Best Beer Bar in NYC?

[BenjaminBier]

Hiyas!
I'm going to NYC for a business trip, first time to the North East region as a drinking-age adult. Can anyone recommend a scha-weet place to get North East regional / uber local craft brews in Manhattan?

I've heard New Jersey and New Hampshire both have a strong craft brew culture - but where can I taste em in the Big Apple?

Any other generally awesome brew-culture highlights I should look into?

 

[jaythebassist]

Where in the city are you staying? What street?

 

[JadeMonkeyStang]

Yeah, if you can pick a neighborhood to start from that will help. There are many, many choices. That being said:


Ginger Man: Hanging out in the back "lounge" room at GM and sipping on some great beer and tasty food may be one of my favorite things in life.

Blind Tiger: Great beer list, friendly people, awesome place to hang out.

McSorely's Old Ale House: About as local as you'll get. They have 2 beers, light or dark, and they come 2 at a time. Walking into this place is like stepping back in time, you need to go here just to see what things used to be like.

 

[Sheldon]

Ginger Man and Blind Tiger get my votes and i will be there over the Presidents weekend with my drinking age kids. Also, gona train over to Brooklyn for Friday nite happy hour at Brooklyn Brewery. I hear its really kewl.

 

[BoxofRain]

Historically speaking: PJ Clarkes, Whitehorse Tavern and McSorleys.

Beer Speaking: Gingerman, Burp Castle (Down the block from McSorleys...You may still have to knock to get in, size the place up first.) and Pony Bar.

I wish Chumleys was still open. It was a speakeasy that was preserved as such. I would have PMed you directions on how to find the place (no signs)

 

[jaythebassist]

Agreed with the three JadeMonkey posted.

You could also check out:

The Dead Poet (upper west side)
Rattle N Hum (near Empire St Bldg)
Hop Devil Grille (East side -- near Tompkins Sq Park)
Heartland Brewery (there's 6 or 7 of them--good food and good microbrew)
d.b.a. (lower east side)

Actually, check out this list, too.

 

[dinertime]

+1 on Pony Bar.

45th & 10th Ave.

Solid selection of craft beers (20 on tap at all times I think), constant rotation, and every beer is $5 (16 oz for most beers, 8 oz for high gravity). Everything is $4 at happy hour. Best deal in the city IMHO. Only problem is it is a bit out of the way unless you are staying in Times Square.

Great place and the food is surprisingly decent as well (try the homemade pickles, they come with everything).

 

[BoxofRain]

You may also want to take a cab and visit the brooklyn brewery. Always a good time.

 

[sprocketmaker]

+1 for Gingerman, my Fav... plus my office backs up to it. Lucky boy I am!

 

[BenjaminBier]

Hey, Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'm staying in the Hells Kitchen / Clinton area near the Javits Center.

Gingerman and Pony Bar are in walking distance. Yesss!!

 

[BenjaminBier]

Okay, well it would be walking distance in the summer. With that snow might be another story.

 

[Sheldon]

close to the Javits Center is the Chelsea Brewery. Nice view, beer and food.

 

[bad coffee]

Another vote for DBA, but it depends on the night. Sometimes the bartenders are really cool and will stop and talk beer, and sometimes they'll just give you the 'whaddayawant?"

If you happen to want a great burger at a place that happens to have a pretty good selection of beers, hit up Five Napkin Burger.

There's a cheese/wine/beer shop on 9th ave and about 48th? that has a great selection of bottles.

IF you have time to trek out to brooklyn, go to www.bierkraft.com It's the best bottle selection in the city.

B

 

[BenjaminBier]

It sounds like Brooklyn is good for beer, but unfortunately I don't have any free days in the City, just a couple hours after business every night.

I think Pony Bar is right down the street from me, and Ginger Man looks fricking sweet.

Chelsea Brewery is sound very good right now, I really want to sample the beers being made right in the city.

 

[Broncobum]

Me and my girl hit up Valhalla the other day. They had a great selection, and the chick tending bar not only knew her beer, but was easy on the eyes as well. It is a small place, but they have a wall of taps and a good bottle selection. I know it is not one of the big stops, but I really enjoyed my time there.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/valhalla-new-york
edit- the warm pretzels and spicy mustard are awesome to snack on while enjoying a pint or four.

 

[LarryC]

+1 on Valhalla!

My wife and I were in NYC last spring for our vacation and we stayed at the Holiday Inn about 2 blocks from Valhalla. We stopped in just about every night and I don't think I had the same beer twice. Excellent staff and atmosphere.

 

[bad coffee]

Gotta check out Valhalla myself. I'll be working around the corner on 52nd st for a while...

B

 

[dcott]

I second DBA and Pony Bar.

Brooklyn Brewery is a great time. I was there for New Years Eve and they were pouring a ton of great stuff.

 

[optimatored]

Blind Tiger is great place to check out... its on bleeker street

Also a great German restaurant is Zum Schneider (corner of 7th and Avenue C... been there a few times ) you need a cab... subway is too far... although you could easily walk to mcsorleys from here.

 

[Nokitchen]

Ginger Man and Blind Tiger get my votes and i will be there over the Presidents weekend with my drinking age kids. Also, gona train over to Brooklyn for Friday nite happy hour at Brooklyn Brewery. I hear its really kewl.

If you're out in that area you may also want to check out Spuyten Duyvil. Their tap selection is smaller than some of the places mentioned here but oh, the bottles you'll see! They've usually got at least one interesting cheese on hand too, if you feel like doing that for a desserty kind of thing. I can't recommend them for a full meal; I can say it may make some sense to get there early on a Friday.

 

[BenjaminBier]

I second DBA and Pony Bar.

Brooklyn Brewery is a great time. I was there for New Years Eve and they were pouring a ton of great stuff.

I'm at the pony bar this very moment! Drinking cask ale and Chelsea brewery beers. Great place, great peiple

 

[JadeMonkeyStang]

I'm at the pony bar this very moment! Drinking cask ale and Chelsea brewery beers. Great place, great peiple

Awesome man, hope you're enjoying your trip to NYC!

 

[davesrose]

So are you hitting McSorley's? I don't equate NYC with great microbrews...but I think McSorley's is a must for the history (being the oldest bar in the US). I only learned about it after my trips there...so it's going to be the main bar I'll visit next time in NYC. Usually when I've been in NYC, I've been taking in the art, theaters, and restaurants. They compete too much for great beers aparently...IMHO of course!

 

[bovineblitz]

+1 on Pony Bar.

45th & 10th Ave.

Solid selection of craft beers (20 on tap at all times I think), constant rotation, and every beer is $5 (16 oz for most beers, 8 oz for high gravity). Everything is $4 at happy hour. Best deal in the city IMHO. Only problem is it is a bit out of the way unless you are staying in Times Square.

Great place and the food is surprisingly decent as well (try the homemade pickles, they come with everything).

There's a place right near pony bar across from teh hess station right there... it's a small german beer garden. They have good beer and AWESOME sausages.

 

[twobrain]

jimmy's 43 next to burp castle is pretty sweet

Beer Speaking: Gingerman, Burp Castle (Down the block from McSorleys...You may still have to knock to get in, size the place up first.) and Pony Bar.

 

[BenjaminBier]

So are you hitting McSorley's? I don't equate NYC with great microbrews...but I think McSorley's is a must for the history (being the oldest bar in the US). I only learned about it after my trips there...so it's going to be the main bar I'll visit next time in NYC. Usually when I've been in NYC, I've been taking in the art, theaters, and restaurants. They compete too much for great beers aparently...IMHO of course!

Ha! Good point about the theater and arts. My visit is a working trip, so I've just got a couple of hours after work to unwind. Perfect opportunity to sample some beers.

Mikeller From To, rodenbach grand cru, corsendonk brown all on tap at the ginger man last night. Amazing!

 

[chask31]

I wish I saw this yesterday. Petite Abeille, a belgian bar/rest with 4 or so locations has half price belgian beers on Mondays. Today is tues so they have half price wine bottles...If you are around next Monday that is the spot to hit! If you like mussels, Wednesday is all you can eat mussels.

 

[jilldct03]

I went to New York City a few weeks ago for a concert and on a whim, we stopped at Heartland Brewery...I think it was also a rotisserie. Beer was really good and so was the food. I'd recommend it. http://www.heartlandbrewery.com/

 

[JohnnyO]

Hey, Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'm staying in the Hells Kitchen / Clinton area near the Javits Center.

Gingerman and Pony Bar are in walking distance. Yesss!!

I used to go to a bar in Hells Kitchen all the time called Bellevue Bar. Complete punk/metal dive bar with horror and porn movies on the tvs all the time. Was always a good time. That's long gone now, as am I.

If you get to Brooklyn, check out Barcade in Williamsburg.

 

[cbauer210]

Blind Tiger, Drop Off Service, and Petite Abeille