German Christmas Beers at Spuyten Duyvil

Frohe Weihnachten, New York!

The Monarchy is the experimental-revivalist offshoot of Freigeist which itself is the experimental offshoot of Cologne's small brewery, Braustelle. Brewer Sebastian Sauer and his colleagues are rediscovering and updating Europe's lost beer styles as well as creating new ones along the way. Where will the offshoots end??

This Thursday, December 19th, at Spuyten Duyvil, come try some truly unique beers that The Monarchy has brewed for the Christmas season. Taking inspiration from Christmas cookies and cakes from around German, the brewery has brewed rich beers with traditional spices. Santa doesn't need milk AND cookies; all he needs is a glass of The Monarchy! We'll be providing samples of the inspirational cookies as well. In addition, there will be other German Christmas beers. 

• The Monarchy Happy Christmas from Aachen - In the 15th century, copper workers from Dinant, Belgium emigrated to the German city of Aachen, bringing with them the centuries-old tradition of engraved pastries and cakes. Today, the term Aachener Printen is a Protected Designation of Origin and all manufacturers of the special Christmas delicacies are found in or near the town. Brewed in collaboration with local traditional bakeries and based on the traditional Printen cakes of Aachen, this beer is made with “Gingerbread Man” spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cardamom, and coriander seed.
• The Monarchy Happy Christmas from Dresden - Stollen, a moist, heavy German cake filled with fruit, was first mentioned in an official document in 1474, and the most famous Stollen is still the Dresdner Stollen. The official stollen is produced exclusively in Dresden, and usually contains a mix of nuts and spices in addition to the dried fruit. This beer replicates Stollen flavors with with candied peels of orange & lemon, and raisins. 
• The Monarchy Happy Christmas from Nürnberg - Lebkuchen were invented by medieval monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century, and the earliest recorded mention of local Nürnberg Lebkuchen dates to at least 1395. Historically known as honey cake (Honigkuchen ) or pepper cake (Pfefferkuchen), Lebkuchen comes in many configurations, the most famous being the heart-shaped souvenier version found in German Christmas markets. Happy Christmas from Nürnberg is made with a plethora of spices and fruits, including cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cardamom, coriander seed, and candied peels of orange and lemon.  
• Mahr's Christmas Bock - A rich yet unusually hoppy & drinkable winter bock from a classic Bamberg family brewery.
• Kulmbacher Eisbock - The original. The story goes that a wooden barrel of bockbier was inadvertently left in the brewery yard in the middle of winter. By the time it was found, the contents were mostly frozen so the ice was chipped away, leaving behind a much richer, more concentrated, but exceptionally clean tasting brew with a deceptive 9.2% abv. 
• Weissenohe Monk's Christkindl - A classic dark Franconian winter lager, dry-hopped and double-decoction brewed at Germany’s second-oldest Klosterbrauerei (gravity keg)  
• The Monarchy Year of the Dragon - Happy New Year! A strong ale brewed with rice. Each year, a new version will be brewed.

Spuyten Duyvil is located at 359 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn. The beers will be on at 5pm and the cookies will arrive shortly thereafter.

Belgium2Brooklyn and Christmas Beers

There are plenty of opportunities to drink an amazing array of beers this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday, 7-8 December, starting at noon on both days is the 8th Annual Belgium2Brooklyn at Mugs Ale House in Williamsburg. This festival, featuring Belgian-brewed and Belgian-style brews will be featuring some exclusive beers from our portfolio, some of which are having their New York debut.

Each day will feature a different list of beers and here are some of the highlights:

Saturday

courtesy of Bill Coleman

• Dieu du Ciel! Isseki Nicho - imperial dark saison from Québec
• Het Nest Oak-Aged Klevertien - quadrupel with anise (only keg in NYC!)

Sunday

• Ægir Julebrygg - winter warmer from Norway, judiciously spiced with juniper and ginger
• Het Nest Dead Man's Hand - bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout (only keg in NYC!)
• Jandrain-Jandrenouille VI Wheat - saison (only keg in NYC!)
• Sainte-Hélène Gypsy Rose - Belgian strong ale (only keg in NYC!)
• To Øl Snowball Saison - refreshing saison from Denmark

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Also on Saturday, Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint will be featuring some of our Christmas beers and Jim "Bocky" Barnes will be spinning the festive tunes from 12-5pm.

• The Monarchy Happy Christmas from Aachen - Germany's The Monarchy brewed up a series of holiday beers that are like German Christmas cakes in a keg. Each one features the Christmas flavors of a different city. This version is made with gingerbread spices like the Aachen Printen cookies
• The Monarchy Happy Christmas from Dresden - the second in the holiday series. This version is brewed with candied orange and lemon peels and raisins liek the world-famous Dresdener Christstollen
• Ægir Julebrygg - winter warmer from Norway, judiciously spiced with juniper and ginger

Tonight, Wednesday, at Double Windsor, it's another installment of the Soirée Francophone with DJ Jim "Bocque Monsieur" Barnes.

Enjoy French and Quebecois tunes while sipping on the following:

Santé! Mathieu from Pays Flamand & Jim

• Pays Flamand/Nøgne Ø Protøtype - a Franco-Nordic collaborative porter brewed with juniper berries that Nøgne Ø brewer Kjetil brought with him from Norway
• Castelain Ch'ti Blonde - classic malty bière de garde
• Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Blonde - modern, hoppier interpretation of a bière de garde
• Le Trou du Diable La Buteuse - Belgian-style triple from Canada, perfect for these Canadian-like temperature

Double Windsor is located at 210 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.

Freigeist at Radegast - Elect to Drink Beer!

Tuesday is Election Day so go vote and then go drink some beer. Starting at 7pm on 5 November, the Bier Haus at Radegast will be featuring 4 drafts from Freigeist. Freigeist is the experimental off-shoot of Cologne's Braustelle brewery focusing primarily on Germany's unique, historical beer styles.

• Abraxxxas - Lichtenhainer, a smoked sour wheat beer
• Geisterzug Gose - based on a recipe dating back at least 600 years and brewed with spruce branches. 
• Salzspeicher Sauer Porter - sour porter brewed with salt
• Hibiskuss - mildly sour ale brewed with hibiscus flowers

Radegast is located at 113 N. 3rd Street (at Berry) in Brooklyn and 8pm you can shimmy to the sounds of Glen Crytzer and his Syncopators.

Brewery Launch & Meet the Brewer - Pays Flamand

Please join us in welcoming French brewery Brasserie du Pays Flamand to New York this Thursday at Brouwerij Lane. We'll have 2 of their beers on tap plus brewer Mathieu Lesenne will be there to talk about the brewery, the beers, and the seemingly oxymoronic name of the brewery which means "Flemish Land" in French. In addition, DJ Jim "Bocky" Barnes will be spinning the tunes for this Soirée Francophone.

When:  Thursday, 24 October, 5pm onwards

Where:  Brouwerij Lane, 78 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn

What:  pay-as-you-go

Les bières:

• Pays Flamand Anosteké - a hoppy blonde bière de garde brewed with local hops. The name is a phonetic spelling of a phrase in the local dialect meaning "see you next time".
• Pays Flamand/Nøgne Ø Protøtype - Norwegian brewer Kjetil Jukiun of Nøgne Ø swung through the north of France recently and brewed a few collaboration beers. This one is a porter brewed with juniper berries that Kjetil brought with him from Norway.
• Page 24/Nøgne Ø Rhub'IPA- another collaboration, this time with French neighbors Brasserie St. Germain who are fellow hop lovers. An IPA brewed with local rhubarb. Hoppy and tart.
• Trou du Diable Dubaï Pillée - not French but French-Canadian. A double IPA from Shawinigan, Quebec.

Italian and Spanish Beer Launch

When:  Saturday, 21 September, 12 pm onwards
Where:  Spuyten Duyvil, 359 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn

What:  pay-as-you-go

We're launching several breweries new to New York on Saturday at Spuyten Duyvil. Coming from regions not traditionally known for brewing, they're brewing some pretty amazing beers. You like session beers? We've got you covered. Hop monsters? Yup. Roasty, malty beers?  Those, too. From Italy, they'll be pouring beers from Brewfist and Toccalmatto and from Spain there will be a selection from Naparbier and Marina.

On draft:

• Toccalmatto Re Hop - American-style pale ale with Cascade hops 
• Brewfist Spaceman - west coast style IPA with Citra and Simcoe, 7% 
• Brewfist Czech Norris - imperial pilsner with Saaz hops
• Naparbier Naparpils -  malty traditional pils with  just the right amount of hop finish. Drink gallons of it in the back garden! 
• Naparbier Hopdoom -  11.5% imperial IPA. Deceptively easy to drink with tropical fruit notes. Do not drink gallons of it. 
• Marina Costa Brava - citrusy, fruity, aromatic pale ale, 4.5% 

In bottles:

• Toccalmatto Skizoid - American-style IPA hopped with Columbus, Chinook, and  Centennia, 6.2% 
• Toccalmatto Zona Cesarini - amber-colored pale ale hopped with Pacific Gem and Sorachi Ace, giving a huge tropical fruit character, 6.6% 
• Toccalmatto B Space Invader - black IPA with Galaxy hops 
• Brewfist 2Late - aromatic imperial IPA
• Brewfist Caterpillar - rye pale ale brewed in collaboration with Christian Skovdal Andersen of Denmark's Beer Here
• Naparbier Janis Porter - chocolatey and nutty with a hint of coffee, 6.2% 
• Marina Devil's IPA - double IPA with Citra, Galaxy, and Columbus hops, 6.5% 
• Marina Mas Cremat - 4.5% dry stout with coffee, pepper, and earthy notes giving way to a light acidity in the mouth.   

Un-Oktoberfest at Mission Dolores Tuesday

When:  Tuesday, 17 September, 4pm onwards
Where:  Mission Dolores, 249 4th Avenue, Brooklyn

What:  pay-as-you-go, with sehr gut prices from 7-10pm 

Oktoberfest might not start in Munich until Saturday, but the folks over at Mission Dolores are pre-gaming and holding an Un-Oktoberfest to showcase some other German beers. Some of these are traditional German styles and others are not-so-traditional. And to make things even more fun, our own Jim "Bocky" Barnes will be spinning strange tunes from Germany and Eastern Europe. Heino in the haus! 

• Mahr's Ginger Bock - a bock, with ginger 
• Mönchshof Schwarzbier - classic dark lager from northern Bavaria 
• EKU Pils - classic pils from Kulmbach with a refreshing dose of hops  
• Freigeist Hoppeditz - doppel sticke alt brewed with smoked malt 
• Freigeist Geisterzug Gose - traditional gose brewed with spruce branches 
• Freigeist Salzpeicher Sauer Porter - sour porter brewed with salt