Craft beer week is in full swing and Beer Friends are hitting up some of the awesome events (we wandered from the Jimmy’s 43 Cigar City event – put Maduro Tiramisu on your bucket list, trust us) and enjoying the craft beer abound in the city. Next up: Strong Island at The Stag’s Head. Long Island has always been a weird beer destination (see Blue Point) but recently has stepped it up (see: Greenport Harbor and Southhampton) in which the Beer Friends have enjoyed and are going to continue enjoying tonight.
Brad’s 1st: Greenport Hopnomi – this is a delicious and hoppy beer. No aftertaste and a hit of bitterness at the front – this is a great taste.
Phil’s 1st: also Greenpoin Hopnomi. Very good and hoppy. Not as bitter as you would think. There’s a small small bit of malty sweetness that just curbs the bitterness enough to take it off your mind. A definite yes from me.
What a kick-off weekend! The Beer Friends enjoyed quite a bit of craft beer this weekend in honor of the 2011 New York City Craft Beer Week. Rattle n’ Hum threw a great Barrier and Greenport bash Friday night, the Smuttynose pouring at Mudville on Saturday was fantastic (especially that Homunculus) and we’re still not sure which is better – the Concoction or the Penicillin that we tasted on Sunday.
Because there is so much to do this week and weekend, we’re going to be breaking up the Beer Friends event listings for the week. Today we’re throwing at you the events happening from Monday to Thursday. You can then check back on Thursday for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday events – a.k.a. The Grand Finale of NYC Craft Beer Week. We’re hitting the streets, bars and breweries this week with a feverish devotion and we sure hope to see all you NYC Beer Friends out there with us!
Monday, September 19
Got a case of the Monday’s after such a fantastic craft beer fueled weekend? We understand. We also know how to help.
This week the Beer Friends head back out to Billy Joel’s native land, Long Island for Blue Point’s Hoptical Illusion. This is the third beer the Beer Friends have reviewed (Spring Fling and Supreme Pumpkin) but the first you can get year round from Blue Point Brewing. We had a great time at the Brew House (I mean who doesn’t have a great time at a brewery?) Check out Hoptical Illusion for a nice year round hop flavor! Beer! Islands! Year Round flavor!
Valentines Day is a time to express your love for the most wonderful, important and meaningful thing in your life – craft beer! And instead of buying it chocolates or roses you can show your affection by heartily consuming it at the following craft beer events – enjoy!
Monday, February 14 – Magic Hat Beer Tasting @ Broadway Dive Bar, Manhattan:
What says Valentines Day most to you? A) Chocolates B) Overpriced Greeting Card Holiday C) Roses D) Magic Hat Beer. In the unlikely chance that you answered D, then you’ve made it to the right place. The Dive Bar on Broadway in Morningside Heights is having a Magic Hat beer tasting event Monday night for all you lovers…and haters…out there. Stop on by for some of the best brews that Magic Hat has to offer. Stick around for the good music and good atmosphere. And the love.
Broadway Dive is located at 2662 Broadway at 101st Street, Morningside Hieghts, Manhattan.
Happy October 25th!(?) Today the Beer Friends explore a newer fad within the beer community – Pumpkin Ales. Available in the fall season, these beers give a alternative to the traditional Octoberfest beers available inbetween Summer and Winter. We reviewed Blue Point Supreme Pumpkin Ale and Fire Island Pumpkin Barrel Ale to see which was better and why. This is a battle between two New York City area beers, and the Beer Friends have visited Blue Point Brewery but have yet to check out Fire Island Brewery. Pumpkin + Beer! = Pumpkin Beer!
Last Saturday Get Real NY threw an epic bash that will sure to be remembered in cask ale history. The Get Real NY Cask Ale and Food Festival was held at the spectacular space in the Altman Building on 18th street between 6th and 7th in the Chelsea Neighborhood of Manhattan. Craft Beer Week banners hung from the outside of the building and there were happy cask alers milling about, at once this Beer Friend knew he was at a friendly place. Upon entering I was given a list of the featured cask ales and food, a NYC Craft Beer Week passport AND a commemorative glass. As well as unlimited access to all the craft beer and NYC featured food that I could eat. To say that I was exhilarated here would be an understatement.
Aaaaaand we’re back! The Beer Friends NYC Beer Events calendar updates took a bit of hiatus recently if you hadn’t noticed. I’d apologize, but it was for a good reason. A Colorado Brewery Tour is a good reason right? I think so. You’ll be hearing all about the Colorado trip and the 15 breweries we visited while there all in good time. For now let’s talk about what’s happening with craft beer this week in this little town.
Wednesday, August 25 – Sierra Nevada Extravaganza, Blind Tiger Ale House, Manhattan: It’s that time of year again! Sierra Nevada will be taking over the taps at the Blind Tiger Ale House for their yearly extravaganza. Last years event was phenomenal with all of Sierra Nevada’s fantastic regulars and more than a handful of rarely released and specialty brews. This is a brewery event you won’t want to miss at a beer bar that always puts on a great time.
Wednesday, August 25 – Blue Point Night, Standings, Manhattan: East Village Craft Brew hotspot Standings will be featuring four lines of Long Island’s favorite brewery: Blue Point Brewing Co., out of Patchogue, New York. They haven’t released the names of the brews that will be pouring but we imagine it’ll be somewhere along the lines of the Toasted Lager, Blueberry, Hoptical and maybe something mysterious. Or the Summer Ale.
Thursday, August 26 – Allagash Night, Barcade, Brooklyn: It has been faaar too long since the Beer Friends have made it out to this Brooklyn brewhouse/arcade. It has been one of our favorite bars for beer events and Pac-man and an Allagash event seems like a perfect reason to head back. So come on out to Barcade in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and join us in sharing some of Allagash’s traditional and experimental Belgian-Style Brews. I’m looking forward to grabbing an Allagash Black and maybe a Curieux.
All dressed up and nowhere to go on June 19th? Well you are in luck, my friend, because the 4th annual NY Brewfest just happens to be on that very day!
Right now they are listing 26 breweries from NY State, 38 breweries from the rest of the US of A, and another 15 breweries of the international variety. Click through for more details. (more…)
It is March and here at the beer friends we are all swept up in bracket madness. We picked 32 beers to fight through a bracket to see which one would come out #1. Today is the first round of voting to help us decide the #1 BFFF Beer.
I have had a bottle opener on my key chain since my senior year of college. I remember my first one fondly, it was a Yeugnling bottle opener that I got at a campus bar night. Being from New England, Yeungling was a new and exciting beer for me. It was the first beer I got to bring home to show my father and I had an awesome new key chain with the brand on it. Never mind that Yeungling gave me a bottle opener to use it on their twist off bottles. I loved America’s oldest brewery because it was new and exciting, and I didn’t care that it bore the mark of a major brewery. It wasn’t like I was drinking it for its craftiness. I had plenty of other beers to use that bottle opener on. (more…)
dingerc
Brad
Corporate Kerouac
Phil
