craft beer

2016, The Year In Beer Pt. II, Or, Hey! Come Salivate Over These Pictures Before We Set This Past Year On Fire!!

A generic complaint about how terrible 2016 was.

This year had some pretty terrible moments.

But guess what? Holly Kay and I also had so many wonderful, positive, beautiful experiences in 2016. I started THIS BLOG (which I couldn’t have done without the support of my wonderful, loving wife, Holly Kay!!!), traveled for the first time to Houston, and to Ireland (see HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE), visited some amazing Breweries, and took fantastic beer adventures with Holly.

I also drank some beer. Weird, right?

Let’s get to them pictures, shall we?

August 7th: I will drink Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout no matter what time of year it is. The barrel gives it wonderful vanilla and caramel notes to compliment the smooth chocolate from the malts. Don’t stare at this too long, you might start drooling…

August 11th: I found Jesus in my fridge… And he tasted like chocolate fudge! Sorry, that’s blasphemous, but it’s ok, the J-Man and I are cool like that. Also, Hi, Matt and Lauri from Moustache Brewing Co.!

August 19th: Holly Kay found a mysterious source to get me Other Half beer without having to wait in line at the brewery… So this won’t be the last OH you’ll see here. I drank this while watching Money Monster, so I thought it was appropriate. This ish was LIQUID PINEAPPLE. ???

August 29th: We met up with our dear friends Rafa and Stefanie at Bondurants on the Upper East Side. It was wonderful to catch up with them, and have some tasty food and bevvies as well! Highlights: Sloop Brewing Simcoe Bomb, a citrusy, juicy, hazy wonderland, and Olé Molé from Knee Deep, chocolate with just a hint of chili on the end to keep you interested.

September 4th: A gorgeous poolside Beverage, Almanac Beer Co. Saison Dolores, clocks in at 5.5%, floral, spice, citrus, and a clean finish. Dive in!

September 10th: Holly Kay and I won tickets to see Holiday Inn on Broadway (which was absolutely spectacular), and had dinner at Bareburger! I drank a Billy 18-Watt IPA from Singlecut Beersmiths, a sessionable, hazy, hoppy beauty that, even with a low ABV, packs in a ton of flavor.

September 15th: I know I have a whole post dedicated to this beer, but it was so incredible and Lauri and Matt worked so hard to can it, and now they’re cranking out cans like crazy. I’m just so full of love for them and for Moustache! MANGOOOOOOO!! (There’s no mango emoji or that would go right here.

September 16th: Citra Ass Down from Against the Grain Brewery in Lexington, KY. I love citra hops, and this is a superbly balanced IPA, with lovely sweetness from the malt and juicy orange and bitter orange zest from the hop. Nice stuff. Also, these dudes can’t be beat with their labeling (see the can art for The Brown Note, but not while you’re eating.)

September 16th: Samson and “his” beers at our bottle share. Two Roads Brewing Workers Comp. Saison, and Perennial Suburban Beverage, a beautiful, tart Gose.

September 20th: My first visit to LIC Beer Project. I picked up a 4 pack of cans of their Backjump IPA, and had to try it on draft! Beautiful citrus, melon, a little pine. The hops shine. Never had a bad beer from these guys.

October 5th: Holly Kay and I had the day off together, did some shopping at the Danbury Fair Mall for waterproof boots for our upcoming Ireland trip, and headed down through Connecticut, first to New England Brewing, then to Two Roads, where they have these awesome flight paddles! Holly got a tee shirt and I got a hoodie from these guys, and the highlights of this flight were the Espressway Stout, brewed with Espresso beans, and the Jalapeño Pils, a refreshing pilsner, clean, with grass, hay, and a little sweetness, and a jalapeño bite to make it extra caliente, baby!

October 10th: Happy Birthday Holly Kay!! This Kolsch was an amazing way to start off the evening, low ABV, with bready and cracker malts, some spice and citrus from the Bavarian hops, and the addition of Mosaic hops (oh myyyy) gave this a floral, crisp citrus kick. Loved loved loved this beer! Thanks to our friend Joe for giving me this!

October 12: Hoppy Halloween! I’d heard amazing things about Other Half Brewing Mylar Bags, and it did not disappoint. Deep orange in color, with bursting with citrus (orange, mango, grapefruit). IF A MYLAR BAG WAS FILLED WITH HOPS I WOULD WANT IT TO BE MY HOME. SHRINK ME DOWN AND PUT ME INSIDE DAT BAG, BABY!

October 21st: WELCOME MOUSTACHE BREWING TO NYC! Bradco, Holly Kay and I finished off our evening at Alewife NYC with some Everyman’s Porter. A toasty, roasty, dark as night porter with notes of roasted coffee and chocolate. Delicious, and another win for Lauri and Matt!

October 24th: Beer share with Will and Sarah! We shared a wide array of delightful brews, including Barrier Daddy Warbucks ? IPA, Stone Xocoveza (pronounced Shock-oh-veza, because when you drink it you get a shock to your veza ?), Stillwater Artisinal Whole-icious Sour Mango IPA (yowza!), a Whole Foods exclusive beer, and a few Other Half brews, including the lovely Mosaic single hop IPA.

November 1st: Time to open Moustache Brewing Co. Seasonal Creep! This beer is the definition of fall. On a crisp evening, the pumpkin, spice, and notes of caramel with some boozy heat, warm your mind, body, and soul. This helped Holly and I ease our travel stress while we packed for IRELAND!!!

November 1st: One of the best beers of the year. From Peak Organic Brewing Company, The Juice is a superb hoppy Pale Ale, with zesty citrus hops accentuated by a cracker-like malt, with a dry finish that leaves you wanting another sip. Seriously, stop drooling! ?

November 6th: I had to throw some pictures in here from Ireland! I enjoyed a Franciscan Well IPA with Holly Kay at P-Mac’s Bar at the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. This location was absolutely gorgeous, and we sat next to a fireplace and chatted about our favorite parts of the Ireland trip so far, and looked at pictures from the Dingle Peninsula. One of the highlights of our trip, and one of my favorite moments spent with Holly Kay this year.

November 20th: Happy Birthday, Patrick! I celebrated with a Singlecut Bon Bon 2x TNT IPA, which, as expected, was Dy-no-MITE!!

November 23rd: Unfortunately, my Grandfather passed away the day after my birthday. Thanks to our work benefits, Holly and I were able to take time off and spend a week on Long Island with my family, celebrating my Grandfather, Deacon William J. Powers, the only way we knew how. We ate, drank, cried, laughed, sang, and celebrated. His light shone in each and every one of us that week, and it was as joyful a celebration as it could have been. We miss you, Gramp!

November 23rd: My brother Chris found a taste for Sours (yahoo!), and this Grimm Cube Cuveé #2 was tart, with orange citrus flavors from its time spent in Orange Bitters Barrels. This was superb.

November 24th: Thanksgiving Day! A new Moustache Brewing Co. can! A beautifully balanced 6.0% ABV IPA. Nice, crisp citrus, balanced with a nice bready malt backbone. They’re just cranking out the hits. ??

November 24th: Half Acre Goneaway IPA. Bright, floral, citrus, with beautiful colorful 8-bit looking can art. I love when a gorgeous beer comes in a beautiful can!

November 25th-26th: Sand City Brewing Co. Mofosaic and Even Mo Mofo. Both are hopped only with Mosaic. Mofosaic bursts with grapefruit, mango, floral notes, and caramel, the Even Mo dominates with liquid pineapple ? and beautiful sweetness. I like to CHEW on my IPAs, and the mouthfeel on both of these was incredible.
November 29th: Dinner at Kelsey and Pete’s, drinking Holly Kay’s favorite, Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016. Notes of caramel, plum, and spice, makes for a wonderful little Christmas treat!
December 2nd: Other Half Mosaic Dream IIPA at As Is, NYC. Everybody Loves Raym… errr… Mosaic! Juicy, juicy, juicy Lucy! Passionfruit, mango, grapefruit, creamy mouthfeel!
December 9th: Singlecut Beersmith’s first can release! Softly Spoken Magic Spells, a world class IIPA bursting with citrus and pine, and Workers Are Going Home, IIPA with flavors of stone fruit and lovely sweetness. I also got some tastes while at the brewery, and the highlight was Kinky Boots of Lead, a sour version of their Heavy Boots of Lead Imperial Stout.

December 11th: Sand City Brewing Co. Oops! I Mangoed My Pants IIPA! They took the recipe from their Oops! I Hopped My Pants IPA, and added 450 pounds of mangoes to it, because why wouldn’t you? These are the guys to watch for in 2017.

December 22nd: Back out on Long Island for Christmas! If you thought Oskar Blues Ten Fidy was amazing, the Barrel brought out some boozy vanilla, and caramel to this already heavy hitter. My Dad, the Stout Monster, certainly approved!
December 23rd: Awkward Conversations. Appropriate for the Holidays, eh? Another amazing IIPA from our dear friends at Moustache Brewing Co., pours a clear, amber color, and bursts with melon and citrus! Keep it up, friends!!

December 24th: As Chris put it, “Benedict Beer Bloods. I’m drinking an Awkward Conversations and Chris is drinking an Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose. (Autocorrect always tries to change Briney to Britney, maybe next time I’ll leave it.)
December 25th: Christmas! Drinking a budweiser. It’s the king of beers, I’ve heard. Actually, it’s just a lil’ Goose Island Bourbon County for fun for your mouth.
That’s a lot of pictures.

This year has had its ups and downs, for certain, but let’s celebrate the ups, let’s all be kind and caring and love one another, let’s get together, let’s spend time with those we love.
Keep loving, keep living!
Cheers!

Long Island City Brewery Tour, or “A Stranger’s Just a Friend You Haven’t Met.”

A rare Saturday afternoon off… It’s 2pm. I was sitting in my pajamas on my couch watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier. (I wasn’t in my underwear, you sickos! Stop thinking about me in my underwear! Wink!). I get a text from Bradco asking if I had any plans for the evening…

Holly and I were going to a pizza party (with SANTA I KNOW HIM) later in the evening, but my afternoon was free (see earlier comment about me not sitting around in my underwear YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT AGAIN! Sickos!) and Brad said he was wandering around Astoria aimlessly…

So I gave him some aim. I hopped on Transmitter Brewing’s website, and just a second later, Brad texted asking if I’d ever been. We think alike, Brad and I… (read: We think about beer a lot, Brad and I…)

We decided that, since there are 4 breweries in walking distance of each other in Long Island City (Transmitter, Rockaway Brewing Co., Big Alice Brewing, and LIC Beer Project), we would hit all four!

CUT TO: Transmitter Brewing. I arrived first, and was greeted by Lexi, who was running the tasting room. She had a few large (750 mL) bottles in front of her (they don’t have draft lines at the brewery), so I asked how it works, and she told me I could taste from the three bottles they were offering that day, and order any of the 750 mL bottles they had for sale for consumption on premesis, or to take away. Brad arrived mere seconds after Lexi handed me my first sample and told me, “Your friend can catch up.” Brad also had two large (750 mL) slices of pizza with him, and asked if I could help him eat them. Yes. Yes I could.

Ok. The beer! Brad and I sampled their three tasting room offerings that day.

First was G2 Golden Ale. This is a Belgian style Golden Ale, with aromas of citrus (it’s hopped with Azacca), and spice and bubble gum from the Belgian yeast.

Next up was IB1 Citrus and Elder Flower Saison (a collaboration with Interboro Spirits and Ales). This had less hop citrus, and had herbal notes from the elderflower and citrus on the backend.

The Third taste was A4 Belgian Quad, brewed with Star Anise, Black Pepper, and Grains Of Paradise. A classic Belgian Quad, with candied sugar sweetness, caramel, dark fruits, and a bit of citrus. It hid the 10% ABV very well. We would have gotten a full bottle of that, but opted for something lower in alcohol, as we were just starting our day.

We shared a bottle of S8, a Rice Saison. The rice added some really interesting sweetness (think Sake), and dried out this delicious saison, with spice and citrus notes, leaving you wanting more. This was a perfect table beer to compliment the pizza.

The tasting room is right inside the brew house, which I assume would make it impossible to brew on days they’re open. It’s small, but industrial, with tall ceilings and big barrels (a theme you’ll see in the pictures from the rest of the breweries).

Something is hibernating in here…

Gorgeous stainless steel tanks!

Bradco posing seriously with S8 Rice Saison in Transmitter’s brew house/tasting room.

LOL OUTTAKES FROM OUR MAN PHOTO SHOOT!

We left, and walked the 10 minutes north to Rockaway Brewing Co., which I had never visited before. My favorite thing about this place was that they were rocking some magical Christmas songs, and one of the bartenders was belting them out from behind the bar, which only spread Christmas cheer throughout the tasting room and made the (already amazing) beer taste better.

Being my first time here, I ordered “The Other Flight”.

First off was Hawaiian Pizza IPA. At 6.5%, this had a really nice body and awesome pineapple hop profile, and I will absolutely come back and grab a growler of this stuff.

My second in the flight was the Hüllified Gangsta Lean, a 3.9%, summery, wheat ale with notes of melon and peach. Super interesting beer to drink as it’s getting colder, but it was a nice reminder of summer in NYC.

Third was Black Gold, a lovely, lower ABV, toasty roasty Stout.

Last but not least was El Cuco, a Milk Stout, with bitter chocolate, coffee, and some milky sweetness. Awesome stuff.

Brad and I did the free tour, with an enthusiastic host, who told us about the brewery history (Why is it called Rockaway Brewing if it’s not in the Rockaways? Well, it used to be! And soon, they’ll have a brewery/tasting room there again!), let us smell some whole cone and hop pellets, and taste barley. I LOVE TOURS.

Hops! Barley! Barrels!

We moved on up to Big Alice Brewing! You remember my last post about them, right? If not, here’s a refresher!

Brad and I sat down, and Annie and Cory were behind the bar (you’ll remember Annie from the previous blog post!), and we chatted with them for a bit, although they were quite busy on a Saturday night (Drink local!!).

Holly joined us here as she got out of work, and we all had multiple tastes from their extensive (12 beers and 1 cider) tap list. We each had two small pours of our favorite, Jalapeño Rye IPA, with just enough heat from the peppers to balance out the citrus from the hops and spicy sweetness of the rye malt. It’s unreal stuff.

Another favorite of ours was the Date Night, Bro? This is a stout with coffee (OK) and DONUTS (OK!!!)!!! Dessert. Plain and simple.

Another highlight? Sour One with Cranberries. Super tart, with a lovely cranberry sweetness. Could drink this stuff all day!

I. Love. Big Alice.

As we waited for our Uber to arrive, we each drank another taster of Jalapeño Rye, because that’s what ya do when your driver won’t arrive for 7 minutes. Ya get spicy.

I don’t like walking out this door…

We could have walked to LIC Beer Project, but, it was cold, and, we were lazy. And it got us there in like 4 minutes. And then we were…

Here.

Brad and I ordered the Modern Aberration Double IPA with Brettanomyces (see my post on Sour Beer here!!), which was dank, tart, citrusy and amazing…

I forgot to take a picture of mine. This one is Brad’s, and is half gone. I’m so sorry.

Holly ordered the Gal Friday, a delightfully light, crisp, sour. Pucker up!

Holly Kay (in her Big Alice SWAG) and Bradco!

Another beautiful, spacious, industrial space with barrels!!

So, as I was checking into my Modern Aberration on Untappd, I noticed that one of my Untappd friends had checked in moments earlier to the same beer AT LIC BEER PROJECT. I swore aloud (I’m sorry) to Holly and Bradco, and said “HOLY SH**! ONE OF MY UNTAPPD FRIENDS IS HERE AND I’VE NEVER MET HIM!!” The internet is weird.

So I walked around the bar, calling his name (BECAUSE I AM A TOTAL WEIRDO!). “JASON S.? JASON S.?” Eventually, I found him, and we laughed, along with his friends he had brought to the brewery, about how funny the internet is. I told them about the blog, and asked for a selfie with him because, you know, Pics or It Didn’t Happen, right? We became Facebook friends, and actual real life friends (or, he thinks that I’m a maniac, I hope not.)

Untappd, bringing Internet Friends together in actual real life.

So yeah, we hit all 4 LIC Breweries in one night, and then we met up with our friend Bryan and my wonderful family (Uncle Bill and Aunt Dolores, and my cousins Billy, Andrew, James, Aidan and Thomas) at Sokol, the gym where Holly does gymnastics, which just so happens to be attached to the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria. We ate pizza, we drank a pitcher of Oktoberfest, we got our picture taken with Santa, and we did The Turkey Dance.
A Bunch of Turkeys!!
Brad with his empty glass of Spaten Oktoberfest!
James!
Bryan!
I love when an unexpected Saturday off leads to some amazing beer adventures with my sweet Holly Kay, my wonderful friends, and family. 2016 keeps throwing flaming tires at all of us, and all we can do is keep on dodging ’em. Be kind to everyone. Have fun. Spread joy, spread love. It’s not profound. It’s just beer.

Let’s do it!

Until next time.

Cheers!

Galway Pt. II, or, I’m Not a Creep But I Did Facebook Friend Our Waiter at Blakes Because He Was Awesome…

**HELLO! Before we begin, you can still donate to Galway Hospice HERE (We talked about it last week), Alan and the Galway Bay Brewery boys have raised nearly 10,000 Euro total!! Click the link and donate!**

When last we left you, dear, sweet readers, Holly Kay and I had just tapped out after our ___th Murphy’s Irish Stout, and headed back to our B&B for a long winter’s nap… (See Galway Bay Brewery Pt. I if you haven’t read it, then head on back here!)

Our next morning, we had our full Irish Breakfast and drove into Galway on our quest for Irish Sweaters! We’d been looking in each town for the perfect sweaters (because ya have to!!) and we stumbled upon the Galway Woollen Market, a quaint little shop with two floors of many different styles of Aran Islands Knitwear. Holly ended up with two sweaters, one purple, and one green, which make her look really cute and Irish, and I ended up with a lovely navy blue sweater with big brown wooden buttons that, in my humble opinion, makes me look like Paddington Bear, which is also cute (but not Irish) (but still cute. I’m cute.)This picture also made it into last week’s blog, but Holly’s too cute for me to just post it once, and also, it’s right in front of the Galway Woollen Market!!

HK Drinking a Latte at Coffeewerk + Press in Galway City!

Coffeewerk was such a cool space!

After our morning shopping in Galway, and because we were spending two nights, we planned an afternoon SPA DAY (!!!) at the Shore Island Spa at the Loughrea Hotel and Spa, just outside of Galway City. We decided on a Couples Afternoon package, which included a massage, facial, the Rasul Mud Chamber (which is something I never need to do, ever again), and 90 minutes in the Thermal Relaxation Suite, which had saunas, steam rooms, a jacuzzi, and two relaxation rooms, one dark, with color lights all over the ceiling, and one light, overlooking the gorgeous Lough Rea.

It was a wonderful few hours, and a nice period where we could stop, breathe, and reflect on our beautiful vacation.

When we got back to Galway, we parked our car back at the B&B and walked the 10 minutes into Galway City. Our new friend Darren (the Irish Whiskey aficionado) recommended we visit Garavan’s, the bar he manages. We ran into our OTHER new friend Sjef, behind the bar, who recommended a few places to eat. Both Sjef and the other bartender recommended a pub called Blakes Bar, a lovely little pub attached to a restaurant called Brasserie on the Corner, with a small, artisanal menu. Holly and I shared everything, Chili and Sesame chicken wings (which came in a giant bowl and the wings were covered in the sweet, spicy chili and sesame sauce), an Irish Cheese Board (BECAUSE WHY NOT?) and a Beef Burger. We figured if our night was going to be anything like the night before (beer emoji beer emoji beer emoji winking face emoji) we wanted to make sure our bellies were full.

The food was great, but our experience was made perfect by our server, James. He was just as knowledgeable as Darren (and had been to some whiskey conferences with him) and well versed in all the Irish Whiskeys on the menu. He made some suggestions, and we ordered the Powers John’s Lane, a 12 year old Single Pot Still, aged in both bourbon and sherry casks which is named after the address of the original Powers distillery. It was smooth, with dark fruits, caramel, vanilla and toffee. Here’s how it went down… Holly Kay: “I’d like that on the rocks.” James: “Nooooooooo…” So he brought them out neat, and we enjoyed them neat, and it was an absolutely lovely accompaniment to our full meal.

Our expectations on this trip were to experience some of the quintessential Irish hospitality, and James at Blake’s Bar went above and beyond our expectations, chatting with us about whiskey (as Darren had the night before), and what we’d done on our trip so far. He turned what was an already good meal into a wonderful experience. And now we’re friends on Facebook (I’m not creepy!!) Cheers, James!

We then headed back to Garavan’s, and went with one of Darren and Alan’s suggestions from the night before, Green Spot, another Single Pot Still, with flavors of vanilla, citrus, and mint. We caught the end of some live music, which was great Craic!

Live Music at Garavans! (apologies for the vertical video, it was a Facebook Live)

Christmas came early in Galway!

It was cold outside, but it was Nut Hot in here!

After Garavans, we went to the Salt House, Galway Bay Brewery‘s other pub in Galway City, and met up again with Alan…You all remember Alan from last week’s post… This no-longer-bearded beauty and his GBB family raised nearly 10,000 Euro for Galway Hospice, and you can still donate HERE!

We met up with Alan and his wife Danielle, and Laurien (whose husband Will is the head brewer for GBB)… Laurien and Will are transplants from Georgia, and it was fun that my Mississippi gal got to hang out with another southerner!

‘Allo Harvey! This little gal belongs to Alan and Danielle! What a face!!

Wait, so, this is a blog about beer?

Alright, let’s get to it…

As soon as we arrived, Alan greeted us, and said to Holly Kay, “I know more than anybody when you hit that wall… And last night, at around 11pm, I noticed that you’d hit that wall. And when I woke up this morning, I felt kind of bad for ya…” Holly said “Don’t feel bad! We had an amazing time!” Apparently, Alan, Darren, and Sjef left Lonergan’s and headed to… Where else? The Casino! These guys are professionals, and have way more stamina than I do…

I was handed a glass of Galway Bay Brewery’s Full Sail IPA (which I spoke about in last week’s post), which is a balanced, citrusy wonderland of Irish fun…

I drank x2 of these… Trolltunga by Buxton Brewing from England, in collaboration with Lervig Brewery in Norway. This was a sour IPA, with tart, tropical peach, grapefruit, and pine. Absolutely unreal stuff. Alan was so excited about it (he was drinking it when we got there) and it was wonderful.

My Dad’s favorite beer! So nice to see some US craft on draught!

Holly ordered the Buxton Brewery Extra Porter, brewed with Guatemalan Coffee… Super bitter, roasty chocolate, coffee, dark cherries, floral, smokey. Another fantastic brew. We’ve got to find our way to England to try more of their beer!

We were so happy to be able to spend time with our new friend, Alan, and to have met Danielle and Laurien. Galway is a magical city, and that was only emphasized by all the hospitality we experienced while we were there. We’ll absolutely be back (Alan, you got a spare room?)

Until next time!

Cheers!

Galway Bay Brewery and the Beard Off Fundraiser, or, How We Made New Beer Friends Across the Atlantic Sea!!

Hello, friends!

***I wanted to FIRST start off this post by saying, Thursday, December 1st, Galway Bay Brewery in association with The Oslo, Salthouse and Gallagher Galway are hosting a BEARD-OFF Fundraiser to raise money for Galway Hospice. If your means allow, please donate HERE and we will watch all of these grown men’s glorious beards be shaved off for an amazing cause. Head to the Galway Beard-Off Fundraiser Facebook Page to see videos of the boys talking about how life will be without beards… Now, back to your regularly scheduled Blog Post….***

We have a very special post today, as I will recant the tale of how Holly Kay and I met some of the coolest people in Ireland… WITH BEER!

The last post I wrote about Ireland left off with us getting a great night’s sleep after a wonderful night out in Killarney. From there, we drove the unbelievably GORGEOUS Dingle Peninsula, whose vistas are stunning, every way you turn.

Come on! Come on!I mean, COME ON!!

From there, we drove and stayed in Gallow’s View Bed & Breakfast in Bunratty, where we were warmly welcomed by our host. I’ll write about this part of our trip in a later blog post, so stay tuned.

Our next B&B was St. Judes, in Upper Salthill, just across the river from Galway City. St. Judes was a lovely, French-style home just about a 10 minute walk into Galway proper, and, if you walk in the opposite direction, about 10 minutes from Lower Salthill, with bars, restaurants, an aquarium, and some casinos.

Galway City

Holly Kay in the Latin Quarter, Galway.

Before we left the US, I posted a message on a beer group that I’m a part of on Facebook, asking for recommendations for awesome craft beer in Ireland. I received a response from Alan O’Reilly, manager of Oslo Bar in Lower Salthill, which is the flagship pub of the Galway Bay Brewery.

Alan wrote, “If you bring me American Craft Beer, I will give you beer. Galway Bay Brewery beer!” Holly immediately bought two large wine bottle sized ziplock bags on Amazon (which triple zip, so if anything breaks or leaks, it won’t get all over your clothes), and we brought 4 different American beers over with us.

We arrived at Oslo Bar around 6:30pm, and were on the lookout for Alan, who we found out back, inside what seemed to be Galway Bay Brewery’s brew house. We soon discovered that GBB had expanded, and the brew house in the back of Oslo Bar is now used as a Distillery for Micil Poitín, an Irish sprit (think of it as Irish moonshine), made from Irish Grain and bogbean, a plant that grows in bogs throughout Europe. We met Padraic O’Griallais, who quit his job as an Irish Speaking Schoolteacher, to take over his family’s business. Micil is named after his Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Micil Mac Chearra. Of course, Holly Kay and I were poured a sample, and it was spicy, herbal, and warmed our hearts and souls with the spirit of Ireland. Man, it was so cool.

After that amazing introduction, it was time to show Alan the beers we brought!

We brought two Gose-style sours, Westbrook Brewing Gose, and Stillwater Artisinal Gose Gone Wild, an IPA that our buddy Nathan had brought us from Georgia, Orpheus Brewing Life.Death.Life.Truth, and Peak Organic The Juice, an amazing new beer from this brewery, a hoppy pale ale.

To say Alan was thrilled would be an understatement. I mean, just look at our faces in the photo above. It was so cool to make new friends halfway across the world, simply with craft beer! Alan was giddily showing his coworkers the beer we brought him, and told us to follow him back down to the bar.

Alan giving us his best smile, and showing some bar patrons some amazing stouts that are NOT Guinness. (I sent this to my Dad, of course, please refer to my blog post about the Stout Monster)

We sat down at the bar and Alan poured me one of GBB’s newest beers, a collaboration with Cigar City Brewing (!!!), Ceasefire Rhubarb Sloe Sour. Some lemon and lime pucker, with nice bitterness from the rhubarb. These guys aren’t messing around with their beers. They recently hired Will Avery, all the way from Georgia (the United State, not the country) to be their Brewmaster, and expanded their brew house to a location just outside of Galway City.

We were going to visit the brew house itself, but the timing didn’t work out, so that just means we’ll have to go back to Galway soon so I can write another blog post! Ok, Holly? 😉

Alan poured Holly a Harvest Altar, a delightful brown ale with sweet, nutty caramel from the malts, with some nice hop spice and bitterness.

Next up for me was Full Sail, GBB’s flagship IPA, really well balanced, with some juicy hops (El Dorado and Cascade) and a sweet malt backbone. This guy clocks in at 5.8%, so, it would be cool to have a few of these and see how the flavors develop. Again, that’ll be another trip back to Galway!

While at Oslo Bar, we also met Darren Green, Alan’s dear friend, whiskey expert, and manager of Garavan’s in Galway, which won Whiskey Bar of the Year in 2014 and 2015. As soon as he heard Holly Kay mention the word whiskey, he perked up, and immediately rattled off nearly the entire history of Irish Whiskey, to our surprise, and also to our DELIGHT

Alan was finishing work at 7pm, and told us to meet he and Darren later at Lonergan’s Bar, just a short walk from Oslo Bar, which, as he described it, is unlike any other bar we’d see in Ireland… “We’re the youngest people there by 50 YEARS…) But first, we asked for dinner recommendations, and Alan suggested Dough Bros, in Galway City. We had to go, because you can’t just have one pizza in Ireland…

It’s Dough Bros, Bro!

Holly and I shared a Limeburner Pale Ale from Kinnegar Brewing in Donegal. As Alan put it, these guys don’t make a bad beer. This bottle was about 6 months from its bottling date, but the citrus of the hops stuck around just enough to balance the malts. Crisp, and super refreshing, this was a perfect pairing to our pizza… Bros.

Alright, so… Lonergan’s. We took a cab back down to Salthill, and walked into the pub, and, as Alan had described, the place was full of elderly Irish men (and one dog). The only other lady in the pub was our sweet Barmaid. She poured us two pints of Murphy’s Irish Stout, and we sipped them as we waited for our new friends to join us…

Proper Glassware… Also, can you call this a perfect pour? Or is that trademarked?

A few minutes later, Alan, Darren, and Sjef (a bartender and another whiskey connoisseur from Garavan’s) came in. Suffice to say, Alan made good on his promise, (but not before signing up for, and encouraging Holly Kay and I, to donate funds to Galway Hospice for GBB’s BEARD-OFF Fundraiser), as we were chatting with the fellas about ~~The Circus~~ American Politics, Irish television show Father Ted, Craft Beer, Whiskey, and everything else under the sun, every few minutes, another pint of Murphy’s would magically appear in our hands. By about 11pm, Holly Kay and I looked at each other, and said “We’ve GOT to go.” We’d been up since around 7am, and had driven several hours that day, and although Murphy’s is less than 5% ABV, when you’ve drank 6 or 7 of them, you start to get a little bit of the jelly leg, if ya know what I mean. So we drank what we could of that last pint, bid our goodnights, and went back to St. Jude for a gooooood night’s sleep.

I’m going to stop here, and will continue our Galway tale in my next blog post.

I’ll finish by reiterating that TOMORROW NIGHT is Galway Bay Brewery’s BEARD-OFF Fundraiser to raise money for Galway Hospice, and you can donate HERE if your means allow!

Thanks for reading, and until next time!

Cheers!

Business Cards Are Here! Or, I’m Officially Official!

These came out absolutely SEXY! And YOU ALREADY KNOOOOOW I went glossy, because you want that amazing looking brew to “Shine like the top o’ tha Chryslaah Building!” (Yup, I just referenced Ms. Hannigan from Broadway’s Annie in a Blog Post.)

So, now YOU can spread the word as well! If you read this and want some to distribute, send me an email at patrickbenedict@benedictbeerblog.com and I can give you a stack for your business, home, or just to give out to friends, etc. Let me know! Thank you all for your support!

And as always, thanks to Holly Kay for motivating, encouraging, and inspiring me! These wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her!

😉

Until next time!

Cheers!

Irish Whiskey Experience, or The Events That Lead Patrick and Holly Kay to a Denjoe’s at Nearly Midnight

Another from my Sexy Posing in Front of Breweries, Pubs, and Historic Sites series… Kilkenny Castle.

After spending our afternoon exploring Kilkenny and Kilkenny Castle, we drove nearly 3 hours to check into our first B&B in Killarney, the quaint Windway House.

It was a 7 minute walk to the Downtown area of Killarney, which, even when not decorated for Christmas, looks and feels like it. We were exhausted, and starving, but we wanted to relax for a few minutes, and had a cup of tea in the shared lobby area, and our host Frank greeted us warmly and recanted stories about his daughter who had moved to New York. He was the sweetest man, and had exactly the Irish hospitality we were hoping for when we chose to do a B&B heavy vacation.

We took the quick walk into the city, and had read about a restaurant called the Irish Whiskey Experience and Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder in our research on Trip Advisor.

The entryway to Irish Whiskey Experience, adorned with barrel bottoms!

Irish Whiskey Experience has 5 stars on Trip Advisor, and all the reviews we read said that even without the whiskey, the food is incredible. So… Good food? Check. Good Whiskey? Check. And oh yeah, this is a blog about Beer. Good craft beer. Check.

My dear sweet Lord… Am I in heaven?

We sat at a table for two, with a large collection of Irish Whiskeys behind a glass partition lining one side of the restaurant, across from the bar. We were told by our server that the Whiskey behind that glass wasn’t for sale, but more of a collection, and there were some pretty rare bottles. We were handed menus, and greeted by some delicious looking Gastropub style food, and an extensive drinks list.

Holly Kay in front of a drinkable (well, not for us) museum!

Holly had the Dubliner Cocktail, with Powers Three Swallow Whiskey, Carpano Antica, Thyme-infused Grand Marnier (holy lord) and Orange Bitters. It was out of this world!

I knew that Holly would be ordering Whiskey (because she’s amazing) so I ordered a fantastic India Pale Lager (a massively hopped lager) called Remix, from Trouble Brewing in Kill (yup, real place), Ireland.

India Pale Lagers are growing in popularity here in the US, so I was surprised to see one in Ireland, and this stands up to some of the Northeast style, hopped up beers I’m so lucky to have here in NY (I compared it to an IPL I had recently tried from Singlecut Beersmiths in Astoria). The fact that it’s a lager makes it a bit smoother around the edges, the sweetness from the malt balances out the amazing citrus (grapefruit, mango, pineapple) from the hops.

Let’s talk food. First, we shared the Artisinal Cheese Board (because OF COURSE WE DID!). Didn’t get a picture of this. We’d been driving for several hours before this and basically inhaled it.

You’re not seeing things. Pork Belly, garlic-roasted spinach, baked potatoes, apple sauce, and brown gravy.

Holly had an 8oz Fillet Steak (because, I failed to mention, I married a beautiful, female version of Ron Swanson, and I couldn’t be happier), with green beans in a whiskey cream sauce, and frites (that’s french fries. Eat ’em.)

I was too busy inhaling my pork belly to get a picture of the steak, but it melted in my mouth when I bit into it. We were told by several people before we left that the food isn’t great in Ireland. Restaurants like the Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder are changing this stereotype. So, get here.

I DID take a picture of the beer I had with my meal… So, hold up whilst I insert this amazingness into your mind grapes…

Brouwerij Boon Oude Geuze Boon (2013-2014). See here for the description, but this is a blend of young and aged sour ales, creating a funky, tart, sour with notes of red wine, citrus, and wood. This is the closest I’ve ever been to Belgium (hopefully not for long), but it was a perfect compliment to the salty pork belly. (And you can see Holly’s steak!)

Also, please refer to my post about Sour Beers and pucker up for more fun!

After dinner, we decided to explore more of Killarney, and ended up in a Dunnes, which is like a hybrid Target and Macy’s, with a grocery store. And, surprise, surprise, Patrick found the beer section!

Ireland is stepping up its craft beer game!

After galavanting around Dunnes, we went to Sheehan’s Bar, on the recommendation from Frank, as they have live traditional Irish Music, followed by Danny Mann’s, which had modern Folk music playing.

Because we couldn’t stay away, we finished off our evening in gorgeous Killarney with a nightcap back at the Irish Whiskey Experience!

Our legs were jelly at this point (you know, Irish Whiskey….), and we hadn’t eaten in a few hours, so, like real adults, we found ourselves at a DenJoes, which is a hybrid pizza and fried chicken joint, and ordered a two piece fried chicken meal with chips, and enjoyed seeing all the late-night locals who had probably more than we’d had to drink, especially the one lad who was sitting at a table and kept gesturing to us and saying “These are reservvvvvved,” and giggling. He must have said it five times. When his friends joined him, one of them took one bite of chicken and promptly fell asleep. We walked the short block back to our awesome B&B and had one hell of a night’s sleep.

YO, IRELAND IS AMAZING. IF YOU HAVEN’T, Y’ALL SHOULD GO.

And if you go, go to Killarney, and go to Irish Whiskey Experience and Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder.

Christmas in Killarney. Irish Whiskey. Craft Beer. AMAZING Food. Adventure. Love. This was absolutely the trip of a lifetime.

Until next time, I love you all!

Cheers!

Brewery Corner, or, This Was the First Time We Ate Pizza in Ireland, and it Wouldn’t be the Last…

Holly Kay and I arrived at the Aspect Hotel in Kilkenny after barely sleeping on the overnight flight into Dublin, and spending the whole day in Dublin City, followed by an hour and 30 minute drive. We were basically zombies, but decided to go to a place we had looked at on Trip Advisor called Brewery Corner. It seemed fitting. Winky face.

Irish Craft Beer in the heart of Kilkenny!
We were hoping to find somewhere that wasn’t too loud or crowded, and were relieved when it was relatively quiet, with a young Irish lassie, called Bad Poster Girl, singing folk covers near the fireplace in the front of the Pub.

Holly and I were warmly greeted by the bartender, who pointed out the food menu (three or four different types of pizza) and explained the Irish Craft Beer-heavy menu. There were about 5 or 6 O’Hara’s (brewed by Carlow Brewing Company, who also own the pub), and a handful of other brews… I remember seeing a Pumpkin Brew from Trouble Brewing, located in Kill, Ireland (yup, that’s a real place), and a few others.

I ordered from their extensive bottle menu, featuring craft beer from all over the world.

First up for myself was YellowBelly Beer Gose to Leipzig, a salty sour ale from this Wexford, Ireland Brewery.

When I ordered it, the bartender responded, “The Gose? Braaaave man. I think it’s the only beer that makes a man thirstier!”

It was pale golden in color, 4.5% alcohol, and actually a lot saltier than most Gose’s I’ve had. After a wave of salt, beautiful orange and lemon zest citrus came through, leaving you wanting another sip! Great stuff!

Holly had an O’Hara’s Irish Stout, which had a heartier mouthfeel and more defined chocolate and coffee than, you know, that other beer I wrote about here…

Holly Kay and I shared a 12″ pizza, which was just enough to satisfy us after the long day. It was a fine pizza, but we’re spoiled New Yorkers, but also, we’ll eat any junky food if we’re hungry enough, and also also, we love all pizza no matter what. So it was perfect for where we were at that very moment in time, listening to covers of Death Cab For Cutie and The Decemberists.

Next up was Brown Paper Bag Project Aul Bruin Bagger, a 6.4% Sour Brown Ale. It hits you with delicious berry and apple, makes you pucker just a little bit, with enough malt backbone to balance out the tartness. Great stuff, and, while both this and the Gose are sour, they’re two wildly different brews, and delicious in their own right.
If you ever find yourself in Kilkenny (and you should and I’ll tell you why… Two Words. Butter Slip.) you need to head over to Brewery Corner and tell them Benedict Beer Blog sent ya!

It’s quite like something out of Harry Potter. And look how cute Holly Kay is!

Butter Slip is, as advertised, VERY slippy.
And remember to love one another. Let’s love each other harder through the difficult times. That’s all I’ll say.

Until next time, Cheers!

Big Alice, or How I Managed to Get a GIF of Tim Curry Smiling Into a Blog Post

I wanted to give a huge shout out this week to Big Alice Brewing in Long Island City.

Last week, I wrote about Craft at C’est Cheese in Port Jefferson, and spoke about their hospitality. The Craft Beer industry is all about friendship, community, hospitality, and supporting each other.

I want to thank Larissa and Annie, our awesome bartenders on a rainy Saturday evening in early October. Our experience at a brewery is as important as the taste of the beer, in my opinion. I was joined by my wife, Holly Kay, who had a rehearsal nearby, and our friend Brad, of Bradco Brew (@itsbradco on Instagram!)

It was my first time visiting the brewery, although I’d tried a few Big Alice beers at Astoria Bier and Cheese (the most notable being Salted Caramel, a tart, salty, sweet brown ale which is pretty mind boggling to think about…), and at The Jeffrey (Queens Honey Brown, a sweet, malty, subtle brown ale that perfectly compliments the amazing, salty pretzels The Jeffrey serves).

LIC Native White Stout, at Olivers in Astoria

What I love about Big Alice is their ability to offer a beer for any type of palate. (Insert diatribe about how the IPA market is saturated, how hops are ruining beer, whine, whine, whine, complain, complain, complain, etc.) I love IPAs, I will seek out the juicy, 0 IBU milkshake beer, and the palate destroying, 100 IBU, dank, bitter IPA. But I love variety every once in a while. So, when I stepped foot out of the rain, soaking wet, and into the brewery and, out of 13 taps, only two were IPAs, my smile grew ear to ear.

giphy
Me, upon entering the Tap Room…

A White Stout? A Jalapeño Rye? Multiple different sours? This place is cray cray (that’s what the kids say nowadays, yeah?) I knew I was in for a trip around the beer world on the wings of a Malted Falcon (I just made that up, but it’s my new band name, so…) and I was ready to fly… (Also I now just realize that Malted Falcon is also a pun on “Maltese Falcon” so I’m smart and funny don’t you think? Anyone? Anyone? )

The first beer I tried was Peach Gose (pronounced Gose-uhhhhhh). This was the perfect start to my flight, tart, dry, crisp, and salty. Summertime in a glass. Next, when Bradco arrived, I tried the Hibiskas Goes-uh. The floral notes added a nice balance to this salty, tart Gose. Another fantastic, wildly imaginative brew.

The tap room was nearly filled with large groups of people, which rotated about every 15 minutes. I asked Larissa, the first bartender I met, if anyone ever stumbles upon the tap room (Big Alice is located deep in an industrial section of Long Island City, so for me, it seemed like a destination). They said they get a lot of runners and bikers who see the large sign on Vernon Avenue, which runs along the East River.

The Brewhouse!

I then met the other bartender, Annie, who was just as friendly as Larissa. I started talking about the blog, and how my last post was about Moustache Brewing Company and how I visited them when they canned their first beer. Larissa said, “That’s funny, because my boyfriend helped them can as well!” TURNS OUT, that JAY, from that very blog post, was Larissa’s boyfriend! The Craft Beer world is smaller than you think!

432e77ba8d987b006f93d18a68edbd34 IIIIIT’S A SMALL WORLD AAAAAFTER ALLLLLLL (I’m so, so sorry….)

Jay came by later in the evening for a beer. And, since this is a beer blog, I will talk about that beer.

Our unanimous favorite beer of the night was the Jalapeño Rye. Untappd classifies this as a Black IPA, or Cascadian Dark Ale. The beautiful citrus from the hops is balanced by some spice from the rye, and Annie explained that they take all the seeds out of the jalapeño, so you get all the sweet, pepper flavor, without too much spice, but enough of a bite to intrigue you into another sip… And then another. And then another. It leaves you wanting more, and at 6.3% ABV, you can have another and still be even keel to enjoy the rest of your evening. Go to Big Alice right now (well, Wednesday through Sunday) and TRY THIS BEER!

Some other favorites from the evening were: the Sweet Potato Farmhouse Ale, a dry, sweet saison brewed with sweet potatoes, with bold sweetness from the potatoes, and some peppery notes from the saison yeast, and Sour One (named for it’s bitterness at 1 IBU). At 5.2% ABV, it’s a little higher than the two Goses I had earlier in the evening, but I loved the tart, acidic, fruit, and a little bit of funk, baby! I wanted to get all James Brown up in the tap room but it might have been too lit. I apologize for that last sentence.

In summary, Larissa and Annie treated Holly Kay, Bradco and I like we were family, and we really appreciated chatting with them and spending the evening in the gorgeous brewery/tap room. Holly picked up a tee shirt (she’s been collecting shirts from her favorite breweries we’ve visited throughout the year, so, Big Alice, you guys rank!) We stayed as long as we could, right until 10pm as they were closing. Thanks again for the great evening! We’re definitely going back, and you should go too!

Follow Big Alice on Social Media!

Facebook: Big Alice Brewing

Instagram: @bigalicebrewing

Twitter: @BigAliceBrewing

Until next time, Cheers!

Craft at C’est Cheese, or, How Holly Kay and I Belted Out Maria Muldaur’s Midnight at the Oasis Because of the Name of a Beer…

My first visit to C’est Cheese in Port Jefferson was about 5 and a half (!!!) years ago, and in fact, it was before they even opened. I applied for a job there, as they were set to open in the upcoming few weeks, and Holly Kay and I had just gotten married, and moved back to Long Island. I put in my application, and, less than a week later, before their hiring even began, I was offered a job at Unnamed Fruit Themed Technology Company. My journey with Unnamed Fruit Themed Technology Company eventually led Holly Kay and I back to the city, but I always look back and wonder what our lives would have been like if I had gotten hired at C’est Cheese. Joe (Ciardullo, the owner) is so kind and passionate about Cheese, Wine, and (you KNOW this is a blog about) Beer. I would have loved to have worked alongside him and his amazing staff, but I think NYC was singing her siren call from the moment we left.

Thankfully, we’ve been no strangers to C’est Cheese, as, each Sunday, I sing at Infant Jesus Church, which just so happens to be less than a mile down the road (bummer, right?). Now, I wouldn’t say we’re there EVERY Sunday, but I make it a point to say hello to Joe, Brittany, True, Faith and the rest of the gang as often as we can, whether we stop in for a drink or bring our entire (large) family and friends by for a meal. The space is industrial, with large, exposed ceilings, poured concrete countertops, with smaller tables up front with some banquettes where you can people watch, looking out onto Main Street, and large, farmhouse-style wooden tables in the back.

My Dad has enjoyed many a Founders Breakfast Stout here. My Mom has fallen in love with Framboise here. Holly Kay had the first Sip of one of her favorite beers here (I won’t say the name because it was exclusive, or, as I like to say, ‘sclusie…). It’s been a place where we’ve created so many amazing memories over the past 5 and a half years. I can’t imagine what life was like before Holly and I were married, and I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without C’est Cheese in them (right, Holl?).

When I first saw a Social Media post from C’est Cheese saying “Coming Soon: Craft at C’est Cheese“, my interest was piqued. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? I pictured Ron Howard directing some sort of Da Vinci Code-esque mystery film about it. BUT GUESS WHAT, GUYS, I FIGURED OUT THE MYSTERY. Joe partnered with Chris Roche, who was (and is) running C’est Beer, the exclusive Craft Beer Membership Club (of which I am a proud member!), and opened a bar and bottle shop in the storage space behind the restaurant. It’s an amazing concept, you can get a pint or growler (32oz. or 64oz.) of some amazing (very locally focused) Craft Beer, and pick out beer from their more than 200 bottle and can selection. I’ve seen beer from our dear friends at Moustache Brewing Co., Finback Brewing, Grimm Artisinal Ales, and LIC Beer Project (THESE GUYS ARE AMAZING).

Last Sunday, Holly and I enjoyed some Sand City Mofosaic (holy shnikes, bursting with citrus and floral notes with just a touch of sweetness), and had a beer and cheese tasting of Other Half Brewing Co. Sunrise at the Oasis Saison (now, just try NOT to sing “Midnight at the Oasis“, because you just can’t, and Holly and I sang it out loud and proud as soon as Chris mentioned the name) and an aged manchego. The citrus, stone fruit and spice from the amazing saison contrasted perfectly the earthiness and nuttiness from the manchego. We’ve also gotten to know Chris’ wife Erin Roche, who helps run Craft, and loves it as much as Joe and Chris do. The passion that everyone we’ve met at C’est Cheese and Craft over the years is so exciting. It keeps us coming back to watch these folks do what they love, and chat about it.

Beer comes out of the tap, beer goes directly in mouth…
I love that the beers are organized by style, to make things just a little easier…

You want cold beer? They’ve got a fridge, baby. You got it.

#drinklocal

“SWAG. STUFF. WE. ALL. GET.” -Michael Scott

I don’t want to ramble on and on, because I think both C’est Cheese and Craft speak for themselves, but do yourselves a favor, and pay a visit to these fine folks, drink some amazing beer and wine, enjoy delicious cheese, sandwiches, and appetizers (YO, THOSE SPICY GOAT BITES) and just have a great time, because that’s what life’s all about. And do it while listening to “Midnight at the Oasis” because now I’m on my second listen to it on YouTube because I’ve mentioned it and it’s an amazing tune.

Anyway, head over to 216B Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY 11777 to check out C’est Cheese and Craft! In fact, just text me when you’re going and I’ll meet you there. 😉 winky face.

Until next time!

Cheers!

As Is NYC, or, How to Stumble Upon a Modern Times Tap Takeover…

Hello, Handsome and Beautiful Creatures of Earth!

I wanted to do a quick shout out this week to As Is, a cool new Craft Beer bar on 50th St. and 10th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC.

I was invited here by my awesome (also craft beer fanatic) friends, led by Brandon, who had been telling me about this place for a while and texting pictures of their beer menu each time he showed up there, as a reminder that he was cooler than I was because he was at a new Craft Beer bar and I wasn’t (how dare he?).

I got there a little earlier than Brandon, Clint, Rick, and Samson, who all came in a cab from Brooklyn (plus it was raining), and I ordered an Other Half Equinox/Topaz, a bright, citrusy Double IPA, dried off from the stormy weather outside (I didn’t have an umbrella) and made a Facebook Live video talking about beer and general silliness.

Thinking of tropical islands while watching seas of umbrellas and glistening city streets…

Facebook Live From As Is NYC!

Someone had their eyes closed in nearly every picture I took of humans this evening…

Clint flipped because they still had a keg of Tröegs Brewing Company Nimble Giant, a super nicely balanced Double IPA, with notes of pine, orange citrus, and cherry sweetness from the malt. I’ve dubbed this beer the “Heady Topper of Pennsylvania” (please don’t be triggered by this. I’m silly.)

Brandon flipped because they had a Modern Times takeover, featuring some awesome hop-forward IPAs and Pale Ales, and a few roasty, toasty Imperial Stouts. The highlight for me was the Orderville IPA, hopped with Mosaic (I WILL SING MOSAIC’S SWEET, SWEET SONG FROM ON MOUNTAIN HIGH!) and Simcoe (DITTO!). It was like sipping on tropical punch. Also try: Blazing World, a Red IPA, and Fruitlands Gose (my favorite one is the Apricot variant!).

The boys!

I did one more Facebook Live video (THE FUTURE) interviewing the boys and again, being generally silly… Check that out HERE!

Brandon, one of the owners, was behind the bar that evening, and was super hospitable, and very excited about what a great fit they were for Hell’s Kitchen (they’re practically neighbors with Pony Bar, and just a few blocks from Beer Culture, two heavy hitters in Hell’s Kitchen and in the NYC Craft Beer scene). I think these guys will do just fine.

I didn’t have a chance to eat anything on my first visit, but I’ll absolutely come back and eat from their menu of small plates and sandwiches (if the words “Burrata with 18 month Prosciutto” don’t make you salivate, then you’re a robot).

Brandon brought us some Modern Times SWAG, and Samson decided he should make it rain…

Absolutely check this place out (great for stopping by for amazing craft beer, food, and cocktails after a Broadway show!)

I’ll leave you with a really cool photo that Clint took, check him out, he’s @bktexan on Instagram!

Cheers!

As Is on Instagram: @asisnyc