I've never gotten a reservation at a taproom here, maybe if you're hoping to have a group for an event and wanted to make sure you got a table to sit like 10 people it'd be needed, but if you just want to hang out and have some beers not remotely necessary. And yea the other thread will have more details, but basically you want the cluster in the Gowanus area of BK with Wild East, Finback, Threes, and Strong Rope, and Other Half's original taproom isn't too far. WE/Threes/Strong Rope are more lagers/traditional styles while OH/Finback are more NEIPA and BA stouts. If you're into the hype NEIPA absolutely go to TEST, could also work in OH's Williamsburg taproom from there. Grimm should also be a priority. They're the most versatile brewery here, the taproom is real nice, and the apizza on the roof deck is probably the best in-house food option for a brewery here. KCBC isn't far and worth a stop, Evil Twin is on the same train line, mostly worth it if you like smoothie sours but their lagers are surprisingly good too. I haven't been to Eckhart yet, but also in that same ballpark and all they make is real good German styles. There's great bars/shops pretty much all over, the general neighborhood you'll be staying in would get you the best recs for that.
Harlem hops has the most NYS beers. Obercreek, Suarez, Fidens in particular, including to go often times (check untappd) Queue beer by Other Half is also great. Bierwax has both a great selection and vibe. Test brewing is top notch like @tinoynk said and by L'Industrie pizza. Grimm on the other hand has in house as he mentions and "cleaner" hazy IPAs which you might prefer, plus more alternative beer types just given brewing capacity. Otherwise, basically, yeah what @tinoynk mentions and the numerous pages of posts from the last year or so linked above.
I’ll chime in a bit for Brooklyn. Bars: Queue Beer Gold Star Beer Counter Covenhoven Beer Street (2 locations) Hops Hill (2 locations) Törst Owl Farm The Gate 4th Avenue Pub Bierwax Check their tap and bottle lists and you can find a great selection of styles etc. Breweries: Other Half Wild East Finback Test Strong Rope (Red Hook for the location) There are a lot more, but these are the ones I recommend and where I go myself. If you want food, dive bar, German/European style let me know and I can give some additional suggestions.
Leaving Grimm out is criminal. For what it's worth my favorite NYC Breweries are Wild East, Grimm, and KCBC. Beer Karma is my favorite to-go shop but they also have a nice little draft list and chill little spot to drink a pint.
Yea great beer, diverse style selection, nice big taproom, great pizza, who'd ever enjoy a place like that (sarcasm) I mean sure I guess it can get crowded with your prototype Williamsburg hipster-chic crowd but same goes for pretty much any NYC brewery.
Do you know how Harlem Hops gets Obercreek? Their production is super limited. They usually only do 1 can a week. 2 if you're lucky. Limits are usually 3 4 packs per person and they're priced pretty highly at $26/4 pack. The Half Time in Poughkeepsie doesn't even carry their stuff and they're a 10 minute drive from each other.
One of the owners goes by car or train to Long Island and the Hudson Valley for this type of stuff that's not distributed in cans (noble savage, obercreek, deep fried etc). Cans are pricey, can see their untappd, but can't blame them. Normally I only buy 1-2 cans of any variation of beer so I don't know limits but a mixed 6 pack every 3 to 4 months is what I'm usually able to do with kids. Bartenders are awesome and parking is doable. I'm hoping to train in this spring/ summer a couple times and enjoy more than a couple drinks, but it's not a short ride from NJ.
Obercreek does a lot of collaborations so they may have worked together on one in the past and maintained a business relationship. I am in the Beacon/Fishkill area frequently and Obercreek is one of my favorite stop ins. They do wonders with NZ hops and they are one of the few if the only brewery in the region that has a coffee stout as a perennial option. The Metro North does have a station in New Hamburg which is within 2 miles or so of the farm. Looks like they also have cans of the newest out of Industrial Arts and District 96 so safe to say they have good relations north of the city.
Yea I live in upper Manhattan so HH has been my regular spot for like 7+ years now and I can confirm all that, can't beat the selection especially if you're into hazy IPA and awesome folks all-around. Also regarding pricing, it looks crazy if you compare it to a 4pack per-can price, but they're basically priced to-stay to compete with draft pour prices. I was at George Keeley on the UWS and they were charging $12 and $13 for 8oz pours of two Fidens, compared to that HH cans are a steal. And if you crack a distro'd Trillium or whatever at standard bar here they'll add on a couple bucks and it'll end up about the same.
That's interesting. Obercreek is right off of the New Hamburg train station which is the second to last stop on the Hudson line, but Deep Fried Beers is way up in Athens. So they're physically coming up here to buy the cans and bring them back to NYC. I don't see how that's profitable unless they have some deal with the owners at a discounted rate or are able to buymore than the posted limits. Either way it's great you have access to the beers!
Well they sell at a solid markup (obercreek are usually $12/can I'm pretty sure). But also I'm sure it draws beer nerds in, even from outside NYC. I usually end up having a couple (one NA and one "real" draft) and having a nice conversation, whether with a bartender or locals or tourists (I've met visitors from Europe on multiple occasions, not to mention midwesteners, new englanders, etc). That said, I imagine you're right, on a can for can basis they likely make only a small profit best case. Still i recommend the spot to everyone who plausibly can stop by. Selection outside of NEIPAs is also very good and staff and customers all trend talkative and friendly, which is great if you're going solo like I have to with kids and a gluten free wife in the NJ suburbs (not that a 50 min drive is horrendous now and again). I can't think of a better spot for draft or takeaway in NYC or NJ.
Honestly $12/can isn't bad at all. They charge $26/4 pack for DIPAs so it's $6.50 a can direct from the brewery. It costs less than crossing the GWB lol. I'm so tempted to ask if Ober has some kind of agreement with Harlem Hops next time I'm in there because it just seems wild to me that there are stores out there still doing the grey market thing. Ober doesn't really even send kegs out to local places. If you look at their untappd checkins from last night it's all cans/crowlers and pours at the brewery plus Queue bar apparently has a keg of Within the Grain (which is an amazing beer). I checked out their untappd and they do have a great can selection. I've never been to HH, but I can definitely see how this will get people in the door and ordering drafts which is where I'm sure the real money is made.
I take that train station to work. The plus side to having to go into the office on a Friday is I get to pick up a 4 pack from Ober on the way home lol. I agree that they do amazing things with NZ hops on the level of Fidens without the crazy levels of hype that Fidens gets. I selfishly hope it stays that way haha.
Not really meant to be a profit-driver, the owner himself has said to me word for word "I do it for you guys," seems like he just enjoys it and at bare minimum will get in-the-know craft beer people to take a second look and consider going out of their way. Not sure if he gets any deals, but he has relationships with pretty much all the guys he regularly picks up from, and more than a few times has had kegs from spots like Obercreek/District 96/Tin Barn/Marlowe that you don't really see anywhere else. Even was getting Fidens kegs way back before they were showing up anywhere else in town. I also see plenty of people getting cocktails or draft pours or whiskey that I'm sure have much better margins, so even for non-craft beer people it's got a fun vibe for the neighborhood and they've done a good job making it appealing for the normies as well. Also not a ton of comparably high-ish end seeming bars in that area of Harlem so even if somebody doesn't know Fidens from Founders it's got its value.
