Mission Dolores to open soon

Thanks Brownstoner, never would've found it

The Deacon's roomie tips off that the long-awaited opening of Mission Dolores (which my co-blogger will recall: we unsuccessfully tried to attend during NYC craft beer week) will occur in late January or early February. Mission Dolares is the second bar to be opened by BGH brothers Mike and Ben Wiley, who led the Six Point brewery tour through freezing snow and are therefore heroes. It'll be at Carroll St and 4th Ave.

Mike describes the space as "bizarre" and as "a huge Vol de Nuit," the excellent partially covered Belgian beer garden in the west village, which makes me hum with happiness. The list will be Bar Great Harry + more Belgian/German beers on tap. Oh and meet pies. Field trip soon, get excited.

Making history

Well it was a historic week for the deacon and co. 2009 NYC Craft Beer Week came and went, and apart from just how passive the liver can get (seriously, man, a heads-up when i hit beer #40something for the week, I can't keep track of this) I'd like to think we learned a few things about life and love. Like for example, I love milk stouts. And I couldn't live life without black wheats.

Some other lessons of Beer Week?

-Check the corrections page before blithely barhopping in new neighborhoods (might've saved a trip to the as-yet-unopened Amity Hall and Mission Dolores)

-Next year I'm DEFINITELY doing the Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz. Downing craft with the dead? Yes please. Only, I'd be bad at showing respect. I don't like to waste good beer.

-Ginger Man not only carries a historic literary reputation but also staffs cute bartenders who know their beer. A hat tip to the nice bar gal who explained to the deacon why bud light off tap always tastes like shite (no, seriously) in a good beer bar.

-And some other things. Holy hellfire that was a long week. The negative is that my memory is so hopcurdled that all the bars/beers sampled are washing together in one sudsy mess. But all in all, a beautiful example of why this city is the #1 beer drinker's paradise, and a nice foundation of neighborhood stops to (re)checkout to get us started here. Lets get drinkin'! (after, you know, sleeping off this one-week hangover...)