Proletariat

slander

New York

4.44/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Oh, that place in the East village I’ve never heard of; it’s got to be a stone’s throw from that other place we used to beer. Parked on the corner at 1st Ave, giving the Mercedes behind me a good bump (I hope no one’s waiting for me when I get back), and dealt meter play. Halfway down the block, in a place where sweet buns used to happen...

A single room joint, not terribly wide. ‘L’ shaped copper sheet topped bar with a pressed tin panel base & brick foot box off to the left; seating for 10 on affixed black leather swivel stools, and a pair of floaters more. Barback wall is brick painted a thousand times over and then picked and peeled away some. Many of the colors of the rainbow skittled up, but mostly blacked now, and the sections forward the bar are full on black. Framed copper board on barback center listing tap selections with magnetic refrigerator letters from your childhood; the pricing in colored numbers. A shelf is affixed just below with bottled selections displayed, and stemmed glassware hanging from the underside, and shelves to both sides hold bottles or glassware or both.

The wall behind me is vertically striped white & beige with black trims over pressed tin lowers with some bar counter inlay starting halfway down the bar. The walls are decorated with dozens and dozens of small framed pieces of tattoo choices, and tattooed people inked or inking. Some really cool stuff; makes one think of an old port tattoo shop. Red penny sized tiled floors to the rear, and slat wood painted checkerboard black & red up front. The ceiling is done in pressed tin with black crown molding and is slanted both vertically & horizontally, in a fun house kind of way, and as the room also narrows to the rear widthwise, I am officially upgrading it to ‘Wonkaesque’. A few drop lanterns up front, track spots on the big board from above, and red glass tea candles along the bar. A single hightop table up front for 6 and seating for a pair on a bar counter piece in the windows over St. Mark’s Place. Back of the house is a kitchen coming space, and a single shorty corner bathroom.

Upright bar towers with 3 taps each in pairs at each end along the bar, 12 in all; a 2 to 1 ratio craft (Carton Milk Stout, Ommegang Scythe & Sickle, Southern Tier Oak Aged Backburner, Stillwater Premium, Hoppin Frog Frogs Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale, Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam, Firestone Walker Pale 31), to import (LoverBeer D’uva Beer, Dupont Biere De Miel, Ca L'Arenys Guineu Riner, Thornbridge Raven). I drank shortys of the LoverBeer D’uva Beer (sublime), Firestone Walker Pale 31, Stillwater Premium, & Ommegang Scythe & Sickle. They were all in good shape.

And 3 dozen+ bottles, they don’t have a list, but there are some real nice offerings displayed; Drie Fonteinen, Maine Brewing, Evil Twin, Mikkeller, Schlenkerla, and I see a good bunch of snub shorty Italian type beers.

Caught Chris ‘tending twice now just after opening; he’s a good cat, knows his game. We’ve talked some good beer in a short amount of time. Founders Breakfast Stout just came on, and he’s correct; it does get overshadowed by the stupid that are the KBS & CBS. And beer people come rolling in, so it seems they’re getting the crowd. I would call what they’re playing ‘punk’ and it’s very fitting for the ‘hood. Very good tap selection; some seem painfully priced, others not so. I could like on this place.

12-16-2012 09:01:57 | More by slander

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Visited on 8/18/12.

On our way to an incredibly disappointing stop at Hop Devil Grill/Belgian Room (seriously, what the hell happened there?), Vickie spied the slogan in the Proletariat window ("New, Rare and Unusual Beer"). Stopped us dead in our tracks. Place does not open until 5 so we had to stop back after biding our time for one at the Hop Devil.

This place was well worth the wait. This is a small place, occupying a space that used to be a bakery. One table for 6 in the front, one long L-shaped bar on the left seats about 15.

The tap list is small but awesome. Nogne O Imperial Rye Porter was the highlight for me. A bit pricey but not bad for Manhattan. The server was very friendly, service was fast and you could get a taste of anything.

We could easily have stayed all night except that we needed food and this place does not appear to have any. We will know better next time.

A great place to discover. I could not believe it wasn't on BA yet. Go check it out!

HV

08-27-2012 20:21:44 | More by sholland119