BROOKLYN BREWERY

On December 13, 2007 Greg accompanied by Carol (from Spa-Lon Cherry Hill) toured the Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. Karl Knoop, the Operations Manager at the brewery poured some great beers and provided a few insights into Brooklyn's love affair with brewing. Brooklyn has been home to a number of breweries, with the first opening in 1822. By the 1890s the Borough had more than 40 breweries (citation). Once thought of as America's brewing capital, Brooklyn boasted brewers like Schaefer, who along with Rheingold closed their Brooklyn operations in 1976. (Local connection: Schaefer had a brewery in Baltimore.) When Steve Hindy and Tom Potter opened the brewery at the current location in 1996 they became the first to successfully tackle the art of brewing in the Borough since 1976. Currently, the brewery ranks among the top 40 in terms of annual production with most of their beer being brewed outside the city (real estate is much less expensive in Utica, NY than in Brooklyn). Who would have guessed that Brooklyn was an epicenter of brewing?!

Karl let us try Local 1 - a Belgian inspired ale that is 100% bottle conditioned. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver likens this beer to a Belgian tripel or a strong saison, but he says it really is a Brooklyn original, produced using the artisanal "Méthode Brooklynnaise". The beer is given a palate of unusual depth by 100% bottle re-fermentation, a practice rare even in Europe. At 9% alcohol, Brooklyn Local 1 is made from barley malt and hops from Germany, an aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium.

Carol really loved this year's Black Chocolate Stout. At 10.6% alcohol, this beer is made from a special blend of roasted malts and is cellared for months before bottling. Carol was in love with this beer, especially when she found out that it ages gracefully for years after bottling. Excellent with chocolate desserts, cheesecake, fruit tarts and ice cream. Great with strong cheeses!

Local bars and beer shops do not quite get the best Brooklyn has to offer. Brooklyn Brewery 'cask ages' certain beers for some of the best tasting beers available. This is not uncommon as the best Oregon Pinot Noirs never leave the State. How would do most Marylander's feel when they are out of town and hear "Maryland Crab Cakes"??? Pictured below are a couple of pallets of Pennant Ale '55 undergoing cask aging. They require a lot of the brewer's attention and once they leave the cradle are bound for lucky bar patrons in New York City.

Below: The heat exchanger (lower right, square blue object), lauter tun and other essential brewery components. For an illustrated look at the brewing process refer to our Allagash Tour page.

Below: While one should notice what is going on in the brewery the brick work and wooden beams (not pictured) really stand out. Turns out this brewery was once a foundry built around the Civil War!

Below: Beer undergoing fermentation. The bucket is partially filled with water and enables the brewery staff to 'see' the yeast in action as it consumes oxygen and sugars. The bubbling taking place in the bucket shows that the yeast inside the fermenting vessel are busy producing carbon dioxide and alcohol.

Next time you're in New York City be sure to check out the Brooklyn Brewery (weekend tours and tastings without appointments other hours by appointment). Ask about the mascot (a cat who likes to greet guests). Check out the Brewery's website for times and event information. In the mean time, drop in Cherry Hill Liquors for Local 1, Chocolate Stout or the classic Lager, no appointment necessary! Seasonals and other beers stocked as frequently as possible.

As always, should you have any questions about this brewery don't hesitate to drop an email. Greg@Gregs-Wines.com 

This page was last updated on December 14, 2007.