The Best Places for Craft Beer in Williamsburg

Brooklyn Brewery has been a local treat for Williamsburg residents since 1988. The famed brewery even gives tours highlighting its unique and ever-developing brewing process. Along with well-known favorite Brooklyn Lager, the brewery features a number of unique formulations on tap for beer connoisseurs. With brews like Sorachi Ace, developed from a Japanese brewing process discovered in the 1970s, the brewmasters of Brooklyn Brewery continue to hone their craft. They also offer seasonal favorites such as the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (October to March) or Post Road Pumpkin Ale (August to November).

Great for group outings because of its large wooden tables, local beer garden Spritzenhaus combines your love of draft beer, tasty foods and board games. Enjoy affordably priced selections from the bar’s extensive beer list, which includes lagers, ales, Belgian ales, sours, wheats and porters, as you snack on sausages and soft pretzels before challenging your company to a nail-biting round of Jenga.

For rooftop drinking without the pretension, look no further than Berry Park. Situated on the border of Bushwick and Williamsburg, this two-floor bar features everything from soccer on projector screens to a cozy fireplace and a foosball table, ensuring diverse entertainment and an even more diverse crowd. Offerings on draft include pilsners and lagers from Germany, lagers from Spain and pale ales from Belgium, while stouts, IPAs and others are available by the bottle.

Possibly the best beer bar in Williamsburg, Spuyten Duyvil has a microbrew menu that is untouchable. With rare and obscure beers from all over the world on tap and by the bottle, Spuyten Duyvil is the go-to spot for any brew fan looking to try something new. Whether you consider yourself a beer aficionado or an amateur, do yourself a favor and explore Spuyten Duyvil’s extensive offerings.

Established in 1992, Mugs Alehouse is a dark and spacious tavern located in North Williamsburg. Mugs has a seemingly endless supply of beers on tap or by the bottle, complemented by simple bar foods including nachos, large pretzels and wings. The Alehouse also hosts a monthly meeting of Brooklyn’s leading home-brewing and beer appreciation club, The Malted Barley Appreciation Society. Guest speakers from breweries around the world come to chat with patrons at this meeting, held at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month.

Kent Ale House hails itself as the “premier pub and sports bar in Williamsburg.” This watering hole offers 24 craft beers on tap and more than 30 beers by the bottle, with the emphasis on local New York breweries. A home away from home for Arsenal FC fans, Kent Ale House airs soccer, rugby, football, baseball, hockey and basketball games on its 12 flatscreen TVs. Happy hour is from 3pm to 7pm on weekdays, and Kent Ale House has additional food and drink specials available during games, no matter what time they start.

The mission of Beer Karma is to educate customers about craft beer while providing an opportunity for patrons to drink rare and unique beers that are hard to find elsewhere. This bottle shop and tasting counter focuses on local brews from the five boroughs, as well as beers from around the USA and the world. There is a rotating draft selection of local craft beers on tap, with a large selection of bottles and cans for visitors to purchase and take home.

Barcade is where video games and craft beers come together under one roof. The flagship location opened in 2004 in a former metal shop in Williamsburg. Barcade has expanded to other locations around the city, including two in Manhattan (Chelsea and East Village) and one in Jersey City, as well as locations in Connecticut and Philadelphia. Play old-school arcade games including Donkey Kong, PAC-MAN, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Daytona USA while enjoying craft beers. Visit their website to find out what’s on tap before you go.