The Proletariat

I don’t know how often the words “pretentious” and “beer” come together in celebration but when you visit The Proletariat on St. Marks Place in New York City (NYC), there is a perfect marriage between the two. Unless you are a beer encyclopedia, chances are you’ll find a beer on their menu that you’ve never heard of before. And that is what’s so good about this place. They don’t offer you anything mainstream, but if you tell them what you like, they’ll make a well-researched decision for you. And they are usually correct.

For example, I like stouts and my friend Rob likes sours. They didn’t have a stout on tap but instead gave me a deliciously dark porter that quenched my stout thirst. For Rob they offered him a gose, which is some sort of salt beer. He enjoyed it very much.

Their selection does live on the heavy side — so I wouldn’t suggest this as an all night affair. Plus the space is quite small, so unless you’re lucky, expect to have people pushing past you to reach the bathroom.

Overall, in my limited experience in NYC, I’d say that this is one of my favorite spots. So if you are ever in the lower east side, make a stop at The Proletariat — you may be surprised by what you find.