It seems to have taken forever to get off the ground, but starting June 3rd the beer will begin to flow on the roof of Eataly, and NYC will have its latest must-see stop for beer geeks.
Called “Birreria,” the beer garden in the sky will feature beers crafted in collaboration between Dogfish Head, Birra Baladin, Birra del Borgo, so you know it’s going to be quality stuff. A rotating selection of unique cask-conditioned beers will be brewed on the premises and there will be a selection of American and Italian beers on tap, as well as something called “wine,” which sounds disgusting.
This picture is from a nice slideshow over at Gothamist. Click it to see more...
Birreria has a retractable glass roof, allowing guests to enjoy the warm summer nights and be protected by New York’s frigid winter winds, so it’s a year-round attraction. Birreria is nestled next to Madison Square Park on 23rd Street and 5th Avenue, and the views promise to be worth a trip up the elevator for sure.
On the food front, don’t expect your standard bar fare. As the New York Times reports, the food at the press soiree they threw the other night (my invitation must’ve gotten lost in the mail) was inventive, accessible and made to play nice with the world’s greatest beverage:
A sampling of breads, sausages, batter-fried shiitake mushrooms drizzled with a Marsala sauce and other tidbits were passed. Mr. Saper said that the chef, Alex Pilas, will be dishing up more substantial but always beer-friendly food. The menu promises pork shoulder in a sandwich or on a plate, with horseradish, those shiitakes, a carpaccio of oyster mushrooms with Grana Padano shavings, pork braciola, and sausages, including Tuscan blood sausage, garlicky cotechino, and Tyrolean bratwurst with caraway.
Sounds pretty awesome. I’ve eaten my way through Eataly, and they take their food pretty seriously, so I imagine this grub is top notch. I think I’ve gained two pounds just thinking about it.
If you plan on going to Birreria, prepare to be patient (or bring 5 friends). They’ll take reservations for parties of 6 or more, and there’s a security checkpoint at the elevator to make sure the rooftop oasis doesn’t get overcrowded. Instead, they’ll take your name and give you a shout when there’s room for you in the clouds. In the meantime, you can bumble around Eataly, overwhelmed by the sensory experience.
What remains to be seen is if the opening of Birreria will trigger Discovery to release the sixth and final installment of Brew Masters, as that episode chronicles Sam Calagione’s efforts to breathe life into this sky-high shangri la. As of this writing, there hasn’t been an update on the Brew Masters Facebook page, so I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.
If you’re in NYC or plan to be passing through, Birreria needs to be on your short list of places to visit. And who knows, you might just bump into somebody special – weirder things have happened!
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Now I’m hungry AND thirsty! Good thing Philly has similar offerings and they’re within walking distance. 🙂
Sure, rub it in, G-LO!!!
Yo, G-LO, what you doin’ in Philly?
I work in Philly. Also grew up there.
I forget how close together everything is in the East. Probably a quick train ride, no?
About a 20 minute train ride for me from the house. Or a 15 to 20 minute drive. Philly Beer Week is fast approaching!
I will probably be heading this way this summer, so I will definitely be checking this place out.
Yeah, it’s a new Mecca for beer geeks, so it warrants a stop. I bet if you tell a beer buddy that you went to NYC, the first question will be “did you go to that Dogfish rooftop thingy?”
Beer-centric restaurants just seem to be getting better and better. I remember when you could only get fried bar food or maybe fish and chips at a brewpub. That doesn’t really cut it anymore. Fine beer should be accompanied by fine food whenever possible. Lots of places even offer detailed beer pairing suggestions. Euclid Hall in Denver has really taken this to heart. They have an awesome selection of beer and some amazing food to compliment it. I think Sam C. even said it was one of the best beer bars in the country when he was last in Denver (until his venture opened, I’m sure).
I just got back from a week long trip to Southern California where my fiancée and I got a chance to visit Stone’s brewery and World Bistro (AKA Disneyland for beer geeks). I even got to see Greg Koch and Mitch Steele (Stone’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck) in person! They REALLY know how to create a beer menu there. I was very impressed.
That said, beer does pair pretty well with pub grub too. C’mon…you gotta admit it.
Oh sure, beer pairs well with pub fare, but there are so many other possibilities that restaurants are just starting to explore, which is pretty cool. Chefs have been doing this with wine for ages, so it;’s nice to see beer being afforded the same level of respect.
Agreed. I just think that some would totally disregard the humble beginnings of food pairing with beer to try and increase it’s status, but I look at it as it just shows it’s versatility as an awesome beverage.
Lucky us. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Holy-Grale/176711909025339