Other Half Brewing

Other Half opened in 2014 at the mostly-industrial convergence of Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Gowanus that old timers still call South Brooklyn. The taproom makes no bones about it. The room is spare: concrete underfoot, bare walls. It’s about the beer here. 20 rotating drafts of the stuff and it’s really good. They also pour wine, cider and soft drinks, with cans and bottles available to go. And this isn’t one of those places that delights in "challenging" IPAs–you know, the ones that taste like a leather strap dissolved in grapefruit juice. Other Half has never and does not now mess with that. These are balanced, genuinely drinkable beers for people who like things that taste good. Something simple but not simplistic. The bartenders are fast, friendly, and if you don’t mess with IPAs, they know how to steer you to the right fit. The place is spitting distance from the Gowanus Canal–which, despite the rash of condos springing up, is still endearingly vile. You’ve got to get off the Smith/9th Street F/G to get here, but that’s its own little treat: it’s the highest elevated station in the entire New York City subway system, and the views are spectacular.