Good Beer

cosmo4u

New York

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

EXCELLENT new beer place in the village. This place totally fills the void of good beer procurement previously left to playing russian roulette with the unpredictable beer selections at various Bodegas.
About 10 beers constantly on tap, for about $9-$13 for a 64oz Growler. Pretty good deal for the quality of beers on tap, and the staff said they plan to stock no more than one Keg of each tap beer at a time, so the selection constantly rotates.
Dozens of craft beers, both domestic and import, arranged geographically (east coast beers near the front of the store, progressing to west coast beers near the back), which is pleasing to my librarian-esque organizational aesthetic
Though it's not a bar, there's a place to sit in back and taste your selections, and also a limited, but delicious looking, menu of treats. Foods include various cured meats, pickle preparations, and the tasty sounding (though I haven't tried yet) Beer Infused Caramel Corn.
Anyway, this place is a winner, and a must-go-to if you're looking for a cut above in beer buying in the East Village.

02-02-2012 18:04:21 | More by cosmo4u

BKBassist

New York

4.66/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Tough to review this, because unlike Top Hops, which I feel straddles the line between bar and bottle shop very well, Good Beer is very much tilted towards the bottle shop. And it is my favorite bottle shop in NYC.

Excellent selection of American craft, from year round offerings to limited releases. Limited releases are announced and handled well. International selection is perfect for me, large but not overwhelmingly so.

Service is great, the owner is super friendly and knowledgable.

I've not eaten here but the food looks excellent.

Pricing is in line with NYC pricing. Often some of the best prices on single 12 ozers.

My only issue, and in all honesty, it's probably what the owner intended, is that I wouldn't feel comfortable bringing a group of friends for a drink here, the atmosphere is very un-bar like. I only compare to Top Hops because they tow the line so well, IMO. That being said, I often will get a pint when I am shopping and browse or sit in the limited seating. I think it's very comfortable for that.

So overall, my favorite bottle shop in NYC, just not the place to actually come for extended sessions on premises.

05-21-2013 17:44:42 | More by BKBassist

JGam115

New York

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | $$$

If you weren't looking hard enough, you might miss the old-school wooden sign hung out front this garden level shop underneath an East Village brownstone. The store owner and the majority of the employees are very knowledgeable about all things craft beer. They don't just stock product because they can - they can actually offer good advice when it comes to most everything on the shelves. Their events are planned in advance and promoted via Facebook/Twitter and their own website which is much appreciated, but the store is small and can easily be overcrowded if something unusual or rare makes its way to the city (i.e. Bruery and DFH tastings with rarities).

It's a bit on the pricey side for everyday 4- and 6-packs, but are pretty much spot on for limited releases and rarities. They also do a great job alerting their customers of rare beers coming in as well as specific dates and times when they will be distributed. Beyond that, the everyday selections are what make this one of my go-to bottle shops in NYC.

05-14-2013 14:40:17 | More by JGam115

cw577enfield

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | $$$

Cozy and small craft beer store. People can come into this place and enjoy fresh tap or bottled beers in the back with seated area. Nice selection but didn't find anything good. However, they had Nugget Nectar on tap and thoroughly enjoyed that! Would stop by again next time I'm in NYC.

05-12-2013 17:35:00 | More by cw577enfield

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | $$

Had very limited free time on an all-too-short trip to NYC, so this was one of the few stops I was able to make.

Nice use of space in a typical East Village type of building. Long and slightly narrow. The selection could have had more rarities, but I have a feeling that the big stuff comes in and it isn't long before someone is hauling it out the door. What are there, 10 taps? I would have been happy to see some more rare stuff available, but they did have Radiant Pig's Junior IPA, and Peekskill's Eastern Standard IPA and Simple Sour available. Those are three super local beers that anyone should be at least trying, if not putting in their regular rotation.

Walked out of here with a lot of stuff and was pleased with my purchases.

05-02-2013 18:01:17 | More by RblWthACoz

toneloc

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$

This is pretty much what a craft beer store should look like. They have a high quality, comprehensive selection, so you should have no problem finding what you are looking for, or finding something new to try. I believe all or most of their bottles were made available on shelves and in the fridge too. The bottle prices were reasonable for NYC, especially considering the relative scarcity of good craft beer stores. The growler prices were reasonable, and as mentioned below, the selection is thoughtful and varied, and you can try a flight for 8 bucks. I didnt try the food, but thought it was a good idea to serve food, so patrons can spend some time with their flights and buy great beer at a relaxed pace. Definitely worth coming back.

05-21-2012 20:53:20 | More by toneloc

iBeer16

New York

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

Amazing find in NYC. Great place if you're looking to sit down and enjoy a flight (only $8). Tap selection is very well chosen, diverse and is constantly changing. Very reasonably priced growler fills to boot. Incredible selection of both micro and international brews, also with the option of shelfed or refridgerated on all of their bottles. Bottle pricing is as expected. Small seating area in the back to enjoy your flight or a pint, along with a tasty little selection of snacks.. Owner is very nice and extremely knowledgable about his products. Atmosphere is awesome, very simple yet modern, glass coolers allow for solid shipping. Very organized and clean. Touché.

05-12-2012 19:46:42 | More by iBeer16

negroobserver

New York

3.64/5  rDev -13.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Flights are only $8.00, but the draft selection is poor. The have a great selection of bottled beers, but you can't try any of the bottled beers on premises. The strange part is that they refrigerate some of the beers. Why, If no one can try them? Sounds absurd to me. The seated area is small and doesn't allow for a group larger than four. It can get pretty busy in there and the layout of the space doesn't really allow for smooth transition between areas or browsing for beers. I would like this place a lot more if they allowed their customers to try the bottled beers. Good place to shop for bottled beers, but not much else.

Overall Grade: C+ / B-

12-11-2011 18:39:42 | More by negroobserver

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped into this place while wandering around the St. Marks area. I thought that this was a bar at first, come to learn that it's a beer store/tasting area.

What really struck me was how big this place actually was. Standing bar upfront with a couple of tables in the back. For a place in Manhattan, this is really pretty good. Atmosphere is pretty relaxed and there's a good balance between store and bar that's established here.

The quality of Good Beer was very solid. All their beers were refridgerated and with certain styles that some would prefer to drink warm, they had that option also. Growlers and pints were also served in the correct glassware and the right temperature. Impressive.

Service was quick but nothing really out of the ordinary for a beer store. I did get to talk to the manager though. Seemed like a really nice guy who really knew his way around beer and even more importantly, the NYC beer scene.

The selection here is really one of the better places that I've seen in Manhattan and Brooklyn. JW Lees going back to 2006 as well as a good selection of JP sours and Lindemans, Cantillon, and Boon gueuzes. Again, very nice.

For me, this is a really up and coming establishment. I believe that they're relatively new but I'm sure they'll make a name for themselves quickly. A must visit if you're in the area. A bit pricey, but standard for the area that they're located.

09-25-2011 01:49:05 | More by SpeedwayJim

SkiBum22

New York

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

One of my top 5 places to get beer in NYC. The place is a little pricey but it's Manhattan so that can be expected. The selection seems to betting better every few months. Very clean store as well with a knowledgable staff.

They arrange the beers by location so it makes it easy to shop. They have food as well but I have yet to try.

The great thing about the store is that you can try to beers that are on tap or get a growler. You can't however do that with the bottles that they have.

Definitely check the place out if you are in the neighborhood.

07-25-2011 20:22:19 | More by SkiBum22