate industrial vibe with folding chairs, to boot. There is a smell of beer and Abercrombie cologne that lingers in the air (which is a surprisingly complimentary combination), and a no frills, drink-our-beer mentality. The bar also switches payment up with a token system. $20 buys you four tokens, and this can get you 6 good beers or 4 GREAT beers. Rich and split our 4 tokens and we left the bar in a very satisfied mood.
This one gets the “thumbs up”!
you know i like my corona, but the weisse sounds soooo good!