Brooklyn Brewery is important for brightening its borough and returning brewing to the neighborhood, as well as for being a must-visit beer destination—and a must-visit for everyone, from locals to beer geeks to city tourists.
Blaring beats on the stereo, bold and bright designs all around, and the kind of atmosphere that’s formed by shared bench seating and great brews are what to expect at Brooklyn Brewery. There are around 14 taps, plus special bottle pours, with some brews only to be found in the taproom. When you enter, you’ll swap dollars for tokens, with most beers costing one token (US$5) and some being as much as four tokens.
Drink At Brooklyn Brewery The Borough’s Flagship Beer Destination Photo Gallery
Have a Brooklyn Lager. It’s a beer you’ll no doubt already know, but this is the place to re-acquaint yourself with it and to understand how it was able to build the brewery. Sorachi Ace is a favorite of mine, a beer that’s spicy, zesty, lemony, and peppery, with a creaminess running through it all and ending with a long dryness. And always look for some of the super-rare bottles to share.
On Fridays they run free brewery tours and there’ll be a line of people outside before the doors open. The tour is worth going on. It lasts for 30 minutes and is loud and fast, though don’t necessarily expect to learn how to become a brewmaster—instead you’ll hear fun stories about the brewery and its history. There’s a pizza truck outside for when you get hungry.
The Lowdown
WHAT: Brooklyn Brewery
HOW: Free brewery tours on Fridays (at 7pm and 8pm) and the brewery opens on Saturdays and Sundays (from midday, with free tours half-hourly). From Monday to Thursday, there are paid-for tours at 5pm (www.brooklynbrewery.com).
WHERE: 79 North 11th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA
Go to Other Half (195 Centre Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231) for their exceptional hoppy beers-this is the most essential Brooklyn beer-stop, even if the location means basically standing up in a cramped-in space, wedged at the open end of their brewhouse. (FYI: the brewery is opposite a McDonald’s if you want to know what world- class IPAs taste like with chicken nuggets.) Threes Brewing (333 Douglass Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217) is a fun space, with great beers and barbecue food. Closer to Brooklyn Brewery is Greenpoint (7 north 15th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222), which is another fun brewpub with good beers. Torst (615 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222) is the go-to, beer-nerd bar.
Brooklyn Brewery has been at the heart of the New York craft beer scene since its inception in 1988.
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