(Photo courtesy Grimm Artisanal Ales)
BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Acclaimed Brooklyn brewers Grimm Artisanal Ales open their highly anticipated first permanent brewery and taproom in East Williamsburg [990 Metropolitan Ave between Morgan Ave and Catherine St; www.grimmales.com]. Founded by artists Lauren and Joe Grimm in 2013, Grimm has been producing sought-after beers for the last five years on an itinerant basis out of other existing commercial breweries — a practice known as “gypsy brewing.” In that time, the business received numerous recognitions, including first place awards at The Great American Beer Festival, the country’s premier blind-tasting competition, and being named New York City’s Best Local Brewery by The Village Voice, among other accolades. Lauren and Joe Grimm were also just celebrated by the Small Business Administration with their “2018 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year” award.
NEW BREWERY OFFERINGS:
Grimm’s new brewery allows them to expand production, experiment, and debut new styles of beers. In a beer scene obsessed with freshness, the new facility will allow the public to drink Grimm IPA at the absolute peak of brewery-fresh flavor, having been canned the previous day. By dedicating one fourth of their brewery’s 7,500 square footage to the aging and conditioning of barrel-aged sour beers, Grimm will also expand their sour beer program to include these unique and elusive beers and will be the first New York City brewery to focus on longterm oak-aged sours as a regular menu offering, which is a style known for its difficult and involved process.
The taproom opens with 10+ draft beer lines, bottle-conditioned oak-aged sour beers, a selection of New York State wine and cider, as well as locally-made sodas.
Each Saturday at 10am, Grimm will release new beers. Beers debuting on opening day Saturday, June 30th are:
- Flow State — Lauren and Joe have been working on this beer since they founded Grimm five years ago. It’s a Golden Sour aged in oak for one year and saison aged in orange bitters barrels for three years. It is fermented with a mixed culture and dry hopped with Galaxy hops. (6% alc/vol). Only available in 750ml champagne-style bottles to-go and as pours in the taproom.
- Today’s Special — American Pale Ale featuring Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, and Ekuanot hops (5.5% alc/vol). Available on draft in the taproom and in 16 oz cans to-go (four packs)
- Zero Anniversary — Double IPA featuring Mosaic, Galaxy, Bravo, Simcoe, and Sorachi Ace hops (8% alc/vol). Available on draft in the taproom and in 16 oz cans to-go (four packs)
- Future Days — Golden Sour Beer fermented with a mixed culture, blended from select oak barrels six to eighteen months in age, and dry hopped with Mosaic hops. Only available in 750ml champagne-style bottles to-go and as pours in the taproom.
- Lilt — Golden sour beer fermented with a mixed culture, blended from select oak barrels six to eighteen months in age, and refermented with four pounds per gallon of tart Montmorency cherries. (6% alc/vol). Only available as bottle pours in the taproom
- Tracery — Saison de Coupage, a traditional Belgian farmhouse style in which barrel-aged sour beer is blended with fresh saison. Grimm’s coupage is a blend of 70% young saison and 30% barrel-aged golden sour. (6% alc/vol). Only available as bottle pours in the taproom
MIDDLE EASTERN-INSPIRED FOOD BY SAMESA:
Grimm is partnering with Eli and Max Sussman of the Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant Samesa in Williamsburg to offer a menu that pairs well with Grimm beers. The menu features Samesa favorites such as Chicken Shawarma Melt (chicken, green zhug, shredded cheddar on a pita and grilled, served with purple slaw), the Samesa Board (pita chips, marinated feta, taramosalata, muhammara, olives, spicy salami), and Pumpernickel Pita and Dips, which will feature a rotating seasonal special dip made with Grimm beer.
MINIMALIST DESIGN:
Grimm partnered with inc_a — a new New York City-based firm founded by David Bench and Jonathan Chesley. Reflecting Grimm’s unique visual brand, inc_a designed the industrial space to have a playfully minimalist aesthetic. Bright white walls are softened with Lynchian red velvet curtains wrapping the 45-seat taproom. Tropical plants soak up the abundant natural light, and a blanket of warm incandescent bulbs hangs overhead. The taproom sits toward the front of the space, overlooking the stainless steel production equipment in the back area, which includes a 30bbl brewhouse, 60bbl and 90bbl fermenters, as well as over 160bbl’s worth of oak barrels dedicated to aging sour beer. Additional notable elements include a large bar topped with custom spalted maple and heart pine taproom tables fabricated by Tri-lox. Playful custom wallpaper created by artist Gretta Johnson (also also designed Grimm’s custom glassware) decorates the bathroom walls, and is reflected in infinity mirrors helping to reinforce the fun and playful identity of the brand.
ABOUT GRIMM:
Founded by partners Lauren and Joe Grimm in 2013, Grimm has captured the attention of craft beer fans with its limited-edition, award-winning beers and creative branding (all beer labels are also designed by Lauren, Joe and friends). Operating with no permanent address, Grimm has nevertheless been at the epicenter of beer’s current renaissance, achieving international renown as creative innovators of craft beer’s hottest new forms, such as dry-hopped sour ales and “juicy” Northeast-style IPA. The Grimms re-envisioned beer as an ongoing, ephemeral creative stream by brewing new, limited-edition recipes every month, accompanied by ever-changing label art by the Grimms and and their friends.
To support the opening of their first permanent brewery, Grimm received a $4.2M loan through the New York Business Development Corporation – an entity whose mission is to encourage economic development throughout the five boroughs while working to create and retain jobs for New Yorkers.
For more information visit grimmales.com and follow Grimm on Instagram: @grimmales and on Facebook: @grimmales
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