I could probably say studying wine is one of the most important connections you can make with society and people. Wine is commonly introduced everywhere; in friends’ houses, in clubs, in socializing activities, in restaurants and even more. Wine is classified as more elegant and classy compared to beer and spirits that are more rough and extreme because people who enjoy wine are not only drinking wine for amusement, but also respecting and understanding the process of viticulture and vinification of each grape variety in a bottle of wine. To learn more about oenology and viticulture I thought it is essential to visit a winery or a vineyard at lease once in a lifetime.

Vineyard

“There are over 1000 varieties of wine grapes in the world.” (Scott Washburn, 2013) Not all vineyards grow every variety of grapes; most vineyard owners can only consider those grape varieties that are suitable to grow under the climate as well as the popularity of those grape varieties. Out of about 430 wineries and distilleries in New York, I have chosen Pindar Vineyards as my designated vineyard to visit. It is located at 7645 NY-25, Peconic, NY 11958.

I invited three classmates from my wine class to experience the fantasy at the “factory” to see how exactly a wine is make from harvesting all the way to bottling and selling. On the day of the trip, we were able to discuss about the questions that we planned to ask a representative there. However, it was unfortunate that we weren’t able to receive a tour because the tour starts May 27, 2017 through September 2, 2017. So a lot of our questions about the process of making wine were unable to ask. Nevertheless, we were able to ask a few questions to Terry, one of their representatives that were tremendously professional and intelligent.

Wine Tasting Bar

Wine Selections

Terry suggested us to walk around the vineyard and take as much pictures as we can first, then come to her for the questions. She said “From my experience, I think you can get a much better understanding of my answers after you have seen what you will see soon.” So we did and I have to be honest, as a resident that has lived my life through this day in New York City, never have I ever seen a vineyard that is as big as Pindar Vineyards’. I couldn’t see the ending part of the vineyards, it is unbelievably enormous, and I was stunned by it.

Close shot

Pindar vineyards has a pretty long history, it started in the 1980s, according to the website and Terry, Pindar vineyards has about 17 varieties of wine grapes and makes about 23 originals and blends. With the opportunity given but was too unfortunate we were not able to do a brief wine tasting with Terry. She said it could’ve been a lot helpful if we tasted the blended wines so she could explain more about Pindar’s blends specifically. Terry also informed me that Pindar Vineyards has grape varieties like Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Mythology and more, but she pointed out that if she were going to recommend me a wine, terry said she’d recommend me 2016 Viognier. 2016 Viognier could be said to be their best at making and producing, it is a light white wine, fruity flavor, light and sweet.

2016 Viognier

Terry apologized to us for unable to give us a tour that day, but she did briefly explain their process. Pindar Vineyards are located near water, so the climate is pretty cool and you can consider it maritime, too. Similar to most vinification process, Pindar does the same but with a more natural planting and growing because the area’s weather supports the growth of grapes.

Overall, the experience was precious; I purchased 2016 Viognier home and shared with my family. I am definitely going back again once their tour starts. It is never late to study about wine, and its never ending. The more I learn about wine, the deeper I will fall in love with because the knowledge and the intelligence behind oenology and viticulture are what fascinate me every time I study wine.

Sweet Scarlet – Table Wine

The front of the tasting room

References

• Washburn, Scott. “How Many Different Types Of Wine Grapes Are There? – Winestyr Wine Guide.” Winestyr,p., 17 Sept. 2013 Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

<http://www.winestyr.com/wine-guide/how-many-different-types-of-wine-grapes-are-there>.

In summer of 2016, I was accepted to participate in the Thomas Ahrens International Study Program in Paris, France. Throughout our stay in Paris we have been fortunate to explore and learn Paris’s renowned cuisine, fashion, popular landmarks, architecture, history, language, and many more. In addition, as students from Hospitality Management we had a chance to visit France’s historical province in the northeast of France, which is now best known as the Champagne wine region for the sparkling wine that bears its name. As a student who is currently enrolled in Wine and Beverage Management course, I decided to write about my educational experience to Champagne region of France, by bringing in the knowledge that I have gained from the class during this Spring 2017 semester.

The champagne caves was over 17 miles long.

In June 6, 2016, we had an opportunity to visit the two wineries that are located within the Champagne region: “Moët & Chandon” and “Champagne Geoffroy”. Our first stop was at Moët & Chandon located in Epernay, Champagne. It was about two-hour ride on the bus and is approximately 160 km north east of Paris. Upon entrance to the house of Moet & Chandon, we were introduced to our tour guide who was a Japanese lady, with full of knowledge about the house. Tour started off with a brief history of the house, followed by a short video. According to their website and my recall from the video, the Moët & Chandon has been the champagne of success since 1743. Faithful to its founding philosophy of “sharing the magic of champagne with the world”, Moët & Chandon offers a wide range of wines, from the iconic “Moët Impérial” and “Rosé Impérial” to the “Grand Vintages”, the cellar master’s own interpretation of the year’s harvest. (Moët & Chandon, Champagne, 2017).

After the video has ended, we walked through the 17 miles of underground cellars. Going down into the cave, we could immediately sense the cold 10°C (50 F) degrees’ air. The tour guide started by explaining the defining points of the Champagne region and Champagne making process which consisted of two fermentations. Since, I was a student who know next to nothing about wine, I did not understand what the tour guide was talking about. However, using my knowledge gained from the class, I can now explain the whole four methods of making the Champagne or the sparkling wine that consists of “Carbonation Method”, “Traditional Method” (better known as Méthode Champenoise); “Transfer Method”, and “Charmat Method” (also known as the Tank Method). The difference between Champagne and other sparkling wine, is that Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France, and can only use three traditional grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. According to their website, each grape varietal contributes its own special qualities to the uniquely delectable pleasure of Moët & Chandon champagnes. Sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region go by many other names, but none of them are Champagne.

Rows of riddling racks filled with bottles, also known as Remuage (rotating the dead yeast cells ‘lees’ towards bottle neck).

This sign reads as follows: 1st line – wine master’s secret code, 2nd line – location in the caves, 3rd line – number of bottles in this group.

The enormous barrel of port (a gift from Napoleon to Moët from a trip in Portugal).

As we were walking through the dark alleyways lined with thousands of fermenting bottles, the tour guide explained the entire process of “Methode Champenoise” that starts off with the process known as Assemblage (the grapes are gently pressed to avoid any color extraction from the skins, next the juice is fermented to dryness, and the different wines are blended); Liqueur de tirage (yeast and sugar is added into the wine bottle to start the second fermentation); Remuage (rotating the dead yeast cells ‘lees’ towards bottle neck);  Disgorgement (freeze and remove ‘lees’ in bottleneck); the bottle is then topped off with a final dosage known as Liqueur d’ expedition (a mixture of wine and sugar that will determine the final sweetness level of the finished product), then corked, caged, and labeled.

As our tour continued, we entered the tasting room where the Champagne glasses were lined up, followed by tasting under the guidance of a professional sommelier (wine steward), who presented the three types of Champagnes that are “Imperial”, “Rose Imperial” and “Nectar Imperial”.  As I remember, we were given glasses of “Impérial Champagne” to taste. The Champagne we tasted was considered as non-vintage, light and delicate. The main difference between vintage and non-vintage Champagnes is that, the vintage is made from the grapes of only one year’s harvest, whereas non-vintage Champagne is a blend of different years’ harvest.

Tasting under the guidence of a professional sommelier.

Tasting, sample of the Impérial Champagne. 

Gift shop of Moet & Chandon.

Exiting the tasting room, we got back to the ground floor and have entered the fabulous gift shop of Champagne house Moët & Chandon, where we were exposed to all types of Champagnes that are produced there. The prices varied from low to very expensive.

To conclude, as a student who is enrolled in Wine and Beverage Management course, I was able to get a better understanding and use of wine terminology to explain about the entire process of making the sparkling wine, by recalling my visit to Champagne region of France, from summer of 2016. Even though, I did not have a basic knowledge about wine during my visit, I can still say that it was the most memorable and educational tours I have ever been part of. If there is an opportunity in the future, I would not hesitate to go there again and would recommend to anyone who enjoys or interested learning about wine.

References

Eat love Savor Luxury Lifestyle Magazine. DISCOVER: Moet & Chandon Champagne. Retrieved from EAT LOVE SAVOR: http://eatlovesavor.com/moet-chandon-champagne/

Moët & Chandon, Champagne. SUCCESS & GLAMOUR. Retrieved from Moët & Chandon: https://us.moet.com/The-House

Sparkling Wine Production. Retrieved from The Sommelier Update: http://arrowheadwine.blogspot.com/2012/06/sparkling-wine-production.html

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It was a special Wednesday to me. My friends and I drove two hours to visit a vineyard. It is called Pindar Vineyard. Pindar Vineyard is located at 37645 Main Road Peconic, Long Island, NY, 11958.

After arrived at the vineyard, I saw beautiful clouds above the sky. The vineyard is really big.  As I walked into the vineyard, the whole room was toned and decorated with wood color and all of the wines were represented by categories in grape variety and blends. The employee Terry has assisted us with all our questions. We explained the reason why we were here and she was really kind to help us. However, it was disappointed because Terry told us they do not open tour service until May 27^th. Even though we did not get a chance to visit inside the barrel and the view of the production facility, but Terry tried her best to answer our questions and showed us other things that was interested.

  This image is the tasting room          This image is all kinds of bottle opener

Terry started from introducing the background of vineyard. It was opened in 1979. There were 15 grape varieties are grown in this vineyard: Pindar grows Sauvignon Blanc, pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.  As we walked around the room, we saw that there is a table with many kinds of corkscrew and bottle opener. We also had the opportunity to see the tasting area even though we did not taste the wines. Terry said that if we did the wine tasting, then we could select five different kinds of wine from the menu. There were two wines that Terry recommended to people who try wines for the first time. Scarlett is a red sweeter wine that cost $12.99 and she also recommended Viognier because it is unique and extremely good.

  The vineyard in the Pindar Stainless tanks

After, Terry took us to outside of the vineyard to see the vine. Unfortunately, we did not see any grapes grew. Equipment were not available to see at the moment but we have the opportunity to see the stainless tanks.

Although, the tour is not available we still have a lot fun with this lovely weather. However, I have better understanding of the vineyard and the visuals of how the wine are made. The environment and experience make me want it come back visit again.

https://www.pindar.net/

Angry Orchard Brewery is located on 60 acres of land and is where they brew cider. This brewery is located in Walden, NY in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Lucky for me, this facility is almost in my backyard. The Hudson Valley is known for their apples and their vast fields for growing. This creates a huge variety for visitors, and according to (Crispell 2017), “hard cider in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region runs the gamut from pleasantly fruit-forward to tongue curling bone dry, or those with a bit of interesting funk.” This shows the vast amount of consumers that will be attracted to this region. Most importantly this establishment was chosen for this location because of the ideal weather year round, and the understanding that, like wine grapes, apples for cider will take on the tasting notes of the surrounding areas, soils, climates and more. Something really cool about this facility is that you can self guide yourself throughout the place and enjoy the interactive signs that are very informative and do a great job of selling the brand. As you walk through where they create the cider, there are people everywhere willing to answer questions and get involved. For anyone who does not know what cider is, it is a fermented drink made typically from apples, more commonly referred to as “hard cider”. This drink is beyond a normal apple juice, “cider is usually defined as having an alcohol content of 2 – 8.5 % or higher”(Vitalis, 2010) and this is what the workers at Angry Orchard strive for everyday. Cider is similar to a wine varietal because it is typically made from one dominant apple.

This image is of the entrance of the facility

Just like the vinification behind growing grapes for wine, apples have a similar process. During our tour throughout angry orchard we were informed that there are several different types of apples grown throughout the fields and that some are left to be picked a little later because they develop a more complex aroma and higher sugars. Also similar to grapes, apples are picked, sorted, washed and checked to ensure they are up to standard. After these apples are picked and washed they are then mashed down and pressed to extract all of their juices. The extracted juices are stored in old oak wine barrels. One difference between cider making and wine making is that the cider may have several different ways to ferment which could include wild fermentation, “it is the naturally existing yeast in the air, on vegetation or blowing around in the air” (Chorniak, 2005) which basically is only the use of yeast that is present on the apples. This will give the apples a taste that is specific to the area. This is extremely important in the cider making process. Before bottling the cider, the workers ensure the best filtration process. This area was chosen among several different candidates and was picked to be the best possible growing area for these apples to ensure the best taste qualities within the beverage. This is crucial to the place and the quality of the product and ensuring a constant product that consumers will enjoy and return for more.

This picture shows the oak barrels that the extracted juices from the apples are placed in after fermentation. These barrels are old wine barrels and the cider has the ability to take on the aromas and extract any oak that is leftover in the barrels giving it unique tasting qualities.

After we finished touring the cider facility we were ended by a complimentary tasting. The facility gives you a free three samples and allows you to walk around their beautiful tasting room with your samples. As you walk through they have an indoor area with picnic tables that you can sit at, or you can choose to take your drinks outside and enjoy them around their fire pit and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. I personally enjoy the cider a lot and love being able to relax and unwind in this calming location. Most of the ciders are sweet and have a similar taste to apple juice but others are dry with more sour apple flavors. The color varies between the different types where some are more cloudy, others are more clear with golden colors. Besides the taste and the look, these ciders give off an aroma of fresh sweet smells. Regardless of the cider that you decide to try, the atmosphere that Angry Orchard has created and the idea of learning about what they do along with enjoying yourself is a great way to have a new experience.

An image of the samples they give you after the tour. These were three samples of the 6 options that they offered at the time, they were enjoyed while sitting in the outside seating area.

Overall Angry Orchard is located in a beautiful area with so much to offer. The workers are consistent with their product and have a huge similarity that a wine maker would have with the viticulture of their business. The Hudson Valley is a perfect place year round to have chosen to place this business. With all that this area has to offer and the informational, yet fun and exciting experience you get from Angry Orchard, makes the summer and fall seasons extra special in the Hudson Valley.

A glimpse of the beautiful Hudson Valley along with the vast fields Angry Orchard owns.

In this image you can see the rows of trees that will eventually have apples growing from them.

References:

Crispell, W. (2017). Apples to Apples. Retrieved from: http://hvciderguide.com/apples-to-apples/

Chorniak, J. (2005, October). Wild Yeast: The Pros and Cons of Spontaneous Fermentation. Retrieved from: https://winemakermag.com/758-wild-yeast-the-pros-and-cons-of-spontaneous-fermentation

Vitalis, D. (2010, December 8). Wild Fermented Hard Cider. Retrieved from: http://www.danielvitalis.com/blog/2010/12/wild-fermented-hard-cider

White Noise Coffee Co is located in Auburn, Flushing. White Noise Coffee Co is in partnership with Parlor Coffee. Upon finding this store one day on my way home from work I stopped in and met with the staff. They were very open and friendly. I learned from the staff that the coffee they use is received from Parlor Coffee a roasting company in Brooklyn.

The staff was very knowledgeable of Parlor Coffee’s roasting, they explained that Parlor coffee began in the back of a barbershop.They are a small group of professionals who seek coffee from the origin. They travel on laborious journeys to gather their coffee from a farm based in a west Ethiopian village named Gesha. Gesha consists of semi-arid highlands. Adam Overton’s farm is ingeniously located here right near the border of South Sudan. South Sudan is the birthplace of coffee arabica. David Stalling is one of Parlor Coffee’s green coffee buyers and he visits Adam’s farm to shop for coffee.

Another location where they source coffee beans is in Kenya. John Njoroge is a farmer in Kenya that Parlor Coffee is associated with. In Muranga County the Kenyan Kiumu bean is described as a beautiful flavor with a range of stone fruit, with a touch of succulent citrus and blackberry. John manages a farm of 100 acres of this bean. This is a new export relationship Parlor Coffee formed in June 2016. A second estate in Kenya is the Ibutiti estate. This farm they began sourcing from in 2015. It is located 60 km north of Nairobi. William Murathe has managed the Ibutiti Estate for more than 40 years. His water well, drying beds, and pulping equipment are in top notch shape. He was once involved in the wine and liquor business but now age 84 decides to put all of his time into his coffee farm.

This is a photo taken from the Parlor Coffee website. This image shows the roasting machine they use in Brooklyn.Parlor Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://parlorcoffee.com/blogs/parlor-coffee/a-day-at-pulley-collective

Parlor Coffee has a wide range of coffee beans. A few include Prospect, Wallabout, Ethiopia Kochere, and Burundi Gaharo. The coffees range from $14.00- $16.00 for an 8 ounce bag. Each bag contains a bean from a unique village in Africa or Colombia. The bean that I tasted was Prospect. Prospect is an Ethiopian/Colombian blend and it is White Noise Coffee Co’s signature blend. It has notes of spices, florals, and grapefruit. It is rather bitter but its also smooth and has light hints of cocoa. Having not drank coffee for almost three months this cup had me strung out. It was definitely a high quality bean because after a few sips I could sense a headache. The caffeine was extremely strong in the brew. I really enjoyed the aesthetic of White Noise Coffee Co. It was really relaxing and had couches with pillows, strung lights, and palm trees. This is definitely a place away from NYC, so if you find yourself wanting to escape the city head to Auburn, Flushing and enjoy the feel.

Enjoying the aesthetic of White Noise Coffee CO.

References: 

Parlor Coffee

Parlor Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://parlorcoffee.com/blogs/parlor-coffee/kenya-ibutiti-estate

“Travel Journal From Gesha Village – Parlor Coffee”. Parlorcoffee.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 May 2017.

“Kenya Ibutiti Estate” –Parlor Cofee”. Parlorcoffee.com. N.p. 2017. Web.

27 May 2017

“Parlor Coffee.” About Us – Parlor Coffee. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017. <https://parlorcoffee.com/pages/about-us>.

Prof. Goodlad I used Parlor Coffee’s site to obtain my information about their company and roasting practices. They have a blog where it includes articles about each individual coffee buyers trips to where they get their coffee beans and about the source farm and farmer. There was no other way for me to discover this company information. The information I included in my last paragraph about the beans was from the staff at White Noise Coffee Co including price, taste notes.

Paumanok Vineyard was founded in 1983. Before Paumanok, it was a potato field. After Charlies Massoud and his wife decide to get into the vineyard, they were about to purchase 77 acre of land to start. This started by Mr. Massoud who wanted a simple view of looking out the window to see “paradise” which he refers to rows of vines. (Rather, 1999)

This vineyard has a tradition of making fine wine with their premium vinifera grapes like Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Paumanok best grape is Cabernet Sauvignon in the Western region. When the grape was first planted, there was a struggle due to the weather. During the summer night, the weather would be warm causing the grape to be less acidic but that didn’t stop the grape from maturing. Luckily, the wind travels over the Peconic Bay and cool down allowing the grape to ripen for three additional weeks. (Hochstein, 2005)

Paumanok is also known for having three best white in Long Island winery, which is 2002 Chenin blanc, 2002 Festival Chardonnay and  2001 barrel fermented chardonnay. These selections are popular due to the grapes which brought a lean, light, fruity selection for any time of the day. (Goldberg, 2003) Even though I did not have a 2002 Chenin blanc, I still enjoyed the 2015 Chenin Blanc due to the refreshing taste.

Their “turn of the century barn” house production makes about 12,000 cases of wine as well as a fermentation tank room and lab in the back of the house.

Out on the store deck, there’s a seating area and tables to view all 127 acres as well as to enjoy any events or environment for guest that comes by to visit Paumanok Vineyard.

On April 18, 2017, my friends and I visited the Paumanok Vineyard located on 1074 Main Rd, Aquebogue, NY 11931. The ride was an hour and a half long but we made it to the destination with beautiful sunny, clear blue skies and slightly cold winds. On arrival, we walked around the area to check out the place as well as the vineyard. It was disappointing to see the vines were grape-less. But looking at the field of budding vines was really wonderful to see knowing that grapes will grow in the field I was standing on was cool.

At this stage, the vine are budding so they are still in the process of breaking out, still no grape. The vines had nets and a stick on the bottom for support the vines to grow in a particular way and so the vines do not grow on the grass. Even though there weren’t any grape, if we wanted to see the growing grapes, we would have to come back in one or two months.

After checking the outside, we went inside to see the wine bottles and tasting list. I only tired one wine which I enjoyed a lot due to the following:

2015 Chenin Blanc, Paumanok, North Fork of Long island

• Peach, apricot aroma
• Crisp, acidity, dry
• Food pairing suggestion; Oysters
• No barrel or oak on nose or Palate
• Summer or spring wine
• .02% sugar for sweetener
• Pale golden yellow

List of wines on the paper as well as wine bottles on the table and in the refrigerator with various selection of red and white wines. The wine bottles standing on the table had screw caps, while wine bottles with corks needs to be slanted to keep the cork moist.

Visiting the Paumanok Vineyard was a enjoyable and an educational assignment to do which I enjoyed. After visiting the winery, I have better understanding and visuals of how the vines are as well as how and where wine are made.

Sources

Goldberg, H. G. (2003, Aug 31). Paumanok at its best. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/docview/92553461?accountid=28313

Hochstein, M. (2005, August). Paumanok Vineyards: Long Island longshot. Wines & Vines, 86(8), 44+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=cuny_nytc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA135340517&asid=2bfc470fa6533a124ebd8171ade467ae

Rather, J. (1999, Aug 15). In an industry 25 years old, A vintner sees paradise. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/docview/110024183?accountid=28313

http://paumanok.com/visit_us.html

The assignment i decided to do was visit the coffee roasters in Brooklyn. Visiting a vineyard was difficult, searching for a location that gave a tour and most of them are quite far and I didn’t have a way of transportation or getting there. This is actually the second time I am visiting this place and it’s very nice. It’s big, lots of variety of coffee and has a home feeling to it. Immediately as I walked in, I was greeted by several workers. I said “I am here for a tour, I called a few days ago and someone said they would give me a tour and show me around?” One of the workers laughed and said that I spoke with him and that he would be happy to give me a tour of the coffee house. “Going into this tour, i already knew coffee would be great because there were some health benefits to consuming coffee, like extra antioxidants, decrease chances of diseases and great for the liver.” -http://www.huffingtonpost.com

In the image above, you see the entrance of the coffee house. It was very large but in an unknown location. It’s very difficult to find it unless you know the address because it is hidden from the large streets. Its located by the waterfront.

I love the set up of the coffee house. It has a comfortable area to sit and relax and enjoy your coffee. Most places just give you a cup to go but this place offers a relaxing, open environment that allows you to communicate to others and to enjoy your cup of coffee. You can also come here and use your computer. Its like another home from home. The baristas, who are people who prepares the coffee, came out and greeted the guests and asked if they needed anything else.

In this photo you can see the variety of coffee beans they sell. Most of their coffee beans are source and grown from East Africa, South America, Central America and Sumatra. Of course they have many more locations where the beans are grown, these so happen to be there more popular providers. We asked our tour guide what was his favorite coffee and he immediately said Ethiopian Yrigachaffe. He said the reasons why was because it was light, sweet and fruity. On the menu, they offered something called a Redeye, which I felt was such a cool name and I looked it up, it’s a cup of brewed coffee with expresso. We also learned how the coffee beans were grown and picked. They are usually grown in high elevation, mountainous areas and the harvesters pick the coffee cherries by hand. They usually wait till the cherries are ripe until they pluck them off the plant.

In the shop we saw this big machine. Later on we asked what did this do? The tour guide told us this was the machine that roasts the coffee beans. They buy the beans themselves and roast them on spot. They also have more machines in the navy yard, where they roast the beans and bring it over to this location to break down and sell. “The personnel also said that they use Chemex, which is an hour glass shaped filter that is to believe to make the coffee sweeter and a better balance cup of coffee. They offered cups of Dark Roast and light Roast, which is how long they roast the beans until the oils are removed. They also do this process called Extraction, which is used to draw flavor from the coffee grounds. Its used to make your coffee sweet because underextracted may taste sour and bitter. I also heard from the tour that he spoke about a siphon, a coffee making device that uses a vacuum pressure and a series of vessels to produce a much fruity and brighter cup of coffee”. -Zecuppa.com

In the Photo you see a piece of paper. On the paper it lists the “cast of characters” of different countries and type of coffee beans. It tells you the origin of where the beans are grown and picked, how high the beans were grown at, how they were dried, if it was a light or dark roast, “notes” how the beans will or should taste, and there certification, if they were fair trade organic. “coffee usually gets a bad rep because its high in caffeine and people associate coffee with being bad and only good to boost energy. coffee is much more then a morning drink, it also helps lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart attack (not to much coffee) and lowers the chance of strokes.” -http://www.health.harvard.edu

Lastly there’s a photo or me! I had an amazing experience learning about how coffee was made and how they were grown. The tour was very educational and insightful and the workers/personnel were very patient and willing to answer all my questions. They were nice and took the time to fill me with knowledge. Some additional information was that the owner of the coffee roasters used to work in the Brooklyn brewery. Also that there price point for the coffee was fair and not overly priced. I want to thank everyone who helped me with this assignment, giving me an understanding of coffee and the process of making and for giving me a wonderful tour of the facility!

REFERENCES

https://www.nytimes.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Zecuppa.com

http://www.health.harvard.edu

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The Strong Rope Brewery is a brewery based out of Brooklyn, New York located at 524A President street in Carroll Gardens. It is a brewery that has many partners with other local breweries all around New York, they believe in supporting local businesses. My boyfriend and I visited, and luckily enough he actually lives not too far from the brewery! We got a seat at the bar and decided to take care of the taste test first and attend the tour after. We were very excited to taste the nine different beers on tap, the cider, and many options of wine.

The menu had a five beer flight taste option where you could get five, six ounce glasses. You also had the option for a premium or standard platter. The premium included the cider so I concluded on getting the premium. I decided on getting the number three called “Spring Fire”, it was a smoked light Ale. the taste wasn’t too hoppy and it really didn’t taste that smoked either. In general I actually really enjoyed this beer. The second choice was the number one and it was called “Backroad Odysseys”. This was a pale ale and had an alcohol percentage of 5.7%  This had a very sweet taste and was very enjoyable. It wasn’t too heavy and it wasn’t too dry unlike some place ales I’ve had before. The “Golden Fest” or number 6 on the menu was my third choice. It was a golden ale and was actually my favorite of the five. I could just imagine myself actually drinking this beer more than just this one time. Number eight or “Everyman’s Porter” was my fourth beer option. This beer really didn’t catch my attention. I thought that it had a syrup texture and was very bitter. My last sample was the cider, it was called “Descendant Succession”. It was a sparkling cider, that was way too dry for me in my opinion. The flavor was very impressive surprisingly, considering how dry it was, you could taste the apple flavor. Once we finished, we made our way towards the back of the bar to tour the actual brewery!

The ingredients that the Strong Rope Brewery uses includes; grain which is mostly malted barley, but they also use other grains as well. Hops; which are grown in different varieties. Yeast; the yeast is responsible for fermentation. Lastly, Water; which accounts up to ninety-five percent of the beers content. The system that the Strong Rope uses is an electric two barrel (bbl) system but before they actually opened the brewery in 2013 the owners had a different plan. They actually planned on using Portland kettle works to fabricate a new 3.5 bbl gas fired system, but Rockaway Brewing Co. had a used system that was a perfect fit. Strong rope serves straight out of the serving tank instead of serving out of kegs, and works perfectly with their business because they sell most of their alcohol out of the taproom. The brewery also uses tap because of their partnerships with other breweries.

Jason is one of the owners and was our bartender when we first arrived at the Strong Rope he also took us on the tour of the brewery. He was well informed when it came down to answering the questions on my choices of beer. While on the tour he demonstrated the process of pouring the beer from the serving tank. He also informed me on the farming process they used to make grain. It was a traditional floor malting process, where the grain is germinated on a tile floor and is raked by hand. He explained it was a more labor intensive method but it is a process that is creating a fantastic product. He also explained another approach that is more modernized that uses high tech equipment that helps automate and control the process to their exacting standards. Jason was saying that the biggest benefits of working with local farm, hop yard, and malt houses is it allows the brewer to help develop those flavors and characteristics you want in your beer. There was no limit on how many different ways they could approach making a beer. Seeing the techniques the farms used and being able to taste the product helped figure out how to utilize the ingredients.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this brewery. The company was fantastic I felt very welcomed. Being a brewery out of Brooklyn, I was highly impressed with the way they outsourced to many brewing companies all around not only in NYC but also in New York State. I will be visiting this place again, considering it is very close to a area I’m in quite often. I was very impressed by the customer service so this will also be another reason for returning. I felt the bartenders knowledge was outstanding and he was on point with his question answering. The beer was very rich in flavor, malty and delicious.

About The Brewery — Strong Rope Brewery®. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://strongropebrewery.com/about-the-bewery/

Beer 101 | Beer Education | BeerAdvocate. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/

Strong Rope Brewery – – Park Slope – New York Magazine Bar Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nymag.com/listings/bar/strong-rope-brewery/