Craft Beer NYC

I recently got to visit the Broken Bow Brewery in Tuckahoe, New York.  This newly opened Westchester Brewery is making full use of the great Catskill Mountain water system that flows freely into the Hudson Valley and the New York City Metro Area.   Proving that you can't brew great beer without great water.   The tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday and tours are offered on Saturday and Sunday.  They currently have 8 different flavors on tap in their tasting room and all are available to be taken home in their custom branded growlers.   The friendly staff create a fun environment to drink and taste great beer and learn a little about their brewing process.  After a tour of their production facility, including their nifty fermenters and brite tanks imported from Japan, my first brew that I sampled was their Broken Heart Stout.  This nice dark ale with roasted malted barley has a medium finish and a spicy overtone of hops without being overpower...

This delightful red "copper" ale from Maine is a nice entry for a summer night.  Brewed near the Canadian border of Nova Scotia, where red ales flourish, the Lobster Ale has an even balance of hop flavor and floral spices.  This one scores high as a session beer with a diverse selection of food pairing for any social occasion. 5.0% ABV 6 out of 10 Red Lobsters http://www.belfastbaybrewing.com

The 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head is a fine replacement or substitute for its 90 Minute older brother, when you need the mental clarity that is lost due to its strength and fortitude.  Coming in at 6% ABV this hop roasted IPA is an outstanding performer for all occasions and can be used as more of a session beer compared to the 90 Minute version.  The hop mixture includes Northwest hops for a citrus and grassy flavor for hardcore hop heads.  The Dogfish Head process of continuously boiling the hops for 60 Minutes bring a unique hoppyness flavor and a fitting name to a strong IPA for beer fans of all varieties to enjoy. Food Pairings:  Anything spicy, BBQ Chicken, Beef or Pulled Pork Sliders 6.0% ABV 9 out of 10 Off Centered perfection! Sam's Video on the 60 Minute story http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/60-minute-ipa.htm

In 2006 Wells joined forces with Young and Co of Wandsworth in London to create the largest family beer company in the UK.  The history of the Wells half of this brewery was started by Charles Wells in 1875.  All their barley comes from family-owned farms in England that handpick their crops, which has been a key to Young Ales for almost one hundred years.   Their Double Chocolate Stout has been an award winner since 1998 and most recently in 2004.  Created by mixing a Pale Ale, crystal malt, chocolate malt, sugars, Fuggle and Golding hops, along with dark chocolate.  This stout has quite a nice tone and balance to it, without going overboard with the sweetness.   Pure luxury and indulgence to go around that amps up what would just be a normal stout.   I've been asking the basic question all year- why just have a stout when you can have a coffee or chocolate stout? 5.2% ABV 7 out of 10 Chocolate Bunnies http://www.youngsbeers.co.uk h...