Kelso: The New Beer on the Block

The Kelso Brewery staff: Vlad, Katrina the cat, Kelly, Al, Saidou (who seems to be flashing the Kelso Brewery gang sign), and Haggi

If you live your life by the axiom “Think Globally, Drink Locally,” add one more beer to your list of local brews to support. This summer Greenpoint Beer Works launched the Kelso of Brooklyn brand. The first release is Kelso Nut Brown, a malty medium-boded brown. Kelly Taylor, the founder and brewer of Kelso of Brooklyn, recently answered some questions for The Brooklyn Record. Taylor and his wife, both craft beer veterans, moved to Brooklyn in 2001 after years of working at west coast breweries…

Kelso may be the new beer on the block, but the Greenpoint Beer Works is hardly wet behind the ears. In fact, you may already have tasted their beer. It has been in operation since 2003, and produces 10,000 kegs of beer annually, mostly for Heartland Brewery. That’s right — Heartland, with locations at every tourist spot in Manhattan, has been serving up Brooklyn brews for years. That’s even more impressive when you realize that the brewery is manned by a very small staff.

You’ll have to check your favorite Brooklyn bar to find Kelso Nut Brown, as there are no immediate plans to bottle it. “We’re focused on bringing quality draft products to the NYC market. No bottles or cans in the foreseeable future,” Kelly says. “That’s a whole different business model, and a different scope of operation. We would like to keep it simple and focus on quality right now.”

That doesn’t mean that Kelly’s eyes aren’t on the future. “We plan on
releasing some other styles every season, all working around the nut brown as a base. We plan on a Scotch Ale, a Flemish Red Ale, and a Trippel Bock,” he continues. He sent a specially made cask-conditioned brew to Brazen Head’s Cask festival a few weeks ago. Kelso Chocolate Stout is now available in select Brooklyn bars, including Barcade.

Kelly’s goal for Kelso is one we can all drink to: “I hope Kelso will
develop a name for itself as an interesting, flavorful, locally ‘grown’ craft beer.” Cheers.
— clay williams

Kelso of Brooklyn [Homepage]