BREWERY REVIEW: LIC Beer Project

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

Long Island City Is the place to be if you want to explore the New York craft beer scene. No other neighborhood (at this point) has as large of a concentration of breweries and beer bars. I’m sure the attraction comes from the large industrial buildings leftover in this neighborhood and the close proximity to Manhattan. The scene is so alive in Long Island City that the four breweries have put together an unofficial walking brewery tour that enables people to hit all four in one day.

The only one I had yet to visit is the newest one, but I remedied that recently. LIC Beer Project opened earlier this year and now has a small tap room with lots of space for expansion.

I arrived on a Friday evening and I was surprised at how many people had already settled in for one (or more) of their three beers on taps. The brewhouse was in full view, but operation had ceased for the day and no tours were offered. The bartender, whose brother is one of the brewers, told me that on certain afternoons they do tours of the facility and hope to do more in the future.

The seating and bar area have an open, modern industrial vibe and provided plenty of comfort to enjoy their funky Belgian-style beers.

All three beers on tap had the Belgian descriptor in front of their name and two were labeled saison. So, you IPA and stout fans are out of luck (at least for now).

To start, I tried the Genuine Illusion, one of their saisons. The golden orange liquid had a healthy cream colored head with many aromatics.  Bubble gum notes, much like a wheat beer, were prevalent and the flavor had a bit of earthy funk. Floral hoppy notes were noticeable, but kept in check by the bready, yeasty expressions.

I also tried their Belgian pale ale called WonderLIC (but confusingly pronounced wonderlick). This had the most bitter hop notes of any of their beers, but still had a nice balance of malt and yeast flavors. Bready, floral, and grassy were the main characteristics and the dark golden beer had a nice full mouthfeel.

My friend also let me try their other saison, named Ardent Core. This I found the most mild of all the beers with a minor focus on hops, but a strong citrus experience that finished on an approachable dry note.

Truth be told, I didn’t find a ton of variety in their beers. I imagine this will change once they get their other beers underway and release some of their barrel-aged concoctions. The prices are fair ($5 or $6) and the space is beautiful. I’m excited to see LIC Beer Project take off and hold their own in a neighborhood that will never go thirsty again!

Check out the video on the brewery below:

LIC Beer Project

Is LIC Beer Project the best brewery in NY? They have some stiff competition in their neighborhood alone. They have a great space and some good beers so that earns them a 7 out of 10. I anticipate even bigger things to come from this space in the future.

Is LIC Beer Project’s Genuine Illusion the best beer in NYC? It gets a 7 out of 10 for the full funky flavors and big yeasty notes.

Is LIC Beer Project’s WonderLIC the best beer in NYC? I appreciated the balance of grassy hops and bready yeast, so this gets an 8 out of 10 for being drinkable and layered.

Is LIC Beer Project’s Ardent Core the best beer in NY? This is for those that like a more subtle beer, but it still gets a 7 out of 10 for fruity, citrus tones and a dry finish.