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There is an interesting dichotomy to the Brooklyn Brewery’s recent releases. On one hand you have classic beers like their Summer Ale… exceptionally brewed and distributed to the masses. But then you have their Brewmaster’s Series, a collection of one-off liquids of interest designed to expand the minds of both the Brooklyn brewers and the craft beer community. The latest release, The Concoction, embraces this expansive mindset to the fullest. The Concoction finds its inspiration not in the classic beers of Belgium and England but much closer to home… from the Penicillin cocktail, a scotch drink from the world renowned mixologist Sam Ross of New York City’s famed Milk & Honey.

“We spend a lot of time with our pals in the cocktail world, and they are constantly putting new flavor combinations in front of us. One of my favorites is a Scotch-based cocktail called The Penicillin. Invented by bartender Sam Ross at Sasha Petraske’s famous NYC cocktail bar Milk & Honey, the Pencillin is an instant classic. It combines peaty Scotch, ginger-infused honey, and lemon juice. It’s an improbable blend, but it’s delicious, and it’s also the inspiration for our next Brewmaster’s Reserve beer, The Tonic Concoction. The government wouldn’t let us call the beer “Penicillin”, we’re afraid. But friends, between you and us, this brand new Tonic Concoction will cure many of your ills. Now take your Tonic Concoction and text us tomorrow.”

Textbook beer drinkers may find themselves beguiled by The Concoction. It’s light-bodied with a heathy carbonation but full of aggressive flavors. Traditionally, brewers tend to push their adjuncts, or additionally favorings, to the background to compliment their malt and yeast. But here, they are pushed to the forefront. The agressive ginger and lemon juice flavors actually subdue the intense smokey character from the inclusion of 20% peat-smoked malt in the recipe. (as an aside, most recipes usually call for 1%-5% peat smoked malt). In the end, however, all these big flavors come together with prestine balance and, surprisingly, The Concoction drinks like a beer with a flavor profile more at home behind the bar than on tap.

Personally, This is one of my favorites from the Brewmasters Series. While The Concoction is complex and defies categorization, it is still extremely quaffable and succeeds in pushing the limits of craft beer without alienating drinkers. This is a perfect beer for your cocktail-loving friends on a warm summer afternoon. Keep an eye out for The Concoction on tap now at New York’s finer watering holes.

THE DETAILS:

MALTS: English Peat Smoked Malt, English Pale Malt, German Pilsner Malt

HOPS: Willamette, Cascades, Fuggles, Kent Goldings, Simcoe, Citra, Sorachi Ace, Amarillo

ADDITIONS: Dried Lemon Peel, Minced ginger, NYS Wildflower Honey, Organic, Lemon Juice from Italy (Sicily)

The last two and a half decades have been a whirl-wind ride for Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Brewery. Right from their humble beginning in 1987 – when owners Steve Hindy and Tom Potter quit their day jobs to revitalized Brooklyn’s long brewing heritage – the Brooklyn Brewery has been on a meteoric rise to become one of the top 40 breweries in America.

Like any brewery, brewhouse capacity has always a major limitation for the Brooklyn Brewery. Rent is expensive in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood and finding nearby real estate can be an equal restriction. But all of those obstacles were overcome last week when the Brewery cut the ribbon on phase one of their 13,500 square foot expansion. The new space, located in an abandoned warehouse adjacent to the current brewhouse, will increase production ten fold as well as result in ten new jobs at the brewery. I Drunk That recently had a chance to swing by their tasting room for the expansion celebration and get a taste of their new Brewmaster’s Select beer, Main Engine Start.

“It’s taken 5 years, a search for space that reached hundreds of square miles and an international collaboration unmatched in New York. Co-Founder Steve Hindy, Brewmaster Garrett Oliver and The Brooklyn Brewery are proud to celebrate the unveiling of Expansion Phase 1 with the first brew from our new brewhouse: Brooklyn Main Engine Start.”

The expansion party started off like every other Brooklyn Brewery celebration. There were almost a dozen beers being poured from both bottle and draft – including the coveted Black Ops – as well as amazing local food from brewery favorites Ovenly, The Meat Hook and The Food Experiments. The major draw as far as beers were concerned was the new Main Engine Start, an Abbey Single brewed with British Malts and Belgian yeast. Dangerously drinkable at 6.2% ABV, the Main Engine Start was high on the hop bitterness and drank almost like a Belgian yeast-infused British Bitter. This seemingly unlikely combination is familiar territory for the Brewery, however, as most of their beers are brewed either in a UK or Belgian style.

The real treat of the day, though, was a chance to see the new brewing space. With a make-shift bar and three-piece rag-time band to welcome the patrons, guest quickly flocked to the new space. Personally, I have seen plenty of fermentors in my day so it is not often that I jump at the chance to see some fresh stainless steel. It was, however, great to see the Brooklyn Brewery usurp their previous, tiny, brewhouse and I was a bit taken back by the new space full of fermentors, bottling lines and various other brewing equipment.

Overall, the Brooklyn Brewery can to do no wrong with these events. The crowd, beer and food are always top notch and it’s a great opportunity for members of New York’s craft beer community to come together and celebrate our expanding culture. Congratulations to Steve, Garrett, and the rest of the Brooklyn Brewery family… it looks like they are going to have a busy year ahead.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THE BROOKLYN BREWERY EXPANSION PARTY ON FLICKR

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The Brooklyn Brewery, once again, flung open their tasting room doors this past week for the release of their latest in the Brewmasters series; Cuvée Noire. While the brew holds true to no particular style it seems to take sides with belgian stouts and english browns alike, showcasing the breath of intriguing beverages that can come of Brooklyn’s tiny, Williamsburg brewhouse.

“They said the Belgian yeast was too spicy. Too…unpredictable. But he didn’t care. Didn’t care that black ales with German, British and American malts didn’t normally go out with Belgians. The Brewmaster threw caution to the wind and went ahead and joined them anyway. The result is Brooklyn Cuvée Noire.”

On first encounter, the Cuvée Noire is a complex, unique beer with lots of layers… something not uncommon with the Brewmaster’s Series. Yet there was also something familiar about this release that I just could not pinoint. The malt was similar to that of Brooklyn Brown, a rather unique brown ale in its own right, but it was not the same. And it shared similar traits to the Black Chocolate Stout but it was not nearly as full bodied and, well, chocolaty. Then it hit me, sitting there all by its lonesome (or, perhaps, with a couple dozen of its brethren) in the refrigerator behind the bar… Local 2.

Upfront, the Cuvée Noire hits with a major blast of belgian yeast. This is the same yeast as Local Two (and Local One) so you know there are going to be huge banana and clove notes with more mild lingering hints of spice. But there are also big malty flavors here, and dark ones at that. Most significant is the roasted flavor which is played up by the dry finish but there are also underlying touches of fresh scones and toffee candies. As mentioned, the finish is extremely dry – a current trend from the Brooklyn Brewery – which makes the Cuvée easily drinkable and very coy with it’s 8.7% ABV.

Are these the same beer? No, not at all. But Local 2 has always sort of been a dark horse in the Brooklyn portfolio for me. I never really understood where it fit. And while Local One has long been a pairing beer I felt comfortable sharing with refined palates and newbies alike, Local 2 is a bit more of an acquired taste (Beer 201 vs. Beer 101 if you will). But the Cuvée Noire helps put a lot of this in perspective and will hopefully help me win over a few Local 2 converts.

Beer mysteries aside, the night was filled with a great cast of characters from the local New York craft beer community its emerging localvore counterpart. The Meat Hook, Tom Cat Bakery, Coach Farms and McClure’s Pickles all provided some great snacking (if you are yet to try Coach Farms’ fresh goat cheese then you need to hunt some down right now) to compliment the dozen or so taps and bottles available throughout the night. Overall, it was another great event showcasing one of the East Coasts best breweries.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM BROOKLYN BREWERY’S CUVÉE NOIRE RELEASE ON FLICKR

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Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: unknown
Availability: limited release, draft only
Pairing: caramelized pork chops, wash-rind cheese, vanilla ice cream, cheeescake

Look at that lacing! Lindsay (@icantdrive) enjoys her first sips of Dark Matter

Smell: A massive vanilla-oak barrel aroma hits the nose upfront with lingering hints of dark stone fruits. Raisins, prunes, and black currant are all here along with notes of sweet bourbon.

Taste: There’s an explosion of contrast in the Dark Matter’s flavor palate. Upfront, this beer is delicate with slightly bitter, wooden hints and vanilla notes. Quickly, however, a massive rush of barrel-aged flavors envelope the palate. All of the character of the nose is here — especially the bourbon and raisin ones — mingling with lots of sweet burnt caramel and chocolate malt.

Mouthfeel: A very delicate carbonation hits the tongue at first but finishes with a strong, syrupy coating of the mouth.

Drinkability: This is surprisingly drinkable for such a sweet beer with such rich flavors. Paired with a hearty meal, a few Dark Matters will go down without a second thought. But this beer can also be approached on its own during the last few cold nights of late winter.

Overall: Dark Matter is a strong edition to the Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewmasters Series. While their flagship barrel-aged offering, the Black Ops, is often sought out by Imperial Stout lovers worldwide, it is also one that is best served after a year in the bottle. Dark Matter, however, carries all the richness and complexity of Black Ops in a much more accessible, ready-to-drink brew with a lower ABV. This beer is also a great introduction to barrel-aging for those unfamiliar with the technique. Poorly crafted oak-aged beers can be abrasive and overpowering but the flavors here are balanced and very approachable for even an uninitiated palate. As a solid standby, it will pair nicely with meat-centric dinners and tangy/creamy desserts alike. Overall, Dark Matter is another fine offering from the Brooklyn Brewery.

Dark Matter paired perfectly with cheese offerings from the Bedford Cheese Shop

Brewing Note:
Malt: British Pale Ale, Crystal, Chocolate, Wheat, Belgian Aromatic, Roasted Barley
Hops: Willamette, Cascade, U.S. Fuggle
Yeast: Brooklyn House Ale
Barreling: Four months in a blend of bourbon and rye barrels of differing ages
OG: 18 deg. Plato
ABV: 7.5%

Official Release:

Cosmologists tell us that the universe was made by a massive explosion called the Big Bang. And in this Big Bang was created a material called “dark matter”, which accounts for 95% of the mass of the universe and actually binds the universe together. Well, that sounds pretty heavy. But it’s theoretical. Here in Brooklyn, our cosmology is a bit different.

In the beginning, there was Black Ops. Or perhaps not. Beer does have its mysteries. Anyhow, they say that back in 2007, a small amount of Dark Matter was created alongside Black Ops, but very few people had an opportunity to taste it. The Brooklyn Brewing Team decided that this shortage was unfortunate – plenty of Dark Matter for themselves, but not enough to share with all their friends. So last autumn they decided to recreate Dark Matter and open up the Brooklyn Barrel Room to a wider world. Brooklyn Dark Matter is a robust brown ale aged for four months in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Some barrels previously held Black Ops, some hosted The Manhattan Project, others came straight from the distilleries as soon as the whiskey was decanted. We’ve blended these barrels to create a beer full of caramel and chocolate flavors heightened by vanilla-like oak notes and hints of the barrels’ previous tenants. The result is a smooth, rich beer that really loves food, from fried or roasted chicken to char-grilled steak, barbecue, pork chops and even monkfish. And on some chilly evening in late winter, or perhaps the first warm night of spring, we hope that you may be tempted to believe that Dark Matter really does bind the universe together.

– Garrett Oliver

Sharing Brooklyn's Finest with Peter Kennedy (http://www.simplybeer.com)

Style: English Porter
ABV: 7.8%
IBU: unknown
Availability: limited release, draft only
Pairing: oatmeal cookies, braised pork, bbq, funky cheese, Brooklyn Brewery Carbonade

Last night I had a chance to swing by the Brooklyn Brewery for the premier tasting of their latest in the Brewmaster’s Reserve series, Cookie Jar Porter. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver was on hand to discuss the beer and the tasting room flowed freely with some of brewery’s best drafts: Cookie Jar Porter, Monster ’07, Manhattan Project (a personal favorite), Blast, Brooklyner Weiss and more. The Cookie Jar Porter was paired with the brew’s inspiration, Oatmeal cookies from Feed Your Soul Bakery, as well as select cheese from the Bedford Cheese Shop.  Overall it was a great event and good to see the whole Brooklyn Brewery team and NYC craft beer family out enjoying themselves.

Appearance: Draft pours a deep brown color with a dark tan head. Due to the draft pour, there was little to no lacing initially but a slight swirl developed a subtle head and some nice residual lacing.

Smell: Chocolate and roasted malts on the nose. The Marris-Otter malt – a favorite of European beers – comes through as well. Hints of raisin and some pine hop notes

Taste: There’s a surprisingly light body to the Cookie Jar Porter and a more tart flavor than I was expecting. Lots and lots of raisin notes come forward (the source of the tart/sour flavors) as well as chocolate and caramel flavors and some herbal, woody hints from the Willamette hops. As the beer warms, som vanilla and honey flavors develop but they primarily the supporting cast for the chocolate malt.

Mouthfeel: A fine light carbonation and bitterness hit the tongue. Slightly dry finish.

Drinkability: Cookie Jar Porter has a surprisingly light bodied for having such a heavy sounding name. If you like malty beers with tart and bitter notes then this will go down easy. Initially, I thought one was enough but ended up drinking three to hunt down all the flavors. Its not a growler fill, per say, but a pint or two will go down without question.

Overall: The name Cookie Jar Porter threw me for a loop on this one. I was expecting something candy sweet, almost like a Breury 2 Turtle Doves. Instead, this is much more like a traditional English porter (with American Willamette hops rather than the British Fuggles). Once I realigned my palate out of “desert beer mode” I really appreciated all of the subtle tart and bitter notes to be found here. This reminds me a bit of a Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre but with more British Ale elements.

Brewing Note:
Malts: Floor Malted Maris Otter, British crystal, chocolate and caramel malts.
Other Grains: Whole Golden Oats
Other Sugars: Brown sugar, pureed raisins, wildflower honey
Hops: Willamette
OG: 19% Plato
ABV: 7.8% ABV