Just days before leaving New York in November of 2004, my roommate told me of a bar that had just opened just a few blocks south of our apartment.

He described it as accurately as he could: “it’s a huge space with an amazing beer list, a pool table, and - oh, get this - a ton of video games from the 80s that you can play for a quarter a piece. You have to check it out!”

I flat-out didn’t believe him. No bar could have all that! But on my very last weekend in New York City before what would be a brief move to the craft beer mecca of Vermont, I saw for myself that he wasn’t kidding. It was real. It was amazing. And its name was Barcade.

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It’s Wednesday, October 17th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• Meet Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso and Lagunitas co-founder Tony Magee tonight at Beer Authority (300 W. 40th St., at 8th Ave., Hell’s Kitchen). They’re calling the rooftop event “Alpha Dogs,” and $5 gets you a custom pint glass and $1 off brews from both breweries from 5 to 10pm. Proceeds go to benefit Animal Haven.
  
  
• Dogfish Head takes the taps at Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., Greenwich Village) all night long, starting today at 3pm. The impressive tap list - over a dozen - includes the 2007 Olde School barleywine, Noble Rot, the Thyme Pale Ale on cask, and a whole lot more!
  
  
• It’s a Colorado Brewery Showdown tonight at George Keeley (485 Amsterdam Ave., at 83rd St., Upper West Side) starting at 6pm. Enjoy beers from Breckenridge, Great Divide and Left Hand on tap all night long!
  
  
• The Stag’s Head (252 E. 51st St., at 2nd Ave., Turtle Bay) hosts Stone tonight with some rarities on tap starting at 6pm, including the Smoked Porter with Chipotle and the 16th Anniversary IPA.
  
  
• Smuttynose and Idle Hands Bar (25 Avenue B, at 2nd St., East Village) team up for the bar’s weekly $10 Bourbon and Beer Tasting Series. From 7-10pm, $10 gets you 2 full beers (the IPA and Pumpkin Ale), a 3-beer tasting flight, a taste of whisky, and an order of tater tots!
  
  
• Dive Bar (732 Amsterdam Ave., at 96th St., Upper West Side) hosts a Cider Night as part of Cider Week tonight at 6pm. Enjoy ciders from Farnum Hill, Annandale, Original Sin, and more!

Follow us on Twitter for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries!

Hey, it’s been quite a while since we’ve done one of these. We can’t get to every story in the world of beer, so here’s some links to other beer news from New York and beyond:

• Strong Place launches Instagram contest for budding “beertographers” [Facebook]
  
  
• Cathy Erway visits new Park Slope favorite The Owl Farm [The L Magazine]
  
  
• Folks from at Brouwerij Lane planning brewpub in Williamsburg [DNA Info]
  
  
• Proletariat gets full liquor license rejection; Community Board feels “duped” [Eater]
  
  
• Details of long-delayed Paulaner Brewpub on The Bowery becoming clear [Crain’s NY]
  
  
• Brooklyn Industries, Brooklyn Brewery teaming up on beer-themed t-shirts [Brooklyn Brewery Blog]
  
  
• Going meatless? Try these vegetarian food and beer pairings [CraftBeer.com]

It’s Tuesday, October 16th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• The Pony Bar (637 10th Ave. at 45th St., Hell’s Kitchen) holds their Fourth Annual Harpoon Night tonight starting at 6pm. Choose from 20 beers, including the Leviathan Great Scott, UFO Pumpkin, Ginger Wheat, and their IPA with Homegrown Hops on cask.
  
  
• The Pony Bar UES (1444 First Ave. at 75th St., Upper East Side), meanwhile, hosts Emprie tonight starting at 6pm. They’ll have Hop Harvest, Skinny Atlas Light, Liv & Let Rye, Deep Purple, and many more on tap - 20 in all!
  
  
• Mission Dolores (249 4th Ave., at Carroll St., Park Slope) hosts Speakeasy tonight from 7-10pm, with XV Anniversary, Vendetta IPA, The Witness, Butchertown Black, and much more at nice prices - $1 off!
  
  
• This week’s Ten Buck Tasting at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) celebrates ciders in honor of Cider Week! $10 gets you six tastings of ciders, including Oliver’s Herefordshire Dry, Farnum Hill Dooryard, and Doc’s Pear. The tasting gets underway at 7:30pm.
  
  
• Head to Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) for a free Tuesday Tasting of Ciders tonight at 7pm. The topic of the tasting is Ciders of Asturias: A Tasting with Rowan Imports. Once you have these rare ciders, you’ll apple-y board the cider train.
  
  
• Good Beer (422 E. 9th St., btw. 1st Ave. and Ave. A) hosts their Cider Night tonight starting at 6:30pm, with Original Sin Newtown Pippin, Julian Harvest Apple, and more ciders on tap for discounts on pints and growlers!
  
  
• Also in celebration of cider week, it’s Cider Night at Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown) starting at 4pm.

Follow us on Twitter for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries!

Brooklyn’s Garrett Oliver pours beer for a festival-goer at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival (Photo: Chris O'Leary)

For years, we’ve been regular attendees to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. It’s the largest and most recognized beer festival in the U.S., and it’s a great opportunity for brewers to showcase their beers to the average beer drinker.

That’s why, over the past few years, we’ve been disappointed when we get to a brewery’s booth and not a single person from the brewery is there. Too many brewery booths were simply staffed by volunteers in past years, with nobody to ask about the beer, the brewery’s history, or simply just meet a face behind the beer. And that lack of staffing is precisely why we’ve been so surprised when every year, we’ve seen Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver behind his brewery’s table. And he isn’t just standing around - he is pouring the beer for the steady line that comes by his booth during every single session.

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It’s Monday, October 15th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• It’s Cider Week, so head to Bronx Ale House (216 W. 238th St., at Broadway, Kingsbridge) for their Bronx CiderFest starting at 6pm. They’ll pour ciders like the Farnum Hill Dooryard Cider, Doc’s Draft, and more, along with special food pairings.
  
  
• Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave., at Franklin St., Greenpoint) hosts An Evening with Thornbridge tonight starting at 7pm. Brewer Caolan Vaughan will be on hand representing the British brewery, as they pour Jaipur, Raven, and St. Petersburgh on tap, along with a stash of special bottles.
  
  
• Beer Street (413 Graham Ave., at Withers St., Williamsburg) hosts Barrier Brewing tonight at 7:30pm. Join a discussion of beer with the brewers, and enjoy a tasting of Le Pete, Saazsquash, Gosilla, and Evil Giant, plus a 32-ounce growler to take home, for just $20.
  
  
• It’s VSK (Very Special Keg) Monday at Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., Greenwich Village). At 5pm, they’ll tap a rare or unique keg of the bar’s choosing. This week, it’s the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, in preparation for their big annual Dogfish Head event on Wednesday at 3pm!
  
  
• Perilla (9 Jones St., at W. 4th St., West Village) continues their Oktoberfest Monday Night Beer Dinners featuring Weihenstephan with a four-course tasting menu that includes bratwurst with the Vitus Weizenbock and German Chocolate Cake with the Dunkel. Dinner is $60 and served all night long starting at 5:30pm; reservations are recommended.

Follow us on Twitter for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries!