Throwback Thursday

This is long overdue. I visited Storm King Arts Center last fall and, on the return trip, stopped at Peekskill Brewery. If you’ve never been to Storm King, here’s what to expect:

I was thirsty after battling giants and relieved to find local brewing on the waterfront nearby. Peekskill is a more recent entry and frontrunner for craft beer in New York. There is no rush to grow, but rather establish themselves as a destination upstate. The multi-level brewery houses a taproom on the 1st floor, bistro on 2nd, banquet hall in the works and, dare I speculate, a coolship on top of it all (how cool would that be?). Chief Brewer Jeff O’Neil, the radical behind Flower Power IPA, was lured away from Ithaca Beer Company with a taste for hops and sours; we have so much in common. Brewery Ambassador Mike gave an essentially private tour with half pints of beer for $5 each, which is where I found this gem…

One of many great things about craft beer is that it can’t be outsourced and remains possibly the last sector of American manufacturing to experience positive growth. The necessary tools are often imported from Germany or Western Europe, but Peekskill Brewery went the extra mile and built a brewhouse by way of Portland, OR. That’s Metal. One could argue it’s so craft that they were almost out of beer and food when I arrived on a Sunday but, much like beer itself in New York, I think they’re still deciding who to become. The Eastern Standard IPA was standard, their Simple Sour more simple, the kitchen slow enough that appetizers were served for dessert. That said, I appreciate the vision, not to mention the healthy selection of fellow brewers on tap. In Peekskill’s catalogue, Shotgun Willie IPA drew first, an homage to Willie Nelson. Here’s to a namesake brew for Yngwie Malmsteen next time.

It Begins

You say you want a revolution? It has begun in the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan. Instead of shots fired, car bombs exploding, I decided to draw a map. Five points of craft beer, all within walking distance. Good Beer, Alphabet City Beer Company, Top Hops, Whole Foods Bowery Beer and, now that I’ve moved into the neighborhood, the circle is complete. What else has 5 points in a small, circular radius? A Pentagram. That’s Metal.

Q&A with @beerandthecity

Who are you?

It may not look like it, but my beer roots are in Germany.

New York left me in a dry spell last year, drinking nothing but Yuengling and Heineken in bulk from Rite Aide. I moved to Los Angeles trying my luck as an actor, realized how much I hate casinos, and saddled-up to the bar. Fortunately, that bar belonged to The Brewery at Abigaile. The spice of life in their West Coast IPA was just the inspiration I needed to volunteer an extra hand on brew day. Milling grain at sunrise over the Pacific and listening to King Diamond during mash-in was probably the first honest day’s work in my life. I learned that good beer is as simple as quality and quantity ingredients. Instead of chasing auditions, I began to chase beer all over California.

Why are you here?

The west is best but NYC is home. Let’s face it—life is competition but there are few industries where competitors support each other like craft beer. That said, there is a gulf of taste between east coast and west, big as the difference between lagers and ales. California boasts double, triple, dry-hopped everything and created a distinctly American industry in the process. I found a shared vision and spirit from Colorado to the midwest, but New York is comparatively dry.

Beer and the City began as a travel blog to document my time on the road. The purpose is now to answer why NYC beer is rooted in more traditional, conservative recipes and identify local brewers changing the grid and challenging their audience. With IPA as the benchmark, we hope to crown a definitive East Coast India Pale Ale. My goal is to support the critical, cultural rise of microbrew in a macro-city. And, just to keep things interesting, we’ll do it all to a soundtrack of heavy metal.

Metal—what’s that all about?

Metal or not metal, that is the question. Metal is an all encompassing term of approval, like *cute* but so much more hardcore. It’s no secret that I consider hops a magical desert island fruit, but instead of getting stranded in sensory analysis, I keep my rating simple. If a beer is Metal, it holds weight; a solid backbone with distinct voicing overhead. And just like hops, not all metal is bitter without imagination. In my experience, where there is good beer, there is heavy music and a brewmaster that plays guitar. I’m convinced working at a craft brewery is the only practical job for would-be rock stars. That’s Metal.

OK…do you really believe beer is better than sex?

I’m glad you asked. So far, the strongest objection to my blog has been from a 76 year old radical (possibly 77 now), claiming that even the worst sex he ever had was pretty good and certainly better than beer. You’ll be happy to know he’s still virile. Please understand: the tagline might as well be read as Beer is better than Sex [and the City]. As the microbrew movement began to pick-up speed elsewhere in the 90’s, ‘Sex and the City’ submerged New York in wine and cocktail culture. Doubtful that Carrie Bradshaw ever slummed it, but if she did I’m sure it was with the champagne of beers.

Safe to say you’re a beer snob?

Yes. Not all beer is created equal. It’s amusing when commercial brands are praised for consistency even though what they do is consistently bad. So long as PBR is cool, Blue Moon is craft and Sam Adams is anything more than a gateway beer, the term beer snob is necessary.

I’ll probably regret asking, but what’s in all this for you?

I fully believe that craft beer will guide the way and hope to be writing you this time next year from The Great American Beer Festival.

*Author’s note: SJP is now doing Stella Artois commercials, as is The Dude.

Good Beer

New York, NY. The city remains the same while times and tastes change. First impression: beer is trending. Bars and bodegas have squeezed craft into their awnings or at least replaced the ‘d’ in draft. There’s a slew of specialty beer shops in Manhattan without California growler law to slow them down. NYC never fully recovered from prohibition or Sex and The City—the ghost of Carrie Bradshaw looms large—but breweries like Captain Lawrence, Sixpoint and Southern Tier are leveling the playing field. Everything that’s small has to grow.*

The most satisfying pour since my return was Green Flash West Coast IPA, courtesy of Good Beer NYC. Home truly is where the hops are. It’s good to know what you’re drinking, where it comes from and how it got to you, Good Beer takes macro out of the equation. Imagine a beer store in the East Village that doesn’t even deal pbr; very bold for New York City. It began as a pro-bottle alternative to over priced pints during the recession (that’s how much the bubble ever bursts in Manhattan) and still going strong.

Otherwise, I’ve tried some lesser known beers from NY/NJ and it’s my only regret drinking local. Some east coast brewers are making pale ale as thin as adjunct lagers; not metal. The market is here if not the talent…kinda like punk rock. Let the show begin.

*Thank You, Robert Plant.

Fear No Beer

Today I rode my bright orange beach cruiser to Naja’s Place on Redondo Pier for happy hour. Why bright orange? Because it matches my Orange Amp and That’s Metal.

Naja’s boasts 88 rotating drafts of craft and 777 beers total, which is just code for 666. Also Metal. Picture this if you will:

It was here, under the glazed eyes of Dimebag and Cobain*, that I was finally able to sip and savor in good company. Stone Smoked Porter with vanilla bean, like a float without a spoon; better than ice cream at the beach. Needless to say, Metal.

On the isle of Manhattan, it’s very difficult to have some quality time with a pint while the masses hover for your spot. Even if you sit by the bathroom, they still linger. At Naja’s, professional beer-ing can be enjoyed as a solo sport without paying rent on your bar stool. Game on.

*You can’t see Ozzy, but he’s there.

Cicerone

I wonder what Master Cicerones get? The Certified Beer Server exam amounts to roughly $1.15 per question, but I just can’t resist a good multiple choice…