Senator Chuck Schumer announced this week a call for the USDA to allow New York farmers that grow malt barley to qualify for the national malt barley crop insurance program. Right now, the state’s farmers, who currently grow on 2,000 acres across the state, cannot enroll in the program – a disincentive for farmers wanting to invest in an agricultural segment that will need to grow to support the state’s farm brewery and distillery initiative.

So, why is this important news for craft beer?

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Because the city can’t seem to go a week without a new beer spot opening, First Look is our roundup of the latest places to open that specialize in craft beer - bars, restaurants, and stores. This week, we take the A Train! Let’s head to four spots along the A Train, from Chelsea to Inwood.

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Every year, Draft Magazine releases their list of the 100 best beer bars in the U.S. The 2015 list has ten entries from New York City - matching its 2014 performance with the city’s best showing ever on the list. For a city that continues to bolster its beer reputation with more local beer than any time in recent history, Draft proclaims that a full tenth of the best beer bars in the country are right here in New York. Who made the list? Let’s take a look.

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Braven founders Marshall Thompson (left) and Eric Feldman (right) toast with Arrogant Swine owner Tyson Ho on Sunday (Photo: Chris O'Leary)

After years of planning and a Kickstarter campaign, Bushwick-based Braven Brewing now has beer to call their own. Their first beer, the White, began appearing at bars over the weekend, and is now available at Brooklyn spots like Arrogant Swine and The Sampler. Starting next week, Braven will celebrate their launch all over the city.

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In a statement on Facebook on Friday, Greenwich Village’s 508 Gastrobrewery announced that it had closed for good after six years in business as a restaurant and nearly four as a brewpub.

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After nearly twenty years of serving up beer on Union Square, the original location of Heartland Brewery closed its doors on New Year’s Eve, officially ending the heritage era of the brewpub it New York City. Heartland’s Union Square location opened in 1995 and it was the last brewpub of the 1990s era of brewing expansion in New York City to remain open. Heartland’s remaining locations, all in Midtown, continue to operate normally.

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