Manhattan trip. From LA. What to try?

I'll be the first one (but not the last) to suggest taking the subway out to Torst- the new bar in Brooklyn from Evil Twin's Jeppe. http://www.beermenus.com/places/8678-t-rst
IMO the best bar in NYC.

 

Go to Torst. Completely worth the trip over to Brooklyn. Close by to Torst is Barcade and Spuytin Duyvil, so you could make a night/afternoon/day out of it.

In Manhattan, I'd suggest making sure you get to Top Hops. Great place, great people, and an incredible selection. While in the neighborhood, you are not far from One Mile House, as well as Whole Foods Bowery, which is a great bottleshop. I'd also check out The Blind Tiger for sure. Outside of that, there are many great spots, but it can vary day to day what they are offering. I recommend using BeerMenus, as most of the best beer bars in NY update almost daily.

 

If you're looking for local NY stuff that you can't get in Cali then head over to The Pony Bar at 45th Street and 10th Ave in the Hell's Kitchen section of the city (not far from Times Square and an easy walk)

They're very good with keeping their website up to date when something kicks. 20 taps and 2 hand pumps. All beers are $6 and are either an 8oz pour or a 14oz pour. The higher ABV/rarer stuff are the 8oz pours

I'd say at least half (if not more) of the beers they have on draft are local/not available in Cali

http://hk.theponybar.com/

 

Do yourself a favor and head up to Peekskill Brewery. You can get the train from Grand Central right to the brewery. Excellent lineup of beer there and alcohol place to hang out. It is right on the Hudson River and very scenic down by the water.

You can also try Singlecut Brewery in Queens, cool place, fun subway ride out there. But their beer can't compare to Peekskill.

 

Meant cool place to hang out, autocorrect on iPAD changed whatever I typed to alcohol,although that applies to!

 

If you're going to Torst, go to Spritzenhaus as well. Right down the block. A lot of my friends much prefer that place.

Less of a classy beer bar than Torst, more of a communal old fashioned beer garden.

 

Ithaca Flower Power is a must try. Maybe if you run into brewed once by Sixpoint, Single Hop Simcoe or Mad Scientists: BelJam (Raspberry jalapeno jam Belgian ale).

At bottle stores, you should be able to run into Maine Beer Co. I'd say that's maybe some of the best you can get on the East Coast.

 

Yeah, you can get Peekskill brews in the city.

There really are so many bars around here with great stuff... that are unknown outside of the radius of a few blocks.
I just found a place a few blocks from me that I never knew existed, and they had Barrier and Pretty Things on tap (these are two breweries to look out for when you're here).

There's probably a new thread about "visiting NYC" every week. You'll gain tons of info if you search for them.

Definitely use beermenus but check the "menu updated" dates when you do.

Your Metrocard will work for the entire subway system (and buses) in all of NYC - but not for the trains that leave the city from Grand Central or Penn Station (and will take you all the up to Peekskill etc.).

 

Yep, you can get it here too... either by being lucky, knowing someone in the industry, or paying really high prices for it in certain infamous shops (such as Eagle Provisions). I've never had it, but I wouldn't recommend bothering unless you are dying for it. There's no shortage of good (and local) stuff.

 

Snag some Captain Lawrence limited releases while you're here. Relatively easy to find and pretty unheralded, but great stuff. Other than that I don't know what else doesn't make it out to CA, maybe Allagash?

Local breweries you'll find on tap that are quality have been mentioned, Peekskill, Singlecut, Barrier, also some of the NJ breweries like Carton have quality, if not mind blowing, offerings.

 

You will not be able to find it. This year, a couple stores got it and they were sold out in literally an hour of receiving it. Torst gave out a can a couple times this year and Pony Bar had an online Facebook contest for them too.

Basically, you have to be on Facebook all day and keep hunting for the few times a year you'd be lucky enough to run across it.

Of the 250? Other than Flower Power? Not too much that you probably can't get. We get Founders, which I think CA doesn't get. Try as many Founders beers if you can.

 

Bring something good from Cali and you can easily swing a trade for some Heady Topper. It's pretty easy to find from other BAers in NYC.

 

As far as Heady is concerned, I know Randolph Beer down in the LES/Soho area had it a few weeks ago for the high price of $11 a can, and they may have some left at that price. If you aren't too concerned with price, its a cool spot that is a lot of fun. Just expect to pay more than at most places in the city.

 

Yeah, there aren't too many "specific" beers I would recommend. The breweries people have pointed out are good.

I would just stick to the amazing craft beer bars we have here and then just pick from what they have.

I feel our city is more about places, not about specific beers.

 

I'll

I'll trade you 4 Heady for 4 Pliny. Let me know. I'm in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

 

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