The outside of The Bronx Brewery

I had the pleasure of visiting The Bronx Brewery located at 856 E 136th Street in the Bronx on May 13th at 1:30 pm. The brewery is open 7 days a week but only offers free tours to the public Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30p.m, 3:30p.m, and 5:30p.m. Bronx Brewery was established in 2011 by Chris Gallant and Damian Brown. Both of these gentlemen decided to revive the Bronx’s faded beer-making tradition by opening the Bronx Brewery with their values in mind: grit, drive, and union. Upon my arrival at the brewery, I was greeted by their only bartender, a woman named Julie who was super upbeat, informative, and excited to discuss the brewery, Bronx history, and most importantly the beer.

Machine where the grains and water is boiled.

Fermentor where yeast is added and fermentation begins.

Julie began explaining that the four key ingredients for making their beer are water, hops, yeast, and grains. She stated that they used NYC water to make their beer because they truly try to stay as local as possible. Although they are huge advocates for using local ingredients, she told us that they do purchase some of their grains from the United Kingdom and other parts of the United States. The grains purchased from the UK are those that are malted and toasted for richer and oaky flavor. When I asked about the beer making process, Julie explained that they begin by boiling equal parts water and grain to begin the mashing process. Afterwards, they take the sugary grains from the wort and boil it even more for sterilization of the beer.

Different grains used for beer making.

After fermentation, the beer is conditioned and later barreled for additional flavor. They often use Sauvignon Blanc or Zinfandel for their barreled beers to incorporate citrus, lemon peel, or oak flavors. They also use a variety of grains for distinct flavors among their beers such as rye, white wheat, chocolate malt, and pale malt.  

Homemade UV protected cans for beer.

The brewery also makes the cans where they can the beer! These homemade cans are made of materials that have UV protection. Julie informed us know that if their beer sits in the sun for any amount of time it could possibly spoil. Overall, my experience was wonderful. Julie was welcoming, informative, and enthusiastic about The Bronx Brewery. She was extremely knowledgable about the history of the Bronx and the birth of hip hop in the grit driven borough. Aside from the taproom where tasting takes place, they also have a backyard where they host events, throw summer parties, and enjoy some of the best beer in the Bronx. From a lace factory, to a vending machine factory, to the Bronx Brewery, this small warehouse in the Bronx has become a staple for many, and it’s only the beginning of a huge uprising.

Conveyor belt where cans are topped off.

My experience in a vineyard was incredible amazing. I decided to go out the city for this assignment, I went to a vineyard in North Fork called Shinn Estate Vineyard which is a family owned winery and farmhouse. I enjoy the trip going to this place in Long Island because was a different environment from everyday life in the city which makes me relax for a while.  

When I arrived to Shinn Estate Vineyard I was received for three ladies very polite, one of them gave me an introduction of who they are. Then the girl gave me a tour around the wine vine plants; unfortunately, at this time there’s not grapes but I could see the leaves coming out, take a close look to the root, spur and cane of the plants. According to the lady, in September they will be seen grapes.    

After seen the vine, I visited the grounded room where they blend the different types of grapes such as, Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, petit verdot and others. Finally, I had a wine taste of their red and white wines very affordable.  where Rose hill Rose is the most popular wine in this vineyard. After I taste it all, I prefer the 2016 Mojo which is a thank fermented cabernet franc wine.  

In fact, I had a very good experience exploring the Shinn Estate Vineyard and tasting their wine. I also recommended to anyone who like to have a vineyard experience or want a getaway day from the city to visit this place.  

I visited Shinn Estate Vineyard on April 11th with Sharan and one of his friend, which the day we didn’t have Wednesday schedule. This vineyard located at 2000 Oregon Rd, Mattituck in Long Island. It was a family-owned vineyard which just purchased by Randy & Barbara Frankel in 2017. It took us at least two hours’ drive to get there. They were very welcoming and friendly when we got there. The staff pointed us the direction to the Tasting room. But we didn’t get a tour because their Barrel Tours only offer on Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30 pm. And they said they could provide a private tour which cost $50 per person. Therefore, we decided to walk around by ourselves. The ladies in the tasting room gave us a self-tour booklet with the map of their vineyard.

It was still freezing in April, so all the vines were still sleeping. These are the equipment they put outside. But because we didn’t have a tourist to explain everything, what I could identify were the French oak Barrels, Fruit Presses, and Stainless-steel Wine Tanks. 

The vineyard was big, we walked in the farm, and we couldn’t identify what grape varieties they planted there until we saw a man who was painting the mark on the stakes. His name is Joe, and he was a staff who worked for this vineyard about 18 years. He said they have mix vines planted here, both blanc and noir grape varieties, include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pinot blanc which has most planted amount. He asked us ” Do you know why we leave four canes for one grapevine?” And then he explained that, because of the uncertainty, they need to leave two extra to check and see which cane will grow better in case they can replace. He also told us they mostly use the machine to harvest, but he personally prefers the hand harvest. I can feel his passion, he loves his job and enjoys to work here.

We didn’t have a chance to look at the place that they make and store wine. We walked around by the farm and got back to the tasting room. The tasting room is small but delicate. It’s a home feel place which can make people feel relax and comfortable.

The wine tasting for four wine is 15 dollar. And we ordered a cheese plate with it. They provided 5 Whites, 2 Rosés, and 4 Red wines in total. I can see on the menu that not all the grapes are from their vineyard. The knowledge of tasting room personnel was pretty good. They asked us what kind of wine we like, the flavor and the mouthfeel and then they recommended which wine each of us to taste. I chose the 2013 Sparking Brut, 2016 Riesling, 2016 Rose Hill Rosé and the 2015 Estate Merlot. The Sparkling wine made by 100% Chardonnay which used Methode Champanoise. It has pale yellow color and a nice med-high acidity. I haven’t learned sparkling wine at the time I been there, so I want to try something I never taste before. The grapes of 2016 Riesling was from the Robert Schreiber Vineyard. The light and crisp 2016 Rose Hill Rosé was made by 95% Merlot.

Overall, my experience in Shinn Estate Vineyard was very impressed. Unfortunately, we didn’t go there at the right time. I think it will be much better to have a tour in summer and take a look at the growing vines. I will recommend this vineyard to everyone. The staffs are very friendly and knowledgeable. You will learn a lot from them. They also have Farmhouse Inn which you can stay overnight. But don’t forget to make a reservation before you go, therefore you will not miss any event.

References

https://shinnestatevineyards.com/about/

https://vinepair.com/articles/why-did-shinn-estate-vineyards-sell/