Chatting With Sam Calagione – Craft Beer, Overripe Tomatoes and Controlling Your Destiny

November 2, 2015November 3, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

Cheersing Sam Calagione with two of Dogfish Head’s latest off-centerd ales.

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Calagione, my personal idol and founder and president of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, at the premiere of his new web series on First We Feast: “That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It.”

The show, created in collaboration between Dogfish Head and First We Feast parent company, Complex Media, calls together craft beer lovers and pop culture buffs to watch Calagione brew crazy beers with some of his idols, following escapades with unique and unusual ingredients inspired by industries spanning cooking to hip hop.

At the event, which was held at Eataly’s rooftop restaurant and microbrewery, Birreria on Wednesday, Sam ordered me a glass of the show’s debut beer and we talked idols, the importance of creative collaboration, and how to turn rotten fruit into delicious, refreshing beer. Here’s what I learned. Continue reading →

First We Feast Debuts ‘That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It!’ Web Series Starring Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, food-meets-pop-culture blog, First We Feast launched its first official web series, “That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It!” starring Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder and president, Sam Calagione. The six-episode series follows “fearless brewer,” Calagione as he makes, well, “odd” and inventive beers with a selection of pop icons spanning a variety of creative industries. Continue reading →

Take a Tour of the ‘Bestest’ Beer Bars and Brewpubs in Greenpoint

October 27, 2015October 28, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

A single malt and single hop (SMaSH) pint at Dirck the Norseman.

A single malt and single hop (SMaSH) pint awaits live music and schnitzel at Dirck the Norseman.

Orr Shtuhl is a director of user experience at a web design agency, Blenderbox, a cheese pairing instructor at Bedford Cheese Shop and Murray’s Cheese, and a resident of Brooklyn. Why do you need to know this? Because he’s also a beer expert, and he wants to give you “the bestest” tour of bars and brewpubs in what he believes to be New York’s supreme neighborhood for beer: Greenpoint.

When Shtuhl decided to launch The Bestest, the name for his craft beer touring company that will begin tours in November, he had locals’ interests in mind.

“[Greenpoint] is the best neighborhood for beer in New York right now,” says Shtuhl, who lives and works in the neighborhood, and plans to give tours on the side. “It has everything that’s good about beer in New York right now, and it’s still largely undiscovered. There are two brewpubs here within walking distance from each other—that’s insane!” Continue reading →

Coney Island Debuts New Experimental Brews at Surf Avenue Brewery and Taproom

October 26, 2015October 27, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

Eric Hernandez, head brewer at the new Coney Island Brewery location on Surf Avenue.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, Coney Island Brewing Company celebrated the kickoff of Freak Week, a city-wide event featuring tap takeovers at NYC bars commencing at the brewing company’s new brick-and-mortar location on Surf Avenue.

Along with a few freaky costumes and a brief tour of the recently developed space, the week-long beer affair began with an impressive lineup of brand new brews, a handful of which will also be debuting at bars such as d.b.a. (Tuesday, Oct. 27), The Allie Way (Thursday, Oct. 29) and New York Beer Company (Saturday, Oct. 31) throughout the week, and the rest, for the time being, available only at the brewery.

“What we’re trying to do here is create a spectrum of beers,” said Adams, the brewery’s operations manager and self-proclaimed stout lover. “We [want to get] as Coney Island as we can get.” Continue reading →

Slideshow: Harbor Brew Fest 2015 – Connecticut Brewers Connect with Craft Beer Fans

October 21, 2015October 21, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

All photos by Patrick Phillips, director of photography at Team Biscuit Films, LLC.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

To see individual images and captions, click through to the thumbnails. Continue reading →

Harbor Brew Fest Hits a Home Run With Connecticut Craft Beer Offerings

October 20, 2015October 21, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

On Saturday, Oct. 17, Connecticut craft brewers and out of town favorites filled Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Ballpark at Harbor Yard for the fourth annual Harbor Brew Fest. The high-spirited beer affair brought brew-loving locals the the latest craft concoctions from area favorites like Two Roads Brewing Co., Back East Brewing and Half Full Brewery, along with a impressive selection of food truck fare and live entertainment.

With local breweries joined by a selection of widely known Northeast, West Coast and international brands, the fest provided an impressively diverse selection—and proved that Connecticut brewers are standing up to the challenge of creating unique, experimental and well executed ales and lagers. Continue reading →

Ale Street News Coverage: Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 2015

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

This year’s BCTC festival, held August 7-9 at Brewery Ommegang, proved, in my opinion, to be the best yet. Read on to find out why the festival remains so successful, year after year, in “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Boasts Successful Twelfth Year Turnout,” written for the Ale Street News October/November 2015 issue.

Brooklyn Pour 2015: New Venue, New Vendors and New Favorites

October 1, 2015September 30, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

At the fifth annual Village Voice Brooklyn Pour Craft Beer Festival, held this year at the new Brooklyn Expo Center on the afternoon of Sept. 26, 2015, three things were clear: 1) New York City’s craft beer appreciating community continues to grow; 2) local and regional breweries are matching that growth with innovative and on-trend beer styles; and 3) Skylight One Hanson will be deeply missed.

A mug-holding contest at the Sam Adams booth put Brooklyn Pour goers’ stein hosting strength to the test.

New Venue

The Brooklyn Expo Center on Greenpoint’s Franklin Avenue is everything you want in an event space: vast, well lit and high ceilinged, the venue has plenty of room to accommodate a growing list of brewers, attendees and sponsors, with photo ops aplenty, back patio space with skyline views and well-managed bathrooms to boot. However, those who have attended the Brooklyn Pour in the past know that this venue is no match to the art-deco masterpiece that is Skylight One Hanson in Fort Greene.

Plenty of distractions bordered the expansive space, inside and out: a photo booth for friends to pose and hashtag (complete with sponsored backdrop) hung in the front; tables touting contests and giveaways mirrored brewers’ coolers along the sides of the room; a mug holding contest sponsored by Sam Adams brought brawny bros to the rear; and a personal favorite, a Whole Foods-sponsored “Mix Six” pack photo op floated in the back of the room, beckoning grown men and women to slip into its shoddy cardboard hug (Halloween costume, anyone?).

Build your own custom six-pack of friends. This makes a great Halloween costume for beer buds!

Cold brewed coffee (Califa Farms, Grady’s) and scotch liquor tables (Aberlour, Jameson Caskmates) beckoned bean and booze hounds to the back of the room, providing a fairly welcome, albeit unnecessary alternative to the 125+ beer options available.

Aberlour single malt whiskey (above) and Jameson Caskmates tastings were also available at the Brooklyn Pour.

Other than liquid libations, the Brooklyn Pour offered attendees food options on the outside patio — Nuchas, Papaya King and Coney Shack stood in front of the neighboring building, while Keste grilled cheeses and Zum Schneider brats and pretzels stood in tents closer to the building — but the options and seating seemed oddly limited in the massive amount of space. A few more tables and trucks would have transformed the area into a welcome respite from imbibing and bumping elbows.

New Vendors

Nearly 70 breweries were in attendance at this year’s Brooklyn Pour (a total of 67 were confirmed at press time), with 25 making their Brooklyn Pour debut. These included: Allagash Brewing Company, Anchor Brewing Company, Angry Orchard, Aspall, Austin Eastciders, Barrier Brewing Co., Big Alice Brewery (VIP only), Downeast Cider House, Fentimans, Fire Island Beer Company, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., Iron Maiden, Kronenbourg Brewery, Lost Nation Brewing, Newburgh Brewing Company, North Coast Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery, Samuel Adams, Sixpoint Brewery, Speakeasey Ales and Lager, St. Feuilliens, SweetWater Brewing Company (VIP only), War Flag Brewing Company, and Weihenstephan.

Breweries represented last year who did not return in 2015 included a total of 35: 508 Gastrobrewery (now closed), Ayinger, Bayou Teche, Bear Republic, Boulder, Brewery Ommegang, Broken Bow, Bronx Brewery, Crispin Cider, Dyckman, Founders, Goose Island, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Gun Hill, Harlem Blue, Harlem Brewing Company, Ithaca, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Lake Placid Brewery, Lindemans Brewery, Magic Hat Brewing Company, MOA Brewing Company, Original Sin, Radeberger Brewery, Radiant Pig Craft Beers, Rekorderling, Samuel Smith, Saranac, Shipyard Brewing Company, Sly Fox Brewery, Steadfast Beer Co., Stevens Point Brewery, Transmitter Brewing, Wolffer Estate Vineyard and Yonkers Brewing Co.

New Favorites

Disclaimer: we were not able to make it to every booth. That being said, we have an eye for interesting brews, and these were some of our new and noteworthy favorites.

Barrier Brewing Co. Red Button Imperial Red Ale

Birreria Eataly Strawberry Blonde Cask Ale

Rockaway Brewng Company NY Pharm

Lost Nation Mosaic Single Hop IPA

Weihenstephaner

Comet Weisse

Weihenstephaner Comet Weisse

Third Rail Beer Skyland IPA

Oskar Blues IPA

Finback Brewery Close of Day

5 New York Breweries Take Home 2015 Great American Beer Festival Medals

September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

Photo via BrewersAssociation.org.

On Sept. 26, 2015, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) awarded 275 professional medals to 242 craft breweries representing small and independent breweries throughout the United States. This year, more than 700 breweries competed, with 423 entering for the first time. Of those first-time entrants, 38 took home medals to their breweries.

New York entered 20 breweries into the competition this year, with five taking home GABF medals.

2015 GABF New York winners:

Gold

Grimm Artisanal Ales of Brooklyn, N.Y. for their Double Negative
Category: Imperial Stout

Great South Bay Brewery of Bay Shore, N.Y. for their Hog Cabin
Category: Specialty Beer

& Muscat Love, a recipe created by American Homebrewers Association member, Brian Giebel brewed in collaboration with the Great South Bay team
Category: GABF Pro-Am competition

Silver

Prison City Brewing of Auburn, N.Y. for their Bleek Worden
Category: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale

Newburgh Brewing Co. of Newburgh, N.Y. for their Cream Ale
Category: English-Style Summer Ale

Crossroads Brewing Co. of Athens, N.Y. for their Black Rock Stout
Category: Export Stout

Congratulations to our New York winners and to all GABF winners and participants! For the full list of winners and awards, visit www.brewersassociation.org.

5 Reasons You Should Go to the 2015 Brooklyn Pour

September 25, 2015September 24, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

AKA: A Shameless Listicle of Why I Love the Brooklyn Pour (With Pictures!)

The Village Voice Brooklyn Pour will be celebrated for the fifth consecutive year on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. This year, the craft beer tasting event will make its Brooklyn Expo Center debut in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, taking place from to 3pm to 6pm for general admission, 2:30pm to 6pm for early admission, and 2pm to 6pm for Very Important Persons.

Here’s why you should love the Brooklyn Pour:

Local beer—and beyond.*
Ithaca isn’t Brooklyn, but we love them like they are.

The craft breweries represented at the Brooklyn Pour (of which there are more than 100) comprise a well-balanced cross section of New York City (many), New York State (several), regional (some) and international (a few) breweries. For a festival that’s positioned as much toward casual beer consumers as it is to the hardcore drinks dorks among us, the list of exhibitors here never disappoints.
Good vibes.
Look how happy these guys are!

A friendly atmosphere does wonders when you’re sent upstream in a room crowded enough to get lost in. At the Brooklyn Pour, at the same time that you’re probably getting separated from your friends, you’re making new ones, and for the most part, people don’t get pushy at the tasting tables, either.
Consistency—with surprises.
She was so surprised to see new beer dudes from Brooklyn, Braven Brewing Company!

I’ve been attending the Brooklyn Pour since 2010, and every year, I see the same faces behind many of the coolers, but I see lots of new ones, too. Though it would be difficult to get bored in a room that has hundreds of beers to taste, the variety of old and new faces keeps things familiar and exciting at the same time.
Decent food.
Food trucks (and porter potties) aplenty.

This is Brooklyn, so you can’t really fux with the food choices, because we will notice and we will not be pleased. Brooklyn Pour offerings this year include Keste Pizza, Zum Schneider, Nuchas, Papaya King and Coney Shack.
Finally, the swag.
You could be rolling in swag shades.

So yeah, I’m a sucker for stickers, coasters and keychains that scream “I like beer way too much” (who isn’t?). At the Brooklyn Pour, swaggery is not only plentiful, it’s encouraged. You don’t have to get all weird about swiping the free stuff—there’s plenty of it—and generally the brewers, reps and volunteers pouring your beer are super into decking you out, too. Sometimes, there are even games to play to win prizes! (But you don’t have to play them. You can also just have the prizes, if you ask nicely.)

*Did I mention great beer? In case you forgot, here are some reminders.

Brooklyn will be represented by the likes of Braven Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brew Shop, Coney Island Brewing Company and Sixpoint Brewery.

Brooklyn will be represented by the likes of Braven Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brew Shop, Coney Island Brewing Company (pictured above) and Sixpoint Brewery.

Queens breweries will include Big Alice Brewing Co. (VIP only), Rockaway Brewing Co., SingleCut Beersmiths (above) and Queens Brewery.

Staten Island newcomer, Flagship Brewery will be at the 2015 Brooklyn Pour.

This guy LOVED Two Roads Brewing Company of Stratford, Conn. Brooklyn Pour attendees also enjoyed out-of-state beer makers like Victory Brewing Company of Downing, Penn., and Harpoon Brewery of Boston.

For more of my favorite moments of people loving the Brooklyn Pour, check out my 2014 coverage for the Village Voice here. To skip that and buy tickets, go here.

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