Five Boroughs Brewing Company - Hoppy Lager

Five Boroughs’ Hoppy Lager presents a bright pale golden hue in the glass, capped by a large head of pale foam that persists well. On the nose, we picked up tropical elements joined by notes of citrus and pine, plus some peach-like stone fruit notes colored by just a wisp of banana, all atop an undercurrent of bready malt. Look for this lager hit quite crisply on the palate due to the hops’ firm perceived bitterness that easily balances the malt core, which comes through fairly clean with some lightly bready and tangy wheat character. Hops deliver a lime-like citrus zestiness here with some evergreen facets, and the whole experience comes through crisp and quenching, with a dry, lingering finish. Five Boroughs doesn’t declare a specific style for their Hoppy Lager, but we’ll go ahead and call it an IPL due to the very prominent hop character and prominent bitterness. For food pairings, we’re looking a backyard grilling favorites like burgers, chicken, sausages, and fish. It’ll cut through fattier and sweeter dishes, and should pair nicely with fruity and spicy barbecue sauces. Cheers!

Founded in 2017 by longtime friends and passionate homebrewers Blake Tomnitz and Kevin O’Donnell, Five Boroughs Brewing Company emerged with a clear mission: to answer the open question of “What is New York beer?” The team set out to build a brewery to bring together New Yorkers from all over the sprawling city. Blake – who had begun brewing in his dorm room back in college – and Kevin set out to unite their city through a shared love of great beer.

After nearly two years of searching and heavy lifting, they settled on a massive, historic steel-tie factory in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, transforming its gritty grandeur – which included 30-foot ceilings, exposed brick, and remnants of old railroad tracks – into a 12,500-square-foot brewery and taproom in the summer of 2017. In that space, Blake, Kevin, and a team of citywide craft-beer devotees set up a state-of-the-art 35-barrel brewhouse, plus the very 15-gallon MoreBeer pilot system that had fueled Blake & Kevin’s homebrewing beginnings. The latter still proudly operates to this day as the pilot system for their new beer ideas.

Five Boroughs quickly grew, with their cans and kegs soon appearing in hundreds of bars across NYC. Then, in November 2023, Five Boroughs embarked on a new chapter under the ownership of Finestkind Brewing – the parent company behind Smuttynose, a New England craft brewing icon founded in 1994. While production largely transitioned to Smuttynose's larger NH facility, the Sunset Park taproom and brewery remains intact as an innovation lab: a space for creative experimentation, community events, and small-batch showcases that keep the brand’s hometown heart beating strong. The brewery currently offers about a half-dozen year-round beers along with several seasonals and limited-run brews. For more info, visit them at fiveboroughs.com.