I did my bachelor party in Brooklyn last year and we went to a lot of those places (Grimm, Other Half, Wild East, Beer Karma) and concur with a lot of what you said. I absolutely loved Wild East. Beer Karma was great but I was there to see the bartender (who has since moved to other things). My visit is not a beer trip so I probably won't make it down to these places. Perhaps Gold Star if I can get away to see my friend.
Thanks again for everything! We should be planning to hit most of the recommendations in NYC and Brooklyn. Planned to visit the following we haven’t been to. KCBC Grimm Wild East(we might have last trip?) Rountable OH Domino(not worried about to go. But is the tap list as vast as Centre st?) Tørst Milk/hops As is Alphabet beer city Proliferate Augur-well Coffee Sey Day Glow 10000 coffee We’re staying in Midtown East about 4 blocks due north of Grand Central. So we’d love any recommendation in Manhattan proper as well for bars or beer spots. As far as the city goes, and I don't mean this to be negative. But how is the relative safety in the areas that are being mentioned? For reference I was the asshole in 90’s and beyond running around at hardcore punk shows, skateboarding and getting into trouble. I literally couldn’t hane cared less what happened. Now with a career, mortgage, family, etc, I just want us to be smart and safe. Last trip some crazy guy punched a subway train window and whipped his dick out at us ha. We don’t get so much of that in Portsmouth. The breweries were actually really cool last time as we walked to most of the spots but they told us when to grab an Uber and avoid xyz.
Unless something crazy has happened in the last 6 months, Finback is definitely worth a stop if you're already going to wild east. One of the best IPA producers in NYC and their stouts are top notch.
We went last trip. Love their stuff. We May hit them, threes and strong rope again. Was listing the spots we haven’t been too.
I truly wouldn’t worry about safety as long as keep your awareness up. Don’t engage with the loonies, just keep walking and mind your business. Don’t stand 2 feet from the train tracks - preferably keep your back to a wall where you can. All the usual stuff that most people should keep in mind regardless of what city you are in. As for your list - if you do go to Alphabet City, which I highly recommend, definitely go next door to Bobwhite Counter and grab some fried chicken sandwiches. You can bring them in the beer bar to eat. Also, Wild East is the best. So make sure you go.
Any part of NYC somebody visiting could end up in on purpose is as safe as any US city gets, not like Baltimore where you'll be in the Inner Harbor, walk 2 blocks the wrong way and end up in The Wire. That said there's 8 million people here and random shit happens so definitely be aware of your surroundings and don't engage with anything weird and all that, but that's about the extent of the concern. I will say that if you're planning a late night trip between OH Centre and Threes/Wild East/Finback may as well just take the Uber, I've done the walk plenty of times and always been fine but if there's one area you won't want to end up that's probably it. The stretch between Grimm and KCBC can have some desolate stretches with a lot of industrial/warehouse type stuff but it's also pretty much hipster-ville so it more just can seem sketchy-looking than actually being dangerous. Otherwise the areas right around or walks from subway to brewery are totally safe.
If you do go to Proletariat, have you ever been to McSorley’s? It’s right up the block. Definitely worth the experience to try a pour of each.
There are (more or less) no "beer bars" left in NYC that I either really like or actively want to go to. Generally speaking, I am not drawn to brewery taprooms either. With that said (in order to provide some context for my below opinion), a bar-hop that I think is great is: Swift Hibernian Lounge (and then go up to 7th St), McSorley's, Proletariat, Burp Castle Get a Guinness (or a half pour - you can ask for one) at Swift. Get a light and dark at McSorley's (and make sure you experience their historic urinals if you can). Get an expensive and trendy craft beer at Proletariat. Get whatever you find least offensive at Burp Castle. It's hard to recommend such a list on BeerAdvocate because I honestly think many wouldn't enjoy it. It's not about ticking taprooms and it's not about drinking the "best" beer the city has to offer. It's also clearly not about Ubering around the city. (All of which are fine goals though.) This bar-hop is driven by varied environments and experiences (to echo your word) in a very narrow area. The Guinness at Swift is genuinely fantastic, but a choice like that is a hard sell to someone wanting NYC craft. McSorley's isn't about great beer. Proletariat is there to put a craft beer on the list that someone would get excited to have. Burp Castle is a craft beer relic and wouldn't appeal to today's BA crowd, but if you go there when there's a bunch of customers and a bartender enforcing the quiet rule, it's quite special. The novelty of it (that some would find obnoxious) actually creates an environment that feels different from everything out there. I put this bar-hop in a west to east direction because the uniqueness of Burp Castle is only really felt in contrast to a typical bar experience. The variety, personality and specialness of that 7th St lineup must be hard to beat by any single block out there. I get why someone on BA would find the above unappealing, but that itinerary gives me more warm fuzzies than the current NYC beer-bar or taproom culture. Please consider statements like these a disclaimer since I don't want to lead anybody here astray.
This sounds sick and also right up our alley. We both love good Guiness and my craft beer love goes back to around 2002. So I love everything and anything between then and the ipa boom. I’m sure it’s similar to hitting some of the old Irish bars in Boston, our old bike messenger/punk shithole, but amazing dive bars and places we’d go for dollar High life. Mixed in with art or a spin at Bukowskis. And yes, I know Boston is hardly even a JV city in comparison… Just sent it to the lady to see if we can fit that in. Two very non pretentious people I should add.
Think I'm gonna need to sneak away with some co-workers to Burp Castle after work one of these days. Been a minute since I've been there.
If you ever do that bar-hop (perhaps on a trip further into the future), here's a heads up - if the bartender at Burb Castle ever puts their finger to their lips to do a librarian "sush" (which they'll do if it gets a little noisy) that's their shtick (and the act of them doing it adds to the experience rather than takes away from it)... and when you order a beer at McSorley's you get two little glasses rather than one glass. People either order a "light" or a "dark" (which is the sort of thing that takes me back to Prague... but it's not like the quality of their beer takes me back). They only have those two beers but you can order "one of each." Also keep in mind that McSorley's can get really crowded - to the point of sardines in a tin and you can't even find a way in. Personally, I'd rather be there when it's empty so you can see how weird (and dusty) the decor is. My other favorite NYC bar-hop has a stepping through Europe theme: Start at Jones Wood Foundry for some English-inspired cask beer, then go one block south to The Pony Bar for a "craft beer" (ignoring the Euro theme), and then go 2 blocks south to Bohemian Spirit for Czech beer. It's the Upper East Side and not near any typical beer stuff. If you go to the Met museum you're not very far from it though. The closest beer spot with any reputation is a bar called The Jeffrey. This bar-hop is more like a restaurant-hop, but it certainly feels like a more authentic Euro-tour than going to a craft taproom with a Lukr faucet (but it's also a bit dependent on what happens to be on the hand pump at Jones Wood). If you want a theme-fitting meal to go with it, you can pick British or Czech food. Jones Wood is the only place left in NYC with a beer engine where I trust the cask beer (except for the Wild East taproom). They'll usually have two casks pouring and their website is usually up to date with what's pouring. They basically only feature English inspired beer from local brewers with a heavy emphasis on Strong Rope and Old Glenham (Wild East and Fifth Hammer might show up too). Personally, I am not fond of Strong Rope (and for all of the times that it gets mentioned in NYC taproom hopping, I think it's really a matter of location rather than quality ). Old Glenham (on the other hand) is a gem of an operation that nobody seems to know about. The brewer is an expat and all they do is cask ale at a small scale. The Pony Bar is not going to knock anyone's socks off. It's just part of this bar-hop due to location and being the token craft appearance. Would only 2 places even qualify for a bar-hop? The place does have some importance in early NYC craft culture, but it's now largely forgotten by the BA crowd. There's bound to be something there that people would love to drink though. Bohemian Spirit is the real deal for people who lived overseas rather than some East Coast brewer using romantic Czech terminology on a 16oz can. The only options they'll have are Urquell, Czechvar, and BrouCzech Dark. It's not on the menu, but if you ask for a light/dark blend or a mliko pour, they'll know what to do. Anyway... like I was saying before - These are far from typical BA recommendations (for good reasons), but I'm getting thirsty just thinking about these. I've got these two treks patented. Everything is of course subject to circumstance though. Sometimes you get a beer or a bartender who doesn't make the experience work well. @jhavs Also tagging @AlcahueteJ - check out my two posts here for possible future recommendations.
Not exactly in your area but quite close is City Beer - a bar and bottle shop that would satisfy a beer geek itch. Unsurprisingly, their bottle/can list on Untappd isn't necessarily up-to-date. Don't go there looking for bargains though.
She absolutely wants to go to McSorleys. Once I read about it I realized, though I’ve never been, I had been told about it. It was the spot that Abraham Lincoln had been into for drinks. And he has the same birthday as Em. Which also happens to be this Wednesday. It’s a milestone birthday for her as well. So it became a must stop for her. The fact they serve the Dark and Light is the big selling point. Love the sound of some Czech style pours. Of course I’ll stock up and take a piss in the historic urinals. Knowing me, probably 3 times. Having grown up not far from Fenway, I’m curious if anything can top the open ice filled piss troughs shared by 50 people around you when you’re 12.
City Beer does have a pretty stacked selection and often gets stuff you don't see around many other places, but yea is pricey even for NYC craft beer standards. Greats Of Craft is a bit further up but also good, and The Jeffrey may be worth the short trip up.
Apologies if I misled you. There’s nothing “Czech” about McSorleys and if you’re thinking of Sacred Profane (or similar), there’s no connection. If you end up enjoying the beer at McSorleys, just consider it a bonus. That place is about atmosphere and history. I’ve never heard of a beer enthusiast going there and really liking the beer. Side note - If you want a really historic NYC bar with good beer, there’s the Fraunces Tavern at the southern tip of Manhattan… and in case you were thinking of Sacred Profane, their beer comes to NYC.
Great recs! This thread is getting me hyped about my upcoming trip to NYC, but that’s still a few months away.
