The Best Brooklyn Beer Book Editions Ever Are Here

February 6, 2017 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

The 2017 Brokelyn Beer Book: Zone 1 (Above Atlantic Ave.)

The 2017 Brokelyn Beer Book: Zone 2 (Below Atlantic Ave.)

Every year since 2010, Brokelyn has published the Beer Book, a pocket guide and passport giving craft beer lovers 30 tickets to the best beers in the borough. Now available in two separate editions, one for upper Brooklyn and one for lower Brooklyn, the Brokelyn Beer Book is created with the dual purpose of making beer more accessible to Brooklyn’s budget-conscious beer lovers, as well as to support and promote the beer businesses that are creating the craft beer scene as we know it.

Without the bars, beer-conscious restaurants and, in more recent years, awesome small and independent breweries that participate in the Beer Book, we would not have the outstanding selection or flavorful variety of handcrafted, lovingly crafted beers—created with the curious, caring consumer in mind—that we have today.

Likewise, without Brooklyn’s beer drinkers, from the craft beer curious to the beer connoisseurs, the bars and breweries we now know and love would not have the opportunity to thrive.

The 2016 Queens Beer Book is also still available until April 2017.

As the Brokelyn Beer Book (or, as it is also referred to, the Brooklyn Beer Book, since Brokelyn now also publishes a Queens Beer Book, available until April 2017) enters its seventh year, with yours truly as current curator and copywriter, I ask that you take a minute to explore the new editions—both the Upper Brooklyn Beer Book and the Lower Brooklyn Beer Book—and to appreciate the 60 businesses who made the books possible this year. Without them, there would be no Beer Book.

And, I invite you to explore, especially, the new breweries included in the 2017 editions—like Interboro, KCBC, Lineup and Wartega—along with the updated mix of beer-slinging institutions and those who are newer to the scene. If you’re in the industry, or lucky enough to have regular access to craft brews without breaking open your piggy bank, consider buying the Beer Book as a gift for the thirsty and thrifty beer lover in your life.

Here’s to Brooklyn beers, and to a pair of Beer Books that are better than ever!

Cheers,
BeerAffair

Big Beer Vs. Little Beer in Brooklyn: SingleCut and Budweiser

December 2, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

Photo by Patrick Phillips.

Beer Video: Joe and Lauren Grimm on Pilot Batches, Art and Finding Space to Brew

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

In honor of Grimm Artisanal Ales‘ release of the Tesseract double IPA in cans and Barrel Aged Double Negative imperial stout in bottles this week, BeerAffair would like to highlight a video produced by BRIC TV earlier this year for Brooklyn Independent Media, Grimm Artisanal Ales: BK Stories.

Filmed in the Brooklyn apartment of the husband-and-wife gypsy brewing team, Joe and Lauren Grimm, the video takes a peek into the process of brewing pilot batches at home, and the parallels (and divergences) between brewing beer and creating art.

Enjoy!
BeerAffair

“There’s such thing as a great painting that’s ugly, but there’s no such thing as a great beer that tastes terrible.” —Joel Grimm

Two-Brew Debut at the Hill-Side With Other Half Brewing and Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione

November 19, 2015November 20, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

‘Wabbit Saison’ and ‘To Much Blueberry’ Launch at the Hill-Side for That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It Series

Last night, First We Feast‘s new web series, That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It brought together brewers, fashion fans and beer acolytes as Dogfish Head‘s Sam Calagione, Other Half Brewing‘s Sam Richardson and Matt Monahan, and fashion designers the Hill-Side celebrated their recent collaboration at the label’s new retail location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 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 →

Booze News You Can Use: Bars Mixing it Up With Beer Cocktails in Brooklyn

October 16, 2015October 27, 2015 / Beer Affair / 1 Comment

Can you tell which one of these is a beer cocktail? Bill Baker’s, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Back in the dog days of summer, there was a drinks concept barking up my FOMO tree that I couldn’t seem to shake: beer cocktails. I’d heard of them, seen them, been intrigued by them and even told other people about them, but when it came time to belly up at the bar, I never ordered them. That is, until I decided to write an article about them for Brokelyn, and after some investigative reporting, learned the truth—beer cocktails can be delicious, intricate, interesting and most of all, fun.

My favorite response had to be from Heather Rush, the owner of Pine Box Rock Shop in Bushwick. Continue reading →

Brew n’ Chew Homebrew and Food Pairing Competition at the Diamond on Sunday, Sept. 20

September 18, 2015September 18, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

The 8th Annual Brew n Chew will take place at the Diamond on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Brooklyn craft beer bar, The Diamond is known for its fair share of accolades—from being one of the “best jukebox bars in Brooklyn” to receiving honorable mention as one of Craft Beer & Brewing’s national craft beer dive bars, the Greenpoint staple has long enjoyed a reputation for its expertly curated selection of unusual brews from around the world, served in an atmosphere completely devoid of pretension.

This weekend, on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 3 to 5pm, the Diamond will be the one handing out the awards—at the 8th annual Brew n’ Chew homebrew and food pairing fundraiser.

That essential relationship between good food and good beer will be on display at the Diamond, where six homebrew teams will put their beer and food making chops to the test. The menu is subject to change, as the last two teams are still deciding on their offerings (Team 6 not shown).

Brew n’ Chew Team 1

Beer: Stout with coffee, maple syrup and cardamom
Food: “Some kind of waffle-taco hybrid”

Brew n’ Chew Team 2

Beer: Brett Lavender Saison
Food: Tiramisu

Brew n’ Chew Team 3

Beer: Hoppy American Saison
Food: Pork rilletes on crostini with cornichons

Brew n’ Chew Team 4

Beer: Old Ale
Food: Butterscotch pudding

Brew n’ Chew Team 5

Beer: Table Saison with Apricots, or Dry Hopped Saison, or Belgian Singel
Food: Smoked portabello mushroom slider & smoked pork tenderloin slider

One hundred percent of proceeds from Brew n’ Chew will be donated to Horizons Leadership Project, an organization that holds summer academic and elective programming for mostly disadvantaged Brooklyn youth. The winning team will take a trip to Sly Fox Brewing Company, a Phoenixville, Penn. craft brewery which is sponsoring the event.

“I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest days of the year to be at the Diamond and people love this community event,” Pollack said.

Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door, but you can snag them ahead of time here.

Bars We Love: Fetch a Few Brews at Luckydog! – Brokelyn

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment

Luckydog has been a longstanding Brokelyn favorite due to its gruff and casual vibe, decent and cheap booze, and most significantly, its dog-friendly-bordering-dog-necessary policy.

All good things come to an end, however, even when man’s best friend is on your side. Despite unconditional love from local K9s, customers and even Yelp reviewers, Luckydog lost its pooch privileges (along with several other Brooklyn bars) when the New York Department of Health cracked its joyless whip across the borough last year.

The bar no longer gives its loyal locals the warm and fuzzies, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve your love money—in fact, on the contrary, they could use a little extra love right now. Next time you’re in South Williamsburg, stop in for a pint or two (Rockaway’s ESB was on tap last time I stopped in), maybe a bowl of water for old times’ sake, and reminisce about the days before doggy discrimination, when you would drink a beer with someone else’s animal next to you, or go to the bar next door because of your boyfriend’s allergies.

For some extra Luckydog intel, check out fellow Brokester, Kate Mooney’s look at the dog ban in her recent piece in the New York Observer, “Dining With Dogs: Here’s What’s in Store for Luckydog Bar in Williamsburg.”

ICYMI: Sugarburg Has Coffee Now

March 19, 2015July 1, 2015 / Beer Affair / Leave a comment