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Let me begin with an apology in advance for my unbridled chauvinism, but let’s get real: New York City is second to none, whether in music, art, commerce, or yes, as a great place to drink beer.

My first experience drinking beer in New York City was on my 16th birthday with my sister and brother-in-law. They first took me to the Cedar Tavern, a landmark pub in the Village with a storied clientele of beat poets and cutting edge artists such as Jack Kerouac and Jackson Pollack. We admired the dark room with it’s beautiful back bar, and drank draft Michelob Dark, a revelation to my unformed palate, which had never experienced dark beer before.

Then we went to McSorley’s, arguably the oldest pub in NYC, having opened in 1854. The pot-bellied stove was cranking, there was sawdust on the floors and thick dust on the overhead light fixture studded with ancient wishbones. They served no liquor, only the two house beers, light and dark, banged down on the ancient bar in foaming pairs. I was awestruck by the history of this venerable tavern, emphasized by the sign over the bar that proclaimed “We were here before you were born.” Enshrined behind the bar was a chair that Abraham Lincoln had stood on to give a speech, which brought to mind the generations upon generations of people who had drank in this beer temple before me. It was a magical day, a day I discovered dark beers, and turkey sandwiches with onions, and it changed my life and my beer drinking habits forever.

So not only does NYC have an unbeatable history of bar culture, today the craft beer movement has built upon that history and updated it with a slew of world class beer bars. The sheer volume of bars and restaurants means that there are almost too many choices, really an embarrassment of riches. There are world-class pubs and restaurants with amazing selections just steps from my apartment, and this is true in almost every part of town. In fact, NYC has more beer bars in the various “best of” lists than any other single city.

And in terms of beer events NYC has no equal. Just in the past month I have been to all three days of the Brazen Head Cask Ale Festival, a Lagunitas/Frank Zappa night at the Gate, the massive Night of the Imperials at the Blind Tiger, the NYC launch of Green Flash at the Gate, Allagash night with brewer Rob Todd at Barcade, two days of the Split Thy Skull strong beer festival at Mugs Ale House, and the NYC premiere of Canadian breweries Dieu du Ceil! and Hopfenstark at Spuyten Duyvil.

Whew! And these were just the events that I could make it to; there were other great ones that I passed on. In fact there are so many beer events here that you have to consciously take a break every so often, lest your distended liver float away in a sea of amazing beer. (I heard Philly Beer Week was over the top, but I’m talking about all the time, not just one week!)

Add to that the melting pot nature of NYC, which means that when you drink here you will be among the most diverse group of people anywhere in the country, guaranteed. The strata of people that enjoy craft beer cuts a wide swath, from blue collar workers to Wall Street fat cats, young hipsters to aging pensioners, not to mention artists and creative people of every stripe, from the struggling to the world famous.

And they will engage you, given half a chance, because New Yorkers are not shy. This makes for some great atmosphere and conversations, because lest we forget in our beer-centeredness, a great bar experience is made not just by the beers that are served, but also by the range of people that frequent the bar, and in that regard, NYC has no equal. This city is also home of the buyback, an arcane system that is almost unheard of in other cities. If you tip reasonably and seem like a decent sort you will receive a “knock” on the bar every few rounds, signifying that this round is on the house.

And, lest we forget, there is also our 24-hour mass transit system. This means that you can drink, bar hop, and travel freely without worrying about DWIs or designated drivers, a huge plus when drinking anywhere these days. And as any local  imbiber knows, we have the best hours of any city. Last call is at 4 a.m., and even that is often negotiable depending on the bar you’re in. Also, drinking late often means that you will need food, and NYC is unique with its excellent restaurants serving food into the wee hours. In fact many, even  highly rated Blue Ribbon restaurants, serve until 4 a.m. You would be hard pressed to name another major beer city where this is true.

NYC also has a great history of brewing. In the last century, breweries like Schafer, Piels, Ballantine, Rheingold and Trommers called Brooklyn home. Today, mostly due to incredibly expensive real estate prices there are only four breweries left, but they are all award winning and world-class: Brooklyn Brewery, whose beers are found in almost every beer bar of note, are fourth in draft sales in NYC. In addition to their regular lineup they also have Garrett Oliver’s Brewmaster’s Reserve line of special and seasonal beers. Sixpoint Craft Ales is another highly regarded craft beer brewery found in most good bars. Another Brooklyn brewery is Greenpoint Beerworks, which under brewer Kelly Taylor produces a diverse portfolio of beers for the Heartland Brewery locatios, Kelso, He’Brew, and others, and the lone Manhattan brewery is the Chelsea Brewery, whose beers consistently win medals at the GABF.

In addition to the local breweries named above, there are some stellar local breweries that call NYC their hub:  Southampton Publick House with brewmaster Phil Markowski, and Captain Lawrence, with brewer Scott Vaccaro, Neil Acer’s Defiant Brewing Co., and the honest brews of Blue Point.

Couple the range of domestic craft brew with the plethora European imports that funnel through NYC on their way into the country and and it’s plain to see this city has no equal.  This all means that in terms of domestic craft beer selection, NYC has no equal. Even the little corner delis have selections that will amaze out of towners, from malty lagers to unique Belgians and the like all the way to double and triple IPAs and other extreme beers. So, with all due respects to residents of other cities, you may be great, but you’ll never be New York.