Craft Beer NYC

I first found this on draft at the new craft beer spot, The Jeffrey, in Manhattan.   The Beast is part of a recent revival of the Saison or "Farmhouse Style", a complex brew with earthly tones and tartness.   Layers of spice, hints of sweetness, and medium hoppyness give the Farmhouse Ale a variety of flavors and textures.   Traditionally in Europe, Saison beers were brewed in the Winter with everything thrown in they could find in the fall harvest and saved for the Summer season.  Evil Twin comes to us from Denmark, founded in 2010 by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergs ø . The Evil Twin line has established very uniquely designed labels to give their portfolio some added cultural hipness.   As of March 2012 Jeppe has relocated the operation to Brooklyn, to firmly establish New York as the beer center of the world. 9.5 out of 10 Easter Bunnies- near perfection! http://eviltwin.dk/Ryan-And-The-Beaster-Bunny

I haven't posted about a lager in a long time.  This entry from The Florida Beer Company has a nice balance of flavor.   Poured into a tall lager glass, the ale has a light golden color to its body.   Slightly more hoppy than malty, the Ybor Gold is a nice addition for all seasons.  Technically this is a traditional German style lager and has been brewed for almost 20 years, receiving silver and bronze medals in 1997 and 1999 respectively.  The name comes from the historic area of Tampa, Florida made famous for millions of rolled cigars in the early 20th century by Spanish and Cuban immigrants. 4.6% ABV 6 out of 10 Cuban Cigars http://www.floridabeer.com/1_ybor_page.html

Two words, coffee and coffee.  Here's finally a coffee stout from our friends at Lagunitas in Petaluma, CA.   This limited release is bottled in a super sized 22 oz bomber.   We love the Little Rascals inspired label to illustrate the origin of the coffee served up from the Hard Core Coffee company from neighboring Sebastopol.  The coffee is added at multiple steps in the brewing process, but does not overpower the taste of this black stout.   Cascade hops from the West Coast help balance the tone and keep it enjoyable for breakfast or dinner. 9.2% ABV 8 out of 10 Coffee Pups Here's a nice how-to video from Lagunitas http://lagunitas.com/beers/cappuccino-stout/#

Here's a Stillwater tribute to the myths and legends that shape and define our culture.   Joseph Campbell would approve of this untraditional stout from the devious minds of Stillwater Artisanal Ales.   American folklore embodies our spirit as a nation and a dark ale with hints of smoky hops helps the brewmasters get a step closer to that earthly celebrations.   This Belgian stout has a nice, clean finish but does have an intensity that follows not unlike the other arsenal of ales from Maryland's Stillwater. 8.4% ABV 9 out of 10 Baltimore Orioles! http://stillwaterales.blogspot.com/p/stillwater-portfolio.html

This special stout from New Holland represents a powerhouse of flavor not often seen on this side of the Atlantic.  Imagine roasty malts and vanilla soaked in oak bourbon barrels to create a stout only of a fire breathing dragon from Game of Thrones.  The bourbon barrel technique is a newly discovered style often creating a ABV between 9-15%.  This entry sits right at 10% for a nice intense, but pleasing, thick nose.  Enjoy year-round with red meat, BBQ, smoked beef jerky, cheese, and chocolate chocolate organic frozen yogurt from Stonyfield Farms.  The mission statement of New Holland is the idea that true craft beer is a tribute to artisan's and is true Art in fermented form. 10% ABV 8.5 out of 10 Dirk The Daring's http://newhollandbrew.com/our-beer/dragons-milk/

I covered the history of Fordham Brewery in a past post-  http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2014/04/fordham-tavern-ale.html Their american lager is a clean crisp adaptation of the traditional bavarian style lager. It uses four different German grains producing a deep medium golden color.   Lagers are not one of my favorite styles but this one does the job well with some light bitterness and is an easy fridge beer for hot summer days.  The name is derived from the Munich style for "bright" lager. 5.4% ABV 6 out of 10 Bright "Helles" German Peacocks

This Sour Ale is a very unique find originating from Belgium.  Tom Peters, a Belgian Beer fan,  imports many varieties for his restaurant Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia.  He was able to arrange for the famous Belgian brew masters from Van Steenberge to import this Sour Red Ale for the American audience.   Its American version is distributed with the Monk's Cafe label.    Similar to some of the fruit beers, like the Kasteel Rouge from Van Honsebrouck or the Lindeman's Cherry, this Sour Ale has hints of grapes and dark sour cherries as well as other fruits.  This is available all year round and could be used as a desert beer or for certain spicy Asian or Mexican plates. 5.5 % ABV 6 out 10 Prunus Cerasus' http://www.globalbeer.com/belgian-beer/monks-cafe-flemish-sour-ale If anyone is near Philly- check out Monk's Cafe for great Belgian fare! http://www.monkscafe.com/on_tap.cfm