Hello, friends and fellow drunkards beer enthusiasts! We have to stop meeting like this. And by “like this” I mean extremely infrequently with promises of upcoming posts that are never actually fulfilled. Um, yeah, we’re really sorry about that. We’ve just had a few major life events crop up that sort of, well, distracted us from this blog. Without being any more esoteric, the owners of this here beer blog got themselves hitched! And, as it turns out, doing a destination wedding and honeymoon, moving into a new place, changes in jobs, having a party, sending out thank you cards and all that jazz can be pretty time consuming. We’re not going to try to justify the fact that we didn’t make the Unrefined Beer Review a priority, we’re just going to put forth our sincere and humble apology and hope that you will understand. our absence.
Now that the personal stuff’s aside, on to the business of beer!
This time around we’re shifting our focus to something a little different, not a brewery or a bar, but instead a special bottle shop that recently opened its doors in our beloved Westchester County. In late winter/early spring I noticed an interesting-looking sign in an open window space in the lovely little town of Bronxville, NY (which is near and dear to my heart, as that’s’ where I attended grammar school). It read “Coming Soon! Beer Noggin: Bottle Shop and Taproom.” I couldn’t believe my eyes, a craft beer shop and taproom in Bronxville? It was one of those “I wish I had this idea first” kind of moments.
I waited on bated breath for the opening of this new beer market, checking their Instagram account on a semi-weekly basis for any updates. Finally, the opening day came in late June and John and I found ourselves stopping by after dinner one night around 9:00 (yes, a business in Bronxville that actually stays open later than 8:00 PM, aside from our much-loved Slave to the Grind, of course).
The shop is small, but that adds to its charm (the space was formerly the home to Swizzles, a frozen yogurt shop). The left-hand side of the shop is dedicated to the walk-in coolers for chilled beers, while the right hand side houses the shelving for non-chilled beers. There are two tables with chairs and two additional standing tables. The bar area is cozy and there are 12 taps (I also personally enjoy the fact that they do half pours on certain beers). What I find most appealing, though, is Beer Noggin’s “corkage” policy. Any beer purchased in-store can be consumed there, with an additional $2 corkage fee ($3 for larger bottles). While this may not seem like much, when you compare it to the high markups on bottles and cans in bars, the price is a welcome change. Upon our first visit, John and I not only enjoyed two beers in-store (1 draft, 1 can each), but we also walked away with a mixed six-pack of cans. Our choices included 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood, Stillwater Artisnal Classique, Mikkeller Simcoe, Victory Summer Love, Avery Brewing Co. Ellie’s Brown Ale and Downeast Cider.
Also offered are small plates to go along with the beers. Food options include a cheese plate, olives, pickles, jerky and pretzels baked fresh from the Bronx Baking Company. For the designated drivers of the bunch, there are a variety of craft sodas to enjoy as well. And for the snobbish Bronxvillians, there are also wine options available (I’m joking, of course, about the snobs. I’m not joking, however, about the wine–there are three different varieties available, two of which are in cans!).
Above all else, the owners, Doug and Brendan, are affable and accommodating, always willing to give a beer recommendation if asked. They have big plans for their little shop, all of which place a large focus on supporting local breweries and businesses. Aside from tap takeovers, they have plenty of other events planned too (in the recent past they have hosted #beerandamovie nights like “Gose-busters” which paired a viewing of Ghostbusters with a can of Anderson Valley Gose and “Ballast Point Break” which paired, you guessed it, Point Break and Ballast Point). Despite the owners being two NJ-transplants, their focus is local and community-minded, as all craft should be.
Welcome to Westchester, Beer Noggin. We’re glad you’re here, and you can definitely expect to see us again soon!
— Jamie
Beer Noggin is located at:
102 Kraft Avenue, Bronxville, NY, 10708.
Their hours of operation are:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 10pm
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
You can find them online on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Unrefined Beer Review 