On a recent Sunday afternoon in November, Brooklyn's TØRST held a Trillium Brewing Company tap takeover. Later that evening, the 26-seat restaurant tucked in the back, Luksus, would serve up food pairings with the Boston brewery's wares.
But for now, TØRST bartender/Folksbier brewer Joey Pepper, TØRST/Evil Twin proprietor Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, and Trillium co-founder JC Tetreault are treating Luksus like a green room, a quiet backstage area that serves as a break from the madness of the bar area out front (not to mention the growing line outside), a place to sip on beers and chat for a few before Tetreault wades back out front to mingle with the many adoring Trillium fans.
It's a deserved moment of tranquility, one interrupted every few minutes when the door slides open for a Trillium employee or a close friend to slip into the room to enjoy some beers with the crew. As another teammate enters, two patrons at the bar peer inside. Eyes widening, one of them points at Tetreault, shouting as the door closes:
"There he is! We love you guys!"
—Blake Tyers and Austin L. Ray