The Best Places To Buy Beer From The Bronx Brewery

The Bronx Brewery, based in the Bronx, New York, offers a range of craft beers, including IPAs, ales, and lagers. With a production facility, taproom, and event space in the South Bronx, the brewery has been a popular destination for beer enthusiasts to witness the brewing process. However, recent industry challenges have led to a merger with Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., resulting in changes to the brewing operations and locations. Despite these shifts, the distinct brand and company values of The Bronx Brewery are set to endure, with distribution continuing across multiple states and even internationally.

Bronx Brewery beer ratings and reviews

The Bronx Brewery, based in the South Bronx neighbourhood of New York City, was founded in 2011. The brewery has a taproom and a backyard at 856 East 136th Street, Bronx, NY 10454. The Bronx Brewery team prides itself on four principles: innovation, approachability, creativity, and community.

The brewery's banner beer is the Bronx Banner, a Kolsch-inspired ale brewed with Belgian pilsner, American wheat malts, and classic Bavarian hops. It has a clear-filtered, soft, and balanced profile, with big floral and tropical aromas. The beer has a light body and a refreshingly tart, red wheat malt finish.

The Bronx Brewery also offers a Belgian Pale Ale, featuring two strains of Trappist yeast, one Belgian ale yeast, and Belgian candi sugar. This beer has a fruity, spicy, and earthy profile, with a clean backdrop provided by the Belgian Pilsner and Biscuit malts, and the German Vienna malts from Bamberg. The spicy and lightly herbal Sterling hops add a unique touch.

In addition, the brewery has a Rye Pale Ale on tap, characterised by its intense spicy rye flavour and golden-orange hue. This beer is crafted with malted and flaked rye, making up nearly a quarter of the grain bill. Chinook and Crystal hops lend a gentle bitterness and a spicy, piney, and herbal character to this rich and bold brew.

The Bronx Brewery also has a Northeast IPA, which is slightly sour, crisp, and refreshing, with a juicy punch. It is brewed in collaboration with the Swedish brewery, Sigtuna. This hazy IPA features hibiscus and dragon fruit, perfect for those seeking a unique and fruity beer experience.

Lastly, the Rabble Rouser, a Pre-Prohibition Lager, pays homage to the Bronx's historic roots. Brewed with 6-row malt and classic adjuncts like corn and rice, this lager offers a beautifully balanced malt sweetness and a dry, refreshing finish.

Bronx Brewery locations

The Bronx Brewery, based in the Bronx, New York, has a few locations you can visit. Since 2013, the company has operated a production facility, tap room, and event space in the South Bronx. Here, beer enthusiasts can get a glimpse of how the brews are made by visiting on weekends when the production area is open. You can see the massive metal tanks, sacks of grain, the canning and labeling line, and the fermentation process in action.

In addition to its flagship location in the South Bronx, the Bronx Brewery has expanded to include newer, smaller locations in the East Village and Hudson Yards. These locations offer convenient access points for those looking to enjoy a brew closer to these neighborhoods.

The brewery has also distributed its beers throughout the states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as a few countries abroad. This means that even if you're not in the immediate vicinity of the brewery, you may be able to find their beers at select retailers or establishments serving their brews.

It is worth noting that as of October 2024, The Bronx Brewery has announced a merger with the Westchester-based Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. This merger is intended to help both companies navigate industry challenges and thrive during a downturn. As a result, the day-to-day operations in the South Bronx location will undergo changes, including the removal of brewing, canning, and labeling equipment, and the relocation of the existing brewing team to Captain Lawrence's larger brewhouse in Elmsford, Westchester. Despite these changes, the Bronx Brewery Founder and President, Damian Brown, has assured that the brand will remain distinct, and the company will stay true to its original vision.

Bronx Brewery history

The Bronx Brewery, located in the Bronx, New York, offers a range of beers, including IPAs, ales, and lagers. The brewery's history is deeply rooted in the borough's long tradition of brewing, which dates back to the early settlers of the seventeenth century.

The art of brewing in the Bronx can be traced back to the Dutch settlers and colonial forefathers who first established the area. Notable figures such as Jonas Bronck (1600-1643), the first modern settler, and Jacobus van Cortlandt (1658-1739), who built the oldest standing structure in the Bronx, the Van Cortlandt House, are known to have brewed their own beer. Homebrewing was also a common practice among housewives during this period, and even President George Washington had his own recipe for "small beer," a low-alcohol brew.

In the nineteenth century, German immigrants introduced lager beer to the Bronx, and the borough became a significant brewing center. The German breweries in the Bronx, particularly in the Morrisania district, contributed to New York City becoming one of the country's largest brewing centers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, the modernization of the Bronx and the eventual enactment of Prohibition dealt a significant blow to the brewing industry, causing many breweries to close their doors.

Today, The Bronx Brewery carries on the borough's brewing tradition, crafting a variety of beers that pay homage to the past while also embracing modern techniques and flavors. Their Rabble Rouser lager, for instance, is a Pre-Prohibition Lager that uses classic adjuncts like corn and rice to deliver a beautifully balanced malt sweetness with a dry, refreshing finish. The brewery also offers innovative IPAs, such as their Northeast IPA with tropical fruit flavors and their White IPA, which features soft wheat and lightly toasted malts.

Bronx Brewery beer types

The Bronx Brewery, located in the Bronx, New York, offers a variety of beers that celebrate the borough's historic roots. One of their signature offerings is the Rabble Rouser, a Pre-Prohibition Lager that pays homage to early American brewing traditions. This lager is crafted with 6-row malt and classic adjuncts like corn and rice, resulting in a beautifully balanced malt sweetness and a dry, refreshing finish.

In addition to the Rabble Rouser, The Bronx Brewery has several other unique beers. The Bronx Banner is a Kolsch-inspired ale brewed with Belgian pilsner, American wheat malts, and Bavarian hops. It stands out for its brilliant clarity, soft mouthfeel, and balanced flavors. The brewery also offers a Belgian Pale Ale, featuring two strains of Trappist yeast, Belgian candi sugar, and a variety of malts, resulting in a fruity, spicy, and earthy flavor profile.

For those who enjoy IPAs, The Bronx Brewery has a Northeast IPA that is slightly sour, crisp, and refreshing, with a juicy punch. They also have a White IPA that showcases big floral and tropical aromas. It has a soft yet slightly tart wheat character and mild hop bitterness, making it a well-balanced brew.

Another interesting option is their Rye Pale Ale, which derives its unique and intense spicy rye flavor from malted and flaked rye, comprising nearly a quarter of the grain bill. Chinook and Crystal hops further enhance this beer with gentle bitterness and spicy, piney, and herbal notes, creating a rich and bold drinking experience.

Bronx Brewery merger with Captain Lawrence Brewing Co

The Bronx Brewery, the only craft beer maker in the borough, has recently announced a merger with the Westchester-based Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. This merger comes as a response to the challenges faced by breweries in the current market, with high costs and tight margins. The industry is seeing a downturn, and even the oldest brewery in the country, Anchor Brewing, was forced to close in 2023 after 127 years.

The Bronx Brewery has been a beloved fixture in the South Bronx since 2013, with additional locations in the East Village and Hudson Yards. The company distributes its craft beers throughout the US, in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and even abroad. The Port Morris location has been a popular attraction for beer enthusiasts, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process, including massive metal tanks, grain sacks, and the canning and labelling line.

The merger with Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. is expected to help both companies thrive by combining their resources and expertise. Captain Lawrence is known for its extensive brewing capacity and state-of-the-art brewhouse, which will enhance the Bronx Brewery's production capabilities. The merger will also allow the Bronx Brewery to focus more on providing customers with an experience that goes beyond just the beer, as consumers today expect more from their favourite brands.

While the merger will result in some operational changes, such as the lay-off of the entire Bronx production staff and the relocation of production to Elmsofrd, the unique identities of both breweries will be retained. The Bronx Brewery's loyal customers and event partners can continue to expect the same great beer and experiences they know and love, with the added benefit of increased stability and potential for growth that the merger brings.

You can find Bronx Brewery beers at various locations across the US, particularly in the Northeast, including New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Their website and social media pages are great resources for learning more about their beers and where to find them.

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