4 JULY 23, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Glendale brewery opens outpost in Brooklyn
BY BEN VERDE
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
A Glendale brewery is heading
to Gowanus to serve up craft
brews with patio seating aft er
their opening was delayed due to the
coronavirus pandemic — and the
alehouse founder says much more is
in store.
Finback Brewery, which has
operated a 20-barrel brewhouse in
Glendale since 2013, has contributed
to Gowanus’s ever-growing brewing
scene with the opening of its President
Street outpost.
“Gowanus for sure was and is becoming
even more of a beer hub,” said Basil
Lee, a founder of Finback. “There’s
already a lot of people who seek out
good beer and make that neighborhood
a place to go for good beer.”
Located at 545 President St., Finback
sits directly across the street from
Strong Rope Brewery, and just blocks
from nearby Threes Brewing and
Wild East Brewing — all of which have
taken advantage of the neighborhood’s
industrial infrastructure to accommodate
their brewing equipment.
While currently limited to outdoor
seating, Finback’s repurposed President
Street warehouse is outfi tted
with multiple sections, including
an open area with lounge chairs, a
beer-hall-type space with high stools
and shared tables, and a screened off
cocktail lounge that will act as the
main bar area.
Once they get up and running,
founders say they will off er much
more than just ales and stouts. Lee
says the brewers plan on distilling gin
and other botanical spirits, roasting
coff ee, and enlisting her mother to
help craft a dumpling menu.
The idea to roast coff ee came from
the large amount of java Finback uses
in its stouts, according to Lee.
When brewing starts in the Gowanus
space, Lee says they will take advantage
of the smaller scale brewing
space to work on more experimental
brews.
“The idea is really to do more experimental
and in some ways pilot test
batching,” said Lee. “As well as doing
some things that we really want to
brew that are more diffi cult from a
volume standpoint to brew 60 barrels
at a time.”
While this is the brand’s fi rst Brooklyn
outpost, Lee said founders looked
for space in the borough when fi rst
setting up shop years ago, and that
fi nally planting roots in Kings County
brings everything full circle — all
while giving them a more centrally
located space outside of the northern
hinterlands of Queens.
“It’s kind of going full circle in a way,”
he said. “It’s just worked out really well
in that it’s just more convenient.”
Kevin Staff ord and Basil Lee of Finback Brewery. File photo
GENEROUS DONATIONS
Queensboro Unico donated more than $1,000 in gift cards to Transfi guration-St. Stanislaus Parish in Maspeth. The
gift cards were donated to the parish to assist families in need that have been impacted by COVID-19. Pictured
from left to right are: Queensboro Unico President Gaspare Mistretta, Transfi guration-St. Stanislaus Parish
Pastor Msgr. Calise, Queensboro Unico 1st Vice President and Event Chair Anthony Nunziato, and Queensboro
Unico Chairman of the Board Michael Mucaria. For more information on Queensboro Unico, visit: queensborounico.
org or call 917-880-6532.
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
