Craft Beer NYC

The Riverwest Stein is actually the flagship beer for the Milwaukee based Lakefront craft brewery.   Delivered with a medium textured carbonation and subtle sweet tasting notes, this American Amber Lager has secured many awards through its run in the last 25 years.  Lakefront named their year-round staple after the Milwaukee neighborhood Riverwest where the Klisch Brothers founded their operations back in 1987.  Their blend mixes traditional German lager yeast with Zeus, Willamette, and Cascade American hops.  Enjoy the ode to Milwaukee, Milwaukee television and brewing history in the link below! 5.6% ABV 7.0/10 Shotz's Beer Gloves Wayne's World Tribute to Milwaukee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCTc6stICc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4oW9eqYh44

There have been many varieties of American Pale Ale's in this new wave of craft beer experimentation.  Fire Island's year round staple Lighthouse is a great option.   A mix of light carbonation and subtle caramel finish deliver an easy drinking ale for all seasons.  "Craft Beer from the Other New York" and "Respect the Deer" are a couple of the slogans that exemplify their easy going and relaxed spirit on the car free remote summer getaway off Long Island. 5.2% ABV 8.5/10 Bambi's Island http://www.fireislandbeer.com

How should you prepare for the end of the summer?  Long Trail's seasonal ale Harvest is a celebration of the beginning of the fall and the culmination of the long growing season.   Vermont Maple Syrup is added to this seasonal brown ale to give it a nice sweet punch.  The low ABV allows for fall feasting and indulging with friends and family after a brisk stroll in the park.   This one is a great fridge beer for the beginning of football season in New England! 4.4% ABV 7.5/10 Barn Brew's http://longtrail.com/beers/harvest

Fire Island Beer Company was started back in 2009 by Bert and Tom Fernandez and Jeff Glassman.   Their goal was to serve craft beer enthusiasts as well as casual beer fans.   In 2011, they brought on master brewer Simon Leonard as a consultant who created the Sea Salt Ale and then become a full time co-owner in 2014.  Their Sea Salt Ale starts with a German Pilsner base, and they add Magnum battering hops with real Atlantic Sea Salt to create an interesting and unique American craft beer.   The medium salty after taste and creamy head provides a great foundation for seafood pairings like mussels, clams, and oysters.   This brings the summer feel to any New Yorker year round! 5.2 % ABV 9.0/10 Breezy Point Beaches http://www.fireislandbeer.com/#about

Charles Wells brewers decided to take all the traditional qualities of their fine ales and combine them with a hint of banana.   It is available in casks in England and now widely available in large over sized pint bottles which are almost 16 ounces here in the states.  The tasting notes are very unique compared to other fruit beers.   Why not bananas?  This ale comes in on the mild side at only 5.2% ABV but has a nice medium finish to not disappoint the hop heads.  The Banana Bread Beer rounds out the Well and Young's portfolio, which include some nice Chocolate stouts.  Since 2006 Wells Brewing Company has been part of the larger Young and Co of Wandsworth in London and is the largest family owned brewery in the UK.  Check out my previous post on their Double Chocolate Stout below. 5.2% ABV 8.5/10 Banana Yellow Minions! http://www.charleswells.co.uk/our-company/our-products/wells-banana-bread-beer/ http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2014/08/we...

Brian Lock started the Santa Fe Brewing Company back in 1988, which was the first craft brewery in New Mexico since Prohibition days.   The Nut Brown Ale is part of their core year-round offerings. This Santa Fe brew is an interpretation of the old English Brown Ale, which was rich in flavor and complex but not too strong to not be a session beer.    They use local, all-natural, well water that has not been treated with municipal fluoride or other additives and then start at a high mash temperature mixed with low-alpha acid hops to create a mild and smooth offering.  Santa Fe uses Willamette hops and 2-row pale, 30-37 I, Carastan, and Chocolate malted barley to create their popular Nut Brown Ale.   In an effort to be environmentally friendly, they give credits for people returning plastic and cardboard from their six packs and are using solar energy to offset 50% of their electric bill. 5.2% ABV 7.5/10 http://www.santafebrewing.com/about_us