I'm fortunate enough to work for an employer that invests in its employees frequently, and as a result, I've been able to take classes and attend conferences around the country while soaking up the beer scene in my down time. The Beer Is Good in Sacramento, Houston, Vegas (kinda), Chicago and Columbus, but there is nowhere I'd rather drink than my home away from home, New York City.
The previous time I was in The City I explored the subway, got lost in Central Park, and ate folded pizza while standing. It's a place that can be intimidating when visited alone for the first time, but you'd be amazed at how quickly you learn the ropes.
This time, armed with a metro card and and better understanding of Manhattan, I set out to find the "Big Three," as described on BeerAdvocate.com as The Ginger Man, Rattle 'N Hum and Blind Tiger. The first two were in Midtown, with the 3rd located in the Village. Tired from travel when I arrived at my hotel around 2pm, I set out for the closest pub on the list, The Ginger Man, located in the shadow of the Empire State Building, on E. 36th.
Although The Ginger Man is a chain, which I typically avoid while traveling, I had to give it a try based on great reviews, pictures and a killer tap list. Due to the NYC Marathon going on that day, the pub was nearly empty at 3pm, just the way I like it. After taking up a cozy spot at the rich, dark wood bar overlooking two long copper back-splashes packed with dozens of tap handles, I started searching through the absurdly long list of beers available.
Amid the well known breweries represented such as Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn, Founders and Lagunitas, I was able to choose from a list not available to us in the Midwest. 21st Amendment, Oskar Blues, Chelsea, Smuttynose, Bronx and many other American breweries were on tap upon my arrival. No reviewing or pretension, I was there just to take in the atmosphere with a solid beer in my favorite city to spend time in. First up was the Maduro Oatmeal Ale (5.5%, $7.50/Pint) from Cigar City in Florida. Relatively thin for my palate, but well balanced with roasted malt and a touch of bitterness.
Next up would be a Bronx Pale Ale (6.3%, $7/Pint). This would have been a good one to review from a new brewery in the Bronx, especially when I later found Beer Advocate only had two reviews for it. A solid representation of this style for certain, but nothing out of the ordinary for this west coast hophead to txt home about.
Last up for this trip to Ginger Man, for which there would be two, was a Mikkeller Citra IPA from Denmark. Even though Mikkeller was available in South Bend for quite some time (and still kinda is, depending on remaining stock in local stores), being a Citra hop addict, I had to try this single-hopped IPA. Maybe it was the fact that this was my third beer, or a stuffy nose, but I was quite underwhelmed with this beer. Hoping for a citra hop explosion, I got only a reasonably hoppy brew with a good dash of malty mediocrity. As with the Bronx Pale, I would consider it a good beer, although it just didn't do much for me.
Not wanting to spend my entire sobriety in one place that day, I decided to tab out and move along to Rattle 'N Hum (See Part 2 for more). Fortunately The Ginger Man is so close that I was able to make a second stop before the week was over, a few evenings later.
The second time around would be a much quicker trip, with my goal to try one more tasty brew and pick up their really cool, special edition 2 liter ceramic flip-top growler. A delicious treat was tapped just a few hours prior, a cask of Smuttynose IPA (American IPA, 6.9%); I could not resist. This was bar far the best east coast brewed IPA I have ever had! Floral, Citrusy and a thin malt backbone made this beer one of the highlights of my drinking experiences that week. What a great introduction to Smuttynose, they have certainly lived up to the good things I've read.
The only downside to The Ginger Man for me, and this may not apply to everyone, is that they could have had more American craft beer and less imports. Although I estimate about half of their long list of taps were American, it would have been nice to see 5 or 6 more. With that being my only complaint, I really enjoyed my time at The Ginger Man. They have everything I look for in a craft bar; a good selection of craft beer, and a laid-back atmosphere. If you happen to find yourself in the big city sometime, definitely add this place to your list of places to drink!
A side rant... The Ginger Man has more unique beers on tap at any given time than any bar/restaurant in our area. On any given night, the place is packed and blowing through kegs regularly. If any place would have an excuse to not keep up with their beer list, it would be them, yet they manage to not only keep an updated beer menu printed daily, but also keep their website list updated in near-real time. If I ever own a craft beer bar, I will undoubtedly do the same.
In Part 2 of our series on the Manhattan Beer Scene, I will write about Rattle 'N Hum, another really cool beer bar located on E. 33rd with a style that varies greatly from The Ginger Man...
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