idle hands

Idle Hands
25 Avenue B @ 3rd Street
New York, NY 10009
(917) 338-7090
http://www.idlehandsbar.com/

The Passport blurb: Come to Idle Hands for "Bourbon Beer Rock" in the East Village. The beer menu features a selection of 40-60 craft microbrews on draft, in bottles and in cans. The focus is on domestic crafts with a selection of foreign beers. Expect to see some names you know with pours you haven't tried. The bar carries a wide selection of 60-70 different bourbons.

The deal: $5 for a can or 8oz draft beer & a shot of Maker's Mark.

The bar: I was already pretty buzzed from my celebratory moving drinks and the trip to Jimmy's, so I had to search really hard for the stairs leading down to Idle Hands. Ok...there was a chalkboard on the sidewalk that said "Bourbon Beer Rock" with an indicative arrow, but I was actively scanning the areas above sidewalk-level for a displayed address or signage and missed it entirely. Once I finally found the bar by spotting the chalkboard and trekking down the stairs, I was happy to find a laid back joint with the promised extensive adult beverage selection. The bartender promptly served me the Passport deal with my preferred can to pair with bourbon whiskey: PBR.



I noticed the presence of a DJ booth but no-one utilized it during my visit. The place is dim and cozy, with low lights and candles scattered throughout. I went on a Saturday at 7:30ish and it was relatively quiet, but as time passed the bar and tables started to fill up. I paid my tab and headed out just as it was starting to get a little loud and (I can only assume) live up to the described rockstar persona...

The narrative: So the last thing I probably needed at this point was a shot of bourbon whiskey, but if you asked one of my friends to pick a single word to describe me that word would probably not be "smart." I happily downed the Maker's and PBR while chatting briefly with the bartender. She told me an awesome story she read online about a woman who got pulled over while very clearly driving drunk that shat herself in fear during the ordeal. We agreed that this resonated as a good argument for living in NY: no need to drive (almost) ever. As a living, stumbling testament to this truth, I ventured out onto the street after visiting the bathroom (which was covered ceiling to floor in stickers of kicka*s bands). I got to Irving Plaza just in time to see the Dan Band perform and it was freakin' awesome. I got all sweaty, sang along and danced like the drunken monkey I was/am. Good times.



Yes. That's them doing "Single Ladies.' Also- Yes. I totes wish you had been there too.

The verdict: I didn't stay long because I was on my way to the concert, but I'll definitely go back with the hope that a DJ will be playing Rock to go with my Bourbon and Beer. Maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

jimmy's no. 43

Jimmy's No. 43
43 East 7th Street @ 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 982-3006
http://www.jimmysno43.com/

The Passport blurb:
With Standings and Burp Castle above, this underground good beer seal bar is the heart of NYC's mini brewmuda triangle. As a former Ukrainian social club, it is laden with vaulted archways, wood barrels, and secrets of old. The restaurant menu focuses on locally sourced produce changing regularly, while the bottle list and taps constantly rotate quality craft. Great beer, great food, great vibes!

The deal: Free order of beer sausages with the purchase of any full price beer.

The bar: If you've never been it's easy to miss- look for the stairs soon after you start going west on 7th from 2nd Ave. Dim and cozy, this is a chill joint with an extensive beer selection including a cask option. The bar itself is short, with 7-8 seats along its length, and the other 3/4 of the place is designated to seated tables for dining/drinking. My bartender was an awesome Aussie wearing a cowboy hat with a skull & crossbones on the front. He was attentive and knowledgeable (and did I mention he was wearing A COWBOY HAT WITH A SKULL & CROSSBONES ON THE FRONT!!?) The beer sausages & mustard (regular price: $7) were a nice match for the hoppy Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA I paired with 'em.



I'd been to Jimmy's once before with friends to eat oysters for my first time ever, so I can promise those are delish as well. They are on the menu Wednesday thru Saturday and a plate of 3 will set you back $5.

My next/exit libation was a really good Belgian-style brew, Sixpoint Sweet Reaction. I went all google/geek-out to learn some more about it and found an article that explains that Sweet Reaction is a "bit of Sixpoint memorabilia, this is a limited-time batch made the way their Sweet Action was first brewed. It originally had a Belgian Abbey yeast strain, and some bitter orange peel...which are both featured in the nostalgic re-run." (source) If reading about that makes you thirsty, it's def worth seeking out before the limited run dries up. If you go to beermenus.com, you can search NYC for bars serving Reaction. The site is really a neat-o tool in general for beer lovers. Bookmark it, you know you want to.

The narrative: I went on a Saturday around 6:15PM. After helping a friend move/unpack for most of the afternoon and having already started drinking at her new place to celebrate the fact that I didn't break any glassware while unpacking, I was ready to drink in earnest. There were a few empty seats at the bar so I settled into one and began drooling on the beer list. I'm an independent/outgoing person by nature, but I have to admit- sometimes sitting in a bar all by yourself can be boring to the point of depression. I don't want to be the douche at the bar flicking fake-intently through my iPhone, and it's usually too dark to do any sort of quality reading. When I find myself in this situation with nobody else in the same boat to strike up a conversation with, I usually just study the wall/patrons/sausages around me. After the wall and sausages ceased revealing secrets, I started eavesdropping on the 2 dudes sitting next to me.

Wow.

I thought if that many tools traveled together they were required to be contained in a toolbox. The way men talk about women when no-one with a vagina is directly present is effing fascinating. Practically verbatim quotes from them (and my internal monologue reactions):

- "I really want to, ya know, find someone motivated, confident and independent that has her own shi*t going on." (Killer online dating profile blurb, Dude #1.)
- "This girl at the party was really into me...but I had this dream about her one time, and it was reallllly good. I just bet the real sex could probably never be as good as it was in that." (Well done Dude #1, great reasoning to rule her out. btw, you might be gay. And there's nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that you're in total denial.)
- "Sometimes girls just want you to want them, ya know, it's like you could ignore them and get a better reaction that way." (Nice, Dude #2, nice. And I hate that you're right.)
- "Maybe when it's not cool to be going out all the time and I become that creepy guy at the bar I'll find someone to settle down with then." (Stay classy, Dude #1.)

You get the picture, I was so ready to slap them both on my way out. UNTIL: they started talking about how kicka*s the McRib is, so I left them alone out of fatkid admiration/camaraderie.

The verdict:
Go for beer and stay to eat oysters! Yum...oh I forgot to mention that the first time I came to Jimmy's I happened to meet the founder of NY Craft Beer week. It was a friend of a friend of a friend, freak situation. He rocked and it was like meeting beer royalty! I honestly got giddy, because I'm a nerd, obviously. Anyway, if he likes this place, that's much more reliable than my ramblings. So, go! Maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

d.b.a./williamsburg

d.b.a.
113 North 7th Street @ Berry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 218-6006
http://www.drinkgoodstuff.com/ny/default.asp

The Passport blurb: This Brooklyn version of the venerable Manhattan and New Orleans institutions has come into it's own over the last year with an equally impressive selection of beers and fine spirits. It wouldn't be d.b.a. without a great patio out back, and Brooklyn doesn't disappoint.

The deal: No year-round deal

The bar: Another (seemingly) quiet joint with a long bar and outdoor space located in the back populated by brave/cold souls. The beer list was mind-boggling, suspended above the bar in long lists that were organized according to region. I'm a Virgo, so I LOVE LISTS! Clams and I pondered an exotic Mexican brew called "Corona" but settled on some seasonal fare. I chose the Riverhorse Imperial Pumpkin. We both got the $8 pretzel & a pint deal which was (eventually) served with yummy spicy mustard. The place was staffed by space-cadets, one of which forgot our pretzels were being warmed in the oven and had to re-bake them after forgetting the task had been started/finished. Other than that, the service was good. Our bartender did require a credit card to start the tab but sometimes that's just policy, and we got a buyback at the end of the night. My second beer was a New Orleans staple: Abita Turbo Dog. I don't do many dark beers but this one somehow makes me feel at home...it wasn't on the massive lists above the bar, but if you're curious enough and ask for it they'll give you one. As The Gibson had, this bar kept becoming more and more crowded. Although there was no baseball fascination, it did eventually get hard to hear one another. Don't want to seem like an agoraphobic- it was a good place with extensive beer choices, I just generally prefer a chill environment. For our buyback/exit brew I got a Stone IPA. Cold, bitter and delicious, it was a nice way to wrap up the night.



The narrative: So although d.b.a was technically featured in the Passport, there wasn't a year-round deal. Regardless of that shortcoming I wanted to check out this loc to see how it compared to the original in New Orleans which I have visited before. I was hoping for a stage and band, neither of which was present, but the far-reaching selection and laid back staff did meet expectations. Clams and I strolled over from noisy baseball-mania and were happy to find this easygoing oasis. We continued on our conversational path of respective recent life narratives and were well on our way to drunktown. We talked about such things as: the weirdness of sleeping out of town after you first move to NYC because that's when you realize how quiet it is as at night in places outside the city, and how cute kittens are. It was just another awesome Friday. Clams' friend joined us along the way and they were destined for bigger and better (strip club) things, so I eventually bid adieu. I already had developed an acute case of the stumbles, plus there was a phantom taco truck to find...I never did find it. I walked for as long as my thin jacket and the current chill would allow and eventually settled for the run-of-the-mill taco truck by the subway entrance. I then took my taco-treat to go and was heading down the stairs to the next L train when an errant hipster bumped me, causing much of said taco-treat disperse itself on my Billyburg appropriate vintage track jacket. This angered me...but instead of yelling at him, I ate the remains of the tahco (say it out loud, feels better with an "h", doesn't it?) and raged about the incident by instead putting pen to paper in my journal on the train ride home. When in Rome...

The verdict: It's aight and the pretzels were a nice bonus snack, you should go. Please mos def check out the one in New Orleans if you get the chance, maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

the gibson

The Gibson
108 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-387-6296
http://thegibsonnyc.com/

The Passport blurb: A neighborhood bar where locals, travelers, the young and old intermingle in an unpretentious, chilled-out atmosphere. An ever-changing selection of cold draught beer is available, which supports the local breweries and craft beers from the area abound.

The deal: $2 off any NY state beer

The bar: A (seemingly) low-key place on an off-the-hipster/beatnik-beaten-path in Williamsburg, with a backyard, foosball table and lots of great beers to choose from. The actual physical bar itself is long, extends the length of the narrow-ish space and faces extensive chalk-written lists of the spirits available. I started with a Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest. I love a good seasonal beer, and let's be honest beer in general...but this was really very tasty. The waitress was friendly and did something I love- started a tab without demanding a credit card. It's so much nicer to pony up to the bar and not be asked for money as soon as the bartender sets a glass down, it really does make me feel comfortable in a place right away when I'm treated like a regular. So we stayed awhile, and the next thing I tried after being given a tasting-size (another favorite bartender practice) was a Bitter End pale ale My companion, maybe you've heard of her, was skewing towards the stouts. Judging by her quick-emptying glasses, she thought those were delicious too.

The narrative: We got of the train in hipsterville and made our way to The Gibson. Along the way, I scanned Bedford for an amazing taco truck I've visited on Billyburg trips past. IT IS AMAZING! I didn't see it, but I vowed to search harder (and drunker) later. When we arrived about 7PM the place was relatively quiet and there were only a few patrons at the bar/tables. As we sat, caught up on life and drained our glasses, that changed. Around the time Clams and I had compared notes on most everyone we have in common and moved on to personal anecdotes, out of nowhere: boys who like baseball had populated the bar. There was a game on between...um, you know teams wearing shirts with numbers on them. FACT: I like going to games (and drinking beer) but I honestly can't bring myself to care much about sports. Anyway, big screen TVs got turned on and cheering ensued. It was fine, but a surprisingly quick morph of the scene. We considered going into the outdoor area, but vetoed due to the night chill (remember when it was cold in October?). On to the next!...to be continued.

The verdict: Go for the great service and selection, but to stay and make a night of it (depending on the night/season) you might need to be a sports fan. If there's a Saints game on maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

The eff up: Umm, yeah...I don't want to sound like a drunkard or anything, but only realized upon starting to write this entry that the bar I visited/reviewed may not have been the one I was supposed to. The Passport shows a Prospect Park West address, and I was most certainly on Bedford. Either there was a misprint, or I'm an epic drunkard and there are 2 bars in Brooklyn named The Gibson. So,now I have to admit- I forgot said Passport on my desk at work on this particular trip. I googled "The Gibson" but didn't cross-ref w/ the 'port, and just went to the address I found there. Who knows if they would have honored my $2 off deal, or if another Gibson even exists?...it will remain a mystery until I buy a compass (or compass app) and return to this mysterious beery borough called BROOKLYN.

heartland brewery/union square

Heartland Brewery
35 Union Square West @ E 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 645-3400
http://www.heartlandbrewery.com/Union_Square.php


The Passport blurb: The original Heartland Brewery location in the heart of Union Square offers outdoor sidewalk seating and views of Union Square Park from it's mezzanine. It's beloved by New Yorkers as a classic meeting spot for after-work drinks complemented by addictive bites and our fine handcrafted award-winning beer, brewed right here in NYC.

The deal: Buy a pint of any Heartland beer and receive one free appetizer order of Buffalo chicken spring rolls.

The bar: Ok to continue the theme...yes, I've been here before. I've eaten their mini burgers and enjoyed them immensely. There are 6 other NY locations (5 Breweries & 1 HB Burger) and I've been to all of them. Heartland Brewery is the sh*t...you can stop now and just go find the nearest one, but keep going if you like to read.

There is indeed outside seating when the weather is nice, good for people watching but bad if you you don't want to be dangerously close to the trainwrecks convening at the McDonald's next door (no judgment, lord knows I've been one of those very TWs, just sayin'). Nice, long bar downstairs and seating upstairs as well as down, all along the full length of this narrow space with high-tops near the door.

The menu is great for enjoying a full dinner or just snacks, plus you can catch whatever sports match that's currently relevant on the TVs around the bar. The Buffalo chicken spring rolls were freakin' great (normally $9.50, I peeked when figuring out what tip to leave). They came with Buffalo and ranch dipping sauces, so good! but couldn't even finish 'em all. Yum:



Oh yeah, and the beer was the Oktoberfest Dunkel, which was also delish. The bartender was super friendly, Irish and pretty cute. This was Tuesday night part 2 so it was around 8:30PM, busy but not packed. I heard the pretty cute bartender remark that it's usually busier on Tuesdays, but he thought since it was the day after a holiday that may have been the reason for a less than typical turnout.

The narrative: No fun conversation w/ randoms here. I was all sorts of jacked up because I had just found the perfect shower curtain liner at the Chelsea Bed Bath & Beyondyrinth (where I had to ask a nice gentleman that worked there to escort me to the exit because I kept getting lost in the store THANKS HILL COUNTRY/CASCAZILLA!!) and after getting out also scored tickets to the next night's performance of Pepper at the Highline Ballroom directly from the box office (eff you alternative method: Ticketweb, for $9 in "processing fees" I can only assume the tickets would have been "processed" on gold leaf). Alas, at the end of the bar I only had a plant to talk to and regale with these adventures. She was sweet though, I'll call her Daisy.

I did a fair job of pretending to watch the Rays/Rangers baseball game during my visit though. I'm an expert at pretending to watch things. It only got awkward when I got excited for what I thought was my home (FL) team, and then realized that the "T" on their hats stood for "Texas." Whatever, Daisy didn't care.

The verdict: Just go. I'd go again (and we know I will), maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

hill country

Hill Country
30 W 26th Street @ 6th Ave
New York, NY 10010
(212) 255-4544
http://www.hillcountryny.com/

The Passport blurb: Our inspiration is the grand old meat-markets-turned-barbecue joints of central Texas with their distinctive dry-rub style brisket, sausage, ribs and other meats smoked low and slow over Texas post oak. Live music goes with an extensive list of longneck beers, tequila, bourbon, specialty cocktails, plus a marketplace full of Lonestar State favorites including classic southern sides and sweets.

The deal: $2 off any NY State beer

The bar: This is a super yummy BBQ joint in the Flatiron area. To walk inside is to have your mouth water immediately. It smells like heaven, if heaven is what I hope it is: a really big BBQ pit.

I sat at the upstairs bar, which isn't very big, but I was able to find a seat at the end and order my NY State beer. I chose the Ithaca CascaZilla, a refreshing red ale. Mmm, beer...I could hear live music being performed downstairs, so I enjoyed that for awhile and considered grabbing a ticket to get food. They have a cafeteria-style serving situation, which can be confusing when you come for the first time but is well worth it once you figure out the system. Although I opted not to eat this night (things to do, people to see...) I have partaken before on a previous visit while checking out a friend's band. Since on that particular evening we all had dinner I can attest to how great the brisket is, and also recommend the downstairs area where there's a stage and another bar. Also pretty sure they had a PBR special going on at the time, either that or they just started giving me cans of beer out of pure admiration for my stamina. (there was probably a special)

Back to this night (a Tuesday around 7PM)...my bartender was somewhat absent when I wanted to get my tab, so I had to flag down a different one to cash me out. He was very pleasant and my original bartender was present when I needed a beer, so I'm not really complaining but it's worth a mention. I also don't want to always seem to rave about a place just because they give me beer. Unrelated: I LOVE YOU HILL COUNTRY!!

The narrative: After I whipped out my Passport to make my intentions known to the bartender, a lady sitting nearby asked me about my "coupon book." I talked her ear off for a solid 5 minutes, and then she took a turn doing the same while telling me about the time she got drunk at Brooklyn Brewery with her family so her dad had to swerve* them all home. This was my kind of lady! She also lives in Queens, so we talked about transportation and the ridonkulous fare hike for monthly Metro-cards. Eventually her brother showed up to meet her and they went to get their grub on, so I finished up my CascaZilla ($4 bottle after the discount) and headed out. It was a big night, I still needed to hit BBB & the Highline Ballroom...to be continued.

*terminology we coined in college as an alternate verb for driving while intoxicated.

The verdict: Great beer, good company, ok service. I'd go again and definitely get down on some BBQ tastiness, maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

crescent & vine

Crescent & Vine
2503 Ditmars Blvd @ Crescent Street
Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 204-4774

The Passport blurb: Tin ceilings, wood floors, brick walls--old world style for a new world clientele. Jazz is the music of choice with libations from ten craft beer lines and an extensive wine list; paninis, cheese and meat plates make it the right choice for a quiet "date night" or a fun night out with friends.

The deal: $3 pour of Lagunitas

The bar: This is a chill wine bar in my 'hood, and is the only location I managed to visit during Craft Beer Week proper. Unfortunately, they were out of the featured pour so I wasn't able to imbibe a NY State beer...but their solve, which was giving me a $3 pour of Delirium Tremens instead, effectively managed to deflect my disappointment. The bartender was friendly, chatty, and happens to be the person who pointed out to me some deals in the Passport are good all year. The year-round special at Crescent & Vine is a free panini with the purchase of any pint, and I plan to go back again to take advantage of this because I so enjoyed my initial visit.

The atmosphere is cozy, warm, and inviting. I went on a Tuesday around 8:30PM and it was buzzing but not super busy. The space itself is smallish with a long bar, a few tables and booths by the window. The night of my visit the windows were open and people were enjoying the new fall breeze by the light of candles flickering on each table. Jazz music played on the speakers at a pleasant volume- loud enough to be discernible over ambient chatter, but conversation at normal vocal volume was possible.

I sat at the bar and ordered a meat & cheese plate to go with my beer. For $8 you can choose to combine any 3 from a pretty decent list of both. I decided on a salami, a Parmesan and a Gouda. Tasty pitted olives and a glass of water (which was always refilled as soon as it became 1/2 empty) appeared immediately after my beer was set down, then warm toasted bread accompanied the meat & cheeses when those arrived. The food was good and fresh, the service was great.

The narrative: I sat there for awhile and pretended to be Very Busy and Important with my iPhone since I was alone (which is the default for all NYC-ers I think), but was soon engaged in conversation with 2 regulars (1 guy, 1 gal) also sitting at the bar. I overheard the guy guess the music being played was Ethiopian jazz featured on the Broken Flowers soundtrack and the bartender confirm he was right. I'm a simple creature(geek) and was therefore crazy-happy to realize I was sitting in a bar with movie buffs plus Tremens on tap. Right after that I chatted them up. We were by default also neighbors, therefore eventually moved on from movies to gossip about the 'hood. We debated such important questions as: where is the best taco truck? would you ever swim in Astoria Pool? don't you want to go all Wile E. Coyote and throw a box of tacks at the motorcycles that race around Astoria Park?

The verdict: It was a great experience that really took the edge off a hectic day. I'd go again, maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.