Brewer Chris Sheehan talks Port 44 beer

Brewmaster Chris Sheehan took some time from his brewing of a red ale to chat this morning about the just-fired up brewhouse at Port 44.

The former beer-maker at Chelsea Brewing in New York City offered some observations about getting started in his new digs in Newark and teased to some brews Port 44 patrons can expect.

From Chris:

• Gold Finch ale, brewed Aug. 6th as Port 44's inaugural house beer, is expected to be ready for tapping Friday, Aug. 20.
  
• That first batch will be a little stronger (6% ABV) than planned, since the efficiency of the brewing equipment is still being figured out. Making adjustments accordingly is all part of the process when dealing with a new setup.
  
• Gold Finch ale is named for New Jersey's state bird.
• Renaissance Red was being brewed today. In the coming days, a stout and an American-style wheat beer will be brewed.
• Down the road, look for a wet-hopped IPA-styled brew, Catskills Harvest Ale, done with freshly picked hops grown in upstate New York. The Cascades, Fuggles and other varieties were grown by Chris' family (including mother and sister) and friends in Cooperstown, Franklin and Delhi. The brew will be a variation of the one often made for Chelsea Brewing.

So how does Chris feel about being the first brewer in decades to be making beer in Newark that's not for Budweiser, which as most folks know is now owned the Belgian-Brazilian conglomerate AB-InBev?

"Damned proud," he says. "I tell everybody we're the only American brewery in Newark."