Yeast Class with Bitter and Esters

A lot of brewers like to say that they make wort, but yeast makes beer. So its important to understand how yeast works and contributes to the flavor of beer, whether you are a professional or a beginning homebrewer. Bitter and Esters, a homebrew shop on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn , will be hosting a yeast class Sunday, June 1 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The class will cover everything from the history of yeast’s use in beer to pitching rates. The second half of the class will focus on how yeast impacts the taste of beer as attendees…

Brooklyn Passport for Summer Drinking

The only thing sweeter than lazy summer drinking is discounted lazy summer drinking. This summer the Brooklyn Passport offers two-for-one drink specials at 20 bars and restaurants. “Brooklyn has awesome drinking spots and is prime bar-hopping territory,” said PJ Hoberman, co-founder of The Passport Program, in a press release. “Last summer we launched this program in Denver and people got out, explored new bars and celebrated the season with tasty cocktails and beer. Brooklynites have the same enthusiasm for craft beverages.” Most of the drinks specials in the small, pocket-sized booklet are for cocktails, but there are some beer ones…

Big Alice Brewing

After taking some time off from our book tour in April, we resumed book signings at the beginning of this month, with Big Alice Brewing in Long Island City. Nanobrewery Big Alice Brewing was founded by friends and coworkers Kyle Hurst, Robby Crafton and Scott Berger. Overseen by Crafton, the brewing system is only 10 gallons, and each beer is unique. Sold in large-format bottles, Big Alice operates with a Community Supported Beer (CSB) system, where people purchase shares in the brewery and receive beers each month. Craften often sources ingredients at the farmers market, and past brews have featured…

Gun Hill Brewing Memorial Day Cook Out

A cook out on Memorial Day weekend is a time honored tradition to start the summer. If you don’t have space for a grill you can head up to Gun Hill Brewing in the Bronx for their cook out on Saturday, May 24. From 12 to 7 p.m. the brewery will be serving beers, including their latest release, Schuyler’s American Wheat. The smoker from Jimmy’s No. 43 will be on hand serving barbecue to pair with the fresh beer.

On Creating a Brooklyn Bar Empire

They started with Bar Great Harry (BGH) in Carroll Gardens, then followed up with Mission Dolores in Park Slope, The Owl Farm, also in Park Slope, and Glorietta Baldy in Bed-Stuy. The Wiley brothers have been crawling across Brooklyn, opening one great craft beer bar after another. BeerUnion caught up with Ben Wiley, who shared his thoughts on the growing craft beer landscape in NYC.  From left to right, Mike, Seth and Ben Wiley When and where did you start working in bars? I started bartending in college in Champaign-Urbana. After that I bartended in Yokohama, Japan for a couple…

Craft New York Rare Beer Festival on June 5

UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE On Thursday, June 5, the Brooklyn Brewery will host The Craft New York Rare Beer Festival, sponsored by the New York State Brewers Association (NYSBA). Twenty-six breweries across the state will pour more than 50 rare beers. Taste NY will be bringing locally sourced food to enjoy with the beers. “New York has always been a great state for craft beer, so we decided to hold a rare and unique beer tasting event to highlight the incredible creativity that’s going into our beer,” said David Katleski, Empire Brewing Company owner and…

Beer Culture, Midtown

By Meredith Heil When I left my part-time job in the Lower East Side for a full-time gig in midtown, I figured my happiest happy hours were behind me. Gone were those late afternoons spent indulging in $1.50 oysters and ½ price pints at Schiller’s Liquor Bar, pickle plates and IPAs at Spitzer’s and epic tap takeovers at Top Hops. How I pined for those downtown evenings as I descended into the 50th Street station after my first day at the new office, surrounded by suits and briefcases and sandwich boards advertising martini specials, Corona longnecks and pitchers of Miller.…

Finback Taproom Opening May 10

This Saturday, May 10, Finback Brewery, located in Forest Hills, Queens, will hold the grand opening of its tasting room. From 2 to 8 p.m., the event will feature special priced pours and barbecue. Founded by friends and homebrewers Basil Lee and Kevin Stafford (above), Finback Brewery launched in New York City in January. Among the beers they’ve released include Puffin, a roasty smoked porter, and Double Sess(ion), a delicious, floral, spicy witbier. Lee told BeerUnion in January, “I think Kevin and I have interesting backgrounds – a graphic designer and an architect who are both serious beer drinkers and…

Visit Long Island City Nano Breweries

Saturday, May 10, will mark the first time that all three Long Island City brewers will be open at the same time. Big Alice Brewing and Transmitter Brewing will be open from 12 to 4 p.m. and Rockaway Brewing will be open from 12-6 p.m. You can easily visit all three brewers in one afternoon – they’re within a 1.3 mile walk. And we’ll be at Big Alice selling and signing copies of our book Beer Lover’s New York from 1 to 4 p.m. The three nano brewers brew a wide range of creative beers and are among the smallest brewers…

Blue Point Sale to AB: Beer Community Responds

Craft beer fans and the media have watched with apprehension over the past few years as giant brewers like Anheuser-Busch and international brewers like Duvel have purchased some of the country’s larger craft brewing operations. And on Wednesday, February 5, Anheuser-Busch announced in a press release that it would be acquiring Blue Point Brewing Company, Long Island’s largest brewery. The sale immediately garnered the expected response from fans on social media accusing Mark Burford and Peter Cotter, who founded the company, of selling out. BeerUnion reached out to several members of the New York beer community and the New York…