Today, we’re going to be talking about prison, riots and alcohol! If that doesn’t get your attention, then I’m not sure what will. No, we’re not going to be talking about news or media, but craft beer. Delicious Nectar of the Gods coming from Auburn, a city in New York that carries the moniker of “Prison City.” To learn more about Prison City Brewing and some of their fine liquids, we chatted with Co-Owner and Co-Founder, Marc Schulz.

Behind beers, not bars

Auburn is a small city of thirty-thousand year-round residents located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It also happens to be home of the state’s longest running prison facility. While other big cities were dubbed Salt City, Flour City, Nickel City, etc., Auburn has long carried the moniker: Prison City. “Being our original location is a mere two blocks from the prison, the name just fit for one of the first local breweries to open within the city in nearly a century,” explained Marc.

Image provided by Prison City Brewing

Prior to housing a brewery, this old building was once a Civil War armory serving from 1859 to 1871. Local soldiers would train at this specific location before heading off to fight in the Civil War. In 2015, Prison City Brewing erected a redesigned twenty-foot “The Armory” sign, which also lights up and looks really cool at night. Nowadays, instead of housing weapons and soldiers, it houses a small and mighty 5Bbl brewhouse, ample amounts of craft beer and a great team of people who are all about making great beer and fostering relationships with the people who visit the brewery.

Let’s Riot!

We’re not condoning violence here, but we are condoning the consumption of Mass Riot, a New England Style IPA from Prison City Brewing. Marc explains that Mass Riot was the second beer in their “RIOT” series of beers. “This was our take on a popular Vermont beer we loved and wanted to put our spin on it while paying homage at the same time,” said Marc. A good friend of Marc’s from the New York state beer scene helped them with the first beer in the series. “We then decided to take the concept on tour and try to recreate or duplicate so many of the beers that inspired us along the journey to opening our own brewery,” said Marc. In short, it was decided they would ‘take over’ that beer, that style, and make it their own. Marc explained that RIOT was mostly an idea, or a takeover. Early on they were, like most breweries, making beers that inspired them. So, they were both having a “RIOT” making the beer while simultaneously creating a “RIOT” and taking them as their own. “Just a play on words, plain and simple,” noted Marc.

Image provided by Prison City Pub & Brewery

What makes Mass Riot stand out from the plethora of other Hazy IPAs on the market though? Marc replied that it’s a tough question to answer. There is just too much damn good beer available and it’s hard establish what distinguishes their beer from others, even to IPA nerds. “What I can tell you is that Mass Riot is, quite possibly, the best it’s ever been,” said Marc. Early on, during its conception, Marc notes that each batch was different. “We were a small brew pub, spot buying hops on the fly for all our beers, and that made each batch somewhat different from the last.” Since opening the production brewery they have been able to secure hop contracts, thus ensuring each batch has the same blend of hops. The brew team, led by Sam Sadovnic, tirelessly works on making this beer as consistent as possible. “So, for me, the sales guy, that’s what I count on, consistently delicious beer. It makes my job very easy,” said Marc.

How good is it?

Mass Riot is brewed with Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic hops to create a masterpiece New England IPA. The soft mouthfeel from Mass Riot gives it a smooth and velvety texture that elevates the overall drinking experience. Citrus takes control up front and provides a sweet, yet tangy flavor profile. Simcoe and Mosaic are not to be outshined, but they seem to work effortlessly together to give you complex flavors that add to some earthy notes to help dial down the sweetness, ending with a subtle hint of pine and slight bitterness. You really get a complete balance of flavors that aren’t subdued by one another and don’t dissipate quickly. The flavors seem to hug your palate just long enough for the next sip to hit your lips. What a joy it was to be able to experience this beer! Even though there are many out there like it, each beer has its own story to tell, and this one does just that.

Mass Riot drinks very smooth as well. You don’t get a bloated feeling from consuming a few sixteen-ounce offerings of this beer. Weighing in at 6.8% ABV, just a few years ago, this beer could quite possibly be pushing the envelope of a Double IPA. Nowadays, while that ABV range tends to fall in the “single” IPA category, you might want to take it easy on this and just sip and relax. That’s the beauty of this beer though. You can just sit back and relax and enjoy drinking these. Prison City did and continues to do a tremendous job with Mass Riot, and we feel like this beer is one of the best of this style we’ve had this year. If you have a list of beers to try, like most of us do, you need to add this one to the list, you will not be disappointed!

 

https://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Prison-City-Mass-Riot-600x600.jpghttps://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Prison-City-Mass-Riot-150x150.jpgJason MurphyBeer Review#nycraftbeer,#prisoncitybrewpub,ipa,NEIPAToday, we're going to be talking about prison, riots and alcohol! If that doesn't get your attention, then I'm not sure what will. No, we're not going to be talking about news or media, but craft beer. Delicious Nectar of the Gods coming from Auburn, a city in New...Cold beer, hot conversations, stupid jokes.