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5 Best Breweries in New York (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Thorne Savarin
By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

New York's brewery scene is mostly a Brooklyn story these days, taprooms tucked into old industrial blocks in Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg and Gowanus, with one more across the East River in Long Island City. Between them, these breweries in New York carry over 6,000 Google reviews, and ratings still land in a fairly tight range, 4.4 to 4.8, so the real differences show up in what each taproom is actually built for: a rooftop, a tour, a backyard for a private event.

Short answer: Other Half Brewing Company in Carroll Gardens leads with 4.7 stars across 1,494 reviews, the strongest combination of rating and volume on this list. Brooklyn Brewery (4.5, 1,867 reviews) has the deepest review base of any name here, while Fifth Hammer Brewing (4.8, 841 reviews) posts the single highest rating.
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New York's top breweries, tap by tap

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Other Half Brewing Company 4.7 ★ 1,494 Overall / widest beer variety View ›
2 Brooklyn Brewery 4.5 ★ 1,867 Brewery tours and history View ›
3 Fifth Hammer Brewing Company 4.8 ★ 841 Cask ales and rotating small-batch styles View ›
4 Grimm Artisanal Ales 4.7 ★ 739 Rooftop drinking and wood-fired pizza View ›
5 Threes Brewing 4.4 ★ 1,118 Backyard hangouts and private events View ›
5 Best Breweries in New York (2026)

Our picks, pint by pint

Other Half Brewing Company logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

Other Half Brewing Company

4.71,494 Google reviews

Other Half Brewing Company is a Carroll Gardens taproom and the flagship of a brewery that's grown from a single Brooklyn site into locations across Manhattan, western New York, DC and Philadelphia. Its own site leans into a steady stream of new releases, from hazy IPAs to stouts, shipped nationally as well as poured in the taproom.

What people praise

  • Reviewers describe every style they tried as top-level, not just the flagship IPA
  • Staff are praised for offering real opinions and suggestions rather than generic small talk
  • Multiple reviewers, including out-of-town visitors, call it the best beer they've had on the East Coast

Worth knowing

  • No option to mix and match small quantities of takeaway cans, and the taproom can run cold in winter
  • One reviewer had a rough delivery experience with damaged cans and slow support, though it was eventually resolved
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume1,494 · 93th
Confidencevery high
Recency5 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown83% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The strongest combination of rating and review volume on this list, and reviewers keep citing specific styles and staff by name rather than generic praise, a good sign the ratings are earned.

Website+1212-564-6065 Directions

195 Centre St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Brooklyn Brewery logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days

Brooklyn Brewery

4.51,867 Google reviews

Brooklyn Brewery, on North 11th Street in Williamsburg, has been operating since 1988 and is widely credited with helping kickstart Brooklyn's craft beer scene before it became a national reference point. It runs a regular brewery tour with tasting, alongside a taproom pouring its core lineup, including Brooklyn Lager and its Defender IPA.

What people praise

  • The brewery tour gets specific praise for teaching real detail on brewing, not just a walkthrough
  • Staff are repeatedly named and credited for making individual nights memorable
  • Community involvement and a long neighborhood history come up unprompted in reviews
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.5 / 5
Review volume1,867 · 98th
Confidencevery high
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · hours
Rating breakdown68% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed brewery here and the one most visitors have likely heard of before landing in New York, even though its five-star share trails Other Half slightly.

Website Directions

79 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Fifth Hammer Brewing Company logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days

Fifth Hammer Brewing Company

4.8841 Google reviews

Fifth Hammer Brewing Company operates a taproom in Long Island City, brewing everything on site across a rotating lineup that includes a rare cask engine, something few American breweries run. Its own site frames the taproom as a community space as much as a beer list, open seven days a week with regular trivia and live events.

What people praise

  • The cask-conditioned offerings get called out as unusual and worth seeking out specifically
  • Reviewers describe staff, including one bartender named repeatedly, as genuinely helpful with recommendations
  • Long-time regulars describe the seasonal rotation staying interesting after years of visits

Worth knowing

  • No food is served on site, though outside food is welcome
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume841 · 83th
Confidencevery high
Recency2 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown85% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The highest individual rating on this list at 4.8, but on roughly half the review volume of the top two, so it lands third once we weight rating against how many people actually reviewed it.

Website+1718-663-2084 Directions

10-28 46th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

Grimm Artisanal Ales logo
#4🕑 Open 7 days

Grimm Artisanal Ales

4.7739 Google reviews

Grimm Artisanal Ales, on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, has been named New York State Brewery of the Year five times, in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022 and 2021, a credential that shows up in its own site copy rather than just marketing spin. The taproom includes a rooftop terrace and bar, plus a wood-fired pizza kitchen, Lala's Apizza, run alongside it.

What people praise

  • Sours and barrel-aged releases get specific mentions, not just 'good beer'
  • The rooftop and pizza pairing draws repeated, unprompted praise
  • Bartenders are described as friendly and efficient even during busy stretches

Worth knowing

  • Dogs aren't allowed on the rooftop bar, worth knowing if you're bringing one along
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume739 · 78th
Confidencehigh
Recency6 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown84% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A five-times-named state Brewery of the Year, a genuinely rare credential, backed by reviews that get specific about the sours, stouts and rooftop scene rather than just calling the beer good.

Website+1718-564-9767 Directions

990 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Threes Brewing logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days

Threes Brewing

4.41,118 Google reviews

Threes Brewing, on Douglass Street in Gowanus, runs a brewpub built around a backyard beer garden, a kitchen with rotating food vendors, and event space that regularly hosts private parties and even weddings. Its flagship location has operated since 2014 as brewery, coffee shop and bar all in one building.

What people praise

  • Private event bookings get consistent praise, including named staff who coordinated logistics smoothly
  • The backyard and rooftop-style outdoor seating draw repeated mentions for atmosphere
  • Reviewers describe it as friendly for young families and service dogs

Worth knowing

  • Music volume can get loud enough that conversation is difficult, according to at least one detailed review
  • The food menu has switched vendors recently, so it's less consistent than it used to be
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.4 / 5
Review volume1,118 · 88th
Confidencehigh
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown67% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The lowest rating on this list, and reviews suggest noise is the main culprit rather than the beer itself. Still the strongest pick here if you're planning a private event.

Website+1718-568-9673 Directions

333 Douglass St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

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Watch: 5 Best Breweries in New York (2026)

How we scored these

Rating is the live Google average. Review volume measures how many customers actually left one, compared against similar breweries citywide. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a 4.7 from nearly 1,500 people counts for more than a 4.8 from a smaller sample. Recency checks how many reviews are current rather than years old. No brewery paid to move up this list; these numbers come straight from public Google data.

How much does a brewery visit cost in New York? (2026)

We don’t have a reliably sourced, brewery-specific price table for New York, so we’re not going to invent one. In general, taproom pours cost less than a full sit-down restaurant tab, tasting flights cost less than individual full pours, and prices climb if you add a guided tour, food from an on-site kitchen, or a private event booking.

Breweries near you in New York

These five sit almost entirely in Brooklyn: Carroll Gardens (Other Half), Williamsburg (Brooklyn Brewery, Grimm) and Gowanus (Threes), with Fifth Hammer just across the East River in Long Island City, Queens. If you’re searching for a brewery near you from Manhattan, the L or G train gets you to most of these in under 30 minutes.

What to ask before you visit a brewery

  • Do they offer tasting flights, or is it full pours only?
  • Is there an on-site kitchen, or do you need to bring your own food?
  • Do they run brewery tours, and do you need to book ahead?
  • Are dogs and kids welcome, since policies vary by taproom and even by area, like a rooftop versus the main bar?
  • Can they host a private event or group booking, and what’s the minimum group size?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A brewery can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these breweries?

We compared New York breweries using public Google ratings, review counts and recent customer reviews, then ranked them on a blend of rating, review volume and how current the feedback is.

How often is this updated?

We refreshed this list in July 2026 using the latest available Google data for each business.

Which brewery has won the most awards?

Grimm Artisanal Ales, named New York State Brewery of the Year five times: 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022 and 2021, according to its own site.

Is food available at these breweries?

It varies. Threes Brewing and Grimm both run kitchens on site, while Fifth Hammer and Brooklyn Brewery welcome outside food instead of serving their own.

The bottom line

Other Half is the safe default, the best-balanced rating and review count on this list. If you want the single highest-rated pour, head to Fifth Hammer in Long Island City; if you’re planning a group event, Threes Brewing books private space better than anyone else here.

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