If you’ve chased a can drop, set an alarm for a release, or traded for a fresh four-pack, there’s a good chance Other Half Brewing Co. was involved. From their base in Brooklyn, NY, Other Half built a cult following by perfecting hazy IPAs and hop-saturated ales that burst with aroma and finish clean. They helped redefine modern hop expression—bringing massive flavor, soft textures, and dialed-in bitterness to drinkers who want intensity without palate fatigue. This spotlight covers what to drink, why Other Half matters, how to plan your visit, and how to pair their beers with real food and local flavor.
- Address: 195 Centre St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
- Website: https://otherhalfbrewing.com
What you’ll learn
- Why Other Half is a standard-bearer for hazy IPAs and hop-saturated beers
- What to expect from their flagship series, collaborations, and special releases
- How they influence hop farming, freshness culture, and the wider craft scene
- Practical tips for taproom visits, beer releases, and smart pairing strategies
- Local Brooklyn angles to round out your trip
Why Other Half Brewing Co. Matters
Other Half’s rise tracks with the evolution of modern IPA. Instead of bitterness-first, they pushed aroma and mouthfeel to the front—think saturated citrus, tropical fruit, and stone fruit over a pillowy, well-attenuated base. The result: beers that smell explosive yet drink balanced.
Impact you can see (and taste):
- Aroma-first IPA playbook: By emphasizing late hopping and layered dry-hopping, Other Half popularized a template for hazy IPAs that deliver dense aroma while keeping sweetness in check. Many breweries now tune water chemistry, grist, and hopping schedules based on this model.
- Hop supply relationships: Participation in selection trips and collaborations helped spotlight specific hop lots and new varieties. Drinkers now ask for hops by name (Citra, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka) and care about lot quality—behavior more common in wine until recently.
- Freshness culture: Release calendars, canning dates, and cold-chain discipline taught fans to value fresh, cold-stored cans. That expectation raised standards for retailers and the broader market.
- Community and collabs: High-profile collaborations—both domestic and international—spread process ideas and showcased how to scale haze without losing balance.
Key takeaway: Other Half didn’t invent hazy IPA, but they helped perfect and popularize a style that now defines a generation of hopheads.
The Beer: Hazy IPAs, Double IPAs, and Hop-Saturated Staples
Expect a menu anchored by hazy pale ales, IPAs, and DIPAs with rotating hop bills, plus occasional West Coast-leaning IPAs, lagers, stouts, and fruited sours. The through-line is clarity of concept: aroma density, soft texture, and a finish that avoids syrupy sweetness.
Hazy IPA and DIPA: Fruit-forward, soft, and balanced
What you’ll notice:
- Nose: mango, pineapple, orange, passion fruit, and peach depending on hop blend; flashes of lime, white wine grape, or diesel from southern hemisphere varieties
- Palate: plush from oats/wheat, but not heavy; hop oils ride a lean, pale malt base
- Finish: low perceived bitterness, high aroma intensity, and a tidy landing that invites another sip
Serving tip: Keep cans cold and drink fresh—hazy hop aroma peaks within weeks of canning when stored cold.
Pairing ideas:
- Blackened fish tacos with lime crema (juicy hops echo citrus; soft texture calms spice)
- Fried chicken sandwich with pickles (carbonation lifts fry oil; fruit-forward hops complement acid and salt)
- Spicy noodles or chorizo tacos (low bitterness and fruit notes balance heat and fat)
- Burrata or caprese (tropical hops play with basil and tomato sweetness)
Rotating single-hop and blend series
Other Half often releases single-hop spotlights and blend-driven series that let you “taste the hop” with fewer variables. Use these as a sensory workshop.
How to taste smarter:
- Line up two IPAs that differ by one hop. Note how Citra leans citrus/tropical while Nelson Sauvin leans white grape and gooseberry.
- Track texture: Oats raise silkiness; wheat boosts foam and lift.
- Compare finishes: Similar ABV beers can feel drier or sweeter based on attenuation and carbonation.
West Coast-leaning IPAs and crispy pivots
Balanced bitterness, clearer appearance, and a drier chassis show up in West Coast runs. Expect grapefruit, pine, orange pith, and a snappy finish—a great counterpoint to hazy softness.
Pairings that pop:
- Pepperoni pizza or wings (firm bitterness meets fat and char)
- Smash burger with sharp cheddar (resin and citrus handle richness)
Dark beers, sours, and specials
You’ll find adjunct stouts, barrel projects, and fruited sours in rotation. The stouts skew dessert-leaning but often stay structured; sours favor real fruit expression with refreshing acidity.
Pairing ideas:
- Pastry stout + chocolate torte or blue cheese (sweet meets salt and umami)
- Fruited sour + goat cheese salad or ceviche (acidity and fruit brighten herbs and brine)
How Other Half Brews: Why Their Hops Hit Hard
Dialed-in process sits behind that big nose and soft landing.
- High-impact hopping: Whirlpool additions set the stage; layered dry-hops build aroma without over-extracting bitterness. Contact time and temperature are tuned to preserve volatile compounds.
- Water chemistry: Chloride-forward profiles enhance mouthfeel; sulfate is kept balanced so bitterness stays smooth.
- Yeast selection and management: Haze-friendly strains boost ester expression and biotransformation, converting hop precursors into juicy aromatics while keeping fermentation clean.
- Grist design: Pale base malts with oats and wheat add body and foam without cloying sweetness. Attenuation remains a priority to avoid heaviness.
- Oxygen control: Low dissolved oxygen during transfers and packaging protects delicate hop oils.
- Freshness discipline: Clear date codes and cold storage keep cans tasting like the bright draft pour.
Result: Beers that burst on the nose, glide on the palate, and finish clean enough to make that second pour tempting.
Taproom Atmosphere: Release Energy, Brooklyn Ease
The Brooklyn location at 195 Centre St blends industrial stainless with a relaxed, high-energy room. Expect a mix of locals, traveling beer fans, and release-day veterans.
What it feels like:
- Vibe: Buzzing but friendly—fans compare hop lots and swap pairing ideas between sips
- Service: Fast, knowledgeable, and happy to translate “tropical and soft,” “citrus and dry,” or “piney with bite” into the right pour
- Seating: Bar rails for solo sippers, communal tables for groups, and standing room around high-tops on busy days
- Programming: Frequent can releases, collaboration drops, and themed events—follow social channels and the website for dates and details
Release-day tips:
- Arrive early for limited cans; popular drops can move fast
- Bring an insulated bag or cooler if you’re taking cans to go; keep them cold to protect hop aroma
- Check purchase limits and release times in advance to plan your visit
Family and dog notes: Policies can vary by day and area; check the website for current guidance on minors and pets.
Food: Pairing Real Plates with Big Hop Aroma
Other Half’s beers shine with salt, char, herbs, citrus, and measured heat—Brooklyn’s food scene offers all of it within walking or delivery distance.
Smart pairings:
- Hazy IPA + spicy chicken sandwich or General Tso’s cauliflower: fruity hops soothe heat while carbonation lifts fry oil
- Hazy DIPA + pork belly bao or birria tacos: plush mouthfeel meets rich textures; citrus-tropical aromatics cut through fat
- West Coast IPA + pepperoni slice or buffalo wings: firm bitterness matches char and spice; dry finish resets your palate
- Fruited sour + ceviche or kale salad with citrus dressing: acidity harmonizes with lime and herbs
- Pastry stout + chocolate babka or brownie sundae: cocoa layers link; sweetness stays in check if you pour smaller
Pro tip: Salt amplifies bitterness. For salty plates (fries, cured meats), start with a hazy or a lager before moving to your firmest-bitter West Coast IPA.
Build a Smart Other Half Flight
Taste clean to bold and keep pours sensible to preserve sensitivity.
1) Pils or Kölsch-style (if available): Calibrate clarity, foam, and snap
2) Hazy Pale Ale: Set the soft, juicy baseline with lower ABV
3) Hazy IPA (flagship series): Track hop blend, aroma density, and dryness
4) Hazy DIPA or a single-hop spotlight: Compare hop character and sweetness control
5) West Coast IPA or Specialty: Finish with bitterness contrast or a small pour of stout/sour for variety
Flight tips:
- Water between pours, plus a few sips of a crisp beer, resets your palate
- Side-by-side two hazies that differ by one hop for an instant hop-education
- Keep high-ABV pours small so you can perceive nuance late in the flight
Practical Planning
Make your visit smooth and your cans taste their best.
- Address: 195 Centre St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
- Website: https://otherhalfbrewing.com
- Best times: Weekday afternoons for relaxed tasting; early evenings and weekends for full energy; release mornings for buzz and new cans
- To-go beer: Expect multiple hazy IPA/DIPA variants, occasional West Coast IPAs, lagers, stouts, and sours; purchase limits may apply on special drops
- Freshness check: Read can dates; store cold; drink hazy hop-forward beers within weeks for peak aroma
- Tours and events: Offerings vary—watch the website and social feeds for collab launches, festivals, and tap takeovers
- Merch: Hop-forward apparel, glassware tuned to aromatic beers, and limited can art prints
Make It a Brooklyn Day: Local Flavor Near the Taproom
You’re surrounded by top-tier eats, waterfront walks, and destination shopping. Build an itinerary around your stop.
Ideas to round out your visit:
- Slice and sip: Grab a neighborhood slice before or after your flight—hazy or West Coast IPA plays great with pizza
- Waterfront stroll: Walk to nearby piers for skyline views, then return for a second round or grab cans to go
- Market hop: Hit local shops and small markets, then unwind with a pale-and-IPA side-by-side
- Show night: Pre-game with a flight before a concert; snag a mixed 4-pack for home
Transport tips:
- Weekends get busy—arrive early for seating
- Public transit and rideshare beat parking stress
- Keep cans cold on the way home for best results
Other Half’s Influence on the Craft Beer Scene
- Set the bar for hazy execution: Dense aromatics, pillowy texture, and a clean landing became the gold standard for hazy IPAs.
- Raised hop literacy: Drinkers now discuss lots, farms, and varietal character the way wine fans discuss vineyards and vintages.
- Elevated collaboration culture: Cross-country and international collabs spread technique and fostered shared release energy.
- Normalized freshness discipline: Cold-chain storage, clear dating, and fast-moving releases pushed retailers and fans toward better handling habits.
Signals in the wild:
- Release-day lines and rapid sell-through on sought-after variants
- Bars dedicating lines to rotating Other Half IPAs and DIPAs
- Home fridges with mixed four-packs sorted by can date and hop blend (we see you)
Sample Sessions
One-hour “Soft-to-Snappy” sprint
- Start: Hazy Pale (low ABV, juicy baseline)
- Middle: Hazy IPA (flagship hop density, soft landing)
- Close: West Coast IPA (bitterness contrast, dry finish)
- To-go: Mixed 4-pack—Hazy Pale, Hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, and a seasonal
Easy evening (90–120 minutes)
- Begin: Pils/Kölsch (palate calibrator) + fries or a pretzel
- Move: Hazy IPA + spicy chicken sandwich or blackened fish tacos
- Add: Hazy DIPA (small pour) + pork belly bao or pizza slice
- Finish: Fruited sour or pastry stout (short pour) + citrus tart or chocolate dessert
Conclusion: Plan Your Visit to Other Half Brewing Co.
Point your map to 195 Centre St and check otherhalfbrewing.com for hours, releases, and events. Start with something crisp if it’s on, then use a hazy pale to set your baseline before stepping into a flagship hazy IPA. Compare hop varieties with a single-hop or DIPA, and finish with a West Coast IPA for contrast—or a small pour of stout or sour for dessert. Keep cans cold, watch can dates, and build a pairing plan around salt, citrus, char, and a touch of heat. If you’re chasing peak hop expression with balance and drinkability, Other Half Brewing Co. delivers the blueprint—and the four-pack.
