up vote 9 down vote favorite

I wasn't a beer enthusiast while living in NYC, but still I don't recall hearing much about local breweries. Are there any worthwhile (well-known, or tasty :-) beers brewed in NYC, worth visiting at their sources?

I'd like to hear from those who have actually toured breweries in NYC and have some subjective input, since anyone could easily Google "breweries in NYC" and provide an impersonal list. Perhaps a local citizen could take into consideration breweries which are easily accessible via the subway system (since who takes buses in NYC unless in Queens, right?—and I doubt there are any breweries in Queens). Even better, breweries that are in fun neighborhoods to hang out, not some desolate industrial park in Brooklyn (unless that's part of the appeal) or a shady neighborhood in the Bronx. I mean, it better be some damn good beer if anyone's gonna be bothered to take the subway all the way to the Bronx :-)

Also see Asking brand-specific / regional questions "responsibly" to discuss the validity of this question.

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  • 2
    This question is just going to generate a list of opinions, I think. – jonsca Feb 10 '14 at 5:15
  • @jonsca - Does the edit make it somewhat more acceptable? – Andrew Cheong Feb 10 '14 at 9:41
  • There's still quite a bit of "subjectiveness" to the question, with regards to what constitutes "good", "tasty", "well-known","fun neighborhoods", etc., but I think that you've narrowed it down quite a bit. I think it's a great question at its core, it's just a question of how useful it will be to someone in the future... – jonsca Feb 10 '14 at 9:51
  • @jonsca - Unfortunately, I agree; I guess some subjectivity can't be helped here. As to its usefulness though, besides me, I can definitely imagine others visiting NYC and wondering about breweries. Hopefully when they search "breweries in NYC," this question will be the first hit! – Andrew Cheong Feb 10 '14 at 9:56
up vote 5 down vote accepted

Brew York (which is one of the foremost local news sites for Beer Enthusiasts in NYC) wrote up a really great guide to NYC's Beer Culture for Super Bowl visitors last week.

The strongest picks, if I had to rattle them off myself, would be Brooklyn Brewery for someplace with some serious scale, Singlecut's taproom in Astoria for some great hoppy lagers and the best in-brewery drinking experience in town, and Peekskill Brewery and Barrier Brewery if you're willing to spend 30 minutes on a commuter rail line (Metro North or LIRR respectively), for two of the most daring and inventive brewers in the region.

Really though, even though NYC has a number of local breweries, it isn't a great place for drinking at the source - beer culture in the city, while heavily local, is largely centered around a number of fantastic bars; Check out Torst, Barcade, Spuyten Duyvil, Alewife, The Pony Bar, Blind Tiger, the Ginger Man, Burp Castle, or any of the tons and tons of other great venues.

The Craft Beer New York app for both major smartphone platforms is also excellent, with up to date listings on new bar and brewery openings, local events, limited releases, and more. Easily worth a few bucks for any serious enthusiast.

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  • While you're on the topic of Long Island, I'm going to take the liberty of making some recommendations as I live there. Port Jeff Brewery is currently my favorite local brewery (you have to try the Schooner Ale and the White's Beach Wit). Also, if you see it on tap, try the Runaway Ferry smoked IPA, it tastes like bacon IMO! Crooked Ladder in Riverhead is also pretty good, but no comparison to Port Jeff. Long Ireland is ok, but nothing worth going out of your way for. After Port Jeff, I'd recommend Southampton Publik House. I can't recommend Blue Point after their recent sellout to In-Bev – audiFanatic Feb 13 '14 at 2:27
  • longislandbeerguide.com Has a good summary of the beer life here on the Island – audiFanatic Feb 13 '14 at 2:27
up vote 2 down vote

Here is a decent blog. It has been some time since I was in NYC, but, Brooklyn Brewery produces many good beers and i recommend visiting them. Here is their schedule

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