There was a time when the majority of the beer that was in my fridge was in glass bottles. And not just 12-ounce bottles, but 22-ounce bottles of big, boozy beers. It was a strange era that I typically associate with big, bitter, boozy West Coast IPAs that would burn your taste buds off, though plenty of other beers outside that category were in these 22-ounce bottles. The boozier, the less likely I was to buy them — I would typically drink bottled beer at home, and I wasn’t about to settle into a large-format bottle of a 9% ABV beer.
There’s talk that glass bottles could make a comeback in the era of steel and aluminum tariffs, but while we wait for that all to shake out, there are some changes happening in the bottled beer space. Brooklyn’s KCBC recently bottled a portion of their West Coast IPA collab with The Owl Farm in individual 22-ounce bottles, truly a nostalgia play for people who remember those big bombers of Stone or Green Flash or Ballast Point. In the opposite direction, Goose Island announced that this year’s Bourbon County Brand Stout will be sold in 10-ounce bottles — albeit in a four-pack instead of in the previous 16.9-ounce/0.5 liter bottles (call me crazy, but I think they’re trying to sell more volume per customer).
It would be intriguing to see the pendulum swing back toward bottles, although my trips to the recycling bins in my building would be a bit more of a workout (I suppose that’s not a bad thing). Do you secretly miss the age of bottles, or are you solidly on Team Beer Can? Sound off in the poll.
A Sampler Tray of NYC Beer News
Can I interest you in a sampler tray? Here are some recent news and notes about New York City breweries, beers, and events… let’s sip away.
Canal Beer returns for 2025
Canal Beer is back! The beer, a collaborative effort between the four breweries in Gowanus, Brooklyn (Finback, Strong Rope, Threes, and Wild East), raises funds for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, an organization working for a cleaner, more vibrant waterway. The Cream Ale has become a standard in each brewery’s rotation each summer over the past four years. There’s a launch party for the beer on Tuesday, July 22nd at Threes Brewing Gowanus (333 Douglass St.) starting at 5pm where you can learn more about the conservancy, enjoy live music, and of course indulge in this summer favorite!
Doppelganger is open on Myrtle Avenue
Some old news, but still worth sharing: a new beer-focused bar opened back in May at 415 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn in the space that formerly housed Cardiff Giant. It’s called Doppelganger, and it’s a strong addition to the neighborhood for lager louts, with a lager-focused rotating beer menu (yes, there’s a Lukr faucet), plus wine and cocktails, a backyard space, and Crokinole, which could easily become your latest obsession. The bar is open Monday-Thursday 5pm-Midnight, Friday 5pm-2am, Saturday 3pm-2am, and Sunday 3p-Midnight.
Simple Brewing has a Taproom
You may have seen Simple Brewing Company’s beers around town over the past couple months, but last week they celebrated the grand opening of a taproom of their very own in Manhattan. Simple’s Taproom at Cafe 424 is open for business (with some exceptions for private events) on West 54th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. The Hell’s Kitchen spot is a shared space in the Prime Produce Apprentice Cooperative, but it’s an appropriate place for the social cooperative brewery to call home in the city. The beer lineup, currently brewed at Lithology Brewing in Farmingdale, Long Island, includes the Bam Bam German Lager, Zen Mower Pale Ale, and Vinny West Coast IPA, all on Lukr. You can find Simple’s beers in the space Wednesday and Thursday from 4-10pm, Friday and Saturday 4-11pm, and Sunday 2-8pm.
Upcoming Beer Events of Note
Manhattan: Grimm Tap Takeover at New York Beer Dispensary, Thursday, 7/10 from 5-8pm, free entry
Brooklyn: Viva La Cultura at Niteglow Brewing, Sunday 7/13 from 2-7pm, free entry
Queens: Trillium Total Tap Takeover at Sweet Avenue, Wednesday 7/16 from 3pm, free entry
Brooklyn: 11 Year Anniversary at Hops Hill, Thursday 7/17 from noon to close, free entry
Brooklyn: A Joyous Occasion at Strong Rope Brewery Red Hook, Thursday 7/17 from 7-10pm, free entry
Brooklyn: Sixth Anniversary Party at Someday Bar, Friday, 7/18, free entry
Brooklyn: Canal Beer Release Party at Threes Brewing Gowanus, Tuesday, 7/22 from 5pm, free entry
Brooklyn: Bier Church III: A St. Feuillien Beer Pairing Dinner at Radegast Hall, Wednesday 7/23 at 6pm, tickets $90
Staten Island: Kills Boro Pizza Party at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Saturday 7/26 from noon-4pm, tickets $75
Manhattan: Curds & Hops Cheese and Beer Tasting at Murray’s Cheese, Friday 8/8 at 6:30pm, tickets $110
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 3,821
Total breweries visited in 2025: 195
Total breweries visited in New South Wales: 37
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #3777, Pickled Monkey Brewing Co., Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia (Visited 12-Jun-2025)
I write a lot of profiles of breweries that focus on the beer, or the taproom space, or an event at the brewery, or its location, but rarely do I focus on a brewery’s name. Naturally, with a name like Pickled Monkey Brewing Co., I was definitely intrigued by the origins of its name, and the story does not disappoint. The name is a reference to an apocryphal tale from the early 20th century, and it’s probably not for the squeamish (you’ve been warned):
In the early 1900’s several wooden barrels branded “White Pure Alcohol” were sent out by ship from Oxford University to the University of NSW.
After 5 days of being overdue, some people from the University headed to the wharves to see what was going on. When asked where the barrels were, the deck hands – who were rather inebriated – told them that they hadn’t yet been unloaded.
When asked if they’d been drinking from the barrels, the rascally wharfies replied that they may have “tested” the alcohol to see what it was.
Unfortunately for them, they’d been consuming the juice of Pickled Monkeys that were on route to the UNSW Biology Department for dissection.
And thus, the legend of the pickled monkey was born.
I wouldn’t say that story exactly enamored me to the brewery, but I quite enjoyed my visit, sipping on an XPA to chase down a massive pile of Buffalo Wings that I shared with my friend, and watching the end of Game 3 of the NBA Finals in the early afternoon over their delightful ESB.
Now you know the story of the Pickled Monkey.
The Doom and Gloom Tracker
At least 2 breweries I’ve visited closed or announced their closure this week:
Brewery #233, TRVE Brewing, Denver, Colorado [Visited 5-Sep-2014]
Brewery #898, Banded Oak Brewing, Denver, Colorado [Visited 9-Aug-2017]
The Weekly Reader
A visit to Tree House Brewing’s new NYS location [Will Cleveland, Cleveland Prost]
How generations of craft brewers have differed [Jeff Alworth, Beervana]
Investment funding for alcohol is becoming scarce [Kate Bernot, VinePair]
60 Hours of Roman Beer [Andy MacWilliams, DC Beer]
One Last Thing
Thanks to the folks who sounded off on last week’s question about Mount Rushmore beers in the comments here and on other social media! There seemed to be a very clear generational divide, which is intriguing: beer drinkers who came of age in the aughts seemed more likely to suggest Sam Adams Boston Lager or Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada Pale, but the younger beer drinkers who came of age later cited Other Half, Hill Farmstead, Russian River, or Alchemist. It actually makes me wonder if part of the reason why we’re seeing a rise in the popularity of simpler craft beers in the past couple years is because there’s an entire generation of craft beer fans who never remember a time when the majority of small breweries were singularly focused on simplicity. Either way, I’m happy it’s happening.
Cheers,
Chris