This Beer was Framed!

A homebrew shop closes but a homebrew door opens

So last week was a rough week for New York City’s beer scene, and in talking to a lot of folks who work in the industry over the past ten days, there’s a lot of concern about what the future holds. I mentioned in last week’s newsletter that in the span of just a few days, Bronx Brewery announced their merger with Captain Lawrence and consolidation of production to Elmsford in Westchester County, Torch & Crown laid off their production staff at their brewery in the Bronx, and a new bar that would replace Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. appeared on the Brooklyn Community Board 1 agenda. That’s in addition to the closure of Gun Hill in the Bronx, LIC Beer Project in Queens, and Big aLICe’s Barrel Room in Brooklyn earlier this year. In total, the city has lost at least six breweries this year, and there’s still three more months left.

Let’s be honest: it’s very difficult to run a brewery and make it financially successful in New York City even when the beer industry isn’t consolidating. The whole “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” mantra really is true when you consider the hoops that breweries have to jump through here just to open. Consider the delays in things like power connections and gas hookups, the multiple city inspections, and the sheer cost of real estate, which has even resulted in breweries closing before they even opened here. Adding to the complications: traffic that can make deliveries a logistical nightmare, both to and from breweries, the cost of labor and supplies, the pressure to keep taproom prices high to not undercut nearby accounts, the changing rules around outdoor spaces that limit capacity seasonally, the high city taxes including a separate city excise tax on beer, and a clientele that is often transient and whose drinking and nightlife preferences can change on a whim. Sometimes it feels like a goddamn miracle that any brewery can function in New York City.

Do I think we’ll see more brewery closures in the city before the end of the year? It wouldn’t surprise me. At the same time, we’ve seen two breweries open this year and another is hopefully on the way. And anyone crazy and determined enough to open a new brewery in New York will have one thing going for them in this environment: brewery equipment, usually one of the biggest expenses in the process, is far less expensive than it’s been in recent times because of all the recent brewery closures. We’ve also seen new breweries open in old brewery spaces and reinventing themselves for a new audience. And speaking of new audiences, we’ve seen new brands that want to chart their way through untapped markets for beer in our vast and diverse city. Not all hope is lost, and beer is far from dead in New York City.

And look, there’s plenty of great beer being made in this city that’s worth celebrating. And I’ll be celebrating it this Sunday at the New York City Brewers Guild’s annual Blocktoberfest at Brooklyn Brewery. I’m excited to have more beer from some up-and-coming brands, like Mad Love Beer, who has their Launch Party on Saturday night at Flagship Brewery, Momentum Brewery, who’s making great stuff in the non-alcoholic space, Back Home Beer, who’s celebrating a cultural heritage that’s not typically associated with beer, and The Test Brewery, who’s been selling out their IPA releases in Williamsburg all summer and making some critically-acclaimed beer. Tickets are still available for the Sunday afternoon shindig, and I hope to see you there!

A Sampler Tray of NYC Beer News

Bitter and Esters is closing

New York City’s last remaining homebrew shop is calling it quits. Bitter and Esters will close next month after 13 years in business on Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights. The shop was a hub for Brooklyn’s homebrewing scene, opening back when several other retail outlets existed for homebrew supplies. Bitter and Esters focused as much on supply homebrewers as educating them, offering classes and workshops, monthly meetings to share homebrew, and visits from acclaimed brewers. Their final day in business is October 13th, and for the next two weeks, they’re discounting their remaining homebrew kits and ingredients by 20%, both online and in-store. Their final homebrew swap will be next Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30pm.

Hey! It’s a (Staten Island) Homebrew Tour!

Speaking of homebrewing, there’s another homebrew tour coming up in October. The series started by fellow beer writer Josh Bernstein and led by veteran homebrewer Brett Vanderbrook will this time feature homebrewers on Staten Island. The tour takes you to the homes of three brewers where you’ll taste their concoctions before wrapping up with a private tour and pint at Flagship Brewery. The tour is on Sunday, October 13th starting at noon and meets at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. Don’t miss the boat — tickets are $60 and there are only 35 available.

On a related note, Josh is also bringing back his Malaysian kitchen pop-up event, The Rendang Hang, on October 19th, with canned cocktails from Halftone Spirits and fresh beer from Strong Rope Brewery. Tickets are $75 for a backyard feast of Malaysian food from Auria's Malaysian Kitchen and all you care to drink.

Barcade celebrates 20 years next month

It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since Barcade opened their first location in Brooklyn, serving craft beer and vintage arcade games. They’ve since opened 9 other locations as far away as Los Angeles, hosted countless beer events over the years, and evolved to include more modern arcade games and even pinball. To mark the occasion, they’ll return to where it all started — the original location on Union Avenue in Williamsburg — for a anniversary party on Saturday, October 19th. The all-day celebration (which is family-friendly from noon to 5pm) includes special tappings, a food truck, and a visit from Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione. Mark your calendars.

Brewery Tracker

Total brewery count: 3,539
Total breweries visited in 2024: 255
Total breweries visited in New York: 290

Brewery Visit of the Week

Yes, the beer names are in frames on the wall at Marlowe’s taproom

Brewery #3539, Marlowe Artisanal Ales, Mamaroneck, New York (Visited 20-Sep-2024)

Just a reminder to get out of the city once in a while, too, to experience our vast region’s beer scene. Marlowe relocated from Rockland County to this spot in Westchester, just next door to Half-Time Beverage, and while it took me far longer to get here than it should’ve, I really enjoyed my first visit. The taproom is barely a five-minute walk from the Mamaroneck Metro-North station, and the well-polished space is serving some stellar beer, if you weren’t already familiar with Marlowe. The DDH version of their Eager to Share Pale Ale was a real highlight, as was the Even Now Still Munich-Style Helles. If you’re looking for a quick getaway for the day (or even on a weeknight, when you can take advantage of the frequent rush-hour trains out of Grand Central), this is well-worth your time.

The Doom and Gloom Tracker

At least 1 brewery I’ve visited closed or announced their closure this week:

• Brewery #2498, The Eighth State Brewing Company, Greenville, South Carolina (Visited 17-Dec-2021)

The Weekly Reader

• Poughkeepsie’s Mill House expanding across the Hudson [Kayla Sexton, Hudson Valley Magazine]

• A hop refresher for hop harvest season [Tony Rehagen, Bloomberg]

• How to run a successful bar [Katie Mather, The Gulp]

• Go by Train [Tobias Carroll, Inside Hook]

One Last Thing

A somewhat uplifting side note to the dark news last week: a GoFundMe for the former production staff at Torch & Crown has now raised nearly $5,000 of its $10,000 goal, giving these folks a safety net thanks to the generosity of the beer community.

And it was great to see the turnout for the first Wet Hop Festival in Union Square on Sunday — the first of three celebrations across the state to mark the harvest of our state’s growing hop crop! Looking forward to this being an annual event for the Hop Growers of New York.

Cheers,
Chris