Bierleichen

It was the Jonas Blizzard that set the stage for Bierleichen to truly shine. The bartenders last night walked all the way from Greenpoint just to open the bar. They greeted all clientele with warm tomato soup. I was also offered to lick the brownie mix bowl. I had to pass since I had already gorged on donuts all morning at Donutfest NYC 2016! However, the regular next to me didn't skip a beat and dug right into the bowl.

Adam and Peter were the bartenders. And they were super sweethearts. It's funny 'cause I'm from Seattle and sometimes a bearded, hip guy can greet you in an icy manner but not these guys. Adam even upped the beer shot special for an additional $2 you also got a baby beer. And instead of the pickle back you could do a jalapeño pickle back. I personally enjoyed a tequila, with a half and half jalapeño and pickle back with a frosty small beer. The pretzel with cheese was delicious but the grilled cheese with Munster cheese and mushrooms with a side of pickles really hit the spot. Yummmm!

I also loved that they had Top Gun on the screen and Queens of the Stoneage blasting! The music was just like my own personal play list of rock, punk and metal!

Our other bartender showed up Johann and dove right into the favorite rock album by band conversation....pixies...fugazi...smashing pumpkins and nirvana to name some nineties faves.

This bar does have a patio but in a blizzard it was a no go. There is plenty of space for groups. They're was even a skeletal juggalo group last night.

Thanks Bierleichen for keeping the locals, warm, fed and buzzed!! And thanks for the free brownies too!

Bierleichen!

A new German style meets US heavy metal beer hall to hit the Ridgewood, Queens scene.
All indoors with talks of a garden opening in the back this bar is an ode to every German bar in Germany. Serving up delicious and fresh German and Austrian beers in 5 different sizes including a massive boot! Dark, rustic, woody, this spot is a great addition to the 'hood.

A few things:
There is a tv!
There are foosball tables
There is a limited, but nice selection of wine and schnapps!
Food is limited, but available - think pretzels with beer cheese (amazin') and bratwurst.
They play a ton of heavy metal. They did switch it up while I was there which was a nice change up. I'm not the biggest heavy metal fan, so not sure if this would be a regular night for me.

A fun night out in a new 'hood? Score!

#German Heavy Metal Bar #Ridgewood.

#You can get a beer in a big giant boot. Or a beer in a big #mug. Or smaller #mug.

#We saw a guy that looked like he was Brendan Fraser from #Airheads. It was fitting.

It's a cavernous concrete heavy metal bar, with more German beers than most so-called beergardens (should I call them biergartens?). It's tough to get a decent pils in Brooklyn without descending into craft-beer navel-gazing or a yuppie inferno, so this place fills a gap in the market.

What else? The bratwursts are decent, but not great value. Oh, and you can order giant 2-liter beers if you want. Sometimes you catch people playing air guitar. It's great.

First and foremost, Bierleichen is my new favorite NY bar. They've got a helluva beautiful beer selection; warm salty pretzels; an awesome I-Could-Hang-Out-Here-All-Night atmosphere; smoke 'em if ya got 'em outdoor-seating; and the coolest, friendliest bartenders this side of the East River.

I've only been here a handful of times but it's quickly become my goto spot for whenever I'm in town.

P.S. "The Russian" girl who works there is, besides a bad-ass beer slinger, one of the sweetest, most well composed people I've met. Seated across from me and my friend was Aaron N, the reviewer who 1-star bombed this place. He was on a mission to impress his wife (we thought first date, they seemed awkward together) and behaved like men with Napolean complexes often do -- sadistic, douchey, transparently overcompensating for their tiny stature or mind or shoe-size. Dude was just bad news.

There were at least 5 people eyeing this guy, ready to intervene. But, it was completely uneccessary. The Russian handled him with complete grace. It was a thing of beauty. Like a Tai-Chi move or something. Guy wanted a fight and instead he got grace. He never saw it coming. Utter defeat. Everyone cheered and hoisted their glass.

I can't wait to come back here.

Stole my heart, it's true.
Jackie Chan on the screen and
Doom metal? Yes please

Both bartenders were really down to earth and happy to talk without being pushy. They knew how to have a laugh with their regulars and knew their beer. A pretty affordable beer and shot combo in a spacious area. Much less snooty than bars just a few blocks away.

There is a lot German Heavy Metal in the world. German food goes well with beer, so why not connect the metal with the food and with the beer. That is essentially what this place did for this hole in the wall. The inside looks kind of like a beer garden, but it is way darker and there is no outside area that I noticed at least.

The music was heavy metal... at first they were playing a combination of Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Danzig, and the Scorpions, but after hearing the Scorpions, I think they got sick of that and switched over to brutal and grinding death metal.

They had a pretty good German beer selection, one that was a step above the typical German beer selection in that there was a veritable attempt to get some of the more obscure (at least for the US or NY) brands (i.e., they didn't just have Erdinger, Warsteiner, and Ayinger). There were also a couple of NYC microbrews on tap. The prices for the beer, especially in the bottles was a little on the high side, but I guess that is how you make the money.

The food was also pretty good. We had a grilled cheese, pretzel, and the salami plate. The salami was by far the best thing; however, the pretzel was certainly respectable. The grilled cheese was OK, but it was nothing out of the ordinary.

If you want to get beer in a boot, you can do that too... I didn't want to do that, so I didn't.

Great place, BUT the Russian (that's the only unique descriptor I have) girl behind the bar Tuesday was the most un-fun horrible bar tender I've ever met in my life. My wife and I were insulted by her bitter, dismissive attitude. Such a shame that she is single-handedly ruining such a cool place.

Owners, please realize that this young woman is bringing down your establishment and replace her.

You have the makings of an amazing place that could be crowded with regulars.

And perhaps the new person might recognize a greeting in German when they hear one? Or at least not look at the person giving it in reproach like they had just been victimized by a Dad joke.

It felt like I was walking into a real German bar. Oh the shock when I was rudely corrected by that churl.

Schade. (Too bad)

Came here on a weeknight last week with a friend. Bartender was a space case. white as a sheet and seemed like he just shot up in the bathroom or railed a few percocets. He also looks like Ziggy Sobotka from The Wire, which is pretty cool.

I ordered a beer, whiskey, and a bratwurst, because I am an alcoholic.

Dude forgot my beer order within seconds of me ordering it. Not forgot the name of the draft, but completely forgot that he had ever talked to me.

This happened three times, and by the time I closed out my tab I still had never received my beer.

He also spilled wine on my friend's phone while trying to pour her a glass, which he also had forgotten that she had ordered.

He then dropped one of our bratwurst as he was leaving the kitchen 5 feet away. But thankfully, he had made an extra one because he was high as balls and was able to give us that as a replacement.

My whiskey was pretty great though. He gave me a massive pour and served it neat.

We closed out probably 20 minutes after arriving and were only charged for the bratwurst because he couldn't remember anything else.

Aside from the service, this place seemed pretty rad and I've heard its great when Johnny Thunders isn't working.

Hopefully this dude isn't the owner as another reviewer claimed, because if so this place and it's employees are screwed as any profits will be going straight up this dude's arm.