City Swiggers

 

 

Great place with a lot of single bottles from both the domestic market (lots of local NY and East Coast beers but also a nice selection for further out west) and the European one too. Lots of nice glassware too. The prices are very reasonable which is a great plus no doubt.

 

I live across the street. Perhaps bcos i am so close i want it to be perfect and so I am more critical of it... the selection is very good, but prices are high, pretty much everthing is in singles and i have never found the service to be friendly at all. Still worth a look if you are after something different, though I wish they had more hard to get/recent release stuff.

 

 

 

Amazing selection of bottled beers and good rotating tap options. Prices are high, but I imagine rent at this location isn't cheap. It's hard to complain when you consider they have almost everything.

The bartenders are all knowledgeable and are happy to discuss what is on tap. Patrons are always friendly and great to interact with. The 'bar' setup is n't the most comfortable and the seating is limited, but still a great place to go for a pint or two.

Some bottles are overpriced and draft list can be meh but City Swiggers, simple put, has the best bottle selection in the city, hands freakin down....

 

 

 

 

Oh, Alan... Okay, yes, it’s been a long time, my bad. You know, I recall him loooooking around for a good while before opening up shop. Contemplating something lower ‘burg and talk of Queens, too, if memory serves correctly (and it does or I wouldn’t have mentioned it), before setting up on the geographically not near me UES. 3 years down and settling in nicely…

So, beer store/growler shop/bar on 86th. Small slab topped ‘L’ shaped bar with a corklike panel base, and seating for 8 on highbacked chairs. Some barback space holding slight wines countered and glassware shelved over mirrored backings with colored ball strung lighting.

Slat plank floors, track lighting front to rear, and pale green walls with some cool faux retro prints, some other local art for sale, and pieces by owner Pam, seemingly not for sale as they are not priced. Blackboardesque piece on the wall lists brewery, beer, origin, $7 pour size, ABV, and pricing for 64oz & 2L growlers, and an events board lists upcoming free tasting events.

Up front, 4 shelving units of American craft and a pair of triple wide coolers across the way, with a wood table in between where events/tastings happen. I’ve seen it myself, sure; when Small Strange Man was doing his Sam Smith promo, we came out to support him (read: drink all his beer). 4 hightops on the far wall past the bar, 6 shorty squares adjacent for the push together as needed, and another pair to the rear of the rear across from the triple wide imports imports imports shelving unit. And I think there’s a baby backyard space (although if I haven’t been back there, then it doesn’t exist).

14 non-descript handles on a barbell tower on the bar. The majority of the list are craft offering from New York state (Cuzett Libations Grisette, Radiant Pig Stop That Train IPA, Gun Hill Black Waves IPA, Captain Lawrence Frozen Flowers, Barrier Cairn Scotch Ale), and beyond (Victory Kirsch Sour Cherry Gose, Sixpoint Dabble IPA, New Holland Full Circle Kolsch, Bells Expedition Stout, Lakefront Fixed Gear Red Ale, Perennial Aria Belgian Pale Ale, Left Hand Fade to Black Stout), and then a single import (Maisels Weisse Original) and cider (Sovereign Apples & Honey Cider). I drank the Bells Expedition Stout & Cuzett Libations Grisette.

Good crowd of regular sitting around for a few beers types, and spoke with the most dengerous couple; she with skull pants, and he with her. A ton of bottles to buy and house growlers in 2 configs for the fill. Service is solid, and Alan knows his game (I can attest to him having sampled a beer or two before). Good for the ‘hood, and (lovely) Orval runs a cool $7.79, yep, that works for me.

Helpful staff, delicious selection, and 14 rotating taps to enjoy one before you hit the road. Love this spot and will definitely be returning!

Overall, great beer store. Incredible selection and priced by the bottle. Some reviews complain that it's a little expensive, look at the location. Great beer selection, rotating taps with ability to purchase growlers, and they host events with the breweries. Great spot.

I discovered this place by chance and what a find it is! Combination bar and beer distributor. 14 beers on tap and hundreds of bottles available for purchase. Great variety of selection. When I stumbled in, I happened to walk in on a home brewers club bottle share. They were nice enough to let me try their homebrew. I'll be back!

I have lived in the neighborhood for almost 3 years and I just discovered this amazing Upper East Side beer gem. It's a small place - some would say "cozy" - but they have an impressive selection of beers from the US (in the front) and around the world (in the back). I came here on a Saturday evening with my girlfriend and we sampled a couple dozen beers. It's actually cheaper than a bar by the glass, and the staff (John and Samantha) was friendly, couretous, and knowledgeable. There was a nice blues/rock mix playing at a low volume, and the overall decor and feel of the place was comfortable, yet simple. They will also fill anyone's growlers from their 14 taps (which change every day, or whenever a cask or barrel is kicked) and they hold a NYC Brewers Meeting on the second Tuesday of every month.

I would recommend this place to ANYONE who lives in the area. Not quite a bar, but definitely worth a visit!

This bar/store has quickly become one of my favorite places to hang out and try new beers. They now have over 800 bottles of beers from all over the country and international selection as well. Bartenders and friendly, customers are too. Although slightly higher on prices then other places, I don't mind because the overall experience is good. Let me know if you plan to stop by!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

very very pricey. owner is rude and disrespectful when asking him any questions regarding a release. When he is "busy" he frequently gets rude with customers.

about $5-7 dollars more expensive for bombers than other stores in the area.

no thank you. no thank you.

 

This is an awesome place for trying new beers, especially for the imports, which they carry a lot compared to other beer stores in NYC, their taps are interesting; it's pricey due to the area but I thought it would be even more. They carry some beers that you would have troubles to find anywhere else like the Captain Lawrence triple IPA. They have some tastings events, written on a board in the store which is a good way to get in touch with whats happening in the store. Their manager is available to answer questions which is rare in NYC. Definitely a place to go, even though it is uptown.

 

When I went to City Swiggers they had a very nice beer selection (I was able to pick up BB Biscotti Break, Enjoy by 4/20 and a couple other things). They were a bit pricey but it's what I expected from the area. All the beers I looked at were fresh and mostly in season. The atmosphere of the place was a little plain, although with that being said I did like how clean the whole place was.

The service seemed to be the real issue in the store, when I went in there were three employees and none of them bothered to help. After making a $60 dollar purchase of bottles to go I asked if I could get a small tasting of one of their beers on tap. The older woman who was behind the bar told me I would need to purchase at least a pint if I wanted a tasting, which I thought was a little absurd

While I did get to pick out some nice beers I will not be returning. Between the service and the cost it's simply not worth it.

 

 

Great addition to a neighborhood that has tons of people but not a ton of quality beer destinations.

If you live in NYC/Brooklyn, and have been following the beer scene for the past year or two, you have seen a few places like this before. You know the deal. More then ample selection of quality bottles/cans both warm and chilled, mix a six if you like. Fill a growler, have a pint, sit, relax and enjoy. Friendly athmosphere. Smattering of small tables in the rear. Prices reflect the neighborhood people. Do you have any idea of what rents are on 86th street on the UpperEast side of NYC? Worth a visit if in the area, or just a few minutes off of the FDR drive. Not really worth a special trip, as there are so many places in the general NYC area with comparable selections.

One bonus is they are just a block or so from bustling NYC Food market all stars Fairway market. So this is a good block to get all your food and beer needs taken care of.

I have been here a few times since they opened up. Having a good beer shop on the UES is certainly a welcome addition to the landscape in New York City. And I do not even live in the city, just end up visiting it a couple times each month. Their selection is fairly diverse with lots of American craft beer, as well as Belgians, U.K., Italian, Japanese and other beers thrown into the mix. You can fill growlers or even enjoy glass on site. One of things unique to them is serving empanadas alongside the beer. Prices are just a tad expensive, but it is the UES, so no biggie. As a couple others stated, would not go out of my way for CS, but if you are fairly close to it, this shop is a great option.

It was great to find City Swiggers after moving to the UES and finding few bars or stores that offered a good selection of bottled and draft beers. The store is the best of both worlds, since it provides a good selection of bottled beers (over 400 bottles) and 14 rotating beers to try on draft. With the drafts, you have the ability to try some pints at the store and take your favorites home in either a 32 oz. or 64 oz. growler.

The workers are friendly and helpful. The store is clean and provides plenty of seating at the bar or tables. The prices are not bad compared to prices of bottles at bodegas or grocery stores in the UES. If your in the area, then you should stop by and try it out.

Well it was bound to happen its a beer shop that's built on a wine store platform. It is very neat and clean with a good selection but nothing out of the ordinary.

14 taps of pretty good beer with 32 and 64oz growler fills. Reminds me a bit of City Beer of SF just without a strong beer advocate like Craig behind the counter.

The service is ok but not outstanding. Friendly service but a bit indifferent.

I'd like more of a beer culture feel like beerkraft but I guess it's an upper east side thing.

Don't get me wrong it's worth stopping in just didn't light me up.

was visiting some friends in the city and checked to see if there was anything in the area and found this place. I used to live around the block so good this place want here when I lived here. nice atmosphere, decent selection for the fan if craft but I wouldnt do my bottle shopping here. seems like a bierkraft type of sit down and have a beer type of place. a bunch of growler lines with decent selection. growlers seemed a bit on the pricey side, but other prices were fairly inline for the city, if not a buck or two on the pricey side. didn't ask for help, but the place was crowded and the staff was attending to patrons. not a bad stop, but wouldn't go out of my way. if I still lived in the neighborhood, I would be here always.