Hi everyone,
I’ll be flying into JFK early on Nov 1st and will have most of the day and probably night in the City before heading West to see my folks in Scranton. I’ve already checked out the places section and made a list of places that look good, but I was wondering if there are any new or under-the-radar places that I should check out. I’ve never really had an entire day to check out the NYC beer scene. Here’s what I have prioritized so far:
Ginger Man
Rattle N Hum
Pony Bar
Blind Tiger
Fools Gold
The Jeffrey
I know I’ll only have time to hit two or three of these places, so which do you think are the best these days? My favorite places are brewery tasting rooms and craft bars that have big and eclectic tap lists of good local beers. I don’t really care about ambiance or if they have food, so if there are other places worth checking out, let me know.
Later on in the day I plan to hit Threes and Other Half in Brooklyn. Interboro doesn’t seem to be open on Tuesday.
Any help would be appreciated, and if anyone is free that day it would be great to meet up!
Cheers!
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Most of those places and in general in NYC use beermenus.com to list what they have on tap. If youre looking for the best taplist you could scroll those. I live near The Jeffery so I stop there frequently. Ginger Man and Proletariat are good. OH is a good stop also. I wouldnt say NYC has the best beer scene brewerywise but they tend to have decent taps. Enjoy |
Definitely use beermenus in NYC. You can prioritize which places you want to go to and most of the big places and many under the radar places use that site.
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While BeerMenus is your best bet for prioritizing bars in the city based on tap lists, here’s a list of bars I prefer these days.
Ginger Man: I’d put this #1 on your list of spots. There’s always good and new stuff here.
Fool’s Gold: Assuming they haven’t done a tap takeover when you’re here, their list is usually pretty solid. I prefer this place to the Jeffrey personally, even though they’re run by the same guy. I’ve been pretty disappointed by the condition of some of the beers @ Jeffrey recently.
Pony Bar + As Is: This combo is typically BeerMenus-dependent. Sometimes Pony can be a dud. As Is sort of fits into your eclectic vibe, though their prices are a bit higher than most NYC bars. These places are 5 blocks away from each other on 10th avenue, so it’s possible you can hit both in a reasonable amount of time.
Proletariat + Augurs Well + Good Beer - Proletariat is about as eclectic as you get in terms of tap lists. You’ll typically find stuff there that won’t be anywhere else in town. Augurs Well across the street usually has a solid tap list. Both places are on the pricier side. A block away you’ll find Good Beer, which is a combo beer store and tap room. I think they have 8 taps of stuff you can drink in the store while perusing the goods.
Hope this is helpful. Would love to meet up if you have the time. |
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I’d also suggest Rattle n Hum West which is within walking distance of Pony and AS IS and consistently has a better list than the original location. Like others have said, Beermenus is essential as most beer bars nowadays update it daily. If you end up picking Fool’s Gold, One Mile House is a must-stop only a few blocks away. |
Max pretty much nailed the NYC essentials.
In regards to Threes and Other Half - there’s a third brewery, Strong Rope, that recently opened a few blocks away from Threes. Nothing incredible yet, but I’ve heard the brewer is passionate about brewing and they always have a wide variety of different style interpretations. Not sure how much time you have in brooklyn but there’s a ton of beer bars between Other Half and Threes worth checking out if you have the time and are hunting for juice. I’d bookmark:
The Owl Farm
Mission Dolores
Bar Great Harry
St. Gambrinus (bar and bottle shop with solid selection)
Hops Hill (short cab/uber way from the rest but great bar and bottle selection including most Grimm offerings)
Would normally love to meet up, but this will be a few days before the NYC marathon and I will unfortunately be sober :(
Enjoy the city man.
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Great stuff. Thanks for the thoughtful responses.
I’ll definitely be using beermenus. Only a couple places use that site here in the Bay Area. Just looking at the Ginger Man tap list for today, I’m sure I could spend most of the day at that place alone and be content.
@Maxxdaddy I’ll hit you up when I’m in town, but expect me at Ginger Man at 11:00 on the 1st.
@jredmond good luck in the marathon!
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I forgot to ask what bottle shops are the best for picking up some local specialty beers. I’ll probably hit St. Gambrinus in Brooklyn, but was wondering if it’s worth popping into Top Hops or Whole Foods Bowery.
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If you end up doing anything in hells kitchen (i.e. Pony/As Is) might be worth checking out Beer Culture. The draft list isnt that consistent, but they definitely carry some local bottles if you’re looking for NY/NYC breweries.
Finally went to St. Gambrinus for the first time a month or so ago, and really enjoyed it. Great spot. |
Depends where you plan on ending up. As someone who works in Greenwich Village, I tend to hit up Good Beer, Milk and Hops, and Whole Foods Bowery these days. Whole Foods Bowery certainly has the most stuff, but it also depends on the sorts of stuff you’re looking for. City Hops uptown has a more eclectic selection of beers, for example. Never been to St. Gambrinus, but have heard good things. |
