Good Beer Is Beer To Go | East Village, New York City

What every neighborhood needs is a booze-and-buy beer emporium. Now, with the arrival of Good Beer, the East Village has one.

David Cichowicz's shop is part neighborhood bar and part monument to craft beer. Although New York State law limits wine and liquor stores to serving only sample portions, beer-focused stores such as Good Beer can pour with a heavy hand.

Its bar serves a rotating assortment of about 12 beers on tap ($6 a pint) as well as four-pour tasting flights ($8) and growlers to go. When we visited, Cichowicz himself was dispensing pints of Sixpoint Mad Scientist Series #1 Spelt Wine, among others. For on-site snacking, Good Beer's brew-appropriate food menu includes cheeses ($14), grass-fed hot dogs ($4) and local meats ($14).

For those who want to buy beer to go, nearly 600 different types, all organized by region, are stocked in wall-mounted fridges. Up front, Good Beer features Stateside breweries, with a considerable spread from California.

The rear of Good Beer is dedicated to imported beers, primarily from Belgium, Germany and Britain. Tart Belgian Rodenbach is displayed alongside Harviestoun's Ola Dubh, a Scottish ale named for the "black oil" its full-bodied texture mimics.

One stop–endless brewed options.

Good Beer, 422 E. Ninth St. (between First Ave. and Ave. A); 212-677-4836 or goodbeernyc.com