"Torst" Transforms the Beer Bar
By Artie Vincent
June 5th, 2013
New York City's social society is driven by trends and new tastes. First you had the club goers the 1980s, then the concert goers of the 1990s and then the underground rave scenes of the early part of the 2000s followed by the boom of the gourmet restaurants in the last seven years. Today, people crave microbrews.
The biggest and continually growing fad is craft beer. Many chose their local pubs by the beer selection, not the liquor or wine or ambiance. If a bar in the city doesn't carry the newest Sixpoint or Blue Point brews then the chances are you're not going to survive. Those sentiments are felt by chef Daniel Burns, one of the creative brainchild's behind nationally-recognized restaurant Momofuku. He recently joined forces with Nordic beer-ologist Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso to open the ultimate beer enthusiast's nirvana.
"Torst" opened in March in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and the chic, marbled-laced bar has widely become the most innovative and best craft beer bar in the country. The ambitious, Nordic-influence beer spot offers 21 temperature-controlled taps, as well as more than 200 bottled beers. The majority of the beers haven't ever been sold or poured in the United States. The most popular has been the brews of Evil Twins, a brewery headed by Janit-Bjergso and his twin brother in Denmark.
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The idea of the bar was to display the talents of younger brews overseas, and the name of the bar derives from its Danish meaning of "Thirst". The highlight of the bar, though, is its one-of-kind drought system. The duo placed a "flux capacitor" for its taps. The system allows the bartenders to manually adjust the nitrogen and carbon dioxide mixes of specific beers. The beer handles, embedded into the off-white marble walls, is colored by the type of color beer it pours. The buzz and popularity has grown immensely since it opened on March 8th. The bar's most famous costumer has been The Strokes frontman, Julian Casablancas.
All of the beers are served in wine glasses and most of the list you will not recognize. The top of the selection is Saison Cazeau, Mexican Cake Imperial Stout or the Cazeau Tournay Tripel. There's no site of traditional American brews like Budweiser or Miller Lite. Most of the prices of these beers don't go below $6 for an 8-ounce pour. In the bottle list, you can't get any better than the De Dolle and Cantillon brews.
Torst carries stille nacht reserva 2005, which is considered one of the finest pale ales ever brewed in the world, and the dulle tev reserva 2008.. For Cantillion, you have the chance to taste its saison or fou foune. The price tags ranges from $70 to $110, but for the special occasion its worth splurge. The 45 seat bar is surrounded by a small selection of booths but in May the second phase of Torst opens as Burns opens his Scandinavian-influenced food menu, which he pair with beer with a tasting menu soon to be revealed. Right now the bar just offers a selection of cheese and charcuterie.
Tørst
615 Manhattan Av.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-6034
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