Are we hop-obsessed? That’s the premise of a commentary in Slate by Adrienne So this week. She makes the case that brewers’ obsession with making hoppy beers is turning off potential craft beer drinkers. Of course, it’s silly for her to think the brewers who are to blame for this; plenty of craft beer drinkers - “hopheads” - demand these beers. But low-bitterness Pilsners, Brown Ales, and Kölsches are easy to come by these days. Even my dad, a loyal Coors Light drinker, fell for a Kölsch last summer. So seems to be working on the premise that if you’re introducing someone to craft beer, you go straight for the IPA or a hoppy pale ale. If that’s the case, you’re doing it wrong. There are plenty of great American-brewed craft beers out there that won’t give a new beer drinker bitter beer face, and virtually every American brewery makes one.

That’s common sense, and the writer of the article seems to throw it out the window. Quite simply, if you think that American Craft Beer is all about hops, you haven’t had enough American Craft Beer.

As we wrap up American Craft Beer Week, here’s a rundown of this weekend’s beer events.

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You’ve probably seen a few beers from Bridge & Tunnel on tap around the city lately, and you might be wondering what this brewery is all about. We told you about Rich Castagna’s operation out of Maspeth back in December, and he continues to churn out new beers, like the Angry Amel Dunkelweizen and the Slaugherhouse Stampede Black Rye IPA, and business has been steadily growing, especially as the demand for unique, local, small-batch beers has increased in New York City.

Now, hear Rich tell his story and see just how he puts the “nano” in nanobrewery in his documentary by Shannon Smith. There’s also  appearances by Chelsea Brewing’s Mark Szmaida and our friend and Blind Tiger fixture Jen Schwertman… who we’re sad to say is leaving New York soon to move to the beer haven of San Diego.

Learn about the rapid expansion of craft beer in New York, and the trials and tribulations of a brewer in this video. Enjoy!

It’s Thursday, May 16th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• Celebrate the first anniversary of the New York City Brewers Guild at New York Beer Company (321 W. 44th St., at 8th Ave., Midtown West) tonight at 7pm. They’ll have beers from members of the Guild, including Sixpoint, Bronx Brewery, Rockaway, KelSo, Shmaltz, and others. They’ll toast to the Guild’s first year at 8pm.
  
  
• Newburgh Brewing heads down the Hudson to take over the taps at Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) tonight at 7pm. They’ll have a whopping 14 lines of beer, including the Chile-Lime Stout, The Newburgh Conspriacy Russian Imperial Stout, Paper Box Pale Ale, and tons more. Hear more about Newburgh on this week’s episode of Beer Sessions Radio.
  
  
• Down Fifth Avenue, another Hudson Valley brewery visits The Owl Farm (297 9th St., at 5th Ave., Park Slope): Peekskill Brewery. They’ll pour the Amazeballs Pale Ale, Midnight Toker Black IPA, Hop Common, Shotgun Willie Rye IPA, and more beers rarely found here in the city. Get to know this up-and-coming brewery.
  
  
• Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave., at Franklin St., Greenpoint) hosts Firestone Walker tonight from 6-10pm, with the Velvet Merkin, Walker’s Reserve Porter, Double Jack, and yes - the infamous Parabola - all on tap along with a few others from Paso Robles.
  
  
• Alewife (5-14 51st Ave., at 5th St., Long Island City) toasts to American Craft Beer Week as part of the ACBW’s Nationwide Toast at 8pm. They’ll also feature beers from Allagash all night, like the FV13, Smoke and Beards, Yakuza, and many more.
  
  
• The Thursday Tap at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) is the Nøgne Ø Tiger Tripel, a boozy 9% ABV Belgian-style beer from Norway. Get there at 5pm to try it.
  
  
• Stinky Bklyn (261 Smith St., at Baltic St., Cobble Hill) hosts a free tasting with Port Jeff Brewing Co. tonight from 5-8pm, with a beer and cheese pairing that features their Schooner Pale Ale. Plus, they’ll discount growlers 20%.
  
  
• Barcade Jersey City (163 Newark Ave., at Erie St., Jersey City) celebrates New Jersey Beer Night tonight starting at 5pm.They’ll fill their tap lines with breweries from across the state, like Boaks, Carton, Flying Fish, Bolero Snort, and many more.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries.

SAVOR is just around the corner now. The two-day beer and food event takes place less than a month from now - June 14th and 15th -  at Metropolitan Pavilion and the Altman Building (125 W. 18th St., at 6th Ave., Chelsea). This is no ordinary beer festival. It’s put on by the folks who know how to put on a good beer festival, the beer industry group the Brewers Association. And it’s got dozens of brewers you’ve never seen in New York, and some that you’ll probably never see again here. We’re talking beers from Ninkasi, Crooked Stave, and Bell’s… and that’s just scratching the surface.

Tickets are still available for both the Friday and Saturday sessions for $170. But we’re giving away a pair right here for the Friday Night session to one lucky winner.

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It’s Wednesday, May 15th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• The Pony Bar UES (1444 First Ave. at 75th St., Upper East Side) celebrates its first anniversary today with happy hour prices all day and all night! Plus, some special brews like Goose Island Sofie Paradisi, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, Bruery Sour in the Rye, and more!
  
  
• City Swiggers (320 E. 86th St., at 2nd Ave., Upper East Side) hosts a tasting from newcomer Kuka of Rockland Countytonight starting at 6pm. Enjoy a few brews with maca root, like the IPA and the Banana Nut Brown.
  
  
• Get a cheap thrill from Smuttynose tonight at 4th Avenue Pub (76 4th Ave., at Bergen St., Boerum Hill). Starting at 7pm, they’ll have a long lineup of brews from the New Hampshire operation, including the ParadoX, Bloom, Really Old Brown Dog, Summer Weizen, and more!
  
  
• Dive 75 (101 W. 75th St., at Columbus Ave., Upper West Side) hosts the UK’s Meantime tonight at 7pm. They’ll pour the IPA, Scotch Ale, Coffee Porter, and London Stout for your pleasure.
  
  
• Celebrate American Craft Beer Week with Sierra Nevada at The Stag’s Head (252 E. 51st St., at 2nd Ave., Turtle Bay) tonight. They’ll have 14 lines from the mother of all West Coast brewers, plus a special cask and free food at 6pm!
  
  
• Singlecut Beersmiths and Idle Hands Bar (25 Avenue B, at 2nd St., East Village), team up for the bar’s weekly $10 Bourbon and Beer Tasting Series. Taste the Billy 18-Watt IPA, Jan Olympic White Lager, and more fresh beer from Queens!
  
  
• Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) and the folks at Bitter & Esters homebrew shop show off the fruits of their labors from two hands-on classes in their “Brew Like a Pro” Series, where they brew clones of popular American craft beers. Tonight at 7pm, buy the original beers: Weyerbacher Heresy and Troegs Hopback Amber, and get a pour of the cloned beers to compare along with it!
  
  
• Taproom 307 (307 3rd Ave., at 24th St., Murray Hill) hosts Boulder Beer tonight at 6pm. Grab some Colorado goodness like the Hazed and Infused, which takes on new meaning given the new laws in the Mile High State.
  
  
• As the Mariners visit the Bronx Bombers, Seattle’s Pyramid takes on New York’s Bronx Brewery tonight at Bourbon Street (346 W. 46th St., at 9th Ave., Hell’s Kitchen). They’ll have drink specials and giveaways starting at 6pm and throughout the game.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries.

Summer is just around the corner, and while some summer seasonal beers have already been out for months, we’ve found two new one-off releases from local breweries that could contend for this year’s summer jam. Plus, there’s a new brewery in Rockland County that’s getting inspiration from an unusual place… and you can find their beers in the city already.

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