Bronx Brewery opens second
spot in the East Village
BY JASON COHEN
For more than a decade the
Bronx Brewery has provided
tasty food, craft beer and been
a staple in the South Bronx
community. Now, the popular
watering hole is expanding its
reach.
On Feb. 5, it opened its
second location, The Bronx
Brewery East Village in Manhattan,
at 64 2nd Ave. The
3,000-square-foot space, which
can seat 75 people, features
limited-release brewing, signature
events, art and music
and the fi rst-ever U.S. location
for Swedish burger brand Bastard
Burgers. Bastard Burgers,
which have been serving
New York-inspired burgers in
Sweden since 2016, uses plantbased
alternatives — 100%
vegan burgers.
The new space will also
have a mural by one of the
brewery’s regular collaborators
and Bronx artist, Andre
Trenier, as well as work from
Swedish artist and muralist,
Marc UÅ, who creates custom
pieces for every one of the Bastard
Burgers locations.
President of the Bronx
Brewery, Damian Brown, told
the Bronx Times they signed
the lease for the location in
February 2020, but then COVID
19 arrived and threw a
wrench in their plans.
“It’s been a long time coming,”
Brown said. “It felt like a
natural fi t.”
He and his colleagues fi rst
began thinking about expanding
back in 2019 and looked all
over the city for a space. Eventually,
they settled on the East
Village because of its rich history
in art, music and culture.
According to Brown, the
brewery was never just about
food and booze, but instead
about wanting to make an impact
on the community. Over
the years, it has partnered
with local organizations, including
an internship with
Beer Kulture that promoted
diversity in craft beer; worked
with Bronx Tattoo Legends
Tuff City to help design the label
for a fusion of a hazy IPA
and a classic pumpkin ale; and
collaborated with Bronx Native
and BX Writers on a writing
contest to appear on their
beers in 2020.
“For us it’s not just about
beer, it’s the starting point of
bringing the community and
people together,” Brown said.
They plan to release a new
beer every week and a half
and hope to begin partnering
with local groups soon.
There will be indoor and outdoor
seating and the brewery
is applying for the Open Restaurant
Program, which allow
restaurants in New York City
to use the sidewalk adjacent
and curbside roadway space
in front of their businesses for
outdoor dining.
“The neighborhood here
should expect a brewery that
is grounded in the community,”
he said. “We’re just excited
to show what we are doing
to more people.”
The Double New York Burger is one of the many offerings being served up at the Bronx Brewery’s newest location
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, F 24 FEB. 11-17, 2022 BTR
in the East Village. Photo | Charlie Bennet
A wide selection of craft beers are available at the Bronx Brewery, which
just added a second location. Photo | Francis Montoya
People enjoy the new Bronx Brewery location in Manhattan at its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Photo | Adrian Childress