After years of traveling the world with their nomadic Evil Twin Brewing company, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and his wife and business partner Maria decided Ridgewood would be the perfect place to call home.
Evil Twin Brewing New York City opened its doors for the first time on Oct. 2 at 1616 George St., between Wyckoff and Cypress avenues in Ridgewood.
“Having a permanent location means that we can be in total, 100 percent control of the process from start to finish,” Jarnit-Bjergsø told QNS. “I can always be there to make changes as necessary, on the spot. It allows us to be even more experimental, trying new styles and such.”
Evil Twin Brewing New York City features a glass paneled greenhouse that encompasses a 76-seat taproom, a 15-barrel system brewery, and an outdoor courtyard and beer garden.
The space, on which they collaborated with New York City architect firm Kushner Studios, was four years in the making, according to Jarnit-Bjergsø.
“I also have an obsession with Twin Peaks, so you’ll see some elements from the show weaved in,” Jarnit-Bjergsø said. “Like the Great Northern sign in the barrel room, and the bathroom and cocktail bar.”
They will offer a diverse selection of 20 draft beers fresh from the source, in 12-ounce and 16-ounce pours — served in carefully curated European glassware — or a to-go crowler.
Their artistically designed beer labels, created by Danish-born graphic designer Martin Justesen, showcase some of the unique names they’ve come up with as a homage to New York City, including, “Your Apartment is So Small,” “You Would Probably Find Something Larger For Less Money Outside of The City” and” Let’s Get Dinner in Times Square.”
Jarnit-Bjergsø assures that the beer flavors they offer on site will be different from their other Evil Twin Brewing locations, and will change periodically as they experiment with new recipes.
“We are constantly tasting and tweaking our recipes,” Jarnit-Bjergsø said. “We brew with the same philosophy a chef has in the kitchen — it’s about experimenting with different flavor profiles and finding balance.”
In the weeks following the opening, Evil Twin Brewing New York City will also serve coffee from Bushwick’s Sey Coffee (including a special blend made in collaboration with Evil Twin).
Their hours of operation are 2 to 10 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, 2 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays, noon to midnight on Fridays, 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Jarnit-Bjergsø and his wife have lived in New York City for some time now. In 2012, the Denmark natives moved to Williamsburg after thinking, “Why not move closer to where the action is happening?”
They even opened up Torst in Greenpoint, but decided to give up ownership to focus on Evil Twin, which will continue to operate as a large-scale production and distribution company, exporting original beers to 35 countries around the globe and 35 states across the country.
As for the interesting name? Jarnit-Bjergsø explained it’s surprisingly simple origin.
“I came up with Evil Twin because one, I’m a twin,” Jarnit-Bjergso said. “And two, I had brewed a home brew back in 2002 that I called ‘Evil Twin Stout’ and I just really liked the name!”
For more information, visit their website at www.eviltwin.nyc and follow them on Instagram at @eviltwinbrewingnyc.
