A question we always get asked a lot here is, “what’s a good spot for a beer right by Grand Central?”

Our answer is almost always, “well, is seven blocks considered ‘right by?’” There are a few places that come to mind, like Ginger Man, The Stag’s Head, and Rattle-N-Hum, but none are exactly close enough for a quick dash down the street to catch a train.

Thankfully, the beer scene for Metro-North commuters is about to improve with the opening of Bierhaus (712 3rd Ave., at 45th St., Midtown East) this Thursday. While it will focus almost entirely on German beer, it is in fact a celebration of the beer - not just an afterthought on a bar menu full of martinis and Bud Light bottles.

Bierhaus is loosely affiliated with Germany’s Hofbräu München, as it will receive shipments of beer directly from Europe and carry six of Hofbräu’s offerings on draft, including the Lager, Hefe Weizen, Bock, and Dunkel Weizen. They’ll also have a variety of other imported beers on tap, and, naturally, a menu chock full of German food, including pretzels, sauerkraut, bratwurst, goulash, schnitzel, and assorted other goodies from Bavaria.

The decor will the German, the food will be German, and the beer will be German. We’ll don our lederhosen and check it out once it opens to give you a full report.

There are not many more traditions on the New York craft beer scene as old as this one: for the 12th year, Mugs Alehouse (125 Bedford Ave., at N. 10th St., Williamsburg) is dedicating all of their taps to barleywines and other big beers for their annual Split Thy Skull event.

The festival kicks off at 11am on Saturday and runs through Sunday, with different tap lists both days. Some of the kegs are rarities, some are aged, and some are straight-up classic high-gravity offerings. Among the highlights from the cellar: a 2006 Brooklyn Monster Ale, a 1999 Dogfish Head Immort Ale, and a 2005 Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot (and that’s just the Saturday lineup). They’ll have some rare stuff like Allagash Burnham Road, a smoked beer; an oak-aged version of Oskar Blues Old Chub; and the latest incarnation of Founders Nemesis.

There’s no admission fee, and food will be available all day to soak up all that alcohol. But seriously, take it nice and easy. There are plenty of great options on the full list, which is after the jump:

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A Kelso of Brooklyn sign hangs from Dean Street, one of eight bars where blood donors could’ve redeemed a coupon for a free pint of beer, had New York Blood Center not ruined all the fun

It seems like a pretty good deal for a great cause: give a pint of blood, get a coupon for a pint of beer. That’s what Kelso of Brooklyn had in mind when they scheduled a blood drive at their brewery in Clinton Hill for tonight. It would be Kelso’s second blood drive at the brewery; they held the same event last year.

But as Brooklyn Paper reported, early this week, the New York Blood Center suddenly got cold feet. They pulled out of the event. Apparently, they weren’t too keen on the thought of associating giving blood with drinking beer, even if they weren’t being done at the same time or even on the same day. Sound absurd? Absolutely.

Here’s an easy concept to grasp, New York Blood Center: grown adults responsible enough to give blood should know the consequences of drinking beer immediately after losing a pint of blood… and if they don’t, you remind them of it before and after they give. And if New York Blood Center’s fear is even more ignorant - that it would promote binge drinking by simply associating a blood drive with beer - it has a lot to learn about craft beer.

Last night, WNBC aired an official statement from the Blood Center, where they claimed, “this is a cheap publicity stunt to promote a bar.” Seems the Blood Center didn’t even understand the concept of the promotion: the coupon for the pint wasn’t to be used at one specific bar - it would reward do-gooders with a single pint of beer to be redeemed at any of a number of different Brooklyn beer bars, including some in Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope. And if they meant to say “to promote a brewery,” they were wrong there, too: the coupon could be redeemed for any pint of beer - not just a Kelso beer.

Their response alone proves that New York Blood Center didn’t even take time to consider the promotion, and scrapped it based on its association with beer alone. They also didn’t take time to understand the involvement that many craft brewers and craft beer drinkers have in their community. Kelso founder Kelly Taylor wasn’t doing anything to promote a bar; he was simply trying to promote that people who are passionate about local craft beer should also be passionate about giving back to their community in other ways, too. It’s a shame that New York Blood Center can’t appreciate that, and can’t get over their apparent fear of a single pint of beer.

The end of the week is almost here! Here are the beer-related goings-on after work tonight:

• It’s IPA Night! Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) dedicates seven of their taps to their favorite IPAs tonight starting at 7pm. In addition, they’re throw in casks of Kelso IPA and Green Flash West Coast IPA. As they warn, “bring a helmet for your palate, ‘cuz it might get wrecked!”
• Peak Organic has another tasting at another Whole Foods - this one in Chelsea (250 7th Avenue, at 24th St., Chelsea). From 3-7pm, get free samples of their IPA, Simcoe Spring Ale, and more!
• Finally, up in Westchester, Captain Lawrence dropped off twelve kegs for a big event tonight at Lazy Boy Saloon (154 Mamaroneck Ave., at Post Road, White Plains). Starting at 8pm, brewmaster Scott Vaccaro will be on hand as they pour CL’s favorites and some recent new beers, like their 5 Years Later anniversary beer, the Winter Rye, and their Ginger Man Ale, usually only poured at The Ginger Man.

We know, this headline is obvious. Here are the beer-related goings-on after work tonight:

• Today is the kickoff of Barrel-Aged Beer Month at Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., West Village). Starting at 3pm, enjoy a 2007 Allagash Curieux, Founders Backwoods Bastard, and a 2009 Dogfish Head Burton Baton, plus many other barrel-aged goodies.
• The Double Windsor (210 Prospect Park West, at 16th St., Windsor Terrace) has a cryptic message: they’re hosting the Great Lost Firkin Night tonight starting at 8pm, with $4 pints from a firkin with no name. What is it? Who knows? They’ll reveal the name at the end of the night. While you’re there, give them a pat on the back for being voted Metromix’s Best Beer Bar in New York.
• On the Upper West Side George Keeley (485 Amsterdam Ave., at 83rd St., Upper West Side) is dedicating all their taps to New York beers to celebrate their 13th anniversary tonight starting at 7pm. They’ll have beers from Ithaca, Lake Placid, Captain Lawrence, Kelso, and many more breweries from the Empire State on cask and draft, with special guests in attendance as well.

Here are the beer-related goings-on after work tonight:

• Tampa, Florida’s very own Cigar City is front-and-center all night at Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown). Founders Joey and Wayne will be on-hand, and they’ll be pouring some great beers from the critically-acclaimed brewery like Jai Alai IPA, Cubano Espresso, the Maduro Brown in many different forms, and some wacky stuff that Cigar City loves to do, like - no joke - an Kumquat Orange IPA. 
• Victory is on tap at Good Beer NYC (422 E. 9th St., btw. 1st Ave. and Ave. A) tonight, with a sampling event starting at 6:30pm. Enjoy the new Headwaters Pale Ale, plus Yakima Glory, Braumeister Pils and Hop Devil, courtesy of our favorite Victory rep, Sean McCain.
• Sunswick 35/35 (35-02 35th St., at 35th Ave., Astoria) has got north, south, east, and west covered tonight with their “Beer Compass'ion Gathering.” Starting at 6pm, they’ll have five beers from four breweries: Founders (north), Cigar City (south), Harpoon (east), and Stone (west). Oh, those clever folks in Queens.