The Beer Friends

Tuesday, July 24 – $10 Tuesday Tastings: Lagunitas @ Jimmy’s No. 43, Manhattan:

Tonight’s installment of what Time Out New York calls one of the best deals for a weeknight is featuring one of California’s most prominent and creative breweries: Lagunitas. Brewers of a hop-tastic IPA, refreshing Pilsner and hush hush Censored Copper Ale that can be found nation-wide also brews a line of intensely creative smaller batches – Lil’ Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Wilco Tango Foxtrot and Brown Sugga. Also famous for their delicious winter seasonal mess-up – where they realized far too late that they couldn’t produce their winter brew and their regular line ups with their current brewing capacity, so instead brewed a winter IPA and named it “Lagunitas Sucks” in apology. Tonight you will get learned on all this as the beer experts at Jimmy’s walk you through a tasting of these legendary brews. (more…)

Monday, July 16 – Hopfest: Backyard Hops @ The Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn:

We’re starting the events of the week a bit early this week for one very hoppy reason:  Hopefest: Backyard Hops at the Brooklyn Brewery.  Stop by the Brooklyn Brewery tonight for a beery educational event that any self-respecting hop-head would not want to miss.  Hops are the ingredient in beer that give it a range of delicious flavors – from bitter to citrus to pine to resin to floral.  Relatives to cannabis, these precious flowering plants are usually grown in large farms that straddle certain climate zones.  However, recently there has a been a large push in the craft beer community to grow your own hops on premises.  This has become so popular that even home-brewers are hopping up their gardens in order to create a more organic, homemade brew.

Hopfest: Backyard Hops showcases these homemade brewers and hop growers by highlighting some of the foremost hop growers in New York City.  These brewers are so dedicated to their craft that they are squeezing greenery out of what little apartment/yard space this urban jungle throws at them in order to produce homemade ingredients.  The event will provide an interesting look into growing hops in NYC including – how to’s, what hops to grow,  demonstrations and tastings of local brews made with backyard hops.

(more…)

****UPDATED: There is another cask advertised for the Blue Point night at Standings.  Hoptical Illusion.  Booyah!****

Tuesday, July 10 – Stoudt’s Brewery 25th Anniversary Party @ Sunswick 35/35, Queens:

Widely regarded as Pennsylvania’s 1st craft brewery, Stoudt’s will be celebrating their 25th anniversary tonight at Sunswick 35/35 in Queens – maybe Queens first craft beer bar?  Eddie Stoudt will be leading the festivities – raffling off great craft beer prizes and giving out Stoudt’s pint glasses with the purchase of your second Stoudt’s brew.  They’ll also be pouring a hearty selection of Stoudt’s brews.  Check out the list:

(more…)

The Month of July – July Good Beer Month @ NYC Craft Beer Bars, NYC:

For all the crap us New Yorkers give Bloomberg, one cannot deny that he’s done at least one thing right:  Decree that every July is Good Beer Month.  Good job King Bloomberg.  Good job.  Here at the Beer Friends we’ll be bringing you the best events for you to check out all month long.  Keep checking in to stay up to date.  Happy July Good Beer Month.

Tuesday, July 3 – $10 Tuesday Tastings: New York Beers @ Jimmy’s No. 43, Manhattan:

Recently ranked by Time Out New York as one of the best deals for a weeknight activity, Jimmy’s No. 43′s $10 Tuesday Tastings are hitting new heights.  This Tuesday they will be tasting pours from NYC breweries.  They haven’t released a list on which beers and breweries will be featured, however just thinking about all the great NY breweries leads our minds to happily wander.  Sixpoint, Ommegang, Brooklyn, Kelso, Greenport Harbor, Bluepoint, Empire, Saranac… (more…)