A Decade Under the Influence
NYC breweries celebrate ten years and a revisit to the Blue Mountains
Before we get started, if you recognize the subject line of this week’s email, then you’re probably an early 2000s emo kid like me. Which reminds me of the time I suggested to a friend that there should probably be an emo or pop punk-themed brewery, given the recent success of metal-themed breweries. Minutes later, a Taking Back Sunday song played at the brewery, and I realized that there probably aren’t many leaning into the theme overtly because it’s unusual to find a brewery that’s not trying to appeal to the formerly-brooding, white, middle-aged dad-type. Ugh. I roasted myself.
In other ways that I’m a walking stereotype, my Rhode Island heritage has been put on full display in this piece by David Nilsen on Pellicle about Narragansett Beer, which is very much worth a read even if you’re not a fan of ‘Gansett Lager. It chronicles the death and rebirth of a brand that’s become synonymous with my home state for a second time. And yes, you should absolutely go “get weird” with Lee Lord’s awesome beers next time you’re in Providence.
Ten Years On: Three NYC Breweries Celebrate Their 10th Anniversaries in May
2014 was a big year for the New York City beer scene. And a decade later, several breweries will be marking the milestone, including three in May alone.
First up is Flagship Brewing Co. on Staten Island, who will celebrate on Saturday, May 11th on Minthorne Street at their brewery. They’re promising live music, local craft, food, and record vendors, and plenty of their beer in a kid-friendly and pet-friendly environment. They’ll also be bringing back one of their original beers for the occasion: their Flagship APA, the American Pale Ale that started it all, in 16-ounce retro cans. The event is free and open to everyone, and the festivities will kick off at 2pm that Saturday and run till midnight.
The following week, Finback Brewery is up next to celebrate a decade in business, and they’re putting together a weekend full of events across their three locations. There’s a VIP bottle share at Finback LIC on Friday, May 17, a beer festival at Finback Brooklyn on Saturday, May 18, and a New York-focused “brewery hang” at their original brewery in Glendale, Queens on Sunday, May 19. They’re pressing the pause button on their Whale Watching Festival in Rhode Island this year (it’ll return in 2025), but the Saturday event will bring the vibe of the event into Brooklyn. Tickets to all three events are available now, including a “Whale Pass” that includes admission for the entire weekend slate.
Finally, save the last day in May for Transmitter Brewing’s 10-Year Anniversary. On Friday, May 31st starting at 4pm, they’ll be throwing a shindig at their Brooklyn taproom to mark a decade of making beer in New York City, from their humble beginnings under the Pulaski Bridge to their move into the Navy Yard. They’re making plans for a Friday evening of special limited-edition releases, a live DJ, and a food pop-up to market the occasion. Keep the date on your calendar and stay tuned to their social media for more details.
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 3,406
Total breweries visited in 2024: 122
Total breweries visited in New South Wales: 27
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #2994, Mountain Culture Beer Co., Katoomba, NSW, Australia (Visited 31-Mar-2023)
I’ve been reminiscing about my 3-week trip to Australia and New Zealand at this time last year, and I was shocked to discovered I never featured the first brewery I visited on that trip in this space. Heck, it was the site of my very first beer in Australia on my very first day in Australia, after a swift train ride out of town to hike in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. I had done a ton of research ahead of this trip, including plotting out some of the nation’s top-rated beers. One of Mountain Culture’s, Status Quo Pale Ale, had recently ranked #1 on the Great Australian Beer Society’s Hottest 100, so that was the first I ordered as I sat out on their patio looking out over the town of Katoomba and the lush green peaks around it. I believed the hype — it was everything I wanted in a juicy, delicate New England-Style Pale Ale. Yes, I had traveled ten thousand miles to drink the same kind of beers I drink back home, but the satisfaction of having “done my research” was worth it. I moved onto their Lager next, a bright Helles that went down easy after a long hike. Later on, speaking to the staff, I learned that Finback had just brewed a collaboration two weeks prior, which I ended up tasting right off the tanks. A truly wonderful experience that made the beer world feel so small and introduced me to Aussie beer culture in the best way possible.
The Doom and Gloom Tracker
At least 3 breweries I’ve visited closed or announced their closure this week:
Brewery #779, Foulmouthed Brewing, South Portland, Maine (Visited 18-Feb-2017)
Brewery #900, The Alementary Brewing Co., Hackensack, New Jersey (Visited 12-Aug-2017)
Brewery #2173, Funky Picnic Brewing, Fort Worth, Texas (Visited 1-May-2021)
The Weekly Reader
Beer history with NYC’s own Anne Becerra [Pix 11 on YouTube]
The end of New York’s last dry towns may be near [Maysoon Khan, AP]
Things in the UK’s brewing industry are looking bleak [Rob Davies, The Guardian]
The quirky obsession with Rothaus Pils — and its label [Greg Benson, VinePair]
One Last Thing
There’s a portion of the readership of this newsletter who works in the beer industry, and a portion of them will likely be attending the annual Craft Brewers Conference next week. This year, it’s being held in Las Vegas, so here’s a brief list of beer-related recommendations there: Able Baker Brewing is my favorite brewery in town, and is a great anchor to the Arts District’s Brewery Row, where you’ll want to spend most of your time if you’re not a gambler or a tourist-gawker. Near there, you’ll find the Silver Stamp, a bar that I predict will be overwhelmed with industry folks for most of the conference given its careful balance of divey-ness and beer nerdity. If that gets too busy, I really enjoy Cornish Pasty Co., an Arizona-based chainlet with a solid beer selection and great pasties. Since my last visit, Tenaya Creek Brewing has now fallen under the Beer Zombies umbrella, a craft beer force to be reckoned with in Vegas. And if you want the oddest brewery experience you’ll find in town, venture up to Big Dog’s Brewing Company at 3am. Yes, they’re a 24-hour brewery and casino. And there’s a big dog out front. Good luck making that 9am seminar!
Cheers,
Chris
While not exactly a THEME, one your favorite breweries makes overt gestures to late-nineties, early-aughts punk, emo, and indie. Ratio Beerworks in Denver has beer list full of references to Fugazi, Cursive, Jawbreaker, and a ton more. It's easy to spend a long time there, and we spent it chatting with bartenders about which beers were named for which bands, albums, or songs.
For Ryan, while I've not visited the brewery, I've enjoyed cans from Dark Sky Brewing Co elsewhere in AZ.
I won’t be in Vegas this year, but will be road tripping the SouthWest…any favorites in Flagstaff or Sedona areas you’d recommend?