Finback Brewery

Two homebrewers from Queens

Finback comes from New York City. According to its own website, the brewery was founded in 2014 by Basil Lee and Kevin Stafford. The idea came up as early as 2011, but a patent issue and a long search for a location held the project up. The location was only settled in 2013, and in 2014 the first beer came off the line. Other Half, one of the breweries from the same wave, opened about a month earlier.

Lee was an architect; Stafford worked for about nine years as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Both brewed at home: Stafford for nine or ten years, weekly, Lee for four or five years. Stafford had also worked at a few breweries on larger systems.

The brewery is in Glendale, in Queens, a good walk from the nearest subway station. The taproom has white walls, meant to feel like a gallery or loft, and handmade furniture.

Finback makes more than beer

Finback describes itself as a place for creative expression in beer, spirits and coffee. Lee and Stafford brought their preference for restraint and minimalism to both the taproom and the beers.

The Finback umbrella also includes Halftone Spirits (botanical spirits and gin), Invisible Force Coffee, Dumpling Up (Asian snacks and food) and FFARM, a venture into farming and rural development. In 2017, according to Hop Culture, there were lines around the block for can releases.

Lee was then dreaming of a farm outside the city, with simple food to go with simple beer.

Buying Finback at Hoptimaal

From Finback, we have an 8.8% IPA: Finback Grain Finished Two, highly rated on Untappd.

With that strength, you drink it more slowly than a regular IPA. Hoppy beers are best fresh, so drink it soon after you buy it and serve it cool, not ice-cold, so the aromas get room to open up.

You order per piece; order before 3 pm on working days, shipped the same day. Shipping within the Netherlands is free from €75, and returns are free.