A couple weeks ago, we featured Port 44, a new brewpub in Newark that’s just a couple blocks from the Prudential Center, the home of the NHL’s Devils and the new home of the NBA’s Nets. But once you’re sufficiently warmed up for the big game, what is there to drink once you get into the arena? We’ll uncover the handful of spots to find good beer, and lay out The Rock’s beer landscape.

Beer from the Big Boys: It goes without saying that Budweiser, Miller, and Coors dominate the taps here and at most sports arenas in the country. Luckily, even the big boys realize that their standard fizzy yellow offerings alone aren’t enough. Outside Section 20 and in the upper level Beer Garden outside Section 126, you’ll find Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light Golden Wheat and Landshark Lager on draft. Outside Sections 4 and 111, you can get Michelob Amber Bock on tap. If you’ve got club tickets to access to the Fire or Ice Lounges, they pour Coors’ Blue Moon as well. Like every beer here, the prices will start around $8 for 16 ounces. We’ll call this price point reasonable by Yankee Stadium standards.

European Invasion: The imports are fairly generic, but for those looking for certain, more flavorful styles, these might be your best bets. Newcastle is poured outside Section 1, Hoegaarden is on draft outside Sections 3 and 20, and Czechvar is available outside Section 20. The imported mainstays, like Amstel Light, Heineken, Stella Artois, Beck’s, and Bass are available throughout the arena.

Craft Beer Spotting: If you look hard enough, you will find craft beer, but your options are limited to two offerings from the Craft Brewers Alliance (which is partially-owned by Anheuser-Busch). Nevertheless, Widmer Hefeweizen and Red Hook Long Hammer IPA are solid options to whet your craft beer whistle, and both are available in a cart outside Section 2 in the Main Concourse near the smoking balcony.

If the Gluten’s Got You Tootin’: Much like Citi Field rolled out over the summer, the Prudential Center will have a gluten-free stand outside Section 9 with food offerings and a gluten-free beer: Anheuser-Busch’s Redbridge, a sorghum-based American Amber Ale.

The Verdict: Let’s take what we can get. A couple craft beers are better than none, which is exactly how many we found last year at the Meadowlands’ Izod Center. For beer geeks, there’s room for improvement at the Prudential Center, but you’ve got to play to the tastes of the fans. Heck, even I’ll admit that I enjoy a Molson Canadian (available on draft near Section 133) when I’m watching some hockey players get checked hard into the boards.

Although you may or may not be working today, here are the beer-related goings-on after 5pm tonight:

• Over at Amity Hall (80 W. 3rd St., at Thompson St., Greenwich Village), it’s Troegs night starting at 6pm, with a bunch of beers from the Pennsylvania-based brewery.
• Stone’s Vertical Epic 10.10.10 was tapped this afternoon at Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown). It’s the latest of their annual Belgian Strong Ales that are designed to be consumed in an epic tasting session on 12/12/12. But this one is just as good right out of the gate. In fact, for comparison’s sake, you can check on the 06.06.06, 07.07.07, 08.08.08, and 09.09.09 there tonight, too, to see how they’re coming along.

If you haven’t solidified your weekend plans (or holiday weekend plans, for those of you who don’t work Monday), you might want to consider hopping on Metro-North and heading to the Hudson Valley tomorrow as the Peekskill Brewery (55 Hudson Ave., at Railroad Ave., Peekskill) throws their 2nd Annual Birthday Bash.

The brewpub in Peekskill, about an hour train ride from Grand Central, will spill out onto the street next to the train station from 2-10pm tomorrow. They’ll have live music, craft vendors, beer and cheese tastings, games (yes, believe it or not, even craft beer pong), and tons of craft beer, of course.

In addition to serving their own beers, like their Cha Cha Chai Brown Ale, Dunderberg Dunkelweisen, and Rosemary’s Baby (a Belgian Golden Ale), they’ll have a ton of beers from local, regional, and national breweries in their beer tent. The list is too long to mention in full, but they’ll be pouring Ithaca Super Friends IPA, Dogfish Head Theobrama, Captain Lawrence Golden Delicious, Keegan Joe Mama’s Milk Stout, and, oh, about two dozen others.

Given the weather forecast for tomorrow, why not soak up one last chance to do some outdoor beer drinking that doesn’t require gloves?

Oceanside, Long Island’s Barrier Brewing received Federal label approval on 12 - yes, 12 - different beers this week. Essentially, they got approval for their seasonal and special-release beers that they’ve had listed on their web site since before their launch this spring. Now, they can officially become a reality.

Among the highlights:

• Simple, a California Common beer (the style popularized by Anchor Steam)
• Dubbel Down, a Belgian Dubbel
• Cairn Scottish Ale, a Scotch Ale 
• Archibold, a barleywine
• Morticia, a Russian Imperial Stout clocking in at 9.3% ABV

Naturally, don’t expect to see these all at once. But now we all know what to expect from this up-and-coming brewery that’s the brainchild of former Sixpoint brewer Evan Klein. We’ll let you know when we start to see some of these bad boys pop up in the city.

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

• Take the PATH to Sly Fox night at The Iron Monkey (97 Greene St., at York St., Jersey City, NJ) starting at 6pm, where they’ll be serving up some of the Pennsylvania brewery’s standard offerings, along with Jake’s ESB, Royal Weisse, and their Sorachi Ace Pale Ale.
• It’s a special tapping tonight at the Copper Mine Pub (323 Ridge Rd., at Crystal St., North Arlington, NJ), where they’ll be pouring a cask of Philadelphia-based Yards Brewing Company’s General Washington Porter with Chocolate, perfect for the upcoming cooler weather. It’ll be available all night, along with some seasonal offerings from Smuttynose and Ramstein.

Austin’s Steak & Ale House (82-70 Austin St., at Lefferts Blvd., Kew Gardens) is an unassuming restaurant in a tudor-style building by the train station in Kew Gardens, Queens. It’s not exactly a place you’d find a glowing review of in a Zagat guide to dining. Austin’s offers an early bird special, likely to attract patrons of a certain age. And, because Aqueduct and Belmont are still just too far away, they’ve even got off-track betting in the bar. It’s not exactly where you’d expect to find a high-class beer dinner.

But it is, indeed, home to one of the longest-running beer dinners in New York City. In 2003, they began partnering with Brooklyn Brewery to offer a curated beer pairing dinner. That tradition continues next week with their 8th annual beer dinner. Next Tuesday, October 12th from 7-10pm, you can savor a four-course meal that’s paired with a variety of Brooklyn beers from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

After the jump, the complete menu and how to reserve your spot:

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