Mark, Jimmy and Squigs make their way back to The Jeffrey on Manhattan's Upper East Side to spend a little time with their Mixology guru Jacob, a.k.a. The Bearded Alchemist. Click play for yet another great reason to hang out at the Jeffrey, and a set of tips and tricks that this Master of Liquids recommends that you take back to your own home bar. Cheers!
Video #288: We say, who could be afraid of The Jeffrey?
Been on Manhattan's Upper East Side lately? It recently became a much more Craft-y place, thanks to some folk who have a great deal of experience creating terrific places to meet, eat, and drink. The Jeffrey is the new Neighborhood Joint that starts pouring Craft Coffee at 6am, and then goes, and goes, and goes. Join Mark, Jimmy, and Squigs on a trip to this new gem!
Video #286: Artsy's Craft Report - Port Chester Hall!
Hello Happy Hour Nation! Squigs scoots less than an hour north from New York City to experience the fantastic new Port Chester Hall. Take a peek inside this reclaimed train station and learn about some of what you will find here. Beer! Food! Trains!
And watch to the end for a wee travel tip for the thousands of you who schlep through Grand Central Terminal each day.
Video #278: Artsy's Craft Report - Queens Beer Week!
Artsy's Craft Report features our own Squigs, giving you the 411 on the upcoming Queens Beer Week:
Hello from NYC and specifically the borough of Queens! The beer scene is booming in this borough and there's a celebration in the works: the inaugural Queens Beer Week! Hit play for all the deets from myself and Dan Bronson. It's gonna be good y'all!
11 Great Bars Where You Can Drink With Ghosts.*
RIP, Harold Ramis. This post is for you.
*That we've shot video of, in the USA.
"When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?" The Happy Hour Guys? No. Obviously you call the Ghostbusters. But while you're waiting for Egon and Venkman to show up, quaff a couple with the local poltergeists. Here's a list of episodes we've shot at historic bars over the years, bars that might just have more than your regular share of parnormal activity:
The Old Talbott Tavern. Bardstown, KY: Hmm. I swear I put it on the chair. It's no longer on the chair. Also: Which were the most haunted rooms again?
The Jameson Tavern. Freeport, ME: Emily doesn't like the bread baskets.
The General Lafayette Inn. Lafayette Hill, PA: If you happen to be drinking with an old guy in a nightshirt, you might have a problem. (Now renovated and back in business as the Barren Hill Brewery.)
Pete's Tavern. NYC: This one is a don't-miss. You might share a booth with a literary ghost or two at one of the oldest bars in New York City.
McSorley's Old Ale House. NYC: The Happy Hour Guys shot their very first episode at what many say is the oldest bar in NYC. Houdini is said to have haunted this place in the form of a black cat. We'll stick with the Dark Beer.
Gettysburg, PA: Drinking at the site of one of the most significant battles of the Civil War, there are ghosts aplenty, but the Happy Hour Guys may be most haunted by their puppetry in this episode.
Fraunces Tavern. NYC: George Washington drank here. And did some other stuff.
White Horse Tavern. NYC: Dylan Thomas, Under Milkwood? How about under the bar? Too soon? The Guys delve into the history of this literary watering hole.
Long before Snooki roamed the Jersey Shore, Manasquan was the site of one of NJ's only unsolved murders, at O'Neil's Beach House bar. Here, the guys tackle the mystery with a few pints and some mystery guests.
Mark takes his drinking life into his own hands as he explores Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy, PA. Freshly brewed beer, catacombs, ghosts…oh, my!
The Guys explore the Rogues Harbor Inn in NY's Finger Lakes region. House brewed beer, history, and some ghostly guests who linger on make for a good time. Honk if you love beer!
That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed our tour of historic and haunted bars. Keep an eye on us for all sorts of adventure in the world of craft beverages and where they come from. As always, we welcome your suggestions - where's your favorite haunt? (Boo....) Cheers!
The 14 Best USA Craft Beer Bars.*
*That we've visited.
Alright, keep your shirts on. We know there's a bewildering number of mind-numbingly awesome Craft bars there are out there, and we're aware of how many more there are for us to visit. And it is our QUEST to get to every single one of them - (oh hey, do us a solid and add your suggestions to the comment section, will you?). In the meantime, it's time to celebrate some great locals. Check out these terrific Craft Stops:
First, one of our most recent stops, in Midtown Manhattan; Beer Culture. Just next to the Hirshfeld Theatre in the Broadway District, this new watering hole is also a bottle shop.
Winner of Best Beer Bar in NY in 2013? Check. Long Island City? Check. Amazing owners? You've gotta meet the folks at Alewife NYC.
We happened to stop in to this spot in Hollywood a few years ago, and even though it's weathered some storms it's still going strong: The Blue Palms Brewhouse.
No NYC Craft Beer Bar experience is complete without a visit to Jimmy's. And if you're very lucky, you'll get to hang out with owner Jimmy Carbone, (or Jimmy Pots & Pans), a legend in the NYC Craft Community. Come home to Jimmy's.
HOPCAT. The Midwestern Craft Beer Mecca in Grand Rapids, MI. We didn't shoot video here, but dammit, we visited. And we came away very, very happy. By the way, HopCat is opening a new location in Downtown Detroit this year, and we hear it's going to be massive. Beer hear!
Pacific Standard, on 4th Ave in Brooklyn. We're pretty sure that this is what the dorm rooms at Beer Appreciation College look like.
Tucked away in the Berkshire region of Western Mass, MOE's Tavern is the bar you always dreamt about. No seriously, it is.
Adobe Blues - This may be the best reason to ride the Staten Island Ferry. Over, and over, and over. You'll 'flip' for this place...
Pizza and great Craft in Amish Country? Yup. We've seen rare beers at The Fridge in Lancaster, PA, that we have a hard time finding in a city of 8 million people!
Truly not to be missed, Proletariat is a tiny (and we mean tiny) place in the East Village of NYC that sports some of the rarest worldwide Craft we've ever seen. A bucket list bar.
Ah, the Pony Bar Hell's Kitchen on 45th and 10th Ave in Midtown Manhattan; the bar that helped turn the Craft Beer wave in this part of NYC into a Tsunami. We were there at the beginning.
This place in Minneapolis was Craft long before it was cool: Mackenzie, the Bar Next Door to the Theatre is the place you've always wanted in your neighborhood.
Ever been to Portland, Maine? Once you've seen our episode featuring The Great Lost Bear, you'll be looking to book your ticket.
And lastly, in memoriam: The Collins Bar, which sadly is long gone now, reduced to a hole in the ground on 8th Avenue NYC that's on its way to becoming a tall shiny expensive set of apartments. We fondly remember discovering flavors of Craft here that we never knew existed. Still one of our favorites, and deserving of the memory. And as you can see, also one of the first places we ever shot.
That's how our list starts. What's on yours?
Video #276: Midtown a desert no longer - Beer Culture.
Mark, Jimmy and Squigs land in a place that is REDOLENT with Craft Beer. Are they in Colorado? California? Vermont? Perhaps a megapolis of millions of people? Play through to find one of the newest (and most enjoyable) Craft Beer stops in this Land of Suds and Honey: BEER CULTURE. Cheers!