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(Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine) |
Since opening two months ago, Scandinavian bar Tørst (615 Manhattan Ave., nr. Nassau Ave., Greenpoint; 718-389-6034) has risen to the top of the city’s craft-beer scene, thanks to a custom-built tap system dispensing 21 impeccable international drafts. Curatorial duties fall to Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Denmark’s cultish Evil Twin brewery, bespoke distributor 12 Percent Imports, and DBGB alum Jon Langley, who rotates beers daily and even hourly. (If that weren’t enough, Momofuku vet Daniel Burns plans to open the bar’s 26-seat restaurant, Luksus, later this month.) Here, a one-night sampling of what’s on tap, organized from light to dark.
1. Evil Twin Bikini Beer
2.7 percent ABV; $6 for eight ounces
Seeking a low-alcohol beer he could drink while working, brewer Jarnit-Bjergsø designed this citrusy, light-bodied refreshment.
2. Evil Twin Low Life
5.5 percent ABV; $4
Always on tap, the herbal, German-style pilsner is Tørst’s most accessible beer and a perfect palate-cleansing starting point.
3. Omnipollo Mazarin
5.6 percent ABV; $6
Unlike most over-the-top American pale ales, this lightly piney and grapefruity specimen from Stockholm keeps both sweetness and bitterness in check.
4. Brasserie De Cazeau Saison Cazeau
4.8 percent ABV; $7
Elderflowers furnish the Belgian brewery’s hazy, farmhouse-style ale with a beguiling floral aroma and soft mouthfeel.
5. Stillwater Artisanal Ales Cellar Door
6.6 percent ABV; $6
Citra hops supply the dry-drinking saison with a slight tropical note, while white sage lends an earthy, herbaceous accent.
6. Scheldebrouwerij Lamme Goedzak
7 percent ABV; $6
Brewed in Belgium and named after a national folktale, the unfiltered, unpasteurized blond ale goes down fruity, yeasty, and above all, smooth.
7. Kuhnhenn Aldebaran
10.25 percent ABV; $6
The cultish Michigan brewery’s Belgian-influenced IPA is a bit like drinking hop candy; intense, massively malty, and megawarming.
8. Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar
8.5 percent ABV; $7
The staff-favorite double IPA (named for the Babylonian king) is a glowing orange beauty that’s intensely citrusy without being overly bitter.
9. Bierbrouwerij Emelisse Black IPA
8 percent ABV; $8
This Dutch spin on an American IPA blends pine-tree bitterness with subtle chocolate and a smoldering roastiness.
10. Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier
5.5 percent ABV; $5
Smelling of burning logs and tasting of bacon and fruit, the German smoked-beer specialist’s springtime release is as divisive as it is delicious.
11. Brasserie De Cazeau Tournay Triple
9 percent ABV; $7
While most versions of the abbey-style ale are cloyingly sweet, the Belgian offering drinks dry and fluffy with a fine grassy bitterness.
12. Hof Ten Dormaal White Gold
8 percent ABV; $7
In lieu of hops, the Belgian farmstead brewery’s strong pale ale is bittered with chicory, a.k.a. “white gold” in Flemish.
13. Brouwerij Smisje Oudenaarde
10.5 percent ABV; $10
Wild yeasts and souring bacteria from the open-fermentation process give this Belgian ale an appealing, ciderlike profile.
14. Beachwood Brewing B.A.R.S.
8 percent ABV; $6
Tørst is the only New York bar to serve the award-winning SoCal brewery’s draft beers, notably the boozy and intensely bitter Beyond a Reasonable Stout.
15. Dugges 1/2 Idjit!
7 percent ABV; $7
Tasting of coffee and salty black licorice, the Swedish brewery’s Coke-colored porter would go great with a steak.
16. Fanø Bryghus Viola Sofia
10.3 percent ABV; $7
Brewed on an island off Denmark’s western coast, the strapping porter is like campfire by the glass.
17. Kuhnhenn Imperial Crème Brûlée Java Stout
8 percent ABV; $6
The creamy stout’s lush flavors of vanilla and caramel come from an infusion of dessert-flavored coffee.
18. Bierbrouwerij Emelisse Ardbeg Black & Tan B.A.
10 percent ABV; $8
To create this peaty, bittersweet slow-sipper, a burly imperial stout and aggressively hopped triple IPA are blended and aged in an Islay Scotch barrel.
19. Stillwater/Mikkeler/Fanø Gypsy Tears
8 percent ABV; $7
Unruly yeast Brettanomyces gives the collaborative stout a funky complexity, while six months in Brunello wine barrels lend a bright, vinous acidity.
20. Evil Twin Even More Jesus
12 percent ABV; $7
The inky, chocolaty imperial stout’s sweetness is cut with a smoky current; the balanced indulgence is Jarnit-Bjergsø’s favorite beer.
21. Evil Twin Port Even More Jesus
12 percent ABV; $8
A stay in port barrels gives the massive, fudgy stout a tart cherry flavor and drying finish.
