On a trip to the Big Apple, there are certain things I simply must do, like catch a Broadway show or grab a bite at Sammy's Noodle Shop. Growing up in Brooklyn, but leaving before my 17th birthday, afforded me a glimpse of all Gotham had to offer, but not a taste. All I knew of beer by the time my parents fled the borough was the occasional sip of Blatz Beer my grandfather would allow me on the sly.
Now you have to understand, I'm not a hop-head the way some people are — JB Ellis at Dunderbak's or Johnny Vellines at the Independent would cringe at my lack of craft beer know-how. I just know that I likes me some good suds. And once I was exposed to the sweet nectar flowing from Kings County, the Brooklyn Brewery was quickly added to my list of must-visit-spots while in New York.
Nestled in the newly gentrified and ultra-hip neighborhood of Williamsburg in an old matzo factory is where the Brooklyn Brewery creates beer-magic. The concept arose in the mid-1980s from two home brewing enthusiasts who shared the same apartment building. Steve Hindy, now president of the company, and Tom Potter, who left in 2005 to pursue his love of distilling, eventually moved the brewery to its current digs in 1996.
Two years earlier, in 1994, Garrett Oliver joined forces with Hindy and Potter as head brewmaster. In addition to tweaking the original Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Brown Ale, Mr. Oliver is credited with adding his signature Chocolate Stout to the brewery's portfolio. In the years since, the brewery has continued to expand and grow its offerings.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2011.