SIXPOINT EXCLUSIVES (Sixpoint’s Bark Red Ale at Bark and Sixpoint’s Saison at Roberta’s Get Safe Saison)

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

The day will come that if you walk in to any independently owned Brooklyn restaurant, you will find a beer brewed just for them by Sixpoint. In a span of a week, I was at two of Brooklyn’s hottest restaurants for a meal and discovered that they both had a special beer that you could find nowhere else. Talk about local and exclusive. But also pretty cool.

At Bark Hot Dogs, the Bark Red Ale paired extremely well with the haute hot dogs. Served in a compostable plastic cup (made from plant material), the beer poured a hazy, rich amber with lots of active bubbles. Strong malt revealed itself on the nose with maybe a whiff of apricot. The malts indeed lingered on the first sip, especially at the front, with a clean bitterness to finish. There wasn’t much carbonation and I found the finish a little too light. It almost disappeared a little too soon, with the flavors sort of petering out. I liked the flavor of the beer, especially paired with the smoky hot dog, but I thought it needed a touch more body at the end.

Of course Roberta’s also has a special beer just for them. I’m surprised Roberta’s, which is probably the leader in the whole Brooklyn locavore food movement, doesn’t just brew the beer themselves on their roof.

But of course, space and legal concerns abound, so Sixpoint makes the Get Safe Saison for them. The crazy thing is that many of the herbs and spices that make this a farmhouse ale actually do come from Roberta’s rooftop garden.

This peach colored beer is served in a glass mason jar and was rather hazy with almost no head. It smelled of fresh bread and bright citrus hops. Yum! The yeasty flavor lasted for a long time with orange notes up front and a clean, yet complex hop finish at the back. Lots of fresh flavors with a refreshing, quenching summery outlook.

I’m not sure either beer is necessarily worth seeking out on their own, but if you find yourself at one of these eating establishments (and both are worthwhile), these are fun and delicious beers to try. The question remains, when will the day come that Sixpoint brews a beer just for me? Then I’ll know I’ve made it!

Is Sixpoint’s Bark Red Ale the best beer in NY? If you’re eating hot dogs, it might be. It gets an 8 out of10 for an easy drinking with lots of flavor but a lack of a strong backbone.

Is Sixpoint’s Get Safe Saison the best beer in NY? It’s a wonderfully complex summer beer with fresh, local flavors and a nice crisp refreshing finish. 9 out of 10.