I have a new Top 10 US-based beer bar for ya: THE GATE in Brooklyn, New York. THE GATE is a classic modern American beer bar – excellent and adventurous beer selection; patio positioned right at a great people-watching intersection in Park Slope; lots of wood paneling; clean; upbeat; friendly – all that. I put it on par with Chicago’s MAP ROOM and Toronto’s BEERBISTRO for favorite beer experiences of the past annum (Christ, I traveled a lot this year). I particularly enjoyed the agony of deciding which of 10-15 beers I’d never tried before to drink at The Gate; I chose two new ones and the Dogfish Head Aprihop we talked about in this forum last week.My first choice ended up being the single best ale I enjoyed during my weeklong stay in New York City: BROOKLYN BREWING’s BREWMASTER EXTRA BRUNE. Whoa! I knew this brewery was a heavyweight because of the LOCAL 1 I got to drink last year, but this is the second Belgian-inspired ale of theirs that’s totally blown me away. Absolutely loved it. This is a darkish-colored amber that immediately hit me with this immense, floral bouquet of smell & taste from the first sip. It's in the "Flanders Oud Bruin" style according to Beer Advocate - tell me more! It is redolent of fruits of varying stripes, and even of spices of undetermined origin – just the sort of complex & intriguing sort of beer you’d expect from a Belgian or, say, a Unibroue – and I guess from Brooklyn Brewing as well. What a start to my evening – I’ll sing this one’s praises to anyone who’ll listen. 9.5/10. Big ups to Elisa & Mark for taking us to this bar to be schooled in the ways of east coast beer!
I love The Gate! Being right up the street from Bierkraft makes it a serious 5th ave 1-2 punch. Went to a Smuttynose event there last night and tried the Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale which is a great Belgian-style brew that we'll probably be writing about soon.
ReplyDeleteThe Gate is great, as is it's sister bar Blind Tiger Ale House.
ReplyDeleteNext time you're out that way, if you want a great place to buy beer head down 5th to I believe the corner of 18th. There is a Polish supermarket called "Eagle Provisions" and it has a killer beer selection. I always go there BEFORE Bierkraft usually things are at least a dollar or two cheaper. You can't break apart sixers there, but that's its only drawback. I use Bierkraft to just to fill in with ultra specific stuff I couldn't find @ Eagle