New York City brewpubs

Hi all,

I will be visiting New York City in a few months and was wondering which of the breweries/brewpubs I should try to hit up. If possible I'd like to know a price point. I'm from KC so I'm used to paying around $4 at the local brewpub. I'm fine with ponying up a bit more; I'd just rather know in advance what the price increase may be. If there are any other must visit beer spots in the area definitely include those! I'll probably be staying in midtown Manhattan if that's any help. Thanks any tips you all can give me!

Nick

Breweries: Brooklyn Brewery is a good place to visit on the weekends. They have a beer-hall style set up where you can drink many of their beers, including some of the brewmaster reserve stuff. It's not a bad subway ride there.

I'd recommend trying sixpoint if you see it in a bar, because they make some good stuff.

There's a Harlem Brewery and a Bronx Brewery that I don't know much about. Chelsea Brewery in Chelsea piers, which is okay.

Heartland Brewery would be your typical 'brewpub'. They've got a couple of locations.

Bars. The Ginger Man. Rattle N Hum. Pony Bar. Peculier Pub(hundreds of bottles from all over the world). Little Town NYC. (Local NY beers/food.) Plenty of others.

This place/brewpub, near Times Square, is opening soon: http://www.beerauthoritynyc.com/ looks pretty cool.

Prices? You'd be lucky to pay $4 for a Bud.

Little Town NYC for example: http://www.littletown.com/menus.php?menu=drinks $5 for pints during Happy Hour.

Another place I forgot that has a nice beer selection, rotating taps and all that stuff, Taproom 307: http://www.taproom307.com/drinks-menu/ Beers are $7/$8. typical.

If you go to Heartland, go to either the one on 43rd (its a hamburger themed place) or the one by the Seaport. The Seaport one is my favorite. I didn't like Chelsea, but a lot of people do so I guess it's worth a shot.

Definitely Gingerman (go early in the day to avoid the happy hour young professional set) and Burp Castle is awesome. Rattle and Hum is a real good beer bar and frequently has casks.

If you make it to Brooklyn, +1 on Brooklyn Brewery. You have to try to get there.

Rattle N Hum, Ginerman, Blind Tiger and such in Manhattan are all fantastic for selection, but I never go to any of them, because they are insanely packed and uncomfortable almost all the time. It's stressful and ridiculous. Just go to Brooklyn instead, the bars are better and cheaper.

Breukelen Bier Merchants (Grand Ave in Williamsburg Brooklyn) is my current favorite. Amazing draft selection, and everything is only 3 dollars (!!) during their weekday happy hour. Some good cheese plates and a decent bottle selection too. Brouwerij Lane and Bierkraft also always have a ton of good stuff. Can't go wrong there.

4th Ave Pub in Park Slope Brooklyn has a fantastic selection and a really fantastic happy hour. Mission Dolores down the street also has a lot of good stuff.

To be honest, NYC isn't really a great city for brewpubs. There aren't many of them. Heartland is nothing special. Kelso and Sixpoint, the two really good city breweries, don't give tours. But you should definitely hit up Brooklyn Brewery too. Oh, and Mug's Ale House is another excellent bar just down the street.

Well, when you're on vacation you can hit the bars at non crowded times.

If you do go to the Lower East Side/Burp Castle area (and get Pomme Frites if you're down there) McSorley's is a cool place to visit. Old-timey pre-prohibition bar, only serves two beers, light and dark, sawdust on teh floor, old chicken wing bones on the light fixtures.

+1 for Blind Tiger. Great selection including MULTIPLE casks every time I've been. Also great Russian/Italian pastry shop 1/2 block away.

Sent from my iPhone using HB Talk

Peculiar Pub is great but be aware that it can be a packed, loud, meat market. I will neither confirm nor deny sneaking at age 19, nor will I say whether or not anything came of it.

Ceetar said:

Well, when you're on vacation you can hit the bars at non crowded times.

If you do go to the Lower East Side/Burp Castle area (and get Pomme Frites if you're down there) McSorley's is a cool place to visit. Old-timey pre-prohibition bar, only serves two beers, light and dark, sawdust on teh floor, old chicken wing bones on the light fixtures.

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I think that McSorley's beer is brewed by PBR. I walked by one day and they were unloading about 60 kegs with PBR on the side.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody! I appreciate the help. It seems NYC runs about $8/pint which isn't too bad. The brewpub by my apartment only charges $4 but most places in KC charge between $5-$7 on average.

Tante- You're probably right about McSorley's. Their two beers are easily accessible here in KC. The only way for that brand to reach this area is if the brewing is contracted out by a major brewery. There's no way they could fulfill local demand as well as ship product beyond the region if it were brewed on site. I will probably pop in for a beer just for the heck of it anyway.

homebrew816 said:

Thanks for the suggestions everybody! I appreciate the help. It seems NYC runs about $8/pint which isn't too bad. The brewpub by my apartment only charges $4 but most places in KC charge between $5-$7 on average.

Tante- You're probably right about McSorley's. Their two beers are easily accessible here in KC. The only way for that brand to reach this area is if the brewing is contracted out by a major brewery. There's no way they could fulfill local demand as well as ship product beyond the region if it were brewed on site. I will probably pop in for a beer just for the heck of it anyway.

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The beer is so much better locally than in bottles imo, but that may just be my brain playing tricks, or the on tap angle. It's pretty delicious imo. Especially at the Corner Bistro with a delicious burger.