Brooklyn Beer Bar Guide: Spuyten Duyvil
Photo by Kirstin Roby
If you‘ve got a hankering for a rare beer that you won’t find anywhere else, or need a nice place to relax before your table’s ready at St. Anselm, grab a drink, Spuyten Duyvil’s your place. Check out the full report, after the jump.
Number of Taps: The selection is your standard beer bar fare, so nothing too crazy, but still good, solid, craft beer choices.
Number of Bottles: Unless you’re a craft beer nerd, you probably won’t recognize any of the bottles they have listed, but that’s okay. The bottled beer list is extensive, almost too many to count, and broken out by country of origin. The selection is heavy on rare finds from Europe, and it does get a little pricey, but the chance to try some of these brews doesn’t come around that often, so you might as well live a little.
Vibes: The bartenders here know that their list is intimidating and if you’re new to the craft beer world, ask for help! They’ll tell you what kind of beers you should try, and will always let you have a little taste before you order. Also, the bar itself is decorated like the best kind of flea market, with curios and knick-knacks on every surface. It feels like having a drink in an antiques shop, but in a good way.
Music: Inoffensive and pleasant.
Price: You’re going to pay a little more than you’re used to for a drink, but it’s worth it, because a lot of the beer you’re drinking is hard to find.
Seating: Belly up to the bar, which seats about twelve, or grab a table inside, as they are aplenty.
Outdoor Space: The backyard at this place is spacious, comfortable, and best of all, connects to St. Anselm next door, so you can wait for a table and take the secret side door throughout the fence to enjoy your giant steak.
Food: The bar snack game is strong here, with plates of charcuterie, pickles and the like — the perfect accompaniment to drinks.
Typical Crowd: It’s a pretty mixed bag of people, from beer nerds who seek it out specifically to neighborhood regulars to people who walked in thinking that maybe it was an antiques shop and are pleasantly surprised to find that it’s a bar.
