Mission Dolores 6th Anniversary

 Interview with Crimson and Mike of Mission Dolores 
 Non-Flash version of the podcast

Mission Dolores celebrates their 6th anniversary this springtime, with the launch of an exclusive collaboration beer brewed by Other Half, located just down the road. Partners Mike and Ben Wiley began their Brooklyn craft beer bar empire in 2007 with Bar Great Harry on the corner of Smith and Sackett Streets in Cobble Hill. They followed with Mission Dolores in Gowanus/Park Slope two years later, then Owl Farm in Park Slope, Glorietta Badly on the Ft. Greene/Bed Stuy boarder, and just last month they opened Cardiff Giant in Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill.

B.R., Bob, Mike, and Crimson.

We spoke to Mike and bar manager Crimson at the 6th anniversary party, while enjoying some high octane brews from a very carefully crafted menu, including Grimm Maple Bourbon Double Negative, Founders KBS, Omnipollo Noa Pecan Mud Cake, and Crooked Stave Mama Bear's Cherry Pie, as well as rare bottles of Au Baron/Jester King Noblesse Oblige, Mikkeller SpontanPeach, Fantôm Hiver, and Cantillon Kriek!

Au Baron/Jester King, Omnipollo, and J. Wakefield/Other Half.

In the interview we talk about how 4th Ave. in Brooklyn has been eventually transformed into a beer destination, with the establishment of three breweries (Other Half, Strong Rope, and Threes) and numerous great bars (Mission Dolores, Pacific Standard, 4th Ave. Pub, Cherry Tree, and St. Gambrinus just around the corner). Though the thoroughfare recently lost the Dogfish Head collaborative vegetarian bistro Pickle Shack, the area looks like it'll be a strong beer district for years to come!

B.R. and Paul Sullivan of Two Roads Brewing.

Crimson, and B.R. acting out collaboration anniversary beer (!)

Exclamation Point in the middle (!)

Steven from Owl Farm in the red jacket.

All the Wiley bars have pinball machines.

Other Half/Mission Dolores Exclamation Point!

Freigeist In Brooklyn

35 tumblers of beer on the tray, 35 tumblers of beer...

Freigeist's Sebastian at Bierkraft in Park Slope podcast

One of the side benefits of having a large international beerfest in our (general) area which features brewers is that they tend to make the most of their trip abroad, and end up doing some events in our little town. Such was the case following The Festival, and one such brewer was Sebastian Sauer of Freigeist from Cologne/Köln, Germany, who is also the brewer of another upstart brewery, The Monarchy. He led a tasting at Bierkraft in Park Slope, and was also on hand at Spuytin Duyvil which featured his beers as well.

Bierkraft's insane list!!!

About 30 people showed up to hear Sebastian talk about the breweries and to sample 5 of the 15 Freigeist/The Monarchy beers on tap -- FIFTEEN! It's rare to see even one of these brews on draught!

Bierkraft.

Freigeist Bierkultur was founded in 2009 and first began importing to the U.S. in 2012, while The Monarchy started up last year, and makes their beers in the Dutch brewery Jopen, located in a former church. They also brew at the Braustelle brewpub in Cologne and the Vormann Brewery, situated about 70km north-east of Cologne.

Sebastian isn't as sour as his last name implies.

Most of Freigeist's products are made for export, as Germany is not a huge market for "unusual" beers that don't fit squarely into the modern German lager styles of Pils and Helles. Freigeist doesn't own it's own facility, but rents brewing time at the Cologne brewpub Braustelle, as well as other breweries (Vollman and also Göller, near Bamberg), as many other renowned craft brewers do.

L-R: Anthony of Proletariat, Joel Shelton, 
Sebastian Sauer, Chris of Bierkraft.

In addition to talking about his own enterprises and creations, Sebastian also talked about some of the obscure and nearly forgotten historical beers of Germany, which are the focus of The Monarchy brewery, as well as the Reinheitsgebot and other germane topics. He also answered the many interesting questions posed by the thoughtful group gathered. Hear his full presentation on the Beer Hear podcast!

Alternate name: A Beer Named Sue.

And I thought it was a product of England.

Grodziskie: 3.3% ABV, 5 IBU, 100% oak-smoked wheat malt
Polish style sour, bittered with willow bark.

Methusalem: 10% ABV Adambier aka Dortmunder Altbier.

Son Of A Batch: dark sour Göse, brewed with coriander
and Hawaiian black lava salt, aged in apple wood.

Munchhausen: Münsterland Altbier style, traditionally (mildly) sour.

Sauer Power ale: collaboration with Jester King.

Phoebe Caufield: this better be a rye beer!

Bierkraft backyard.

L-R: Joe from Bierkraft, Ira Glass, B.R. of Shelton Bros.

Jim spins the schlager platters.

Sebastian looks ready to bust some Schuhplattler moves.

You know, Heino!

Ottokolong at Spuyten Duyvil.

Black Smoke at Spuyten Duyvil.

Spuyten Duyvil list.

Son Of A Hickory: dark Göse sour, brewed with coriander and Hawaiian black lava salt, aged in hickory wood.
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Rauch at Spuyten Duyvil.

  [link to podcast page]