124 Rabbit Club
124 Macdougal St., at Minetta Ln.; 212-254-0575
This tiny subterranean beer bar boasts more than 40 semi-pronounceable and delicious imported brews, from the Scottish Old Engine Oil with hints of licorice to the sweet, frothy punch of the monk-made Maredsous.
Beer Table
427 Seventh Ave., nr. 14th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-965-1196
Only the most learned world-beer enthusiasts will know much about the Table’s extensive and constantly rotating menu. Fortunately, the tripartite brother-and-wife-and-sister owners make knowledgeable and patient beer sommeliers.
The Diamond
43 Franklin St., nr. Calyer St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-5030
Co-owner Dave Pollack cultivated his brew obsession working for the importer B. United International and bartending at Spuyten Duyvil, and the Diamond’s list—full of rarities like St. Georgen Bräu Keller Bier—is especially tailored to a beer geek’s taste.
Draft Barn
530 Third Ave., nr. 13th St., Gowanus, Brooklyn; 718-768-0515
This Bavarian-style tavern feels as if it had been plucked from some dreamy old-world burg and gently placed among the steel and concrete of industrial Gowanus. The selection of fourteen beers on draft changes frequently, but includes standards like Spaten Lager and local specialties like Sixpoint Masons Wheat.
Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metropolitan Ave., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-963-4140
No bar in the city pays a more loving and thorough homage to beer—specifically Belgian beer, arguably the world’s best. In a neighborhood where $2 PBR rules the day, it’s built an almost cultlike following around obscure imported microbrews.