SNEAK PEEK: Dirck the Norseman Transforms an Old Bag Factory into Brooklyn’s First Brewpub

Whispers of the first brewpub in <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyn/">Brooklyn </a>have been fluttering around the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/food/">NYC food </a>scene for quite some time, and now Dirck the Norseman is finally inching closer to its official opening date. Named after Dirck Volckertsen (one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpoint,_Brooklyn#Early_colonization_and_agricultural_era">Greenpoint's earliest settlers</a>), the cavernous brewery/restaurant transforms the old Polycraft plastic bag factory into a large but warm space filled with reclaimed wood, tin and glass. Inhabitat recently stopped by to chat with owner Ed Raven and explore the Norseman's recycled interior and state-of-the-art, on-premises brewery. Step inside <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/sneak-peek-dirck-the-norseman-transforms-an-old-bag-factory-into-brooklyns-first-brewpub/dirck-the-norseman-keg-lamp/">our gallery</a> to get a sneak peek of your own!

What proper brewpub would be complete without lamps made of old kegs?

Raven, a beer veteran who got his start two decades ago selling beer for Brooklyn Brewery, chose the old plastic bag factory in <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/index.php?s=greenpoint">Greenpoint</a> as the site for Dirck the Norseman because of its airy, open space and waterfront location.

"I really just needed a larger space to entertain," he told us. But it didn't hurt that there was also a bit of a connection between location's history (it is said that Dirck's actual home was situated on or near the factory's plot) and Raven's own roots. "I am part Danish, part Norwegian and the rest Italian," he explains. "Call it destiny? Maybe."

Raven's appreciation for reclaimed materials also influenced the beer garden's <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/interior-design-2/">interior</a>, which retained many of the factory's original features, such as the cement floor, beamed ceiling and metal piping.

"I am attracted to rough and historical raw spaces. When renovating them, they call out for recycled, used and original materials. Why mess with something that has worked for decades?" Raven told us.

Aside from what was already available at the space, old schoolhouse windows, repurposed church pews and reclaimed wooden tabletops were incorporated in the hall's design.

A massive statement chandelier and stained glass doors leading to the bathroom were salvaged from a shuttered Mexican restaurant.

Raven even used lumber from his own home in (we're not making this up) Woodstock, NY to create the shelf that hangs over the fireplace. The enormous, custom-made wooden bartop was created by <a href="http://fruitfulfurnishings.com/">Fruitful Furnishings</a> in Margaretville, NY.

Even the bathroom makes use of recycled materials.

The urinal is an old trough.

A collection of vintage bottles that were purchased as decor for the space.

Looking around Dirck, it was hard to find anything new at all except for the gleaming metal equipment in the kitchen and brewery areas.

Judging from the top-of-the-line machinery and the fact that brewmaster Chris Prout was already inside one of the beer tanks hard at work, it's easy to see that the operation is serious about the food and drink it will be serving to its customers.

Raven told us that he would begin brewing his first batch of suds on the day that we visited, and that it would take about 3-5 weeks for it to be ready for consumption. Most of Dirck the Norseman's draft offerings will be brewed right on site but a few will be ordered from outside.

Living up to its classification as a brewpub (which, according to <a href="http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments">brewersassociation.org</a>, is a restaurant-brewery that sells 25% or more of its beer on site), Dirck will also offer a full menu of elevated pub fare to help patrons prep their stomachs for all of that alcohol

When we visited, the Dirck the Norseman logo sign was still in progress.

Salvaged lighting fixtures hang over the bar.

The brewpub's garage-style windows can be rolled up when the weather warms up.