NYC Tastes

Kick off March like a lion with one of these incredible events including NYC Beer Week, Slow Wine and Great Wines of Italy 2018 at the IAC.  There's something for just about any wine and beer lover in NYC~ Cheers! Wednesday February 28th Other Half Beer Dinner at Grotta Azzurra - Celebrate NYC Beer Week in style with a four course dinner at one of Little Italy's most romantic restaurants Grotta Azzurra.  Brewers from Brooklyn's Other Half will be on hand pairing their award winning beers with each course.  Tickets are $85 and available on the NYC Beer Week website or by clicking  here. Thursday March 1st Slow Wine at Eataly Downtown - Over 100 wines from Italy and California will be on display Thursday evening as Slow Wine takes over Eataly Downtown.  Just like its sister organization Slow Food, Slow Wine promotes wine that is good, clean and fair; working with winemakers who focus on traditional, sustainable techniques that promote a better e...

It's that time of year again- the annual NYC Beer Week returns for another 8 day celebration of New York City beer.  The Opening Bash Invitational kicks off tomorrow night at the Brooklyn Expo Center with 25 local breweries and 25 brewery friends from across the country joining together for a fantastic night of food and drink. Tickets are only $55.00 and can still be purchased on their website .   Can't make it to the Opening Bash- no worries! There are fantastic events all week long. Here are some of my top picks: Monday February 27th Grimm at Saint Gambrinus -   Head to Brooklyn for a total tap takeover of Grimm Artisanal Ales.  This brewery is absolutely crushing the NYC beer scene and on tap are delicious sours like Skyspace and Blackberry Orange Pop along with citrus IPA's Lambo Door and Lumen.  Have a few drinks at the bar and then take home some local bottles from the beer store in back. Tuesday February 28th All NY Beer Event at One Mile Hous...

It's been a fantastic NYC Beer Week; possibly the best one yet with incredible events all over town like the Grimm tap takeover at St. Gambrinus this past Monday.   Maple Bourbon Barrel Double Negative, Lambo Door, Subliminal Message, Lumen and Super Spruce were all on tap creating a rainbow of incredible flavors and colors.  There's still a whole weekend of awesome beer events left so get out there and check out the incredible NYC beer scene- Cheers! NYC Beer Week

Today marks the kickoff for the 8th annual NYC Beer Week!  It's absolutely amazing to think of all that's happened over these last eight years.  When this began there were only a handful of NYC breweries like Kelso, Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint.  Now the city is absolutely booming with local beers from the likes of Finback, Other Half, Threes and Third Rail; and the list just keeps getting bigger each day.  There are so many incredible events scheduled. Here's a few of my picks for the week: Saturday February 20th A Taste of Hill Farmstead at  Fool's Gold - S o the very first event I'm really excited about just happens to be with beers from our neighbor to the northeast.  Although these may not be local, the beer community is all about supporting each other so that's okay in my book.  Fools Gold will have 15 taps dedicated to this amazing Vermont brewery including rarities like Madness & Solitude, Ephraim and Shirley Mae. Barrier/Other Half/...

Today marks the end of NYC Beer Week but really the fun has just begun.  That's because all those wonderful breweries have started to bottle/can their beers.  So it's entirely possible to crack open an amazing NYC beer in the comfort of your own living room.  Here's a few I'm especially excited about. The Finback Barrel Aged BQE is a big espresso imperial stout brewed with chocolate from Mast Brothers in Brooklyn and coffee from Native Coffee Roasters in Queens.  It's a pure NYC original and the thick bourbon flavor is perfect for this cold winter weather.  The two cans on either side are from Other Half Brewing, a session pale ale Super Fun on the left and the Double IPA Green Diamonds on the right.  These will be a permanent addition to my picnic supplies once spring finally arrives.  Cheers! Other Half Brewing 195 Centre Street Brooklyn, New York Finback Brewery 78-01 77th Avenue Queens, New York

Let's keep celebrating NYC Beer Week with a little bit of brunch and beer....two things always in fashion at The Blind Tiger.  Most people don't realize this but early Sunday afternoon is one of the best times to visit the Tiger. The epically large crowds have yet to arrive, sunlight streams in on the tables up front and it's the only time you can get an order of Chef Tommy's special Beer Battered Pancakes He switches them up a bit each week with ingredients like citrus and cinnamon but you can always expect three extra fluffy pancakes with a side of sweet Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. The Spanish Breakfast is also a menu staple; eggs, chorizo and manchego with a spicy saffron aioli served omelet style or on Ciabatta.  It's delicious on it's own but we always like to add a little extra meat because it's just not brunch without bacon. And of course order a beer!  With over 30 draft beers on constant rotation there's always somethin...

NYC Beer Week kicks off tonight with Opening Tap 2015!   Over 40 bars and restaurants citywide will be showcasing one rare/unique beer to be tapped at 7:00 PM.  So it's entirely possible you can stay warm and avoid the MTA's Winter Weather plan at your local bar!  Here's a few worth checking out: Alewife- BFM Bon Chien 2014 Barcade Chelsea- Westbrook 4th Anniversary Chocolate Almond Imperial Stout DBGB- Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee The Jeffrey- Cantillon Fou Foune (9:00 PM tapping) Kiabacca- Sixpoint Lock N Load Double Windsor- Firestone Walker Parabola Pony Bar UES- Bronx Tequila Barrel Aged Pale Ale Spuyten Duyvel- Cantillon Gueuze Bio 2014 Beer Culture- Transmittor Cask Conditioned Saison dry hopped/ Ottos Supreme The Gate- Hair of the Dog Adam 2011 NYC Craft Beer Week

There's still three days left before NYC Beer Week officially ends for the 2014 season so try to get in a few more around town if possible.  Here's a few last pick's: Other Half Raises the Bar at the Jeffrey - One of NYC's newest breweries is taking over some of the taps with favorites like Green Diamonds, Motueka Pale Ale and Doug Cascadian.  I'm especially excited to see their new Hop Showers on the list which is supposed to be fantastic. Split Thy Skull at Mugs Ale House -  The name says it all...don't come to this event unless your ready to settle in and drink some heavy hitters as every beer on the list is at least 8% or higher.  I'd suggest trying out the Evil Twin Biscotti Break Natale for a creamy, roasted porter with the sweetness of cherry and chocolate. Back to the Future at Fourth Avenue Pub - I'm pretty excited about every beer on this list but the Ithaca Brut 2011 and Peekskill "The Aristocrats" is the reason I'll be show...

NYC beer week came to a conclusion Sunday with a finale at Birreria.  They had a special line up of bottled beer to celebrate and two gravity casks. I've had the Dogfish Head 75 Minute multiple times before but never on cask.  It was so much lighter than in the bottle but still with that wonderful hoppy nose and sweet maple flavor. I paired my delicious beer with their crunchy Kale Salad made with grapefruit, pomegranate seeds and anchovy dressing. It was a beautiful day on the roof and a great way to end the fabulous week of beer in NYC. NYC Beer Week Birreria