Bierkraft

slander

New York

4.5/5  rDev +3%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5

Out of control.
Just coolers and coolers of great treasures in this secret little Brooklyn store. It starts with the American micro brews and gets into the crazy Euros and Belgians the further in you go. Just in the American micros alone, there are all sorts of things I've never seen anywhere in New York City (the Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine, the Southampton Biere D'Art and Old Ale, some selections from Victory, Weyerbacher, Magic Hat, and on and on and on). Not to mention my first sighting of Stone beers in the NYC area. And the Belgians. Did I mention a more complete line of Cantillons than I've ever seen before?? Hell, they had at least 6 or 7 of them.
Madness, I say, madness.
This store also has a terrific selection of gourmet cheeses and foods, and I don't think I'm doing them justice.
Pricey as all hell, though ($10 and change for a WWS '02 and $5.75 for a torpedo bottle of the Stone Arrogant Bastard?? That's a bit steep IMHO). It'll cost you if you want the goods you can't find anywhere else. You wanna play, you've gotta pay.

03-09-2003 15:12:15 | More by slander

BKBassist

New York

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$$

First off, there is no better sandwich that can be had at a beer bar in the city. The regular offerings are excellent and the specials are outstanding. Food pricing is NYC reasonable.

Tap selection and pricing is fair. They generally stick to more unique stuff on tap, and almost always have something interesting I've not seen elsewhere. I have had the occasional issue with line maintenance however. The option to do small pours is welcome.

Bottle selection is excellent, but prices are higher than most other bottle shops.

Service is fine, it's mainly cashiering/taking orders as you do your own bussing. I've never really gotten in depth with them on knowledge, so I can't speak to that, but I'll assume since they do some in house brews that are fairly interesting that at least some of the staff is very beer knowledgable.

Atmosphere is fun, if the table layout both inside and out can make for some tight squeezes. Also, the placement of the bathroom door means it swings out into an area where people are standing and my pint glass has been the victim of it's cruel arc. But outside of these things, the patio is great, and it's a great place for day drinking/bigger groups.

Overall, the food and tap selection, plus the patio makes it a must visit. The bottle prices make me tae those purchases elsewhere however.

05-21-2013 18:00:24 | More by BKBassist

greenmanwl

Arizona

3/5  rDev -31.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | $$

We were very excited to go about ten on a Sunday night visiting (and kid-less!) and we found out as truth what we gathered by checking out reviews; THIS IS NOT A BAR as if it was it would have been open! To have a bar does not mean you are a bar and we'd have made other plans if we knew, certainly to check this place out after reading reviews. Noone mentions this so I figured I would... Take off that they are a bar, they are not no matter how good a selection of beer they might have since I haven't had a chance to check that out due to false labeling... It a appears a store with beer, with a sandwich shop next door that you can get their beer through. Hopefully we'll make time during the day. The bar we did go to was down on 4th; the one we surmised'd be the best of the lot there for our tastes and it was a goodie, from waiter to variation; we stick to Belgian beer pretty much and were not disappointed at the 4th Avenue Pub. Go there if you want a bar, cause Bierkraft isn't one and they shouldn't claim it as such... Will review it later IF we make the time to go...

05-20-2013 05:17:11 | More by greenmanwl

JohnG190

New York

4.9/5  rDev +12.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

Outstanding selection, the growler filling station is the best I've seen! And the sandwiches are second to none in NYC. The prices are high, but they're located in one of the trendier neighborhoods in NYC. Overall, I am very impressed with this small, quaint beer shop and I will definitely patronize when in Brooklyn.

03-02-2013 17:28:07 | More by JohnG190

henkster

New York

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | $$$$

2009 Review:
I'm fortunate that Bierkraft is quite close to my Park Slope apartment. In addition to a great selection of bottled beers, they always have a selection of 10+ drafts for growlers/22oz bottles. I find the draft beers to be a good value, while the bottled beers are a little pricey (even for NYC). In addition to the beer selection, they have a great selection of charcuterie, cheese and chocolates. So, it's really hard to go in here without dropping some serious $$$. The staff seem knowledgeable, although I haven't interacted with them too much.

August 2012 update:
I have been back numerous times since my initial review 3 years ago. However, not nearly as much as I would if their bottle prices weren't borderline ridiculous. I went again very recently, and just couldn't get myself to buy anything. Eagle Provisions, about 20 blocks away on 5th Ave, has a better selection and prices about 20%-30% lower. Also, I find the service at Bierkraft to be hit or miss - too many visits where I was treated like they were doing me a favor by filling a growler or ringing me up. I really want to like this place, but they make it too hard.

08-04-2012 16:58:21 | More by henkster

LeoPanna

New York

3/5  rDev -31.4%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$$

Oh Bierkraft...

This place makes me mad. I do some teaching right around the corner, and since I love beer, I love to browse the local stores. I always walk into Bierkraft because it looks cool. There are always people there, they always have stuff that I've never seen. ..

I'll start with the good (the few good)... Sandwiches, awesome... Selection, awesome (for how small the place is)...definitely some rare bottles... tap prices, ok...

Now to what makes me mad about this place...The bottle prices are atrocious. You can get some of the same beers at the bodega around the corner for much less. It really feels like robbery, like they're taking advantage of their willing regular customers. They obviously are looking more for profit than they are just being an awesome beer store.

I'll pass on this place. Overrated and not worth the money.

04-23-2012 17:44:39 | More by LeoPanna

ThePortlander

New York

4.58/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$$$

Bierkraft is great if you want to blow some money on good beer and sandwiches, especially if you're ranging out with friends in the backyard/outdoor area. The tap prices and sandwiches are about right for an upscale place in NY, and I don't mind them too much–this just isn't an everyday spot. Bottles, however, as everyone has mentioned, are way too expensive. I don't tend to buy bottles here at all. Still, if there's something really good on tap, get at it and get a sandwich while you're there. I still want to check out their tastings.

04-06-2012 03:10:53 | More by ThePortlander

brystmar

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$$

Ah, Bierkraft. Half upscale deli, half upscale beer store & growler dispensery. Their sandwiches are yummy and only moderately pricey. Great selection of growler fills at mostly reasonable prices.

Their bottled beer, however, is ridiculously overpriced. They boast an impressive selection for having such a small storefront, but your wallet feels the pinch with every bottle purchased. It's not uncommon to see their shelf prices marked 50% (and occasionally 100%!) higher than their nearby competitors -- even on items that aren't particularly tough to find!

Not to say there aren't occasional deals here: I purchased 3 bottles of 2006 DFH 120 for $17 apiece last summer. But overall, I have no reason to shop here. If they ever decide to lower their prices into the realm of reason, I'll give them another shot.

01-25-2012 14:02:08 | More by brystmar

SkiBum22

New York

2.63/5  rDev -39.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$$

Bierkraft could be a great beer store. They have a very good selection of bottles and draft and they are in a great neighborhood. But their prices are beyond insane. They really are taking advantage of their customers on certain bottles. I don't know why anybody buys beer from this place when you can go to any other place and get the same beers for a lot cheaper. They do have some good food in which you can sit down and enjoy your beers with which helps.

I'll start going back to this place once they come to their senses on pricing.

01-22-2012 00:48:24 | More by SkiBum22

jonmacklin

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$$

Was visiting NY so went scouting for beer in various locations and Bierkraft was definitely on the list. its a cool little store in Brooklyn. It can get a bit cramped inside as its a very narrow space, but they have a pretty nice selection and variety of quality craft beers. The shining star of Bierkraft is their growler filling station. I think they have 16 taps, one of which is dedicated to a cask offering. Not only was the selection impressive, but they have the ability to fill bomber bottles as well as growlers. This was super cool as I could try a bunch of different local beers far more easily.

My primary gripe with Bierkraft is that their prices are pretty high, even for NY. it seemed that the majority of their beers were sold as individual bottles which I guess allows them to charge more for singles, I don't know. They had the best selection of any place that I found in Brooklyn, but if you're going into Manhattan, check out the Whole Foods on Houston or Good Beer on 9th between 1st & A for more reasonable prices.

01-04-2012 13:55:56 | More by jonmacklin