My search for the best beer in New York continues….
A few weeks ago I went to what I thought was a “Tap Takeover” by Empire Brewing Company at Pony Bar. I got to try their great seasonal White Aphro, but most of the beers on the menu were not actually from Empire. Two beers does not a Tap Takeover make.
Then last week, it was announced that Empire would be taking over the taps at Upstate. This oyster/craft beer bar is a recent addition to Urban Oyster’s Fermented New York Craft Beer Crawl and since I don’t give that tour, I have not spent any time at this tempting little bar. I thought this was the prefect excuse to take advantage of their Happy Hour special (6 oysters and 1 beer for $12!) and maybe try lots of Empire Beers.
This time around it felt like the taps had truly been taken over. Empire had five separate beers represented and they were offering them for $5 each, along with free samples.
We arrived before anybody else right when Upstate opened to ensure we could get a table. The waitress helped me pick some amazing plump oysters from the east and west coast. Definitely the freshest and most delicious oysters I’ve had in a long time. And at $1 an oyster, it was a pretty incredible deal.
Thanks to two pints on my own and some sips of my friend’s beer, I got to try three Empire offerings. I started with the Liv and Let Rye (which I discovered was named after Olivia, one of the brewers who was present), a pale amber colored ale with a persistent white foam head. Grapefruit and orange revealed itself on the nose. Turns out this is called a Rye IPA and the hop character is certainly consistent with that name. Piney hops hit me at first with a subtle spicy rye sweetness at the finish. I was hoping for a little more of that rye character throughout, but this was still a strong beer.
Next was the Empire Strikes Bock. Maibock is not a style I’m closely familiar with, but I know it’s a darker lager that’s consumed during the spring. I was surprised at this beer’s golden blonde color and that the bartender filled the glass to the tippy top. It had no head to speak of, but was full of active carbonation. It smelled nutty and sweet, with hazelnuts being most prevalent. I found the beer quite low in hops, but crispy and malty. The effervescence was refreshing and perfect for spring, but the body was a little syrupy and the alcohol was definitely evident.
Finally we come to the Maple Porter. Since Brooklyn Brewery is just about done serving it’s limited Mary’s Maple Porter, it was hard for me to drink this without thinking about Mary (even though she has nothing to do with Empire’s version). It had a cola brown color with strong maple syrup notes on the nose – no surprise there. The flavors of coffee and cream came through while tasting it, but the maple syrup remained and it finished surprisingly dry and smooth. It might have been my favorite beer of the night.
I think I know finally experienced a true Tap Takeover and I was happy to do it with Empire, a brewery based out of Syracuse but partly brewed out of Brooklyn. And to tie this in to my first Upstate experience with awesome options, prices, and bivalves was a total thrill.
Is Empire Brewing Company’s Liv & Let Rye the best beer in NY? I didn’t taste as much rye as I had hoped, but the healthy hop notes and spicy/sweet balance worked pretty well earning this an 8 out of 10.
Is Empire Brewing Company’s Empire Strikes Bock the best beer in NY? The unexpectedly light and crisp beer had some nice sweet, nutty notes but it gets a 7 out of 10 since a heavy syrupy held it back for me.
Is Empire Brewing Company’s Maple Porter the best beer in NY? It was hard to separate it from Brooklyn’s recent creation, but it was a strong, dry brew with lots of sweet maple notes but a mostly dry backbone. 8 out of 10.
