Brew diligence

The wine lover

The words terroir and Botrytis are part of your leisure-time vocab. You prefer to linger in the basement at Jadis (42 Rivington St between Eldridge and Forsyth Sts, 212-254-1675), sipping aged French reds while snacking on cheese plates. Other times, you can be found indulging in serrano ham tapas and eclectic Iberian wines at the hip and hectic Bar Carrera (175 Second Ave at 11th St, 212-375-1555).

Rodenbach Flemish red-Grand Cru at Blind Tiger Ale House

Photo: Beth Levendis

VISIT: Vintage and off-kilter brews reign at the reopened beer mecca Blind Tiger Ale House(281 Bleecker St at Jones St, 212-462-4682). A massive beer list featuring 28 drafts, 50-plus hard-to-find bottles, a couple of cask ales and a cellared beer selection could convert hard-core oenophiles into hops disciples. Spend a well-lubricated night sampling beers paired with the kitchen’s grub or fromage from Murray’s Cheese. Brooklynite winos will make much ado about The Diamond(43 Franklin St between Calyer and Quay Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-5030). The comfy drinkery (in the yard, matches of rubber-ring quoits—a horseshoes-like lawn game—are often underway) specializes in medium-strength “session” beers. Meaning: The focus is less on getting schnockered than relishing the flavors of the eight rotating drafts and the gravity-poured cask ale.

DRINK: At the Tiger, ask what’s fresh and seasonal and hope for offerings from breweries like Dogfish Head and Rogue. At the Diamond, savor the sour-cherry-esque Rodenbach Grand Cru and whatever’s new on tap.

The serial dater

When testing the romantic waters, you like to impress by trundling upstairs to the East Village’s hidden jewel box Angel’s Share (8 Stuyvesant St between Third Ave and E 9th St, second floor; 212-777-5415) for Asian-inflected cocktails, or play it cool at the throwback-style neighborhood hang Brooklyn Social(335 Smith St between Carroll and President Sts, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn; 718-858-7758), home of a fine old-fashioned.

Draft beers at The Gutter

Photo: Beth Levendis

VISIT: Partake in a gaming-and-imbibing extravaganza at The Gutter (200 North 14th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-387-3585), a 10,000-square-foot former sweatshop that’s now an eight-lane bowling alley and lounge. Though the vintage signage touts lowbrow quaffs like Schmidt’s and Genesee Cream Ale, potables include 12 choice drafts available by the pitcher, so you won’t run dry midframe. Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Ave between Bergen St and St. Marks Pl, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn; 718-858-1951) dispenses 16 mostly West Coast microbrews from standout producers such as Anderson Valley, while broadcasting Cali sports on its projection-screen TV. Still wanna play? Challenge a coin-operated, beer-guzzling robot, which arrives next month, to a drinking contest.

DRINK: At Pacific Standard, splurge on a pint of hoppy Stone India Pale Ale or brawny Lagunitas Imperial Red; the Gutter’s winners are the fantastic, floral Allagash White and pleasingly bitter Sly Fox IPA.