New York
Beer-wise, musically, gastronomically, socially —NYC’s got whatever floats your boat. So after starting your beercation with a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry with your favorite brew to toast the Statue of Liberty as you pass her —perhaps Brooklyn Local 1 (Belgian Strong Pale Ale)—start exploring.
Prepare to spend a day in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, as each offers a cornucopia of righteous establishments. It seems everyone has at least one friend in New York and fortuitously, one of mine has gone the beer geek route. Chockie Tom lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan as a bartender (and sausage cooker) at Wechsler’s Currywurst, a “German as fick biersnob haven,”so she’s got the best of everything. As for tackling the island, Central Park is great for walking around and visiting the Museum of Modern Art, but unlike Munich’s English Garden, there are no great biergartens. So make your way down toward Greenwich Village on just about any train.
Start in the West Village for happy hour at the Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker Street), replete with esoteric draft beers where you may find Stoudt’s Peppercorn Pumpkin or a cask of IPA from New York micro Defiant.
Ambling toward the East Village, be sure to make a pit stop at McSorley’s Old Ale House (15 East Seventh Street). Since 1854, the bar notes that notables “Abe Lincoln to John Lennon passed through McSorley’s swinging doors.” When the bartender asks you, “Light or dark?” he’s not asking your general preference but rather that you seriously have two choices, the light or the dark ale. What a great way to appreciate the variety that craft beer has brought us, not just in the past 30 years, but the past 150.
While there must be more restaurants in New York than anywhere else on Earth, Katz’s Deli (205 E. Houston Street) is a compulsory noshing experience at one of the oldest (1888) and best Jewish delicatessens. It’s tough deciding between a real salami or pastrami sandwich, or, y’know, try the tongue. And if you’ve never had a New York Chocolate Egg Cream theirs is aces.
Depending on how charged your battery is, New York is the town that never sleeps. So long as you’re in the East Village, say hi to Chockie next door for a late night currywurst at Wechsler’s and maybe a 0.2-liter stange (pronounced: schtawn-guh) of Reissdorf Kölsch or a glass of Berliner Weiss to go with the curry fries. Heck, if you make it to 4 in the morning, you can still soak up your pints or liters with Chockie’s top-choice drunk food “disco fries,” at Odessa (119 Avenue A at First Street)―gravy on waffle fries with mozzarella. “There are a lot of French fries in this town, man,” she says, but swears by Odessa’s.
Oh, if you do need some sleep, though New York is expensive, the beds are cheap-ish at the East Village Bed and Coffee (110 C Avenue), a cute but not cutesy B&B where rooms start at $115. Get some rest; you’ve got more music and beer to explore.
As for beering it up in the boroughs, Brooklyn is really the prime place to see how New Yorkers tie one on. Start by taking the L train to the Brooklyn Brewery (79 N. 11th Street) for happy hour on Fridays and weekend tours. Not only can you get the freshest pint of Brooklyn Lager or Pennant Ale ’55, but a Brewmaster’s Reserve should be available, whether it’s Manhattan Project (designed to taste like a Manhattan cocktail) or Cookie Jar Porter (designed to taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie).
Since you’re already in the Williamsburg neighborhood at this point, you’re steps away from Spuyten Duyvil (359 Metropolitan Avenue), “the best beer bar in Brooklyn as far as selection,” says Chockie. “The staff is knowledgeable with good seasonal offerings, and they have a great backyard.” And best of all, the owners opened a phenomenal barbeque spot directly across the street, Fette Sau. While they are all about the pork, they’re also all about an unceasing selection of craft distilled spirits and craft beers from across North America. Because while nothing tops smoky pork trips, Captain Lawrence Liquid Smoke pairs perfectly with them, or any of their other local taps including Chelsea and Greenpoint. Before leaving Williamsburg, stop in for a pint at Barcade (388 Union Avenue), brought to you from a couple of the guys who made the American Beer documentary, and play a game of the most awesome beer-themed arcade game, Tapper.
From there, it’s on to Park Slope. The Brazen Head (228 Atlantic Avenue), The Gate (321 Fifth Avenue) and the Beer Table (427-B Seventh Avenue) are each an aficionado’s wonderland because of their handpicked selections. While Beer Table has a smaller list, the rarities will astound, the small plates will sate and best of all, New York allows growler fills so the fun doesn’t stop at the tavern.
If timing allows, Chockie suggests hopping on the F train (from Manhattan or Brooklyn) down to Coney Island to catch the Coney Island Circus Sideshow (1208 Surf Avenue). Marvel at freaks like Donny Vomit, Serpentina and more then swallow one of the beers in their likeness from the Shmaltz/Coney Island Brewery at the Freak Bar.
Quebec City
To understand when Texans semi-joke about seceding from the union, it helps to know that Texas truly is somewhat of a breakaway country complete with its own culture and language. When applied to Quebec, this could not be truer, which is why the province came very close to actually separating from Canada in 1995. The capital, Quebec City, makes Montreal, which is 150 miles, er, 240 kilometers southwest, seem almost Anglican. It takes pride in being the fifth oldest Canadian city, but I’m sure they’d rather have an NHL team instead.
Fortunately, Canadians, and even French Canadians, love biere. Native writer Sarah Lolley says the local micro, Bar L’Inox, “is a hot spot but lacks the cozy charm that one normally associates with a microbrewery. In addition to four regulars, they brew several seasonals including Kremesse, a gruit made with coriander, orange peel and cardamom available all summer long (“from St. Jean Baptiste Day to the harvest”). L’Inox is right in the Lower Old City, “so you can’t beat the location.” It’s a good time to mention that the bulk of our visit will be spent in Old Quebec―Vieux Québec―an UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the St. Lawrence River divided between upper and lower halves―Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville. Being hilly, walking it provides great exercise, but be sure to ride the funicular―a sort of elevator that travels diagonally―to Upper Town. Once there, lunch at Le Saint Armour (48, rue Sainte-Ursule),which is a bit of a splurge but much cheaper than the dinner menu, both of which are French haute cuisine at its tastiest. Start with the Duck Armangac Foie Gras, then if you like game, try the Red Deer Haunch with Apple Puree, Truffle Oil and Blueberry Sauce.
The best brewery to visit is La Barberie (310, rue St-Roch), oddly located beneath a highway overpass outside of the old city in the Saint-Jean Baptiste neighborhood. “Just when you think you’re about to get mugged,” jokes Lolley, “there it is.” Once inside, order a carousel (a flight to you and me) of their eight offerings. No food is served, but anyone in the cooperatively owned brewery will be happy to point out a good place nearby as there are bakeries, butchers and even chocolatiers throughout the neighborhood. Afterward, Le Croquembouche (235, Rue Saint-Joseph), named for the conical pile of profiteroles, is a boulangerie a kilometer away that’s not to be missed for enchanting French pastries.
For accomodations, Lolley calls Auberge St.-Vincent (295 rue St-Vallier East) “affordable and hip” and it happens to be the top-rated hotel on TripAdvisor.com. For “awesome and expensive,” make reservations at Auberge St.-Antoine (Saint-Antoine Street). Whether you choose the boutique or the luxury hotel, you’ll be in the old city and can easily continue to explore at night. Be sure to have a drink at Pub St-Alexandre (Rue St.-Jean). “In terms of good pubs, you can’t beat it,” says Lolley. Their extensive beer menu features 200 selections including many from Quebec such as St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, and plenty of Belgians.
And if you need to fend off le gueule de bois (a hangover), swears “you’ve got to have poutine and they also do a great breakfast at Le Clocher Penchant [rue St-Joseph]in the St-Roch District.” Poutine is essentially the original disco fries (see New York).
