On Monday, August 16, the skies opened up and some heavy rains washed down over New York. Walking toward the Boathouse at the Audubon House in Prospect Park, a park official cut us off. “Can’t go this way,” he said. “It’s flooded down that way.”
Brooklyn Brewery in the park.
The reason? Brooklyn Brewery’s newest creation blew a hole in the sky.
Damp and overlooking a pond rife with fallen leaves and paddling ducks, bloggers and beer lovers gathered under gray clouds to celebrate Garrett Oliver’s newest brewmaster’s reserve, aptly dubbed Detonation Ale.
Taking their BLAST! IPA and upping the ante, Detonation Ale features seven – count ‘em, seven – different kinds of hops. As my sudsy pseudonym suggests, this pleased me very much. This hop-heavy pale ale is a dark copper in color, heavy on the citric aromas and very, very easy to drink.
Oh, did I mention that – at 9.2% ABV – it might be a little too easy to drink? Despite having plenty of other choices on tap and in bottles, Detonation Ale was the star of the night. With the food fare from Ovenly and the Meathook gone rather quickly, it didn’t take long for people to mingle easy and make friends quickly. But with tips for the brews going to the park itself, I guess a very drinkable, high-ABV ale really wasn’t a bad thing.
So get it while you can – as a brewmaster’s reserve, it’s only going to be on draft for the next couple of months.
Just remember to write some things down before you start drinking, and be wary of long subway excursions afterwards. Your mind will definitely be blown.
