Kelly Taylor operates Greenpoint Beer Works in Brooklyn. He currently serves as the head brewmaster for Heartland Brewery and owns his own brand, Kelso of Brooklyn. He brews both beers in his two-story brewery in Clinton Hill, along with two upstate breweries who gives him their recipes and pays him to brew their beer — called contract brewing.
When Heartland Brewery wanted to move production from their brewpubs in Manhattan to save money, Taylor designed Greenpoint Beer Works. The brewery was originally supposed to be in Greenpoint, but when that space fell through, they kept the name and moved to Clinton Hill. Construction completed in 2003.
After a while, Taylor wanted to brew his own brand. Heartland suggested they share the space in Greenpoint and in 2006 Kelso brewed their first pint. Taylor got the name Kelso from combining his first name, Kelly, and his wife’s, Sonya.
The brewery’s production has been rising since they first started. In 2009, Greenpoint pumped out 12,000 kegs of beer. Taylor expects the factory to produce about 20,000 kegs this year.
To learn more about Taylor and his beers, watch the audio slideshow below:
