MANHATTAN BARS

Blind Tiger Ale House
This welcome break from the ice-cream, smoke and T-shirt shops lining Bleecker Street is a beer drinker’s heaven—there are more than 100 either on tap or bottled. Connoisseurs can pick a specialty brew from any number of countries, or stick with a domestic like Sixpoint or Sierra Nevada, all of which nicely wash down the kitchen’s small plates, such as deviled eggs, seven-pepper chili, or a toasted cheddar melt with roasted bacon, apple, onion and cheddar cheese. 281 Bleecker St at Jones St (212-462-4682, blindtigeralehouse.com)

The Duplex
This West Village staple is known as much for its talented bar staff as for its wide array of cabaret shows. The downstairs piano room boasts an open mike every night beginning at 9pm, when patrons are welcome to take a turn in the spotlight. Upstairs, the game room’s leather banquettes, small cocktail tables and low stools give the feeling of a pool hall circa 1902. 61 Christopher St at Seventh Ave (212-255-5438, theduplex.com)

8th Street Wine Cellar
For a spacious wine bar, this sub-street-level spot, labeled only by a painted sign on the sidewalk and a modest logo on the door, is awfully easy to miss. Inside, dozens of bottles—and a rotating group of 20 by the glass—are served by an incredibly attentive staff, led by two former Union Square Cafe barkeeps (cofounder Jonny Cohen is also a cartoonist whose wry doodles have appeared in The New Yorker). To its credit, this cellar lacks the snooty attitude that clings to some enotecas. 28 W 8th St between Fifth Ave and MacDougal St (212-260-9463, 8thstwinecellar.com)

Employees Only
Following the trend of faux-Prohibition bars, Employees Only is tucked away behind a psychic’s illuminated shop-front window. Cocktails are the tipples of choice here; Igor, a bartender sporting a mean gunslinger mustache, favors the Negroni, a smooth shake-up of vermouth, Campari and gin. For something to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit, try the ginger smash, a tart concoction made from Plymouth gin and Berentzen apple liqueur, ginger root and cranberries. 510 Hudson St between Christopher and W 10th Sts (212-242-3021, employeesonlynyc.com)

124 Rabbit Club
Since the rest of MacDougal Street drips with more neon than the Vegas strip, you’ll need a sharp eye to catch the beat-up entrance to this underground hidey-hole for dirty beer nerds. Stay on your toes—it’s dark enough inside to catch your ankle on a barstool. The heavy rock music is a tad too loud for casual conversation, but it nicely drowns out the fratty free-for-all outside. Bring cash for the no-credit-card beer list, which meanders through the damp, beer-brewing parts of Europe—Scotland, Belgium, Germany. 124 MacDougal St between Bleecker and W 3rd Sts (212-254-0575)

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