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America is in the grips of a beer revolution. No longer content with the homogenous swill being pumped out of multinational corporations, Brooklyn's best breweries, affectionately microbreweries, are crafting their own ales with tender loving care. Brooklyn punches well above its weight in the modern beer industry thanks to superb establishments like these.
Brooklyn Beer: Brooklyn's Premiere Microbrewery
Image via Flickr by Rasmus Zwickson
Brooklyn Beer is so ubiquitous that it might seem strange to call it a brooklyn microbrew. However, it wasn't so long ago that the company's founders, Steve Hindy and Tom Potter, were delivering their beers to local bars personally in their hand-painted truck. Today even Whole Foods stocks the beer which set the gold standard for local microbreweries.
Brooklyn Beer's range includes a pilsner, IPA, and brown ale alongside seasonal brews. Tours of Brooklyn Beer's Williamsburg plant run every hour on the hour from noon to 6 pm on weekends.
KelSo Beer Company: Great Ales Created Sustainably
Image via Flickr by jarbro
When he's not working as the head brewer for Heartland Brewery, Kelly Taylor is crafting beer under his own label KelSo. A nut brown lager, pilsner, pale ale, and IPA are available all year round, along with a number of seasonal beers. Each is made sustainably using only local ingredients. The by-product is then sent to local farms and ranches where it becomes livestock feed. Saturday afternoon tours of Taylor's Fort Greene neighborhood facility are available by appointment.
Sixpoint Brewery: Experimental Microbrewery with a Wealth of Experience
Image via Flickr by tophermurphy
Sixpoint Brewery founder Shane C. Welch honed his craft with an apprenticeship at a Wisconsin brewery before launching his own label with college pal Andrew Bronstein in the heart of Red Hook. From humble beginnings in 2004, Sixpoint Brewery has grown to produce more than 40 different beers that it distributes to bars across New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. No matter how large it gets, Sixpoint is committed to creating experimental beers with love and care. You can see how it does it with a brewery tour by appointment.
Threes Brewing: Much More Than Just Beer
Don't let its name fool you. This establishment in the Gowanus neighborhood offers more than just beer. Here, guests can visit the brewery, bar, and event space every day of the week. Threes Brewing only opened late last year but already it's impressed locals with its beers, which are proudly available exclusively on site. Old favorites like an IPA and pale ale sit comfortably alongside fruity saisons for more adventurous tastes.
Brooklyn Homebrew: All You Need to Make Your Own Drop
If all of those microbreweries have inspired you, why not try your hand at home brewing? Brooklyn Homebrew in South Slope has everything you need to get started, including hops, malts, yeast, and specialty spices designed to take your beers to the next level. The store prides itself on its superior customer service, so don't be afraid to pose any questions you have about your new hobby to the knowledgeable staffers.
Whether you like to DIY or prefer to taste the ales of an expert, Brooklyn has someplace to whet your whistle.
