IF(DRINK=BEER,YES,NO)
Brooklyn Lager for President, a spring lager festival, and a quick getaway
Those who know me know that I’m a planner. Planning, in fact, is in my job description in my day job. And you don’t go to nearly three thousand breweries without having a plan to visit them. So, naturally, for my upcoming three-week trip to New Zealand and Australia, I have a spreadsheet. Actually, I have multiple spreadsheets — one for each major city I’m visiting, detailing the locations and hours of breweries in town, and (not pictured above) notes about what might make them noteworthy, whether they were recommended by friends, or if they’ve won any notable beer awards. It’s a constantly evolving document as I start to prioritize where to go and where to skip as I explore a city’s beer scene. Often times, I’ll update it while on the trip as I learn more about certain places in town from talking to bartenders and fellow beer drinkers.
This isn’t even close to the biggest of my Excel workbooks. There’s also one that lists every brewery I’ve visited, and breaks down the number I’ve visited by location (state or country) and by year, and how many have closed. It’s how I keep track of my visits, and it’s why I’m able to confidently say that I’ll be visiting my 3,000th brewery a week from Saturday.
Brooklyn Lager celebrates 35 years
The brew that put Brooklyn back on the beer map is now old enough to be president. Brooklyn Lager is celebrating its 35th anniversary this weekend with a party at one of the brewery’s very first customers: Teddy’s Bar & Grill on Berry Street in Williamsburg. The party starts at 5pm on Friday with a whole bunch of goodies that were part of the beer’s journey from its start until today.
Back in 1988, Teddy’s took delivery of one of the first kegs of Brooklyn Lager, the first beer when the brewery launched as a contract operation — the first brewery based in the borough since a dozen years earlier when Rheingold and Schaefer closed up shop. Ten years later, Brooklyn would start brewing in their namesake brewery, where they brew beer to this day (they also brew in Utica, New York, and overseas through partnership with Carlsberg). Brooklyn Brewery announced their original facility will close its doors in 2024, but only to move up the street to Wythe and North 15th.
But back to this weekend! They’ll celebrate with a shindig at Teddy’s that’ll feature special treats from Fornino, Ovenly, and Shake Shack (all spots that have partnered with Brooklyn Brewery over the years), special Brooklyn Lager patches, giveaways, DJs, special guests all Friday night (starting at 5pm) and Saturday (starting at noon). Everyone’s invited and admission is free.
Brooklyn Lager was one of my gateway beers. I remember having it for the first time at Mugs Ale House and asking the bartender why it “tasted like grapefruit” (that’s when I learned about American hops). It was a mainstay in my fridge when I lived in Greenpoint and could pick up a six-pack of bottles for less than ten bucks at a bodega. And it’s my go-to beer before an international flight in two places: New York and Stockholm, where Brooklyn Lager is nearly as ubiquitous as it is here. Cheers to 35 years, Brooklyn. And here’s to 35 more.
Celebrate Lagers at Das Bock this April
The New York State Brewers Association has rolled out a new seasonal festival this spring, and just outside the city limits on Long Island: Das Bock, New York’s Original Lager Festival, will be held at Plattduetsche Biergarten in Franklin Square on Saturday, April 29th from 11am-5pm.
The indoor and outdoor fest will feature lagers from over 45 breweries across the state, including KCBC, Great South Bay, Fifth Frame, Strong Rope, Prison City, Wild East, and more. The fest is a relaxed, pay-as-you-go vibe, with the $30 admission getting you entry, a 0.5L beer stein, and 3 beer tickets good for 5 ounces of beer each. More can be purchased on site during the fest. There will be German food and live music as you take in the atmosphere of this unique venue.
Plattduetsche Biergarten is a 20-minute walk from the LIRR at Stewart Manor, and the NICE n6 Bus, which departs from Jamaica. Tickets are on sale now.
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 2,987
Total breweries visited in 2023: 92
Total breweries visited in Ohio: 75
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #2983, The Getaway Brewing Co., Dublin, Ohio (Visited 18-Mar-2023)
I’m not going to talk about the beer at The Getaway Brewing Co., other than to say I enjoyed it. No, I’m here to talk about the brewery’s aesthetic. There aren’t too many breweries that, as a globetrotting beer nerd and aviation geek, truly speak to me. Most just want to be cool local gathering spaces. But The Getaway really thought about their decor to keep with a theme, and it’s just too perfect to me: an air travel-themed brewery.
This is the second spin-off of Seventh Son Brewing in Columbus, which I visited my last time in Ohio’s capital city seven years ago. All three (Antiques on High being the other spin-off) lean into their look, but The Getaway is truly different: it’s bright and airy, with the surroundings feeling like a bit like a 60s-era airport lounge that’s been updated for the 2020s. There’s a model Boeing 757-300 behind the bar in a diorama of mountain peaks and canyons. There’s a wall adorned with airplane windows, with shades raised to show different views. And the beers are listed on menus that look like old-school split-flap destination boards. I absolutely adored this theme.
Oh — and I lied. I am going to talk about the beer. The beer was awesome and the names were in keeping with the theme, too. I dug the Friendly Skies Helles, the Tuk Tuk Rice Lager, and the Free Cable Dunkel. And the atmosphere didn’t distract from the beer. It was just enough to make you understand what they’re going for, without being too kitschy. I hope to hop on a plane to get back here again someday. Catch me if you can.
Long Read of the Week
I read a lot of guides to local beer from cities around the world, but the ones I seek out are typically for places where I’m vaguely familiar with the scene and need direction. But I came across this piece from Rashmi Narayan on Burum Collective that explores Bangalore’s beer scene, and it was interesting to read about how two of its breweries put local twists on beer made primarily with core ingredients grown thousands of miles away.
One Last Thing
This is a photo of me from eight years ago, when I was at a brewery in Montana with a friend. I came back from the bathroom to a full beer, and took hold of it and started to take a whiff, as beer nerds do. I realized something wasn’t right, so I took my hands, pulled my sleeves down to cover them, and then smelled the beer again. With bare hands, the bathroom hand soap was so fragrant that I couldn’t smell the beer over the overpowering floral aroma of the soap. I’ve harped on this ever since — fragrant hand soap can ruin a good sensory experience at a brewery.
So I was tickled pink when I saw this sign at Columbus Brewing Company last weekend:
A tip of the cap to you, Columbus Brewing Company!
Cheers,
Chris