Brooklyn Brewery lies across the river from Manhattan, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The brewery was founded in upstate New York in 1987 by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. They quickly started selling their wares and word spread. In 1996, they moved the brewery to where it belonged -- Brooklyn. It's now one of America's top 40 breweries, producing lagers, IPA's (India Pale Ales), brown ales and pilsners.
Brooklyn Lager is the most popular selection. It's amber-gold in color and has caramel notes in the finish. Brooklyn Lager pairs well with food, especially burgers, steak, chicken and fried fish.
Brooklyn IPA (India pale ale) is a deep golden beer brewed from British malt and a blend of hops. India pale ales were originally brewed by the British to ship to their troops in India in the 1800s. Regular beers were spoiling during the long passage, so British brewer George Hodgson developed an ale that was stronger to survive the voyage. It's been enjoyed ever since. Brooklyn IPA goes well with cheeses and spicy foods, especially Thai and Szechwan.
Magic Hat doesn't have a brewery, it has an artefactory. Located in South Burlington, Vermont, Magic Hat cranks out 400 bottles of beer on the wall every minute. The company's beers change seasonally, but some offerings include:
#9 Not Quite Pale Ale is named because beer numbers 1-8 failed, or so the firm claims. This brew is ;dry and crisp, made from English ale yeast, Cascade and Apollo hops, and pale and crystal malts.
Circus Boy is an American-style Hefeweizen, or wheat beer. Its light color and taste make it a good choice for hot and muggy South Florida days.
Pabst Blue Ribbon is iconic. The beer of the working man was somehow adopted by yuppie scum, frat boys, and snarky chefs. (Out of all the fine wines and libations available at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Anthony Bourdain chose PBR to sip.)PBR is a premium lager brew crafted with a combination of Pacific domestic hops blended with an imported Yugoslavian variety. See? It really is good beer.
PBR Light is the same, but with less calories. But real men and women only drink PBR in all its glory.
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