Stayin’ Dry and Sippin’ on IPAs at Big Apple Brew Fest
On a rainy Saturday, The Tunnel was flooded with cheerful guests eager to get their drink on at the Big Apple Brew Fest. The venue, a cool industrial space on the Chelsea waterfront (former home to a railroad freight terminal and later a dance spot popular with the Club Kids in the late ‘80s), hosted reps from craft breweries pouring samples of ciders, pale ales, shandies and stouts. There were a lot of sweet ciders and fruity beers to try, like New Belgium’s Citradelic, a tasty tangerine IPA. There were also a few coffee-flavored beers including the super-yummy Heavy Boots of Lead, an imperial stout from Astoria’s SingleCut Beersmith with a high alcohol content (ABV: 11.2%) and C.R.E.A.M., a surprisingly pleasant blonde ale with coffee from another local fave, Red Hook’s Sixpoint Brewery.
Judging by their abundance, IPAs still seem to be riding the popularity spike, and Oskar Blues Brewery brought a marvelously hoppy IPA, PINNER, while Long Trail Brewing Co. was pouring Green Blaze, another delicious IPA. Beer fests are a great way to mix up the regular bar routine and try a lot of new beers.
If you missed this one, there’s an upcoming festival, Brew at the Zoo, on June 16 at the Bronx Zoo that has a reputation for being a good time.