The Perfect Gift
When it comes to gift-giving, I pride myself on having a pretty stellar reputation. From the modern wine decanter I got Nick for our very first Christmas together, to the NY Rangers game for Valentine’s Day, I like to think I’ve got some skill. So when Nick’s birthday was around the corner, I knew I needed to do research – especially, given the yoga in the brewery + Cinderella ballet Nick planned for my 26th only a month before. It didn’t have to be super flashy or over-the-top, but it had to be enough to make his face light up with joy. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I knew: BEER.
Aha! With the craft beer industry taking off all over the country, and luckily for us specifically in Connecticut & New York State, I knew there had to be something perfect out there. To my surprise, there is now a CT Beer Trail; however, that would mean a lot of driving and not so much drinking (for me anyway) or enjoying. I needed something that would allow us both to enjoy ourselves without worrying about getting around, and to sample some good craft beers. A few clicks later on Beer Tours, and I found my perfect gift: the New York City Craft Beer Tour.
The 4-hour guided tour consisted of checking out NYC’s craft beer scene by bus (air-conditioned), and getting a history of craft beer, as well as snacks, and of course samples of beer. The ultimate deciding factor of choosing this tour – aside from the 5 star rating – was the fact that they stopped at SingleCut Brewing, a new brewery that opened in Astoria, Queens, and that also happens to make Nick’s new favorite DIPA, Full Stack.
Easy transportation? Check.
A pre-planned stress-free itinerary? Check.
Good beer? Check.
A brewery that will make Nick smile ear-to-ear? Double Check!
The Tour
I should mention that I was keeping this whole thing a surprise from Nick, so the several weeks of waiting were torturous. I couldn’t wait to see him break out into his giddy smile and little-boy excitement when he found out about the tour, and most importantly, Singlecut.
Finally, the day had come. After sleeping off the delicious Peter Luger steaks we had prepared the night before, we were ready for a fun-filled day. We hopped on the 9:25 AM train to New York City and made our way down to the Flatiron district. The tour began at Eataly, on the rooftop garden La Birreria, which has a small cask brewery collaborated by Dogfish Head and Baladin. I waited until we made it to the rooftop before letting Nick in on our agenda for the day, and sure enough, a toothy grin spread across his face.
1st Stop: Eataly/Birreria
Once all attendees arrived, we were led to the small brewing room, where the brewmaster, Fred, gave us a lesson in Beer-Making 101. Quite fascinating actually. And knowing some friends that do their own home-brewing, my level of respect for them definitely rose. We ended our lesson with 2 hefty samples of cask beer – a blood orange IPA, and another pale ale infused with rosemary and spices.
The blood orange IPA was decent. I’m not a huge fan of cask beers, but after seeing the process, I can respect the finished product. The deep orange color and sweet citrusy aroma made this a refreshing choice for an 90 degree day (if only it were acceptable for the beer to be a little colder!).
The rosemary infused beer was not so much my or Nick’s favorite. The color was standard gold, a little cloudy. And they weren’t lying when they said we might taste garlic bread. The herbs used in the brewing process gave the beer a an aroma and flavor of herbed focaccia bread – strong notes of rosemary, and what seemed to me, oregano. Great for focaccia, but not particularly what I want to drink. That being said, I was amazed at how well the bold flavors came through.
2nd Stop: Brooklyn Brewery
After exiting Eataly, each guest got a German soft pretzel and grabbed a seat on the (must say it again, air-conditioned) bus as we headed to our next stop, Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. During the trip, our tour guide gave us a detailed account of the history of beer – its origination, as well as the role it’s played in the rise of New York City – complete with old advertisements and cans that were over a century old.
We finally navigated out of the Manhattan traffic, over the Williamsburg Bridge, and to our 2nd destination of the day. Having attempted going to the Brooklyn Brewery previously, Nick and I were excited to actually get inside this time. Unfortunately, everyone else wanted a piece of the action too, forcing us to wait a solid 15 to 20 minutes in the beating sun until the tap room was below capacity. Fortunately, our tour guide was awesome and compensated our waiting by giving us an additional drink token and extended time at the brewery. Score.
If you haven’t been to Brooklyn Brewery before, it’s a fun place to check out on any day. While we didn’t do the tour, we did get to sample some good beers. Instead of buying drinks from the bar, you buy tokens ($5 each) that you then take to the bartender in exchange for your brew. Each beer is 1 token, except for the stronger ones (DIPA’s, barleywine, etc.), that require 2. As an added bonus, you’re allowed to sample anything they have on tap! Having waited outside in the sun for that long, Nick and I couldn’t wait to get our hands on an ice cold beer. The glory of that first sip! Nick opted for the DIPA (typical), while I went for one of each IPA – the East Coast IPA & the West Coast IPA.
The West Coast IPA definitely had a standard hop-forward flavor (and higher ABV), which Nick prefers, while the East Coast IPA had more of smooth and creamy flavor and texture. It wasn’t what I expected from an IPA, but I found it super enjoyable. It may have also been the fact that I had 2 beers to drink vs. Nick’s 1, and in the minimal time left at the brewery, the East Coast IPA went down a lot easier. That being said, the West Coast IPA was still very good, but it definitely leaned towards a more typical IPA style, which I tend to find a little heavier (not something you want to drink a lot of on a hot summer day).
3rd Stop: Spuyten Duvil
Staying in Brooklyn, the bus brought us to a small hole-in-the-wall craft beer bar in Williamsburg called Spuyten Duyvil. In a change of pace, we arrived to find a flight of 6 beers, each paired with a bite of food – cheese, cured meat, and chocolate. While the food pairing was a nice touch (especially with how much we’ve imbibed at this point), the experience lacked the knowledge of a specific brewery and the selections weren’t my favorite.
4th Stop: SingleCut
At long last, we reached our final destination of the tour: SingleCut Brewery. I’m not sure if it was the traffic we hit going from Brooklyn to Queens, or if I missed something while taking pictures of Nick standing proudly out front of the building, but when we got to SingleCut, the same rules applied from Brooklyn Brewery: additional samples due to a long wait. Where we were only supposed to try 3 beers, we were now going to try 5, and neither of us were complaining.
We were escorted back into the room with all the equipment and gathered around a large butcher-block table waiting for our glasses to be poured. Our tour guide entered the space carrying 2 growlers of beer with the most stereotypical looking brewmaster behind him also carrying 2 growlers. With the man bun, ten-inch beard, and slight valley-accent, you could tell this guy meant business.
Watching him intently, he started by pouring us a sample of the 1933 Pilsner, explaining the meaning behind all of the brewery & beer names: “SingleCut” is a style of guitar, and most of the beers are named after favorite musicians. Light yellow and clear in color, it gave off subtle citrus notes on the nose and had a crisp light flavor. As our lovely brewmaster said, “You might say this tastes like honey on a cracker.” As Nick would say, “Whatever works.”
Following up to that was the Jan Olympic White Lager. Cloudier in appearance – almost like a wheat beer – this one also had a citrusy flavor with some baking spices on the nose. Good flavor and easy drinking. Then we got to my favorite category – ambers/brown ales. We sampled the Dean PNW Mahogany Ale, which definitely displayed the maltiness of an amber ale, but was also pretty light considering. Onto the Half-Stack IPA & Full Stack Double IPA – two of Nick’s favorites, and ones that I enjoy as well. These came as no surprise for us, as we’ve both had them before, but to experience it on tap was a treat. The yellowed cloudiness in appearance was apparent, as was the thick “citrus-mixed-with-hops” taste. They both have a bite, but in a really good way.
At this point, the term “sample” is loose considering each “sample” consists of almost a half glass of deliciousness. Again, neither of us were complaining. We ended off with the Eric More Cowbell Chocolate Milk Stout, a thick and creamy stout that’s actually not too sweet. It has the notes of chocolate, but it seemed like there might be some coffee in there to balance out the sweetness. Whatever it was, I approved!
Before we came out to SingleCut, one of our favorite bartenders in the area was raving about a brew of theirs called Softly Spoken Magic Spells. Unfortunately for us in CT, it’s hard to come by – but not when you’re at the brewery! Nick made it a point to stock up on as many bottles as he could (which happened to be the 4 they had left in stock) of this beer before heading back. So as we rode the train home, even though the tour had ended, we had one last surprise waiting for us. We cracked it open and sampled – unfortunately not able to get a good read on the aroma – but the flavor was something special. Forward notes of mango or even peaches, mixed with slight citrus, and hops made for a unique and refreshing flavor.
Of all the breweries, SingleCut was by far our favorite – mostly because of the personal interaction with the brewmaster and explanation behind the brains, science, and inside jokes of the business. But overall, the tour was a great way to spend a Saturday. Beer education is good for the soul. Plus, it helps to know why you drink the things you do and how it all started!
Have a hoppy weekend!
SubArbia 
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