Going to NYC, where to go?

There have been plenty of threads about this in the past:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/nyc.186536/#post-2498575

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/nyc-drinking-advice-please.172415/#post-2366298

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/recommend-nyc-beer-taverns.143126/#post-2083453

 

This should be moved to the Mid-Atlantic thread, but would highly recommend Tørst in Brooklyn when you go.

 

If you are in Manhattan, I'd say:

1. Proletariat
2. Pony Bar Hell's Kitchen
3. Good Beer
4. Alphabet City Beer Company
5. George Keeley's
6. Top Hops

Rattle n' Hum will have some gems, but I hate the service and the prices. Blind Tiger should be up there but I was too wasted to remember what it was like on my one visit.

BK:
1. Brouwerij Lane
2. Torst
3. Bierkraft
4. Other Half (assuming you have a car)

Brooklyn Brewery sucks, so save yourself the time.

Queens and the BX have a few breweries and such, but I'm not as familiar with those.

 

If you plan on going to Other Half, don't drive, lots of great beer and a car are not a good mix. You can take the subway there. Also, they are only open limited hours. Check www.beermenus.com and you may find their beer in Manhattan.

 

I'll have to disagree with you on that one.

I wouldn't bother with the tour, but they always have beer there that you can't get anywhere else.

 

Even if they only had beer there that you can't get anywhere else---which they may or may not, but every place I listed above falls in the same category and is better---you still have to deal with the zoo-like atmosphere, the crookery of the token system, and the plastic cups. I've been to so many breweries over the years and this one has stood out as my least favorite, hands down.

 

I have been to breweries all over the world as well and I guess we just have to agree to disagree.


Zoo-Like Atmosphere? Well considering it's a major brewery in the most popular neighborhood in Brooklyn, it's going to get crowded. A lot of people like to have parties here since you can bring food. Just go early and you'll be fine.

Crookery of the token system? How are they being Crooks? You pay for a token - you get a beer for that token. Nothing misleading about that. Also they let you taste anything for free.

Plastic cups? Considering you mentioned how it's zoo, then you would know that washing that many pint glass on premises would not be economically smart. And waiting for pint glasses to be cleaned would just add to the "zoo-like" conditions you complained about.