Located at 108-22 Queens Blvd in Forest Hills, Queens, Banter is a solid Irish bar and Grill. Twenty tap beers and nearly 75 mostly Irish whiskeys are available. Banter offers a great opportunity for people watching at the corner of Queen Blvd and 71st Road. Banter’s layout is half bar / half dining area. For food, Banter offers great pub fare, plus burgers and salads. Banter offers breakfast (8am opening!) and brunch on weekends. Banter is great spot for any Forest Hills bar crawl!
Located at 1112 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, Dynaco is a craft beer bar offering 12 quality tap beers. Dynaco’s bar area takes up most of the space. There are two booths right by the entrance. A great spot for a cold winter’s day (though we visited on the opposite of that). Dynaco is a great spot for your next craft beer bar crawl through this part of Brooklyn. Dynaco is cash only.
Located at 47-20 Center Blvd in Queens’ Long Island City (in the ‘new’ section of LIC, aka the waterfront), BLVD Wine Bar is a great spot for locals and visitors alike. Blvd has around 50 wines by glass/bottle (a few bottled beers too). The space has three sections: the main bar area, a small lounge area in back and an even smaller outdoor area that shares a patio with the restaurant next door. The outdoor area looks at the back of the famous Pepsi-Cola sign. All around, BLVD Wine Bar a must-visit spot next time you’re in LIC.
Located at 211 Avenue A in Manhattan’s Alphabet City, the Spotted Owl is a recently-opened corner bar (NW corner of A and 13th) taking over from the spot that was formerly known as Destination (and Lucky Stiff’s prior to Destination). The Spotted Owl offers $4 draught beer and well-drink happy hour specials. The twelve tap beers are a mix of local and regional American craft offerings (see photo below). Food offerings include some Mexican and bistro fare. Overall, this is a great neighborhood spot and a good addition to any Avenue A NYC bar crawl.
Located at 159 West 26th Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea, Crompton Ale House is a new craft-beer bar / sports bar. Crompton offers 24 tap beers. The bar area takes up most of the spot (followed by a small dining area in back). Having opened during the first week of May, Crompton did a great job with design as the space feels as though it’s been around for a while. If you live/work near Crompton, you need to visit this spot. We look forward to returning here.
Located at 204 West 55th Street (Between 7th Avenue and Broadway), Tanner Smith’s is both a cocktail bar and craftbeer bar for Midtown. Numerous house cocktails and 24 mostly-hard-to-find tap beers are the main draw here. The spot is bi-level with a fairly spacious first floor (the basement section was the bar formerly known as D’or), which is 2/3 bar area and a small seating area up a few steps in the back part of the first floor. Tanner Smith’s is a great spot for after-work drinks and for any Midtown West craftbeer bar crawl.
Located just west of Avenue C at 649 E. 9th Street in Manhattan’s Alphabet City, Mace is a cocktail bar in the old Louis 649 space. Mace features 12 seasonal house cocktails centered around various spices (think Paprika, cumin, Mace, cocoa, etc.) In addition to cocktails, Mace offers a few wines/beers, but the cocktails are the main draw here. For food, Mace has small plates: mainly flatbreads and cheese/charcuterie. If you’re a fan of artisanal cocktails, then you need to add Mace to your next Avenue C NYC bar crawl!
Located at 98 Avenue C in Manhattan’s Alphabet City, Lois is the first all-tap wine bar that we’ve visited. Patrons can buy the tap wine in the following sizes (in milliliters): 100, 175, 500 and 1,000. There are at least a dozen different wines to order, along with a few beers. The space is fairly small, even by Alphabet City standards. Several seats at the bar and, opposite the bar, patrons can find a few tables to seat parties of two, four or six. It’s a great spot and one worth visiting the next time you are spending an evening in this part of town.
Located at 189 Amsterdam Ave. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Vanguard Wine Bar is the spacious second location of the Vanguard empire. This uptown location offers 28 wines by glass/bottle (beer and wine only here, no hard alcohol). The menu divides up red and whites by sub sections as described by body/taste (mild-mannered, bold, etc). The space feels as though the bar been around for a while (though it’s not more than 2-3 years old as of this writing). Food offerings can best be described as snacks and small plates plus the requisite cheese/charcuterie. We enjoyed our visit to Vanguard; it’s a great addition to any NYC UWS wine bar crawl!
Located at 579 Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill (just across Myrtle Avenue from Brooklyn Tap House), Moot Bar is a new addition to the Myrtle Avenue NYC craftbeer bar crawl. Situated just northeast of the Pratt Institute, Moot Bar offers 12 quality taps plus a few more bottled beers. Full bar available including numerous house cocktails. Trivia night every Wednesday starting at 9pm. Window seating for prime people watching at the corner of Classon and Myrtle Avenues.
