Happy Brew Year, NYC: New Year’s Eve for the Craft Enthusiast
With new breweries opening up left and right and a plethora of flavorful, innovative brews flooding into the market, 2014 was an extremely bountiful year for New York City’s beer drinkers. So, what better way to ring in the new year than by a raising a locally brewed pint to our fair city’s continued craft explosion?
This Wednesday, honor the hard working New Yorkers that combat the realities of urban living (read: tiny spaces, high rents) to bring you the good drink by swapping your champagne toast for a snifter of suds at one of these hand picked, beer-focused NYE celebrations.
NYE Masquerade at Paulaner Brauhaus
The Lower East Side’s premiere German brewpub is offering a killer four course prix-fixe meal, featuring fancy Bavarian dishes like Foie Gras Strudel and Venison Loin. There’s two seatings — the first centers on a less expensive three course menu — but I’d suggest making a reservation for the $109 per person 9PM session to experience the full feast in all its rich, salty glory. And, of course, diners will be treated to a champagne toast and plenty of rounds of straight-from-the-tank Paulaner bier throughout the evening.
Brooklyn’s newest baby brewery is throwing a party to please every palate this New Year’s Eve. Hungry? Reserve your seat for a three course prix fixe steak dinner catered by resident pop-up restaurant, The Meat Hook. With two seatings (6PM and 8:30PM) and a relatively cheap ticket price ($60 per person, $95 with drinks), this might be the borough’s best option. To sweeten the deal, penny pinching party people are also invited to enjoy cover-free, no reservation needed drink specials, Meat Hook snacks, a DJ, dancing, a midnight toast and a special NYE photo booth, all in full view of Threes’ state-of-the-art brewhouse. Consider date night a done deal, whatever your budget may be.
Ring in the New Year with Cantillon at Torst
The Evil Twin crew is continuing to keep Greenpoint classy this NYE by tapping into a reserve keg of Cantillon Fou’ Foune for an extra special midnight toast. There’s no cover and the famed keg is set to come out around 11:45PM. Even if you miss your chance to indulge in this Belgian rarity, Gowanus hopheads Other Half will keep you satiated with a bunch of choice Brooklyn-born brews.
New Years Eve with Rew and Crew at Beast of Bourbon
If live entertainment is your thing, Myrtle Ave’s Beast of Bourbon has you covered with a hard-hitting NYE show. Grab some delicious BBQ and choose from over 40 drafts and 200 whiskeys as you take in the lineup presented by No Front Teeth Records, Foxes Costmetics and A Dandy in Aspic. $55 gets you an open bar from 9PM to 1AM and the tunes are free, free, free.
Brooklyn Brewery Indoor Block Party
Williamsburg’s venerable craft pioneer is bringing the party indoors this NYE, hosting a BBQ and brew-filled evening from 10PM to 1AM in their North 11th Street tasting room. Guests can take advantage of Brooklyn Brewery’s ample open bar and snack on Mable’s Smokehouse slow-cooked meats and vegetarian Sloppy Joes while DJ SeekTen sets the mood with old school hip hop hits. Tickets are $115 a head, and include unlimited drinks, eats, a raffle of locally produced goods and a souvenir glass to take home. Rumor also has it that the brewery boys are breaking out a special, limited edition bottle for a midnight toast, so you won’t want to sleep on that.
New Years Eve Open Bar at Jimmy’s No. 43
Industry hot shot Jimmy Carbone is behind this $75 East Village open bar, which includes copious amounts of cider, beer and wine to start the year off right and platters of tasty appetizers to soak up the suds. The festivities begin at 9PM, with a complimentary midnight toast and a pay-as-you-go rule setting in at midnight, so be sure to hit that bar early and often.
Quindici Per 2015 at Eataly’s La Birreria
If you’re really looking to impress, you can drop a few hundred on Eataly’s annual Quindici celebration atop its rooftop bar. Dinner will be presented as an epic, global journey through Eataly’s fifteen worldwide locations and La Birreria’s open bar will be serving up only the best top-shelf liquors, fine Italian wines and inspired in-house brews to the tune of a live DJ. At $225 per person, this isn’t the cheapest option, but it might just well be the city’s snazziest beer bash.
Brew Years Eve at Flagship Brewing Company
Adventurous drinkers can hop on the ferry and ship off to Staten this New Year’s for Flagship Brewing Company’s first ever Brew Years Eve bash. The forgotten borough’s only craft brewery will open its taproom doors to ticketed guests beginning at 9PM for a full night of drinks, dancing and a well stocked buffet dinner. A tour of the brewery is included in the $60 ticket price, as is a projected live stream of Time’s Square’s ball dropping madness and unlimited pours of the island’s freshest beer.
New Years Eve at Dirck the Norseman
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Company’s North Brooklyn brewpub is throwing its first NYE bash, complete with a $65 per person prix-fixe supper with unlimited open bar and a live band. Drinkers who prefer to dine off site can still partake in the fest with a $40 open bar that includes wine, well drinks and tons of awesome (and super fresh) beer. The party starts at 9PM and runs until the wee hours of the morning.
3rd Annual Grunge New Years Eve at The Owl Farm
Park Slope’s Owl Farm is known to be a low key, laid back craft beer mecca, and their annual NYE Grunge party is no exception to the rule. Pacific Northwest breweries like Elysian and Cascade will dominate the taps while angst-ridden 90’s rock pumps through the speakers, reluctantly welcoming beflanneled, nostalgic drinkers into 2015. No cover, no fancy champagne — just great beer and moody rock and roll.