Hi! Artsy Guy here. Smack dab in the midst of NYC Craft Beer Week - a celebration of all things craft beer - and part of fun is discovering new places that are embracing the craftiness. Oh sure, I've taunted the Tiger and ridden the Pony (or vice versa), but here was a menagerie of creatures yet to be whispered (and they sorta fit into my Oklahoma-themed conceit... see below). This evening I set out on an adventure... to drop into places I'd not yet known.:

The Blind Pig, on first thought, seemed to be merely a gateway bar (on 14th near 3rd Ave.) into the wonderland of the East Village. They offered Blue Point as a NYCBW feature which made me think that they were just being safe with the Toasted Lager. But they also had a few other crafty things on draft (a Blue Point seasonal, Lagunitas IPA, Goose Island Matilda). That'll do, Pig. Cozy, sporty-type environs as well.

The Stags Head anchors Midtown East (around 2nd Ave. and 51st St.) and is a fantastic joint with great nosh (really great actually) and fantastic brews. They were featuring Greenport Harbor brews this week, and the rest of the selection was fantastic as well... Wandering Star, Pretty Things, Allagash, with a nice representation from the left coast... Stone and Bear Republic. And they have regular tasting events too. Love this place!

The Guilty Goose is tucked in adjacent to the lobby of The Inn on 23rd. I was happy to find that they were featuring Cigar City Brewing out of Florida. Nice! I'm a big fan of this brewery and loved that they were featuring four choice drafts. I enjoyed an incredibly good standby... Jai Alai IPA. But they also had recently tapped Big Apple IPA which is possibly the best autumn beer for a hop head I've ever had... apples, cinnamon, and lots of hops! The Goose is featuring a visit from the brewers on Thursday eve.

New places! Well, new to me. These places are some folks' locals. Places to gather and taste the craft. That's what's HOPpenin'! Take care, all! Cheers!