Bierkraft

June 14, 2008
Beer and cheese? Small store but this is Brooklyn when do you expect. 12oz singles in the cooler means a lot of regular quality beer selection. The special brews were not as varied but still a respectable selection. I should have thought about trying to carry a case of beer 9 blocks on foot while I was making my selections.

April 4, 2008 [ Updated April 19, 2008 ]
Great use of tight space. Had a really interesting discussion about bottling with the owner. At least two different people from the store approached me to offer help, and both were very knowledgeable. I didn’t try any cheese or chocolate, but the owner’s wife was making cookies and the place smelled great. Would like to attend a tasting but don’t live in NYC.

January 18, 2008
After reading about this, I made a point of visiting this interesting place, which is a block and a half from the Union St stop for the R-subway. Upon entering and viewing the tremendous cold selection on the left and the room temperature selections on the right, I regretted not bringing my Jeep and to few coolers to fill. There was way more than I could remember and many interesting items like St. Bernardus Wit and a Dupont Holiday Saison 750ml. The coolest growler fill of the Sixpoint Granpa’s Nerve Tonic was a counter fill that took all the guess work out of an easy task. The cheese and chocolate selection seemed to be good, but I didn’t get to it too much. The counter help and the guys handling the growlers were very friendly and were curious to know where I was from and how I had heard of them. The prices were reasonable and I will be happy to visit the place over and over again.

September 12, 2007
Comparisons to Thrifty-American are like apples and oranges. Bierkraft is a beer lover’s clubhouse, if not paradise. The beer and food selections are broad and thoughtful. The weekly beer and cheese tastings are fun and informative. The staff is helpful---real people with real opinions, not just salespeople. And get this: they fill growlers, under pressure, from kegs in the store. Prices are relatively high, presumably reflecting sales volume and rent. The only major drawback is the cramped space, but hey, this is New York City.

July 15, 2007
Best high end beer store that I have been to. I trek from the other boroughs weekly to pick up bottles, cans and growlers from the best of the best. Growler fills are ususally hard to fiond esoteric items. They also have great cheese, cured meats, and gourmet sweets available form a knowledgeable staff!

April 11, 2007
Actually a combo gourmet sausage/cheese/chocolate shop with an nice array of beer in a row of convenience store fridges in the first prong of this bizarrely "U" shaped store. Basically most everything is sold by the bottle, and as far as 12 oz American micros, usually at an inflated price--$1.80-$2.75 (though I never inquired if I could by a "six" of anything for an overall reduced price. However, they seem to get new releases in faster than anyone else, and there is a pretty good diverse and well stocked selection in the predominant European sections. Still, the American shelves tend to be duplicative of most supermarkets, thus taking up space for possibly rarer available micros. The growler service, which I never yet availed myself to, seems to be the pull here. Several, at least eight well chosen and rotating regional choices are available. Great deal for those in the immediate neighborhood.

December 23, 2006
Fairly good selection but not as good as American Beer Dist. though...some rarities were there for sure.

November 2, 2006 [ Updated February 23, 2008 ]
Great organization, with loads of stuff all kept in deli fridges. The Belgian selection is very good with quite a few items that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. The light could be dimmed a bit, but really not bad. Prices are terrible though. I only picked up a few things that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Great selection of cheese, bread, and deli meats though, so I’m not complaining. If you’re in the neighborhood, it’s a great place to pick up a nice midday snack to be washed down with a nice beer. Despite the price, it’ll still cost less than going to a restaurant. The counterpressurized growler fills are a pretty solid deal and the selection there is usually a nice mix of moderately priced locals along with a few imports. The folks here are quite friendly and like talking shop which is always nice.

October 29, 2006 [ Updated June 5, 2007 ]
right on, nhorween took me here. Somewhat cramped U-shaped store. one side of the store lined with coolers of beer on the left and half open cases, bombers and snacks. selection is terrific. tons of east coast stuff. then random but quality selections of everything west, eg. goose island, oskar blues. Had an eclectic selection of europians and a great selection of belgians. prices? other than the $4.25 i spent on a can of oskar blues gordon, they seemed reasonable. of course i’ve been in philadelphia for the last 2 months so singles are ~2x what they are in illinois. they had take out of growlers of some pretty fantastic beers i rarely see on tap, if ever. other side of the store is totally gourmet with probably 100 different cheeses and some great meats. the guy in the beer section was excellent-eager and knowledgeable, but everyone else was terrible slow and dull.

October 20, 2006
Amazing store in park slope. Offers a truely outstanding variety of beers. They are ordered by country or region and are priced normaly. Its tough to shop around for a beer but $10.50 seemed a little much for the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. They also have a large cheese and chocolate selection. Check this place out if you’re in the area.