202411 Mon Jul 14 01:29:27 -0700 2003 37 18 Manhattan 0 1079057 What are the very best bars / taverns in Manhattan-Queens-Brooklyn that feature a wide very range of Microbrew and CraftBrew Beers ?? Mon Jul 14 01:29:27 -0700 2003 0 Chicago Mike 1 1079058 In Manhattan I would suggest three places as must do's. They are: The Gingerman in midtown..E. 36th between 5th and Madison, D.B.A on first Ave at about third st...and The Blind Tiger Alehouse on Hudson at Grenwich. The choices at D.B.A. and The Blind Tiger are limited but quite good. Wendeday at The Blind Tiger is Bread and Cheese night. Always a favorite. The Gingerman has a wide variety of micros and euro imports. I really enjoy the Victory line from Penn. Some places are better on certain days than others. Of course, this depends on what kind of crowd you are looking for. I personally like nothing better than spending a Sunday afternoon and evening at The Gingerman ..drinking barleywines ..reading the Sunday Times..shooting the _hit with Trevor( the bartender) and then going to the top of the ESB . Then buying a big bag of White Castle ..having a nightcap pint and jumping into a cab back to the hotel. Curtis Mon Jul 14 03:30:49 -0700 2003 1079057 0 Curtis 2 1079069 can you tell us about barleywine? characteristics, alcohol content and so forth. Mon Jul 14 09:42:51 -0700 2003 1079058 0 Julie 3 1079099 Barley wine is a very strong ale, typically 10% or so by volume, although some British varieties are less. Lots of malt, esters, alcohol warming. Often a massive hop character in American varieties. Mon Jul 14 12:01:25 -0700 2003 1079069 0 Jim Dorsch 3 1079105 Barleywine is one of my fondest beer discoveries. It tends to be a bit sweeter than regular beer, highly concentrated and when done right, delicious and addictive. My VERY FAVORITE U.S. BARLEYWINES ARE: 1) Three Floyd's Behemoth 2) Anchor Foghorn 3) Victory Old Horizontal 4) Rogue Old Crustaceon 5) Dogfish Immortale ALSO very drinkable is the "second tier" including: 1) Avery Hog Heaven 2) Sierra Nevada Bigfoot AVOID: Bells Third Coast. Find 'em and love 'em. They're carried by the higher end beer and wine shops and the best bars and taverns. Enjoy ! Mon Jul 14 12:33:39 -0700 2003 1079069 0 Chicago Mike 4 1079115 Why do you say avoid Bell's Third Coast? Mon Jul 14 13:34:20 -0700 2003 1079105 0 Jim Dorsch 5 1079171 I would avoid Bell's Third Coast just because in head-to-head tastings it came up short. Not sweet enough, not good enough nose...I mean it's not repugnant but just not in the league with the "First Tier" Barleywines I mentioned. Try beating Dogfish Immortale or Three Floyds Behemoth or Anchor Foghorn or Victory Old Horizontal...just can't be done. Especially awesome if you can find them on tap. Mon Jul 14 18:07:18 -0700 2003 1079115 0 Chicago Mike 6 1079207 Brooklyn Beer's Monster Ale (like many Brooklyn products, the name is a misnomer, for example Brooklyn Lager is actually an amber ale) is a pretty good barleywine with a high (11%) alcohol content and a pretty cheap price ($1.50 per 12 oz bottle). You can start from there and if you like it, go on to some more expensive stuff. Mon Jul 14 23:19:52 -0700 2003 1079171 0 bobjbkln 7 1079223 'like many Brooklyn products, the name is a misnomer, for example Brooklyn Lager is actually an amber ale' Who told you that? I don't think so. Tue Jul 15 08:40:00 -0700 2003 1079207 0 Jim Dorsch 8 1079295 My bad. I was sure it was top-fermented, but I am obviously wrong. Sorry about that. Thanks for catching my error. Tue Jul 15 13:39:34 -0700 2003 1079223 0 bobjbkln 7 1079257 But it's usually available only during cold weather, right? I think it starts appearing in December, with slightly different formulations for each year. Tue Jul 15 11:08:18 -0700 2003 1079207 0 Chorus Girl 8 1079260 Right, Monster and many other barley wines appear in colder months. Bigfoot comes out in Feb, for example. I'm not sure if Monster's formulation differs from year to year, other than minor variations due to ingredients and process. And I don't have it often enough to say from sensory experience. I always enjoy that first sip of Bigfoot each year. It's instantly recognizable, and always wonderful! Dangerously drinkable for such a big beer. Tue Jul 15 11:24:16 -0700 2003 1079257 0 Jim Dorsch 9 1079314 FYI - Ace Market on 7th Ave./Berkeley in Park Slope still has the 2003 Brooklyn Monster. I am probably going to regret announcing that :) Also, d.b.a. has it in bottles. Muk Tue Jul 15 15:09:59 -0700 2003 1079260 0 Muk 10 1079321 I live in Virginia, so you're safe from me! Monster is gone for the season around her AFAIK, but still some Bigfoot, North Coast Old Stock, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, et al. Tue Jul 15 15:50:28 -0700 2003 1079314 0 Jim Dorsch 6 1079220 Purely by chance (really! we had Larry Bell in town for a beer class), I had a glass of Third Coast Old Ale last night, and it was delightful: soft malt, fruity esters, beautiful balance. Tue Jul 15 08:32:30 -0700 2003 1079171 0 Jim Dorsch 6 1079454 I love Bells 3rd Coast for the reasons others don't. It's not too sweet and I find the balance just right. Most other Barley Wines are way too sugary for me. I used to love Gales but have been dissapoited in recent bottlings. PS, While the Bells Bre Pub is not worth a detour, I think their beers are worth a detour and a schlepp home. Wed Jul 16 12:38:05 -0700 2003 1079171 0 Ivan Stoler 7 1079530 "I love Bells 3rd Coast for the reasons others don't. It's not too sweet and I find the balance just right. Most other Barley Wines are way too sugary for me." I think this is very accurate. Bells is a "drier" barleywine. I personally prefer the "big sweet" style exemplified by the other BW's I've mentioned. It's AMAZING the number of posts on this topic. Thu Jul 17 03:42:17 -0700 2003 1079454 0 ChicagoMike 4 1079149 can you rec some british versions as well? thank you. Mon Jul 14 16:30:24 -0700 2003 1079105 0 mrnyc 5 1079165 Hey dude what's up? Long time no see. Hardy's is probably one of the best English Barleywines and you can get vintages going back many years. Mon Jul 14 17:35:01 -0700 2003 1079149 0 The Rogue 6 1079233 barleywine is a big hole in my drinking life so thanks for all the tips. i've enjoyed fuller's & did not know it was a barleywine. since this style tends to be sweet/strong i might save them for winter. rogue, a blown acl/knee has me sorta out of commission. i'll be out of town for the social but will def be at the nyc-bbq off next month. Tue Jul 15 09:38:40 -0700 2003 1079165 0 mrnyc 7 1079259 'i've enjoyed fuller's & did not know it was a barleywine.' Fullers 1845 bottle-conditioned ale is not a barley wine. Bottle-conditioning does not imply that a beer is a barley wine. Tue Jul 15 11:20:22 -0700 2003 1079233 0 Jim Dorsch 5 1079170 Your question regarding "British Barleywine" is interesting. I don't think there's an exact equivalent, but the Brits do have something called "bottle conditioned ale"...it's actually a vintage product with a several year shelf life. One of the most famous is Fullers. I've never had it but given what I've read, it's a complex, tasty drink But for "normal Barleywine" I think it's an American product and I can vouch for everyone of the barleywines I listed...I've had them all several times and many times in head-to-head tastings. They are AWESOME. Mon Jul 14 18:04:19 -0700 2003 1079149 0 Chicago Mike 6 1079195 Barley wines are English in origin and have been bottled since the late 1800's. Bass No 1 barley is probab;ly the first commercially brewed. Some English producers today are Whitbread and Young's. Mon Jul 14 20:22:09 -0700 2003 1079170 0 The Rogue 7 1079197 Oops, forgot the Fullers you mentioned. One of my favvs. And Hardy's which I mentioned earlier. Mon Jul 14 20:30:03 -0700 2003 1079195 0 The Rogue 7 1079222 Young's Old Nick is pretty easy to find. Also try JW Lee's Harvest Ale, available in several vintages. Tue Jul 15 08:37:30 -0700 2003 1079195 0 Jim Dorsch 5 1079206 I really like Thomas Hardy Ale, but at about $5 for a 6 1/4 oz bottle, I don't drink it very often. Mon Jul 14 23:14:47 -0700 2003 1079149 0 bobjbkln 6 1079221 Thomas Hardy's Ale is hard to find these days, as it hasn't been made in a few years. However, it should reappear this fall IIRC, thanks to continued effort by its US importer to obtain the rights to the brand and find a new brewery to produce it. See link below. Link: http://www.mythbirdbeer.com/whatsnew.shtml Tue Jul 15 08:35:49 -0700 2003 1079206 0 Jim Dorsch 7 1079408 Your best bet for finding an bottle of aged Thomas Hardy is at The Burp Castle on E. 7 th. You will pay a pretty penny for it though. It is a quirky little joint.If the Ukranian bartender has a late class they may not even open. The prices are premium but the experience is sublime. From the murals to the urinals it is unique. They have two signs out front: " must be 25 to enter" "no loud talking.. strickly enforced by brewist monks" and a third has been removed.."reservations required". Tho scant steps away ...the "anti-Mc Sorleys" Curtis Wed Jul 16 06:39:16 -0700 2003 1079221 0 Curtis 8 1079409 I stumbled across Burp Castle, I believe in 1992, just after it opened. Back then they had Brother Patrick waiting tables IIRC, and he had a great time popping corks and watching them fly around the tiny space. I rarely visit NYC, hence I haven't returned. Wed Jul 16 07:01:40 -0700 2003 1079408 0 Jim Dorsch 6 1079387 The Hardey's are great. A good freind (with much more self control than myself) buys some anually, along with a variety of other Barleywines and specialty ales specifically for aging. Visited him this weekend in fact and sampled a 3 year old Foghorn which was delicious. Along these lines, someone mentioned here that the BigFoot was a "second tier" barleywine... I would argue that they might think differently if they tasted one aged for 3 to 4 years (they are bottle conditioning, after all). Very smooth, and so much more mature then the anual batch when drank imediately. I would count Foghorn and Brooklyn's Monster at the top of my personal list... and a 3 or 4 year old magnum of Anchor's Merry Christmas (not a Barleywine mind you) at the top of my "best of" list. Tue Jul 15 23:29:18 -0700 2003 1079206 0 Mike 7 1079396 I agree that Foghorn is top shelf stuff... but don't miss out on: 1) 3 Floyd's Behemoth, 2) Victory Old HOrizontal 3) Rogue Old Crustaceon OR the fantabulous 4) Dogfish Immort Ale... Also, one great characteristic of Barleywine... you can "drink" the stuff as in several glasses. Unlike Doppelbock which one glass is plenty or Belgian ale (basically 1 or 2 glasses) I'm perfectly happy drinking 3-4-5 barleywines, no prob. I just compare it in taste to a very rich, sweet, Pale Ale Wed Jul 16 00:31:00 -0700 2003 1079387 0 Chicago Mike 8 1079407 'Also, one great characteristic of Barleywine... you can "drink" the stuff as in several glasses. Unlike Doppelbock which one glass is plenty or Belgian ale (basically 1 or 2 glasses) I'm perfectly happy drinking 3-4-5 barleywines, no prob. I just compare it in taste to a very rich, sweet, Pale Ale' Wouldn't you count that as personal preference? I see no reason why in general this style of beer would be better for multiple servings. But I have to admit that I find Bigfoot, for example, to be awfully drinkable for such a big beer. A lot of the American barley wines are highly hopped, which tends to induce hunger, hence making it more drinkable, one would think. Wed Jul 16 06:19:43 -0700 2003 1079396 0 Jim Dorsch 3 1079433 It's really a shame that all this great beer knowledge is going to end up buried here in the wrong board. It won't be seen by the many non-Manhattan people with an interest in beer who may be perusing the General Topics board (where this discussion belongs.) In the future, when topics drift away from local discussion and get into a non-regional discussion (like this thread has), we'd like to request that somebody take the initiative to move it to the correct board, so that all Chowhound will benefit from the extensive knowledge that is shared. Or you can always email webmaster@chowhound.com and we'll step in to redirect it. Thanks! Wed Jul 16 11:06:15 -0700 2003 1079069 2 The Chowhound Team 1 1079062 Here's a list I've been working on. Best Beer Bars New York City Manhattan: Blind Tiger Ale House- 518 Hudson St. (West 10th St. and Hudson) 212-675-3848 Chumleys- ??????? D.B.A.- 41 First Ave. (between 2nd and 3rd Streets) 212-475-5097 Dark and stark ambience. Local crowd and travelling beer geeks such as myself being forced out by NYU students and older yuppie couples. Beer and liquor tastings. (www.drinkgoodstuff.com) Ginger Man- 11 E. 36th St. (between 5th and Madison Ave.) 212-532-3740 Mickey's Blue Room- 171 Avenue C (between 10th & 11th) 212-375-0723 Vol de Nuit- 148 West 4th St. (between 6th Ave. and Washington Sq. Park) 212-979-2616 Waterfront Ale House- 2nd Ave and 31 St Zum Schneider- 107 Ave C (7th St) 212-598-1098 Brooklyn: The Gate- 321 Fifth Ave. (3rd St.) 718-768-4329 Mug’s Ale House- 125 Bedford Ave. (N. 10th St.) 718-384-8494 Sparky’s Ale House- 481 Court St. (Nelson St.) 718-624-5516 Waterfront Ale House- 155 Atlantic Ave. (between Clinton and Henry Streets) 718-522-3794 Brazen Head - 228 Atlantic Avenue (betw Smith & Boerum Place) Brooklyn Heights / Cobble Hill Great place with lots of taps and 2x handpull draughts. Tues is Pint Nite ($3.25) and all sorts of specials during the week, including a fabulous Bluegrass Jam Sunday afternoons starting around 4pm. Brooklyn Ale House - 103 Berry (corner N. 8th St.) - Williamsburg Brooklyn Henry Street Ale House - 62 Henry Street (nr Cranberry St - Subway: A/C Brooklyn Bridge, 2/3 Clark Street)- Brooklyn Heights. Happy Hour 'till 7, and cheap good wings by the metric dozen. Staten Island: Adobe Blues- Killmeyers- New York State Westchester: Lazy Boy Saloon- 154 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains (E. Post Rd) 914-761-0272 They have 35 on tap plus 4 rotating selections and including local Westchester County brews. They also have 500 hundred bottled beers including around 60 Belgians, 30 English, 40 German, Beers from a dozen+ other countries, and 200 Domestic micro-brews. “Any place that always has Anchor Foghorn Barleywine on tap is a happy place for me-JMF.” Decent pub grub and award winning Buffalo chicken wings. Happy hour prices every day 4pm-7pm and free happy hour hot buffet M-F. Sidewalk dining in summer. Pool and Darts. It’s a real Meet market on thurs-sat nights. (www.ezpages.com/lazyboy/) They have nightly specials Mon.- Sat. (Mon- Brooklyn Night- 7pm-midnight all Brooklyn Brewery beers $2.50, Tues.- 2-3 times a month tastings from breweries, wineries, or distilleries, Wed.- From 7 p.m. to midnight "Microbrew Night" $1.00 off all micro-pints. They also introduce and feature new microbrews., Thurs.- From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. "Wing Night" $0.15 Famous "LZB" Buffalo Wings. All Saranac Brewery pints $2.50, Fri.- (All Summer Long) From 5 p.m. to midnight "Westchester's Freshest Raw Seafood Bar", From 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. "Live Acoustic Music" Featuring the best local talent booking one to two Saturday's per month. ) Manions- MacLean Ave, Yonkers An old but well appointed Irish Pub and Restaurant. They were the original beer bar in Westchester for at least 20+ years with hundreds and hundreds of bottles plus a good tap selection. The Cobblestone- Purchase, NY ??? Bacchus Restaurant 4 S Chestnut St New Paltz, NY (845) 255-8636 They offer about 270 beers by the bottle from just about every country in the world that makes beer. New Jersey: Andy’s Corner Bar- Bogota (In Northern NJ.) “While they only have about a dozen beers on tap, most of them are interesting. Mostly real micros like Yards, Victory, Climax, Ramstein, etc. or decent imports. They have two beer engines for cask conditioned ales (make mine a pint of Hop Devil, please) and a self-service cooler in the back with about 100 varieties in bottles. “ (submitted by Joe Moryl- jemoryl@ingress.com) Mon Jul 14 08:28:54 -0700 2003 1079057 0 The Rogue 2 1079079 I would second the recommendation for Chumley's (86 Bedford St). Not the best selection of beers, but an amazing place. Old speakeasy - very hard to find - great vibe and the beers they do have are very good. I've included a link below -Lee Link: http://chumleys.citysearch.com/ Mon Jul 14 10:32:21 -0700 2003 1079062 0 Lee K 2 1079102 What a wonderfully complete and detailed list. Buy this man a beer! Mon Jul 14 12:24:11 -0700 2003 1079062 0 Bob Martinez 2 1079134 I would add two suggestions to the list : 1) Helmer's - 1036 Washington Street, Hoboken,NJ. Great German beers on tap and a good selection of microbrews, Belgians, etc. in bottles. www.helmerscafe.com 2) Waterzooi Belgian Bistro in Garden City, Long Island. Great selection but prices are a bit steep. Happy beer hunting! Mon Jul 14 15:18:55 -0700 2003 1079062 0 DeeDee 1 1079489 Maybe a spin-off topic is in order? What are your favorite stores for retail purchae of good beer? Living in Jersey City I rarely shop anywhere besides delis in Manhattan, are there any destinations I should know of for tracking down rare bottled beer? The best I've found West of the Hudson is Sparrow (?) in Hoboken. Decent selection of belgian bottles. Wed Jul 16 16:00:29 -0700 2003 1079057 0 Mike