Thursday, May 04, 2006
Collins Bar, House of Brews, and upcoming events
Last night I met up with Big Daddy Cal for our usual Wednesday night drinking tour. Our first stop was to be the Collins Bar and since I know they don't serve food we each grabbed a hot dog from that venerable old NY institution, Gray's Papaya, on the way up.
With that part out of the way, we proceeded to Collins Bar, finding two seats at the bar right up front. The place is pretty narrow and cozy, and there are chalkboard menus above the bar.
The taplist is not the most extensive selection in the city but where the Collins Bar shines is in its bottled selections. The list is updated frequently and instead of being your typical encyclopedic, "our list is bigger than yours" bottle list, they keep it down to a reasonable amount of selections and include a few rarities on the list.
That shows me the bar cares about each bottle on their list, and it is reassuring to me as a drinker that the rare bottle I pick from the list is more likely to be available because the list is kept up to date. Nothing is more frustrating than asking for 3 or 4 bottles only to be told "sorry, we're out of that one..."
Big Daddy Cal opened with the Brooklyner Weisse, while I started with:
136) Sierra Nevada Pilsner - This was available on draft and was the first time I had seen this. It was crisp and refreshing, and did a good job of washing away the hot dog. The finish was nice and sweet. An excellent pils.
Next up Big Daddy Cal had a Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, also on draft, but I decided to delve into the bottled selection and had one of the best new beers I've had this year:
137) Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve - This is a Scottish old ale, and what makes this one so special is that it was aged for six months in single malt whiskey casks, giving a nice blend of flavors. The pour was as black and opaque as engine oil. Flavors were an awesome mix of whiskey, sweet caramel, and malt. One of the most robust beers I have had in a long while. You know it is good stuff when you start thinking about it the day after.
I raved so much about it that Big Daddy Cal had to get himself a bottle before we headed out.
In the midst of all that drinking we worked up a decent appetite, but in the interest of continuing with the drinking theme we headed down the block to the House of Brews. The bar wasn't that crowded so we took our place right in the middle.
Big Daddy Cal had a bottle of Schneider Weisse while I went with a bottle of:
138) Lion Stout - This excellent 8% abv stout comes from the other side of the world, in Sri Lanka, home of Arthur C. Clarke. Malty and sweet.
After eating I decided to finish up with:
139) Sagres - This lager comes from Portugal. Slightly better than the usual lager suspects but still a middle of the road selection. I was told by the bartender that they will be phasing this out of their rotation.
So another successful night adds to the tally. 139 down and 226 to go. Much work remains to be done but I am ahead by two weeks.
On the way out of the House of Brews I picked up a copy of the Ale Street News. It's really a great resource for those seeking great beer. Some items and articles of note:
Be sure to read Ms. Mug's article about what to do when the beer you order is not so fresh. This is something that happens at even the best beer bars in the city and we've all gotten a bad bottle or spoiled beer at some point in our lives.
The Breweries and Brewpubs directory is one of the best things ever. And its right in the centerfold of the paper. Sure there are resources online but there's nothing like sitting down and looking at it all on one page, the old fashioned way. With the weather getting nice, it gets me thinking about the beer related trips I will have to take this summer.
First on my list of desired road trips is Eastern Pennsylvania, which is really the mecca of east coast beer. There are so many top breweries and brewpubs in close proximity to each other. Places like Victory, Weyerbacher, Yuengling, and Stoudts. I'd also love a return trip to the Lancaster Brewing Company.
Also one of these days I'm going to have to go out east to Long Island and visit the Southampton Publick House, consistently rated as one of the top brewers on the coast.
Some interesting events are coming up as well.
First, the Brewtopia World Beer Festival returns to NYC on 10/20-10/21 this time at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Hopefully this time around there will be plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the beer without being packed in like sardines.
Standings will host Mets Victory night on May 24 with selections from Victory in PA.
Chelsea Brewing Co. and Heartland Brewery have some interesting new releases. I will have to pay both of these places a visit in the coming weeks.
At Jimmy's No. 43, this May there will be a selection of spring beers mostly of the hefeweizen and witbier variety.
So there is a lot on tap, so to speak. Check back again soon for my next update!
With that part out of the way, we proceeded to Collins Bar, finding two seats at the bar right up front. The place is pretty narrow and cozy, and there are chalkboard menus above the bar.
The taplist is not the most extensive selection in the city but where the Collins Bar shines is in its bottled selections. The list is updated frequently and instead of being your typical encyclopedic, "our list is bigger than yours" bottle list, they keep it down to a reasonable amount of selections and include a few rarities on the list.
That shows me the bar cares about each bottle on their list, and it is reassuring to me as a drinker that the rare bottle I pick from the list is more likely to be available because the list is kept up to date. Nothing is more frustrating than asking for 3 or 4 bottles only to be told "sorry, we're out of that one..."
Big Daddy Cal opened with the Brooklyner Weisse, while I started with:
136) Sierra Nevada Pilsner - This was available on draft and was the first time I had seen this. It was crisp and refreshing, and did a good job of washing away the hot dog. The finish was nice and sweet. An excellent pils.
Next up Big Daddy Cal had a Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, also on draft, but I decided to delve into the bottled selection and had one of the best new beers I've had this year:
137) Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve - This is a Scottish old ale, and what makes this one so special is that it was aged for six months in single malt whiskey casks, giving a nice blend of flavors. The pour was as black and opaque as engine oil. Flavors were an awesome mix of whiskey, sweet caramel, and malt. One of the most robust beers I have had in a long while. You know it is good stuff when you start thinking about it the day after.
I raved so much about it that Big Daddy Cal had to get himself a bottle before we headed out.
In the midst of all that drinking we worked up a decent appetite, but in the interest of continuing with the drinking theme we headed down the block to the House of Brews. The bar wasn't that crowded so we took our place right in the middle.
Big Daddy Cal had a bottle of Schneider Weisse while I went with a bottle of:
138) Lion Stout - This excellent 8% abv stout comes from the other side of the world, in Sri Lanka, home of Arthur C. Clarke. Malty and sweet.
After eating I decided to finish up with:
139) Sagres - This lager comes from Portugal. Slightly better than the usual lager suspects but still a middle of the road selection. I was told by the bartender that they will be phasing this out of their rotation.
So another successful night adds to the tally. 139 down and 226 to go. Much work remains to be done but I am ahead by two weeks.
On the way out of the House of Brews I picked up a copy of the Ale Street News. It's really a great resource for those seeking great beer. Some items and articles of note:
Be sure to read Ms. Mug's article about what to do when the beer you order is not so fresh. This is something that happens at even the best beer bars in the city and we've all gotten a bad bottle or spoiled beer at some point in our lives.
The Breweries and Brewpubs directory is one of the best things ever. And its right in the centerfold of the paper. Sure there are resources online but there's nothing like sitting down and looking at it all on one page, the old fashioned way. With the weather getting nice, it gets me thinking about the beer related trips I will have to take this summer.
First on my list of desired road trips is Eastern Pennsylvania, which is really the mecca of east coast beer. There are so many top breweries and brewpubs in close proximity to each other. Places like Victory, Weyerbacher, Yuengling, and Stoudts. I'd also love a return trip to the Lancaster Brewing Company.
Also one of these days I'm going to have to go out east to Long Island and visit the Southampton Publick House, consistently rated as one of the top brewers on the coast.
Some interesting events are coming up as well.
First, the Brewtopia World Beer Festival returns to NYC on 10/20-10/21 this time at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Hopefully this time around there will be plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the beer without being packed in like sardines.
Standings will host Mets Victory night on May 24 with selections from Victory in PA.
Chelsea Brewing Co. and Heartland Brewery have some interesting new releases. I will have to pay both of these places a visit in the coming weeks.
At Jimmy's No. 43, this May there will be a selection of spring beers mostly of the hefeweizen and witbier variety.
So there is a lot on tap, so to speak. Check back again soon for my next update!
# posted by Nick @ 10:01 AM 
