Other Half (2020)

Lol, who would have thunk it!!

 

is this a “bad galaxy” situation like last year?

also, +1 for OH balancing transparency, safety, and access through all of this. Can only imagine everything they’re dealing with.

 

I recall someone asking a while back about the status of the Domino Park location. Well, here's what it looked like today:



I caught a glimpse inside earlier this week, and there's still lots of work to be done. If I had to guess, perhaps it'll be ready sometime this summer?*

(*Disclaimer: I'm an optimist who knows nothing about construction and hasn't spoken to the contractor.)

Whenever it does open, we'll have to arrange a meet-up there. But out of respect for the current public health crisis, might I suggest that we forgo multiple people tasting from the same glass and zealously sticking our hands into our mouths?


P.S. And that's the new Roberta's going into the opposite corner. It's not the Golden Arches, but it'll do in a pinch. For some of us, anyway.

 

Fuck North Brooklyn, leave the new OG taproom to the locals, enjoy all the boat shoes and shorts with little pink whales.

 

Where are all the people in that picture...

 

Further proof it is a recent picture.

 

while I haven't been able to get any new OH, i've gone down the rabbit hole of ordering more burial... this should pan out well for my wallet. Did just have my last Stacks on Stacks and it was tasting real good

 

Blade and Sheath is a solid saison if you happened to order that one.

Impulsively decided to take a trip to OH after work today with the mentality that it may be my last chance for a while. Deep Orbit might be the best stout I’ve had from them. PB is there but not overpowering and not a sugar bomb like most OH stouts. Great stuff.

 

Oh Wow the new location is at Domino Park? They'll get a lot of business, that park is the shit. In the future the entire East River waterfront is going to be a continuous esplanade because of gentrification. Its going to be noisy there for the next few years though, there's still a quite few more towers and public space to be built.

 

Gentrification is obviously a problem throughout Brooklyn, but you know as well as I do that the OG Other Half taproom is now closed with the exception of special events and the new taproom next door is often filled with folks who weren't born in Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, or Red Hook and wear blue collars. Places change. Industries do, too. Sometimes for better, others for worse. It's complicated.

But if this new outpost in the prime corner space of a luxury high-rise in a posh neighborhood doesn't offer salmon pink pants, shorts, and bowties peppered with little green broccolis as exclusive merch for their well-heeled clientele, I'll be sorely disappointed. That'll smack of commercial ineptitude, and I may even join your provincial crusade.

Given how crowded Domino Park can be whenever the weather's nice, the irony of this afternoon's desolation, even though it was a somewhat raw day, wasn't lost on me. When this location opens, and the pandemic has passed, it'll be a gold mine. To say nothing of when the "development" of that area is complete. The rent can't be cheap, but it won't matter.

 

@DrederickTatum I'm so down on OH stouts as a self-proclaimed stout snob, but the PB Deep Orbit was surprisingly delicious and I'm lookin' to get another bottle next time I swing through for cans. I think it's that nutty/roastiness of the peanuts working with the malts to counteract the perception of sweetness (which is definitely there with that one). It's got me hoping they go the fluffernutter direction a few more times (maybe with some coffee next).

@fdonnelly I find a self-imposed OH IPA break is always a good thing and helps one appreciate that even their "off batches" can run much farther and faster than the best brews from many other hop-centric breweries.

Curiously, why doesn't OH fuck with Belgian styles much- are they not fans? Or is it economics? Have they discussed that on a podcast (I don't listen to those). I think we lean on economics a lot (deliveries, pricing, limits, blah blah blah) but I bet there's more personality and intuition going into brewing and business decisions that we assume. Anyway, when I need a hop-bomb retreat I go to Belgian styles because they can cover your bitter or malty cravings really well.

 

Take OH, replace stouts/sours with Belgians, and you get Monkish. Took a trip there last month (right before all hell broke loose) and I gotta say as highly regarded as their IPAs are, their Belgian stuff was even better. Always heard OH inspired them on IPAs, hoping one day Monkish will return the favor on Belgian styles.

 

Whenever OH wander outside their haze factory guardrails it’s doesn’t tend to work out so well.

 

First to agree with that, though people didn't get on overnight lines pre anniversary over the fourth anniversary IPA (that we've all agreed was some of their best work historically), but the silly pastry stouts.... Clearly the crunchee garbage sells and so do their overly sweet stouts. Could they do more balanced and restrained stouts or sours? Maybe but hell why bother? Base stout not so great? Throw in more candy bars or whatever. "Sour" usually just means MOAR SUGAH BUT FRUIT NOT CHOCOLATE!
that said the short, dark,______ series is generally at worst very competently done if not actually high quality, but that won't get people lining up or trading for WHALEZ.

TLDR.. Do they actually lack talent/know how or do they lack economic incentive?

 

I was was half joking that's why I said new OG... I will be happy if the north Outpost pulls the trendy crowd away the south location.

Around there I use the disappearing Madonnas and St. Anthonys as a metric of gentrification, soon all the pizza will have vegan sausage on it.

 

For a long time I lurked / skimmed this thread. So sorry if I’m mixing you up with someone else. But are you the guy that prefers $28 individual Neapolitan pies with Gorgonzola, consumed via knife and fork?

 

How’s this batch of More Citra tasting? About to head to DTC today, any feedback on the following batches of:

-More Citra
-Space Daydream
-Misfroots Blueberrg/Peach Cobbler
-Mmm Plum Vanilla
-Green City
-DDH Forever Ever
-Oh Forever

thanks y’all and stay safe!

 

Depository Trust Company? Direct To Consumer? Denver Tech Center?

 

Maybe Downtown Crown? I know that's a liquor store in MD that gets OH drops.

 

I use Baby Gaps but that's fair. Of course other half in Gowanus was an early gentrification sign....I worry more about the Disney effect. Putting aside the active harm of the way gentrification has gone on throughout most major American Urban centers (obviously harming the elderly long term residents and particularly minorities wildly disproportionately), as much as more tank space etc for other half is great, I worry we're going to lose some opportunity for competition and innovation when these businesses just keep expanding. Will they drop in quality? (I know, too sweet ACE etc but that's likely INTENTIONAL in my opinion not a product of inferior hops/cut corners)
Will they feel challenged enough to meaningfully develop new or interesting products? Will prices just balloon?
Certainly COVID isn't doing any favors for small Brewers either....
I guess really it's inevitable, like some small/independent artist.... First you discover them, they expand and help develop your taste in music. Then some (finance Bros?) find out about them, they release some cookie cutter albums and you drone on about how "they used to be cool." Then you either move on or realize you're too old to find something new and get as much joy being a curmudgeon as you do consuming the product. (To be clear I LOVE to complain, as a born cynic.)
#bringbackclassicACE