The 16 best beer bars in NYC right now

This woman-owned brewery opened its first taproom in Williamsburg in March ‘21, serving up its refreshing, summer-like, fruit-forward beer as well as cocktails, wine and snacks in the evenings and coffee and tea in the mornings. It has both indoor and outdoor seating as well as draft and canned beer to go.

Greenpoint beer spot Tørst—Danish for “thirst”—is helmed by the legendary Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. With a minimalist space that looks and smells like a modernist log cabin, rare brews from throughout Europe and North America and a robust bread program, you'll want to post up here.

It’s not shocking that three hops-head buddies would transform a 5,000-square-foot warehouse into a brewery. It’s more unusual, however, when that concept evolves into a bi-level beast with a bar, an event space and, of all things, a coffee shop. The unlikely combination aligns under the direction of Sycamore cofounder Justin Israelson, entrepreneur Joshua Stylman and lawyer Andrew Unterberg. Their multipurpose space sprawls over concrete floors with all the whitewashed brick and reclaimed wood you’d expect from a Brooklyn bar, along with draft beers and cocktails that you wouldn’t.

This taproom allows Grimm’s followers to sample new flavors and buy freshly canned brews from ex-nomadic beer darlings Joe and Laurie Grimm. The $4 four-once pours make it tempting to sample several of the flavors; two or three new beers are released each week. Although the taps are always changing, you can count on farmhouse ales, spontaneous ales, IPAs and stouts.

Harlem Hops, Harlem’s first Black-owned craft beer bar, specializes in hard-to-find beers. With a talent for surfacing delicious brews from microbreweries and locally- and POC-owned businesses, this is the spot for finding that rare bottle you’ll remember forever. The backyard is dreamy on a beautiful day, but inside, you can take a seat at the long bar to learn from the bartender about the science and magic of craft brews.

The pared-down lineup here speaks to owner Joe Carroll's reverence for beer. "With too many lines, the beer can sit around and get stale," he says. Spuyten's minimal draft offerings, as well as its 100-plus bottle list, are focused mainly on tiny European breweries. The cozy interior is chock-full of flea market finds, most of which are for sale. There’s also a tasty bar menu of smoked meats, pâtés, cheeses and terrines.

What we appreciate most about Proletariat—a slim ten-seat suds parlor from Ravi DeRossi (Death & Company, Cienfuegos)—is that it offers a new stage for craft brewing. One of the most exciting brew lists in town features rare, new and unusual beers; for beer nerds looking to escape the pub, the sometimes-overpriced and often-overcrowded place nevertheless exerts a curious magnetism.

Long before craft entered the lexicon, there was Blind Tiger, one of the OGs of the New York beer scene. Since its arrival in 1995, Blind Tiger has achieved legendary status thanks to a meticulously-curated program and some of the city's best bar food. The taps, cask and gravity keg, plus a huge selection of bottles make this the first port of call for brewhounds who want to track down pours they can't find anywhere else. Their events, which have recently begun again, help drinkers navigate the hunt.

This Manhattan production brewery opened in October 2020, smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic—and it was perfect timing, considering how much we all needed a freakin’ drink. From a brisk business selling their to-go cans curbside, Torch & Crown is now a full-fledged neighborhood hangout. With a sleek interior, full dinner menu and rotating tap list, it’s nice enough for a date but casual enough to meet a friend for a pint after a long day of Zooming. 

Named after a family farm that once grew on Park Place, this local-focused taproom is festooned with decorative plates from old-school NYC breweries like Piels and Schaefer. On the menu, find 16 ever-changing craft beers and over 250 cans along with loaded grilled cheese sandwiches to snack on. 

After years spent manning the tanks at Greenpoint Beerworks, head brewer Sam Richardson strikes out on his own with this IPA-driven brewery. The 4,000-square-foot operation—not to be confused with Chicago's Better Half Brewing—turns out a changing selection of IPAs, sour beers, imperial stouts and more. The factory is open for hops-head visits, but the next-door taproom is the perfect place to sip a pint. 

At their new location in Sunnyside, Alewife is staying true to their kooky, kaleidoscopic take on NYC’s beer scene. You’ll often find a food truck parked outside their new brewery and taproom, so you can take a break to load up on tacos or momos in between beers. Their beers are designed to be surprising—a Gose with Thai basil and lime, a fermented spelt Saison—so try something new and see where the night takes you. 

Every week, beer enthusiast Joe Najem rotates the 15 taps at this Clinton Hill craft-suds hang, which also pours mead and a huge selection of ciders. 

Located deep in the Bronx’s historic Little Italy—where red sauce runs as thick as blood (Robert De Niro discovered Joe Pesci here)—is the best indoor bazaar that most New Yorkers have never heard of: the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. Neighborhood-bred brothers Anthony and Paul Ramirez shook the dust off the tradition-bound institution and opened a fresh-faced beer bar, whose on-trend offerings (cider, half-pints, canned craft beers) and handsome, modern digs (salvaged-wood counters, white-tile walls) have provided a jolt of youthful energy to this uptown fixture.

Skinny Dennis might be known for their bourbon-spiked sweet tea—served in a Texas-sized mason jar—at this Williamsburg honky-tonk from the owners of Luckydog. Imbibers can also sip 18 five-buck draft brews (Shiner Ruby Redbird, Southern Tier Hop Sun) and beer cocktails like Micheladas and the Bud Driver (OJ, Budweiser, lime and mint) while listening to live music. Sought-after seating includes a 1981 Ford F100 pickup bench and a cushioned church pew.

In the late 1800s, Bushwick was known as Brewer’s Row, thanks to its 14 local breweries and thriving beer scene. Kings County Brewers Collective hopes to bring that back. The first to set up shop in the neighborhood since Schaefer closed in 1976, this brewery, warehouse and taproom brews all its suds on the premises. The selection of beers changes seasonally, and you can always see what’s currently on tap online—expect fruity sours, double IPAs, and imperial stouts. 

With a bit of gritty New York disappearing each day, we sound off on the best dive bars still standing strong