You can’t visit close to three thousand breweries without visiting some mediocre ones. And there are plenty of mediocre breweries out there. That’s not just an assessment of beer, but also of the service, the taproom, and the vibe. There’s also a level below mediocre: outright bad experiences. I had one of those this past weekend, at a brewpub where the kitchen was slow, the beer was technically flawed (one I ordered, poured from a can, was severely undercarbonated, after the previous can the bartender poured was so overcarbonated he couldn’t pour it), half the menu was out of stock, and the food that was available was practically inedible. Seemingly everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And I wasn’t alone — I witnessed several other customers expressing their displeasure, and loudly.
Maybe they were having an off day. Maybe I ordered the wrong beers. I don’t know. But what I didn’t do was take it out on the servers. I wish I could say that those other customers didn’t, either, but I’d be lying. Just a reminder that I wish I didn’t have to say here so often: service workers are people just like you and me, and most of the time, they’re doing their jobs as best they can given the circumstances. Be as hospitable to them as they are to you, and tip them generously whenever you can. If anything, do it for the good karma, even if they served you bad beer.
NYC Breweries collaborate on Have A Beer in NYC
Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and as part of the celebration, a collaboration beer from 26 New York City breweries debuted with the intention of raising awareness of reproductive rights. Have A Beer In NYC is a 7% Hazy IPA with a mission: to show solidarity and support for everyone’s reproductive rights, and to raise money for the Beer is For Everyone Emergency Health Fund.
The beer was organized by Hayley Karl of Kills Boro Brewing Co., brewed at Bronx Brewery, and made in collaboration with 18th Ward Brewing, Back Home Beer, Big aLICe Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery, Circa Brewing, Deep Fried Beers, Dyke Beer, Endless Life, Evil Twin Brewing, Fifth Hammer Brewing, Finback Brewery, Five Boroughs Brewing, Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co., Gun Hill Brewery, Harlem Brewing Co., Kings County Brewers Collective, Keg & Lantern Brewing Company, Kills Boro Brewing Co., Randolph Beer, Rockaway Brewing Company, Strong Rope Brewery, TALEA Beer Co., Torch & Crown Brewing Company, Transmitter Brewing, and Wild East Brewing Co.
The beer released at 12 brewery taprooms and 6 bars in all five boroughs, including all Bronx Brewery taprooms, Parkside Lounge, Ginger’s Bar, Rockaway Brewing’s LIC taproom, and Kills Boro’s taproom on Staten Island.
Drie reasons to spend Friday night at Grand Delancey
Last September, I had the pleasure of visiting Belgium’s 3 Fonteinen for the first time. It was an annual open brewery weekend for the renown Lambic maker, and everything about that afternoon was just perfect, from special blend served on arrival to the vintage bottles that came complete with a layer of dust from their cellar. Tomorrow, you can get some of that pleasure without leaving New York City, as The Grand Delancey hosts a special event with 3 Fonteinen’s Managing Director Werner Van Obberghen and U.S. Sales Manager Christian Gregory.
From 6 to 9pm tomorrow night, they’ll break open twelve rare bottles for the occasion, from cask-aged offerings to fruity blends — a lineup like no other seen in New York City. You can read the full lineup here and reserve a table in advance on Resy.
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 2,965
Total breweries visited in 2023: 70
Total breweries visited in Illinois: 59
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #2952, Scratch Brewing Company, Ava, Illinois (Visited 4-Mar-2023)
I didn’t go into last weekend thinking that I’d get to a bucket-list brewery, but when my friend Jonathan suggested we make the two-hour drive out from St. Louis to visit Scratch, I immediately agreed. It was a trek through rolling hills and forests and farmland and down winding, narrow back roads into the woods, and it felt worlds away from where I started the day last Saturday.
That’s clearly intentional, as Scratch has carved out a niche for beers as special as the place where they’re brewed. That niche is foraged beer, using ingredients off the land here in Southern Illinois. The beers I had on Saturday afternoon had a list of seemingly exotic ingredients: wild carrot, nettle, elecampane flower, paw paw, oak leaf, hickory, and yes, hops — all found or grown in those rolling hills and forests we passed through to get to the brewery.
The space itself was perfect for a crisp early spring day — lots of room outdoors to get in touch with nature and sit by a fire. Indoors, the rustic-looking taproom flows into an upstairs space called The Serpent Room, easily one of the most unique spaces for drinking I’ve ever seen. The space was designed by artist Brett Douglas Hunter, who left hardly any space untouched with floor-to-ceiling murals and unique sculptures. Even the bathrooms are meticulously designed. While the beer is probably what got Scratch nominated for Outstanding Bar for this year’s James Beard Awards, it’s everything about the place that makes it so special.
Long Read of the Week
In Vinepair, Josh Bernstein picks up on a trend that I’m personally a huge fan of: hop water. NA beer doesn’t really appeal to me, the same way sugared sodas aren’t my thing. But fizzy water with hops is refreshing, though as Josh notes, it’s hard to find the right place for it in the landscape of beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
One Last Thing
As you can see from the tracker (and from Instagram) I’m chipping away at those 58 breweries I mentioned last week — taking a day trip this coming weekend to get closer to that goal of hitting brewery #3,000 on April 2nd. If you’re wondering what that milestone brewery will be, here’s a hint: it’s almost 10,000 miles from New York, and it’s run by a Texan.
Cheers,
Chris
Chris- how good was Scratch brewing? First time I heard of them was at a tap takeover at Blind Tiger. Talked to the owners that night too, cool people, special brewery. Have yet to visit. Could be a choice spot for the eclipse in 2024