On Saturday, LocalBozo.com joined a sold out crowd of beer swilling enthusiasts at the historic Skylight One Hanson bank building in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, for the first annual Village Voice Brooklyn Pour craft beer tasting event. Over 100 vendors and 1,000 guests showed up to the event with patrons walking around the Old Williamsburg Savings Bank smiling as the vendors filled their complimentary shot glasses with a taste of beer at each station. The venue was immaculate looking, with vaulted ceilings and each beer vendor set up behind one of the old teller windows. Each purveyor was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the different craft brews on tap.

Far be it for an event of this caliber to be left with the silence of basic crowd noise- the Voice had a DJ spinning in the center of the massive room, mixing throughout the afternoon long event. The vendors ranged from more well-known breweries like Magic Hat and Guinness, to more local vendors, like Brooklyn Brew Shop and the Schmaltz Brewing Company. Each vendor had several choices of beer on display, usually a lager and something akin to a pale ale. Especially flavorful were the seasonal brews, and for autumn, many vendors had a pumpkin beer or an Oktoberfest brew on tap. We especially liked Shipyard Brewing Company’s “Shipyard Pumpkinhead” which had a rich, spicy pumpkin flavor, perfect during the Halloween season. More light and refreshing were the Raven Import Company’s “Dentergems Belgian White Beer” and the Breckenridge Brewery’s “Agave Wheat Beer.” Notably, the Schmaltz Brewing Company had their “Genesis 15:15,” which is a barrel-aged barleywine with figs, grapes, dates, and pomegranates. It has 13.4% alcohol, which made each sip feel like a kick in the face, and aside from the high alcohol content, we learned that there were only about 100 barrels created worldwide. Other standouts tastes included Weihenstephan’s “Hefe Weiss Festbier” and the Brooklyn Brew Shop’s “Bourbon Dubbel,” made with wood chips soaked in bourbon. The Brooklyn Brew Shop also sells a do-it-yourself beer kit for $40, with the woods chips pre-soaked and instructions for at home beer making. Original Sin Hard Cider was also on hand with their Original Cider, ranked a top American cider by the New York Times. Although this was definitely not an event for the non-drinker, there were non-alcoholic options available from the likes of Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale.

There were several food vendors on hand as well, with Bareburger giving away complimentary sliders. The Elk sliders had aged cheddar and special sauce, and the Wild Boar sliders had aged cheddar, bread + butter pickle, and chipotle ketchup. Both sliders were explosive with flavor. Also, Pizza 33, Sigmund’s Pretzels, Super Wings, and Hofbrahaus were all set up downstairs at the event, selling inexpensive snacks for all the beer drinkers to help cleanse out their collective pallet. In the VIP area, Rick’s Picks, Brooklyn Salsa Company, Unique Pretzels, and School House Kitchen were all providing samples of their delicious goods.

This may have been the first annual Brooklyn Pour, but we doubt it will be the last. Everyone in attendance had a great time and the beer never stopped flowing for the entirety of the four hour event. With the cold winter months right around the corner, this event allowed patrons to sample plenty of beers to determine what their seasonal and winter favorites will be. The event could only be ruled a success, as everyone milled around the massive space, sampling the many flavorful options. Admittedly, the various beers begin to blend together on the palate after several tastings, but this event was definitely a craft beer lover’s paradise with the opportunity to taste beers from breweries both big and small.

- Terry Ballou