Comparison Shopping

In anticipation of Brewmaggedon 3 - Son of Brewmaggedon, which kicks off right alongside some playoff football early tomorrow afternoon, I once again made a pilgrimage out to Brooklyn to pick-up some sanitizer and grommets for the fermenting bucket to prevent unwanted beer spoilage. Like a London bound flight in the jet stream, I rode the relative manic streak I have found myself in over the past two days and made not one but two separate brew shop stops in Brooklyn (both off the dreaded weekend R train...) - first up, Brooklyn Brew Shop.

Brooklyn Brew Shop operates out of the Brooklyn Flea Market which currently finds itself housed at One Hanson Place near the Pacific Ave stop (normally used to more bucolic surroundings but for a time housed in an incredibly ornate and impressive defunct bank building due to the cold winter chill). The Brooklyn Flea Market...where throngs of bearded photogs and tshirt marketers can blow 200 bucks on disco balls and mounted deer heads alike, all while window shopping necklaces fashioned from dented Coors light bottle caps and bits of thread. It was unclear whether or not the artisans themselves were selling these items ironically, but the gravely intensity of the refurbished clock/pocket watch shop-keep strongly suggested that at least he believed in his craft and was not simply pandering to the hipsterati.

I made my way downstairs to the vault, still a bit more "Cask of Amontillado" than I might have hoped, and the first table on the right was the Brooklyn Home Brew setup. Forced to wait on line behind nine or so fresh-to-the-scene kit brewers I grew impatient...we here at the EVBC mean business, and I didn't intend to piss away my Saturday afternoon listening to a mini-orchestra of noobs buying equipment we already possessed. Sadly, my very purpose in visiting was thwarted when I was told they had done run out of sanitizer...so it was back to the R train to discover points more Brooklyn-er.

After winding my way down to 56th street, I once again walked into the doors of Brooklyn Homebrew - their last day at the old shop before moving to finer digs on 8th street, a mere hop and skip from sunny EVBC HQ. While the Brooklyn Brew Shop is a great way to get an intro to brewing, true Brewthusiasts need to hit up this all-in-one shop for friendly advice and a full range of available equipment once you move past the beginning stages of brewmastery. I got the supplies and some extremely useful brewing advice (for instance, how to brew the grains the proper way...not that stupid way we've BEEN doing it). B.M. and I are all set to start in on round three - a deliciously hoppy Belgian White Ale, as of yet unnamed.

Feel free to get interactive and suggest some names!! If we pick yours as the best, a free EVBC HQ tour, a home-ordered pizza dinner and a 'meet and greet' with the Brewmasters themselves shall be your prize!!