This community is an attempt to see if my friends can gather here. Named in honor of Ali Zaabouti, peace be upon him.
Two craft beer places in Manhattan
We are in NYC for 10 days to celebrate our grandson's birthday. Needing craft beer, we walked from my sister-in-law's apartment on 79th up to City Swiggers on 86th between 1st and 2nd Avenues. We got there after they had started to close, but we were able to talk with Allen, the owner, who was pleasantly high and willing to help us choose IPAs to take out.
A couple of days later we walked out of the Tenement Museum's store and noticed Top Hops Beer Shop. We found seats at the bar and were able to drink 3/4 of the last keg of Grimm's Splish IPA. Grimm Brewery is our new favorite New York brewery because they get IPAs. If you can find Splish or Lombo Door, get it.
A man came over, stood next to us and talked to the bartenders about the beers. When I offered him a taste of the IPA I was drinking (I already forget what it was), he refused, saying that he was the owner, but I think he appreciated the gesture, and we had a very long and pleasant talk while Iris was having a talk with a shy Japanese hairdresser to her left. The owner's name is Ted. He's Irish and knows Allen. I won't bother trying to remember everything we discussed about the beer business, but it was all fascinating. We spent far more time in Top Hops than we had anticipated!



