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Finback Brewery

4.4 (157 reviews)
ModerateBreweries
Closed 5:00 pm - 11:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

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Recommended Reviews - Finback Brewery

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Steven L.

A hidden brewery in the heart of a Queens neighborhood is like a hidden gem. They have limited parking space, and can be hard to find sometimes. Once you step in, it's a few tables and bench seating and seating at the bar. They have a pretty good selection of brews from lower alcohol percentage to highest on their mirror menu. Service was quick and if you are not sure what to drink you can ask for a sample before you fully commit to a full glass. I went with the double barrel stout and it was dark with some coffee chocolate tones. If drinking on the spot is not possible, they have cans for purchase.

Matthew J.

Founded in 2014, Finback Brewery is a craft brewery in Glendale, New York that's known for its creative, unique beers and commitment to community. They are especially known for their Hazy IPAs and Barrel Aged Stouts. Finback Brewery's beers are made with quality ingredients in small batches. The brewery's Core Rotators series features single hop selections and rotating combos of hops. I had two pours, as they didn't do small pours, but thoroughly enjoyed it so much I got a four pack to go! Every Night: A Double IPA Dry Hopped with Meridian, Mosaic, and Simcoe. Dream Team: A Double IPA with Citra Dynaboost, Citra Hyperboost, and Nelson Cryo. _____

Pop up pizza
Will M.

Low key dog friendly brewery with an old industrial feel. Bench style seating throughout. All your favorite kinds of beer on taps. Numerous types of IPAs and that all were really good.

Tameeka B.

I've been a fan of Finback beers for years and I'm always proud the beers are produced in Queens. I've always been super busy and haven't had a chance to visit the brewery and try beers that aren't sold in our local stores until a few weeks ago. Hubby and I grabbed a seat and I got a flight (sorta). There isn't an assigned flight but you can pick small beer samples and make your own flights. I really like the sour beers so I had a good time while I was there. The vibe is cool. I noticed lots of families hanging out and kids playing games. It's a chill spot for a low-key weekend date night. Heads up, they do not always have food vendors but they do sell chips at the bar.

Carolina S.

I'm a big personality and I get excited about things..hard! So now that's out the way. I was very excited to finally check out Finback Brewery. My dentist office is not too far from here. And I needed to get my 6 month cleaning. They said I could not eat anything....they never said I couldn't drink anything. So I rode my bike over, only after I hit up the TJMaxx and the Trader Joe's. I have priorities. It was still a super hot summer day. I noticed a bike rack in the actual brewery. Doors were open! No AC but more of a giant fan situation. I parked myself at the bar and the bike out front. I asked a million questions but settled on this coconut beer, "Ultimate Beats". That was phenomenal. I of course shared my stories on the gram and found out "Traze Pizza Lab" was the next food pop up. I gathered up the troops aka my sister, her husband, friends and my friend visiting from Philly and we all headed over there. The pizza was A+! Ohmygoodness. I can not recommend the falafel pizza or the pesto pizza enough. Also the cookies are out of this world. Everyone tried a variety of beers and with the pizza, it was a marriage in heaven. I will say this place does not have ice and there is no hard alcohol drinks here. If you have gluten free peeps, probably not the best place to take them. If you know a dog lover that enjoys crafty beer then bring them here! They do have roasted coffee, a new liquor line and merch for sale. It would be nice if they eventually have coffee and cocktails also for sale. hint hint! Thank you Finback and Traze for a wonderful afternoon hang with friends and family. I'll try to cut back on the coffee before coming here so I don't chew your ear off.

Finback Merchandise
Matthew L.

Finback Brewery is a craft brewery that opened in Queens, New York in January 2014. It was founded by business partners Basil Lee and Kevin Stafford. Lee is a licensed professional architect, but he had a passion for drinking craft beer. He home-brewed for a few years with his friend and fellow craft beer aficionado Stafford (a graphic artist), and then the two decided to pursue their dream of opening a craft brewery in New York City. They first tried to find a location in Brooklyn, but multiple deals fell through. Finally they were able to secure a location in the Glendale section of Queens. Originally they were going to call their brewery 'Narwhal' until Sierra Nevada Brewing Company released a beer with the same name. Then the partners were inspired to name their brewery 'Finback' after a real finback whale became beached and died in Queens in 2012. Lee and Stafford struggled for so long to secure their location that they too sometimes felt like a "beached whale". In spite of the fact that the brewery was a solid 30-minute walk from the nearest subway station, lines soon began to form around the block for their can releases. Finback's mission is to brew a variety of different beer styles with great flavor and complexity from quality ingredients and small batch artisanal brewing. A second location opened in Brooklyn in March 2020 and there are currently plans to open a third in Long Island City. I recently visited Finback's original Queens location while I was cycling around NYC. I was trying out a number of Brooklyn and Queens breweries and pizzerias and Finback was my second stop of the day. I first tasted some of their beers at DeCicco's and immediately became a huge fan. I also visited Finback's Brooklyn taproom last year, but this was my first time visiting their original taproom. The brewery is in the middle of a Glendale residential area; not quite what I was expecting. The brewery was practically empty when I arrived, but I actually prefer quiet brewery experiences to noisy and crowded ones. My passion is for hoppy unfiltered IPAs, so I decided to order a flight of four samples consisting of "Wander On" (Session IPA), "Premium" (IPA), "I See You" (Fruited Double IPA) and "Oscillation 034" (Double IPA). I enjoyed all four, but the latter two were my favorites. Overall, I had a really nice experience at Finback's original Queens location. I'll continue to drink their offerings for years to come.

Jessica L.

I enjoy the chill vibe at Finback. For a person who doesn't drink and to be able to comfortably enjoy themselves there says a lot Big open space where there's even space to park your bikes says a lot. They really make it easy for people who do not own cars or simply don't want to drive... It's a brewery so the menu is always changing, but you can follow their Instagram for the latest updates and (special) releases They usually have a popup of some food. But the great thing is you can bring your own, or have food delivered there. They even have a stack of menu options. It's also pet friendly

In my opinion, they're currently making the best IPA's in NYC! They have 3 great locations--2 in Queens, 1 in Brooklyn. If you love IPA's treat yourself to Finback.

Smooth Miami beats coconut ipa

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2 years ago

Good food, with solid service and a chill ambiance and vibe. Little hot inside but totally understandable

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2 years ago

Don't drive here. Neither location has parking. Uber here or just simply drive out to Root & Branch. Plenty of free parking there.

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Ask the Community - Finback Brewery

Is there outside seating?

Not exactly seating, but outdoor barrel tables allow you to stand and enjoy some fresh air, yes.

We almost went here. Looked for beer list to make sure we'd be happy. Website said to check beermenus but that hadn't been updated in over a month. Where can people from out of town find your draft list?

Best bet is to go bc they change it up often. Honestly you will find all awesome selections there. They just did two new releases, you can find them on Instagram if you want to see what they usually release. But as I said there is never a bad choice… Read more

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The Greats of Craft - Beer spot

The Greats of Craft

(51 reviews)

$$

Long Island City

I could have swore I wrote a review for this place when it first opened. Coming here in the summer…read moreis by far the best view unless your looking at the Z hotel, which looks like poop hole! There's so many levels to this location. When its cold outside I recommend the seating in the corner, its a little room off to the side. They have outlets here as well as games to play. Unfortunately for last night's visit they just had scrabble which I totally crushed my friend in, when he reads this he is gonna laugh. The 5 or so times I been to this location there has always been totally good service. I believe one of my drinks last night was given for free, the bill didn't make sense. I did notice my server clicked on the 20% tab, I didn't mind I would have clicked that anyway. Sometimes I am too nice to people because most would have said something. :: bathroom alert:: Very clean bathroom. Use the first one on the bottom floor. The ada compliant bathrooms are very big, I appreciate that. The bathrooms upstairs have unisex hand washing. I just appreciate There's elevators so that elderly, mobility issues and people in wheel chairs can enjoy the view. In the winter upstairs does have a tent around it. The area can seem sus at night time. Take a cab home or walk with a friend is my tip. The food is pretty good. The nachos were just ok, I could have used more seasoning. The pretzel was really good as well. They used to have tacos on their menu I don't know what happened. Their fries are pretty good too. I'm not sure if they still do the pizza, they did when they first opened.

I'm not in LIC often but on this occasion I was invited to an event at The Greats of Craft, and I'm…read moreglad I was! I likely would never have gone to this place on my own, especially given the very industrial surroundings in the area. Honestly, from a few blocks away I would have no idea that such a nice restaurant was located here. From the outside you'd almost think this was a bar/lounge but inside the space is beautiful with plenty of sunlight flooding in and plenty of seating. Yes, they do sell beer but it's really a family spot. There's even a bar off to one side that runs along about half of the first level. This is where I sat as I waited for my friends to show up for their event. I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte and it was great! Not super spicy or sweet which is cool. The staff was friendly and a lot of people who came in were on a first name basis with the staff, which is always a great sign. It shows trust and repeat business from locals and that gives them big points in my book. The event was in an upstairs space which is huge and features its own bar off to one side and plenty of seating both inside and outside. I got to try a couple different dishes including their fresh baked pretzel, which was soft and tasty. I also tried their chicken fingers, which were fresh and well cooked. The french fries were also fresh, crisp and tasted good! I enjoyed my visit to The Greats of Craft. I won't be going out of my way to go there but if I'm in the area I'd happily visit again.

Bridge and Tunnel Brewery

Bridge and Tunnel Brewery

(65 reviews)

$

Ridgewood, Bushwick

I was actually quite surprised that I hadn't been here before as it is absolutely the vibe I am…read morelooking for in a weekend brewery. The space itself is intimate, fairly small but utilized well. Bench tables and bar seating with a TV, fake fireplace, and a throwback arcade game. The bartender was so friendly and welcoming. Dark but not in a pretentious way. When we went on a Saturday afternoon, it was essentially just us and a few isolated people at the bar. We played a board game we had brought and had a great time. The beers themselves were not my favorite. There is a good variety and the prices are super agreeable, but I wasn't really thrilled by any of the IPA choices specifically. Probably just me. My biggest gripe with the place, however, is the music. I appreciate that this is super dependent on who is working but for a darkly lit brewery, I wouldn't have chosen the classic/elevator/slow music that was playing overhead. Parking is super easy. Also, I am very curious in their connection to the leather making studio next door and would be interested in the pop-ups that happen here once monthly!

Great beer and excellent beer . The Owner Rich is a friendly guy and loves to tell stories about…read morethe brewery. As for the beer they are great they have sours stouts ipa cinders and kombucha and some times root beer on tap which is delicious. If looking for laughs come down Sunday at 630 for comedy night. Some of the funniest comedians in the city are here. Come and enjoy

Grimm Artisanal Ales - The brew system

Grimm Artisanal Ales

(158 reviews)

$$

East Williamsburg

Not only one of my favorite breweries in NYC, but one of my top 5 in the world. Grimm makes…read morewondrous beers and their tasting room is a model of relaxation and professionalism. On my first visit in 2019, I was in beer heaven at Grimm Ales, sampling Dreamweapon, Crystal Vibration IPA, Butterfly Door DIPA and Geodesic Dome apricot and passionfruit dry-hopped sour. I stopped in again this fall after a concert and enjoyed two amazing drinks (Yearbook barrel-aged imperial stout, Year of Song Munich Dunkel) and a perfect snack (Bûcheron goat cheese and spent grain crackers). The bartender was knowledgeable and super friendly.

When you travel, you have to be flexible. Thanks for my plans for the day all kind of following…read moreapart, I visited Grimm and think it was my favorite brewery experience of the entire trip. I had had Grimm Ales in cans and on draft in the past, but this was the first time visiting. Their beer is so much better on draft, bright and flavorful, and served with such care. Bartender Tony was welcoming and quick to serve, even with a full bar all evening. The space was open and industrial, with their signature colors and designs around. I loved seeing all the happy groups, including some pups, as they enjoyed a clearly favorite neighborhood spot. The beer was fantastic, I had a flight and wished I could've physically had more. Prices are reasonable for the location and quality of the beer. Another highlight was La La's, the attached bakery and kitchen. It also ended up being my favorite meal with a zesty and refreshing salad of local produce, and a hot steamy fresh loaf of bread with balsamic vinegar and oil. A perfect meal. I definitely recommend Grimm if you're a beer fan, you won't be disappointed!

Finback Brewery - breweries - Updated May 2026

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