East Village Eats

Food & Drink recommendations straight from the East Village, New York City

Alphabet City Beer Co. Opens

Posted on | May 17, 2012 | No Comments

Exterior at Alphabet City Beer Co. Work began in early February of this year & Alphabet City Beer Co. finally opened today.  Housed in the former CHP Hardware space, you’d hardly recognize it now.  Owners Dave & Zach opened at noon today & I arrived with a few other locals to check the place out.  The first thing that strikes you is the large bar area & the massive 16-foot table in the back, complete with worn-in leather armchairs (mismatched Craigslist finds) to the side.

Domestic Beers at Alphabet City Beer Co.There are 12 beers on tap (this being the first day of business, they were working out the lines) & over 300 craft beers in bottles & cans.  There are also a few canned & dry goods for sale.  With both Dave & Zach having cut their teeth at In Vino, it was no surprise that there were high-end pastas & sauces on the shelves.

Bobwhite Counter Biscuits With Cheese at Alphabet City Beer Co.After checking the joint out, we sat at the bar to sample some of the beers.  I started with a rather strong (11% or thereabouts) Abita before moving on to the much tamer Narragansett.  Martin Johnson from Gastronomie 491 was busy stocking the deli counter with cheese & meet.  We tried a few of the hard cheeses, then Bobwhite Counter (review) were kind enough to bring over a plate of buttermilk biscuits.  Served with the biscuits was an amazing marinated goat & sheep’s milk cheese from Australia that Martin hadn’t given a name to yet.  It had the consistency of a ricotta, but with a tart flavor & hints of garlic (the oil it was in, perhaps?)  I think I’ve found my new favorite cheese!Cured Meat & Cheese at Alphabet City Beer Co.

Bread & Meat Slicer at Alphabet City Beer Co.Meats, cheeses, bread & growlers will be available to take home.  The guys are still working on the menu, but it’s looking like sandwiches (they have an induction cooktop for grilled varieties), salads,  olive & pickle plates (including pickles from Brooklyn Brine), plus meet & cheeses.  Who doesn’t like a snack while downing beers?  The place has the vibe of nearby Good Beer, but with more taps, an extended food program & a lot more seating. The aptly named ‘Game of Thrones’ communal seating table in the back is the centerpiece.'Game of Thrones' Table at Alphabet City Beer Co.

ABC Beer Co. is open Noon to Midnight & stays open late (2am) of Friday & Saturday.  Coffee (in both hot & iced varieties) will be on offer too.  Honestly, I’m really excited about this place & I’ll be going there regularly.  I suggest you try it out!

Check out Thrillist’s video of the joint.

Alphabet City Beer Co.:  96 Avenue C between 6th & 7th St.
Alphabet City Beer Co. on Urbanspoon

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