Mugs Ale House

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

As per the previous review I dropped into Mugs (not for the first time) during the 'Split Thy Brooklyn Skull' strong ale festival

They ordinarily have around 30 beers on tap from across the states, with a good 10 or so from NY and neighbouring states

When I visited 2 weeks ago, I stayed purely on the rare (and strong - all 8% ABV+) festival beers

They were reasonably priced at $2.50-3 each and were served in a 6oz glass

I've never been to a beer festival in the states but I've heard some of the measures are simply quite laughable - 2oz, even 1oz???? !!!

6oz was just right and about as small as I'd want to go in order to truly sample a beer, as opposed to sniffing a drop !

The place was busy, but the service was decent considering and we simply stood a few feet back from the bar and sampled some rare beers including, from memory :-

Arcadia Pappy's Bourbon Barrel Old Ale
Brekenbridge 471 IMP IPA
Sierra Hoptimum
Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout

Great bar, decent festival, hope to head back for the same weekend next year, this was the 12th festival I believe?!?

03-20-2011 20:12:05 | More by Ruds

socon67

New York

4.46/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | $$

Went here after visiting Brooklyn Brewery.

A - Place had activity. A couple tv's showed the World Baseball Classic. Nice relaxed feel.

Q - Plenty of well maintained taps. Glassware was appropriate. All offerings wer enoted on a chalkboard easily to see.

Ser - Bartenders were prompt and knowledgeable.

Sel - About 15 taps from what I could see and a great mix of imports and domestics plus some limited stuff. I had Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer and it was really good.

Food - Didn't have but what I saw people eating looked good.

Value - Compred to other places I went to the prices were better for what you got.

Honestly, this place should be the #1 craft destination in Brooklyn. I will find a way back here even though I'm not normally in Brooklyn much.

03-10-2013 19:36:00 | More by socon67

DanTheBeerMan

New York

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

This is the absolute best bar in Williamsburg , Excellent selection of taps that is constantly rotated, and service that is unmatched. This bar provides a much needed escape from the hipster dominated bars which line Bedford ave. The prices are very reasonable, and the service is always prompt. This is the kind of bar you can walk into on a Saturday night, and the place is never overcrowded. In addition, the food from the kitchen is excellent and is served until pretty late. If you are in Williamsburg, this is the only bar you need to make a stop in for a great night out.

12-13-2012 03:49:03 | More by DanTheBeerMan

flexabull

California

3.83/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Stopped in here for Sunday afternoon lunch.

Atmosphere is an old small corner bar in Brooklyn, cool little spot, TVs showing the Jets game, a handful of seats, and a small bar up front.

Quality is good, taps were dominated by craft beers. I had a Rockway ESB and a Stone 10th Ruination. Unfortunately the Stone 10th Ruination tasted like it was either from a dirty line, and/or was past it's prime.

Service was fine. Our server was pretty nice and prompt enough, not super friendly though. Seemed a bit disinterested at times.

Selection was nice. They had about 24 taps with a nice variety.

Food was ok, I was hoping for better when I read the menu though.

Overall, a pretty nice spot, close to Brooklyn Brewing too.

09-25-2012 00:28:21 | More by flexabull

Mark

California

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

We checked this place out for the first time on our recent trip to New York. This was our second trip to NYC and both times we have based in Brooklyn. My visit started out right when I got in a nice conversation with the gent who runs the place and his best customer. Both were great guys and added to the visit and friendly nature of this establishment. Kate the waitress was tremendous as well and helped us with directions around the neighborhood. Great selection of taps and a couple of cask offerings too. I normally would opt for cask but the beers being offered in real ale form did not appeal. No worries as the Kelso IPA and Smuttynose IPA were very very good. The beers at Mugs are very well kept and served properly. 20 oz pours in British pint glasses heightened my enjoyment. I only wish we had discovered this gem of a pub much earlier. Food was good too, a very satisfying experience overall. Very highly recommended!

05-06-2012 20:41:55 | More by Mark

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $

I have to admit that I have been going to Mugs for over 10 years and just finally got around to writing a review of it. I used to visit whenever I was in the NYC area and now get there a little more frequently since I live in the area. I even stopped at Mugs for a wonderful craft beer during my bachelor party.

Mugs has a couple of different events each year that they have been doing for quite a while and are always worth attending - they really get some great beers in for the events.

Mugs is located in a very hipster neighborhood but that is not the people that you tend to find in Mugs nor is that the vibe - something that I happy to enjoy about the place. Mugs has been a haven for craft beer drinkers for well over 10 years. The decor is what I think of as traditional pub (wood paneling, slightly dark, lots of beer signs - not neon).

They have great beer that is served properly and never stale (at least I have never encounted that). They have a pretty good all the time tap list that does not change too much and bring in a lot of interesting stuff.

The bartenders have been around for a long time and certainly know their beers and most of the servers are pretty attentive even during the busy festivals/events. I have never had bad service and the people running the place are quite friendly.

The prices are reasonable, comparable if not a little better than the area.

The food is pretty solid for pub fare - they just got a new chef and have revamped the menu for the first time I can remember. The new stuff is good though they are not currently serving brunch - I believe that is supposed to start back up next month.

03-12-2012 17:44:18 | More by dbrauneis

lehows

New York

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Located right on Bedford Ave in the heart of Williamsburg, Mugs Ale House gives one a reprieve from the hipster cachet of nearby bars. Once inside you could be in any popular pub in the northeast but with an incredible tap selection. The patrons in here on a Saturday afternoon ranged from bearded old timers to younger couples chatting by the windows. This is a great place to people watch and gaze out the windows onto Bedford Ave. The bartender was super friendly and knowledgeable about the beer. I wont go listing all the beer but others have below. I was super excited to have a Mcneills Imperial Brown, which was fantastic. I have not seen McNeills outside of Vermont before. Also, the prices are very reasonable. In fact maybe the best value for the beer in New York City.

02-19-2012 21:57:06 | More by lehows

brystmar

New York

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $

Hands down the best value for craft beer in Brooklyn, possibly in all of NYC. Despite its proximity to Overpriced-Because-It's-Ironic--burg's main drag, Mugs remains the most reasonably-priced bar in the region. About half of their ~25 beers on draft are only $4.50 for a 20oz pour!

Bottle list is impressive, but typically outdated. It's common for me to go through 2-3 choices before finding something they actually have in stock. What IS in stock, though, is typically outstanding. Last time I was there, I shared a 1988 Lee's Harvest Ale with my friend for the unbelievable price of $15. Did I mention this place was a bargain?

To top things off, this bar ranks among the least trendy or pretentious in the area without being run-down or trashy. It's open and spacious, rarely crowded (even at midnight on a Saturday in the summer), and very relaxed compared to its surroundings. All of this makes Mugs one of my favorite spots in the city.

01-25-2012 13:46:30 | More by brystmar

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Back home for a visit.

A: Definitely on the level of a dive type bar which is exactly my style. Not a tourist attraction, no tourists and no yuppies from Manhattan. Laid back and relaxed.

Q: The brews on tap were fresh with no signs of any dirty taps.

Service: Our bartender was a pretty quick and was knowledgable of the menu. He had to change a few taps,but made sure everyone was taken care. Did not really ask him much though.

Selection: A nice tap list when I visited. Nothing mind blowing but certainly has thing to appease many different palates. Had some 4 Calling Birds and some DeStruisee Outblack. They also have a bunch of other brews on tap and a quite distinguished and lengthy brew list.

O: This is a fairly reasonably priced bar with a really nice selection of brews. For you whale hunters, you will not be wowed, but for the most other craft beer people you will enjoy this place.

12-14-2011 23:43:48 | More by IronCitySteve

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Not the classiest joint in the world, but if you happen to find yourself in Brookyln, NY, and you feel like drinking good beer, this is probably as good as it gets without going back to Manhattan. It doesn't look like much when you walk in, but you'll be surprised with about 25 good and unexpected beers on tap, and more in bottles. A fairly decent menu (with ostrich burgers), and a staff that has seemed to me very knowledgeable, but a bit on the grumpy side. But in a good "that just adds character" way. Located just a couple short blocks from the first Brooklyn stop on the L train.

04-29-2011 20:46:26 | More by Rifugium