This was one of the most enjoyable bars I've been to in NY. Definitely the ultimate beer geek bar, and can see how it can be intimidating to those that may not have very little beer knowledge. I was definitely impressed with the selection, especially since there was several beers they had on tap I wasn't familiar with (and I consider myself quite the beer buff).
My friend and I had a great time drinking some great brew and talking beer with Anthony. A very cool dude and will definitely take his time to help you choose a beer you will enjoy, so don't be shy to let him know that the most adventurous beer you've drank is Newcastle...
I'll definitely be making a stop here when in NY.
This is kind of a speakeasy beer place. Almost missed it when I walked by. Good choice of craft beers, and the bartenders really know their stuff. I like to sit by the window to people watch. There's about 4 stools here. Overall, this is a nice place to hang out with a small group of friends.
Review Source:Went here after dinner at Cafe Mogador. Great place if you enjoy beer. They have several craft on tap as well as unique bottles. As everyone has said, the bartenders are helpful and will guide you depending on what you're in the mood for. This seems to be their trademark, as the bartender is eager to help. I tend toward IPAs and darker beers, and enjoyed the recommendation the bartender had for me. Only drawback is the size and layout. One long bar, kind of like a diner, without much room to stand.
That said, I hope to return with my fiancee or a buddy that digs craft beers. I wouldn't recommend it if you're with a group. You'd be hard pressed to find a space that would fit more than 2-3 people.
If this were any ordinary bar serving craft brews and imports, it wouldn't be getting five stars when it has only sixteen (+/- one or two) taps. It just doesn't have that much variety.
BUT, for what it does not have in variety, it makes up for it (and surpasses just about every other bar) with its incredible selections. Proletariat is a place you can go and know that just about everything it has on tap will be good or, more likely, amazing. Whenever I go in, I haven't heard of, let alone tasted, half of the beers on the menu (and I'm a person who tries every unfamiliar beer on a menu).
When you take the amazing selection plus the knowledgeable bartenders who are friendly and helpful (especially if you have an inkling about good beers), you've got a bar that you'll want to come back to every week (I know I have). In a city with endless bars, Proletariat is one of those rare places that you'll come back to time and time again.
As a huge beer fan, I've been dying to try this place out. Twice I brought friends here on Friday nights and simply could not stay due to lack of space. Finally last weekend, I came here late on a Saturday and we managed to get seats!
I went with Agamemnon, a delicious double stout. My two friends were less knowledgeable about beers, so I tried to talk with the bartender to get suggestions on what to order for them. He seemed reluctant to talk to us, but eventually we did decide upon another good choice for them. We stayed a while, but the bartender was distant and unhelpful for the rest of the visit, despite the place being fairly empty.
Bottom line: come here to try some different, great beers if you're a beer fan... but don't except good service.
Went in here when I was missing my favorite sour cherry beer. I figured since they specialize in rare and interesting beers, they might have it, or something like it.
The bartender knew the beer I was talking about, but didn't have it. He recommended some alternatives to me, and described them well, taking the time to do so. Great. And the beer he recommended was pretty damn good! In addition, he wrote down a few others on a coaster for me, and recommended some places I could get them. Now that's what I call amazing service.
I'm definitely coming back here - both the drinks and the service are great.
"Rare, new, and interesting beers". Yet no menu, and a bitchy bartender who insists that you describe your ideal beer to him.
"We like to talk it out at this bar, we like to think we know what we're doing." Actual words.
Worst bit part: I know for fact there is used to be a menu, because I have been here before.
Rather than sit through a counseling session with a sleeve-tattooed hipster proud of his Knowledge, I'll just attend a similar bar where I'm not treated like shit by a punk.
Alternative look in this funky neighborhood bar with very original beer selection. Not cheap though. Dark horse special reserve black: very good, chocolaty.
Very pungent smell of fried food (or some other type of heavy cooking) with no ventilation... I wanted to stay more, but I left nauseous.
This place is awesome. Great beer selection, very cool atmosphere. The bartender was very friendly, and helped my friends figure out what they should get.
I appreciated the little touches, like the copper plated tables, and the tiny tealights on the bar. Best thing? Water served out of 40s.
There is no shortage of craft beer bars in NYC these days. It is a wonderful development, however, it makes it pretty difficult to stand out as a new brew spot. Proletariat manages to do just that despite these odds. There theme of new, rare, and unique brews give beer enthusiasts a reason to slide into this small beer haven. The manager Thomas offers an impressive amount of knowledge about all things beer. He'll help you find something you like from their delightfully obscure beer list.
Review Source:Took a trip here during NY Craft Beer Week the night after their Zymatore event.  Imagine my shocked pleasure to find that not one Zymatore keg had kicked.  This place has it all.  It proves there's just no need to have a huge number of taps or a massive footprint to curate a  beer selection that's consistently excellent .  Also, the bar staff, while not exactly Master Cicerones, know the beer they're serving, know their own palates, and can describe anything you don't know pretty well. Â
The only thing I'd change about this place is its prices, but obviously, that's some pricey real estate, and those beers aren't exactly cheap. Â Congratulations on having an evidently great relationship with your distributors, especially for such a new place. Â Bravo. Â If I could give you 6 stars based on that one visit alone, I would.
Good for groups, and by 'groups,' I mean groups of 2.
I could not pronounce half of the beers on the menu, let alone know what they were. They're about the rare beers, and the bartender was a Godsend. He carefully explained the nuances between the beers (and I smiled and nodded accordingly). I still had no idea what I wanted, so I just said, "Give me something light, crisp, but still smooth." And he did.
The ambiance is so cozy that it's borderline romantic, which explains the first date that was going on next to me and my friend. It was a great place to kick back and relax after a long day in the city!
To be more precise I'd like to give this place 4.5 stars, but I don't feel like it was good enough to round up to a perfect 5. 4 ain't shabby though!
I really like the interior of this place, just really easy on the eyes. The lighting is perfect for a bar and the many frames on the wall and bottles by the bar lend a classy, yet still laid back/easy going, atmosphere.
The bartender let me know they have NO paper menus, which wouldn't have been an issue had the place not been packed to the point where I couldn't get close enough to read the menu on the wall, which is a little further inside. I ended up taking recommendations which is what most people end up doing anyway per my observation, because they have a constantly changing beer menu and some options that you wouldn't usually find/recognize
The music was background only and noise level minimal, so it's easy to have an actual conversation. Great place to be on a cold winter night!
ok, everyone loves this place. Â I mean, look at the reviews. Â Here is my thing. Â There are a few types of people in this world, which I will describe below:
1) know nothing about beer
2) know a lot about beer and enjoy a great beer
3) beer snob
the issue is that this place only attracts those who are #1, but think they are #3. Â The bartender when i was there was sooo annoyed that I didn't know any beer on the menu and that I would even dare ask about them, like I didn't trust that he was carried 10 months in the womb of a keg. Â Well I think he may want to not charge me $14 for a beer lesson that I don't even want.
Interesting photos on the wall. Â I'll give it that.
Oh! My favorite worst part. Â They made me pay on an ipad, with an auto tip already added. Â I'm not at laguardia.
Alert... this is a craft beer temple. Â
First time I was there:
- Dark horse oatmeal stout
- Allagash Fluxus
- cool puerto rican dude working behind the bar offering all sorts of beer suggestions, and friendly conversation.
- good 80's music playing on the HI-FI
Second time I was there:
- black IPA which I was told is "malt forward"
- victory nate IPA
- cool tattooed dude behind the bar offering suggestions, and great banter
Both times this place was a real win. Â What does malt forward mean? Â Well I'd be glad to explain, thx for asking!.
Most beers have a 3% abv (alcohol by volume). Â Turns out this amount is too low to bottle & *AGE* beer like we do with wine, sake & liquors. Â However, those studious trappist fellows figured out that if you raise the alcohol level to 8% or more you can keep the beers for a long time. Â Beers in this range have that so-called malt flavor aka malt forward flavor because you taste the malt first. Â
So some IPAs and many of the triples the Duvels and Delirium Tremens of beers will have that malt taste as well.
Now we both know.
You going on a date, take him or her here. Â This place is great for beer lovers, and lovers who want to share a beer.
It doesn't have the biggest selection of beer in NYC; there's only 12 taps (with 36 brews on the bottle list). It doesn't have a TV (although for me that's a bonus, not a negative). It's intimate to the point of verging on cramped.
So what makes Proletariat so great?
For my money it has the best curated selection of craft beer in Manhattan, although probably tied with Blind Tiger Ale House in equal first place. Proletariat's tag line is "rare, new and unusual beer", and it lives up to this promise every time. I love the fact that I will have never heard of half the beers on the list - and the way the barman is happy to explain them to you. There's a lot of love goes into the beer selection here, and it shines through. The prices are definitely reasonable considering how rare most of the beers are and what they retail for.
The ambiance is cool without trying too hard: there's tattoo art on the wall, usually 90's rock on the playlist, low lighting, and friendly, extremely knowledgeable service.
Proletariat slightly edges The Blind Tiger for best craft beer bar in Manhattan. (These two plus Brooklyn's Torst are easily the top in NYC).
As you walk into a sea of faux intellectuals, dudes with pink button down shirts from Co-Op, and girls with their macbooks and ipads out you immediately find that the name of the bar is a misnomer. Â
The list of very good beer is on the blackboard behind the barman in fun magnetic letters you used to play with as a kid. Â The beer is obviously way overpriced for any member of the proletariat. Â The beer is served in dinky glasses. Â I am certain that they under 12 ounces. Â Probably 11.3 or some stupid volume like that.
With all of the remarks I have made, it is an average NYC bar trying to be too trendy for its words. Â I did enjoy the beer. Â The bartender was good too.
An excellent beer place right on St. Marks that isn't full of the Kenka waitlist crowd. Â
Also, they just added a food menu this week. Â The lamb burger is decent but the grilled cheese is SOLID.
Very long/narrow bar with built-in seats like a 50s diner or something. Â Best to come here with a group of two, because having more than 2 people in a straight line is awkward.
Tiny place. Crowded quick. A large selection of beer, REALLY! There's a bunch of things on tap, but you'll have no idea unless you ask. There's even a menu for a bunch of other beers.
I tried this Belgium beer that tasted like beer and champagne made a baby and when the bill came... my eyes were like O.O so expensive! Like 4x a happy hour special else where haha... (why didn't I have this in Belgium when I was there!?)
But def a great place for beer-lovers! Get here a bit early (9p) to get a seat and enjoy the beer!
This is a great spot if you get to St Mark's early and want a place to sit down and have a drink without a crowd being on top of you. Â The beer selection is amazing but the prices are steep and currently, which is slated to change in a few months, there is no food at all. Â So drink a few beers, be prepared to pay $40-50 bucks and leave hungry.
I'm looking at the other five star reviews while writing this and wonder if I'm being a douche but honestly, great beer is becoming easier and easier to find so I can't rate them only on that.
What's that now? Â There's a good bar on St. Mark's Place? Â And it's not full of NYU douchebags? (Sorry, kids) Â And it has a ridiculously marvelous beer selection and is the perfect place to sit with one or two (but really no more, because this place is tiny) man-friends to discuss good beer and all of life's mysteries and share one of the many large-format bottles they are selling for a pretty good price? Â And it must've been a tattoo parlour in a past life, based on the artwork on the walls (and the amazing sleeves of our bartender)?
Well, color me surprised. Â Proletariat, you're awesome. Â I can't wait to go back to you.
(P.S. $20 minimum on credit cards. Â And don't be afraid to ask questions if you're not familiar with the beers on tap. Â They specialize in rarities and the bartenders are insanely knowledgeable and not at all scary)
I wish this bar was in every city, or at least in my city.
Really interesting (and evidently regularly rotating) collection of beers on tap and the bartender couldn't have been nicer to us. Â When we weren't sure what to try for round two he was also spot on with his beer recommendations. Â
Will be dropping in on all my future trips to NYC for sure.
Seating is a bit limited but that's part of the charm I think. Â If you are able to grab a spot at the bar or a seat at the one table in the front, saddle up and get ready to have a great time!
I stopped by here with a friend before dinner to grab a beer and escape the cold. We decided on splitting a bottle of Avec Les Bons Voeux de la brasserie Dupont. The bartender was nice and attentive and the place was packed.
It's a great shotgun bar with a nice beer selection. I would come back the next time around.
After a fantastic hour at Proletariat on Saturday evening, I can definitely say that it's my new go-to for any out of town guests who
A) Like fun.*
B) Like beer.
C) Want to go to a "cool" & "hip" bar.**
A. Proletariat is just a fun place. Awesome art on the walls, very cool light fixtures (which are apparently the European beer-shipping containers), and a friendly bartender.
B. The bartender explained that their philosophy is that someone who knows a LOT about beer should be able to walk in, look at the list of draught beers, and see at least one beer they've never heard of. Being a beer newbie myself, there were plenty of draughts that looked mysterious and delicious. I tried a Lakeshore IPA at the bartender's recommendation, and it was fantastic. I don't like IPAs usually, but this was more like an amber.
C. Do you like your beers served in goblets? Cause I do. This bar screams "East Village" and is conveniently located near plenty of amazing restaurants. It's a great place to take a friend from out of town, or to meet up with a pal from the city. Though it's a small place - it might not be the best for a big group.
-
*If they do not like fun, why are you letting them stay with you?
**Note that I can only CLAIM to be somewhere on the "cool" and "hip" spectrum.
Probably closest to a beer speakeasy as you can get. Small. Narrow. Dimly lit. Knowledgeable bartender that really knows his stuff. Cool 90's atmospheric grungy rock playing on the speakers. A beer nerd's paradise as beer is all they serve here.
Wow! What a beer bar! Small selection but bartender will make the perfect suggestion. When I was here last evening for a nightcap I asked the bartender Corey what he would suggest for my palate as I was in the mood for an amber to darker beer. He came up with a terrific choice - Perfect Crime "Hollow Point" - which was a Belgium style beer. At $10 this was a nice beer to sip and end my long evening of debauchery. A generous pour too.
Seemed like they have a small but eclectic selection of about a dozen craft type beers on tap in the $5 - $12 range. Also a terrific amount of bottles that are priced higher but in larger pour sizes. Definitely paying for the quality as there are a lot of hard to discover wonderful brews here. Bocks, Stouts, Oktoberfests, Framboise, Porters, Ales, you name it.
Perfect place to cap off an evening in a quiet relaxed atmosphere during the week. Best bet is to just tell the bartender what style of beer you like and they will come up with a proper brew. Also, don't be afraid to ask for a sample. You just can't go wrong so trust the bartender's choice and drink to your heart's content.
If you are a crafty beer lover this place needs to be on your speed dial.
This was the first place that I went into in New York, that I did not know a single item on the beer draft list. Â They advertise this place as having "the rarest beers" and I'll take their word for it (wish I had more time to do research on their selection).
I like the concept of this place and I wish I had more time to try some of their beers on tap, even though all of their prices are pretty steep here. Â 4 stars for a solid experience.
Despite not being much of a beer drinker, I had my eye on Proletariat after reading plenty of glowing reviews from various websites, as well as those on Yelp.
The bar itself is long and narrow, with seating mainly along the bar. There's a high top table with some stools too by the entrance.
The best way to get your beer, as I read, was to tell the bartender what type of beers you like and he'll let you sample (unless it's from a bottle). I told him I prefer beers like Blue Moon and right away, he gave me a taste of the Midnight Sun Panty Peeler). I think I prefer it to Blue Moon! My friend wanted something nothing too hoppy and we could tell he was thinking long and hard about it. When the first sample wasn't to her liking, he suggested something bottled (worth 2 beers) so my friend took the chance and fortunately, she liked it! If I remember correctly, it was called The Little Prince from Austin, Texas.
If you love your craft beers and something a little more special, Proletariat is definitely worth stopping in for.
Love beer? Then you'll love this place. Amazing beer selection and super cool vibe. Â I suggest sitting at the bar so you can pick the bartenders brain about the beers on draught. Â Don't be afraid to ask the bartender for advice, cause he won't be shy to share it.
Had an absolute blast here and highly recommend it.
PS - Don't order wine.
Ravi deRossi's ever-expanding downtown drinking empire now has a craft beer bar in its repertoire, dispelling notions there are things this man can't do successfully. For the most part. Originally a beer bar/bakery concept, with Jane's Sweet Buns providing a secretive cover for the bar behind, alas, the mini-bakery has been ditched in favor of elongating the previously ten seat bar by a couple seats. Also gone are the beer cocktails that were once here, making room for more beer draft lines-and we're not complaining. If you didn't get the memo yet, beer cocktails suck. Sorry.
What we're left with is an almost obsessively focused beer bar-not "pub", as a food menu is still in the works-that is ideal for beer snobs and nobody else. The lack of a liquor license precludes the pouring of spirits. Translation: unless your girlfriend gets as nerdy about beer as you do (yeah right), it's better to bring a buddy to better enjoy the impressive selection of esoteric craft beers. Despite its thumbtack-like size, eleven draft lines dispense rare brews like Pretty Things' Jack d' Or ($6) and Mikkeler's phenomenal Texas Ranger ($10)-just promise us you'll resist the urge to crack your favorite Chuck Norris joke when you order the latter. That was so 2006. Most pours go for $7 or $8, and are served in fancy beer glasses shy of a proper pint, as you'd expect from a place like this.
More welcoming than the West Village's 124 Rabbit Club and less commercial than Chinatown's Randolph Beer, Proletariat is a niche beer bar worth seeking out for some-despite the name, it's not the 99% this bar will appeal to. Luckily the place is tiny and there are plenty of bearded white guys in their twenties and thirties in the New York area who refuse to drink Bud. That 1% or so should be able to keep Proletariat afloat.
One Drink Ahead
Now we're talking. Easily the best new beer bar I've seen in the last 2 years. They also own 124 Old Rabbit Club, and you can see the same ethos in their total focus on hard-to-find beers. The bartender (I really should have gotten his name) knew his stuff and let me try several drafts.
The bottles get very expensive very quickly, so I suggest you stick with the fascinating rotation of drafts, which I guarantee is the most unique in the city right now. They seem to have a thing for old-world beer-makers' new-world wines, with a nice selection of limited release seasonals from the likes of Allagash, Ommegang, and Victory.
This is a great place to discover sour Belgians and fruit-forward European styles like Berliner Wisse, Gose, and...LoverBeer [???]. At 6 on a Friday, the atmosphere was great though more people trickled in after 8. Get in while it's good.
Great pours, knowledgeable AND really nice bartenders, relaxed atmosphere that's not too crowded but not dead quiet either. What's more to ask for? They rotate their beers every once in a while, and have reasonable prices. Great place to spend a couple hours with friends in the east village.
The only caveat is it's a little small, so I wouldn't come with a ginormous group.
Cash only!
Awesome bar serving up various craft beers that you don't really see anywhere else. I know that Jane's Sweet Buns used to be in the same storefront but had closed a little while ago, so Proletariat is now a little bigger - though not large by any means. I like that the space is narrow and very laid-back though, totally fits the crowd and absolutely wonderful bartenders.
Speaking of the bartenders... our bartender on the Friday evening I visited was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in recommending and educating my friends and I about the different beers they had that day. I was recommended a crisp yet smooth German pale ale that was just slightly bitter and perfect for a hot summer night. I also tried an IPA from Great Britain that was brewed with jasmine, and totally tasted of jasmine through and through. It was without a doubt not only the most unique IPAs I've had, but probably also one of the most interesting beer I've tasted. Everyone who were with me also enjoyed their orders, everything ranging from different pale ales to darker stouts.
The prices on all of their beers are phenomenally reasonable, and generously poured. What really puts Proletariat over the top for me though, is all the framed Sailor Jerry tattoo flash adorning their walls. Nothing but old school Americana here, brother.
This place is totally legit. Its not really a speakeasy but it is beer heaven.. and they do beer cocktails! thats amazeballs. Tucked behind janes sweet buns, its a really long bar, but very narrow. best to come here with just one other person or two  at the most.
The bartender guy (maybe he owns the place too?) his name is aaron and he is amazing. he knows everything about beer and super friendly and will tell you anything you want to know about the bar and all the beers they serve. they dont really have a menu but i heard a couple of drinks to try here. my favorite is the brooklyn squall.. its like a dark and stormy but better... its suuper gingery which i looooveeee!!!! its soo good and so dangerous! they also serve this old english cocktail that was really good too but ill stick with my ginger favorite. Â they have their water in old english bottles too which is really fun and totally goes with the whole theme.
They have so many unusual, rare beers from everywhere and their selection will just blow your mind!!!! its chill at proletariat, you can get some goodies from the bakery and eat it with your beer, good people behind the bar, all in all a fun night with beers and buns.
Pimptastically cool.
Not exactly a speakeasy, but definitely a craft beer bar - rare craft beers at that. Â If you read my other reviews, I'm a craft beer traveler, writer for a website, it's fair to say I'm pretty knowledgeable about breweries and varieties. Â Yet here, I only knew 2 of the beers on draft, and hadn't even heard of 3 of the draft breweries. Â Looking them up on my phone, I see great reviews for these random tiny breweries and just get happy.
The bartender knows his stuff, you can tell he's spent time working at a few beer bars - later of course I find that out exactly. Â Say what you like and be open to suggestion. Â The place itself is small but good - I'd never take a pack of people there but 2-3 others would be good. Â Music is good too, run off a laptop behind the bar - you can wager that whoever is manning the bar would be playing what he likes, which adds to the feel.
It's a lot like the Old Rabbit Club, without the claustrophobic darkness and with a focus on American drafts instead of Belgian bottles (at Rabbit Club). Â Both places treat good beer with reverence. Â Yes, they make beer cocktails here, but have heard that they are very good - but no matter what, they are both first and foremost beer bars.
If you love good rare craft beers and are comfortable ceding control over your decisionmaking to the expert behind the bar, Proletariat needs to be on your radar.
So I've been super happy that New York is finally catching on to good beer. Â Though a vast majority of bars continue to supply nothing but the overpriced standards, many places are starting to come through with quality craft beer, making it feel more and more like an important part of the drinking scene in NY. Â The problem, though, is that even the bars with good beers on tap tend to stick with safe choices. Â You can expect a bevy of NY breweries (Brooklyn, Blue Point, Sixpoint, Captain Lawrence, etc), some quality classics (Dogfish Head, Stone, Founders), but finding bars with beer that is truly off the beaten path has remained relatively tough.
So you can imagine my joy when I walked through the door in back of Jane's Sweet Buns into Proletariat and could only recognize 1/3 of the beers they had on tap. Â Here with a couple of friends on a Friday night, we managed to work our way through pretty much the entire beer list, which spanned a wide range of styles. Â My personal favorite was a smokey belgian stout that they had on tap, but almost everything Proletariat was serving was delicious.
Actually, scratch that. Â My personal favorite was the Brooklyn Squall. Â You see, they serve beer cocktails here, too. Â Good ones. Â A friend of mine had 2 Edward Forty Hands, a citrisufied malt liquor drink that almost tasted like Dr. Pepper or something (and was served in a sketchy plastic cup). Â The Brooklyn Squall, meanwhile, was an awesome take on a dark & stormy, with Brooklyn Brown, some lime juice, a lot of ginger, and topped with Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Â If you like ginger beer, and you like real beer.....this will make you a very happy panda.
And to top off the great beer and beer cocktail options, the service here was awesome. Â The bartenders were knowledgeable and super friendly (anyone who joins in as I'm making fun of my friends gets an automatic pass in my book). Â And what's more, they gave us (and joined us for) a free Brass Monkey shot (well, more of a chug than a shot, really) to commemorate the life of MCA as they tore through a Beastie Boys playlist. Â Judging from how comfortable these guys seemed, I never would have guessed that this place just opened, and they really helped set the tone in making this a laid back, fun place to spend a few hours.
I'm terrified of how crowded Proletariat is going to get once it becomes popular, which will probably happen, like, tomorrow. Â But if it manages to keep its crowd manageable, it's going to be a fantastic option for quality beer in the East Village, and one that I'm sure to find myself at very frequently.
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