BREWERY REVIEW: Five Boroughs Brewing Company

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

I finally made it to Five Boroughs Brewing Company. They have been on my radar since they opened in 2017.  But my biggest challenge has been their tap room hours.

They are located quite off-the-beaten path in the industruial side of Sunset Park. I actually find myself here from time to time when I lead a tour of nearby Industry City. I had many opportunities to swing by except it was always on a weekday afternoon. And they are only open in the evenings and weekend afternoons when I am almost never here.

Well, I finally was scheduled for a tour on a Saturday aftermoon and had a few hours afterwards so you can guess where I headed. Finally.

The tap room is quite large with the brewhouse hiding behind a door and a small window. The focus seems on the community with board games, puppy dogs, babies, the usual.

I really enjoyed sitting at the bar and admiring all the big signage. The bartenders were helpful and eager to chat about the brewery. Despite the sign that says they offer tours, they never quite figured out a regular schedule, the bartender explained. Sometimes they will do spontaneous tours but not as a regular thing. At least not yet.

So I was here strictly for the beer. As I was ordering, I realized my process on these visits have changed. In the past, I would have ordered all the standard and flagship beers that you might regularly see from this brewery. Instead, I chose some of the more unusual and special beers that sounded the most interesting to me.

One day I should probably check out their Pilsner, Helles, and Gose. But for this visit, I chose a flight made up of beers with less obvious names.

The first in my flight of five (which is a great deal at $14) was the Sweaty Ski Suit. This is a dangerously drinkable Tangerine Gose which is a sour with a bit of salt. It’s bright orange hue gives off aromas of citrus and juice. Wow! It tasted like a subtly beer-spiked glass of orange juice. It’s very fresh with a hint of acidity and I could have downed it as quickly as I do a morning elixir.

Just like the Sweaty Ski Suit was a variation on one of their regular beers (Gone), the Low and Slow is also a take on one that is usually on tap. They take their malty Helles lager and incorporate smoked beechwood. It makes this clear golden brew smell like sausage. Not a bad thing at all. Despite the sweet and smoke balance, it finishes dry and super clean.

Third up is the Empire Corridor which is a hazy yellow pale ale. The menu refers to it as “over the top” and it does have quite a bit of complexity going on,. It has big tropical fruit notes with a nice bitter tart finish.

The fourth beer, Come From Away is also the name of a musical on Broadway and refers to the cast who helped brew the beer. This Broadway and brewery collaboration is not the first one to happen in the city. It’s made in collaboration with The Happy Hour Guys (who also happen to Broadway actors) and proceeds from the sales go to charity.

It was my least favorite of the beers I tried here, but certainly not bad. The nose was blank – I smelled literally nothing. But the flavor was a bit more alive than that with a mild subtle citrus quality. It was far from offensive but lacked much complexity in my opinion.

The final sample was the Session Stout which are not usually two words you see together in breweries. A lower ABV (5%) made this roasty beer very easy to drink. It didn’t have as much richness as I expect from this style and I relate it more to a brown ale with slight coffee notes and a sweet honey backbone. It was a very drinkable beer, but might have a slight misnomer.

A week or two later, I came across one of the flagship beers that I didn’t get a chance to try at the brewery. I drank the Tiny Juicy IPA poured into a glass from the can and it was absolutely delicious. It was a great sessionable IPA (4.2% ABV!!) that had big juicy notes but a very easygoing finish.

I really enjoyed both the vibe and the brews at Five Boroughs. I’m so glad I finally got here. Now my new problem is when do I get back?

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company the best brewery in NY? A few points off for lack of tours and inconvenient hours (for me), but the beers, tap room, and vibe give extra credit equaling a 9 out of 10.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Sweaty Ski Suit the best beer in NY? Juicy and dangerous earns it a 9out of10 for being reminiscent of spiked fresh orange juice.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Low and Slow the best beer in NY? Smoky and sweet made for an interesting play on a Helles and its super clean body gets it an 8 out of 10.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Empire Corridor the best beer in NY? It also receives an 8 out of 10 for a complex and juicy start with a bitter dry finish.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Come From Away the best beer in NY? If any of the beers were a miss, this 7 out of 10 was it. Pretty boring with not much going on.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Session Stout the best beer in NY? It was quite tasty but the mild malts and toasty notes makes me think it was named incorrectly. 8 out of10.

Is Five Boroughs Brewing Company’s Tiny Juicy IPA the best beer in NY? It was one of my favorites and I could truly drink it all day thanks to its juicy tropical flavors and its easy-going finish.  9out of10.