ThrowBackBeersDay

These two are the perfect pair to meet any of your beer loving needs. If you just want to stop in for some cans or hang a while, these are definitely must sees.

We’re going to start off with Equilibrium Brewery. (Not to be confused with the bar next door! We made that mistake).

When we finally found the door, we noticed they had tents set up to stand outside. We arrived after dark so we just headed straight for the tap room upstairs. The taproom itself is quite small. There is not a lot of seating or standing room around the bar. This is definitely more of an in-and-out place for cans but the tents outside could make it nice to have a glass or two during the day. You have easy access to merch and cans in the taproom area - and the bathrooms are easy to find which is always nice. We wouldn’t say this place is wheelchair accessible but there is seating outside that is accessible.

Now let’s get into the beer.

The day we were there, this is what they had on tap:

Shook Ones - Double IPA

Rho - Imperial Coffee Stout

Blueberry Boy - Triple IPA

Particle Physics - Pale Ale

Imperium - Double IPA

Experimentum - Experimentum

(**there were a few others that were available in brewery only that are not listed**)

We also got a couple of four packs to go - Photon (Pale Ale) & MC^2 (DIPA) and a nice new tulip glass for the collection.

Out of everything we tried (at the brewery), we really liked the Blueberry Boy and Rho. The Blueberry Boy was not overwhelmingly fruity in taste, like most blueberry beers can be, but definitely had that aroma. It was matched perfectly with Mosaic and Belma hops. The Rho was exactly what you’d expect out of an Imperial Stout. It had a lot of flavor and was very dark/carmelly in color with an ABV of 10%. It had a strong aroma of dark chocolate to it, so if you’re not into that this might not be the stout for you. It took us more time than we’ll admit to finish it our glass.

Next we’ll talk about Rushing Duck Brewing Co. 

For this post we’ll be talking strictly about their tasting room location, they also have another location for growler pours and cans. This place is exactly what we wanted the day we went. It was sunny so we wanted to be outside and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Rushing Duck has awesome outside seating next to a small farm with a food truck on location always. We had hotdogs and nachos which was just the right amount to fill us up. There is plenty of outdoor seating as well as indoor seating so there’s no need to worry about that. The outdoor seating is accessible by stairs but there might be another way for those using a wheelchair. We really enjoyed our time there and we highly recommend making a stop.

Let’s get into the beer!

The day we were there and everyday, they have a lot on tap - so we’re just going to tell you what we had.

Paire Pair Pear - Farmhouse

Planet Funkotron - Wild Witbier

Bauli - Saison

We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get There - Fruited Sour

Baby Elephant - Session IPA

Duck In - IPA

Ded Moroz - Russian Imperial Stout

Our favorites are in bold - here’s what we thought about them.

Let’s start with Paire Pair Pear, besides having an awesome name, this beer is light and easy to drink. Pear is something that isn’t always easy to get right and we think Rushing Duck did amazing with this one. It is like drinking wine but drinking beer, very refreshing in more ways than one. The Ded Moroz Russian Imperial Stout was full bodied, thick, alcoholic and sweet but not overwhelming, aka a perfect Russian Imperial Stout. Lastly, the Planet Funkotron had great brett flavors, (fruity), and did not smell like feet!

If you’re wondering why we say this it’s because a lot of the time a beer like this can smell like an old shoe which kind of makes it hard to drink, this one DID NOT SMELL LIKE FEET!

That’s it for this weeks post, come back next week where we will finally talk about PENNSYLVANIA.

And like always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or want to submit a post - please leave us a message anywhere (we have all the socials).

The first place we’ll talk about is Other Half Brewing. 

This place is always on our explore page, timeline, everywhere! Everyone seems to love Other Half, so we wanted to see what all the hype was about. This place is located on a small street in the shadow of the Gowanus that runs above. It is pretty small but has everything you’d want in a brewery; a nice vibrant tap list - that’s easy to read and gives a little information about each beer, variety of seating with bar standing room, an area for purchasing merch and to-go beers, and of course a gender neutral bathroom. This place is also wheelchair accessible.

Now onto the beers -

This is what they had on tap the day we were there.

As you can tell from their taplist, there is a lot going on in each and every single one of these beers. We love experimenting with different ingredients and trying new things but this was almost a tastebud overload! This is definitely a once in a while brewery than something we’d have everyday but on special occasions and the occasional can swap, why not?

The next place we’re going to talk about is Widow Jane Distillery and Cacao Prieto Chocolate Factory. That’s right, a distillery AND chocolate factory, this place has it all. When you walk in, you can see right away where they make all their products, the machines stand tall and nearly reach the ceiling of this brick warehouse in Red Hook. 

The display for the whiskey is beautiful and really shows off all this place has to offer. 

You can grab a flight of their products like we did. We also got a quick tour of their facilities but you can schedule for a tour or come at the hours posted on their website. We definitely recommend giving this place a visit, whether it's for the drinks, chocolate or just to smell the amazing aroma inside.

This is the last part of our Brooklyn series of posts but we will definitely be coming back to Brooklyn - we haven’t even seen Brooklyn Brewery yet! (and so many more). If you have anywhere you think we should visit, in Brooklyn or wherever, let us know! 

And like always, if you have any comments, questions or want to submit a post - feel free to shoot us a message! 

Happy Thursday! 

Today we’ll be talking about THREE breweries we got to experience while we were in Brooklyn. Like most places in New York, even on a Wednesday - these breweries were very crowded. This will unfortunately affect how much we have to say about each place. But before we begin, although some places will have more information than others - we definitely recommend you visit all of the places we’ll talk about.

With that being said -

Let’s dive into Strong Rope Brewery. 

Strong Rope is smaller than the other breweries we’ll be talking about in this post but we think that’s a part of it’s charm. The place has seating around the bar as well as table seating. It is wheelchair accessible throughout and has gender neutral bathrooms. The decor of this brewery is very clean and simple, which we love. And their beers are clearly listed on a chalkboard above the tap as well as menus for each table.

Now let’s get into the beer -

This is what they had on tap the day we were there: (we tried them all)

Extra Special Friends - Extra Special Bitter

Blood of Gods - Red Ale

Fresher Than You - Kettle Sour

The Ripe & Ruin - IPA

Fat Man Stout - Dry Stout

Critique of Ares - Red Belgian Strong

J.J. Bollerack’s - Brown Ale

That Nunu - Stout

Lazy By The Bay - Imperial Blond with Lavender, Blueberries and Honey

Woodland Scout - Barrel Aged Golden

We really enjoyed tasting each and every single one of these beers. However, the two that rose to the top for us were - Critique of Ares (Red Belgian Strong) & Lazy By The Bay (Imperial Blond with Lavender, Blueberries and Honey) - both 8%ABV. The strange thing about our experience with these beers is that the tastes of our group members seemed to switch. The lover of all things belgian liked the floral taste of the Imperial Blonde and the lover of all things herbal ended up loving the Red Belgian Strong. Situations like this make tasting even more exciting, we always try everything because you never know what you might like!

The Imperial Blond was very strong on floral tastes for some and others felt like it was just the right amount - regardless, you could definitely taste the lavender which isn’t always an easy thing to accomplish. We also loved that this beer was available for a beautiful spring day, it was just perfect!

The Red Belgian Strong was sweet and spicy just the way we like it. (Spicy as in spices - not heat). It had the classic clove flavor with a sweet candy dry finish. We regret not getting this to go because it was just that delicious!

The next place we’ll be talking about is Threes Brewing. 

This place is unlike other breweries in a lot of ways. First, it has more than just the beers they produce on tap - they had beers from Allagash, Logsdon and more. (We were hoping they were going to have Allagash’s Darling Ruby on tap - unfortunately we missed out ☹). They also serve food there! Their menu is not too extensive and changes, but they had a vegetarian option and if you can’t find something you like there, they usually host a food truck too. Unfortunately we came when there were a lot of people, (again, it was a Wednesday which was unexpected). We were unable to find seating for a while but ended up scoring some seats at the bar. They have bar seating, table seating and outdoor seating. Although the entire place is not wheelchair accessible, much of it is and the bathrooms are not gender neutral.

Now onto the beers -

Unfortunately because of the amount of people and their lack of flights - we did not try a lot of what they had to offer.. with that being said, here’s what they had on tap: (what we tried is in bold). 

Vliet - Pilsner

Table Beer - Saison

Bad Faith - Witbier

Wandering Bine - Saison

The World Is Flat - English Extra

Counterpart - Pale Ale

Logical Conclusion - IPA

Here Ya Go - Pale Ale

Thoughts As Objects - Porter

Touchy Subject - Adjunct IPA

DDH You People - IPA

SFY - Imperial Pale Ale

Unfortunately for this place, we do not have two favorites to talk about because we only tried four beers. We’d love to go back when it’s a little less crowded to be able to really experience what this place has to offer. Especially because we got so many recommendations, before and after going to Brooklyn, by friends to give this place a visit.

The last place we’ll be discussing is Randolph Beer. 

This place is more than a brewery and more than a bar and more than a brewpub! YOU CAN SERVE YOURSELF BEER. Randolph Beer has many locations, we went to the one in DUMBO. Again, this place was super crowded when we went so we didn’t get to try too much and we are not going to list what they had on tap because that would take forever. This place has a variety of seating throughout with different games to play, like foosball and pinball, and has food to order.

We just wanted to add this to our post to talk about this amazing system they have for their beer. Members of TBBD work in the brewing business or are close enough to know that the self serve system isn’t great for taproom workers, being replaced by a wall of electronic dispensers but WOW is it cool - and you can’t ignore that. 

The system works by giving your credit card to the bartender in exchange for a Randolph Beer card that looks like the one below. With that card you, you go to the wall and place it on the designated spot and pour! The screen shows you how much you are spending based on how much you pour and which beer you choose. We really think this system is amazing and we’d love to spend a day here just serving ourselves beer. I mean, who wouldn’t?

Thanks for reading! We’ll be writing our final post about our Brooklyn trip next week and then we’ll be giving the state of New York a break! Our next state is up for debate so let us know what you think!

And of course, if you have any comments, questions or want to submit a post - send us a message!

Circa Brewing was hard to find at first, it is a gem in the midst of a busy Brooklyn street lined with small shops. Once you get inside, you are welcomed by high ceilings and decor that makes this place feel like no where else we’ve been before. The tap list is displayed on a large easy-to-read marquee and there are plenty of different seating options. This place is also somewhere you’ll want to come hungry - you can get lunch, dinner or grab a pizza for one or to share. 

Important to note: It is wheelchair accessible throughout and the bathrooms are not gender neutral. 

Now onto the beer.. 

The list for what was on tap was different than what was listed on the menu, so for now - we’ll just tell you what we ended up tasting. (Our favorites are in bold). 

Pina Colada Porter

Cadbury Creme Porter

Rotator IPA

Thyme Wheat Ale

Blueberry Berliner Weisse

American Pale Ale

Belgian Dubbel

West Coast Red

Out of the ones we tried, these were our favorites - Thyme Wheat Ale, Blueberry Berliner Weisse & Pina Colada Porter. 

Thyme Wheat Ale - I don’t think we’ve ever had a drink with thyme and if we have, it’s never been this flavorful. The smell of the beer alone is enough to draw you in, with a blend of herbal flavors in every sip. People who are a fan of tea beers would love this. 

Blueberry Berliner Weisse - The color of the beer is amazing. Just as any blueberry beer should be, it has a bright pinkish color that matches it’s fruity flavor. This is something that our sour happy friends would enjoy. It isn’t super sour but it has a tart punch that we loved! 

Pina Colada Porter - We’ve had plenty of coconut porters before that concentrated more on a chocolatey coconut taste rather than letting the coconut flavor really shine through. This usually makes the drink very sweet and that is not the case for this beer. There is a more whole taste to this drink that lacks in other beers like it. 

All in all we would definitely recommend making a stop at Circa if you’re in the Brooklyn area. We were impressed by the food selection, atmosphere and variety of beer to choose from. 

Let us know if you have any questions, suggestions, or stories to tell! Thanks for reading!

We’ll start with Long Lot Farm Brewery in Chester, NY.

Long Lot Farm Brewery is a family owned dairy farm that sells eggs, meat, milk and of course - beer! (Sometimes serving local cider or wine). When we walked in on a Monday night, we felt right at home by both the owners and the neighborhood guests. This brewery is small on the inside but it quickly makes up for it - given it’s amazing landscape. When you get inside, you can grab a flight and sit anywhere you’d like! There is bar seating as well as table seats and outside, you are welcome to sit on the porch or out back at picnic tables. If you’d like to try out some cornhole or just watch the nature around the farm - you’re in for a good time!

Important to note: It is handicap accessible and the bathroom is gender neutral.

This is what they had on tap the night we were there: (we tried everything besides one of the three IPAs) https://longlotfarmbrewery.com/on-tap

Many of the beers at Long Lot are much darker than typically styled, like the pilsner and red ale, which made figuring out what we were drinking a bit of a challenge at first. And out of everything we had, the Saison and Long Shot Pilsner were our favorites. The Saison has great flavors of banana and spice that come from the Belgian yeast used to make this delicious drink. The same yeast is used in their Glacier Equinox IPA, which makes both of these beers amazing to smell & taste! The Long Shot Pilsner was, like we said earlier, much darker than a typical pilsner. That is because it is a Bohemian Pilsner, another thing were not used to. This style made the taste more toasty rather than the light and crisp.

If you’re in the area, we highly recommend stopping in for some beer - or meat or eggs! (only $5 for a dozen!)

The next place we visited was Clemson Brewing Co. in Middletown, NY.

Unlike Long Lot Farm Brewery, Clemson Brewing Co. is an industrial style brewery selling beer as well as food! (We did not get to try the food but will let you know how it is the next time we go, check out their website for more information about the menu). This place is more like what were used to with the brewing area on display as you walk towards the bar area, where there is bar seating as well as table service. They also have outdoor seating during the warmer months, (another thing we did not experience first hand).

Important to note: It is handicap accessible throughout and the bathrooms are not gender neutral.

This is what they had on tap the night we went, we tried almost everything besides one of two pale ales.

Out of everything we tried, we liked almost everything, but the sours are what stuck out for us. As you may already know, TBBD has some sour lovers and we couldn’t ignore that when looking this menu. They offered two sours: M-Town Beetdown with beets and other berries as well as a M - Town Sunset with blood orange and strawberry. We tried them both and if you’re really a sour lover - we think you’d love either one. But if you really want that lip puckering sourness, definitely go for M-Town Sunset.

Both of these breweries are amazing and definitely somewhere we’ll be going again and again with friends. 

Let us know if you have any questions, suggestions, or stories to tell! Thanks for reading!

TBBD has been there quite a few times in recent years and we keep coming back for the food, atmosphere and of course, the drinks, (which sometimes includes local wine/cider). If you’re ever in the Pearl River area, we highly suggest stopping by.

First of all, it’s not hard to plan a trip to this brewery. It’s open twelve hours a day, seven days a week and it’s right next to the Pearl River train station. And if you’re planning an event, this place is perfect. The brewery itself is large and only gets bigger as you walk through to the back, (they had the Mets game playing on a projector the day we went). This summer we hope to experience what the place is like with more people utilizing this amazing space.

Important to note: It is wheelchair accessible throughout with a variety of seating and does not have gender neutral bathrooms.

Now, let’s talk about the food.

Their menu can be found here. 

Although it might be difficult for our vegetarian friends to find something here (since it is a smokehouse), there are still a few meatless sides to choose from. The last time we were there, we had the pulled pork tacos and brisket chilli - both were phenomenal. If you are a meat-eater, we definitely recommend coming hungry for their amazing food.

Alright, onto the most important part - the beer!

This was the taplist the day we went: (the ones we tried are in bold)

Muddy Creek Lager - Amber Lager

Medusa - IPA

Baron Von Weizen - Hefeweizen

Headless Horseman - Pumpkin Ale

Docs Hard Cider - Warwick Winery Cider

Little Thumper - English Style Pale Ale

A Different Beast - Dry Citrusy IPA (Can)

O’Defiant Stout - Irish dry on Nitro

A Moment's Notice - Japanese Inspired Rice Lager (Can)

Belgian Tripel - Belgian Strong Ale

Roscommon Red - Irish Red Ale

Second Taunting - White IPA

Le Lutin Rouge - Raspberry American Wheat

There are no flights at Defiant but you’re welcome to sample before grabbing a glass. The two beers that stuck out for us were the Baron Von Weizen Hefeweizen and Second Taunting White IPA. Hefeweizens are a TBBD favorite; they’re a flavorful and easy to drink beer - and this one is no different. Even before your first sip, you can smell the banana and clove aromas. Exactly what you’d expect from this german classic. 

And while the Second Taunting White IPA was amazing, it was very different from what were used to. With the hefeweizen it was easy to taste the classic flavors, but this drink is a hybrid of two different beer styles. The beer is a marriage of a belgian white with the hoppy flavor of an IPA. This drink is refreshing in more ways than one.

With all that being said, if you ever have the opportunity to visit Defiant - we highly recommend!

Let us know if you have any questions, suggestions, or stories to tell! Thanks for reading!

Before we begin, it’s already safe to say that both of these places are a MUST SEE, and we’ll tell you why.

We’ll start with Two Roads. Where we had the opportunity to visit both of their amazing locations.

At their original location we had the following to choose from: (the ones we tried are in bold) (Important to note: It was St. Patrick’s Day)

Cruise Control - Helles Lager

Ol’Factory - Pils

No Limits - Hefeweizen

Worker’s Comp - Farmhouse Ale

Peach Jam - Ale Brewed w/ Peach & Hint of Hibiscus

SHOP Series - Pale Ale we/ Comet & Wakatu

Honeyspot Rd. - IPA

Lil’ Heaven - Session IPA

Dry & Mighty - Brut IPA

She Pearsisted - Prickly Pear Brut IPA

Geyser Gose - Gose w/ Icelandic Ingredients

Clementine Gose - Gose w/ Moroccan Clementine

Passion Fruit Gose - Gose w/ Persian Lime

Lil’ Juicy - New England IPA

Road 2 Ruin - Double IPA

Cherry Quad - Belgian Quad w/ cherries

Irish Exit - Nitro Dry Irish Stout

Espressway - Cold Brew Coffee Stout on Nitro

Razzle Dazzle - Nitro Raspberry Chocolate Stout

Saigon Scooter Selfie - Vietnamese Coffee Stout

Out of those, our favorites were Peach Jam & the Clementine Gose. Peach Jam is exactly what it says it is, as nearly TWO POUNDS of real peaches are used in each case of this amazing wheat beer. If you love peaches, you’ll definitely love this beer. Our second favorite is the Clementine Gose, part of the Tanker Truck series. This beer is a refreshing sour with a beautiful color that let’s you know right away that this drink has flavor! Just like the peach, if you love clementines (who doesn’t?) this one is definitely for you! Even if you’re not a fan of sours, we can see anyone enjoying a glass, especially as we grow closer to warmer weather.

As for Two Road’s second location, Area Two, it’s hard to say what beer was our favorite that day. 

The day we went, this was the taplist (some might be repeats from the first location): (the ones we tried are in bold) 

Table Terroir - 100% CT Grown House Ale

Calva - Ale Aged in Calvados Foudres

Brett Saison - Saison w/ Captured Yeast

Black Currant - Fruited Sour Ale

Ol’Factory - Pils

Tequila Lime Gose - Lime Sour Aged in Tequila Barrels

Persian Lime Gose - Tanker Truck Series

Bourbon BA Cherry Quad - Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Brett IPA - IPA w/ House Brett Blend

Blood Peach - Lambic Style

Harvest Hand - Rye Saison

The TBBD team has a few members that absolutely love sours, so it’s hard not to be bias. But the two that stuck out for us at this location were, Calva and the Tequila Lime Gose. 

Calva is a belgian style sour ale aged in wooden foundres, as it is traditionally done in France with the apple brandy, Calvados. This drink is delicious and goes fast. We ended up taking a bottle of it home to share with friends, who all enjoyed the great taste. This is another beer that even people who don’t usually enjoy sours, can drink with ease. As for our second choice, if you’re a fan of the simple drink this beer is inspired by, then you’re sure to love the Tequila Lime Gose. This drink has everything; the refreshing lime, the hint of salt and the smooth taste of tequila, compliments of the Anejo tequila barrels shipped directly from Mexico.

Now, let’s talk about Thimble Island Brewing.

First of all, this place is now one of our favorites. With clever names, great beers and an open atmosphere, this place is sure to please. Also, they repurposed an old corn canner for their crowler machine and we love that!

This is what was on tap the day we visited: (the ones we tried are in bold)

American Ale - Flagship Beer, Amber/Red Ale

Thimble Lager - American Lager

Ruby - Tart Blonde Ale

Sterling - Pilsner brewed and dry hopped w/ Sterling hops

Scarlet Siren - Sour Ale brewed with orange and raspberry

Seafoam - New England Style Pale Ale w/ Citra Hops

Thimble IPA - American Single IPA

Lil’ Tug - Session w/ Mosaic & Amarillo

Ghost Island Double IPA

Brut IPA: super Dry-hopped IPA notes of white grape, lime zest w/ hints of pine and cedar

Island Hopper: Cut in Two - NE IPA w/ Styrian Wolf and Centennial

Island Hopper: East Crib - NE IPA w/ Ekuanot, Summer, Lemon Drop Hops, Double Dry Hopped w/ Idaho - 7 hops

Sea Mist IPA - NE IPA w/ Mosaic and Amarillo hops

Coffee Stout - American Stout brewed w Willoughby's Coffee

Putin On The Ritz - Baltic Porter

Black and Tan - American Ale & Coffee Stout

MAD Russian Imperial Stout - Rotating Style

It is insanely hard to pick only two to talk about. Especially because we went home with TWO variety packs as well as a case of “Government Shutdown” Citra Session (in brewery only). 

But after much debate, Ruby and the Brut IPA are definitely our favorites. 

Ruby is a blonde ale brewed with grapefruit and is one of the many beers that came home with us. The hops are definitely not the star in this beer, with refreshing grapefruit and citrus flavor coming center stage. If you like sours, you’ll like this beer and because it’s easy to drink, we think it’d pair perfectly with breakfast or any sunny day.

Now, the Brut IPA is really the star of this entire post. There are so many great things to say about this beer. The flavors are like nothing we’ve ever had. The beer itself is light and dry with distinctive tastes of white grape that linger in your mouth. We took a crowler of this home and were eager to have another taste. If you ever have an opportunity to try this beer, we HIGHLY recommend. (Craving this now).

Let us know if you have any questions, suggestions, or stories to tell! Thanks for reading!