The Ultimate Brooklyn Brewery & Book Pairings
As book nerds and beer lovers, it was time to find out what the best book and beer pairs are.
Something has been on our minds for a while now. What books genres would pair up nicely with a deliciously cold beer? So we decided it was time to find out. We wanted to pair breweries in Brooklyn up with their best book genre match. We’ve done the research, and spent hours touring and taste testing so we could once and for all find out what books you should be reading with your favorite brews. Why? Because being book nerds and all it sounds like a fun thing to do. Lets try, shall we? Take a pub(lication) crawl of Brooklyn’s breweries with us.
Coney Island Brewing Company
The Brewery: With the lights of Coney Island’s theme park rides eerily faded by mist, the muted sounds of rollercoaster screams and cheery music in the background, it was almost as if we had stepped through the gates of a mysterious thriller fantasy land.
What to order: The most famous brew at Coney Island Brewing Company is the Mermaid Pilsner. It is a light-bodied, crisp drinking, nicely hopped lager with a mild spiciness to it. Perfect for staying alert and keeping on your toes when engrossed in a book with plenty of plot twists.
Best Genre: Coming up with a genre to describe this brewery didn’t take too long. It had to be a fantasy in this land filled with an eerie secret border-lining on thriller the side. Not only because of its surroundings but also the brewery’s affliction with fantasy creatures like the mysterious mermaid on its prized pilsner.
What to read: Of Poseidon or Weeping Water
Brooklyn Brewery
The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery is probably the most popular and well-known brewery in the city. It seems to successfully attract half the hipster population on a daily basis. People are generally found playing games and chatting around long beer tables. The beers aren’t just popular to drink onsite, but they’re available all throughout the city. It feels like the perfect place to kick back on a hot summers day with your friends, or book in hand, and a cold brew.
What to order: The Stonewall Inn IPA is a citrus hopped session IPA offering a pairing of the deliciously light and fruity flavors of grapefruit and citrus peel. A partnership between the brewery and The Stonewall Inn, a global icon for LGBTQI+ rights, to support the continuing work of their Gives Back initiative.
Best Genre: A brewery this popular deserves to be paired with the current best-seller, the book that everyone is reading on the subway.
What to read: Where The Crawdads Sing or Sapiens
Kings County Brewers Collective
The Brewery: Yes, Kings County Brewers Collective — or KCBC as the locals call it — is a brewery. But with its clean, white walls and modern large windows, this place feels established and classy. To contrast the tiled walls, there are floor-to-ceiling racks with old, wooden barrels. This combination gives it an almost regal look and feel. This might just be the perfect spot for a casual work meeting or after-work drinks with colleagues.
What to order: Janiak Maniac is probably the brewery’s most crisp beer. It is an unfiltered bohemian pilsner and has a fresh with a hint of bitterness, like a sophisticated summer’s day. The flavor combined with its relatively low alcohol percentage makes this a great beer to sip while talking business or reading up on the latest business advice.
Best Genre: Even the best business(wo)man can’t get to the top alone. Everyone needs advice at some point. A great way to learn about how others achieved their goals, is to read about it. The classy surroundings and laid-back atmosphere make KCBS and business advice books a perfect pair.
What to read: Mobile Ready or Dare To Lead
Bridge and Tunnel Brewery
New York City can be an individualistic and lonely place. But as soon as you step through the doors and behind the red velvet curtains of Bridge and Tunnel Brewery in Ridgewood, that feeling slips away. The micro brewery is a cozy place that inspires a community feeling by organizing trivia and stand-up nights and having a “mug club” (members have a personalized mug waiting for them whenever they come to the brewery). The small, dark space smells like dried beer and is illuminated by colorful fairy lights and a fake fireplace. People can sit at a long table, around a barrel or in a rocking chair by the fake fireplace.
What to order: There are so many fun brews to try here, that we suggest you order a float and try four of them. Our favorites, the Berliner Weiss, which at first looks like cloudy water but comes with a syrup that you stir through it to create a fruity drink (don’t stir too fast or it will start frizzing). And taste the Urban Styles Milkshake IPA, a truly refreshing drink that is unlike any IPA you’ve ever had (and the name is fun).
Best Genre: Bridge and Tunnel feels very DIY and clubhousey. Because of the its small size and the different intimate reading nooks, this feels like the perfect place to share poetry or short stories. Go from story to story as you go through your small tasting glasses. You could call it a beer and story tasting.
What to read: Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders or Memoirs of an Enchanted Love
Interboro Spirits and Ales
Interboro Spirits and Ales is located inside an old warehouse. The ceilings are high and the place feels large. It’s not uncommon for breweries to have a few quirky and experiential beers on tap, but Interboro takes it a step further. Besides brewing beers, they distill their own liquor. The white walls and massive, shiny, metal barrels could have made the place feel too clean, but the chalkboard menus, wooden bar, funky beer cans, green stools and slushy machines create a playful atmosphere.
What to order: Interboro changes what’s on tap frequently. It Takes Two is a DDH Double IPA that is strong yet fruity, which makes it a thrilling drink.
Best Genre: As a place filled with contradictions, it makes sense to pair this brewery up with a psychological thriller where you’ll be surprised at every turn of the page.
What to read: I Know Who You Are or An Anonymous Girl
Brooklyn Cider House
In literature, the apple is a mystical fruit. It’s been used as a fruit to seduce and kill. The Brooklyn Cider House doesn’t use apples for the latter, but their cider will seduce you to come back. The brewery is a mysterious mix between an airy, modern bar and a French chateau, with its higher than high ceilings and New York apartment-sized barrels in the middle.
What to order: The cider that captures the atmosphere most accurately is the Kinda Dry, their sweetest cider which is, as the name suggests, still kind of dry. It is the perfect drink to pair with a kinda dry, sweet story about love.
Best Genre: This place could be described as a modern fairytale. It might be the perfect setting for a first date scene in a rom-com novel.
What to read: The Bride Test or Playing with Matches
So, that’s what we discovered during this hoppy journey through Brooklyn. Take the tour for yourself and let us know what you think.
While Brooklyn is a brewery haven, it’s obviously not the only place on earth where you can find them. Go on, have a LIT-erary weekend and try this in your home town. Believe us, it’s fun.
