Five NYC beer bars make Draft's 2012 Top 100 List

Five NYC beer bars make Draft’s 2012 Top 100 List

Every year, Draft Magazine releases their list of the 100 best beer bars in the U.S. The 2012 list features five New York City bars (down from six last year), including a spot that has just four beers on tap. Who made the list? Find out below.

The newest New York City addition to the list is Earl’s Beer and Cheese (1259 Park Ave., at 97th St., Upper East Side), a cozy spot with just four (very hard-working) draft lines and an extensive selection of cans. We think it’s both serious about beer and quirky enough to garner the attention to make the top 100 list, but we’re still surprised… pleasantly surprised!

Earl’s joins Beer Table (427B 7th Ave., at 15th St., Park Slope), Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., West Village), Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown), and Spuyten Duyvil (350 Metropolitan Ave., at Havermeyer St., Williamsburg) on this year’s list, all repeats from 2011.

Off the list this year is Against the Grain (620 E. 6th St., at Avenue B., East Village), which had a great beer list but questionable beer credentials, and The Diamond (43 Franklin St., at Calyer St., Greenpoint), one of our favorite out-of-the-way beer spots in Brooklyn. The other three boroughs missed out, as did the rest of New York state: last year’s Hudson Valley selection, The Country Inn, is also off the list.

Every one of these lists is subjective, so it’s no surprise that some people will cry foul about what’s not on the list. Where’s Barcade (388 Union Ave., at Ainslie St., Williamsburg) or The Ginger Man (11 E. 36th St., at 5th Ave., Midtown) - especially since the new list includes a space for chains? How about Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) or The Double Windsor (210 Prospect Park West, at 16th St., Windsor Terrace)? Heck, four of the five finalists for the Best of Metromix’s best beer bar aren’t on Draft’s list.