2019 was the latest in a long line of years that started with, “well, it can’t be weirder than [previous year], can it?” By the time we hit the finish line on December 31, the answer is clear: 2019 reached impressive new heights and bizarre new lows in the weirdness game.
Among the oddity, still, we had some serious bright spots. We polled our team to see what their favorite parts of the year were, from film to beer and beyond. As usual, only some of them read the directions, but we’re still looking forward to digging through everyone’s favorites as we prepare for the crowning oddity of 2020.
Tim Rozmus
Digital Marketing Manager/guy who organizes this
Best Album: Super tie: Elegy by Dead To A Dying World, Cairn by Mizmor, and Interrobang by Bayside. I will not be taking questions at this time.
Best Movie: Knives Out
Best TV Show: The Mandalorian
Best Book: My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. (Came out in 2017; I’m behind.)
Best Song: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X and every remix that followed
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Orange Cassidy. Trust me.
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Hating on Star Wars. Are we really going to get this mad about the space murder opera?
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Trve Brewing Cold
Best Cocktail: Hudson Highball at Hudson Valley Distillers
Best Meal: Bacon egg and cheese, salt pepper hot sauce, on a whole wheat everything bagel from Shelsky’s. The punctuation on the order is important.
Paige Snider
Social Media Coordinator
Best Album: Father of the Bride by Vampire Weekend
Best Movie: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Best TV Show: Fleabag Season 2
Best Book: Shrill by Lindy West (from 2016- I’m late to the game)
Best Song: Fool’s Gold by Lucy Dacus
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Baby Yoda, my heart.
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Clapback culture
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Kings County Brewers Collective Marble of Doom
Best Cocktail: Pearl’s Social & Billy Club tap Manhattan
Best Meal: Chickpea parmesan from Modern Love
Miro Bellini
Brand Ambassador (Australia)
Best Album: Endless by Holy Serpent
Best Movie: The Guilty
Best TV Show: Godfather of Harlem
Best Book: Battletome Gloomspite Gits
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: #EggBoy
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Stoking intergenerational animosity (re: #okboomer)
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Interboro Mad Fat Fluid IPA
Best Cocktail: Tommy’s Margarita
Best Meal: Bel Air, tequila, and ceviche tostada (see photo below)
Dario Frenda
Brand Ambassador (UK)
Best Album: Apparat – LP5
Best TV Show: Silicon Valley
Best Song: Apparat by Caronte
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Gipsy Hill Hepcat
Best Cocktail: Aperol Spritz
Best Meal: Pizza
Philip Shelton
Logistics Manager
Best Album: Cuz I Love You by Lizzo
Best Movie: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Best TV Show: pen15
Best Song: talk by Khalid ft. Disclosure
Best Meal: Crab curry at Raya Restaurant
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Grandpa Thief
Claire Moyle
Field Marketing Manager (Europe)
Best Album: Big Thief “U.F.O.F.” – One of my best mates in London, Mauritz from The Kernel Brewery, introduced me to them recently. I was so happy to discover there was good music coming out of NYC still.
Best Movie: Joker – The Joker is my all-time favorite villain and this movie did an incredible job of digging into his back story and psyche while connecting it to the Batman story really well. Pro-tip, don’t watch this expecting to have a lighthearted evening after. For real though, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
Best TV Show: Our Planet – How do you top animals and David Attenborough? Also a great way to get people to understand the severity of the impact climate change is having on our planet…just saying.
Best Song: Lizzo “Juice”- Because it’s Lizzo’s tribute to hazy IPA’s jk jk. This song seems to be always playing everywhere and just makes you want to start dancing. Kind of like when Happy by Pharrell came out.
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: OK Boomer – Any opportunity to let Boomers know how we really feel about their perspective or lack thereof in some cases but still be jokey and lighthearted about it makes me happy inside.
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Putting lactose in beers. Please stop.
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: The Kernel Bière De Saison Raspberry I have drank this many times this year and it always goes down so well no matter what mood I’m in or occasion. Not too sour and so fruity and juicy. Yum I want one right now.
Best Cocktail: Empirical Gimlet at TATA Cocktail Bar in Copenhagen – Many reasons for this choice. One of my favorite memories of my Grandmother who is she loved Gimlets. I ordered this when I saw there was a version on the menu at TATA using one of my favorite spirits from Empirical Spirits. Also, TATA is a very special cocktail bar with several memories but one of my favorites is having a cocktail here with my work wives Kaitie and Gabe.
Jon Reyes
Staff Accountant
Best Album: Without Fear by Dermot Kennedy
Best Movie: It’s an end to an era in many ways (pun intended)…Avengers Endgame
Best TV Show: Succession – who doesn’t love watching a powerful dysfunctional family
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Old Town Road- Lil Nas X
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: KCBC Demons on the Dance Floor
Best Cocktail: Jameson Black Barrel and cold brew Old Fashioned
Best Meal: Every cicchetti (small snacks) I had the pleasure of eating in Venice
Walker Berry
Brewer
Best Album: Home by Billy Strings
Best Movie: Us
Best TV Show: South Park
Best Book: The Noma Guide to Fermentation
Best Song: Lo-Fi Beats
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: New Glarus Spotted Cow
Best Cocktail: Don Julio 1942
Best Meal: A5 Japanese Wagyu (“be specific, there’s a big difference”) from Turtle and the Wolf
Joe Soriero
Brand Manager Asia-Pacific
Best Album: Diaspora by Goldlink
Best Movie: The Irishman (“band’s getting back together.”)
Best TV Show: Chernobyl
Best Book: The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson and Red Rock: The Long, Strange March of Chinese Rock & Roll by Jonathan Campbell
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Art Basel Banana – ripe, rotten and already stale.
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: A Fuller’s London Pride on Cask in a 100-year old Wetherspoons in Brixton, London. It was perfect.
Best Meal: Momofuku Ko’s Pickle Sandos
Chris Messina
Legal Director (Editor’s Note: that’s not his dog)
Best Album: Fear Inoculum by Tool
Best Movie: The Irishman and Frozen 2
Best TV Show: The Mandalorian
Best Book: High Performance Habits by Brandon Burchard
Best Song: “Complainer” by Cold War Kids
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: “It is hard to nail down one, but at least Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself.”
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Internet outrage machine
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils
Best Cocktail: Jardin de Primavera at The Williamsburg Hotel
Best Meal: Enjoy Every Sandwich [Editor’s note: We don’t really know what this means. Is it a slogan? A memo that Chris enjoyed every sandwich he ate in 2019? Whatever it is, it seems positive.]
Jennifer Cross
Division Marketing Manager, West
Best Album: TIE – Dedicated, by Carly Rae Jepsen; The Highwomen, by The Highwomen
Best Movie: Hustlers
Best TV Show: Gourmet Makes with Claire Saffitz
Best Book: The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont by Shawn Levy
Best Song: “Redesigning Women” by The Highwaywomen
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road and all the remixes
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Tiny sunglasses
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Funkhaus, dry-hopped stainless-aged farmhouse ale by Oxbow Brewing and Blending (Portland, ME)
Best Cocktail: Blue Collar (first had at Noble Experiment in San Diego) – Dickel Rye, Carpano Sweet Vermouth, Averna Amaro, Luxardo Liqueur, Angostura, Regans’, lemon peel
Best Meal: Cacio de Pepe at Pilot in Downtown LA
Ben Plotkin
Sales & Marketing Rep, PA
Best Album: Twin Peaks :: Lookout Low
Best Movie: Joker
Best TV Show: Chernobyl
Best Book: Red At The Bone by Jaqueline Woodson
Best Song: “Juice” by Lizzo
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Popeye’s Chicken Sando Madness
Best Trend To Leave Behind: CBD in all the things
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Separatist Beer Project Ginger Fizz
Best Cocktail: The Queen and Her Crown at Zahav
Best Meal: Galit – Chicago
Agathe Tranduc
Brand Ambassador, France
Best Album: She doesn’t have a full album at the moment, but every song of my friend’s with her soul voice: Anna Kova.
Best Movie: Don’t Breathe
Best Song: Dance Monkey. The best way to get out of bed or begin a Friday night.
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Food Court- all those new places where you can work, share a plate, cheer and sometimes play Petanque!
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Maybe the #tenyearschallenge- sometimes it’s better not to share the past!
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Mikkeller Ginger Brett IPA
Best Cocktail: Mezcal Negroni during Tacos Invasion
Best Meal: Gorgonzola cheese with a baguette
Danielle Trent
Administrative Assistant
Best Album: Cuz I Love You by Lizzo
Best Movie: The Farewell
Best TV Show: Russian Doll
Best Book: Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
Best Song: Cool Off by Missy Elliot
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Graft’s Salt & Sand Cider
Pat Hood
Tasting Room Bartender & Tour Guide, Digital Intern
Best Album: In League with Dragons by The Mountain Goats
Best Movie: Detective Pikachu
Best TV Show: Watchmen
Best Song: Juice by Lizzo
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Woody Harrelson at Wimbledon
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Boomers saying, “Ok, Boomer”
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Thin Man Brewery Paintin’ The Town
Best Meal: The spicy Cajun snack mix from my 24 hour grocer
Kim Kreil
Operations Coordinator
Best Movie: Avengers: Endgame
Best TV Show: Sneaky Pete (season 3)
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Keanu Reeves
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Those chunky dad sneakers
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Hudson Valley Brightfield
Best Meal: A tie between the pancakes at the Palace Diner outside of Portland, Maine and pancakes from the Red Wagon Cafe in Vancouver.
Joe Thompson
Senior Operations Manager
Best Album: [Editor’s Note: Joe gave us his top five albums. He makes a lot of very important things happen painlessly, so we’re sharing all of them, just this once.] Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood; iii by Bad Books; Ventura by Anderson .Paak; Vagabon by Vagabon; Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? by Deerhunter
Best Movie: Parasite
Best TV Show: pen15
Best Book: Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Best Song: Tempo by Lizzo ft. Missy Elliot
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: The guy in the cart focus group sketch from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. You know, this guy.
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Secatogue Brewing Co. Screaming Space Cowboy
Tim Twiddy
Regional Manager CA/NV/AZ
Best Album: Teal Album by Weezer
Best Movie: Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Best TV Show: Succession
Best Book: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Cartoon and apparel collabs
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Vaping
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Port Brewing Board Meeting Brown
Best Cocktail: Anything with Japanese whisky
Best Meal: Dim sum
Jess Tabac
Tasting Room General Manager
Best Album: The End Of The F*cking World soundtrack
Best Movie: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Best TV Show: Chernobyl and Fleabag
Best Book: None released in 2019, but everyone should read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Best Song: bad guy by Billie Eilish- especially the @owlkitty version
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: HBO Euphoria, every parents’ worst nightmare
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Spiked seltzer
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Finback Rolling in Clouds
Best Cocktail: Sinful Fuckers from Sisters in Prospect Heights
Best Meal: Kvartirka in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Definitely not the best food I’ve had, but one of the coolest experience in seemingly going back in time to Soviet Russia.
Miss Gabe Barry
Education Manager (Europe)
Best Album: Lover by Taylor Swift
Best Movie: Every one that got me to actually fall asleep on a plane
Best TV Show: Atypical
Best Song: Water Me Down by Vagabond
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Smudge the cat. #forevermood
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Patriarchy and rape culture. See also: Trump.
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Stockholm Brewing Italo Pils
Best Cocktail: Arctic Garden at Tjoget/Stockholm, Sweden. OP Anderson Aquavit, Manzanilla, Lime, Orgeat, Blackberry; see also a Negroni in a hailstorm in Milano with Claire Moyle
Best Meal: Tasting menu at Lyles in London
Sean Ellwanger
New England Area Sales Manager
Best Album: Cuz I Love You by Lizzo
Best TV Show: Schitt’s Creek
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Hazy IPA
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Orval
Best Cocktail: Aperol Spritz
Best Meal: Gramercy Tavern Burger
Kyle Gonzales
NYC Field Marketing Coordinator
Best Album: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
Best Movie: Jojo Rabbit
Best TV Show: The Promised Neverland
Best Book: Failure is an Option by H. Jon Benjamin
Best Song: Thotiana ft. Cardi B and YG [remix] by Blueface
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Baby Yoda
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Chunky sneakers
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Mindful Ales Kismet: Raspberry
Best Cocktail: Gin & ginger ale
Best Meal: Pork belly, mint, and cucumber sandwich from Cochon Butcher in New Orleans
Jose Orona
Sales & Marketing Rep, East Bay
Best TV Show: Does the entire MLB 2019 season count?
Best Song: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Baby Yoda
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Hard seltzers. Drink a vodka soda, you animals.
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Faction Brewing Summer IPA
Best Cocktail: 2019 was the year of the gin & tonic
Best Meal: Deli Board, San Francisco. See photo below:
Rachel Patrick
Tasting Room Bartender & Tour Guide
Best Album: Front Porch by Joy Williams
Best Movie: Knives Out
Best TV Show: Fleabag
Best Book: Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl
Best Song: “Anselmo asked me to put a plug in for Old Town Road by Lil Nas X.”
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Smudge the cat meme
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Smudge the cat meme
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: ABGB Industry Pils
Best Cocktail: Clover Club happy hour
Best Meal: @2birdsofafeather2 soft shell crab tacos in Charleston while drinking at Fatty’s Beer Works
Jesse Esperto
Sales & Marketing Rep, Long Island
Best Album: “I haven’t bought an album since the Tower Records by my house closed.”
Best Movie: Terminator: Dark Fate. “The new Terminator was sick! But, I’m betting The Rise of Skywalker will get my vote for best of 2019.”
Best TV Show: Stranger Things Season 3
Best Book: The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace
Best Song: Old Town Road, the Kids Bop version. “The happiness it brings when my girls sing in the car is unparalleled.”
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: The US women’s soccer team, Greta Thunberg, and Baby Yoga
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Everything Trump and spiked seltzer
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Root & Branch Do We Live In A Society Of Spectacle? DIPA
Best Cocktail: “Old Fashioned with Basil Hayden Rye at some bar in Saratoga with Jarvis. It was by far the best I’ve ever had— shout out to that bartender!”
Best Meal: “Miss Lilly’s Tacos on Wheels! It’s a sketchy looking truck that parks at my local beach on weekends. This past summer I gave into my hungry, cranky, nagging daughter that wanted a taco. Moral of the story is to never judge a book by its cover. That shrimp taco was life changing.”
Cameron Burson
Sales & Marketing Rep, OH/KY/Pittsburgh
Best Album: Subbing for Best Concert: Dirty Heads
Best Movie: 6 Underground
Best TV Show: It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Best Song: Rich Girl by Hall & Oates (never gets old)
Best Pop Culture Phenomenon: Hide and seek at the bar
Best Trend To Leave Behind: Seltzers would be nice
Best Non-Brooklyn Beer: Funkwerks Raspberry Provincial and Urban Artifact Pocketwatch
Best Cocktail: Campari, neat
Best Meal: Strip steak, medium rare, no salt, no sauce
