Paulaner Brauhaus Reopens

 Interview with Brewmaster Andreas Heidenreich of Paulaner NYC

 Non-Flash podcast

The relatively new Paulaner Bräuhaus which abruptly closed in April has re-opened under new management. We never made it to the original incarnation before they closed; we tried to drop by one Saturday afternoon around 4pm but found that they didn't open until 5. Since I never saw the inside, I can't comment on the renovations but the current space has a long bar on one side and communal tables and smaller booths on the other. There's lots of wood, exposed brick, and antlers - giving the place a modern Bavarian feel. They've also got a smaller room downstairs and are working on a small outdoor area.

Copper brewing tanks sit across from the bar

They've retained brewmaster Andreas Heidenreichs and he currently has 3 beers on tap, all of which are unfiltered. On deck is an IPA which should be ready in the coming week. We'll be speaking with Andreas soon on an upcoming edition of Beer Hear! and will ask him about his German IPA!

We started with the hazy Munich Lager which had a crisp hop aroma and a fresh bread flavor. We followed that up with their Hefeweizen which had subdued fruity esters and spicy phenols with an accent on  cloves. There was a light banana note in the flavor but it wasn't a fruit bomb. The Munich Dark Lager, which they are not calling a dunkel, was deep copper in color with notes of caramel and toffee. They also use the dark lager in a beer cocktail called "Root Beer". This is made with Root liqueur, lemon juice, cane sugar, and then finished with a touch of the dark lager to provide the head on the "beer".

Summer bock (from the fermentor).

Wolfgang, B.R., Bob and Andreas.

1872: Courtesy of the NYPL Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection

Brewland Documentary

So... It's been a while! Yes, the last podcast and blogpost was way back in March, about six months ago! What happened, you ask? Full-time employment in Sept., that's what! And though B.R. is also a co-contributor, it's me, Bob, who handles the audio side of the operation, responsible for editing and formatting the podcasts.

But after almost a year into the new job, I feel that I can manage my time well enough to get us back on our weekly schedule. In fact, though we haven't posted in about half a year, we've recorded lots of features, including: the re-launched Paulaner NYC brewpub (to post by Monday!), the new Smuttynose Brewery, a few Brooklyn Brewery events (no surprise there), the new Greenport Harbor brewery, the Thirsty Quaker in Jersey City, and more!

In the meantime, we wanted to tell you about a documentary in the works about the development of the modern craft beer scene. It's called Brewland, and you can learn all about it at their Indiegogo website, where they're seeking to fund this brewdoc.