Open since 2015 or so, this is one of the many microbreweries all around Queens and Brooklyn. The…read moretaproom area is spacious and rustic, like most tap rooms, and they seem to be kid-friendly, though most folks, of course, were of drinking age. Our small group was here after a long walk, and everyone was in the mood for a drink. In terms of food, they have some snacks, and there are food carts outside on certain days. Sunday's option was Mom's Momos right outside, but the cart was unfortunately out of most of their things, but this is not the brewery's fault. For my selection, I decided to get a few of the 5oz (or 5.5oz) sampler/tasters of two $4 beers, and eventually a third, instead of getting a 10oz pour, though the pricey Cuvée Barley Wine sounded interesting. The bartender, who appears to be the owner from the photos online, was friendly and gave good suggestions.
My favorite of the bunch was from their rotating cask selection, which was a bit surprising as I tend to like sours and stronger beers. This was the Billy Neverwilly, a 5.6% APV English Pub Ale, or Bitter. As expected for the style, it was very pleasant, being malty with a little bit of bitterness. For the percentage, which is higher than the typical pub ale, it was surprisingly drinkable. If I got an $8.50 20oz pour, it would be very dangerous, as I could easily drink another few.
More unique, but still tasty, was the Grätzer, a 4.0% Grodziskie, or smoked wheat ale, a style originally from Poland. Previous to this, the only smoked beer I ever had was the German Rauchbier, using smoked barley. The most well-known one is the original from Schlenkerla, and it is pitch black with an off amber head, very smoky, and very tasty, and you can find it at Karczma in Greenpoint. The color in this case looked like any typical wheat ale/witbier with white foam and had a very mild smoky smell. The flavor was interesting, with the initial sip tasting like your typical citrusy wheat ale, but with a smoky aftertaste.
The last of the brews was the Guava Goggles, a 5.5% Sour Ale with Guava and Lime, which he recommended over the similarly named Berry Goggles. It was primarily sour, but had some mild sweetness from the guava and a bit of tang. Occasionally, I find guava a bit overpowering, but it worked here. This was again refreshing and easy to drink.
I would go back here, and next time, I would probably go with the Infernal Optimism, a 6.7% Smoked Porter, which seems available frequently. I also wouldn't mind trying something else interesting, as everything was good, which is rare for the number of styles I tried. Nice rotating taps, nice staff, and a good, large space. It's hard to dislike this place.