Enjoy A Beer Outdoors

So far it’s been a sad stormy couple of days in the Slope. But according to that spiffy little AccuWeather icon on my Mac, this weekend is supposed to be nice, hot, and sunny — weather that screams: “Drink a beer!”

Now, there are several good ways to go about daydrinking on a sticky 80-degree Sunday, not least of which involves plopping a PBR in a brown paper bag and settling into a nice shady spot on your stoop. But for those of us with judgy neighbors and/or no stoops, I have compiled a quick guide to romping through Park Slope’s plentiful beer gardens. It’s sort of like my recent , but less sissy.

This bar comes first on my list because you have to be somewhat sober to appreciate the paradise that is Cherry Tree’s backyard. Want to play chess on an oversized chessboard? They’ve got you covered. Feel like hula hooping? Sometimes they have a few of those lying around, too. And a big brick fountain. And a bunch of walls lined with Tiki torches. It’s pretty much a grown-up’s playground. Of course, no grown-up playground would be complete without a selection of 25 microbrews on tap and a big ol’ stash of other obscure stuff in the fridge.

This self-proclaimed “weird beer bar at Fourth and Carroll” wins for best convertible top, as in the glass ceiling actually opens up to the sky above. An impressive trick for a place that’s made from the concrete skeleton of an old auto-repair shop. Throw in a couple of rusty drink shelves and some cute little wooden barstools and you’ve got yourself a sufficiently bucolic place to sip on craft beer. In fact, Mission Dolores’ beer list is so crafty that the owners tweak and repost it on their blog every few days. Recent highlights include a Southampton Double White ($6), a Lagunitas Wells Undercover Investigation Shut-Down ($5, from California), and a fine liquid dessert in the form of Wells Banana Bread Beer ($7). And if you’re still high off of life from the playground that is Cherry Tree, you're free to continue reliving your childhood with one of the Mission’s pinball machines or board games. Or just bring along Fido to play with: This particular bar is dog friendly.

Though The Gate is neither as elaborate or stylish as the aforementioned bars, it’s got one thing on it’s competition: a good perch for people-watching. Anyone who takes a seat The Gate’s giant patio across from J.J. Byrne Park will be privy to snippets of Slope gossip (as in “Have you tried the purple Kale at the Coop? To die for!”). Worst comes to worse you’ll have someone to make fun of while you enjoy a cheap, frosty beer from their extensive drink list beneath the warm sun. They also happen to welcome dogs and strollers. Throw in some drunk people, and you’ve got yourself a regular Park Slope jamboree.

Thistle Hill doesn’t have a giant chessboard, a chalkboard’s worth of craft beer, or tons of outdoor seating. But it does have a simple South Slope serenity to it. Looking at it’s big bay windows and elaborate moldings, you’d never guess that one of Thistle Hill’s co-owners, Michael Burkett, is also the frontman of the punkrock band NOFX. (He is also the inspiration for their grass-fed “Fat Mike” burger.) If you can snag an outdoor seat off of the Seventh Avenue sidewalk, you’re guaranteed a relaxing afternoon with a glass of tasty beer. Your choices ranges from a $3 can of Tecate to a $25 bottle of Bruton Bianca. They also do a mean plate of homemade pickles ($6).