The brewery will be called Hansens Times Square Brewery and Restaurant and is slated to open in mid-May. Franz-Dieter Weiss, the owner of the German operation, gave us a detailed description of the German and the New York operations. He feels it is important that people be able to see every step in the process of making his beers so they know what they're getting. In a practice borrowed from the German brauerei, the beer will be piped directly into large, refrigerated tanks mounted over the ground-floor bar. Since there will be a second bar above the barrels, it will be necessary to use some gas to move the brew up and keep the beer fresh, he said.
Dieter plans four regular beers and one seasonal special.
All beers will be brewed in accordance to the Reinheitsgebot, and served unfiltered. He plans to have pamphlets on each table describing the beer and how it should be served and tasted. He eventually hopes to warm up the beer to the German average of about 47 degrees. He plans to offer the beer in five liter oak casks. The cask will be brought to the table and tapped.