My friend, Thaddeus, and I were lucky enough to participate in The New York Beer and Brewery Tour last weekend. As I don’t particularly consider myself a beer connoisseur, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was truly an amazingly fun day as well as a new appreciation for beer!
We arrived at the first stop on the tour, the Chelsea Brewery, at Pier 59, and were greeted by our guide, tour co-founder Marshall Stevenson who had prepared, for lack of a better term, “snack packs,” for all the participants. The snack packs were my first glimpse into how well thought-out and cool the day would be. Inside a colorful Blue Point Hoptical Illusion bottle 6-pack, we each received a tour agenda, bottle of water, beer nuts, a map of New York, a warm Sigmund’s pretzel, a souvenir New York Beer and Brewery Tour glass and a beer chit for the Brooklyn Brewery. The snack packs were put together with so much care and thought and were so pretty, I almost didn’t want to open mine, but the Sigmund’s pretzel beckoned soon enough.
What followed was, in essence, Stevenson’s version of the Magical Mystery Tour of beer and the “craft beer renaissance” in New York, what he lovingly refers to as “a celebration of beer past and present.”
After spending a few minutes meeting our co-tourists (this particular tour was unusual in that it was small and, except for Thaddeus and Stevenson, consisted of all women), we were ushered into the back of the Chelsea Brewery. There we sampled a pitcher of Checker Cab Blonde Ale (delicious!) while Pat, the company’s owner, and Nicholas, one of the brewers, gave us what I’ll refer to as “Beer 101,” a detailed look inside the brewery and explanation of the brewing process. [Author’s note: I took really good notes on this until I realized that you readers don’t want to hear me recap what we heard on the tour. Just heed my advice and take the tour; you won’t regret it!] Post-Beer 101, we sat at the bar and were given our choice of other beers to sample, including IPA’s, wheat beers and stouts. We clearly all had different preferences — ranging from light to dark and fluctuating between ales and lagers —which made for an interesting group.
Next, Stevenson ushered us onto a van, and we made our way to the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. Along the way, he regaled us with tales of the rich history of beer/brewing in New York, passing around interesting old photos as well as rare beer and brewing-related artifacts.
As someone who’s taken a lot of tours, I usually consider the driving part between stops, when the tourguide is talking, deathly boring. Not in this case. Stevenson, who is a licensed tourguide and began giving tours with Greyline in 2005, knows his stuff. A true beer lover, who founded The New York Beer and Brewery Tour along with Marty Shore of Manhattan Walks, Stevenson is a former radio reporter, and, currently, a comic who performs stand-up and tapes an internet radio show called “Three Dudes and a Broad” (available on iTunes) when he’s not busy giving the beer tour or other private tours of New York. Needless to say, he was personable and entertaining while imparting his wealth of knowledge — including of hilarious archane alcohol-related laws across the country — to our eager group. Stevenson is a natural as a tourguide. Moreover, to say he was well-prepared is an understatement. His vast pre-tour research and thorough planning and constant refining of every last detail of the tour were evident throughout the day.
Back to the tour. On this drizzly Saturday, the Brooklyn Brewery was packed, not a seat to be had, and the music was pumping. Armed with our beer chits, we descended on the bar to sample various brews. While our little group largely spent our time drinking beer, we also had the opportunity to look at the brewery’s impressive collection of historic beer bottles and/or to take a tour (tours are given on the hour). True to form, I sampled an ale (I decided I didn’t like the wheaty aftertaste of this particular one), and Thaddeus enjoyed a lager.
On the way to our next stop, Stevenson gave us more history of beer and brewing in New York, taking us through Old Brewer’s Row in Bushwick and pointing out other landmarks along the way.
Next we arrived at Spuyten Duyvil in Williamsburg for an artisanal food pairing with specialty beers from around the world. This experience is, probably, the marquee stop on the tour. A table was beautifully set for us, with samples of five different beers, ranging from light to dark, paired with various cheeses, meats and even chocolate and baskets of fresh baguettes. (Just to give you an idea of how much work and thought was put into the tour, Stevenson even took time to make sure no one had any dietary restrictions that would’ve necessitated modification of this part of the tour. From the “snack packs” to the food pairing and everything in between, Stevenson has taken pains to attend to every detail of the tour and every need of his guests.)
Andy, of Spuyten Duyvil, explained the reasoning behind each beer/food pairing to us, and the tasting began. Being more of a wine lover than a beer lover, at least until now, I would never have thought of these pairings, many of which were beyond delicious and all of which were at least interesting to me, of picky palate fame. We acted as if we were Top Chef judges, tasting, discussing and critiquing. The artisanal food pairing was nothing short of genius, and we all left satisfied and with an increased appreciation of beer’s potential for elegance and a place in fine dining.
Our last stop was the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria where we grabbed a bench outside and simply chilled out, enjoying a few pitchers along with some delicious kielbasa and pickles. By this point, we were old friends, exchanging phone numbers, etc. I was amazed at how crowded the Beer Garden was (and I was told that it wasn’t even crowded compared to, say, a sunny summer afternoon). Everyone was just hanging out, having fun and enjoying their favorite brews. There were lots of families with kids there, and I personally was amused to see a baby birthday party — complete with Hello Kitty birthday banner — taking place there. The Beer Garden was pure relaxation, the perfect spot to wind up our tour before being dropped off at various convenient Manhattan locales.
I cannot recommend the tour more enthusiastically. To sum it up in a few words, Stevenson is a kick-ass tourguide, and the tour is a super fun way to spend a Saturday with friends or meeting new people. Whether you’re a lifelong New Yorker or someone new to the City, man or woman, take the tour. You will not be disappointed. I always considered myself a wine girl, but I may also now be a beer lover, or at least I appreciate the subtle nuances in beers and the beauty of beer experimentation. I also learned a hell of a lot in a totally fun, relaxing atmosphere.
Tours take place every Saturday, with groups meeting at the Chelsea Brewery at 11:45. The cost of the tour, which includes beer, food and transportation, is $100 per person and is well worth it. Tours usually last around four hours and accommodate approximately 20 guests. Stevenson also offers private beer tours and tours of New York customized for corporate and tourist groups of any size.
For more information on tour options or to make reservations, go to www.thenewyorkbeerandbrewerytour.com.
Stevenson is offering Nearsay readers who book tours before the end of May (for any tour offered during 2011) a 10% discount on tickets. Please note: to receive the discount, tours must be booked by phone at 646-552-4718 or e-mail at info@tourguidesofnewyork.com, not through the website.
