Blind Tiger
Three cask lines run beside 28 rotating draughts on Bleecker Street, and hand-pulled beer is scarce enough in Manhattan to be the reason to come.2 The bar pours late, seven nights a week.
Why go
PUNCH reported in 2014 that visiting brewers turn up with something for behind the bar.1 So ask whoever is pouring what landed this week. The list runs from session beer to bottles people collect. Katherine Kyle was the general manager and a certified Cicerone when PUNCH wrote it up.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: off the cask first. There are three lines.2
- Order: whatever a visiting brewer brought. Ask at the bar.
- Avoid: arriving with a specific beer in your head. The 28 taps rotate.
What locals & experts say
- PUNCH, 2014:
A visit to Blind Tiger is a must for any beer geek looking to pay their respects at the altar of craft beer... This is Manhattan's O.G. beer bar and still one of the city's best.
1 - The bar's own claim:
NYC's premier craft beer bar, located in the historic West Village. featuring 28 rotating draughts, 3 cask selections, over 50 bottle selections, curated events, and the city's best bar food.
2
Good to know
- Booking: none. The bar posts its own hours.2
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Best beer bar"
Verdict
should-visit — Drink off the cask first. Nobody takes a booking, and there is no point arriving with a beer in mind, because the taps rotate. Jeff has it down as the best beer bar in the city.