Hop Daddy
Bierkraft’s Ben Granger picks his favorite fall brews
If Brooklyn has an emissary of great beer, it's 31-year-old Ben Granger, a former pastry chef who co-owns Bierkraft, the Park Slope specialty food and brew shop.
Granger started behind the store's cheese counter in 2004 while taking a break from the Manhattan restaurant scene and his job at Town. He soon formed a partnership with Bierkraft's owners (and home-brew enthusiasts) Daphne and Richard Scholz. They taught him the suds, and he's since doubled the store's stock. He also launched the city's first draft filling-station—featuring 64-ounce refillable jugs called "growlers"—and helped forge Bierkraft's reputation as one of the country's best sources for hard-to-find beers.
There are more than 1,100 of those in stock on any given day, so shopping at Bierkraft can be daunting. But that's why Granger and his staff taste everything. Tell them what you like—a malty Imperial stout, perhaps, or something light and spicy—and they'll find you something special. Cheers to that.
Ben Granger′s Fall Bierkraft Favorites:
• Ithaca Flower Power IPA ($2.50 for a 12-ounce bottle)
"Resinous and piney."
• La Rulles Belgian-Style Ale ($16 for a 750 ml bottle)
"Fruity and yeasty."
• Oscar Blues Ten Fiddy Imperial Stout ($5 for a 12-ounce can)
"Thick, dark chocolate spiked with a little coffee."
• Schneider Wiesen Edel-Weisse ($4.75 for a 16-ounce bottle)
"Really silky bananas and cloves."
• Six Point Gemini Double IPA ($28 for a 64-ounce growler)
"Grapefruity, hoppy, really high-test."
Bierkraft, 191 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; 718-230-7600 or bierkraft.com
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