For Dave Lopez and Kieran Farrell, the Bronx was a natural fit for their beer business.
"New York in general has been behind in the craft beer…it's about time we're catching up here," said Farrell.
Lopez and Farrell named their brewery after a main drag that runs through the borough – Gun Hill Road, and their beer is made by brewmaster Chris Sheehan.
The Bronx has a pretty strong history of brewing with mainly all German immigrants who started breweries in the area. Those breweries had all closed by the 1960s, but Gun Hill Road Brewing Company beer is back in the Bronx. There's a tasting area, and currently four offerings - a golden ale, a light beer, hoppy beer and amber ale. Made with hops grown Upstate by the brewmaster, there's also a stout , which is hearty and chocolatey.
Some of the equipment at Gun Hill is custom made, and their beer has its own unique finish. Filtration not only removes haze forming matters, it strips a beer.
While Gun Hill officially opens on Saturday, they are already selling their beer at 30 bars throughout the city. Microbreweries are a citywide trend, that now includes the Bronx.
Brooklyn is getting saturated, Queens is starting to come up - what's left is the Bronx.
"People are starting to realize the Bronx is the place to be," adds Lopez.
