I was recently in Brooklyn over Spring Break, and while I definitely used the opportunity to drink beer, I’m ashamed to admit that my tight budget restricted me to Bud Light during my time in the city.

Even if it’s a couple weeks late, I wanted to pay proper homage to Brooklyn. I had a great time visiting and season three of “Girls” — which takes place in Brooklyn and is one of the best shows on TV — just ended on a high note this past week.

I chose to sample Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Lager. I have to warn you right away that the experience was bittersweet: I loved the beer, but being the clumsy fool I am, I spilled it all over the place when I was only halfway through drinking it.

The Brooklyn Lager poured beautifully into my pint glass — at least for the duration of its stay. It was copper-colored and had a pale copper foam head, which dissipated quickly for my first sip.

I like lagers, and I’ve had a lot of Yuengling in my life, so I knew broadly what to expect with the Brooklyn Lager: nothing too exotic but also nothing too watered down.

The lager’s taste was excellent. It tasted more refined than Yuengling, with subtle hints of caramel and a slight citrus taste. I was really impressed with how flavorful the Brooklyn Lager was, and how Brooklyn Brewery didn’t have to sacrifice any of the lager mainstays to achieve a unique taste.

My blissful Brooklyn adventure ended abruptly, though. I really have no excuse for myself, other than to say that this isn’t the first time (and won’t be the last time) I’ve made a mess with my clumsiness.

The worst part about spoiling half of my Brooklyn Lager was that I was completely sober. Had I been able to enjoy a few of them first, I may not have been so choked up over the whole situation. I’m still grieving, but I plan to buy more Brooklyn Lager to heal my wounds.

Published on March 27, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Tom: tsharkey@syr.edu