Best beer tower bars

Leisure Time Bowl

Photograph: Jeff Gurwin

Q Where can I drink beer straight from the keg, or from my own keg?
—Angelo Kaylor, Murray Hill

A Short of performing a keg stand (okay in frat houses, illegal in bars), your best bet is a beer tower. The airtight plastic skyscraper includes a spigot, which lets you pour beer at your pace, not the bartender’s. A great spot to score one for your crew—no drinking this behemoth alone—is the East Village’s flashy Bounce Deuce (103 Second Ave at 6th St, 212-533-6700). The sports lounge features 21 plasma-screen TVs and 100-ounce towers filled with Sam Adams or Magic Hat ($36). For more supersize suds, head downtown to Tribeca’s equally sportscentric Mudville 9 (126 Chambers St between Church St and West Broadway, 212-964-9464). Order fiery wings with the 100-ounce tower, brimming with Stella Artois or Brooklyn Lager ($30). If 100 ounces seem lightweight, try out Port Authority’s Leisure Time Bowl (Port Authority, 550 Ninth Ave between 40th and 41st Sts, second floor; 212-268-6909). Grab a lane (each game $9.50; shoe rental $5) and a gargantuan tower containing 176 ounces (11 pints) of Yuengling, Bud (each $55) or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale ($65). A second round is not recommended.
—Joshua M. Bernstein

Looking for the perfect bar? E-mail barhop@timeoutny.com.

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