Posted Friday, May 20, 2016 12:00 am

The Bronx has long been known as the borough of parks and breweries. Several local establishments are adding one more staple to the list: beer.

A new tour offered by the Bronx Tourism Council lets visitors explore five breweries and four special bars.

Nick Mezansky of the Bronx Brewery, located in the Port Morris neighborhood, explained his company’s roots.

“The reason the co-founders decided on the Bronx is they wanted to be a part of the borough that was really making things, a production-focused borough,” said Mr. Mezansky, a marketing coordinator for the brewery. “Nothing is made in Brooklyn anymore. Things are sold in Brooklyn but things are still made in the Bronx and that’s what we’re doing here, we’re rolling up our sleeves and making beer all day.”

The Bronx Brewery opened its doors a couple of years ago, three blocks north of the Port Morris Distillery.

Founder Rafael Barbosa explained how he and his partner came to open a business specialized in pitorro, a distilled spirit that originated in Puerto Rico.

“We brought him [Mr. Barbosa’s uncle] from Puerto Rico. It’s his recipe. Our recipe is brown sugar and we use fruits in the mash, we chose to use apples and honey which are New York State fruits. We support NYS agriculture,” he explained.

If you’ve never tasted the Puerto-Rican beverage, this is what to expect: “Our pitorro, I think, is a lot smoother than others… it would give you, of course, the burning sensation but at the same time you get a hint of apples and honey,” Mr. Barbosa said.

Décor at the Port Morris Distillery evokes Puerto Rico.

“It’s challenging for us because we try not only to keep it within our culture but also educate the visitors that there is such a thing as Puerto Rican moonshine,” said Mr. Barbosa.

The Chelsea Craft Brewing Company recently relocated to the Claremont area of the Bronx, bringing a completely different style with it.

“My beer philosophy is making regular beer. I’m not into super strong beers and fads,” head brewer Mark Szmaida said. “I do have a fruity beer because you have to make it, but most of my beers are very dry-finish, hoppy — just nice beers.”

The Bronx Brewery has a similar philosophy: “The brewery started on the philosophy of do one thing and do it right,” Mr. Mezansky said.

“We made pale ales from the beginning, so that’s our style,” he added. “But we get really creative within that style. We try to stretch the boundaries of what a pale ale can be as much as possible.... We also have seasonal beers. We made our winter pale ale with cinnamon and ginger. We made our spring pale ale with tea.”

The two businesses are direct competitors, but Mr. Szmaida says they know how to help each other out. For a recent beer festival, the Chelsea Craft Beer Company did not have a truck available, so the Bronx Brewery helped get the precious brews to the event.

The Bronx Brewery is open for tastings seven days a week in the afternoon; the Chelsea Craft Beer Company, Wednesdays to Sundays; and The Port Morris Distillery, Wednesdays to Saturdays. All offer free tours.

The Bronx Tourism Council’s trolley costs $50 and includes a beer “passport” and light snacks at one of the breweries. The next tour is on Sunday, June 12 at 11 a.m. For more info, or to buy tickets, visit www.ilovethebronx.com.