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New Heartland Brewery Beers
I have had many conversations with people about the quality of beer and beer cultures in various cities. Many claim to live in the best beer drinking city. Usually people will evaluate a city based on the quality of the beer that local breweries put out and/or the level of sophistication of the drinkers. I think it is most important to look at the balance between the two. As a city’s beer culture matures, beer drinkers learn to appreciate better beers and breweries are both forced and enabled to put out better beers. People will demand better beer, and breweries will be able to put out more bold and exciting beers to an audience that will appreciate them. With that said, Heartland Brewery has been acknowledging the increased maturity and sophistication of New York beer drinkers and has started creating some exciting beers. I encourage you all to check them out and especially tonight, there will be $1 pints of their new and hoppier Indiana Pale Ale.
From Heartland Brewery:
Old Red Nose … in Four Versions
Brewmaster Kelly Taylor made four versions of this seasonal orange and ginger-infused beer: the classic Old Red Nose Ale (5.75% abv), a special edition version (8.25% abv), a keg-conditioned special edition (8.25% abv), and a limited edition bottle-conditioned special edition (8.25% abv) for holiday gifts (250 bottles, each priced at $14.95). The classic is currently on tap at all Heartlands and the special edition version will replace it in mid-December (the bottled versions are also on sale now; they also come as part of a $24.95 gift-pack that includes two glasses). The tiny quantity produced (just three kegs) of the keg-conditioned special edition Old Red Nose Ale will be on tap at Union Square in mid-December, too, though we only expect it to last for three days to a week, at most.Hot Mulled Ale
Heartland has created a hot mulled ale that is available at the Union Square and Empire Heartlands through the end of December. It contains Old Red Nose Ale, plus: apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, rum, honey and orange slices. You might also be interested to know that the drink will be served at the next New Amsterdam Market, with the proceeds to benefit City Harvest.Belgian Chocolate L’Orange
In late December or early January, Heartland is going to introduce its most ambitious (not to mention expensive to produce) Heartland beer to date: a Belgian Chocolate L’Orange (8.5 abv.). Made with Valrhona chocolate nibs and dried orange peel, this strong, spicy beer will have distinct espresso notes.Red Rooster Belgian Ale
In late December or early January, Heartland is going to be offering a special edition Red Rooster Belgian Ale at four of its restaurants. Kelly has given Heartland’s regular Red Rooster Ale a twist by fermenting it with Belgian yeast. The result is a bolder, spicier ale, with a pleasant hoppiness and complex, fruity finish.Indiana Pale Ale: The Next Generation
As you might know, Heartland has been brewing beer in New York City for the past 15 years. During this time there’s been a flat-out revolution in the popularity of craft beer in the U.S. Moreover, Americans’ taste in beer has changed dramatically. Consumers are now excitedly embracing more complex, intensely flavored beers that only five years ago they might have found overwhelming. The IPA category, in particular, has surged in popularity as imbibers realize that it’s overly simplistic to describe hop-driven beers as simply “more bitter” than other brews.In recognition of this shift in taste, Heartland has rolled out a next generation Indiana Pale Ale. For starters, it’s made with a nutty, rich English pale ale base malt, a touch of caramel malt for more depth of color, and an unmalted flake barley for textural roundness. Kelly also uses four hop varieties, each at different stages, which gives the finished beer a bold, resinous mouth feel. Each of the hops also adds a different flavor component: Chinook (bitterness and background spice), Amarillo (floral citrus), Cascade (grapefruit), and Simcoe (pine). Finally, this beer is unfiltered, resulting in a richer, more complex finish.
