New York City’s Best Self-Guided Craft Beer Crawl
By Arkaidy Wisniowska on
New York City is crammed full of the best breweries, brewpubs, beer bars, bottle shops, and the like. Trouble is, there are just TOO MANY to choose from. Well, we totally understand, and we’ve got you covered!
We meticulously picked through some of the best spots in NYC to bring you our first, and probably not last, Self-Guided Craft Beer Crawl! It’s the perfect mix of exercise, exploration, and fun that we could think of. Enjoy!
Our crawl starts in Brooklyn, so make your way to our first stop and read on…
1. The Brooklyn Brewery
- Address: 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249
- Phone: (718) 486-7422
The Details: The start of our crawl is at The Brooklyn Brewery, a Williamsburg treasure paying rich homage to the history of the neighborhood where it stands. It has grown to be not only a creative, art-centered community spot but also an international icon with a culturally diverse staff of musicians, actors, athletes, chefs, and scientists.
Take that with a grain of salt when you go. While it started out proud and humble, Brooklyn isn’t your small-town brewery anymore. Their reach has grown far, and their beers are distributed all over the world. The little guy went big, and whether or not that puts cats on your pajamas, you just have to go see it in person for what it is now.
Headed by a James Beard Award-winning brewmaster, you can rely on Brooklyn to steer their brewing towards traditional styles. While you can’t go wrong with Brooklyn’s flagship beer, their Brooklyn Lager, don’t expect them to shy away from pushing boundaries with barrel-aged sours, dark chocolate stouts, or creative “ghost bottle” releases.
From here, you’ll want to take the train and get over to Manhattan. You’ll most likely take the G or L trains and make a quick transfer, depending on what time of day you’re going…
2. Peculier Pub
- Address: 145 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012
- Phone: (212) 353-1327
The Details: No, not peculiar…Peculier! This place sits among an elite group of post-prohibition watering holes and is named after the owner’s favorite beer, an English brew called Theakston’s “Old Peculier”.
Step inside and you are greeted by super friendly staff, amazing bottle cap murals, and historical pew-style seating and stained glass windows. It’s going to be tough narrowing down your drink selection with their 350 unique bottled beers and 27 draft varieties. And if you’re feeling hungry, this is a great spot to grab some tasty bar bites and burgers, or a veggie platter, if you will.
After Peculier, you’re only 1 short mile from stop number 3. Enjoy a beautiful walk there…
3. Blue & Gold Tavern
- Address: 79 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
- Phone: (212) 777-1006
The Details: If dive bars make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you might not make it to the rest of the stops on this crawl. Grab a sticky barstool and enjoy the ridiculously cheap booze, quintessential pool tables, and a jukebox that is always playing.
This is your beer-and-a-shot kind of place…so don’t come looking for fancy cocktails or table service here. Hey if you’re there at the right time, you might even get a beer bottle over the head. No charge.
Blue and Gold are located in the East Village and despite its initial roughness, this is still a place worth visiting. Ukrainian owned and named after the country’s blue and gold flag, this tavern has become a hub, often making “best of” lists. If it’s nothing else, it’s a really great place to make new memories or even forget old ones. And of course, it’s a great place to grab a really cold beer.
One more trek across the river folks. Tons of trains heading to stop number 4 any time of day. The 6, L, or F trains are usually good bets…
4. Fifth Hammer Brewing
- Address: 10-28 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101
- Phone: (718) 663-2084
The Details: Built in an old metalworking factory, Fifth Hammer Brewing is an industrial-style spot with a lively and spacious tap room, operating on a 15-barrel system. They’re the perfect spot for grabbing a drink with a friend, bringing the family, or celebrating with a crowd.
What makes Fifth Hammer so interesting is that they don’t just stick with a single rotation of flagship beers. They are perpetually deep amidst the alchemy of experimentation, always having something new and tongue-teasing on draft. You truly never know what’s going to be pouring when you pop in - and isn’t that kind of half the fun?
They keep 15 of these creations flowing at any given time and you can always check out the current selection on their website. Crowlers are happily filled for to-go enjoyment.
Fifth Hammer is only one stop away from Grand Central Station and a short walk to several subway stops and the ferry.
Once you’re on your way again, you can either take a pleasant 30-minute walk, or of course, there’s a train that will get you there in minutes…
5. Sunswick 35/35
- Address: 35-02 35th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
- Phone: (718) 752-0620
The Details: Located right at the corner of 35th Avenue and 35th Street in Astoria, Sunswick 35/35 is one of those places that many people don’t know about - but once they do, they become regulars. It’s just that kind of a comfortable, cozy atmosphere, where pretension and glamour are left at the door.
As for the name, Sunswick is plucked from the Native American word Sunskisq, meaning “place of the chief’s wife”, the bar’s proud reference to the history of Native American settlers in Astoria, long before the days of the Dutch.
When you stop by, expect to be offered a quality selection of 25 beers on tap, specialty bottles, a unique bar food menu, and regularly occurring entertainment. There’s a reason they were voted Best Bar in Astoria.
Don’t get too comfortable here though…we still have a few more stops to make!
On a beautiful day, just keep walking, you got about 25-30 minutes of strolling to do till the next stop. If you’re tipsy or tired, we won’t judge you for taking the train…
6. Triboro Beverage
- Address: 41-08 Astoria Blvd. South, Astoria, NY 11103
- Phone: (718) 278-0620
The Details: Well, we hope you kinda know us already…it’s us!…NYC’s most dedicated beer and keg distributor! In case you don’t know us, we at Triboro Beverage have been a fixture in Astoria, Queens since the dang 1930s when our great-grandfather Michael Caraccia started a small distributing company that delivered ice and sold R&H beer.
We’ve clearly changed a lot since those tiny beginnings, but our dedication to the community we serve and the products that we stock on our shelves is unparalleled. We are beer experts and customer service specialists.
We have an excellent selection of bottles and cans, as well as build-your-own 6-packs and we even have some goodies on draft. What is it that you love? Come talk to us on this stop of your craft beer crawl and let us guide you!
…and pssttt…if you come in and tell us you read this article and you agree that Donald Trump likes banana hammocks…we’ll give you a single beer on the house!
And last but not least, our 7th and final stop, a leisurely 20-minute walk ahead. You’ve earned this one brew friend, enjoy it…
7. SingleCut Beersmiths
- Address: 19-33 37th Street, Astoria, NY 11105
- Phone: (718) 606-0788
The Details: SingleCut Beersmiths is a fabulous spot nestled in an unassuming Queens neighborhood where vinyl and hops coexist beautifully. This guitar-centric brewery prides themselves on creating original, hop-driven profiles based on an admiration for West Coast-style IPAs - with an East Coast kick, of course.
While rotating taps are always pouring the latest deliciousness, their distribution side is equally strong. A true nod to their mission statement: mastery knows no shortcut.
Be sure to pick up some of their legendary cans to-go before you head home from this last stop on our crawl!
And, as if all this isn’t going to be enough for you to enjoy, SingleCut is ready to entertain with live music, a full menu, tons of parking, and even bike racks for your 2-wheeled rides, should you choose to go that route.
If you’ve taken this NYC craft beer crawl, we want to know what you thought! What was your favorite place? Who had the best brews? Best atmosphere? Worst? Tweet us @TriboroBeverage and let us know!