Proletariat
102 St. Marks Pl., nr. First Ave.; 212-777-6707
Even the most experienced beer drinkers will discover a new favorite porter, ale, or IPA each time they settle in at this train-car-narrow brew Eden from Ravi DeRossi (Death & Co., Cienfuegos). The bar, which pays homage to its former incarnation as a tattoo shop with framed flash art running the length of one wall, offers an increasingly rare sense of discovery in a city glutted with beer gardens and cicerones. Just go in with a general sense of what you like—say, chocolaty black lager or smooth, bitter ale—and the chatty bartender on duty will steer you toward a righteous draft or bottle (the latter 30 percent off during happy hour, 4 to 8 p.m. daily). Recent standouts from the ever-rotating chalkboard menu include a thick-bodied doppelbock from Brooklyn Brewery ($8) and a tongue-twistingly sour oak-aged rye from California ($11). “Trust your bartender” says the sign by the door, and it couldn’t be better advice.