Best New York beers

These four:

Other Half
Transmitter
SingeCut
Barrier

 

Probably have to get most of it in growlers. Aside from Transmitter, which sells bottles at the brewery and at some local beer shops, and Carton, which sells cans in NJ, almost all of the really good breweries are growler-only right now, with exceptions for extremely limited releases:

Other Half - Brooklyn
Singlecut and Finback - Queens
Barrier - Long Island
Peekskill - Peekskill, NY
Kane - NJ
Carton - NJ

 

Peeskill and Other Half heads and shoulders above other New York breweries, but for the most part they don't bottle or can. What part of New York will your family be in? A trip to either for growler fills would do the trick.

Of course this is IMHO and haven't tasted all New York beer.

 

Also check out my NYC guide and Map for stores and breweries:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...bar-store-restaurant-and-brewery-list.200513/

 

Checking out seekabrew.com, any of the good stuff you don't get is a growler fill. The above recommendations are some really good examples of what to ask for.

 

Sixpoint in cans is a Tennessee beer. Just sayin. Their small batches in growler though are genuine Brooklyn. Good stuff if you can find it.

 

From what I've sampled/had (and the list is deep) this thread starts and ends with Peekskill. Chief is a freak and the beers are on par with what is so sought after in the Green Mountain State, just without the hype for some reason. That said, I have yet to try anything from Other Half, yet, it's now on the 'to do' list.

 

Are you looking for growlers of beer brewed in and near NYC... or bottles of beer (brewed where ever) that are distributed to NY state that you don't get in Pittsburgh? Most answers here reflect the former.

 

when Cooper's had their Peekskill/Barrier/Other Half tap takeover about 1 month ago, we did Higher Standard/Money/Green Diamonds side-by-side-by-side...Green Diamonds was the clear winner, just sayin'

 

Dar gave the Green Diamonds a 4.79. Here is a description of its aroma from his review, "The aroma is a bit lacking, though pungent, a bit of plastic, dank qualities, citrus peel." Guess he likes that "lacking" quality, and plastic scent, in those beers he gives a nearly perfect score.

I am not saying you and the others at Coopers also had a bit of homerism. Or am I?

 

I'm not Dar, and I didn't smell plastic lol

I'm also not a homer (I'm from NJ, remember?!)...ask Vince, when he & I met up for our first IP trade, that was my first time having Higher Standard, and I was BLOWN AWAY! then FF 2 weeks to when I had Green Diamonds for the first time (Money too, FWIW), and I was BLOWN AWAY x2

that's all

 

Haha all in fun man, thought the smiley would express that. Guess I am just jealous I wasn't at Coopers to have enjoyed those with you.

and when it comes to homerism I am more guilty than anyone, and I admit it.

IMHO Other Half is making some of the finest hoppy pales in New York right now. Great to be a fine beer lover round these parts nowadays.

 

Man that lacking quality and the plastic are what makes that beer the absolute nuts!

 

Other Half's Super Fun! is fantastic!

 

Rushing Duck, Crossroads, and Captain Lawrence are all very solid breweries relatively from that area. I've always enjoyed Captain Lawrence, and finally got to try some Rushing Duck (Kroovy, Remarkable Liquids 2nd Anniversary IPA, and Baby Elephant) and Crossroads (Outrage and Black Rock) a few weeks ago, and I was super impressed. Kroovy was dynamite, especially.

Tried some Singlecut Billy 18-Watt IPA last week too, they're starting to distro to Rochester, really tasty stuff, bold flavor for only about 5% ABV.

 

I do think that Green Diamonds is OH's clear best winner. I try not to enforce homerism. Saying that, other than All Green and Small, I actually am not blown away by OH's other hoppy beers. Very happy to have them, but most of their beers aren't like the second coming of Christ.

As for the aroma on Green Diamonds, I updated that review from a growler fill from one of the most recent batches. Could just be batch variation that the aroma is lacking. I didn't mean "plastic" as an off flavor or off putting, it's just that pungency of hops sometimes is hard to describe, and that's what I compared it to.

On the flavor though, the beer does not disappoint. That is enough to overcome the aroma. A top tier DIPA that I would rate 97-98 on BA's point scale. Slightly sweet and a hint alcoholic compared to the VT 100/100 rated beers.

I haven't had them side by side, but Higher Standard and Green Diamonds are the best NY beers I've had.

 

I thought it was as good as, if not better than, 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust.