Saturday 14 February 2009

The Half Pint

The review in New York City Beer Guide (my source of info on NYC pubs) was less than enthusistic. But I decided to give the Half Pint a try, anyway. Mainly because it was just a couple of hundred yards from the Blind Tiger.

A good deal of indecision preceded. It took me about 20 minutes to make up my mind to leave the warmth of the Blind Tiger. It was now or never. The light was beginning to fade. If I wanted to get any photos, I couldn't wait any longer.

My original plans had been far more ambitious. I'd hoped to fit in a couple of pubs in the East Village, too. That's always been one of my favourite bits of New York. But after a busy week and a couple of beers my ambitions were considerably diminished. I could only just be arsed to make the small walk to the Half Pint . . . . .


The Half Pint
Noisy, packed, full of tellies and no cask (it's run out, just as I probably should have when I discovered the full horror of this place). I can't imagine anywhere less suitable for tasting beer.

I'm getting hungry. I've had nothing since my breakfast roll. Ooh look. There's pie on the menu. Chicken Pot Pie. I'll have one of those. At least my waitress is cute. I just have to block out the baying hordes and concentrate on her arse, then I'll be fine. This would be a nightmare, if I weren't an unrepentant lech.

For reasons too complicated to explain, I've ended up with a Young's Chocolate Stout. CAMRA definitely wouldn't let me drink this. It's OK, but not what I should be drinking in the USA.

The pie isn't bad. Much like the pies in a dish you find on British pub menus. Though$11.95 is a bit steep. I guess I'm paying for the atmosphere.

I may as well have another beer. Time for an IPA, so I've chosen a Lagunitas IPA. Amber colour, with a head. Grapefruit cordial. I've nothing else to say. Still not getting any tongue-stripping.

Time to go home.



The Half Pint
76 West 3rd Street,
NYC 10012,
Tel: 212 260 1088
info@the halfpint.com
http://www.thehalfpint.com/


Lagunitas Brewing Company
1280 N McDowell Blvd,
Petaluma,
California 94954.
707 - 769 4495
http://www.lagunitas.com/

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Ron, how cum you're guilty about drinking keg in NYC/? Cask is nascent, not at all widely understood and not consistent, and most of those amazing US craft brewers ship in keg. CAMRA has a place, but it's here - you're missing a fantastic beer experience if you steer away from keg!

Ron Pattinson said...

It's simple: I prefer cask beer. If I have the choice between cask and keg, I'll go for the cask.

In the Blind Tiger they had 3 cask beers on. After I'd tried all of those, I went on to keg. There was no way I was going to get through all the beers on tap, why not start with the best?