Tips on New York whiskey bars

[rob]

Hello all,

March 7-8 I'll embark on a trip to New York. So far I've found two (supposedly) great places for bourbon enthusiasts: "Keen's steak house" on 72nd 36th street apparantly carries some 200 different brands, and "Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant" I've been told is quite spectacular. I'm not quite sure where the latter is located.

Anyone here visited any of these two, or would be gracious enough to name a bar or two that I just MUST visit since I am not sure I will ever visit NY again?

Thanks a lot for any tips!

/Rob

[Gillman]

There are a number of places, Rob. Blind Tiger has a very good selection, yes. It is in the West Village area, corner West 10th and Hudson. It is also a well-known Manhattan beer bar with perhaps the most interesting selection on the Island.

Also, dba's on 1rst Avenue between 2nd and 1st Streets. It's across from the famous CBGB's rock club. It has an excellent selection of whiskey, craft and import beer too.

I don't know Keen's for whiskey (it is a famous steakhouse) but it sounds promising.

Bit of a sleeper: the bar in the Oyster Restaurant in the basement of Grand Central Terminal (you have to walk in the back of the restaurant, through the wooden swinging saloon-like doors, near the washrooms; it is a fine old-style New York bar with a good whiskey selection. In the restaurant, eat at the counter and try one of the famous chowders (fish soups), they are great, or the American oysters.

For whiskey shopping, LeNell's in Red Hook, Brooklyn is a must. On the Island of Manhattan I like many places especially Sherry-Lehman on Madison Avenue (around 60th Street) and Park Avenue Liquors (further south, in the 40's I think) which also is on Madison Ave. (not Park Ave., it used to be).

Manhattan is a great place, you will enjoy your visit. Don't come with pre-conceptions (I am sure you won't): New York and America are great places and their people amongst the finest I know anywhere, not least the people on this board, and I mean that.

Gary

[rob]

Thanks a lot Gillman! I suppose you either live in NY or have been there often. I visited the US and took a trip to NY in the summer of last year. NY blew me away, so many impressions to take in it took me a while to "digest" them all. But my overall impression of NY was... truly great, and warrants a great deal of time to fully appreciate.

Thanks again! I'll print your post and bring a long on my trip, that is, if I survive the god da**ed Greyhound trip from D.C

/Rob

PS. I wandered around Park Avenue last time but never found the shop Park Avenue Liquors. I had looked forward to visit it since it was named best store in Whisky Magazine last year. I'll be staying somewhere on Manhattan this time too so I'll look closer this time

[Gillman]

Hi Rob, thanks, good to know you've visited before, I shouldn't have assumed you hadn't. I do know the whisky-scene there reasonably well, I visit there fairly often. I made the same mistake as you viz. where Park Avenue Liquors is located. It is on Madison ("Mad" to the locals), not Park! Have a great trip again, you'll love it.

Gary

[bluesbassdad]

Rob,

The information here may be of some help. I've never set foot in New York City, so I can't add any information.

Your comment about riding the bus prompts the following tangent. In 1960 I left a tiny town near the geographical center of the U.S.A to attend school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My parents arranged for me to travel by train.

It was a straight shot from home to Washington, D.C. on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. I was supposed to connect with the Pennsylvania Central to take me the rest of the way to Boston, Massachusetts.

As luck would have it, the Penn was negotiating a new contract with the labor union. The negotiations broke down, and the union members went on strike while I was en route to D.C.

The railroad was fairly well prepared to deal with passengers who already held tickets to NYC. I was placed on a new, clean, chartered, double-decker bus, and I greatly enjoyed sightseeing during the ride to NYC, arriving just at nightfall. At that point the situation deteriorated sharply.

The bus trip from NYC to Boston was a regularly scheduled run. The bus was old and smelly, as were many of the passengers. The bus driver seemed intent on changing lanes as frequently and as suddenly as possible. To this day I get queasy, just thinking about riding a bus.

I hope your trip by bus is a pleasant one, but I wouldn't count on it. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[AVB]

I couldn't have done any better and I used to live there. Good job Gillman.

[LeNell]

dba is a good choice. Also check out Bobby Flay's new joint called Bar Americain. http://www.baramericain.com/ I did some staff training there and was impressed with what they are doing. I helped Smoked in the East Village build out an amazing bourbon list, but I just tried calling to get their hours for you and found out they have shut down. This city is famous for turn and burn bars.

Don't get stuck in Manhattan! Come see us in Brooklyn.

Moonshine (Chuck's been there with me).

Waterfront Ale House (great game burgers and such, too and sometimes some live jazz late at night)

And more. Lemme know if you wanna hook up for a bar crawl!

[rob]

Rob,

The bus trip from NYC to Boston was a regularly scheduled run. The bus was old and smelly, as were many of the passengers. The bus driver seemed intent on changing lanes as frequently and as suddenly as possible. To this day I get queasy, just thinking about riding a bus.

I hope your trip by bus is a pleasant one, but I wouldn't count on it. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Haha, heloo Dave. I know so well what you mean. I have taken this Greyhound bus trip to NY once before and it was uncomfortable seats, smelly people. My girlfriend and I constantly cleaned ourselves with the anti-bacterial lotion you have in the states (small plastic bottles). I was one of the worst bus rides of my life, maybe ven worse that when I rode by bus from Sweden to Austria!

Thanks for a fun post

[rob]

dba is a good choice. Also check out Bobby Flay's new joint called Bar Americain. http://www.baramericain.com/ I did some staff training there and was impressed with what they are doing. I helped Smoked in the East Village build out an amazing bourbon list, but I just tried calling to get their hours for you and found out they have shut down. This city is famous for turn and burn bars.

Don't get stuck in Manhattan! Come see us in Brooklyn.

Moonshine (Chuck's been there with me).

Waterfront Ale House (great game burgers and such, too and sometimes some live jazz late at night)

And more. Lemme know if you wanna hook up for a bar crawl!

Heya! Thanks for the tips. I just spoke to the government today (woman) and she said "OK, we'll just take the metro to Brooklyn". So maybe I'll see you there. Do you work in any of these bars in Brooklyn? Would be cool to meet a fellow forum user.

/Rob

[bluesbassdad]

Rob,

Without taking the time to review this thread I can't be sure, but it appears that LeNell has modestly omitted information about her business.

See here for info.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Gillman]

Dave, when are we gonna meet up with you? You are (mano a mano) the "unknown" of this group, although well understood in many other, important ways.

Can you make it to one of the events, say the Sampler upcoming? How long can it take to drive across America?

Gary

[bluesbassdad]

Gary,

I suspect I will remain incognito except to the occasional traveller who may stray off the Interstate Highways while traversing Arizona. I have never been an eager traveller, and lately additional inhibiting factors have arisen.

As you well know, it takes a heap of travelling to cross a substantial portion of the U.S.A, just as in your country. When I drove from here to Houston, Texas to adopt my dog, Brewski, that trip was a gruelling two-day drive each way. If he and I were to make the trip to Kentucky, I suppose that would add at least another full day, each way. (Are pit bulls even legal in Bardstown? I'd have to check; I know they are banned in nearby Cincinnati.)

Perhaps it would be a mistake for me to clear away the intrigue that presently surrounds my persona. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[BourbonBalls]

Try the St. Regis Hotel bar (the King Cole) they served me a Pappy 15yr old.... It was my first of these...a nice pour and very memorable....