Effectively, cheers of us! Give us a toast as a result of we simply wrapped up Season Certainly one of Subsequent Exit. Aka: The free YouTube journey present that sends Hop Tradition Founder Kenny Gould to charted and uncharted beer cities all throughout the nation, discovering hidden-gem breweries alongside the best way.
You may binge all of the episodes proper now!
Fast Recap
We’re extraordinarily fortunate as an editor and founding father of a beer journal to get the chance to find these hidden gem breweries all throughout the nation. And whereas filming Subsequent Exit, Gould definitely stumbled upon some true under-the-radar breweries.
Listed here are some highlights from Season Certainly one of Subsequent Exit
Kenny paired barbecue and beer in Baltimore.
Found a rad Asian- and Black-owned brewery making ‘esoteric’ types new once more in Cincinnati. He additionally ate a bowl of spaghetti with chili on high…apparently it’s a factor there.
Visited a brewery making mixed-fermentation beers and roasting their very own espresso in Brooklyn.
And chugged foam Rocky fashion at a brewery making among the finest European lagers in Philly.
Primarily based on Gould’s travels for Season Certainly one of Subsequent Exit, listed below are 4 breweries that weren’t on our radar earlier than however absolutely at the moment are.
We’ll be holding our eye on these underrated breweries.
And it is best to too…actually.
4 Hidden-Gem Breweries That Stunned Us in Season Certainly one of Subsequent Exit
Mobtown Craft Brewing
Baltimore, MD
Mobtown performs into the historical past of Baltimore, however with a recent and fashionable twist. The primary brewery to open within the historic Brewers Hill neighborhood in forty-one years, Mobtown is “not afraid to fiddle with completely different types, however may brew a pleasant, clear conventional lager,” says Metropolis Brew Excursions Information Isaac Bell. “They’re driving that lager pattern proper now, which is my favourite pattern in America for the previous decade.
The transfer right here, in line with Bell?
On the best way, seize a bag of pit beef (a traditional Baltimore dish of roast beef ready over a charcoal hearth) from Chaps Pit Beef after which sit down at Mobtown with a flight of beers to search out the very best pairing.
For his cash, Bell likes pairing Punch Like A Poet, an Irish dry stout, that he calls “the successful combo.” As a result of “it’s stunning; it’s a type of don’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover issues,” says Bell.
Regardless, you may’t go mistaken with any of the lagers at Mobtown subsequent to a bag of barbecue. That is only a new but down-home spot that we’re positive goes to flourish within the appeal metropolis.
Esoteric Brewing Co.
Cincinnati, OH
Esoteric represents the way forward for craft beer not simply in Cincinnati, however actually throughout the nation. Which is what makes this such a humble, hidden-gem brewery.
Began by Marvin Abrinica and former MadTree brewer Brian Jackson, Esoteric is an Asian- and Black-owned brewery pushing the boundaries of beer. Technically thought-about town’s first minority-owned-and-operated brewery, Esoteric Brewing needs to be a pillar for your complete neighborhood.
“We’ve to be those to make sure that folks perceive variety and inclusion,” says Abrinica within the episode. “The expansion of this complete {industry} is in girls, it’s in folks of shade—Black, Latino, Hispanic, LGBTQ+—they’re the way forward for this nation they usually’re the way forward for beer as effectively.”
Which means showcasing “conventional beers with a little bit of a twist,” in line with Abrinica.
As an example, a historic American fashion like a cream ale will get a spike of espresso.
However you’ll additionally discover a juicy pale ale, a hazy, and a West Coast IPA alongside an American brown ale and even a grapefruit radler.
“With a completely beautiful taproom and actually elegant branding…it’s one of many extra hip breweries in Cincinnati,” says Brian Hatheway, the Brews Much less Traveled podcast host tasked with discovering hidden-gem breweries in uncharted beer cities. “[But] they’re attempting to be greater than only a place that serves beer. It’s a spot the place you may go to hangout that performs a very good function of their neighborhood.”
And we may all use a bit bit extra of that couldn’t we?
Regulate Esoteric as they set the usual for what it means to be a brewery in 2022 and past.
Finback Brewery
Brooklyn, NY
Okay, look, you bought us. We’ve identified about Finback for some time. However, we didn’t know the Queens-based brewery not too long ago (and by not too long ago we imply two years in the past—world pandemic folks, we’re a bit behind) opened up a brand new spot in Brooklyn. So there!
Finback Co-Founder Basil Lee refers to this taproom because the brewery’s inventive studio. Accordingly, not solely are they making unbelievable English milds, saisons, mixed-ferm, and all-around-drinking beers, but additionally espresso, distilled spirits, each (they’re engaged on a canned espresso cocktail), and even dumplings.
Sure, Lee tapped his mother to make do-it-yourself dumplings within the kitchen.
I imply c’mon folks, if you happen to aren’t stopping by Finback whilst you’re in Brooklyn, what are you even doing in Brooklyn?
This brewery really evokes the spirit of the borough.
Human Robotic
Philadelphia, PA
One way or the other in a crowded metropolis and beer scene like that in Philadelphia, Human Robotic manages to face out from the pack.
And that’s saying loads. Particularly as a result of your complete native {industry} appears to really feel the identical approach about Human Robotic.
“Philadelphia and the encircling 4 counties are house to ninety breweries, however there may be one I hold listening to about time and again, particularly from {industry} folks,” says Gould. “And whenever you hear a few brewery from different individuals who work within the beer {industry}, it’s often fairly good—that brewery is Human Robotic.”
With a heavy concentrate on European lagers due to its 3-vessel German brewhouse, Human Robotic contains old-world touches throughout the taproom, however with a up to date method.
“We oddly attempt to push the boundaries of traditions,” says Human Robotic Head Brewer Andrew Foss in Subsequent Exit: Philadelphia. “If we had been a bagel store, we’d be attempting to make the very best rattling plain bagel you’ve ever had in your life.”
However fortunate for us, on this case which means Foss showcasing Weyermann malts, among the finest on this planet, in his beers. Comparable to Hallertau Pils German-style pilsner or Sylt, a Northern German-style pils.
That is an industry-respected, industry-vetted, hidden-gem brewery. Which suggests it’s essential to completely make a cease right here. Whether or not for an genuine European ale or lager or simply to shoot a glass of froth.
