Have you ever heard of a beer mansion? Yeah, you heard me… a mansion devoted to beer. Brooklyn Brewery read our beer-loving minds when they built this place up and they took it to a whole new level.
For two days, they turned The Well in Brooklyn into a beer-lover’s paradise. Rooms upon rooms of different Brooklyn Brewery beer varietals were splayed throughout the venue and one ticket will get you all the tastes you want.
In case you were wondering what a Beer Mansion would look like, let me paint a picture for you.
Room #1: Tart of the Tropics
You walk in to a station that looks like any old bar with taps in the back. Except instead of your average bar, next to it is a station for messages in a bottle, urging you to jot down your deepest secrets and stuff them into bottles where they can be kept and appreciated by others. And the beers are all of the same theme—an island.
There was a photo station with blow up trees next to a free giveaway of mini cups that looked more like they were built for wine-tasting.
On the way to room #2 were groupings of tasty bites that pair great with beer. Think cheese from Marcelli Formaggi, pickles by McClure’s (along with some bloody Mary’s for the less beer-inclined), and jerky from Slant Shack… but oddly no pretzels.
Room #2: The Anatomy of a Beer
Kiwi’s Playground—a tart beer from the brewery—was at the center of the room that offered a sensory walk-through of each element that makes the beers what they are. This was basically a science experiment with drinks and it was pretty awesome to try out.
Room #3: The Stoop (and Eatery)
The “backyard” of the mansion was home to some incredible live music and games. It was a veritable playground, with summer-y beer options and some great food for sale. Roberta’s pizza doled out their signature personal pies, Frankel’s deli had some mouthwatering pastrami hot dogs, and Bunker served up some sweet Vietnamese food.
Games like giant Jenga, bean bag toss and even their own video game was available for play, and they had comics for sale too, if you needed some light reading with your beer.
Room #4: The Forest
Follow the road to another indoor area for a darker lit room full of more activities and the largest beer selection in the “mansion.”
Stop in one of the tents to type your own haiku on an old-fashioned typewriter, stop for a snack at the Garden of Eatin chip wall—side note, where can I get one of these?—or grab a prop and snag a pic at the photo booth.
Room #5: The Darkness
The last room may or may not greet you with a surprising flash. It’s not your typical photo booth, but there were some really cool shadow photos going on in here as you waited for your beer.
If you couldn’t guess, this station was devoted to dark beers—the most appealing being the Chocolate Stout. It was a pretty delicious, dessert-y way to end your tour de beer.
Other surprises included Brooklyn Brewery’s own Chef Andrew Gerson’s spin art arctic char—so cool and delicious, paint-by-number beer paintings, and paintings that come to life via phone apps.
This may or may not have been a one time thing, but if the crowd was any indication, I would keep an eye out for another one sometime in the next year. And if you’re not from NYC, check out their site because they’re hitting a ton of other cities throughout the summer.