Beer drinkers of Brooklyn: Friday is the kickoff of NYC Beer Week 2016. This means 10 straight days of tap takeovers, beer discounts, meet-the-brewers, SMaSH beers (that’s State Malt and State Hop, in this case) and beer dinners highlighting the better beverage and its makers who are based right here in New York City. The celebration includes such extravagant affairs as an Opening Bash boat cruise (Feb. 20), Brewers Choice festival (Feb. 24) and beer dinners with steep ticket prices (various), but here at Brokelyn, we’re all about finding free-entry events where you can sample the best of the boroughs on whatever budget you choose. Here are 29 free Beer Week events happening right here in Brooklyn that should not be missed.
FRIDAY (Feb. 19)
The SimulTap @ 7pm
First and foremost, Friday at 7pm marks the official NYC Beer Week “SimulTap,” or simultaneous tapping of New York City-brewed beers across participating bars, breweries and beer-loving restaurants across the boroughs. The SimulTap is especially significant this year because bars will be tapping multiple variations of NYC brewers’ SMaSH beers, or beers brewed using New York State-sourced malt and hops in honor of Beer Week. Fifteen breweries participated, including six from Brooklyn: Brooklyn Brewery*, Coney Island Brewery*, Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co.*, Keg & Lantern Brewing Co.*, KelSo Beer Co. and Sixpoint Brewery.
*2016 Brooklyn Beer Book participant — bring your Beer Book for a free beer!
Look out for these parties in particular:
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SMaSH SimulTap Party @ Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co.
7 N 15th St. (Greenpoint)
7pm-close
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. will be tapping its two SMaSH beers brewed for NYC Beer Week 2016: Biodome Classic, a dry-hopped pale ale brewed with Brettanomyces yeast; and Acidifus Locale, an American wild ale.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
SMaSH SimulTap @ Banter
141 Richardson St. (Williamsburg)
8pm-12am
Banter will be tapping 10 SMaSH beers. TEN! This is possibly the best selection in the borough on Friday night.
KBH Beer Week Kranz Sampler
84 Saint Marks Pl. (Park Slope)
3pm-2am
Kicking off NYC Beer Week before anyone else, though not with SMaSH beer, the KBH beer hall will be highlighting 11 of its most popular beers in honor of beer merriment in New York City. Beers will be sold at a 25 percent discount.
J’eatjet Beer Week Coney Island Tap Takeover
685 FIfth Ave. (South Slope)
9pm – 4am
At J’eatjet gastrobar in South Slope, Coney Island Brewery will be taking over the taps with a series of beers. Check out beers only made in the brewery — not your typical bottled stuff from these guys.
S.K.I. Beer Week Kick-Off Party @ The Federal Bar
367 Metropolitan Ave. (Williamsburg)
6pm – 11:30pm
NYC beer distributor, SKI will be hosting a “meet the brewers” event at the Federal Bar, featuring brewers from Queens Brewery, Warflag Brewing Co. and Montauk Brewing on Friday. The Federal Bar will also host events throughout the week, including a beer pairing dinner with Transmitter Brewing of Long Island City and a “secret event” with the Bronx’s Gun Hill Brewing, so check their Facebook for more info.
NYC Beer Week Specials @ Greenwood Park
555 7th Ave. (South Slope)
Various Times
Greenwood Park will be featuring NYC Beer Week daily specials Feb. 19 through Feb. 28.
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SATURDAY (Feb. 20)
Coney Island Fun @ Northern Bell
612 Metropolitan Ave. (Williamsburg)
8pm-11pm
Get Trapp’d on the Cyclone (their SMaSH beer name) with Coney Island Brewery, featuring samples and giveaways at Northern Bell on Saturday night.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Kick the Cask @ Humboldt & Jackson
434 Humboldt St. (East Williamsburg)
5pm
Tasting bar/restaurant and event space, Humboldt & Jackson will be hosting a “kick the cask” party to start off NYC Beer Week with a special cask of freshly brewed IPA with clementines from Port Jeff Brewing of Long Island. Sandwiches with “the tastiest porchetta known to man” will also be served.
Big Woody 2016 @ Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metropolitan Ave. (Williamsburg)
12pm-close
A strong and barrel-aged beer fest returns to longtime-beer nerd lushery Spuyten Duyvil on Saturday afternoon.
Creators Profile: Pioneer Malting @ Strong Rope Brewery
574A President St. (Gowanus)
5pm-6pm
Brand new Brooklyn brewery Strong Rope introduces the Creators Profile series with a one-on-one talk with professional maltsters, Paolo and Adam Filippetti from Pioneer Malting based upstate in Rochester, N.Y.
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SUNDAY (Feb. 21)
SMaSH Brewers Brunch @ Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co.
7 N 15th St. (Greenpoint)
1pm – 5pm
Get SMaSHed at Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. on Sunday, when most of the special State Malt and State Hop beers will be available on draft, all in one place. Brunch will be served and brewers will be present to talk about the beers.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
NYC Beer Week with Suarez Family Brewery @ Beer Street
413 Graham Ave. (East Williamsburg)
2pm – 12am
Join Beer Street in welcoming Suarez Family Brewery to New York! Dan Suarez, co-founder of Suarez Family Brewery and Sixpoint and Hill Farmstead alum will be on the scene to talk tastings. The Suarez/Bacchus Winter Seasonal, a “blending collaboration” with Bacchus Brewing of New Paltz, combines four separate and distinct beers into an intoxicating concoction. Try one of the collaborations with Threes Brewing, too, like the Cool With Gravity, a tart, funky saison. Repeat.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Sixpoint Trivia Night @ Pacific Standard
82 4th Ave. (Park Slope)
7pm-10pm
Trivia is always more fun when beer is involved, and it’s extra fun when the questions are about beer, too. Head to Pacific Standard for some Sunday night Beer Week Trivia.
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MONDAY (Feb. 22)
Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout Turns 21 @ Brooklyn Brewery
79 N. 11th St. (Williamsburg)
6pm-8:30pm
World-famous brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, Garrett Oliver will be presenting 10 vintages of Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout, an American imperial stout, in celebration of its 21st birthday. Each vintage will be accompanied by music to match, so get ready to get your 2000s on in the best way possible: bad music and beer. Get tickets here.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Double Vision – Sixpoint @ The Well
272 Meserole St. (Bushwick)
7pm-10pm
If Sixpoint trivia didn’t snag you on Sunday, head to the Well Monday to enjoy six Sixpoint beers on draft. Staid styles will be pitted against their “dopplegangers,” or their bigger, boozier versions: Sweet Action vs. Double Sweet Action, Resin DIPA (double IPA) vs. Hi-Res TRIPA (triple IPA).
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Grimm Night: It’s not a Fairy Tale, it’s beer! @ St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe
533 Atlantic Ave. (Boerum Hill)
5pm – 11pm
Brooklyn famous brewers of the gypsy variety, Grimm Artisanal Ales will be at St. Gambrinus on Monday. Meet brewers and owners, Joe and Lauren Grimm and taste their newest beers, each one sure to be a better Untappd post than the next.
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TUESDAY (Feb. 23)
Ale Apothecary @ Beer Street
413 Graham Ave.
5pm
The Ale Apothecary, hailing all the way from Bend, Oregon, will make a Brooklyn appearance with several very rare brews in very small amounts. These include: (The Beer Formerly Known As) La Tache; Carpe Diem Mañana; and Sahalie. If this means nothing to you, forget what you read and save it for the rest of us. If this means nothing to you, but you are still as intrigued as we are, then come tongue the “tragically limited quantities […] available by the glass from large format bottles.”
Elysian Brewing Sponsored Trivia @ The Saint Catherine
660 Washington Ave. (Prospect Heights)
8pm-10:30pm
The Saint Catherine will be celebrating NYC Beer Week with a free trivia night sponsored by Elysian Brewing. You can win brewery swag and beers like their new habanero sour, Hawaiian Sunburn.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 12 – on sale now)
Radiant Pig @ Northern Bell
612 Metropolitan Ave. (Williamsburg)
8pm – 10pm
Radiant Pig brewers based in NYC (but brewing elsewhere) return to Northern Bell for a wing-eating contest Tuesday night. Their delicious beers will be available to wash down some of the best BBQ in the borough.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
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THURSDAY (Feb. 25)
Bunker Brewing Invades @ the Well
272 Meserole St. (Bushwick)
6pm
Bunker Brewing of Portland, ME is stepping onto New York City turf to invade your taste buds. Their lagers will change your opinion of lagers (Weird Wave, Cypher IPL), and other beers pouring will be either new or previously unavailable, so check em out — and expect a cornhole challenge.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Captain Lawrence Tap Takeover @ Northern Bell
612 Metropolitan Ave. (Williamsburg)
8pm – 10pm
Come experience a Captain Lawrence tap takeover at Northern Bell. These brewers are based in Elmsford, N.Y., but we love them enough to accept them as NYC Beer Week participants for sure.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Beer Week Epic Local Roundup @ St. Gambrinus
533 Atlantic Ave. (Boerum Hill)
2pm – 1am
St. Gambrinus continues its NYC Beer Week celebration with 16 local beers on tap, with the likes of Other Half, Finback, Threes Brewing, LIC Beer Project, Barrier and more sure to please your palate.
Hopped in New York: From Plant to Pint @ Strong Rope Brewery
574A President St. (Gowanus)
7pm – 8pm
We’re said Strong Rope wasn’t open when we were putting together our 2016 Brooklyn Beer Book for Middle Brooklyn, but we’re glad there here because of events like this: hop farmers from around the state will talk about the challenges and rewards of New York hops, which is a subject you should care about if you care about New York beer.
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FRIDAY (Feb. 26)
I Heart (Brett) NY Flight @ Brouwerij Lane
78 Greenpoint Ave. (Greenpoint)
6pm – 10pm
Five Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. beers will be paired with five New York cheeses provided by Eastern District at this Brett-heavy event on Friday. Beers will include Greenpoint’s Acidifus Locale, Acidifus Pie No. 2, Ponce Scheme, Animal and Soul Surfer.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now) (Although Brouwerij Lane is not included in the 2016 Beer Book, you can use your ticket for Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co., its sister business.)
Fourthmeal Release @ The Well
272 Meserole St. (Bushwick)
6pm
In another NYC Beer Week event highlighting non-NYC beers (but beers so good, the event’s still worth mentioning), the very coveted Bruery and Maine Beer Co. will be here to release of their recent collaboration, Fourthmeal. It’s only avialable in limited bottle pours, but not to worry, the taps will be taken over with a dreamy lineup (Bruery Oude Tart ’15, Maine Lunch).
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
SATURDAY (Feb. 27)
Funk it up @ The Well
272 Meserole St. (Bushwick)
9pm
Bringing NYC Beer Week to an close with a brewing company that actually started in New York, Shmaltz Brewing Co. will be releasing their annual Funky Jewbelation, a barrel-aged sour—with a live funk band. Sets start at 9pm. Stick around for the Beer Week after party with DJ Mikey Palms.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
The Five Boroughs of Beer @ Lantern Hall
52 Harrison Pl. (Bushwick)
5pm-2am
Bushwick beer haven, Lantern Hall will showcase 14 NYC breweries.
SUNDAY (Feb. 28)
Ignite Brooklyn @ Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co.
7 N 15th St. (Greenpoint)
1pm-4pm
If you are somehow still standing and want more beer by Sunday head to Greenpoint Beer & Ale for a final hurrah for a brewpub beer festival celebrating Brooklyn beer.
Bring your Beer Book! (Beer Book 11 – on sale now)
Brooklyn Brewery’s Summer in Winter Party @ Webster Hall
125 E 11th St.
3pm
We keep reminding you that summer is coming, because it really is, and we’re glad to see that Brooklyn Brewery agrees. They’re getting there first with the Summer in Winter Party on Sunday, which is not technically free, or in Brooklyn, but for just $10 and a short subway ride, you’ll be rewarded with a free beer—the brand-new American Ale—plus access to a special run of the Brooklyn Summer Ale (there’s that season again!) not available anywhere else in New York until spring. In addition to a sneak peaks at rare beers, you’ll have the chance to take indoor surf lessons with Surfset NYC, groove to summer jams with DJ Danga, and take lots of shameless, summer-sloppy photos in the photobooth. Tickets available here.
Find more events happening throughout the city on the New York City Brewers Guild website.
Follow Cat for more up to the minute beer news: @BeerAffair.