Why wait for Oktoberfest when New York is home to some of the best beer gardens year-round?
Whether you're in Brooklyn or the Bronx, these 10 upscale beer gardens offer something for everyone, from craft beer fanatics to those simply looking to unwind in the city.
See also: 10 High-End Rooftop Bars in NYC With Stunning Views and Signature Cocktails
Serra by Birreria
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200 5th Ave, Flatiron / Website
Step into Eataly’s year-round rooftop greenhouse and admire the stunning seasonal decor with a rotating menu inspired by the Italian countryside. In the spring and summer, the restaurant and microbrewery is decked out in large, colorful floor-to-ceiling flower arrangements. Blooming wisterias and magnolias preside over the rustic-chic dining area where you can enjoy cocktails infused with seasonal botanicals as well as a beer list inspired by the ongoing floral theme. A selection of Italian IPAs showcase the citrusy notes found in the hop flower. Best yet, a portion of Birreria’s proceeds benefit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Children’s Center.
The Jeffrey
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311 E 60th St., Upper East Side / Website
The Jeffrey is a tried and true neighborhood bar nestled cozily on E 60th Street on the Upper East Side. The bar is open every day of the week and features an ever-changing selection of delicious beers, cocktails and foods ranging from brunch items to charcuterie. Their newly-renovated beer garden is the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Sip on a can from one of the best local breweries or try a pint from a custom-built draft system with more than 30 taps featuring both international and local brews. Be sure to come during happy hour to indulge in $1 oysters, or stop by during the day to enjoy the espresso bar and a selection of craft coffee.
The Bronx Brewery
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856 E 136th St., South Bronx / Website
Make your way up to the Bronx to visit this unique brewery with a strong sense of community and a large backyard cocooned in colorful wall murals. The Bronx Brewery, with a taproom open seven days a week, offers craft beer and seltzer served alongside empanadas and other food offerings from Empanology. Operating out of the South Bronx since 2011, The Bronx Brewery is committed to fostering community, creativity and inclusivity all while serving up the best beers. Stop by for a delicious Sunday brunch, or come by in the evening for live music and drag performances.
Talea Beer Co.
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87 Richardson St., Williamsburg / Website
New in 2021 is Talea Beer Co., New York’s only exclusively women and veteran-owned production brewery and taproom. The founders were both passionate homebrewers before they got together in 2018 with a mission to disrupt the “beer bro” mindset of the male-dominated craft beer industry. With easy-drinking beers that could stand in place of a seltzer or rosé, Talea fosters an environment that welcomes everyone from the casual beer drinker to the most avid beer connoisseur. Their beers offer high quality taste with low bitterness and fruit-forward flavors, the perfect kind of beverage to enjoy on a hot summer day. The flagship brewery and taproom is open every day by 8 a.m., making it the perfect space to sip a coffee and get some work done before enjoying a flight of beers with friends.
Strong Rope Brewery
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574 President St., Brooklyn / Website
A husband and wife team born and raised in New York State are the masterminds behind Strong Rope Brewery. It operates out of Gowanus, Brooklyn, with seasonal pop-up locations in Red Hook as well as the Adirondacks. With 100 percent New York hops and malts, Strong Rope is committed to showcasing the best organic ingredients and working with the best beer producers from the Adirondacks to Long Island’s North Fork. Bring food from the outside and take a seat at one of the microbrewery’s industrial picnic tables, or saddle up to the bar and ask the bartenders to customize a tasting flight of house beers.
See also: Courteney Cox Shares Her Favorite Margarita Recipe for your Summer with ‘Friends'
Tuttles Bar and Grill
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735 2nd Ave., Murray Hill / Website
Tuttles Bar and Grill, located right in the heart of Murray Hill, offers two levels of indoor dining and drinking with a spacious balcony and elevated classic American bar food. The real gem, however, is the cozy backyard beer garden oasis replete with lush greenery and polished-wood picnic tables where you can enjoy draft or craft beers and a respite from the rest of the city. If your hankering for a pint happens to fall on a Monday night, you can also enjoy $1 oysters, $5 margaritas and cocktails, and entrees for only $9.95.
Torch & Crown Brewing Company
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12 Vandam St., Soho / Website
With locations in the Bronx and Soho, Torch & Crown Brewing Company serves as Manhattan's only production brewery. The bright and airy 9,000-square-foot, multi-level space in Soho is a beer lover’s paradise, complete with outdoor seating, a taproom and restaurant, as well as an underground production facility equipped with custom subterranean fermenters. The brewery’s top sellers include their very own cream ale, and they also offer a wide variety of food, including a meat-free Philly cheese steak. Though the brewery opened in 2018, it has been in the works for much longer. Co-founders Joe Correia and John Dantzler made their first foray into the craft beer scene at age 16 when they attempted to make their own beer after getting their fake IDs swiped at an East Village bar.
Randolph Beer
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82 Prospect St., Dumbo / Website
Randolph Beer’s Dumbo location is a stunning, modern rooftop with expansive views of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. The gastropub has two other locations in Williamsburg and Nolita, all offering an expansive selection of (mostly) American craft beers with whimsical names like “Cheap Sunglasses” and “Side Hustle,” as well as a full menu of shareable food items. Be sure to check out their self-serve beer wall—the first of its kind in Brooklyn.
Blue Ribbon Kanpai Garden
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190 Allen St., Lower East Side / Website
Blue Ribbon’s rooftop garden inside the Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side has been rebranded with a Japanese twist. The food menu includes small bites like sushi handrolls as well as full entrees, and it also offers boozy popsicles with refreshing flavors such as mint julep and bourbon-choco-banana. The Kanpai Garden also offers an innovative twist on classic beer selections with frozen beer. Though the drink has been a staple in Thailand and Japan, it is only now becoming popular in the US, with Blue Ribbon owning only one of a handful of specially-designed frozen beer machines in the States. The drink is frothy and icy, taking on the look of soft serve while tasting like an ice cold lager. The must-try frozen drink is served in a dollop on top of a pint of Kirin. Staying true to their beer garden roots, Blue Ribbon also offers a series of games to play while enjoying your drink on the roof.
Threes Brewing
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333 Douglas St., Brooklyn / Website
Threes Brewing is a Brooklyn bar and brewery serving up its own draft beers as well as IPAs, Lagers and Mixed Culture beers from other craft breweries. The spot offers indoor and outdoor seating on the sidewalk and in its year-round outdoor yard. Threes Brewing partners with different pop-up eateries throughout the year, offering an ever-changing menu of food to snack on while enjoying some tasty craft beers.
Photography by: Raphael Bernhart / Unsplash
