Article by: Eric Blumenfeld,
Beerspoke Tours CEO
The NFL Draft is underway. To commemorate, and to help fill out our loaded roster, we're drafting 4 new -- each, one year old or younger -- American craft breweries, by position:
QUARTERBACK -- The leader, the playcaller, the guy: Barrel Theory Beer Company. Everything about the place is cool. Set in always-getting-cooler St. Paul, MN, these guys are putting out killer beers in a welcoming space, and even won a popularity contest (USA Today's reader-voted best new brewery), as QBs often do. Try Rain Drops, their beloved juicy NEIPA.
RUNNING BACK -- Team workhorse, shouldering a hefty load, always pushing for the extra yard: Alvarium Beer Company. These guys built the brewery with their own sweat and bare hands, helping revitalize New Britain, CT. And their workhorse mentality resulted in an awesome gathering spot with great beer, like Randy Candy and the House of Terrific, their light bodied, well-hopped and gently fruity Saison Americaine, with a name to match.
LINEBACKER -- Defensive playcaller. Tough as nails and best led by a smart veteran who's seen a world of offensive sets: Celis Brewery, in Austin, TX. The Celis family has seen, and been through, a lot, having originally operated from 1992 to 2001, before closing. They reopened in 2017, and have put their experience to work, creating one of the most unique tasting room bars around (with the original Celis Brewery's copper kettle as its centerpiece), and mixing old world with new for delicious brews. Try the Celis White, their signature witbier first brewed in 1965 by the original Celis Brewmaster, Pierre Celis.
LEFT TACKLE -- Most important, skilled and agile protector of the QB: Fifth Hammer Brewing Company. Protecting the sanctity of the growing Queens, NY beer scene, Fifth Hammer is crazy agile, brewing a hefty, sweet, dessert-in-a-glass imperial porter (Iron Lotus) right alongside a heftily hoppy, fruity and aromatic DDH IPA (Royalty Racket) and every style in between. And if that isn't agile enough, their fun, inviting space also features brewer, Chris Cuzme, doubling as entertainment on the sax Wednesday nights.