United Nations of Beer

dba Bar, NYC

by David Preiser
(NY, USA)

dba Bar
NYC, USA

There is basically no other place around like d.b.a. It's kind of small, not obvious from the outside and way down on the Lower East Side. But once you go in, you're in a world of beer. Real beer and lots of it.

They've got 15 beers on tap (yes, there are 16 taps, but one of them is a cider) and two cask pumps.

The selection is vast and always changing. In fact, I don't even try to count, because the listings on the chalkboards above the bar always have a few things that aren't on the printed menu and vise-versa, and they have like 15 new things every week. So make sure you check both when you go there.

You can tell this is a place that really, really cares about the beer they serve. They're always on the lookout for the best new beers.

There's stuff from all over the world at dba Bar NYC and, even with the classic beer countries like Belgium and England, they always seem to have some of those out-of the-ordinary, really terrific brews that make even hardcore beer fans go, "Hey, I can't believe they have this!"

I'm always guaranteed to have a dilemma on my hands when I go here: there are often more beers that I've never had before than I can drink in one session. Seriously.

They know their stuff at dba Bar NYC and the sheer variety of beer can seem overwhelming, crammed into such a small space. But it's worth being brave.

There's actually a pretty relaxed vibe, even though this is a really serious beer place, and there's new stuff coming in all the time. There's nothing else like it in town.

They also have a good whiskey, bourbon, wine and tequila selection, for those into other forms of refreshment. Also, it's what the British call a "boozer": they don’t do food. Except on Mondays, when they do a cheese plate (only at the bar) and bagels and lox on Sunday afternoons. But you can bring your own munchies if you want, which can be fun.