NYC Beer & Brewery Blog

Are you a fan of pumpkin beer? This time of year, every brewer is rushing to come out with their latest gourd-flavored brew. If you’re bewildered by the options, the intrepid journalists over at Thrillist have compiled their list of the 21 best pumpkin beers to help you decide. Their methodology is pretty scientific, too, so there’s nothing to be scared of in this list! Did you agree with their choices? What are your favorite pumpkin beers? Let us know! By Gina Ginsberg

Check out the Huffington Post to read this article about Birra Spalmabile, a new spreadable beer product from Italy! Birra Spalmabile is non-alcoholic, but contains 40% beer and will lend a distinctly hoppy flavor to any sweet or savory foods you spread it on. Sounds perfect for toast! But if you have it for breakfast, be careful about who smells your breath at work. Salute! By Seth Zakula

This article in the Huffington Post details some interesting and controversial changes to the way craft beer is classified. The Brewers Association has decided to allow beers that use rice or corn malt to be labeled as craft. More significantly, it raised its limit for a “small” brewery from one that produces less than 2 million barrels a year to one that produces less than 6 million barrels. This allows breweries like Yuengling and Narragansett to classify their products as craft beers. Needless to say, not all craft beer aficionados are happy about this. Yuengling and Narragansett are not large corporations, but their methods of brewing are distinctly different from most independent craft breweries. Also, this ruling could eventually be used by massive interests like InBev to sell their products as craft beer. Could Budweiser be next? What do you think? By Seth…

Good news for beer fans in upper Manhattan! Niall Henry, the founder of Bronx Brewery, is opening a craft beer bar in Inwood. The new space, at 4740 Broadway, will overlook Fort Tryon Park and feature around 10 craft beers, as well as a menu of American fare. With Brooklyn Brewery expanding into Staten Island, it’s no surprise to find a New York brewery reaching past its home borough. Craft beer is a movement in the city that can’t be stopped, and we here at the New York Beer and Brewery Tour couldn’t be happier! To read more, check out this article on Bronx Brewery’s plans at DNAinfo New York. Cheers! By Marshall Stevenson

Here at the New York Beer and Brewery Blog, we love craft beer, but there’s no denying it’s a recent phenomenon. There are times when you just want to sit back and crack open a traditional, no-fuss beer like our grandparents would have drunk. And for that, you have to turn to America’s regional beers. Some of these have been open for more than 100 years and still brew in the immigrant styles that first made beer a massive American industry. And the best part is, they don’t break the bank! Whether it’s Yuengling in Pennsylvania, Narragansett in Rhode Island, or Bohemian in Baltimore, these beers define and are defined by their homes, and hold a special place in the hearts of many natives. Head on over to First We Feast for a great pictorial of some of these classic…

Football season is just around the corner, and for millions around the country, that means tailgate parties. Is there a tradition more quintessentially American? The good folks at CraftBeer.com have put together a list of the best towns in the US for tailgating, geared toward craft beer fans. The list even includes local beers for each city mentioned. We’ll forgive them for not including New York – there’s no parking! Did your hometown make the list? By Nick Whitmer

Boston Magazine has a great new article about Hopsters Brew and Boards, one of a growing trend of small breweries that make unique beers to customers’ specifications on a personal scale. If you’ve ever thought about home brewing but don’t want to commit to buying the equipment, this is perfect! At Hopsters, a trained brewer will consult with you to come up with a recipe that fits all your needs, and work with you to brew it right there in their Newton, MA location. Then, you just have to show up a few weeks later to collect three cases of your own personal brew, complete with a custom label. Do you think this is the future of microbrewing? Only time will tell. Check out the article here! By Seth Zakula

The Daily Beast has a fascinating new profile of Kent ‘Battle’ Martin, the man in charge of approving or rejecting every beer label in the US. It’s a great piece on a very powerful, mysterious figure in the world of beer. Check it out here! By Seth Zakula

Today is IPA Day, when been lovers celebrate India Pale Ales in all their potent, hoppy glory. Founded in 2011, IPA Day is a grassroots movement within the craft beer community to spread the love for this iconic beer style through social media and tasting events. And with the current craze for IPAs all across the country, this should be the biggest celebration yet! If you’d like to get involved, try tweeting with the hashtag #IPAday, or even better, drink some! Your local craft beer spot is sure to have some on tap, if not a dedicated event going on tonight. For more information, check out this article on craftbeer.com. But pace yourself, those things are strong! Cheers! By Nick Whitmer

Eataly will hit its fourth anniversary in September, and they’re celebrating with a celebration at Birreria, featuring a one-time menu of their best food and drink offerings from the past four years. We couldn’t be happier for them, not least of all because Birreria is the first stop on the New York Beer and Brewery Tour! Check out the full details here, and come join the festivities on September 4th! By Nick Whitmer

A number of New York-area news outlets are reporting that our good friends at Brooklyn Brewery are looking to open another brewing location in Staten Island. With the addition of Flagship Brewing Company, Staten Island is already making a name for itself as a craft beer hotspot, so this makes perfect sense. Brooklyn Brewery will always have its home in Brooklyn, but only good can come from them spreading the love all over the five boroughs. Read more about this story on AM New York! By Seth Zakula

The folks over at PreservationNation, the official blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, have just posted a great in-depth profile of our good friends at Bohemian Hall Beer Garden, as part of their ongoing series on historic American bars. Bohemian Hall has been a stop on the New York Beer and Brewery Tour since the very beginning, so we’re always happy to see them getting the attention they deserve as one of the all-time great New York beer spots. And being 104 years old and the oldest beer garden in the city, it’s certainly historic! Check out the article to learn more, and check out Bohemian Hall any time you’re in Astoria, or by taking the tour! Na zdraví! By Gina Ginsberg