Beer aficionados: Propose our afternoon-long beer-tasting itinerary!

[HappilyBookish]

My husband's going to be pleased when I propose an afternoon of beer tasting as birthday gift. But we're not so beer-savvy. Can you all suggest a few stops--in the same general neighborhood--where we can create our own pub crawl / tasting menu? I'm thinking a variety of approaches might be fun: German restaurant, Japanese place, Korean, Irish pub. Food to accompany our itinerary is possible, but not required. We are in the East Village, where there are many nearby options, but open to other neighborhoods. Thanks for the ideas!

[HappilyBookish]

Thanks, all, for the really good suggestions. They're appreciated!

[dyrewolf]

The East Village is a good beer hood as DBA and Jimmy's 43 are great anchors. The Burp Castle is also a great stop. For a higher end experience I would recommend Birreria and def a stop at Eleven Madison where the beer is in fact expensive but great and sort of fitting as a stop (an early one) on a grown up pub crawl. Union Square also has a Heartland Brewery
In the West Village there is the Blind Tiger and several others
In Hells Kitchen there is The Pony Bar

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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

d.b.a.
41 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Heartland Brewery
35 Union Square W, New York, NY 10003

Pony Bar
637 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Birreria
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[princeofpork]

I have had multiple bad experiencees a DBA. The place stinks every time I walk in, and not normal beer soaked floor smell. The barteneder are some of the most unfriendly in the city. Too many other better places.

[MVNYC]

While I admit the bathroom does smell at DBA it doesn't affect the whole bar. DBA has a great selection and they date when the kegs were tapped. There are usually two beers on cask which I love, There is also a great hard liquor selection and you can bring food in like Russ n Daughters. I happen to love DBA and have been going there for years.

[Silverjay]

Have you been to Birreria? I'd be curious about your thoughts as a respected beerhound.

[MVNYC]

I have been twice and my opinion is somewhat mixed. The beers themselves were decent but nothing earth shattering. Going from memory I know I had a thyme infused pale ale and some sort of brown ale. Neither were too memorable.

The cask offerings were too warm however. I am not sure how they store their beer but I am guessing cellar temperature is hard to maintain on a roof. This was in the summer however so I am sure things have changed and they may fix the problem for the next time it gets warm.

The beers also are too expensive for what they are. $10 seems alittle precious to me. I get that rooftop bars generally charge more money but the roof itself is a bit weird. They built the bar blocking a view of the Empire State Building and the high walls prevent a really good view. That said it is a nice place to grab one or two beers in the nice weather just not a regular beer destination for me. I have not tried their food yet.

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Birreria
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[rose water]

yep, the bathroom is gross. but the back garden at DBA is a great place to have extended, audible conversation, and with food from Xi'an, it's awesome.

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d.b.a.
41 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

[famdoc]

Consider two options in Brooklyn:
In Park Slope, there's Bierkraft on Fifth Ave. Sit yourself down at the picnic tables located in the store, order a few beers and some sandwiches and enjoy. Afterwards, explore the many fine restaurants along Fifth Ave. (go to the outer boroughs board to get an idea of what you'll fine along Fifth Ave.)
In Greenpoint, there's Brouwerij Lane. No food here, but always a great selection of beers you can sample. After you've had a few beers, walk a few steps down Greenpoint Ave. and have some of NYC's best pizza at Paulie Gee's.

[princeofpork]

In Murray Hill you can do a beer tasting at Artisinal and even pair with Cheese if you like. Then walk a few blocks and go to Cask and have another huge variety of beers as well.

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Artisanal
2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016

[HappilyBookish]

I checked Artisinal's website & didn't see anything about a beer tasting. Is it an off-the-menu kind of item? Sounds wonderful.

[kathryn]

In the East Village (and Lower East Side) you have a bunch of good options. I'd start out with a place that does brunch as it will be open earlier in the day. I assume you'll do this on the weekend, preferably a Saturday.

LES
Spitzer's Corner -- BTW they have a decent brunch, too, opens at 10am on weekends, they are known for having 40 beers on tap. It gets douchebaggy at night but is fine during the afternoon.
http://www.spitzerscorner.com/
Marshall Stack -- chill beer bar, cash only, but they have board games and it is usually not too crowded. I think it opens at 1pm.
Loreley -- lovely back garden (not sure if it is heated in the winter), decent food and service, big portions of German food, pretzels are OK as is the burger, I really like the meatballs, but I think the food is only OK overall. Opens at noon daily.
http://loreleynyc.com/
Cafe Katja -- the beer list they have online is smaller than the one I've seen in person, regardless, their food is also excellent and gently priced. Great spätzle, pretzels, service. Opens at 5pm.
http://www.cafekatja.com/

East Village
DBGB -- Daniel Boulud's beer focused restaurant. Probably the most ambitious food you're going to find on a beer craw I really like their sausages and charcuterie. Opens at 11am on weekends.
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html
McSorley's -- old timey NY atmosphere where they only have two kinds of beer, light and dark, sawdust on the ground, no standing in the backroom, and a piece of NYC history, loud/crowded on the weekends so we prefer to go in the afternoon. An experience. There's an unproven rumor that President Lincoln drank here. Opens on 11am on Saturdays, 1pm on Sundays.
http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/
Jimmy's No 43 -- feels a little "hidden" because it's basement level, opens at 12pm but no food until 5:30pm, I echo what small h said, and it's next door to Burp Castle, which makes it really convenient for a crawl down 7th Street between McSorley's and Burp Castle!
http://jimmysno43.com/
Burp Castle -- known for shushing you if you get too loud, sometimes they bring over frites from around the corner form Pommes Frites for happy hour, Belgian, could be fun to stop in. Opens at 4pm on weekends.
http://burpcastlenyc.wordpress.com/
Weschler's -- they have currywurst and claim to be "a taste of Berlin" in the EV. Opens at 12pm. Fun atmosphere. On 1st Ave and 7th.
http://www.currywurstnyc.com/
Vandaag -- newish spot, very sleek and modern decor, it's a restaurant with specialty beer and beer cocktails, might be worth a stop, too. Very close to Burp Castle/Jimmys/etc. on 2nd Ave and 6th.
http://www.vandaagnyc.com/

I've also been hearing good things about Good Beer. 8 dollar tasting flights (four 4.5 oz pours) sounds pretty fun.
https://www.facebook.com/goodbeernyc

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Cafe Katja
79 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Loreley
7 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Marshall Stack
66 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

McSorley's Old Ale House
15 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Wechsler's
120 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009

DBGB
299 Bowery, New York, NY 10003

Vandaag
103 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Good Beer Store
422 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009

[small h]

If you take kathryn's good advice to hit Vandaag, the Popeye (fresno chili pepper, akvavit, spicy tomato, pilsner, fennel pollen, salt rim) is excellent, provided you're a fan of beer cocktails. And if you're not, you could become one.

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Vandaag
103 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

[HappilyBookish]

The Popeye sounds fantastic . . .

[Silverjay]

McSorely's sucks. Recommend giving that one a pass......Just looked at the DBGB draft list and it is very well curated.

[MVNYC]

McSorley's beer does suck. It is interesting from a historical perspective as long as you are there off hours.

[Bob Martinez]

McSorley's dark ale is fine. McSorley's has more soul in the sawdust on it's floor than DBGB will ever have starting with Daniel Boulud and working down to the guy who cleans up at night. It's been around 150 years. That counts for a lot.

Yes, it's best to go in the afternoon, and weekdays are best. Jerks often show up in the evenings. They have that in common with DBGB.

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McSorley's Old Ale House
15 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

[Silverjay]

McSorley's is a lousy place to drink. There are better old style bars in the city.

[Bob Martinez]

Sure, there are other good bars in NYC where you have a drink. It would be amazing if there weren't - there are 8,000,000 people here.

I never said McSorely's was the best bar in the city. I was reacting to your statement - "McSorely's sucks."

To the OP - go there on a quiet Tuesday afternoon on a cold day. Sit by the coal fired potbelly stove. Order a couple of dark beers and drink in 150 year's worth of history. Your husband will love it. You'll probably love it too.

http://storiesconnectloveheals.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/mcs-stove.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mlPoGU4VqSk/SFueMatWWfI/AAAAAAAACr4/f-Ck1tMv2Gg/s400/DSC01435.JPG

http://americanpublichousereview.com/...

[princeofpork]

You can always walk out after your first beer if you hate it. They are like $1 each.

[Silverjay]

No argument from me. As a place to take in dusty historic relics and crane your neck around the room, it's a winner. As a place to drink beer from a beer aficionado perspective, it sucks.

[southernitalian]

Of course it's not the best bar in the city. But if you're going to be right down there, go in, get a few beers, some cheese and crackers with that spicy mustard, and say hello to Brendan and Kevin. The earlier in the day, the better.

[HappilyBookish]

I'm familiar with McSorley's, though it's been several years. It's fun for the kitsch factor and a really cheap beer (at off hours!). Will see if it makes it onto the itinerary. In the meantime, here's what it looked like in 1912: http://bit.ly/u6Eqtg

[small h]

Dunno when you're planning this, but Jimmy's 43 does beer tastings every Tuesday at 7:30 pm (which is not in the afternoon, I know). Jimmy's is in the EV, and even if you go on a not Tuesday at not 7:30 pm, you'll find a nice selection. Also, food (from 5:30). And if you go on 12/13, you'll find me! I can't imagine that'd be much of a draw for anyone, but I'm just throwin' it out there.

http://jimmysno43.com/

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Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

[HappilyBookish]

Thanks for the suggestion! I won't be there on the 13th to see you, but don't sell yourself short re. being a draw.

[Silverjay]

I'm not sure about the opening times for these places, so you'll have to look that up, but in the EV, you can check out Jimmy's No. 43 for small selection of craft beers, Burp Castle next door for Belgian brews, East Village Tavern further east for larger selection of craft, head south to DBA for same, Zum Schneider for German beers, and cross into LES for Spitzer's Corner, nice beer selection and gastropub.......More uptown you could start at Gingerman on 36th for kind of classic style bar, move on to Rattle N' Hum on 33rd, which is on the surface is an Irish joint but they have best selection of American craft drafts in the city and do flights of 4 to sample, and then you could finish up near MSP at Birreria, the rooftop beer place at Eataly....There's really not much in the way of a Korean or Japanese craft beer scene here, unless you want to include sake at Decibel, which is also in the EV.

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Zum Schneider
107 Ave C, New York, NY 10009

Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Decibel
240 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003

Ginger Man
11 E 36th St, New York, NY 10016

d.b.a.
41 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

East Village Tavern
158 Ave C, New York, NY 10009

Rattle 'n' Hum
14 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016

Birreria
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[HappilyBookish]

Thank you! Great ideas.

[MVNYC]

Your best bet is to follow this route. Other East Village options are Hop Devil Grill and the adjacent Belgian Room on St Marks. One block up on 9th between First and A is a place called Good Beer. They sell bottles and growlers to go but also sell draft beer and offer flights. They have rarer beers on draft for you two to try.

Will also stress Rattle N Hum as a destination. Their selection is one of the best in the city, along with the Blind Tiger in the West Village

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Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Hop Devil Grill
129 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

Rattle 'n' Hum
14 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016

Good Beer Store
422 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009

The Belgian Room
125 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

[nmprisons]

If you are at birreria, you should walk across the park and have a bite and a beer at EMP's bar. best restaurant beer list in the city.

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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

Birreria
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[Alan Henderson]

If you don't mind paying $17.00 for 11.2 oz of Uerige Alt; heck of a list, but some wild mark ups.

[nmprisons]

I guess I don't mind :-)