It’s about damn time, some would say, that Time Out New York did a beer issue. After all, their Chicago counterparts did one almost four years ago.

But lo and behold, they pulled out all the stops for their Ultimate Guide to Beer in NYC, which includes basics like the top beer bars and stores in New York, and more interesting things, like a gratuitous photo album of cats and dogs posing with beer, and details on the special-edition Time Out for Porter they brewed with Sixpoint Craft Ales.

That beer, by the way, will be available on taps across the city this week, including usual suspects for craft beer like Blind Tiger Ale House, Sunswick 35/35, Mission Dolores, Bronx Ale House, and others - all listed here.

And to top it all off, Time Out is sponsoring a Sixpoint Beer Dinner at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) on Monday, February 28th, as part of TONY’s Dining & Libation Society. The $55, four-course meal will include a ham hock and white bean soup (paired with Brownstone), a pear and blue cheese salad (paired with Diesel Stout), Bangers and Mash with local sausage (paired with Time Out for Porter), and toffee pudding (paired with the new Berserker Bock that’s part of Sixpoint’s Mad Scientist Series). The full menu and ticket information are available on the Dining & Libation Society site.

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

• Be one of the first New Yorkers to drink the new Victory Headwaters Pale Ale tonight at 6pm at The Stag’s Head (252 E. 51st St., at 2nd Ave., Turtle Bay), where they’ll pour that and a handful of other Victory beers. Plus, they’ll have Philly cheesesteaks with cheesewiz made with the brewery’s Pursuit Pale Ale.
• This week’s Ten Buck Tasting at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) salutes Scandinavian beers. For $10, you’ll be walked through a tasting of six different beers from Denmark’s Mikkeller, Finland’s Sinebrychoff, and Sweden’s Nils Oscar.
• It’s Brewery Ommegang night at The Pony Bar (637 10th Ave. at 45th St., Hell’s Kitchen), where you’ll have your pick of ten awesome Belgian-style beers starting at 6pm.
• Over in Jersey, Cloverleaf Tavern (395 Bloomfield Ave., at Hanford Pl, Caldwell) rolls out a randall today and will pour Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA through Cascade Hops all night. What’s a randall, you ask? It’s one of these nifty contraptions.
• Geary’s takes residence at Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown) all night tonight, with their usual lineup of English-style beers and one big get: a cask of their Hampshire Ale infused with whiskey.
• As part of their Tuesday Night Tasting series, Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) hosts Vanberg & Dewulf, the American importers of some of Belgium’s finest breweries, tonight at 7pm. They’ll have selections from Scaldis and Dupont, best known for its namesake saison, but also maker of several other intriguing Farmhouse Ales and Belgian Strong Ales.

It’s not too often that the mainstream media takes the tone of a beer geek, but when Mayor Bloomberg is the target and the writer is from the New York Post, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

First, though, let’s not bury the lede here: Brooklyn Brewery had the ribbon cutting yesterday on their huge new expansion in Williamsburg that we’ve discussed before. The facility will give them more capacity to brew many of their Brewmasters’ Reserve beers, and allow them to brew more of their flagship beers on site. Tonight, they’ll celebrate the release of the new beer commemorating the new space, Main Engine Start.

Unfortunately, the big story might be where beer and politics collide: Mayor Michael Bloomberg drinks his beer on the rocks. “I actually put ice in my beer,” the New York Post quoted the mayor as saying. “Most people don’t.”

Most people know better. The mayor may have thought this up as an attempt to charm the crowd of craft beer drinkers. Perhaps he drinks no beer at all, and thought a “cold one” was a good thing. Or maybe he’s watched too many Coors Light commercials that claim “a taste as cold as the Rockies.”

Regardless, he’s ruining his beer. As far as craft beer goes, most are recommended to be served at a temperature of at least 40 degrees. Some beers are recommended at even higher temperatures - flavorful ales, strong beers, and dark beers should be served over 50 degrees. That’s why many craft beer advocates scoff at bars that serve their beer in frosted glasses.

Why the lukewarm temperatures? Well, it’s about the quality of the ingredients and the variety of flavors and aromas, mainly. They come through at higher temperatures. Once the temperature of the liquid dips into the 30s, the beer actually numbs your taste buds. In the case of Coors Light, which has a label that turns blue when the temperature of the beer drops below 40 degrees, it might be for the better that you can’t taste it (and, in fact, that could be secret strategy of their marketing gimmick).

Bottom line: don’t put ice in your beer. And don’t even get us started on how you’re watering down your beer by putting ice in it, Mayor Mike.

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

• Not to toot our own horns, but it’s that time of the month again: BrewYorkNewYork.com and S.K.I. Beer present Smart Questions for Stupid People, a trivia night. Things get underway at 8pm at Destination (210 Avenue A, at 13th St., East Village), and we’ll have great giveaways and beer-related prizes.
• Long Island’s Blue Point takes over the taps today at Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown) starting at 4pm. Expect to see some of the usuals, like Toasted Lager and Blueberry Ale, along with some of the unusual, like Sour Cherry Imperial Stout, Toxic Sludge, and a cask of their 10th Anniversary IPA.

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

• Brooklyn Brewery takes over the taps at Barcade (388 Union Ave., at Ainslie St., Williamsburg) tonight at 5pm, with some pretty impressive gems like a 2008 Blunderbuss Old Ale, a 2007 Black Chocolate Stout, a 2005 Monster Ale, and the rare Light Dinner Ale.
• Pretty Things seems to be coming up a lot lately. And Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) is garnering them another mention tonight with the Pretty Things Social tonight at 7pm. Along with some giveaways, they’ll be pouring Jack D'Or, St. Botolph’s Town and Baby Tree for pints to stay and growlers to go.
  

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

• If this winter weather has you in the mood for porters, go to Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., West Village) today starting at 4pm for “Porter: A Blind Tiger Beer Style Event.” I bet you can guess what this one is about. Among the beers on tap will be Fullers London Porter, Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter, the ‘09 Flying Dog Imperial Gonzo, and a boatload of others.
• If stouts are more your style during the winter, head to The Stag’s Head (252 E. 51st St., at 2nd Ave., Turtle Bay) for “Short and Stout: A Sampling of the American Stout.” From 6-9pm tonight, they’ll pour Pretty Things Babayaga, Keegan’s Mother’s Milk Stout, the 2009 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, and tasty snacks to pass around, too.
• And for something completely different, we’ve got wheat beers covered, too. Head to Dive Bar (732 Amsterdam Ave., at 96th St., Upper West Side) at 7pm for a tasting of some fine beers on the lighter side of pale, like Avery White Rascal, Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat, Southampton Double White, and more. Plus, there will be a complementary cheese plate to pair with your libations.