"brooklyn brewery" news and stories

Until recently, if you wanted to slurp some of Triangle Brewing's spiced, thirst-quenching White Ale, you had to belly up to a bar and order a pint of the draft-only beer. But now, the Durham, North Carolina, brewery has taken a bold step by packaging its brews in cans, not bottles. Are the owners bonkers?

"There's a huge misperception that bottles are better than cans," cofounder Andy Miller told The News & Observer. For good reason. Cans have long been the domain of Budweiser, Miller and other big name brews that many beer connoisseurs consider dishwater drinks, leaving bottles to flavorful craft beer. It's a classier looking package, but as we've learned time and again: looks aren't everything. Aluminum cans offer numerous advantages over bottles. For starters, cans are better at warding off beer's biggest killers: light and oxygen, which make brews taste and smell like road-kill skunk. And that metallic tang that once plagued canned suds? Gone, thanks to flavor-saving linings.

• Chicken Florentine Strata makes a quick and easy casserole for brunch.
• Michael Symon talks about his James Beard win.
• Sam McNulty and his staff at Bar Cento come up with a brunch menu that's big on taste and low on fuss.
• Cleveland's La Strada is named after the Fellini film, boasts a "Christianity-meets-Islam vibe" and serves everything from Turkish to Spanish cuisine.
• A hoppy look at Brooklyn Brewery's 12-pack Party Sampler, which includes Pennant Ale '55, East India Pale Ale, Brown Ale and Lager.
• The Greenhouse Tavern is dishing up delights, Tartine boasts a seasonal, "refreshingly trim" menu, Oasis Grill has a winning egg 'n' burger and The Calla Restaurant features a fabulous fish-fry.
• And last, but not least, some wine tastings for May.