The 10 Best New NYC Bars of 2012

The bars of New York provide scenes as varied and vast as the peoples who make up the five boroughs. From hardcore metal haunts to underground Chinese homeopathic cocktail dens, New York runs the gamut of drinking culture.

2012 saw no shortage of openings. The credentials for being the best were simple: The spots with better booze, beers, and fun would win out. Pretentious cuff-link-wearing barkeeps—your days in the sun are numbered. This year was about swilling without shame and getting back to booze culture basics.

Raise a glass to the 10 best new NYC bars of 2012.

Written by Hannah Norwick (@HannahNorwick)

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Neighborhood: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Address: 383 Carroll St.
Website: lavenderlake.com

Who would've thought that a Superfund site would ever pop off? Gowanus continues to provide opportunities for quality boozing in an area that once had none, including the arrival of this 100 seat bar near the canal. Opened by a team of designers, the unpretentious space—formerly a horse stable—plays off its equine origins quietly, showcasing plenty of exposed brick, clean lines, light wood, and globe lighting. The backyard is scattered with picnic tables and umbrellas, and the namesake cocktail is made with lavender-infused vodka, iced tea, and lemon, making it a great warm-weather haunt.

Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 87 Ludlow St.
Website: leftfieldbar.com

Sometimes we just want to sit at a bar and have a guy with an Irish accent serve us Rolling Rock and Jameson. Sometimes we also want to order things like cheeseburgers and have them arrive as egg rolls filled with ground beef and cheddar. This newcomer to the Lower East Side does all of that, as if the place had been around for years. Not quite a dive, but pretty damn close, Leftfield has a narrow front section that holds the darkly-wooded, dimly-lit bar, while a catty-corner space separated by a wall hosts live acts from rock and punk musicians on most nights.

There's not much to see here, and that's kind of the draw. Barkeeps are happy to talk and the crowd is unlike the obnoxious bunch you'll find over on Rivington.

Neighborhood: Alphabet City
Address: 225 Ave. B
Website: pouringribbons.com

Nestled in Alphabet City, Pouring Ribbons is perched atop a set of stairs at a nondescript storefront on Avenue B. The lengthy barroom was conceived by the heavy-hitting team behind national favorites the Violet Hour (Chicago) and the Patterson House (Nashville). Cocktail waitresses in matching figure-hugging dresses channel Judy Jetson look as they flit about the open lounge opposite the bar. Though the atmosphere can feel oppressively hip at times, the quality of drinks will keep you from feeling any type of way about it. Try the Spirit of Diplomacy, which provides a welcome palate cleanse (Aylesbury Duck vodka and grapefruit juice), or the more potent Sweet Valley High, which plays on the classic negroni with Tanqueray, Cocchi Americano, and St. Germain.

Neighborhood: Alphabet City
Address: 96 Ave. C
Website: abcbeer.com

In a city silly with bars, it seems strange when you can't think of one place to go to just unwind. For us, ABC Beer is that spot. If the best cafe met a beer store/bar and procreated, this would be the lovely child. Plush leather chairs are scattered 'round lengthy wooden tables prime for sipping brews like Founders Dirty Bastard or Breckenridge Vanilla Porter with a book or buddies. The bar is also a cozy option when it comes to settling in for a few. The half pints—which will only set you back a couple bucks—make running the gamut of pours doable without knocking yourself on your ass.

Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Address: 793 Washington Ave.
Website: tookeralley.com

Washington Avenue in the Prospect/Crown Heights neighborhood gained some real boozing credibility when Tooker Alley opened this past October. Helmed by Pegu Club alum Del Pedro, this parlor is thick with nostalgia for the Chicago drinking dens of the early 20th century, in particular the storied Dil Pickle Club. The period scene is fixed with filament lighting, iron crank stools and tables, and a re-purposed oak bar made from a flatbed truck.

Contributing to the transporting vibe, the cocktail menu is a kind of storybook, with odes to gin, a history of the martini, and explanations about the classic cocktails. The Thelonious Monk, one of Pedro's creations, is a take on the classic Amber Dream. Fittingly, it's made with monk-crafted Benedictine and named after the famous jazz musician whose music often fills the space.

Neighborhood: East Harlem
Address: 1259 Park Ave.
Website: N/A

This hallway of a watering hole is the third counterpart in the drinking game brought to the UES by the crew behind Earl's Beer and Cheese and ABV. These three bar and restaurants have transformed uptown into a cocktail-and-cheese-lover's wet dream. Guthrie Inn's convenient location beside Earl's makes slipping into both spots too easy; all of a sudden one hour out becomes six. Prime yourself at Earl's with a beer and a grilled cheese before heading to the Guthrie Inn to further whet your whistle.

At the Inn, look to classics like the Martinez and a briskly sweet Old Fashioned before ordering the house special Jackson Ward (Old Grand Dad 100 Proof bourbon, Nardini amaro, and Punt e Mes). The drinks and proximity to inspired bar grub is sure to reignite your appetite, making a trip back next door totally acceptable. Drink, eat, repeat.

Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 700 East 9th St.
Website: thewaylandnyc.com

Housed within a boxy building on the corner of East 9th and Avenue C, this understated bar pumps out inventive cocktails and tunes curated by its jack-of-all-trades staff. Scavenged items like old lamps and scales create a scene reminiscent of a country cabin. The atmosphere seems charged with warm excitement, and with just the right amount of affect. The music is live, the bartenders are knowledgeable and excited without being douchey, and the cocktails boast interesting ingredients like kale juice mixed with tequila (the Garden Variety Margarita) and apple-wood smoked ice.

Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 102 St. Marks Pl.
Website: proletariatny.com

Some places get all the press, and although that's usually nothing but obnoxious, Proletariat can brag all it wants. Because it deserves it.

The beer-only bar has one of the best suds programs in the city, with an ever-changing list of wacky collabos, interesting imports, and solid locals. A board of mismatched plastic magnets details the dozen beers on draft, while encyclopedic barkeeps speak to the more than 30 bottles. On top of all that, the digs ain't bad either.

Warning: Space can be a bit scarce, but its worth the wait for a stool. With newly-expanded digs and plans to add a seafood menu from chef Sother Teague (Prime Meats, Booker & Dax), it looks like things will only get better at Proletariat.

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 27 Broadway
Website: donnabklyn.com

Earlier this year, we chose Donna as the best new bar in NYC. Now, with 2012 drawing to a close, we're sticking to our guns: Donna is aces.

The clean white walls and cathedral-like arched ceilings containing the Central American-inspired space make for a welcome refuge from the buzzing blocks of Williamsburg and the industrial scene on Kent Avenue.

Donna is best known for its playful interpretation of a piña colada, the Brancolada (Branca Menta, Appleton Jamaican Rum, pineapple, orange, coconut cream). More winter-appropriate options include the Morgan Town and the Artichoke Hold. But really, you can't make a mistake at Donna. At least as far as ordering is concerned.