Had a disagreement @ Torst. Who's right?

I would typically agree - Torst Front and Back Room being the chief offenders. But I'm pretty sure it is around $10/bomber.

 

So interesting... never found them remarkably out of expected range for what they are. Totally "happy" to pay $15 for a bomber of IBB, one of my favorite beers in that package size that's readily available around NYC. Thought the bourbon barrel was a bit crazy at $25, so passed, but a bottle of Even More Jesus for $6 isn't ridiculous to me either.

 

I find their 12 oz bottles to be a little ridiculous, like Front Room and Back Room being 9 for 11oz but their bombers seem right (though price per ounce their 12 oz offerings are the around the same as their bombers but I expect beers in 12 oz packaging to be cheaper per ounce then bombers)

 

I would buy Falco all the time if it was less than $14 a 4 pack and could be found reasonably fresh in the city. Love that beer

 

Blue Dog actually did charge more than Voodoo.

 

I don't go to Good Beer that often anymore since I moved to Brooklyn. But unless anything has changed, Good Beer only let's you drink draft on the premises. Bottles are only to go. Bierkraft allows you to drink both draft and bottles on site. So the model isn't really the same. Plus Bierkraft has legit food (I hope no-one is going to try and claim their sandwiches are no good), and is actually a place you'd want to hang out for a while, especially when the back is open. Can't really say the same for the couple of tables and snack food at Good Beer.

If you want to compare aspects of Good Beer and Bierkraft that are similar, I would say growlers are actually better-priced at Bierkraft, plus their selection is second-to-none. In fact growlers of local brews at Bierkraft are probably some of the best-priced in the city. Right now Bierkraft has some of the Captain Lawrence staples available for $9.95 / 64oz. There are very few independent stores in the city that regularly sell 64oz in the single digits, and Good Beer isn't one of them.

Sure - you don't go to Bierkraft to buy bottled beer in bulk, but they have a great selection and if you're drinking the beer on site, you'll be getting it cheaper than pretty much anywhere else. If you find a bottle of something you've always wanted to try, or haven't been able to get anywhere else, to go is still generally only about 15-20% more than somewhere like WF.

I just don't get the pricing heat that is often directed at Bierkraft. If people treat it as it's supposed to be, it's a brilliant place. Sitting out the back drinking what amounts to $2.50 pints of local brew on a nice day - you're not going to get better than that anywhere.

This part not directed at you, just a general point - I also love that Torst prices often verge on absurd, but get very little criticism from beer geeks. Right now they have 8oz of La Parcela on tap for $13. Is that a joke? Last time I had it on draft was at Blind Tiger for $9/12oz.

OP - sounds like your misunderstanding in this case, but that's just my take on it.

 

KRE at Torst was $12 or 13 for 5oz. $4 for 4oz at Blind Tiger

 

The prices at Torst range from very fair to ridiculous. Pricing aside, what I don't understand is the narrow idea that it is THE beer mecca at the exclusion of all else when there are other places in NYC that are just as good or better.

 

Yeah agree with you. Still riding it's reputation from it's opening, and the subsequent few weeks I reckon.

 

To be fair Jeppe/Torst has forever changed the landscape of craft beer in NYC. Upright, Oxbow, Crooked Stave, Westbrook, etc. None...zero of these breweries were going to be showing up here until Torst opened. The effects of Torst opening in NYC will be felt for years to come.

 

Edited my post for clarity. I'm not necessarily putting Torst down, but wanted to claim that it is in very good company.

Good point, but to be even more fair, there are other bars that have had an impact (d.b.a., Blind Tiger, Peculier Pub, Mugs Alehouse, etc.)... and that was the point of my post. Some would see the impact of these places as quite significant.

 

Would never disparage those places. Mugs is still my go to as far as Brooklyn bars go, but I think Torst has sent NYC to a new level

 

somehow i can't rly believe that KRE was four dollars at blind tiger

 

Absolutely - and I agree. I go to Torst as well and like it, but like anywhere it's not perfect.

Edit - and gregkoko is right about what it's brought to the beer scene in NYC.

 

I seens it with me own peepers

 

This is probably the best answer regarding Torst. Personally I'd rather go to Barcade because I know what the prices are going to be: roughly $6-$8 for a pour, higher ABV being 10oz. Torst is all over the place. To me, that makes it more of a special event type of bar than a normal hang out.

Plus the clientele are completely different, but that's another discussion.

 

Good Beer's prices don't qualify as "Douchebag" but you can get just about everything they carry cheaper somewhere else. Often much cheaper, especially large bottles
I'm a fan, stop in often, and it's a great place for events an the tap list

But I'm wary of what I spend on bottles there

 

Came back from WF Brooklyn for Even More Denmark (chocolate stout, 10% abv) release and bottle signing with Jeppe, Evil Twin and Fritz, Chocopologie. Beer and chocolate truffles tastings were excellent and the Roof had a mushroom truffle bisque soup made with the Even More Denmark beer. The beer bottles are being sold at $9.99, so were the small box of chocolate truffles. Fair price.

 

Do you know if that was the retail price or just promo? That's a surprisingly great price for a ET beer, relatively speaking.

 

I bought one at Bowery last night. Can't remember exact price as the guy brought the bottle from the back, but $9.99 sounds about right (I bought 2 x MO [8.99], 1 x Fatamorgana [12.99] and 1 x Denmark and the total was just under $45 inc tax).

Maybe I was expecting too much from it following the description, but while I thought it was solid, for me it ranked below most of the other Westbrook-brewed ET stouts I've had.