Brooklyn Beer Bar Guide: Spritzenhaus
Located in the weird ether between Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Spritzenhaus is a relative newbie to the neighborhood, but has been around for long enough to become a destination for all beer and sausage loving denizens of this fair city and beyond. Let’s see what makes this place one of the best…
Number of Taps: Their 24 tap list is comprised of some old standbys along with a seasonal rotating list that moves from pumpkin ales and heartier pours to heffeweizens and summer ales. If a giant beer list intimidates you, cozy up to an Anchor Steam If you’re ready to try something a little flashier, I recommend the Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ or the Ithaca Flower Power IPA, priced at $6 and $7 respectfully.
Bottle Selection: A staggering 45 deep bottle list greets you at the bar, with some high quality pics, including 4 sours, two gluten free options and a nice cider selection. Our favorite is the elusive and delicious Hitachino Nest White Ale, or the St. Feuillen Saison, which is in a can, but is described as the “sexiest beer we carry at Spritzenhaus”.
Vibes: Weekend days are an oasis of calm and quiet, making it the perfect place to have a drink and read the paper. Weeknights are also remarkably chill, but the weekend nights are a different story. Also, like all bars of this nature, there’s Jenga. People love Jenga.
Music: A rather unremarkable soundtrack, often played at volumes that are a little loud for our taste, but maybe that’s just because we’re old.
Seating: If there is one thing (besides beer, duh) that this bar excels at, it is seating. There are 2 huge bars and communal wooden tables interspersed throughout the space. In the winter, there is nothing nicer than parking your butt near the fireplace and pretending like you’re in Gstaad. In summer, grab a table by the windows, perfect for people-watching.
Price: Verging on the upper-end of reasonable, but nothing too nuts.
Outdoor space: Picnic tables line the sidewalks around the bar itself, and huge garage doors open out to the street, so you can enjoy the great outdoors(aka smoke a cigarette) and still talk to your friends on the inside.
Food: Delicious! Sausages galore(priced from $8-$11), a killer kale salad, and fries with a bunch of specialty dipping sauces. Theres a vegan sausage, too, so you can bring your nice friend from the co-op
Typical Crowd: During weekend days, you’ll spend a lot of time dodging children’s birthday parties, but beware the witching hour(around 5 or 6) when the clientele shifts from kids and their beleaguered parents to Murray Hill’s best and brightest.
Dog Friendly: Sadly, no.