Gowanus Brewery Wins State's Best Beer Award For Second Time

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The results are in, the votes are tallied and the winner has been crowned. Brooklyn brewery Threes Brewing once again was named the best beer maker in the state.

The brewery took home the top prize in the second New York State Craft Beer Competition, organized by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

A “funky and highly drinkable” beer, according to Threes co-founder and CEO Josh Stylman, the brew Passing Time beat out more than 700 entries from at least 100 New York-based makers when it won the Governor’s Excelsior Cup for the second straight year, state fair officials announced on Wednesday.

The Governor’s Excelsior Cup is awarded to the best overall beer, selected via blind taste test by a panel of more than 40 judges across at least 20 categories.

It appears this blend was no match for its competitors across the dozens of categories judged.

Stylman said this “unusual” brew has a special place in his heart — and it looks like the judges echoed his sentiments.

“I think the fact that it’s nuanced, unexpected and has a unique (but still widely appealing) flavor profile all helped,” Stylman said via email of his winning concoction, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale.

Last year, the number-one pick was the brewery’s flagship Vliet, a European-style pilsner.

While the Vliet is branded as a “beer for all occasions,” Passing Time is a much different member of the pack but a champion nonetheless.

“We are really proud of the beers our brewers brew and think they are exceptional, even in a crowded field in terms of there being so many exciting craft beers in New York,” Stylman said.

“Our state's brewing community is very much on the map right now, and we’re so honored to be a part of it.”

Threes Brewing was founded by Stylman, an internet startup wiz, with the help of his cohort Justin Israelson, who formerly owned a bar and flower shop in Ditmas Park.

What began as a love for beer turned into a business and community space for all of Brooklyn, Stylman said, encompasses the journey Threes has taken since its inception more than four years ago — and that journey now includes two best-in-state brews.

“Being a part of this competition felt like a great way to connect with our beer industry peers, while celebrating all the craft brews that make New York such an exciting place for beer,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Threes Brewing