d.b.a. Ale House / Bar

East Village, New York –

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 and single malts, while after 10pm, a younger clientele of local working-class Lower East Siders, college students, and eclectic alternative types flocks in to sample some of the incredible brews scrawled on chalkboards over the bar.

A crowd as diverse as the beer selection shows up on weekends, when dressy Jersey girls chat around copper cocktail tables and flirt with the ex-frat boys chugging beer by the old-school Ms. Pac-Man.

A small alcove just past the bar offers space for groups of young professionals to congregate, while the greenhouse patio with its plank flooring, hanging plants, and bright orange picnic tables creates an inviting atmosphere for making new friends over cocktails.

Although the bartenders may have a bit of attitude, the low-key atmosphere and impressive beer list – not to mention the free bagels and lox on Sundays and cheese plates on Mondays – make d.b.a. a worthwhile stop for any true beer connoisseur.