18 AWESOME Craft Breweries in Brooklyn (Brooklyn Beer Lover’s Guide + Map)
Check out the best breweries in Brooklyn and the best of the craft beer scene in Brooklyn. We have taste tested and approved the incredible artisanal brew scene here and we really need no excuse to go anywhere else in the city for great beer.
From experimental farmhouse-style ales, European style brew pubs, to some of the best IPAs you can find in the city, the beer scene in Brooklyn is out of this world.
What’s even more interesting about the craft brew scene is that it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when law changed that helped cause the resurgence of the almost lost and forgotten beer scene here in NYC.
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, Bushwick in Brooklyn was known as the beer capital of the Northeast with 14 different breweries within a 14 block area known as Brewer’s Row, and by the early 1900s, Bushwick and Brooklyn was responsible for 10% of the beer produced in the US thanks to the large German immigrant enclave here.
New York was a hop hub until prohibition which pretty much killed the hop industry and the beer industry that was so successful. It was in 2014 thats a law was passed allowing and legalizing on-premise sales to breweries that caused the big Brooklyn beer and NYC beer boom.
That’s when beer lovers, artists, and experts were finally able to bring their talents in craft brewing to the borough and create one of the best beer scenes in the country.
Pre-2014, it was hard to find a beer from Brooklyn that wasn’t Brooklyn Brewery or Sixpoint who are the OG of beer making in the borough post prohibition – and two incredible breweries in Brooklyn we recommend in this guide.
With over a dozen breweries, you can make an epic beer tasting and beer crawl journey through Brooklyn. See what some of our favorites are as well as what they’re known for.
Read Next: Most Iconic Places to Eat in Brooklyn
The Best Craft Beer in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Brewery
Address: 79 N 11th St
Easily the most famous of the breweries in Brooklyn where you can find on draft all throughout the city and easily in stores outside of the city is the Brooklyn Brewery, located in Williamsburg.
Brooklyn Brewery was one of the first and one of New York’s first post-prohibition craft breweries starting in 1988. This is also where the craft beer in Brooklyn trend started.
Their large brewery and tasting room is a great hangout space and a fun gathering spot for a drink with friends. There are vintage games here and plenty of space for small groups to gather. If you’re lucky during your visit you will stop in when they are having one of their events or local artisan markets.
This is arguably one of the best breweries in Brooklyn for visitors because you can also join a 45 minute guided tour through the facility and learn about their beer-making process, most other breweries in Brooklyn don’t have this. The tours are free on Sundays on the hour every hour from 1 to 6 PM.
They also have small batch tours available on weekdays and Saturdays, which are paid tours to be a part of and comes with a branded Brooklyn Brewery tasting glass! This is one of our favorite things to do in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Their Brooklyn Lager is their most famous as well as their Defender IPA and Bell Air Sour. We love the Pulp Art Double Hazy IPA too! They also do a great selection of rotating taps and seasonal beers.
Read Next: Things to do in Williamsburg
Other Half Brewing
Address: 195 Centre Street & 34 River Street
If we only could take friends from out of town to one of the best breweries in Brooklyn, it would be hard not to take them to Other Half Brewing at their original taproom and brewery location in Gowanus or the Domino Park taproom in Williamsburg.
I used to live just a short walk from the Gowanus location and miss having such easy access to their beer on draft. In recent years, you can find some places that serve their DDH Green City IPA (looking at you Table 87!), you can’t go wrong with any of their locations including Rockefeller Center now too! (They also have taprooms in Buffalo, the Finger Lakes, DC, and Philly too).
The Other Half Brewing has been around since 2014 and a attracted a cult-like following with their fun beer collaborations with other brewers and their famous large and always rotating selection of incredible hazy, juicy, and dank IPAs.
Their brewery is a great warehouse open concept style space that fills up and even has a line on the weekends. Or, you can just buy growlers or 4 packs to go with their amazing artwork released with each brew they come up with. There are often lines of people waiting for special releases too, which can be very competitive to get your hands on.
But be warned, many of their brews, specifically the IPAs have a higher ABV %, so a few of these can hit you bit harder than if you’re just sipping on a lager or pilsner.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Other Half Brewing is famous for its hazy and cloudy IPAs dry-hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and other famous hop varieties. You can also always expect some fun experimental brews on tap when you’re visiting that are always worth trying.
Read Next: Things to do in Gowanus
Talea Beer Co.
Address: 87 Richardson Street & 61 Bergen Street
Another one of the best places for a beer in Brooklyn is Talea Beer Co. which has not one but two Brooklyn locations in Williamsburg by McCarren Park and off of Bergen Street in Cobble Hill near the border or Boerum Hill. This woman-owned craft brewery is shaking things up in the Brooklyn beer scene. (They also now have a West Village, Bryant Park, & Grand Central Terminal taproom too!).
Known for their artisanal sours and great hazy IPAs, when you’re visiting be sure to try one of their signature flights for what tickles your fancy. Besides having great brews (that rotate) they have an incredibly stylish space.
What’s even better is that their space actually opens earlier in the day and they serve coffee drinks and light bites making it the perfect hang out with your laptop and work throughout the day kind of space, meeting spot for work or pleasure, and of course date spot.
The Williamsburg location is much larger and great to work from, read a book, or meet a group of friends! I really love how spacious this spot is.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
You can find some quality sours here and really fun flavors that match the season! They also are known for their IPAs. If you’re not sure what to try, check out one of their tasting flights.
Five Boroughs Brewing Co.
Address: 215 47th Street
Another one of the more famous and best breweries in Brooklyn is located in Sunset Park in a former steel manufacturer and warehouse. Five Boroughs Brewing Co. fits right in with the trendy and exciting new additions to Industry City.
This giant taproom has become the premier hangout spot for gatherings with its large long tables and great natural light coming in perfect for coming in groups or mingling at the communal tables with your drinking neighbors on a busy afternoon.
The space is also kid-friendly with some toys hanging around.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Five Boroughs Brewing Co. has made a name for itsself in the craft brew scene here in Brooklyn for its pilsners and lagers, the perfect summer day beers. If you’re a fan of juicy and hazy IPAs like we are, you can count on finding those here too.
Sixpoint Brewery
Address: 445 Gold Street
With a fun taproom located within City Point at Dekalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn, another one of the best breweries in Brooklyn to check out is Sixpoint Brewery.
This craft beer in Brooklyn spot has been around the neighborhood since 2004 when it opened in its small garage space and claims to use a ‘mad science’ approach to their signature brews through their different techniques and ingredients they use to make their master brews at their now corporate office location in Red Hook. (Sadly, as of now this location is closed and just used as a corporate office).
Sixpoint has been around long enough to be considered one of the first in the craft beer in Brooklyn scene behind Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg of course. They also have a taproom at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan too.
This is another one of those breweries you can taste from home by grabbing up a pack at your grocery store. Sixpoint is often easily found in New York state stores if you can’t make it to the original or the new up-and-coming taproom.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Sixpoint is most famous for its innovative brews including Resin, Sweet Action, and Jammer. Resin has a higher ABV at 9.1% and is one of our favorites of their selection of IPAs.
Threes Brewing
Address: 333 Douglass Street & 113 Franklin Street
Another one of our favorite picks for best breweries in Brooklyn is Threes Brewing on the edge of Park Slope and Gowanus off of 4th Ave on Douglass Street along with their Greenpoint bar and beer store (and spot on Governors Island and Moynihan Hall at Penn Station too!).
Threes Brewing also offers a full bar in case you’re trying to find a place that might also be suitable for non beer drinkers or someone looking for a cocktail.
In the mornings, you can enjoy a pick me up at their Ninth Street Espresso counter or hang around until the afternoon or evening when you can hang out at their full taproom with food offerings or just come in to grab some beer to go.
They’re famous for their backyard in the warmer months, which can get very crowded, but they also have a really cool indoor bar which is perfect for the pre-dinner or post-dinner drink if you’re out with friends, a date, or a business meet up.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Threes Brewing is known for their quality lagers and pilsners, those perfect day drinking beers as well as having a great, well-rounded offering of IPAs.
Read Next: Things to do in Park Slope
Strong Rope Brewery
Address: 574 President Street & 185 Van Dyke Street
Another one of the best spots for craft beer in Brooklyn is at Strong Rope Brewery, with locations in Gowanus and one of the best waterfront locations in Red Hook with great views of the Statue of Liberty!
This family-run operation prides itself on its local grown hops and ingredients from New York State in their medley of brews from American to English-inspired Brooklyn beers.
They actually pride themselves being one of the only breweries in New York City who uses solely locally sourced ingredients from New York State, there’s one more on this guide that also does that. Other breweries do use local ingredients, but not exclusively like Strong Rope.
Besides serving up their own brews in their intimate bar, they do offer a few guest taps. Pay attention to details including the wood the bar is made of, it was from a tree that was hit during Hurricane Sandy.
This is one of those more laid-back types of environments where bringing your own food in to pair with your beer is allowed and encouraged.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
You can find great stouts and English style ales by Strong Rope!
Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen
Address: 141 Lawrence Street
Another fun and popular spot for craft beer in Brooklyn is Sound + Fury in Downtown Brooklyn. This popular brewery in Brooklyn is also a pizza spot which brings in the crowds.
You can bet that their brews pair well with their brick oven pizzas but if you’re looking for a cocktail, you can also get that here.
With our focus on classic styles of beers, they have options for every kind of craft beer drinker. Their brews are balanced and executed perfectly with high-quality ingredients (often sourced locally).
The space is also huge, set inside a 6,000 square foot semi-industrial setting with different styles of seating including cozy booths for small groups and communal tables for larger groups. In addition to their beer on tap, they also have cocktails and a beverage selection for just about any kind of drinker.
During the warmer months, be sure to take advantage of their large outdoor patio! This outdoor space is also dog-friendly too.
This is one of the best breweries in Brooklyn if you’re looking for more than just a delicious brew, but amazing food to go with it. In addition to their pizza, they have a menu full of New American fare.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Sound + Fury is known for the classics like pilsners and ales, their house brews rotate seasonally too!
Transmitter Brewing
Address: 141 Flushing Avenue, Building 77
Another one of the best breweries in Brooklyn to try it is Transmitter Brewing at Brooklyn Navy Yard. They pride themselves on their unique blends using farmhouse ingredients bringing a new take on traditional beers using the finest quality ingredients.
Originally born in Long Island, this brewery heavily focused on crafting Belgian and French style country ales using specialty style yeasts that they’ve made in house blended with some commercial yeasts.
You’ll surely find unique flavors here through their craft beer in Brooklyn. Besides serving up their incredible farmhouse ales you can also find unique collaborations on draft when you visit and are always worth trying.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
They’re known for their farmhouse-style beers and ales, known well for their gose and saisons and always for their sours.
Kings County Brewers Collective
Address: 381 Troutman Street
Another one of our favorite breweries in Brooklyn is located in the heart of Bushwick surrounded by the colorful murals of the Bushwick Collective – which is an open air gallery from artists who turned this industrial neighborhood of the city to the colorful creative hub it is today.
King County Brewers Collective, also known as KCBC for short, fits right in perfectly as three master brewers decided to come together, much like the artists in the area, to collaborate and create a collective of all their talents together and the result is amazing.
What makes this location even more special is that their location is on the original ‘Brewer’s Row’ in Brooklyn where 10% of the US beer was brewed right here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The original brewery here closed its doors in 1976, but when the three owners collaborated and resurrected this historic brewing location in 2016.
Each of the three brewers brings their own signature style to the beers they make which means that you can find a well-rounded line up on draft at any given time.
They work very closely with farmers and other suppliers to ensure that they are using the very best, hand-selected raw ingredients. Each and every batch of beer that we brew undergoes a rigorous process of quality control and sensory analysis before its released to the world.
Like what you tried? Grab a 4 pack or bottle to take away, all of their labels are always really fun designs too.
They also have rotating food pop-ups (see their event page for details) and they allow you to bring your own food as well.
Better yet, dogs are welcome! So are big groups and kids! You can even make a reservation on Resy if you want to make sure your group has a spot.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
You can really find something for everyone here, but they are well known for their lagers, IPAs (both Hazy & West Coast), fruited sours, pale ales, stouts, Old World Classics, and more!
Read Next: Best Things to do in Bushwick
Wild East Brewing Company
Address: 623 Sackett Street
Another one of the best breweries in Brooklyn located in Gowanus in just a short walking distance from both Strong Rope and Threes Brewing making for the most epic of beer crawls in Brooklyn.
Wild East Brewing Company specializes in experimenting with complex flavors using authentic, traditional processes in brewing that are common Europe, like step-mashing, decoction mashing, bottle conditioning, and spontaneous fermentation.
For their Czech-style lagers, they have Lukr faucets imported from the Czech Republic to pour the perfect beer, nitro taps, and even wine and canned cocktails for those wanting something different.
Their space has a warm and cozy environment with lots of wood and greenery making it a fun place to hang out or attend one of their many events that take place monthly from comedy shows to trivia and live music to name a few.
This is another space that’s both dog and kid-friendly (although, leave the kids at home in the evenings where its more of an adult-only crowd).
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Lagers, mixed-fermentation & barrel-aged ales, English-style ales, and West Coast IPAs!
Grimm Artisanal Ales
Address: 990 Metropolitan Avenue
Another one of my personal favorite tap rooms and best breweries in Brooklyn that has beer critics writing rave reviews is Grimm Artisanal Ales in East Williamsburg.
Opening their doors in 2013, the husband and wife duo who run this craft beer in Brooklyn hangout have accumulated a cult-like following for their sours and experimentation with fermentation. Grimm specializes in marrying historical brewing techniques such as double-decoction mashing and spontaneous fermentation with an emphasis on creativity.
Besides being an awesome brewery in Brooklyn, they have one of the most beautiful spaces to enjoy a beer in a brewery with plants and a more airy, light and bright take on the industrial look most breweries have around their spaces.
The 7,000-square-foot space features their production brewery and winery with a view of their oak foeder, stainless steel fermentation tanks, and brewhouse.
This large space is also home to their sister winery, Physica Wines, the taproom doubles as a natural wine bar and is the only place in NYC to find Physica’s zero-intervention wines.
Hungry? Try Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza located on the upper level at Grimm and it features their own eccentric take on the uniquely charred New Haven pizza style, with a thin crust made from their own house-milled malted wheat, fermented with their own house sourdough culture, and baked in an Italian wood-fired oven.
I am officially obsessed with their packaging and labels as well.
What’s awesome is that you can eaisly make a Brooklyn beer crawl combining a visit here to KCBC in Bushwick is nearby! And, this is a great brewery in Brooklyn for parties too! Especially if your group is torn between loving both beer and wine!
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Grimm Artisanal Ales is especially known for its varied portfolio, ranging from old-world lagers and wheat beers to new-school hazy IPAs, to artfully blended barrel-aged sour and spontaneous ales.
Keg & Lantern
Address: 97 Nassau Avenue, 158 Beard Street, & 104 S 4th Street
For more great breweries in Brooklyn check out Keg & Lantern’s three locations in Greenpoint, Red Hook, and Williamsburg.
One of the best breweries in Brooklyn, if you’re looking for a more traditional sports bar setting paired along with some delicious Brooklyn craft brews, is Keg & Lantern is your spot! This is the perfect place for beer and sports fans to mingle and hang out while pairing your craft brew with bar grub like chicken wings while watching your favorite sporting event on the TV.
All of their tap room locations play major sporting events, offer food, and have a fun space to hang out (even if you’re not watching the game). They also have special happy hour deals making their craft brews a steal of a deal on weeknights.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
They specialize in foeder fermented sour ales and hazy IPAs.
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co.
Address: 1150 Manhattan Avenue
Located in Greenpoint, oh so close to Queens is Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co., another great craft beer spot in Brooklyn.
Their German-style brewpub serves up pub grub like soft pretzels, sausages, and burgers paired with their brews on draft from pilsners to ales.
Their roof deck is the best spot to enjoy on a nice day, directly under the glass water tower by Brooklyn-based artist Tom Fruin! You can’t miss this beauty from the street view either.
The lower level of the brewery offers a beer market and dining area, so if you’re hungry you can also grab a bite to eat here or split something for the table with friends like their insanely good Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Their German-style and Central European style brews as well as IPAs.
Read Next: Best Things to do in Greenpoint
Randolph Beer
Address: 82 Prospect Street
One of our favorite breweries in Brooklyn to hang out and meet up with friends is at Randolph Beer in DUMBO. Their large space features a few of their own beers on draft along with a curated selection of other fine craft brews/
This brewpub is a pretty awesome choice if you’re looking for good and healthy eats and some amazing beer selection on draft featuring mostly guest taps.
They also have plenty of games to enjoy and communal tables perfect for friends to meet up at. As for games, they have feather bowling and plenty of arcade and pinball machines! This is also a great spot to catch a game as they have tons of TVs around the bar too.
And in the summer, make a reservation on their rooftop for some awesome views of the Manhattan Bridge, it’s hands down one of our favorite rooftop bars in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Every time we’ve been to Randolph Beer their featured homebrews were all light style lagers or sours.
Read Next: Things to do in DUMBO
Evil Twin Brewing
Address: 43 Main Street
One of the best beer taprooms in Brooklyn and NYC is located on Main Street in DUMBO by Denmark based brewers. Evil Twin Brewing has another NY outpost in Ridgewood and their DUMBO location is open all day as they also have a cafe inside too for coffee in the am and ridiculously good beer for the afternoons.
Not only is this a great location in DUMBO near the heart of where all the tourists flock to (a great beer break after completing the Brooklyn Bridge walk too) but they have tons of fun beers to try, I especially like their hazy IPA selection, many of which are fun and experimental flavors.
Brooklyn Beer They’re Known For:
Try their hazy and double IPAS, some of which they experiment with flavors like marshmallow (sounds odd but was very delicious!)
Finback Brooklyn
Address: 545 President Street
So this one is technically not a Brooklyn-based brewery, because Finback Brewery’s flagship location is located in Glendale, Queens (with another location in Long Island City, Queens). However, they have an AWESOME taproom location in Gowanus and it’s one of my favorite places to grab craft beer in Brooklyn!
While this isn’t their flagship location, Finback Brewery does have a brewing system on site so you’re still getting fresh beer straight from the source. The space is also cool to hang out at, I love the light, airy space with the giant colorful mural and their neon sign logo glowing on top of it!
They even call their space a “beverage studio,” creating this space with creative exploration in mind.
The space is also home to their partner distillery, Halftone Spirits and a coffee roaster known as Invisible Source. They got all of the best types of beverages going on here!
If you’re hungry, try a bite to eat from Dumpling Up, their food program run by the owner’s mother, affectionately known as Mama Lee. The menu comprises Asian American comfort foods and snacks, such as dumplings (pork and shrimp, peashoot and mushroom), salt and pepper wings, crab Rangoons, spicy cucumber salad, and shrimp rolls to name a few options.
This is a family-friendly spot too, dogs are welcome only when the kitchen is closed.
BROOKLYN BEER THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:
Hazy IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, crispy pilsners, and mixed-fermentation ales with local fruits.
Endless Life Brewing
Address: 585 Franklin Avenue
Now for a real hidden gem among breweries in Brooklyn, Endless Life Brewing in Crown Heights. What started out as a passionate home brewer turned to something bigger when Jeff Lyons opened his cozy taproom on Franklin Avenue specializing in small batch brews made on site.
Hang out in the taproom, they have games and pinball machines to enjoy as well as an array of regular events to check out! And during warmer months they have a backyard patio to enjoy.
Their beers are award-winning, the brewer has crafted their spontaneous fermentation Lambic inspired sour ale. And many of their sours and saisons are aged in wine barrels to create the perfect tasting, aged ales.
Besides being a great community gathering space, all their brews are made with 100% New York State ingredients using only 4 ingredients; malt, hops, yeast, and water (just like the German purity law).
BROOKLYN BEER THEY’RE KNOWN FOR:
Saisons & sours, lagers all of which are 100% New York State ingredients!
Craft Breweries in Brooklyn Map
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Craig has his eye on a crawl to try these!
YES!!! a whole city trip around it would be proper!