Reflections on Five Years of Brewing

A homebrewer’s journal, by John Kleinchester It’s so awesome being a homebrewer. I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this you either already agree or you’re looking to get into it so you too can realize just how awesome it is. Tasting the fruits of your hard labor and actually enjoying it – maybe even more so than some commercial brews – is a uniquely enjoyable unparalleled experience. Having just recently celebrated five years since my first brew, I’ve managed to amass a pretty large quantity of brewing-related items: bottled beers of all sizes, Cornelius kegs, CO2 tanks, buckets…

Bronx Brewery to Celebrate First Year

This Sunday September 30, the Bronx Brewery will celebrate its first anniversary at the Blind Tiger Ale House from 3 to 6 p.m. The brewery’s flagship beer, Bronx Pale Ale, debuted in September 2011. Since then the team of Head Brewer Damian Brown, General Manager Chris Gallant, and the recent addition of Sales Director Sean McCain has introduced a bourbon barrel aged version of the Bronx Pale Ale and a Rye Pale Ale. At Sunday’s party the brewery will reveal its Zinfandel Aged Pale Ale, a limited version of the Pale Ale aged in a French Oak Zinfandel barrel from…

Octoberfest at Buddha Bar

Saturday, September 29, at noon, the city’s Octoberfest celebrations head uptown to the Buddha Beer Bar on Broadway and 191st street in Washington Heights. The bar’s first annual celebration will have some German classics like Hofbräu, Paulaner, and Hacker-Pschorr. The beer will be paired with music and traditional German food (is there anything better than German beer and sausages in the fall?). If you arrive early you may be able to snag one of the free full or half liter glasses.

Bear Republic Beer Dinner at Alobar

Last week we headed to Alobar in Long Island City for a Bear Republic Brewing beer dinner. The food was deliciously rich and was accompanied by a wide variety of beer styles. We were glad to see that the dinner actually didn’t feature Racer 5 or Hot Rod Rye, two beers from Bear Republic that are very common. Instead, the menu ranged from Tartare, a sour, to Peter Brown Tribute Ale, a brown ale. The tone was set early with a rich rabbit rilette patty melt paired with the XP Extra Pale Ale. The crisp and bright pale ale was a great way to…

Freaky Fun

Shmaltz and the NYC Brewers Guild held its fifth annual Freaktoberfest on Saturday at Greenwood Park beer garden in South Park Slope. With music, burlesque and some great brews, it was an awesome festival. The venue, especially. Indoor and outdoor seating, a bocce court and good food contributed to a great atmosphere to wile away hours of drinking. Some of the great beers we had were Edward Pale Ale from Hill Farmstead, Flying Dog Sour Cherry, and Stone 16th anniversary beer. Local breweries brought some great brews like Greenport Harbor Harbor Ale, Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest, and Bronx Brewery Rye Pale Ale. Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown Ale, one…

Uinta at Blind Tiger

For those of you who get a little tired of the Oktoberfest blitz this time of year, Blind Tiger Ale House on Bleeker Street this Sunday, September 23, is hosting a Uinta Brewing event. The tap list has not been announced but we’ve been impressed with the consistency from the Salt Lake City-based brewery, especially with beers like Hop Notch IPA, Wyld, and Punk’n. Most are well balanced and good for a relaxing Sunday just before fall sets in.  The event is pay as you go and should be a good time to hang out at Blind Tiger without too much…

Pints for Prostates at Barcade, Jersey City

Sunday September 16 from 2 to 6 p.m. John Kleinchester, our homebrew columnist and creator of Beertography, is partnering with Barcade Jersey City for a Pints for Prostates benefit. Pints for Prostates is a campaign seeking to raise awareness about prostate cancer and screenings for early detection. There will be a table set up in the bar where patrons will receive a bracelet for a $1 donation. Barcade will then donate $1 for every beer purchased by someone with a bracelet. And (bonus!) there will be guaranteed pours of Founders Brewing KBS for the first 50 people to donate $5…

Beer Batter Fried Zucchini

When we were in Austria, one of the courses we had at a beer dinner was beer batter fried broccoli. It was so delicious and creamy, I always wanted to try it myself. I decided to make beer batter fried zucchini and used this recipe from allrecipes.com as a guideline, though I did modify it…

NYC Craft Beer Festival: Winter Harvest, Nov 10

The Hand Crafted Tasting Company (the same folks who produced the NYC Craft Beer Festival in March and the Brooklyn Waterfront Summer Craft Beer Festival in June) are coming back for a winter-themed edition: NYC Craft Beer Festival Winter Harvest, on November 10 at Pier 57, 15th St and West Side Highway. Session 1 begins at 1:30 (12:30 for VIP and Connoisseur) and goes until 4 p.m., Session 2 starts at 7 (6 for VIP and Connoisseur) and goes until 9:30 p.m. Tickets (which will go on sale September 12 at 11 a.m.) are again sold in three levels: General Admission,…

Beer Table’s Family Meal, Expanded

In January, Justin Philips, owner of Beer Table in Park Slope (and also Beer Table Pantry in Grand Central Terminal) decided to dedicate Wednesday nights at his restaurant to “Family Meals.” This would entail dinner for four to eight people with a fixed menu and price – one you’d have to reserve to enjoy, marking the first time he had taken reservations. “I really like the idea of a shared experience,” says Philips (bottom photo, center) who owns both operations with his wife Tricia. “And people were always asking me about reservations.” Philips decided to expand the Beer Table Family…