New York’s beer scene has some notable new additions this month, all in Kings County.
First up, the city’s newest brewery is debuting its beers this weekend. Eckhart Beer Company, a lager-focused outfit that brews out of a space with a forthcoming taproom in East Williamsburg, will mark its launch tomorrow with an event at Beer Witch in Brooklyn where the brewery’s first beers will be poured. Munich-style Helles, German Pils, Czech Amber and Czech Dark Lagers will all be on tap, and the brewery team will be on site starting at 6pm. Look for more of their beers around the city as they roll out, and a taproom announcement in the near future as well.
Los Angeles’ loss is New York’s gain. Brooklyn’s Threes Brewing has hired a new head brewer to lead production at their Gowanus Brewpub, and beer nerds will be pleased with the his resume. Josh Penney, who’s been head brewer at LA’s Highland Park Brewery for the past five and a half years, joined Threes’ team this fall. He’s also worked for LA outfits Beachwood Brewing and Golden Road.
Who says beer is dead? Two new venues in Manhattan have opened this month to prove otherwise, and they’re ready to serve you beer.
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co., a mainstay in the neighborhood since 2014, will close its doors on its Manhattan Avenue location after a farewell party this Sunday. The brewery opened in its current location on the northern end of Greenpoint in 2020, less than a month before Covid-related shutdowns began. It had previously operated at Dirck the Norseman off Kent Avenue on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg line from 2014 to 2019.
New York State Brewers Association Executive Director Paul Leone poses on stage with Brewers Association CEO and President Bob Pease during this year’s GABF award ceremony on Saturday (Photo © Brewers Association)
Six New York state breweries, including one in New York City, took home medals at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver last weekend. Strangebird Brewery, Heritage Hill Brewhouse, New York Beer Project, Hudson Valley Brewery, Soul Brewing Co., and Brooklyn Brewery all scored wins in the 38th annual edition of the competition, which featured nearly 9,000 beers from breweries in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico in 102 categories. This matched New York’s strong showing at the festival last year, when the state’s breweries also took home six medals.
