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Nothing cements summer status quite like a frosty beer and good weather. Yes, there are rooftop bars (here's our list of the 25 best in NYC) and trendy patios for you to get your drink on, but for gathering with friends to hoist huge steins, there’s nothing better than a beer garden.
Think less Martha Stewart backdrops and more along the lines of the ultimate backyard party. All it takes is an open-air area, picnic-style tables, and foreign brews on deck. Leave the dusty dive bars for the winter, and head to the garden to enjoy the cool summer breeze.
Click through our top 20 to see who in New York is best realizing this tradition.
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Spritzenhaus
Spritzenhaus
Address: 33 Nassau Ave.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The bar stretches to near-100 feet, a figure matched by the number of beers on tap, inside this 6,000-square-foot beer palace. That size means it takes up nearly the entire north side of McCarren Park, boss-status, really. When they lift the enormous garage doors, the breeze and chatter from the park floods the space, a beer hall become a beer garden with the flick of a switch (or whatever they use to operate those things). Hopefully you won't be too far gone inside a beer 'n brat coma to notice how pleasant all this is.
Bier International
Bier International
Address: 2099 8th Ave.
Neighborhood: Harlem
bierinternational.com
Harlem’s go-to brew spot, Bier International strays from the Bavarian exclusive path, as you might have guessed. Wash down burgers and fried chicken with pints of Fuller’s London Pride or Harlem World’s very own Sugar Hill Golden Ale while watching the block at Bier’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard location.
Spuyten Duyvil
Spuyten Duyvil
Address: 359 Metropolitan Ave.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
spuytenduyvilnyc.com
For all beer snobs, Spuyten Duyvil throws down the gauntlet. You may think you know all there is to know about beer, but with a stock of over 100 brews, this place poses a challenge: How much do you know? And how much can you drink? Going international with their selection, this homey bar offers suds from Belgium, France, Sweden, Japan, and Finland, effectively staying out of the German-only lane. Try a malty Trappistes Rochefort or a nutty Double Kross Brown if you’re ready to upgrade your brew game. Sans the ever so popular gastropub fare, Spuyten keeps it simple with cheese and meat plate snacks like Gjetost (caramelized goat cheese) or Tasso (ham). Mash those up and you’ve got a Tasso Gjetost sandwich.
Mission Dolores
Mission Dolores
Address: 249 4th Ave.
Neighborhood: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Named after a California Catholic outpost, Mission Dolores offers the closest thing to holy water: beer. Whether in the garden or sitting inside of their glass-roofed greenhouse, you can sip on standard brews like Sixpoint while enjoying the summer vibe. Let your inner child be free at the pinball machine or with any of the board games on deck. There's no food, so if you like to snack and drink, you're out of luck. Grab a pizza and your pup (dogs welcome) and head to this laid back indoor-outdoor bar.
La Birreria
La Birreria
Address: 200 5th Ave.
Neighborhood: Flatiron
eatalyny.com
Just because they’re Italian doesn’t mean they don’t know anything about brew. The roof deck at Mario Batali’s Eataly’s serves house-made suds including peppercorn-wheat and chestnut and thyme-infused beers. No Bavarian pretzels or brats here. Instead marry your beer with blood sausage sandwiches or fried shitake mushrooms while chilling under the retractable roof and taking in views of the Empire State Building.
Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club
Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club
Address: 89 South St.
Neighborhood: South Street Seaport
beekmanbeergarden.com
They say don’t bring sand to the beach, but Beekman brought sand to Brooklyn. Forget those flimsy beach towels. Instead, kickback on hammocks or glowing lounge chairs while sipping on plentiful craft brews. Challenge friends to a game of ping-pong, pool, foosball, or even life-size chess. Just because you’re not at the beach, doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the scenery. Soak up the sun and enjoy an epic view of the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s a city-beach package deal.
BeerParc
BeerParc
Address: 845 6th Ave.
Neighborhood: Midtown West
foodparc.com/eateries/beerparc/
More like beer city, BeerParc is the brew friendly sister version of FoodParc. In an open, sun-exposed courtyard, enjoy seasonal brews and fare from food stands all in front of a 35-foot LED TV projection screen. On game days or just a lazy afternoon, grab a Radeberger Pilsner, a beef brisket sandwich from Fatty ‘Cue, and enjoy the scenery because wherever you sit you’re bound to see the screen.
Berry Park
Berry Park
Address: 4 Berry St.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
berryparkbk.com
On one of those unbearably hot New York days, all you want is the simple stuff: booze and a cool breeze, and Berry Park, like the Weeknd, has what you need. The massive roof deck bar overlooking McCarren Park went mainly international with their taps, serving up to 15 beers with German names that require some practice. You try pronouncing Köstritzer Schwarzbier on the first try. Snag a brew and sit under one of their blue Hofbrau umbrellas while watching the game on their massive projector.
The Standard Biergarten
The Standard Biergarten
Address: 848 Washington St.
Neighborhood: Meatpacking District
thestandardhotels.com
Just because it’s The Standard doesn’t mean you have to spend top dollars. Money shouldn’t be an issue when everything on the menu clocks in at a mere $7. Grab a picnic table and sit down with a Ayinger Bräu Weisse or Köstritzer Dark Bier and drink among the beautiful for less than $10. Now that’s a price that should be the standard.
Bohemian Hall
Bohemian Hall
Address: 29-19 24th Ave.
Neighborhood: Astoria, Queens
bohemianhall.com
This authentic Czech beer garden looks more like a castle with its oversized wooden door and 10-foot wrap around cement wall, but when we drink, we like to feel like kings. Sample an array of cheap sausage platters to go with any of the German or Czech beers on tap (Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen), and while sipping make a mental note to visit the Q-Boro more often at this football field sized “garden.” The garden hosts live jazz every Thursday and if you’re a member of the Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society of Astoria, you get 10% off of your food. Right. Because who’s not a member?
DBA
DBA
Address: 41 1st Ave.
Neighborhood: East Village
DBA is for the OG beer lover. With 250 beers ranging from IPAs to creamy stouts, the options inside of this spacious covered patio are unlimited. Want to ball at the bar? Drop $25 on Belgian kriek, a sour-cherry bottled beer. It’s the Ace of Spades of Belgian brewing.
If you’re feeling bold, try one of their cask-conditioned ales made the traditional Brit way, no filtering or artificial carbonation. These ales aren’t for rookies. Drink with caution.
Gowanus Yacht Club
Gowanus Yacht Club
Address: 323 Smith St.
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
The exterior doesn’t lie—this place is as ugly as it appears, but if you let the décor be the deciding factor you’ll miss out. Yes, the weatherworn furniture looks like it was stolen from a street corner that even a NYC bum wouldn’t claim, but with foreign taps and microbrews served in plastic cups, this place oozes grimy charm. Grab a bratwurst from the grill and quench your thirst with a pitcher of Dentengem’s Witbier.
Harlem Tavern
Harlem Tavern
Address: 301 W 116th St.
Neighborhood: Harlem
harlemtavern.com
With the opening of Red Rooster and now Harlem Tavern, the block is definitely hot. Skip out on a 40 from the bodega, and enjoy the Frederick Douglass street view on this outdoor patio. Harlem Tavern is a newbie on the block (it opened July 5), but that’s no reason to count it out. With twenty taps, there’s a good mix of craft drafts like Ommegang, Stone, and Lagunitas. Their menu trades in the pretzels and brats for shrimp ceviche and flatbreads topped with fried green tomatoes. Red Rooster better watch its back.
Hot Bird
Hot Bird
Address: 546 Clinton Ave.
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
No chicken, but there are definitely chicks. Despite the suggestive name (named after a chicken joint popular in the ‘90s), the only hot birds you can find at this reformed auto body shop are the hot, sweaty girls boozing it up on the patio. With stringed lights and cheap furniture, this place looks like a high school party, but we’re not complaining when authentic Georgia peach moonshine is on the menu.
Franklin Park
Franklin Park
Address: 618 St. John's Pl.
Neighborhood: Crown Heights, Brooklyn
franklinparkbrooklyn.com
After hitting up the Brooklyn Museum or Botanical Garden, wet your palate with a cold brew from Franklin Park. Guzzle down a Coney Island Lager or Six Point Righteous while shooting the breeze with some of Crown Heights’ finest. You’ve already broadened your cultural horizons at the museum. Now it’s time to expand your booze repertoire.
Loreley
Loreley
Address: 7 Rivington St.
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 64 Frost St.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
loreleynyc.com
Loreley is where diets go to die, and with two locations, your plan to slim down can come under attack in two different parts of NY. The Germans know how to eat and Loreley’s stick-to-your ribs menu destroys every thought of counting calories. With stacked plates of grilled and charred bratwurst from Schaller & Weber, just browsing the menu isn’t an option. To wash down all of the grub, try a Munich lager like Spaten Ur-Märzen, or any of the other international brews on tap.
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Address: 113 North 3rd St.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
radegasthall.com
If the Austro-Hungarian Empire needed an American memorial, Radegast would be it. Decked out with iron chandeliers and white-bloused barmaids in dirndl dresses, Radegast combines the only two things Austria and Hungary agreed on: sausage and beer. Chug lagers like Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weisse or Pilsner Urquel in mugs that question both your sanity and sobriety level. If hungry and seated at one of their massive communal 150-year-old bard wood table, toss the chef’s menu and head to the grill where you can find sizzling brats and Polish sausages. Grab something hot off the grill and indulge in this massive, pause-worthy sausage fest.
Studio Square
Studio Square
Address: 35-33 36th St.
Neighborhood: Astoria, Queens
studiosquarenyc.com
There's a reason why organizations like Time Out New York and Zagat have singled out Studio Square as a great bar, and it has everything to do with size. At 18,000-square-feet, this epically sized beer garden won't go unnoticed.
It’s more of an outdoor club scene than any Bavarian Hall, with its sports showing flat screens and double decker floor plan, but the real draw is the beer. Down half liters ($7), liters ($13), or pitchers ($18) of their 20-plus options of German and American ales.
?uestlove spins on July 31, so it’s bound to go down.
TBD
TBD
Address: 224 Franklin St.
Neighborhood: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
tbdbrooklyn.com
Ditching cement for gravelly pavement and windows for garage doors, TBD went DIY, turning an old warehouse into a BK haven. Less chic and with more dirt, TBD is a cool, kick-it spot that offers Brooklynites good ol’ backyard comfort. From mac-n-cheese to chicken wings, Jon Meyer of Fatty Crab and Diner has the comfort food on lock and knows what pairs well with a good beer.
If you can’t choose from one of the 12 beers on tap, or if you’re feeling nostalgic for those days when your wallet wasn’t quite so fat, go for the $15 “Bucket of Crap,” a random selection of cheap stuff: PBR, Keystone, Schiltz. Don’t act like you were always a beer connoisseur. We know better.
The Lot on Tap
The Lot on Tap
Address: 10th Ave. & W 30th St.
Neighborhood: Chelsea
thehighline.org
The High Line, the decommissioned West Side rail line that was converted into a walking park two years ago, lives up to the hype. First hitting us with their inflatable art installation, Rainbow City, the park has once again gone beyond our imaginations to create the Lot on Tap, their exclusive summer beer garden. Separating their beer catalog from the rest, they've even crafted their own specialty draft, the Brooklyn High Line Elevated Wheat, made from New York ingredients exclusively.
The Lot—it’s literally a parking lot under the bridge—also serves wine, and there's also a mobile food court with a rotating line-up of trucks. Be sure to hit up Red Hook Lobster Pound for their insatiable lobster rolls, or Coolhaus for a killer gourmet ice cream sandwich on a scorching hot day. There’s more than trolls and water under this bridge.