Ale Houses in New York

d.b.a.

Ale House / Bar

Party Earth Review Discreetly concealed behind a nondescript awning lined with blue Christmas lights lies d.b.a., a no-frills alehouse featuring over 250 international beers. On weekday evenings, the place is generally packed with a slightly older crowd of forty-something business people who line up at the long wood bar to sip rare whiskeys ... more

41 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003

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Drop Off Service

Ale House / Lounge / Pub

Party Earth Review A welcoming English ale house situated in a former Laundromat, Drop Off Service and its cheap imperial pints attract an outgoing clientele of creative types and beer lovers. Afternoons often see loyal regulars and expats – and their dogs – ensconced at the homey wood bar, which boasts one of the friendliest staffs in town ... more

211 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009

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McSorley's Old Ale House

Ale House / Historic Bar

Party Earth Review As much a historical landmark as it is a tavern, McSorley’s Old Ale House has welcomed such illustrious guests as Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt over its 150 years, and only started admitting women in the 1970s. Still in its original location, the bar nowadays is home to a loyal blue-collar crowd joined by a good showing ... more

15 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003

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Spuyten Duyvil

Ale House / Bar

Party Earth Review A beloved tavern in Williamsburg’s burgeoning ale-scholar scene, Spuyten Duyvil (Devil’s Spout) mixes a laid-back ragtag atmosphere with an unparalleled suds selection to create a local hangout that attracts a diverse crowd of mellow home-brew hippies and picky intellectuals alike. A red tin ceiling combined with a quirky ... more

359 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

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While the Big Apple might not have all of London’s cobblestoned charm, New York ale houses do a decent job of replicating the foggy city’s wood-paneled pub culture. Indeed, these beery hangouts do a good job of skimming the top off of the city’s breakneck pace and allowing guests sixteen ounces of much-needed relaxation.

As far as classic NYC ale houses go, nothing beats McSorleys Old Ale House on the Lower East Side, its sawdust-covered floors, newspaper-covered walls, and complete lack of liquor other than its signature ale giving it a stiff-lipped charm, not to mention the fact that it’s been running since the days of Abraham Lincoln. More contemporary spots like d.b.a. and Williamsburg’s Spuyten Duyvil provide a wide variety of international beers and use their sprawling walled-in backyards to draw out the lively summer crowds. Somewhere between the two, Drop-Off Service downtown placates old-school barflies with 20oz imperial pints, but has enough far-out art on the walls to inspire local young bohemians.

Still standing tall against the PBR crowd, ale houses in New York City bring good old amber suds to the people, reminding them of a day when a few beers was part of a healthy English diet.