Good Beer NYC

2021-10-17
Came here alone for lunch on a weekday at the taco joint just down the street, then came back again on a Sunday, also for lunch, with my wife. Also for tacos.

Vibe is beer specialty store. Selection, to my PNW eye, is very good -- lots of stuff I would drool over. Almost everything is available at shelf temperature as well as refrigerated. None of the IPAs I checked dates on were old, and some were very fresh. Both visits, the only staff was the owner. Neither of us was very occupied during my first visit, so we chatted a fair amount. He was very knowledgeable about the beer scene and gave good recommendations.

Prices seem like NYC prices. Nothing is cheap. But it didn't seem like gouging.

Definitely my kind of beer place, and one I would go back to or recommend to others.

To my knowledge, they have no food of their own.

 

Was on St. Mark's Place in the East Village (of NYC) and decided to explore. What a fantastic beer store! Surprisingly large, given the frontage, but very intimate, I have never seen such a range of beers displayed in a space this size. At the counter, beer, largely local (NY and VT) is served on site (there is a small seating area in the back) from a dozen taps. Flights, glasses or pints, as well as 32 and 64 oz growlers are available. Actually I got a glass of Berliner Weisse from a Folksbier in Brooklyn and took my time making a selection while I consumed it. Honestly, that was pretty cool. I also really appreciate being allowed to select individual beers instead of being constrained to buying 4- and 6- packs. The atmosphere is low key and the service folk were knowledgeable, solicitous, and very, very helpful. Really enjoyed the experience and now I have a fun spot to sip a well made beer and hang out when I'm near Tompkins Square Park.

 

Very cool little shop. Dark hardwood floors, brick walls and open joists for the ceiling keep this feeling a little cave like, but in a fun way. Dry shelves make up about half of the store with the remaining spots being taken by a wall of coolers. Dry shelves tended to be full 4 and 6 packs with a few limited releases and imports. Coolers were full of a big 'mix six' selection, with loose bottles and cans. Beers were kept by brewery, with local offerings being towards the front of the store and import and large format bottles kept towards the back (on the cooler wall). A small tap list and about a half dozen small tables allow people to stay, drink, chat, and work, although note that at the time of this review, they cannot serve any of the cans/bottles in the coolers - to-go only. Tap list spread a good width of styles despite only being 12 beers. Better diversity than some of the local craft beer bars. Staff was very friendly and helpful, in both selecting to-go beers and chatting about the city. Well worth a stop for both a pour and most certainly for beer to-go, especially with the ability to buy individual cans/bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

Always enjoy going here and talking to the employees about beer. Their selection is very solid -- always have great beers to buy -- even if not the most expansive. It's a great place to grab a beer, talk to the people, and browse the selection before taking some with you. A bit out of the way for me, but that doesn't stop me from making frequent visits.

 

Any time I'm in the area I try to make it a point to pass through here. This place sells beer and (pretty much) only sells beer and it's great. Great selection of singles, decent selection of six packs, noting as far as large quantities go but I haven't inquired. One of the more unique aspects of this place is the set of taps which you can purchase beer in growlers to go, or you can stay and have a pint or sample a flight. A majority of the beers offered are on the local side; New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, then other well respected craft breweries the US, and then a smaller section for international beers. I noticed a four foot cooler of English brews, four feet of German, four feet of Belgian. There was one cooler of ciders.
Anyway, this place gets new stuff all the time and often has at least a few things I've never seen or tried before.
I will keep keep coming back here and I warmly recommend that others do the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very cool spot in New York City's East Village neighborhood. Felt totally welcomed and comfortable almost immediately upon walking in. Knowledgeable and friendly staff happy to talk beer with you. Nice tap selection with growler service and a large variety of bottles available both in and out of fridge. Will definitely return to this place when I can.

 

 

Great selection of beers covering many styles. The staff was really knowledgable and was able to point me toward beers that matched the style I was looking for (I know he was right on, because many of the beers he pointed out were already on my list of favorites). Small selection on tap, but very carefully selected for quality and diversity.

 

 

 

Great selection, about a dozen rotating taps. Cool staff.

If you strike out here, Proletariat is right around the corner. I've yet to strike out here. The combination of local, national and international bottles coupled with growler fills gets the job done right.

Love this spot.

Kind of a small place but if you live in the EV this is a great little local option with very good variety. Guess I'm a little spoiled but the size of my bottle shops in Brooklyn and elsewhere.

 

 

Great place, great people. My favorite place to find something new.