Mikkeller Opens First East Coast Location at Citi Field; Three New Breweries Debut in Brooklyn
Cat Wolinski
beeraffair@gmail.com
Brewery openings in the boroughs show no sign of slowing down this season, with a mix of big-name brewers and locally anticipated outfits making their way towards opening their doors by summer’s end.
QUEENS
Make way for Mikkeller: Citi Field in Flushing Meadows – Corona Park will be the new home of Mikkeller NYC, the Copenhagen-based “gypsy” brewer’s first brewpub and bar to break East Coast soil (the stateside debut being in San Diego in 2016). The brewery will offer a mix of 60 Mikkeller, guest and collaboration beers on tap, along with food collaborations with area chefs and restaurateurs. The space will seat approximately 300 and will be open year-round.
Evil Twin, owned by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø’s twin brother, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø (also owner of the world-famous Tørst in Brooklyn), will also be operating a brewery in Queens’ Ridgewood neighborhood, opening dates TBD.
Additional soon-to-debut breweries keeping us on the edge of our seats are Queens Brewery, also in Ridgewood, and Fifth Hammer, in Long Island City.
Back on tap at Big Alice Brewing is the summer-friendly Sour One, a puckering sour ale described by the brewery as “acidic and juicy with notes of lemon, cantaloupe, and light flower blossoms.”
A brew fit for summer nights is Bridge and Tunnel’s 20 Spot and a Switchblade, a coffee cream ale promised to pair well with campfires. Also be on the lookout for Get In, Shut Up, Hold On New York IPA, made with New York bagels.
Some refreshing releases from Finback Brewing available in slurp-worthy cans are So Cute sour ale with lemon, blackberry and raspberry; Fold Brux IPA; and Spill The Tea IPL brewed with green tea and watermelon.
LIC Beer Project is all about IPAs lately, making some of the city’s tastiest. Look out for Rook IPA, but keep those peepers peeled for the Genesis, the brewery’s first take on a German-style pilsner.
Late July saw three new can releases on the schedule for SingleCut Beersmiths: 日本から来たネコ (“Some Cat from Japan,” the “kitten” version of Weird & Gilly IPA), DDH Bon Bon, and Charlie’s Good Tonight, a new DDH IPA. Also be on the lookout for Jim Is Workin’ Hard Session IPA.
New from Transmitter Brewing are W3 Imperial Hibiscus Wit (7.8% ABV), brewed with coriander, orange peel, and hibiscus; and PH2 Passionfruit Sour, two NYC summer musts.
BROOKLYN
Brooklyn’s brewery boom forges forward with the opening of three new breweries: Circa Brewing, opening in Downtown Brooklyn on July 26; Five Boroughs Brewing, set to open in Sunset Park in early August; and Randolph Beer, debuting its DUMBO brewery location late summer. (The latter currently operates existing beer bars in Williamsburg and NoLiTa.)
Randolph Beer DUMBO head brewer J.R. Jordan
Coney Island Brewery announced the launch of its first-ever, limited batch 16-oz cans, the Sideshow Series. First up in the Sideshow Series will be the return of a crowd pleaser, Cotton Candy Kölsch.
From Folksbier, look out for the continuing Glow Up series, a Berlinner Weisse-style ale served in fruity varieties; the latest at press time was the return of Raspberry. For something on the simpler side, go for the Helles Lager, a truly awesome interpretation of the bready, biscuity-crisp style. Another offering this summer that goes a bit against the grain (or further toward it?) is Echo Maker Roggenbier, a take on the traditional dark German style ale containing a high content of rye. Spicy, rich, dark malts provide the foundation for this beer, balanced by a hint of kola nut and finishing off with a light, crisp finish.
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. announced two new cans to be released on July 19: Continuous Feedback IPA and Deep Focus Double IPA. Hoppy, hazy “juice bombs” to satisfy the thirsty and promiscuous hop heads and definitely worth a trip to the brewery.
Grimm Artisanal Ales dropped three bottles: Super You, a gose with pineapple, oak, sea salt; Sumi Cacao, an imperial stout with cacao and vanilla; and Living Daylights DDH sour ale, an imperial berliner base dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic lupulin powder, and Simcoe lupulin powder.
New from Interboro Spirits & Ales (which celebrates its first birthday in September) are Madder Fatter Fluid, a double dry-hopped, double IPA (a ramped up version of the original Mad Fad Fluid IPA), brewed with English Optic malt, oats and wheat, hopped with Mosaic, Centennial and Equinox, and double dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra Lupulin dust. Interboro also released the Bridge IPA, a collaboration with LIC Beer Project, and Done Deal NEIPA, a collaboration with Mumford Brewing in Los Angeles.
Keg & Lantern is constantly coming out with new and interesting brews at its Greenpoint brewpub. One of interest not yet available at press time (but likely ready by September) is a sour, barrel-aged on apricots and peaches. Until then, try one of their beer cocktails, like the Elvis, made with IPA, Hendricks gin, grapefruit and St. Germain, or grab a crowler to go.
Kings County Brewers Collective also reaches its first birthday this summer. Be on the lookout for this year’s version of the Beach Zombie (the original version of which is officially gone): Bride of Beach Zombie Mango Passion Fruit Sour with Alfonso mango and Peruvian passion fruit. Next up in the can release department: Hybrid Vigor DIPA and Straphanger Rice Lager.
Of course, Other Half Brewing has its usual slew of collabs and can releases in the pipeline to look forward to, but recently released at press time included DDH All Citra Everything Imperial IPA, Cheddar Broccoli Imperial IPA (a double dry-hopped version of Broccoli Imperial IPA), and True Green Imperial IPA.
Strong Rope Brewery recently collab’d with the band, the Back of My Face for the release of the new album, the Forgotten Story. The beer, Defining Gravity is a 4.5% pale ale with peaches and gooseberries, described by the brewery as an easy summer seasonal with soft stone fruit aromas, a mild tart flavor, and a tannic, drying finish.
One new beer from Threes Brewing is End of Story, a 9% double IPA. Tasting notes include orange juice concentrate, grapefruit, clementine, and mandarin. Lots of events are happening here this summer and every season, so check out the schedule at www.threesbrewing.com/events. Stop by its popup in Greenpoint.
MANHATTAN
When it comes to breweries, Manhattan is New York’s most bereft borough, but things are starting to look up for the quiet isle. Death Ave., a Greek-inspired restaurant and “speakeasy” brewery that’s been serving up Hellenic-style food and brews near the High Line since 2014, has officially debuted six housemade brews and a brand new taproom set to open its doors in early August. Brews available include a Berliner Weisse, Hefeweizen, and Belgian Pale Ale.
BRONX
The Bronx Brewery has its Summer Ale out in 12-oz cans throughout the boroughs, and also brewed BX27, a collaboration beer with Zaro’s Family Bakery available at the latter’s Penn Station and Grand Central locations. The brew is a Citra Pale Ale marking the bakery’s 90 years in business.
New brews to look out for from Chelsea Craft Brewing are its Summer Solstice Wheat, Watermelon Wheat, and Royal IPA hopped with Belma hops. Chelsea is also now contract brewing for Toast Ale USA, a food-waste fighting brew that debuted their American Pale Ale at NYC and Long Island Whole Foods locations in July. The beer is brewed using surplus bread from Bread Alone Bakery based in upstate NY, with all proceeds going to global food waste fighting organization, Feedback.
STATEN ISLAND
Fresh from Flagship Brewing are Swamp Tings IPA and Wild Island, a dry hopped sour ale. Both originally debuted in winter and are now poised for summer chugging.
