Hit Beermaker Braven Joins Brooklyn Brewery Boom With New Restaurant and Pub

Hit beer-making duo Marshall Thompson and Eric Feldman kicked open Braven Brewing Company Bar & Kitchen in Bushwick over the weekend, joining the latest string of breweries launching across the city this fall.

The brewery and restaurant began serving beer Sunday afternoon at 52 Harrison Place, between Morgan and Knickerbocker Avenues, marking the local brewing company’s first brick-and-mortar location.

The 2,500-square-foot warehouse once home to Lantern Hall has an 18-seat bar and table-seating for 40 to 50 guests, Thompson says, with some tables running up against brewing equipment in the back of the building. A short, 4-foot tall fence sits between the seating and brewing areas, giving diners the chance to see right over it, Thompson says.

“We want people to feel as close to the brewing process as possible; to see it, smell it, and taste it,” he says. “We’re very excited to be able to offer customers the experience to feel like they’re in the middle of the brewing process.”

Braven will offer “a number of different beers that no one has seen from us before,” Thompson says. The brewery is now open with a limited menu but will eventually offer about a dozen options including a pilsner, summer ale, saison, and sour ale brewed with passionfruit, pink guava, and pineapple. White wine and coffee will also be on offer.

Braven will offer several styles of beer from IPAs to Kölsches, as well as food not typically found at a sports bar or brewpub. The menu, created by chef Tori Valdes from Harper’s in Dobbs Ferry, features items like a burger drenched in beer cheese that comes in a pretzel bun and a fried chicken thigh served with buttermilk biscuits and sugar plum barbecue sauce. Crispy fried seitans are made in house, and vegetarian snacks include charred carrots, Brooklyn Grange baby greens, roasted beets, and crispy kale.

Rosie Cohe Photography

Braven was born from Thompson and Feldman’s brewing hobby in 2013, and its beer has since appeared on bar menus across New York. It’s always been based in Bushwick, and the duo chose Bushwick for the brewery’s location because they want to revive the tradition of brewing in the neighborhood, Thompson says. “We nearly went bankrupt a couple of times, but always found a way to keep the company going,” he says.

Braven is not the only team keen on solidifying a brewing culture across Brooklyn. Thompson points to nearby breweries Kings County Brewers Collective, Interboro Spirits and Ales, and Grimm Artisanal Ales, all of which have opened over the last couple of years.

“We’re excited to be among other really talented brewers,” he says, adding that it’s possible for locals and tourists alike to visit all four in one night.

Beer prices range from $3 to $8, and a flight of four 4-ounce beers goes for $10. Food ranges from $5 for snacks up to $18 for entrees.

Braven will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight.