In the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, Sound + Fury Brewery & Kitchen at 141 Lawrence Street stands as a testament to vision, collaboration, and community. This brewery, bar, and restaurant has established itself as a neighborhood staple, offering much more than just great beer and food. Downtown Brooklyn Partnership recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Creative Director and Owner Fergal Tuohy, General Manager Dorian Love, and Team Lead/Social Media Manager Emily Garcia to learn more about their journey.
(Left to right) Dorian Love, Emily Garcia, Fergal Tuohy
The Birth of Sound + Fury
The concept behind Sound + Fury emerged from a collaboration between business partners who saw potential in creating a space that honored the duality of brewing and culinary arts. “We chose ‘Sound + Fury’ to reflect the dynamic duality at the heart of our brand. ‘Sound’ embodies our solid, classic offerings and the harmonious atmosphere we cultivate. ‘Fury’ captures our passionate, creative spirit that drives innovation across our kitchen, bar, and brewery.”
“We kind of looked at the duality of this place because we’re not just a standalone brewery with four walls, we’re a brewery and a bar and a restaurant,” explains one of the founders. “The brewery is very methodical and structured, and the kitchen is creative… there’s a method there too, but it’s a lot more of the fury element.”
This balance between precision and passion, between sound methodology and creative fury, became the foundation for the business’s identity. The team, including silent partners Jimmy and Giles (who also own Tom and Jerry’s bar), wanted to create an establishment that gave equal attention to both the brewing and dining experiences.
A Vision for Downtown Brooklyn
When Sound + Fury established itself, the team saw potential in Downtown Brooklyn. They saw an opportunity to create a beacon for the community where residents could gather, connect, and feel at home.
“Part of what we love to do here is get the people in the neighborhood here,” they emphasize. “We obviously would love to host folks from all boroughs; we’re just very focused on the people of this growing neighborhood. Our regulars are people who live and work around here. People who live in the same building who never would have talked before have become friends because they’ve met here.”
“We chose Downtown Brooklyn because we saw the clear potential here. We’ve been in this space since 2017 and it’s come with its own set of unique challenges, but we’re big on community creation and I think we just found unique ways to build here.”
Craft and Creativity: The Drink Philosophy
Sound + Fury takes pride in pushing boundaries with both their house-brewed beers and craft cocktails. Quality ingredients and constant innovation form the cornerstone of their beverage program.
“We never settle,” says Dorian. “Even if we have a product that we already think is fantastic, if we can find a way to make it better, we’re going to try.”
Their brewing approach includes creating unique offerings that stand out from typical brewery fare. While they offer staples like pilsners and IPAs, they also experiment with less common styles like Czech-style lagers and innovative creations like their “white coffee stout,” which uses Japanese coffee instead of roasted malts for a unique flavor profile.
The cocktail program mirrors this creativity, with seasonal menus that change more frequently than most restaurants or breweries. Their approach involves taking familiar drinks and adding unexpected twists, like their pickle martini or caprese martini with muddled tomatoes and house-made basil oil.
Watermark Czech Pale Lager
Food Beyond Expectations
When it comes to food, Sound + Fury defies the typical brewery stereotype of basic pub grub.
“We call what we do American modern, so we try to select dishes that are recognizable to people. Then we work on ways to elevate them and push them slightly outside of their box,” explains the team. “We’re not just doing chicken fingers and regular hot wings. Our fury sauce is made with fermented Fresno chilies… it’s a wonderful riff on what would be just a regular hot wing.”
Quality is paramount to their approach. “We spend a lot of time sourcing and quality checking the ingredients that we use for our dishes,” they emphasize. “We aim to provide a higher quality dining experience than one would usually expect from a brewery while still maintaining a casual vibe.”
The kitchen operates with the same collaborative spirit as the bar. Their head chef brings experience from both pizza and fine dining backgrounds, and the entire kitchen staff contributes ideas. This approach has led to creative dishes like their spring-inspired Fury Burger featuring Paisanos blend ground beef from a local source, Swiss cheese, caramelized leeks and shallots, herb aioli, and arugula.
Popular standouts reflect their culinary ethos: wings tossed in their house-made Fury Sauce; Brussels Sprouts with slab bacon and pickled shallots on a bed of romesco; and the No Sleep till Brooklyn pizza featuring pecorino crema, mozzarella, sausage, and broccoli rabe finished with hot chili oil.
The team also takes pride in catering to various dietary needs, offering numerous vegan options that can be modified for different restrictions. Popular items include their house fries, buffalo cauliflower with house-made fury sauce, and spring salads that incorporate seasonal ingredients.
No Sleep till Brooklyn pizza
Looking to the Future
As Sound + Fury continues to evolve, the team is focusing on expanding their presence within the Brooklyn community. Their current priority is establishing strong local connections by getting their beer into nearby bars, restaurants, and hotels. “We’ve got beer at Someday Bar, we’ve got beer in the Marriott Hotel, and we did a collab can design with local architecture office FXCollaboritive,” they share. “We don’t really look around at other businesses around us as competition. We’re looking at the idea that a high tide raises all boats.”
Future plans include potentially opening another small taproom in a different neighborhood, with a focus on serving their beer in a more intimate setting. The team is confident that once people try their offerings, they’ll become regular customers.
Community Programming and EVENTS
Sound + Fury has already established popular weekly events like their Wednesday night music trivia, which regularly fills the space to capacity, and are exploring innovative programming like “Pitch Your Friend,” a unique event where participants pitch their single friends to the audience. They also host live music, DJs, and drag pageants. The versatile space allows them to hold private events, including weddings and corporate gatherings (including DBP Board Meetings!).
Sports fans have also found a home at Sound + Fury, with multiple projectors and screens showing games throughout the space. For the upcoming World Cup, the team anticipates busy viewing parties that will bring the community together.
The Rewards of Community Building
Asked about the most rewarding aspects of running Sound + Fury, the team unanimously points to the relationships they’ve built.
“Coming in to work with a great staff is rewarding,” says Dorian. “A lot of them have been here for years. I’ve been here for two years, and there’s a reason I haven’t left.”
The team takes pride in creating a space where both staff and customers feel comfortable and connected. They’ve established relationships with regulars to the point of knowing their orders by heart and being able to recommend new items based on their preferences.
“We know all the bartenders that work at Livingston Manor because that’s where we’ll go after work,” shares Em.
Experience Sound + Fury
Sound + Fury has established itself as more than just a place to grab a drink or meal—it’s become a cornerstone of the Downtown Brooklyn community. With their commitment to quality, creativity, and connection, they’re helping to define what this rapidly evolving neighborhood can be.
Whether you’re stopping in for their raspberry yuzu sour, their famous fury burger, or Wednesday night trivia, you’ll find a welcoming space that embodies the perfect balance of methodical craft and creative passion.
Visit Sound + Fury in Downtown Brooklyn for their weekly trivia nights, happy hours, weekend brunch, and other special events.
